WW March-April 1989 Ring Report

[thecommish]

Wild West 1989
Late March-Late April 1989

Wild West Heavyweight Championship

*The action was heating up in Las Vegas once again with weekly Friday night shows at the Golden Nugget Casino - and with weekly action, there needed to be champions. Promoter Ken Mantell announced that a four person tournament would be held featuring former World Champions 'The American Dream' Dusty Rhodes and 'The King' Jerry Lawler, as well as 'The Superstar' Bill Dundee and 'The Nature Boy' Buddy Landell.

Landell and Dundee quickly decided to buddy up in order to gain the advantage over Rhodes and Lawler, who were more cautious in relying on one another. A 'dream tag team match' the first week saw a miscommunication between Lawler and Dusty where Rhodes accidentally popped Lawler with a right hand once Dundee moved out of the way. As Rhodes tried to help Lawler up, Landell hit a knee from behind and then rolled up Rhodes for a surprise three count to steal a huge victory for himself and 'The Superstar'. The stipulation of the match allowed the winning team to pick stipulations of their tournament matches.

*The following week, Dusty Rhodes tried to smooth things over when Jerry 'The King' Lawler pointed out that if it wasn't for Rhodes' mistake, they'd be the ones controlling the stipulations. As it stands, Lawler says he expected Dundee and Landell to take full advantage and put the two of them at a disadvantage. Dusty tried to make things right, but Lawler insisted it's better for the both of them if they go it alone in this tournament because he's not Nikita Koloff, and he's unwilling to play second fiddle to Rhodes. Rhodes seemed disappointed but Lawler made it clear he didn't want Rhodes involved in his matches unless they were facing each other.

Later that night, Buddy Landell and 'The Superstar' Bill Dundee announced their stipulations for the tournament matches - they would each be serving as special referee in the other's first-round matches against Lawler and Rhodes. Landell and Dundee were smarmy as they promised to call things right down the middle, but nobody believed that would be the case. The first tournament match would take place later that night as Dusty Rhodes faced off with 'The Superstar' Bill Dundee, with 'Nature Boy' Buddy Landell as special referee. Dundee repeatedly tried to cheat and Landell turned a blind eye, leading to a confrontation with Dusty. The Dream proceeded to lay into Landell with a series of right hands, then turned and connected with a Bionic Elbow on Dundee. He used the dazed Landell's hand to count three and advance to the finals against the winner of a match between Landell and Lawler.

*The following week, it was 'The King' Jerry Lawler facing off against 'The Nature Boy' Buddy Landell, this time with 'The Superstar' Bill Dundee as the special referee. Once again, Landell and Dundee worked together to try to knock off Lawler, leading Dusty Rhodes to come out and protest. As Dundee mouthed off and shoved The Dream, Dusty finally had enough and began landing punches on both Landell and Dundee. Special referee Dundee then called for the bell, disqualifying 'The King' Jerry Lawler because of Rhodes interference. Lawler had only seen Dusty attacking Dundee and while he helped The Dream run off Dundee and Landell, he then shoved Rhodes. Dusty tried to explain that he was trying to help stop the two-on-one advantage, but a furious Lawler walked off angrily.

*In the final week of March, Dusty Rhodes called out 'The King' Jerry Lawler to try to talk through the deteriorating situation between them. Rhodes tried to explain that he only got physically involved after being shoved by Dundee, but Lawler didn't want to hear it. Lawler reminded Rhodes that he'd expressly him to stay out of his business and yet Dusty was out there at the first opportunity. Now, Lawler imagines Dusty thinks he was doing the right thing but he wants to clear this up once and for all. Lawler insists he's here to become the Wild West Champion - and now he has to wait in line to do that. What The King doesn't need is a sidekick in Dusty Rhodes so before he asked Rhodes to stay out of his matches, now he's telling him to stay away. Lawler tells Rhodes that if he sees Dundee and Lawler double-teaming him, let them do it. He doesn't want The American Dream's help, no matter what happens. Lawler asks if that's clear - and after some hemming and hawing, Dusty agrees that he'll stay out of it.

The title match between Buddy Landell and Dusty Rhodes has been signed to take place during the Golden Nugget show on April 21, 1989.

