AWA TV 1-21-88 Rude vs Williams!
Jan 18, 2017 21:19:47 GMT
Post by Chitohausen on Jan 18, 2017 21:19:47 GMT
Airdate: Saturday, January 21, 1988
Broadcast nationwide on Superstation WGN
Taped on January 18, 1988 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada
“From coast to coast, continent to continent, and border to border, this is the AWA, the Major Leagues of Professional Wrestling!”
Opening Clip: Rick Rude vs Steve Williams, 1/14/88 in Omaha, JIP:
Late in the match, Williams had the upper hand, and hit Rude with the Oklahoma Stampede, but as he covered Rude, Percy Pringle climbed up to the top rope and jumped off, delivering a double axehandle to the back of Doc’s head, causing the DQ, and quite possibly saving the World title for Rude. Williams grabbed ahold of Percy before he could get out of the ring, but Rude attacked Williams from behind, and delivered the Rude Awakening before leaving the ring with Percy.
END CLIP
Rod Trongard opens the show, and welcomes his co-host, Magnum TA.
Magnum and Trongard talk about the footage we just saw, it appeared Steve Williams had the World title won, but the interference from Pringle kept the belt around Rude’s waist. That brings us to tonight’s main event, and what a match it is . . . a return match between Rude and Williams, for the title, with Percy Pringle locked in a small cage at ringside, to ensure he can’t interfere!
This brings Percival Pringle III and AWA World champion “Ravishing” Rick Rude out to the announce table.
Percy is not happy, he says that the AWA keeps stacking the deck against Rude, doing everything they can to give Williams an advantage. He says that he is a manager, he has every right to be at ringside with Rude, and the AWA locking him in a cage means he can’t do his job. Percy says that he’s been in contact with his lawyer, and says that this isn’t going to stand, and he’s confident that by the time the match rolls around, Stanley Blackburn will have no choice but to remove that stipulation from the match.
Rude says that he’s sure the fans are just giddy with excitement, they want to see their hero, Steve Williams, win the title. He says that these idiot fans like Williams because he’s one of them, a no-class, blue-collar chump! He says that the fans, and the AWA board, don’t like him because he tells it like it is, and the fans don’t want to hear the truth, they want someone to kiss their behinds, like Williams does! Rude says that Percy is his manager, the AWA has no right to keep him locked up in a cage like an animal, and says that Percy’s lawyer is the best that money can buy, and like Pringle said, by the time the match starts, he has no doubt that they will have the stipulation removed.
Local promos air for upcoming shows in Winnipeg, St. Paul, Green Bay and Chicago.
AWA WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP:
DICK SLATER & OLE ANDERSON (champs) VS. THE NEW ZEALAND SHEEPHERDERS: LUKE & BUTCH. Slater and Anderson are one of the few teams in wrestling that can stand toe to toe and brawl with the Sheepherders, and that’s exactly what this is, a brawl! The champions eventually get the win, when Slater connects with a Russian Legsweep on Butch Miller for the pinfall.
As the match is going on, Capt. Lou Albano makes his way out to ringside to watch for a few minutes, then the Captain joins Rod Trongard and Magnum TA, telling them that his Islanders are here for one reason, the World Tag Team titles, and he’s out here to scout the current champions.
After the match is over, Slater and Anderson stop by the announce table on their way to the back. Captain Lou says the champions may have beaten Matt Borne and Buzz Sawyer, although they needed a crooked referee to do that, but he says they’ve never faced anyone like his Islanders. He says Haku and Tama grew up together, and have been friends since they were children, they know what the other is thinking at all times! Plus, on top of being top-flight wrestlers, they have both trained extensively in various martial arts, and as a result, they’ve mastered moves that Slater and Anderson have never even SEEN before!
As Slater and Ole argue with Albano, Haku and Tama sneak up behind Slater and Ole, and they attack the champions! A wild brawl ensues before several officials are able to get the two teams separated as we go to a commercial break.
Local promos air for upcoming shows in Winnipeg, St. Paul, Green Bay and Chicago.
ICEMAN PARSONS VS. TARAS BULBA. Parsons gets the win by pinfall after whipping Bulba into the ropes, and hitting the Butt Butt.
