AWA All-Star Wrestling – October 7, 1989
by Scrooge McSuck
I don't know what my fascination is with the AWA and their death-bed Team Challenge Series concept. We've covered a compilation that shows off some of their low-lights (but not the lowest, because that episode STILL eludes me) as well as several episodes later in the run of the AWA, but we're going to rewind the clock a bit as we go back to the beginning, with the Team Challenge Series born and setting the teams via LOTTERY. As a friendly reminder, All-Star Wrestling is the secondary show for the AWA, but with them taping so little for TV at this stage, both shows basically serve the same purpose, but with matches jumbled around a bit.
Lee Marshall and former AWA World Champion Nick Bockwinkel are hanging out in the locker room. We're in exciting times as Sgt. Slaughter, Baron von Rashke and Larry Zbyszko get to pick their teams. This isn't like baseball, football, hockey or basketball, it's not a DRAFT, but a literal random drawing, and that can be chaos for all parties involved.
The Destruction Crew (w/ Johnny Valiant) vs. Man Mountain Mike & Tom Fuller:
The audio mixing is terrible, with the mumbly commentary of Marshall and Bockwinkel drowning out introductions, making it hard to hear Man Mountain Mike. Luckily for us, other episodes of AWA TV used this match, where they don't talk over intros, allowing me to identify both geeks. I can't find the exact taping date of this match, but likely one of the Summer tapings in Rochester, MN that isn't detailed from the usual sources. Since it's always worth mentioning, "Mean" Mike Enos and Wayne "the Train" Bloom are likely more recognized by their time in the WWF as Blake and Beau Beverly.Valiant is making noise about not being named a captain for the Team Challenge Series. Enos starts, locking up with Mountain Mike. They take turns flexing and hitting shoulder blocks, nothing too bad, until Mountain Mike runs the ropes and OH MY GOD, NEVER RUN THE ROPES AGAIN. Bloom blasts him from the apron and Enos throws him across the ring with a slam. Fuller tags in and gets thrown into the corner. Bloom chokes him across the rope and Valiant offers some help, pulling Fuller out of the ring. Back inside, Bloom with a gut-wrench suplex and Enos comes off the ropes with a diving shoulder tackle. Whip and Enos with a powerslam, pulling Fuller up at two. The Doomsday Device finishes at 2:56. I guess it's safer to take than the Shaker Heights Spike. Bloom and Enos are both incredibly raw and at times dangerously sloppy, and their opponents were bottom of the barrel jabronis.
We go to a pre-tape masquerading as a post-match interview, where Bloom and Enos are eagerly stroking their sledgehammers. They are displeased with the decision to not make their manager, Johnny Valiant, a Captain for the Team Challenge Series. In a weird bit, every time a question is directed towards Enos, he gets a few words out before Bloom cuts him off and cuts the meat of the promo.
The drawing of the teams is delayed as the media is scrambling backstage, and even Bill Apter is here* to cover the monumental event. This segues into a conversation about the different scenarios of how matches can be put together, and it turns into a semi-shoot from Bockwinkel, talking about how fans want their heroes to fight the people they don't like and promoters take advantage of that knowledge, and the TCS could lead to matches we don't want to see for one reason or another. Lee Marshall is a total schmuck, by the way. Think worst boot-licking toad Vince McMahon ever employed, and that's Lee with the dial turned to maximum.
Kokina Maximus (w/ Sheik Adnan Al-Kassie) vs. Jerry Lynn:
Another match that's at least 3-4 weeks old, but we ARE recapping All-Star Wrestling, so digging into the recycling bin should be obvious, but you can't find matches that were a little more fresh that you're pulling from the flagship show? Always worth mentioning that Kokina would go on to greater fame in the WWF as "Yokozuna", and yes, Jerry Lynn is the same guy we'll see in Global, ECW, WWE, and every other possible destination over the years. Marshall says this isn't a physique contest, and not to be fooled by that stuff. I guess Vince McMahon didn't love his big fat heels, right Lee? Lynn comes off the ropes for a shoulder block and is sent to the canvas. Kokina lays him out with a clothesline and sends him crashing face-first on a body press. Whip to the ropes and Kokina with a gorilla press slam, followed by a running splash for three at 2:23. Standard squash, Kokina looks impressive manhandling his smaller opponent.This segues into a short video package of Kokina set to Tone-Loc's "Wild Thing." Uh... OK. I think they probably would have been better off stealing "Everything is Food" from the Popeye Feature Film.
