World Class Championship Wrestling - December 8, 1984
by Erick Von Erich
This episode comes with no less than THREE warnings: there's some offensive content, it's TV-MA, and it's presented in the "most complete format available"! Just like putting a sign on the bathroom that says "no admittance", I'm now even more excited to go in and take care of business! When last I babbled about World Class, we were in the middle of the Turkey Day Spectacular/Thanksgiving Star Wars at Reunion Arena. Kerry Von Erich and Terry Gordy seemingly buried the hatchet, but as our host Bill Mercer tell us, there's still the outstanding business of that dastardly "Gentleman" Chris Adams, as Kevin Von Erich has promised to "put him out" and return the favor from the recent Cotton Bowl Spectacular. But with so much going on in World Class Championship Wrestling, let's get down to ringside for...
American Tag Team Champonship: The Fantastics© vs. The Pretty Young Things
(Bobby Fulton & Tommy Rogers vs. Koko Ware & Norvell Austin)Ware does a side flip over Fulton's backdrop attempt, then mocks the Fantastics with a Fargo Strut. I really only mention this, because it's often forgotten that Koko could heel it up fairly well. Fulton goes for an armbar, but Ware easily slams him. NAUstin comes in and Mercer cals him "the unprettiest of the two". He blows a backflip from the turnbuckle, accidentally lands on Fulton, then turns it into kicks and a headbutt. All four guys enter the ring as the Fantastics deliver stereo hip-tosses and dropkicks. Awakward criss-cross (JUMP! JUMP!) sequence and Austin AGAIN blows a move-- this time a leapfrog. Fantastics then send the PYTs to ringside with dropkicks and Fulton does a Fargo Strut. PYT's try a double team Irish whip manuever, but they end up colliding.
Austin plays punching bag for a few minutes, with Rogers working a headlock. Austin comes off the ropes with a stiff shoulderblock, then receives a seated monkey flip from Rogers. The Fantastics tag behind referee Mark Hazzard's back... but of course Hazzard allows it because they're faces. Austin apparently tries to go for a backdrop, but it turns into a charging headbutt from Fulton. Get Austin out of the ring! Another apparent blown criss-cross spot, as Austin drops to the mat, so Ware is finally tagged back in. Austin returns and almost shoves Rogers into Hazzard, accidentally. PYTs take over on a blind hairpull form Ware. Austin stomps/punches Rogers out to the ringside timekeeper's table. Ware comes off the top rope with a flying stomp, then a side backbreaker. Austin whips Rogers to the ropes for what looks like a "big boot", but it's only about waste-high and may have been his attempt at a drop-kick. Shoulderbreaker from Austin actually works, then the heels double-team and work over Rogers. Rogers eventually crawls through Ware's legs for the Hot Tag spot. Fulton cleans house and gets a 2 count on Ware with a sunset flip. Fulton hooks an abdominal stretch on Ware. Austin jumps form the second rope with a double axe-handle, but nails Ware. Fulton then hooks AUstin in a small package, while Rogers flies in and covers Ware; both for 3 at 13:50 to retain. Technically, Austin was illegally in the ring, and so was Rogers. Perfectly fine action when it was Fantastics vs. Ware, but Austin was tuned into a different plane of consciousness.