Larry Nelson talks with “Dr. Death” Steve Williams. Williams talks about his match coming up later on tonight against Rick Rude for the AWA title, with Percy Pringle locked in a cage at ringside. Williams says that, as we saw at the top of the program, he had Rude beat in that match, and if it wasn’t for Percy Pringle, Williams would be standing here right now as the World champion! Williams talks about Rude’s earlier comments, saying that Rude’s got it all wrong, and that Williams may be “blue-collar” as Rude put, but he’s proud of that fact, because the blue-collar people, the working class, they’re the backbone of this great country, and they’re definitely his people! Williams says it’s not about “kissing people’s behinds” as Rude said, it’s him appreciating the support these fans give him! He says that tonight, right here on WGN, with the support of all of these great AWA fans, he’s going to beat Rude, and finally realize his dream of being World’s champion!
THE ISLANDERS: HAKU & TAMA (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) VS. JAKE MILLIMAN & DON KERNODLE. The Islanders are impressive here, as they use quick tags and plenty of double-teaming to keep Kernodle in their half of the ring. Kernodle is eventually able to tag Milliman in, but almost immediately after tagging in, Milliman eats a savate kick from Haku, following by a top-rope splash from Tama for the pinfall.
Local promos air for upcoming shows in Winnipeg, St. Paul, Green Bay and Chicago.
Larry Nelson is with Sgt. Slaughter. Slaughter says that he still hasn’t been cleared to wrestle yet, after suffering a concussion at the hands of the Pringle Dynasty, but says he hopes to be back in action next week. He talks about Matt Borne issuing a challenge to him on last week’s show, and Slaughter says that Borne will be the first casualty of his war with the Pringle Dynasty!
“SUPERFLY” JIMMY SNUKA VS. ADRIAN ADONIS. Adrian has shed his “Adorable” persona, his hair is back to black, he comes to the ring in the old familiar leather jacket and black trunks and he looks to have lost some weight. Adonis is all business here, and gives the Superfly a tough match. Late in the match, Adonis has the advantage, and he is able to lock Snuka in the Sleeperhold. Snuka, thinking quickly, backs into the turnbuckle several times, with Adonis finally letting go of the hold. He immediately tries to lock it on again, but this time, Snuka grabs his arm and flips him to the mat. As Adrian gets back up, Snuka delivers a headbutt, then leaps into the air for another headbutt! This puts Adonis on the mat, and Snuka goes to the top and hits the Superfly Splash for the 1, 2, 3!
Local promos air for upcoming shows in Winnipeg, St. Paul, Green Bay and Chicago.
After the break, Trongard says that throughout the 1980s, wrestling’s popularity has grown rapidly, and in the past two years or so, we’ve seen several big wrestling events held on Pay-Per-View television. Next month, the AWA will make their Pay-Per-View debut, with SUPERCLASH II! Last February, the AWA and World Class Championship Wrestling joined forces to present one of the biggest supercards in wrestling history, SuperClash, where we saw the crowning of the very first USWA World heavyweight champion! This year, SuperClash II promises to be even bigger!
SuperClash II will air live on Pay-Per-View, on Saturday night, February 25, from the most famous arena in the midwest, the Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis! Matches will be announced in the coming weeks.
AWA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
PERCIVAL PRINGLE LOCKED IN A CAGE AT RINGSIDE:
“RAVISHING” RICK RUDE (champ) VS. “DR. DEATH” STEVE WILLIAMS. Before the match, Pringle and Rude throw a fit when officials try to force Pringle into the small cage set up at ringside. Finally, they get Pringle into the cage, and force Rude into the ring for the match. Williams takes the fight to Rude to start, with the Ravishing One bailing out of the ring to avoid Doc. He goes over to the cage to talk with Pringle, but Williams follows him, and grabs Rude, slamming his head against the side of the cage!
Rude is dazed, and Williams drags him back towards the ring. As Williams tosses Rude back into the ring, he’s jumped from behind by Butch Reed and Matt Borne! This brings Terry Taylor and Sgt. Slaughter out, and a huge brawl errupts! The referee calls for the bell, throwing the match out, but the six men continue to brawl as the show comes to an end!
Trongard and Magnum wrap things up and hype next week’s show.
Credits Roll
© 1988, AMERICAN WRESTLING ASSOCIATION
Working on it now.