AWA TV 8-4-88 Orndorff vs Slaughter for Americas title!
Aug 11, 2017 17:27:26 GMT
Post by Chitohausen on Aug 11, 2017 17:27:26 GMT
AWA “PRO WRESTLING USA”
Airdate: Friday, August 4, 1988
Broadcast nationwide on Superstation WGN
Taped August 2, 1988 at the Civic Arena in Brainerd, MN
“From coast to coast, border to border, and continent to continent, this is the AWA, the major leagues of professional wrestling!”
Rod Trongard opens the show, and welcomes his co-host Diamond Dallas Page!
Trongard and Page run down what we’ll see on tonight’s program, including a HUGE main event, a match that could sell out any arena in the country, Paul Orndorff defends the Americas title against Sgt. Slaughter!
Page says that only the AWA would give fans a top-notch title match like that, free on television.
At that point, they’re joined by the American Hero Sgt. Slaughter.
Sarge says that he’s pinned Orndorff in tag matches, he’s beat him in non-title matches, and tonight is the night that he takes the Americas title, and gives the fans a champion that they can be proud of!
THE CAN-AM EXPRESS: TOM ZENK & PHIL LAFLEUR VS. BUDDY WOLF & CHRIS COLT. Another impressive showing here for Zenk and Lafleur, as they put their opponents away when Lafleur hit Colt with the Canadian Rocky Buster.
Orndorff says that, last week, he promised proof that Sgt. Slaughter’s claim of being a former Marine is a lie! He then produces what he says is an affidavit from a member of the USMC, a “Major Payne”, and it says that Bob Slaughter was never actually a Marine, he was booted out during Basic Training when the Marine Corps realized that he just didn’t have what it takes to be a Marine.
Orndorff says that apparently Slaughter would break down and start crying like a little girl every time they had to do anything even remotely challenging!
Jimmy says that if the fans are looking for a TRUE American hero, they need look no further than Mr. Wonderful, Paul Orndorff!
Orndorff continues to mock Slaughter, and the rest of the Foundation all have a good laugh . . . but here comes Sgt. Slaughter!!!!
Slaughter pounces on Orndorff, and the two brawl, with Slaughter getting the upper hand, until Bret, Neidhart and Orton get involved. Bret and Neidhart then hold Slaughter, while Orndorff repeatedly punches him.
the British Bulldogs arrive on the scene!!!
The Bulldogs, chairs in hand, help Slaughter clear the Hart Foundation from the announce area.
Back from a commercial break, Trongard and Page recap what took place before the break, with Trongard getting word during the commercial break that on next week’s show, we will see a 6-man tag team match as Sgt. Slaughter teams up with the World Tag Team champs the British Bulldogs, to face Bob Orton Jr, Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart!
Prior to the start of the next match, Diamond Dallas Page leaves the announce area, as his Playboys are going to be talking with Magnum TA after the match.
“COWBOY” BOB ORTON JR (w/ Jimmy Hart) VS. JAKE MILLIMAN. Prior to the start of the match, Jimmy Hart takes the mic, and says that he was going to announce this earlier, before they were so rudely interrupted by Sgt. Slaughter, and then he announces Bob Orton as the newest member of his Hart Foundation! Hart says that, with his guidance, Orton will be wearing championship gold in no time!
Orton methodically takes Milliman apart, and hits the Superplex for the pinfall victory.
Magnum TA is standing by with Diamond Dallas Page and the Playboys: Tom Pritchard & Jimmy Del Ray. Page says that his team has only been together for about a month or so, but they’ve already got the wrestling world talking. Page says that people are already comparing them to teams like the Fabulous Freebirds and the Midnight Express, although it’s clear that they’re a million times more talented than both of those teams! He says that Pritchard and Del Ray are the future of tag team wrestling!
While Page is talking, Pritchard and Del Ray fuss with their hair, and pose for the camera.
NIKITA KOLOFF VS. JACK ARMSTRONG. Koloff gets the win by pinfall following the Russian Sickle.
STAN HANSEN VS. JOE LIGHTFOOT. Hansen nearly takes Lightfoot’s head off with the Lariat en route to a pinfall victory in about 90 seconds!
At the announce desk, Trongard and Page are joined by Hiro Matsuda. Trongard talks a little about Matsuda’s past as a wrestler, focusing on his run as World Jr. Heavyweight champion. Matsuda says that he was a top wrestler, and now he’s putting his vast knowledge of the sport to use as a top manager. He says that he is here to put the AWA on notice . . . the Holy Demon Army is coming to the AWA!
When Trongard asks him to elaborate, Matsuda only says that the Holy Demon Army has dominated the tag team ranks in Japan for years, and now they’re coming to the AWA.
AWA AMERICAS CHAMPIONSHIP:
“MR. WONDERFUL” PAUL ORNDORFF (w/ Jimmy Hart) VS. SGT. SLAUGHTER. Slaughter is not in a good mood after what went down at the beginning of the show, and he paces like a caged animal as Orndorff makes his way to the ring. Once the bell sounds, Slaughter goes right at Orndorff, but the champion keeps ducking through the ropes, forcing Slaughter to back off. When Slaughter does finally get his hands on Orndorff, Mr. Wonderful bails out of the ring at the first opportunity, and talks things over with Hart at ringside. This just angers Slaughter even more, and he jumps out of the ring and goes after Orndorff. Paul slides back into the ring, and when Slaughter does the same, Orndorff is waiting for him, and puts the boots to the Sarge! Every time Slaughter tries to get back to his feet, a kick to the head from Orndorff puts him right back down on the mat.
Orndorff dominates the next few minutes, but when he tries to get Sarge up for the Piledriver, Slaughter blocks it, and backdrops Orndorff to the mat. Both men are back up to their feet, and Slaughter charges at Orndorff, dropping the champion with a clothesline. Slaughter stays on the champion, wearing Orndorff down, and a few minutes later, he connects with the Slaughter Cannon! Slaughter covers Orndorff, but the champ gets a shoulder up at the last second!
Slaughter pulls Orndorff up . . . and locks on the Cobra Clutch, right in the middle of the ring!
Orndorff is fading fast, and Trongard says it looks like we’re only moments away from seeing a new Americas champion crowned, right here on television!
Suddenly, Bob Orton Jr hits the ring! Orton goes to the top rope, and delivers a double axehandle to the back of Slaughter’s head, causing him to release the Cobra Clutch.
Referee Gary DeRusha calls for the bell, awarding the match to Slaughter by DQ, but the title doesn’t change hands.
Orton and Orndorff stomp away at Slaughter, until Nikita Koloff arrives on the scene! Koloff nails Orton with the Russian Sickle, but Orndorff bails out of the ring. From the floor, Orndorff and Hart pull Orton under the bottom rope and out of the ring, as Koloff and Slaughter challenge them to come back and fight!
Trongard and Page then wrap things up, and Trongard hypes next week’s show, where we’ll see two big feature matches, Stan Hansen faces Nikita Koloff, and then a 6-man tag match as Sgt. Slaughter teams up with the British Bulldogs to face Bob Orton Jr, Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart!
Credits Roll
© 1988, AMERICAN WRESTLING ASSOCIATION
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