[molson]

WCCW: June Star Wars
Saturday, Week 4, June 1984
Fort Worth, TX (Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 5,159 Ticket prices: +$1 Over Default
Actual Attendance: 3,999

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Jose Lothario defeats Doug Somers in 6:51 by pinfall. (C). Lothario seemed off his game. After the match, Lothario grabbed a mic and thanked the fans for coming out tonight - he expects a great show. (C-)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Brian Adias defeats Al Perez in 4:52 by pinfall. (D-). After the match, Lord Alfred Hayes interviewed Adias about the match, and the recent events in WCCW. Adias says he still regrets working with Gary Hart for so long, but he promises the fans he's standing by the Von Erichs in their tough times. (C-)

-Buddy Roberts and Terry Gordy come out to start the show, looking a little nervous. They say that they just got a call from Michael Hayes, who missed a flight and isn't going to be here tonight. They claim that he was mobbed by fans at the airport, and this created a "security hazard". Roberts says he's been on the phone for the last few hours with members of the WCCW board of directors, trying to secure a replacement for Hayes in tonight's 4-Corners Match for the WCCW World Heavyweight Title. He says nothing's finalized yet, but no matter what happens, a Freebird is walking out tonight with the World Title. (C+)

-2 v. 3 Handicap Match
The Road Warriors defeat Villanos IV, V, and Super Kendo in 7:31 when Animal pinned Kendo. (C-). The performance of the Road Warriors stood out. (C-). After the match, the Road Warriors cut a promo, saying that despite their dominance, they've been held down the card, and not given any real competition. They say it's because the Freebirds fear the Road Warriors. (C-)

-Gary Hart comes to the ring with Frank Dusek for Dusek's match, and Hart hypes a promo, saying this is a big night for his stable, with all 3 members in action. (C-)

-Frank Dusek (w/Gary Hart) defeated Tommy Rodgers in 6:37 by pinfall. (C). After Hart and Dusek left the ring, Nikita Koloff and Boris Malenko appear out of nowhere and choke out Rodgers with Koloff's steel chain. (C). Malenko then cuts a promo saying that they had some "unfinished business" with Rodgers. He then turns his attention to Koloff's opponent tonight - Bruno Sammartino, who, Malenko says, can expect more of the same. (C+)

-Lord Alfred Hayes interviews Mike Von Erich about his upcoming WCCW Cruiserweight Title Defense against Buddy Landell. Hayes asks Mike about his physical condition after the repeated attacks from Terry Gordy this month. Mike says that honestly, he's in "tough shape" after suffering a couple of concussions and a shoulder injury, but that he was given no choice - he must defend the title tonight or lose it, per the WCCW board of directors. (C-)

-WCCW Cruiserweight Championship Match
Buddy Landell defeats Mike Von Erich in 5:21 by submission to win the WCCW Cruiserweight Championship. (D). The two showed poor chemistry. After the match, Landell cut a promo hyping his title win - he says the circumstances weren't perfect though, and he guarantees Mike a rematch when he's back to 100%. (C)

-Gary Hart came to the ring with Arturo Mendoza & King Kong Bundy, saying he's already 1-0 tonight with Frank Dusek's win, and that he's about to go to 2-0 with his clients' upcoming victory in the Texas Tornado match. He says this rivalry between Mendoza/Bundy and Kabuki/Tiger Mask is a personal one. Hart talks about bringing Kabuki to the U.S., only to have him turn on Hart like some kind of "sneaky Jap" (hey, it's 1984). Meanwhile, Tiger Mask disgraced Arturo Mendoza in the most classless way imaginable - cheating in a mask v. mask mask to force Arturo Mendoza to take off his mask. (C+)

-Texas Tornado Match (All 4 men in the ring at the same time).
Arturo Mendoza & King Kong Bundy (w/Gary Hart) defeated Tiger Mask & The Great Kabuki in 12:58 when Mendoza pinned Tiger Mask after a wild spot-fest. (B-). Bundy hit an avalanche on Kabuki which allowed Hart's men to control the match 2-1.

-Piper's Pit: Special Guest - Gino Hernandez.
Roddy Piper comes to the Piper's Pit set and makes his first appearance since losing the Iron Man Match to David Von Erich several months ago. He introduces Hernandez, who immediately mocks Piper for his blowout loss in that match. Piper tries to interview Hernandez, but Gino turns it around, asking Piper if he'll ever show his face in a WCCW ring again, or if he simply won't be able to overcome the humiliation. The two trade insults for several minutes before things get heated, and Hernandez challenges Piper to a match tonight. Piper backs off from the set, keeps his distance from Gino, and says that this show is no longer secure - Piper says he's suspending Piper's Pit until he can find an adequate bodyguard to help keep order from hot-heads like Hernandez. An angry Gino trashes the Piper's Pit set. (B).

