Western States TV 10-7-87 Gilbert vs Simmons for TV title!

[Chitohausen]

WSW WILD WEST WRESTLING

Airdate: Friday night, October 7, 1987 on local stations throughout the western US and Canada
Taped on October 5, 1987 at the Arena-Auditorium in Laramie, WY

Brought to you by Western States Wrestling and sanctioned by the United States Wrestling Association






Dutch Savage and Don Coss are seated at a table near the ring, in front of a backdrop with the Western States Wrestling and USWA logos on it. Coss welcomes us to Laramie, Wyoming for WILD WEST WRESTLING!

Dutch talks about what transpired during last week’s main event, and sends us to the video.

VTR: Steve Williams vs Buzz Sawyer, JIP:
Late in the match, Williams has the upper hand, and Matt Borne makes his way out to ringside. Williams connects with a running clothesline on Sawyer, and goes for the pin, but Borne puts Sawyer’s foot on the bottom rope, then points it out to the referee.

This brings out Jim Duggan! Duggan grabs Borne, and repeatedly slams his head into the ring apron! This distracts Buzz Sawyer long enough for Doctor Death to roll him up for the 1, 2, 3!

Sawyer is livid! As Williams is getting his hand raised, Sawyer attacks him from behind and the two brawl. Outside the ring, Jim Duggan has the upper hand as he brawls with Matt Borne, and moments later, they’re joined by Williams and Sawyer on the floor!
END VTR

Dutch says that a tag team match has been signed, which will take place on next week’s show, between the Tag Team champs Sawyer and Borne, and the team of Hacksaw Duggan and Steve Williams!


Dutch and Coss are then joined by “Hacksaw” Butch Reed. Reed asks Savage if he heard him right, did he just call Duggan “Hacksaw”? Reed says there’s only ONE “Hacksaw” in wrestling . . . and you’re lookin’ at him! Reed says that Duggan isn’t tough enough to call himself Hacksaw, and says he’ll prove it if Duggan has the guts to step into the ring with him!


After Reed leaves the announce area, Dutch says that Hacksaw Duggan is as tough as they come, and he’s sure Duggan will have something to say about Butch Reed and his comments.


WESTERN STATES TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP:
“MAD DOG” BUZZ SAWYER & “MANIAC” MATT BORNE (Champs) (w/ Percival Pringle III) VS. THE KINISKI BROTHERS: NICK & KELLY KINISKI. Our opening match is a good one, as Nick and Kelly Kiniski, sons of Canadian wrestling legend Gene Kiniski, square off with the Western States Tag Team champs. The Kiniski brothers are a couple of big, rough customers, and they take the fight right to the champions to start the match. Soon, the champs take over, isolating Kelly in their corner and working him over. The champs repeatedly double-team Kelly, which brings Nick into the ring, but that ends up working against the challengers, as the referee forces Nick back to the apron, it gives Sawyer and Borne more time to double-team Kelly. Kelly is finally able to get to his corner, and tags Nick in. Nick drops both Sawyer and Borne with a series of haymakers. The champions recover, and double-team Nick, with Sawyer then working him over, and eventually connecting with a powerslam. Sawyer covers Nick, as Borne keeps Kelly from getting involved, and the champions get the win.


After the match, Magnum TA joins Sawyer, Borne and Percival Pringle III at ringside. Pringle talks about the video we saw at the top of the program, of the match last week between Steve Williams and the Mad Dog Buzz Sawyer. Pringle says that Williams made the biggest mistake of his life when he turned down Pringle’s offer to join his Dynasty, and now Williams will have to face the consequences of his decision. He says that they aren’t going to destroy Williams right away, they are going to toy with him, they’re going to break him down, bit by bit, before they end his career!

Magnum says that, as well as Doctor Death, Pringle and his men have made enemies of other wrestlers here in the Western States, such as “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan and Doctor Death’s protégé Ron Simmons.

Pringle just laughs and says that Simmons is a punk, and will pose no threat to his Dynasty. As for Jim Duggan, Percy says that Butch Reed was absolutely right when he said Duggan isn’t tough enough to call himself Hacksaw, and that Butch Reed is indeed the one true “Hacksaw” in professional wrestling.

Magnum asks Pringle if Reed is someone he’s scouting to be a part of his stable.

Pringle says that he’s in the process of expanding his Dynasty to fulfill his goal of holding all the gold in Western States Wrestling, and says that Butch Reed is a great wrestler and an upstanding citizen, just like himself, Sawyer and Borne.

Magnum asks if that means he is considering Reed as a member of his group, but Pringle says that’s none of Magnum’s business, and then turns and leads Sawyer and Borne from ringside.



“RAVISHING” RICK RUDE VS. ART BARR. Rude gets under the skin of the Wyoming fans before the match, telling the men in attendance to shut their mouths, so that their women can focus on him, and get a good look at what a real man is supposed to look like! After that, the fans are solidly behind the young man from Portland, but despite Barr’s best efforts, Rude hits the Rude Awakening neckbreaker for the pinfall victory.


“DR. DEATH” STEVE WILLIAMS & “HACKSAW” JIM DUGGAN VS. KERRY BROWN & “BRUISER” BOB SWEETAN. There’s nothing pretty about this one, as these four forget all about scientific wrestling, and focus instead on just trying to beat the stuffing out of each other. Duggan and Sweetan are no strangers to each other, as they teamed up occasionally in Texas in the early 80s, when Duggan was just starting out. Now, Duggan is an experienced star, and Bruiser Bob is into the twilight of his career, but he’s still one of the toughest men on the planet.