Wild West Tag Team Championship

*General Scandor Akbar arrived in Wild West Wrestling with plans to take over the area. Akbar first offered promoter Ken Mantell 'a hefty sum' to buy the promotion, but when Mantell refused to accept 'Libyan blood money], Akbar insisted he'd make sure Mantell has no choice but to turn over control of Wild West when he dominates the promotion with his Devastation Incorporated. The first members of Devastation Incorporated group were revealed to be The New Zealand Sheepherders trio of Lord Jonathan Boyd, Butch Miller and Luke Williams. Akbar set out plans for them to become Wild West Tag Team Champions.

Mantell insisted that if Devastation Incorporated wanted the Tag Team Championships, they would have to win them fair and square in a four team tournament. In this tournament would be the Devastation Incorporated team of The New Zealand Sheepherders, the Stud Stable duo of Robert Fuller and Jimmy Golden, The Ebony Express team of Booker T and Stevie Ray, and the 'Super Team' of Iceman King Parsons and Alberto Madril. #1 Paul Jones was the manager of The Ebony Express and his men made disparaging remarks about Iceman King Parsons teaming with 'hood scum' like Madril when he could be standing at their side.

*As the tournament got underway, Madril was understandably irate about the comments made by the Ebony Express. Parsons tried to rein him in but the two fought side-by-side in a wild match against Paul Jones' tag team. In a surprise moment, Booker T managed to hit a bicycle kick and then a flying knee drop on Madril while Stevie Ray held off Parsons. However, Madril managed to kick out. Booker T tried to appear to Parsons to help them out but he connected with the Butt-Butt off the ropes and Madril finished off Stevie Ray with the Rat-a-tat-tat to score the victory. After the match, the Ebony Express were irate that their division tactics had failed.

*Elsewhere in the tournament, Scandor Akbar's New Zealand Sheepherders were due to battle the Stud Stable. Fuller and Golden protested when Akbar produced a contract claiming any two members of the Sheepherders could represent them in any match. In the tournament bout, Lord Jonathan Boy and Luke Williams were the team in the ring and when it looked like they were in trouble, Butch Miller slid on the Doomsday Glove. Akbar then distracted referee Rudy Boy Gonzales to make sure Miller could whack Fuller with the loaded glove. As Golden tried to intervene, he was cut off by Luke Williams, allowing Boyd to get the pin on Fuller to advance to the finals. After the match, the Sheepherders jumped the Stub Stable and left them bloodied in the middle of the ring to prove just how dangerous they are.

*The following week, Robert Fuller and Jimmy Golden sent in a taped promo to promise that The New Zealand Sheepherders had started a war with the Stud Stable - and it was only just beginning. Fuller promised that they would be back and they'd wage war on the Sheepherders. The Stud Stable won't say when or where, but Fuller and Golden promised they would fire the next shot in this war - and they weren't afraid to shed blood when they did it!

*Hostilities continued between The Ebony Express and the 'Super Team' of Alberto Madril and Iceman King Parsons as well. Parsons insisted him and Al Madril had proved that they were one step ahead of the Ebony Express - it doesn't matter to him the color of his tag team partner, all the matters is he can trust the man. Iceman knows he can trust Al Madril - and that's more than he could ever say for Paul Jones or his Ebony Express. Madril then said they needed to put the Ebony Express on 'the back-burner' in order to focus on The New Zealand Sheepherders in the Wild West Tag Team Championship finals. Madril talks about the many wars he had with the Sheepherders in the Southwest in the past - he knows it will 'like going through hell' in this upcoming match, but if you're going through hell, you have to keep going! Iceman agrees, saying 'momma says it be's that way sometimes', but nothing good every comes easy!

*Paul Jones claims that Madril and Parsons 'cheated' his Ebony Express and they weren't going to let it stand. Jones says if his men can't be champions, he certainly supports 'his close friend The General and his army' taking the gold. Scandor Akbar makes his way out and shakes hands with Paul Jones, before exchanging a briefcase and says their organizations can co-exist with their own goals here in Wild West Wrestling. After Akbar made his exit, Jones opened the briefcase and smiled before ushering along Booker T and Stevie Ray.

