AWA TV 11-19-87 6-man tag team main event!

[Chitohausen]

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

Airdate: Saturday evening, November 19, 1987

Broadcast nationwide on Chicago's Superstation, WGN


Taped on November 16, 1987 at the DECC Arena-Auditorium in Duluth, MN








Rod Trongard opens the show, and welcomes his co-host, Magnum TA.

On this program, we’ll see “Hacksaw” Butch Reed take on two men in a special handicap match, “Hot Stuff” Eddie Gilbert puts the World Television title on the line against Terry Taylor, and the HUGE main event, a 6-man tag team match, best 2 out of 3 falls, as Steve “Dr. Death” Williams teams up with “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan and Dick Slater to face AWA World champion “Ravishing” Rick Rude, and the reigning AWA World Tag Team champions Buzz Sawyer & Matt Borne!


Trongard and Magnum talk about Butch Reed, with Trongard saying that, while fans may not like his attitude or arrogance, there’s no denying that Reed is one of the most well-rounded wrestlers in the world today.

We go to a video of Butch Reed.




HANDICAP MATCH:
“HACKSAW” BUTCH REED (w/ Percival Pringle III) VS. JAKE “MILKMAN” MILLIMAN & ART CREWS. Reed toys with his opponents early on, allowing them to get some shots in, only to drop them both with a pair of devastating clotheslines! Reed puts Crews on the mat with a picture-perfect standing dropkick, then picks Milliman up and gorilla presses him, dropping him right on top of Crews! Reed places a foot on Crews’ chest, and poses while the referee counts to three! That’s all she wrote, and Reed walks away victorious in this 2-on-1 handicap match.

Larry Nelson joins Butch Reed and Percy Pringle in the ring after the match. Pringle gloats about how awesome Butch Reed is, and says that he already controls the AWA World heavyweight and Tag Team titles, and now he and Reed are issuing a challenge to the winner of the TV title match later in the show . . . whoever wins that match, has got Hacksaw Reed to look forward to!


Trongard and Magnum discuss the match between TV champion Eddie Gilbert and Terry Taylor, that took place in Casper, Wyoming.

VTR airs of the final moments of the match. Taylor had the match in hand, and just connected with the diving forearm, but before he could cover Gilbert, the bell rang, signalling that the 20-minute time limit had expired.

We go to pre-recorded comments from both Taylor and Gilbert.

Terry Taylor is thankful for the opportunities that he’s received so far in his career, and for the support of the fans all around the country. He says that he will go out there against Gilbert and give his all. He promises the fans that if he’s successful in winning the TV title, he’ll be a champion the fans can all look up to!

Eddie “Hot Stuff” Gilbert, along with Missy Hyatt, talk about the upcoming match. Gilbert is brash and arrogant, saying that he had the flu that night in Casper, and even in his feverish and weakened state, Taylor still couldn’t beat him! He says that tonight, he is 100% and he’s going to humiliate Terry Taylor! Missy says that she doesn’t understand why the female fans go crazy for Taylor, because Gilbert is the sexiest man in wrestling!


AWA WORLD TELEVISION CHAMPIONSHIP:
“HOT STUFF” EDDIE GILBERT (Champ) (w/ Missy Hyatt) VS. TERRY TAYLOR. The match starts off with Gilbert refusing to lock up with Taylor, first demanding that the referee check Taylor for hidden weapons again, even though he did before the match started, then when Taylor tries to lock up with him again, Gilbert again sticks his head through the ropes, and complains to the ref that Taylor is especially greasy, and he can’t get ahold of him! The referee shakes his head, and orders Gilbert to start the match! When they finally lock up, Gilbert gets the upper hand, and backs Taylor into the corner, but when Gilbert goes to sucker punch him, Taylor slips out of the way, then stuns Gilbert with a flurry of right hands, then a big haymaker that puts the TV champ flat on his back on the mat! Missy complains to the ref about Taylor’s use of the closed fist, but the referee ignores her.

As the match progresses, the momentum goes back and forth, Gilbert uses several underhanded tactics to gain the advantage when it looks like Taylor may be ready to put him away. In the end, though, Gilbert jumps off the second turnbuckle with a crossbody attempt, but Taylor steps out of the way, and as Gilbert slowly gets to his feet after crashing to the mat, Taylor runs the ropes . . . FOREARM SMASH!!!

Taylor connects with the flying forearm smash, and covers Gilbert for the 1, 2, 3!!!

Terry Taylor is the NEW Television Champion!!!


Eddie Gilbert throws a fit, and tries to attack Taylor afterwards, but Taylor is ready, and blocks Gilbert’s punches, hits a few punches of his own, then tosses Gilbert over the top rope and to the floor! Missy Hyatt throws a tantrum at ringside as Gilbert slowly picks himself up off the floor, and heads to the locker room.


A highlight video airs, showing everything that’s gone on between Steve Williams, Hacksaw Duggan and Dick Slater, and the Pringle Dynasty! We see the closing moments of the tournament final, where Rick Rude cheated to beat Steve Williams for the World title, as well as clips of Buzz Sawyer attacking Dick Slater earlier that night, after Slater beat Sawyer in the first round of the tournament. The attack knocked Slater out of the rest of the tournament. From there, we see clips of the recent match between Jim Duggan and Slater against Matt Borne and Sawyer, where Duggan and Slater got the the win, but didn’t win the titles because Slater wasn’t originally supposed to be part of the match.


Trongard and Magnum talk about the video we just saw, and say that it all leads up to tonight’s main event, as Williams, Duggan and Slater take on Rude, Sawyer and Borne in a 2 out of 3 falls 6-man tag team match!


BEST 2 OUT OF 3 FALLS:
“RAVISHING” RICK RUDE & “MAD DOG” BUZZ SAWYER & “MANIAC” MATT BORNE (w/ Percival Pringle III) VS. STEVE “DR. DEATH” WILLIAMS & “HACKSAW” JIM DUGGAN & DICK SLATER. The two teams try to get at each other before the bell even sounds, but the referee demands that they stay in their own corners, or he’ll throw the match out right now!

Fall #1: Pringle’s men gain the upper hand by taking the first fall. After several minutes of back and forth action, Sawyer pins Duggan after catching Hacksaw with a vicious powerslam!

Fall #2: The second fall ends in a DQ, as Borne hits Slater across the back with a chair, as Slater has Sawyer pinned!

Fall #3: With everything all tied up at one fall apiece, these two teams throw everything they’ve got at each other. In the end, after a wild brawl with all six men in the ring, the referee finally gets order restored, just as Steve Williams hits Rick Rude with the Oklahoma Stampede! Williams covers the World champion, and gets the 1, 2, 3!!!

Steve Williams has pinned World champion Rick Rude to win the final fall and the match!



Trongard and Magnum wrap things up, thank the fans for tuning in, and hype next week’s show as the show comes to an end.


Credits Roll


© 1987, AMERICAN WRESTLING ASSOCIATION