AWA Catch-up: Mid-January to the end of February
Feb 24, 2018 1:06:04 GMT
Post by Chitohausen on Feb 24, 2018 1:06:04 GMT
AWA TRIPLE CROWN:
Stan Hansen has continued to be a dominant champion throughout the first part of 1989. Things haven't cooled down between Hansen and the former AWA World champ "Dr. Death" Steve Williams. They've wrestled each other several times, though usually on opposite sides of tag team matches, as Williams teams up with his young protege Gary Albright to do battle with Hansen and the monster from the Rockies, Big Van Vader! At a big show in St. Paul, Minnesota on January 20, Williams and Albright were joined by Terry Gordy and faced Hansen, Vader and Bam Bam Bigelow. Williams team won when Doc pinned Hansen! After the match, while Albright and Gordy brawled with Vader and Bigelow, Hansen attacked Doc with his cowbell, then threw Williams to the floor, and posted him, busting Doc wide open!
Albright wrestled Hansen in a non-title match on television in early February, and even though Hansen got the win after a vicious Lariat, Albright gave a fine showing, and made it clear that he's a future superstar in this sport.
Besides Williams and Albright, Hansen has also defended the Triple Crown against Americas champ Sgt. Slaughter. Sarge gave Hansen a tough challenge each time out, but Hansen always came away with his hand raised.
AWA WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES:
When they weren't wrestling Hansen and Vader, Steve Williams and Gary Albright challenged Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart for the World Tag titles. Doc and Albright earned the title shot by winning the Christmas night tournament. The match took place at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago on January 19, and Doc and Albright came away with a DQ victory after Jimmy Hart interfered as Williams had Neidhart up for the Oklahoma Stampede. In mid-February, the two teams met in a rematch, again at the UIC Pavilion, and this time, when Jimmy Hart tried to interfere on behalf of his team, SGT. SLAUGHTER came out and knocked Hart to the floor. Bret and Neidhart confronted Slaughter outside the ring, and when Williams and Albright came out to keep Sarge from being double-teamed, the match was declared a double count-out.
On the last TV show of February, Williams and Albright teamed up with Slaughter to face Bret, Neidhart and Paul Orndorff in a 6-man tag match. The babyfaces won, and in local promos, it was announced that the next Chicago UIC Pavilion show will see another rematch between the two teams, and this time Jimmy Hart will be handcuffed to Slaughter at ringside!
AWA AMERICAS TITLE:
Sgt. Slaughter continued to defend the title against former champion Paul Orndorff throughout the second half of January and February. Slaughter won the house show matches, usually by DQ after Kamala got involved. On the January 20 show in St. Paul, Slaughter teamed up with former TV champion Terry Taylor to face Orndorff and Kamala, but the heels were victorious after Kamala injured Terry Taylor, leaving Slaughter to wrestle the remainder of the match by himself. Slaughter put up a valiant effort, but in the end, the constant double-teaming of Orndorff and Kamala was just too much for him to overcome and Orndorff dropped Slaughter with a Piledriver, then Kamala hit a top-rope splash for the pinfall.
On the January 26th TV show, Slaughter was confronted by Orndorff, Kamala and Jimmy Hart. When things turned physical JIMMY "SUPERFLY" SNUKA made his return to the AWA and came to Sarge's aid! This led to a wild brawl between the four that went all over the building! Fans scattered as they made their way into the seats, hitting each other with everything that wasn't nailed down!
The first TV show of February, Snuka talked about his matches with Orndorff before he left the AWA, to take care of a sick family member back in Fiji, and says that he's got unfinished business with Orndorff.
OTHER HAPPENINGS:
** The Fantastics, Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers, continued their feud with Diamond Dallas Page's Samoan SWAT Team. The SST went so far as to batter Fulton's younger brother, Jackie, a rookie in the sport, during a tag match on television. The show ended with an emotional Fulton helping his brother to the back. The Fantastics challenged the Samoans to find a partner and face them and Jackie Fulton in 6-man tag matches. The SST brought in Samu and Fatu's cousin, Tama, and the 6-man matches were signed for upcoming shows all around the Midwest.
** Owen Hart and Tiger Mask put on some classic matches around the Midwest, as well as on television, as they continued their rivalry that began when Tiger Mask assaulted Owen with the Young Lions Cup trophy.
** In early February, Mr. Matsuda brought Genichiro Tenryu and Jumbo Tsuruta back after a tour of the Orient. After beating jobbers on TV for a few weeks, Matsuda demanded better competition for them. At the end of February, they were confronted by PAUL ELLERING, making his first appearance in the AWA. Ellering promised to give them more competition than they could handle!
Working on it now.