Later in the show, it was revealed that Madril and Parsons had been jumped in their locker-room and were both out cold. Promoter Ken Mantell promised he would investigate and if there was some kind of payment between Scandor Akbar and Paul Jones, he would suspend both managers from Wild West Wrestling.

Wild West Jr. Heavyweight Champion

*As with the other titles, Ken Mantell announced that four junior heavyweight would be competing in a tournament for the Wild West Jr. Heavyweight Championship. Two of the men, Dr. Tom Prichard and Eric Embry, immediately proved themselves to be controversial when they were shown meeting backstage with General Scandor Akbar - though the camera didn't quite show what they were discussing. The other two competitors, Jeff Jarrett and 'The Nightmare' Danny Davis, realized they were going to be at a disadvantage of Prichard and Embry joined up with Devastation Incorporated.

In the first tournament match between Eric Embry and 'The Nightmare' Danny Davis, Dr. Tom Prichard got involved by by cracking Davis as he came off the ropes. While the referee warned off Prichard, Embry managed to drop Davis with a pile-driver to advance to the finals. In the post-match, Embry and Prichard bragged about how they'd just pulled off a heist in full view of everyone. Embry was unapologetic, saying he'd do anything to win and he doesn't 'give a damn' about sportsmanship. When they were questioned about their ties to Akbar, Prichard cut things off by insisting it was nobody's business!

*The following, it was Jeff Jarrett's turnt o face the two-on-one odds as he battled Dr. Tom Prichard in a Wild West Jr. Heavyweight Championship match. Jarrett was actually very successful in fending off both Prichard and an interfering Embry, until General Scandor Akbar interfered by sliding another briefcase into the ring. Ken Mantell was out to order Akbar away from ringside since he didn't manage either Prichard or Embry! In the confusion, Prichard tried to whack Jarrett with the briefcase, but Jeff ducked it and then dropkicked the briefcase into Dr. Tom's face. Jarrett through the briefcase out to the floor, then covered Prichard for the three count when the referee turned back around. After the bell, Jeff Jarrett grabbed the briefcase and left through the crowd.

*Next week, General Scandor Akbar was furious over Jeff Jarrett stealing his property and he ordered Jarrett to return it. Promoter Ken Mantell came out to insist that Akbar is the one who lost physical possession when he tossed the case into the ring. Jarrett made his way out with the case and opened it to reveal stacks of $50 bills. Mantell asks what Akbar was trying to do with that money, only for Akbar to avoid the questioning by demanding Jarrett return his property. Jarrett smiled as he walked off with the case while Akbar demanded Prichard and Embry get him the case back!

Mid-Card Action

The impressive Nord the Barbarian made his debut in the area by defeating a few local adversaries by count-out when he hit a flying knee drop on them on the floor and the opponents were counted out. General Akbar seemed impressed and approached Nord to join Devastation Incorporated. Nord seemed conflicted on what to do, though Akbar insisted the Barbarian would be a fool to turn him down. Akbar insisted it was dangerous to 'say no' to the General. Nord seemed angered by the threat but Akbar reminded him he could make him very rich.

The masked Mr. Olympia gave a series of sit-down interviews where he talked about his checkered past. Olympia said unlike most masked men, people know that the man behind his masked is 'Jerry Stubbs'. Olympia explains that 'Jerry Stubbs' has done a lot of things he's not proud of over the years, and while he can't excuse those things, he can explain that 'Mr. Olympia' and 'Jerry Stubbs' are like a yin and yang. He explains that 'Mr. Olympia' is the man he wants to be, full of ideals and a desire to do what's right. The man behind the mask doesn't always like up to those ideals, but he's determined to make a new start in Wild West and do things 'the right way'.

General Scandor Akbar debuted the newest member of Devastation Incorporated at the end of the month - The Angel of Death. This imposing individual absolutely destroyed opponent Bart Sawyer and forced him to submit to a modified full nelson hold he calls The Deathlock. Sawyer had to be taken out on a stretcher from the Golden Nugget as Akbar celebrated a successful debut for his Angel of Death.

A young tag team, The Sourhern Boys: Steve Armstrong and Tracy Smothers, made a few appearances in later in March by scoring victories over local talent. While they arrived too late for the Wild West Tag Team Tournament, the Southern Boys certainly look like the could be contenders with some more seasoning.