After several fake-outs, we FINALLY throw it to the Draft Room, where the selection process will take place. Names will be pulled at random via a "ball machine". We've got members of the Media (I don't see them), AWA executives (I see Eric Bischoff and the ring announcer, Donna Gagne), and Nick Bockwinkel present. The Top 150 wrestlers in the WORLD were invited to compete, with 75 of those names replying and entered in the drawing. 9 team members will make up each team (captain included), and if you are part of a tag team, your partner will be selected to the same team as well.
Larry Zbyszko's team is drawn first, and SPOILERS, we're told his "SEVEN" selections will be drawn, which means they already know he's getting a tag team. THE SELECTIONS ARE...
#48 - The Olympian, Ken Patera
#55 - The Asian Assassin, Akio Sato
#47 - Wayne "The Train" Bloom of The Destruction Crew (with Mike Enos)
#26 - "Cowboy" Bob Orton
#69 - Ivan Koloff
#33 - Jake "The Milkman" Milliman
#52 - Kokina Maximus
Larry doesn't seem to happy to draw Ken Patera, calling him a brainless geek, but even less inspired by the selection of Milliman, a journeyman who Larry says has never won a match in his life, and hopes something happens that will allow him to replace Milliman on his team with a WILD CARD PICK. As expected, Larry gets a Tag Team, having "drawn" Wayne Bloom's number and giving him Mike Enos in the package deal. I'm not finding anything about Bob Orton or Ivan Koloff working AWA dates in 1989, but both men were easy to find free agents (look at the launch roster of Herb Abrams' UWF for example), so while they weren't part of the roster, it wasn't farfetched to assume they might get the call. It's still false advertising members of a team you can't guarantee to have access to, but that's an argument for another day.
We cut to a pre-tape from Larry Zbyszko, who promises to take his team to the plateau of perfection, and it doesn't matter what special matches are thrown in their way, because they're going straight to Larry Land. I don't know if I would want to go to Larry Land myself, but whatever motivates his team.
America's Hero Sgt. Slaughter is standing by in the Lottery Room for the selection of his team from the totally legitimate pool of eligible participants…
#51 - Jerry "The Crusher" Blackwell
#12 - Bobby Fulton of The Fantastics (with Jackie Fulton)
#61 - "The Illustrious" Jonnie Stewart
#9 - The Sensei Pat Tanaka
#63 - Rocky Stone
#35 - The Unknown Soldier
#71 - The Mercenary, Col. DeBeers
Slaughter has quite a number of guys he doesn't seem to get along with, ESPECIALLY Col. DeBeers, who Sarge desperately wanted to trade as soon as the name was revealed, but the idea of ordering DeBeers around calmed him down. The Unknown Soldier is a total mystery, which leads me to ask how someone who isn't known can be entered in a legitimate lottery. Bobby and Jackie Fulton probably fit the same description as Orton and Koloff, guys with a phone call who would probably show up for the payday (and actually appear at a taping later in 1989). Crusher Blackwell was trying to make one last run, but his body was completely done, and he would only appear at one more taping (coincidentally teaming with the Fultons!) before hanging it up.
The Russian Brute (w/ Ox Baker) vs. Red Tyler:
Poor Red Tyler seems like the hardest working guy in the company, appearing multiple times at tapings in an enhancement role (and sometimes getting featured on TV in two different matches on the same episode). The Brute is so, so bad, he's in the Boris Zhukov territory of god-awful fake Russians. The Brute doesn't appreciate the jeering of the 45 people in attendance. I'm sure that is an annoying sound to block out. Brute sweeps Tyler off his feet and drops down with a headbutt across the midsection. Lee Marshall wonders if the Brute will even make it to the Team Challenge Series, with only one team left to draw their team. Whip to the ropes and Brute falls on his ass to execute a Hot Shot. The Heart Punch lands and Tyler just kinda stands there looking slightly uncomfortable, so Brute hits it again with even LESS impact, and that finishes at 1:41. Ouch. I don't recall someone no-selling the heart punch before. Brute might as well throw himself into a deep hole and pull some dirt on top.We cut to a pre-tape from Ox Baker and the Russian Brute. Baker takes credit in teaching Brute the Heart Punch and declares he will eat his own shoes if someone can beat him (Brute, not Ox). I'm guessing Ox didn't give the full class, because poor Brute looked like a goof with Red Tyler needing TWO of them to go down.