Chic Donovan vs. General Skandar Akbar (w/Killer Khan)
This is announced as a "Special Revenge Challenge Bout". Fans, you may recall that Killer Khan recently put Donovan on the shelf. Yet when Donovan returned on the November 11th episode, he challenged Khan's manager, Akbar...who then proceeded to beat the tar out of Donovan, targeting his knees. Yes, not a typo: a face confronted a heel manager and got his teeth kicked in. I don't think I've noticed it before, but Akbar is billed as hailing "from Egypt". Donovan starts clubbering away, at the bell, then whips Akbar to the ropes and kicks his legs out. Things slow down as Akbar asks for time, allowing Mercer to tell us that "The Crippler" Rip Oliver will be arriving in World Class, soon. Akbar's a bad guy, so he goes for the EYES to take over. Akbar thumps him to the mat and works on the repaired knee. Donovan comes back and targets Akbar's knee. This goes on for way too long...until a bandaged Killer Khan runs in and attacks Donovan, drawing the disqualification at 8:25. Well, THAT seems lame, but then a bandaged TERRY GORDY runs in to clear the ring! Gordy even pulls off his infamous Freebird Boot and swings away at Khan! Terrible match, but at least the brawl between Khan and Gordy saved it from being a total waste.Up next, we have pre-recorded comments from the particpants of tonight's Main Event: Kevin Von Erich and "Gentleman" Chris Adams. Kev promises all the people that he'll make Adams leave the building the same way he left the Cotton Bowl: on a stretcher! He's not out for revenge, he's out for justice. The Super Friends would be proud. As expected, Adams is a little more snide. He calls Kev's promise and "idle threat", then mentions that he actually had his shoulder up at the end of their Cotton Bowl match, and suspects that the "Texas referee" had something to do with it.
Kevin Von Erich vs. "Gentleman" Chris Adams (w/Gary Hart)
Kevin attacks, before the bell, and tosses Adams out to ringside. Ring announcer Marc Lowrance doesn't stray from his job and does the FULL introductions-- including hometowns and weights-- as the fight escalates! Straight up go-for-jugular brawl, until Adams suckers Kevin outside to chase him. Kevin wants to bring a steel chair in, but Adams super-kicks as soon as he ducks through the ropes! Adams then pounds him into the announcers' table, messing up the audio feed a bit, then pulls him in the ring for another super-kick. Slam, kneedrop, and Adams tries going upstairs. Kevin wobbles the ropes and Adams gets crotched. Kevin tries a monkey-flip from the corner, but Hart reaches in and grabs Adams's trunks to prevent it. Kevin hits the mat, flay on his back, and Adams is quick to launch from the second turnbuckle with a splash...and get the 3 count (and a handful of trunks) at 4:25! Kev's still irate, hops out and grabs the house mic: "I made these people a promise and I'm holdin' to it, baby!" He picks up a wooden chair and brains Hart! Adams tries to grab the chair, in the ring, but eats a chair-assisted dropkick instead. Kev then cracks Adams GOOD and we've got a blade job. Kev won't stop, stomping and choking Adams with the chair, until second referee Mark Hazzard arrives to restrain him. Kevin then poses in the ring with the busted chair. Yet he's not done: he gets house mic, again, and hollers: "this match ain't over! I said a strecther!" Adams has already left the ring area and does not deliver a response.
Why'd You Watch This?
Wow. World Class does a great job of Pissed-Off Babyface on a Rampage. The Kevin/Adams rivalry is now officillay 1-1, nothing's been settled, and ya' wont MORE. Not jsut more, but ya' want BLOOD. The hot crowd, combined with the damage to the audio equipment, really made this seemed like the blood feud it was supposed to be. They mis-fired a little bit on the chair-drop-kick spot, but for a match with all of five wrestling manuevers, it delievered. A a great contrast to their Cotton Bowl match, which was filled with "scientific" wrestling.
The rest of the card is decent, but nothing worth seeking out. Fantastics vs. PYT's is like a weekly "feature match" on a synidcated show full of jobber squashes. Donovan/Akbar is laughable, just how much of a wussy it makes Donovan seem like. Yaou have to give Akbar credit, though, as he has a thick build, looks like he's been in a few scuffles, and isn't shy about mixing it up. I compare that to other manager matches, where the manager is always running away. The segment is totally validated, however, with the post-match Gordy/Khan brawl. So take this matches and splice 'em together with last week's card, and you've got a pretty solid Thanksgiving Day Star Wars.
Boom-da-da-da-boom, da-da-da-boom, da-da-da-boom
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