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WCCW- August 6, 1983
by erick von erich

After a one month sojourn to the 1985 Parade of Champions, World Class Championship Wrestling on WWE Classics onDemand returns to its regular schedule and 1983. I missed recapping the July 30th episode that aired in late July, but hopefully I can stay on track. Michael Hayes and Kevin Von Erich do their modern intro, as they discuss "Mr. Ebony", Tom Jones. Basically, he was a nice guy with an impressive physique. Later on in the show, a WWE "Terri-stories" will fly in, telling us how Jones was one of the first black wrestlers to counter segregation by wrestling white wrestlers. When we hit the 1983 intro, Bill Mercer is there to run down the card, as well as tell us about a popular re-run match from Reunion Arena that will be on the bill. But with so much going on in World Class Championship Wrestling, let's get down to ringside for...

Match 1: Hair Match:
"Iceman" King Parsons vs. Buddy Roberts

Same thing we saw on the July 6th show, yet with minor edits. Nothing new is added, so I'll just direct you to that older recap. That was the way older shows used to roll: if there was a high demand for a particular match, it wasn't odd to see it re-air.

Chris Adams Soccer Video
Mercer is on location to interview Adams at the practice field of the Dallas Americans. Give Adams credit; he does his best to call it "soccer" and not his native British term of "football". Adams throws out a challenge to the NEW World Class American Champion, "Gorgeous" Jimmy Garvin and thanks the fans for their support. Then Adams and Americans' player Jeff Bourne kick it around a little. The segment concludes with some cute graphics that state: "Adams' next goal is to kick the Mongol". Yeah...I guess the Americans were part of the late "American Soccer League". A league that included such bad-ass names like "The Jacksonville Tea Men", "Philadelphia Ukranians" and "Pennsylvania Stoners". Duuuude... I'm surprised that last name isn't more popular.

Match 2: "Gentleman" Chris Adams vs. The Mongol
Fairly cetain that Mongol's time in World Class is winding down. He Pearl Harbors Adams at the bell and constantly pounds on him, sending him outside the ring several times. Adams keep trying to enter, but Mongol clubs away or chokes him with his singlet. Mongol meets him on the apron and introduces him to the rinpost. Adams hits the floor as chants of "Go Chris, Go" flare up. Adams finally makes it in, shoves Mongol to the turnbuckle and super-kicks him twice. They criss-cross (jump! jump!) the ropes, until Mongol tosses Adams out through the ropes. Adams is furious, re-enters, super-kicks Mongol two more times, then leaps on him with a Thesz press and hammers away. Still fed up with Mongol's tactics, Adams cleanly tosses him over the top rope, drawing the disqualification. Adams then leaps through the ropes with a flying bodypress to send the Mongol reeling. Adams lost, but he was insanely over with the Sportatroium faithful.

Match 3: "Iceman" King Parson vs. Mr. Ebony
No Skandar Akbar present, for either Ebony or Mongol. But you can easily kayfabe this and say Akbar was overseas, working on new oil contracts-- mooowahahahaha! Ebony still has his red singlet and mask, but is sporting some snazzy powder-blue bell bottom pants this week. Iceman cinches a standing side-headlock, but Ebony shoves him away. Iceman responds with an awful charging drop-kick, before things settle into the Penultimate Knucklelock Challenge. Ebony gets a rope-break, then clubs away on Iceman. Buddy Roberts and his loaded headgear arrive at ringside, amid chants of "Baldie". Ebony stops clubbing for a bit to light it up with a headknocker and a kneelift. Iceman comes back with some chops, then gets a kick in on Roberts. Ebony tries a roll-up off the ropes, but Iceman stops him, connects with the Butt-Butt and gets the 3 count. Roberts immediately enters and knocks Iceman silly with his headgear. Ebony and Roberts do the double team beatdown on Iceman, until he clears the ring.

A Very Special Ringside Interview with "Iceman" King Parsons
Parsons wants one more shot at Mr. Ebony, although he briefly calls him "Mongol".

Match 4: Kevin Von Erich, David Von Erich & Kerry Von Erich vs. Michael Hayes, Buddy Roberts & "Gorgeous" Jimmy Garvin (w/Sunshine)
I suppose this is one of the first times the Freebirds have teamed up with their unofficial fourth member (and future full-time 'Bird), Jimmy Garvin. Garvin has recently won the American Heavyweight Championship from Kevin, so he taunts him with the strap. Although this is not a title match, the Von Erichs have their 6-Man Trophy in the ring with them. Hayes struts, will David pantomimes a gag reflex. Hayes locks up with DVE, taking him to the mat with a headlock, which DVE counters with a head-scissors. They break and Hayes tag out to Roberts. Roberts misses a charging clothesline and gets hit with a kneelift from DVE. Roberts is whipped the ropes and all THREE Von Erichs hit him with a triple-team drop-kick. Kerry works Roberts' arm as Kevin comes off the top with an elbowsmash. Kevin tosses him across the ring with a big hip-toss, but Roberts gets a loaded headbutt to the tummy to take over.

Garvin tries to attack Kevin, but gets kicked in the mush. The Freebirds manage to work on Kevin for awhile, until the hot tag to Kerry. Kerry gets a reverse elbow on Garvin, then drops the returning Roberts with a series of kneedrops. Roberts switches to a chinlock to slow things down, as the cameras get a shot of Kevin's bloody bare feet. Guess he cut himself on the ropes. Kerry fights off the chinlock, but Garvin gets in a cheapshot and rolls him out to the floor. Roberts suplexes him back in and gets a 2 count. Hayes hits with an elbow, then brings in Garvin for a quick snapmare and another 2 count. Garvin misses a kneedrop, which allows Kerry to tag off to David. DVE wheelbarrows Garvin off the ropes, but misses a charge to the corner. The Freebird duo works on DVE for awhile, until a criss-cross sequence goes wrong as Roberts and David both hit their heads. Both tag off to Kevin and Garvin, but all 6 men briefly enter the ring for a big o' brawl. Kerry misses his discus punch on Garvin, who immediately turns it into a belly-to-back suplex. Kevin, still the legal man, flies off the top rope with a flying bodypress and cleanly pins Garvin.

A Very Special Ringside Interview with Michael Hayes and Buddy Roberts
Hayes says, not to slight Garvin, but that things will be different, next time, when the Freebirds are at full strength with Terry Gordy. More chants of "Baldie" rain down on Roberts. The DRUMS hit and we're out!

Why'd You Tape This??
It might seem a bit frustrating that Garvin's title victory wasn't shown, but that's the way things went back then. It probably happened at Reunion Arena or Will Rogers Coliseum, which both had their own separate World Class TV shows. Still, on this show, the main event delivered once again. The undercard was just that-- an undercard. Yet they managed to work in some good character devlopment on both Chris Adams and Iceman, who are both becoming big stars in Texas. So the totality of everything makes for another acceptable episode.

Boom-da-da-da-boom, da-da-da-boom, da-da-da-boom

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