This slobberknocker lasts about 7 minutes, before Doc hits Kerry Brown with the Stampede and covers him. Bruiser Bob comes in, but Duggan goes into his 3-point stance, and delivers the tackle, sending Sweetan through the ropes before he can break up the count. Williams gets the 3-count on Brown and the victory for his team.


Savage and Coss talk about the Battle Royal that took place on last week’s show.

VTR: 20-man Battle Royal, JIP:
In ring 1, Kelly Kiniski and Art Barr are both eliminated, as Kiniski tried to push Barr over, but before he can get him out, Steve Doll dropkicks Kiniski in the back, sending Kelly and Barr over the top and tumbling to the floor. Moments later, Butch Reed and Rick Rude team up to eliminate Billy Jack Haynes.

Over in ring 2, Buddy Rose eliminates Brad Batten, while Brad’s brother Bart is eliminated moments later by David Schultz. Dean Malenko then eliminates Jeff Sword, leaving us with 5 wrestlers in each ring.

In ring 1, Rick Rude and Nick Kiniski are both eliminated, as Rude throws Kiniski over the top, but he lands on the apron. Rude charges at him, attempting to knock Kiniski off the apron, but Kiniski ducks, pulling the top rope down as he does, and Rude tumbles over the top, but grabs ahold of Kiniski, pulling him off the apron as well, and both men hit the floor.

In the other ring, Buddy Rose and David Schultz team up to eliminate Jim Duggan, then Rose eliminates Dean Malenko. We’re down to Rose, Schultz and Ron Simmons in ring 2. Rose and Schultz gang up on Simmons and pummel him, but when Schultz holds Simmons while Rose winds up and throws a haymaker, Simmons ducks, and Rose connects with Schultz instead! Schultz falls backwards over the top rope and to the floor, and Ron Simmons grabs the stunned Playboy, and tosses him out as well! Ron Simmons has won ring 2, and will go on to challenge for the TV title next week!

Back in ring 1, Butch Reed is trying to shove Steve Doll over the top rope, but Doll has his arms and legs around the ropes, holding on for dear life. Eddie Gilbert, the only other man in the ring, sees his opportunity, and comes up behind Reed, shoving Reed and Doll over the top rope! “Hot Stuff” Eddie Gilbert has won ring 1!
END VTR


FOR THE WESTERN STATES TELEVISION CHAMPIONSHIP:
RON SIMMONS VS. “HOT STUFF” EDDIE GILBERT (w/ Missy Hyatt). There’s a real contrast of styles here, as Simmons and Gilbert square off for the TV title. Gilbert has everyone in the building questioning his sanity when he challenges Simmons to a test of strength. Gilbert flexes and poses for the fans, then locks up with Simmons in the test of strength. Gilbert’s plan becomes apparent, as soon as their fingers are locked, Gilbert boots Simmons in the stomach, then a second, and third time, with Simmons finally dropping to his knees, and Gilbert, now free of Ron’s grip, repeatedly kicks Simmons in the head! With Simmons now flat on the mat, Gilbert quickly goes for a cover, but at the count of 1, Simmons kicks out . . . with enough force to send Gilbert a couple of feet in the air and halfway across the ring!

Missy Hyatt looks worried at ringside, and complains to referee Bill Alfonso that Simmons is cheating, but Alfonso just ignores her. As Simmons goes at Gilbert, Eddie wisely bails out of the ring, and goes to confer with Missy. When Simmons follows him out, Gilbert shows what kind of man he is by USING MISSY AS A SHIELD!!!! Gilbert shoves Missy towards Simmons, then scurries back into the ring. When Simmons follows him back in, Gilbert pounces, again kicking Simmons repeatedly. Simmons is on all fours, and Simmons cradles him for another attempted pinfall, but again Simmons kicks out.

The match goes on like this, every time Simmons gets the upper hand, Eddie uses an underhanded tactic to take control again, only to see Simmons rebound. Late in the match, as Simmons and Gilbert brawl along the ropes, Bill Alfonso catches a stray elbow and is knocked to the mat. Simmons delivers a powerslam on Gilbert moments later, but when he covers Eddie, he realizes there’s no referee. As he tries to wake Alfonso up, Missy hands her purse to Gilbert, who cracks Simmons over the head with it! Obviously there was something in the purse, as Simmons falls to the mat, out cold. Bill Alfonso slowly gets to his feet, and then sees Gilbert covering Simmons. Alfonso is slow to make the count, but it doesn’t matter, Simmons is out like a light.

Eddie Gilbert gets the 3-count, and becomes the first Western States Television Champion!



Dutch and Coss talk about what a travesty that was, Eddie Gilbert has stolen a victory over Ron Simmons to become the TV champion.

Coss then talks about Steve Doll, a talented young man who we saw last week in the 2-ring Battle Royal, where he was one of the final three participants in ring 1, before being eliminated by the man we just saw, Eddie Gilbert.

A highlight video of Steve Doll airs, featuring clips of the exciting youngster in action.


TERRY TAYLOR VS. JACK VICTORY. Taylor makes his Western States debut, picking up a win over Jack Victory with a flying forearm smash off the ropes.


Dutch and Coss wrap things up, and hype next week’s show, which will see a tag team match between Sawyer & Borne and Duggan & Williams!


Credits Roll


© 1987, WESTERN STATES WRESTLING