Baron Von Rashke finally gets the chance to draw his Team Challenge Series squad. Who doesn't love a goose stepping babyface?! The ping pong balls are bouncing and the selections are in...
#56 - "The Timekeeper" Mike George
#28 - "Hardrock" Paul Diamond
#72 - Van Vader
#14 - Todd Becker
#21 - Derrick Dukes (with Tommy Jammer)
#?? - The Russian Brute
#54 - The Trooper
Baron's reaction to some of his picks is less-than inspiring, though he does seem highly satisfied with young prospects like The Trooper and Paul Diamond, as well as the team of Derrick Dukes and Tommy Jammer. The Brute and Ox Baker is a real concern because of their personalities and untrustworthy nature, and who knows what to expect from Van Vader (Spoilers: NOTHING, but he's put over hard for his overseas success). Mike George being the first selection set a bad tone, but things picked up nicely to keep the teams balanced.
With the teams selected, Nick Bockwinkel goes over some of the names left on the board that could potentially be Wild Card selections (their fancy way of saying alternates), including the likes of the Guerrero Family, Greg Gagne, Ricky Steamboat, Nikita Koloff, Bam Bam Bigelow, the Rock ‘n' Roll Express, and Big John Studd. Wow, that's quite the list of big names that weren't picked, compared to the usual cast of AWA regulars that made the cut in this random draw. As ridiculous as it might seem, and ignoring the shady tactics of giving hope that any of these names would appear, everyone on this list was available, several of them with recent working relationships with the promotion, and Nikita Koloff actually came in for at least a taping or two. Yes, low-level stuff reminding fans who you DON'T have guaranteed access to, but not improbable either (though John Studd was pretty much done in the ring with only a handful of appearances at most before his death in 1995).
Lee Marshall notes that Greg Gagne wasn't a name selected. Gagne recaps the same names mentioned by Nick Bockwinkel as potential Wild Cards, mentions he will be doing some color commentary work and keeps his fingers crossed he can slot in as a Wild Card. Spoilers: Greg Gagne's last TV match was taped on October 1st, doing a career-threatening injury angle with Kokina Maximus.
SIDE NOTE: In OBSERVER NEWS, there were additional members added to each team in the form of a female representative, with Candi Devine joining Baron Von Rashke's team, the Magnificent Mimi on Larry Zybyszko's, and lastly, Wendi Richter for Sgt. Slaughter's.
Final Thoughts: The more I dive into the Team Challenge Series, the more I am convinced the concept could have worked with some adjustments. The idea of splitting the roster into large teams fighting for prize money? Fine. The drama of internal fighting because you have heels and faces forced to work together? That's great, you need some stories to play out because "matches for the sake of points" will get old fast without some hook.
The entire concept shoots itself in the foot on DAY ONE because the company is embarrassed by their own roster and are trying to trick fans into thinking stars not presently associated with them will magically take part in the Team Challenge Series. Also, as we'll see, the over-reliance on gimmick matches with dumb cop-out finishes most of the time. You're circling the drain and trying to do everything to stay alive, so what do you do? Keep false advertising, keep doing dusty finishes, and keep telling the audience to accept this terrible booking pattern. You're working with crowds of legit 150-200 people for TV and at one point can't justify renting out a building and tape in an EMPTY PINK ROOM. Maybe it's time to re-think how you're handling your business.
Oh, the episode itself is whatever. Three squash matches recycled from a month-old episode of Championship Wrestling. It's the Lottery Room TCS gimmick that was the draw with this episode, and it's a real trip to re-visit.
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