-The Sheepherders and Skandor Akbar come to the ring for the Lumberjack World Tag Team Title Match. The Sheepheders look to be in a good mood - Skandor Akbar explains that as everyone saw on the TV show this week, Eaton injured his knee at the hands of The Sheepherders and won't be able to compete tonight. They say the match will go on, 2-1. (B). Akbar then says he has a special treat for the Fort Worth fans, as a giant video screen is lowered from the ceiling. Akbar says that they have compiled a highlight video of the Sheepherder/Eaton & Ware rivarly. The video plays - it's a one-sided look that shows all of Eaton & Ware's defeats and various attacks at the hands of The Sheepherders over the last several months. (B-). Koko. B. Ware and the Lumberjacks then come to the ring, and the match begins. The Sheepherders dominate Koko early, until Ware is able to dropkick Butch Miller out of the ring. There, The Road Warriors (acting as lumberjacks) get involved, and manhandle Miller, and then Luke Williams as well, when he tries to help out. Now with a little momentum, Koko holds his own until Bobby Eaton makes a surprising return, evening the odds. (B)

-WCCW World Tag Team Championship Match
-Lumberjack Rules. The Lumberjacks are: Jose Lothario, Doug Somers, Villano IV, Villano V, Super Kendo, The Road Warriors, Brian Adias, Al Perez, Frank Dusek, and Buddy Landell.
Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware defeat The Sheepherders (w/Skandor Akbar) in 14:47 to win the WCCW World Tag Team Championship. (C). The performance of Koko B. Ware stood out.

-Nikita Koloff (w/Boris Malenko) defeats Bruno Samartino in 8:33 by pinfall. (C). The two showed poor chemistry. After the match, Boris Malenko holds up the Soviet flag, and Koloff salutes it. (C+)

-Lance Russell comes to the ring, and announces that just a few minutes ago, he received word from the back about who Michael Hayes' replacement will be in the main event. He says it's a man who has held titles all over the United States and Japan, and even though this will be his first WCCW match, his track record proves he's a worthy contender for the World Title. Russell introduces - Dick Murdock, who comes to the ring. (D+).

-With Dick Murdock in the ring, Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts approach as well, both looking somewhat wary of Murdock, but they both nervously converse with him. Russell asks what the conversation is about, and Roberts grabs a mic, saying it's none of Russell's business. He says that the Freebirds and the WCCW board of directors are all about bringing world class talent to WCCW, and Murdoch is the latest example. Roberts then tries to butter Murdoch up, calling him the toughest, meanest wrestler in the world. Murdoch then grabs the mic away from Roberts, and says that he knows what they all talked about, and maybe Murdoch will help the Freebirds out tonight. But if he changes his mind, Murdoch says, he might just kick everyone's ass and take the gold himself. (C)

-WCCW World Heavyweight Championship Match
-Four-Corners Elimination Rules
David Von Erich defeated Dick Murdoch, Terry Gordy, and Buddy Roberts in 24:31 to make his 9th defense of the World Title. David started the match with Murdoch. Gordy and Roberts left the apron and watched Murdoch wear David down from outside the ring. Murdoch was DQ'd (and the 1st eliminated from the match), after losing his temper and throwing David over the top rope, and shoving the referee. Murdoch looked pissed off, and the Freebirds were elated. With David weakened, Roberts & Gordy take turns in the ring pummeling David. They can't keep it up however, and David rolls Roberts up for a pin, eliminating him. Gordy seems fresher than David when they're down to 1-on-1, but David makes a comeback and gets Gordy to submit with the Iron Claw. (B).

-After the match, an exhausted David addresses the crowd, thanking them for his support. He says that he and his family haven't gotten the same support from some of his fellow wrestlers in the locker room. He says that at the TV show next week, we'll find out, once and for all, who's with The Von Erichs, and who's against them. (C+)

Overall Show Rating: C+

THOUGHTS:

-A pretty disappointing overall show, thanks to some very disappointing matches.

-First of all, Michael Hayes wasn't a no-show, he was booked by the WWF in a show that must have just been scheduled this month (since it didn't show up on my start-of-the-month conflict check). So the last second switch definitely hurt the main event. Backlund was my first choice to sub in, but he was also booked by the WWF in the same show. So I decided to debut Murdoch - the idea, if it wasn't clear in the recap, was that the Freebirds had arranged for Murdoch to be "friendly" towards their title aspirations in the main event, but Roberts & Gordy weren't totally confident with the arrangement and prospect of trusting Murdoch. Then Murdoch went and got himself DQ'd - the question is, did he do it on purpose to help the Freebirds, or did he just lose his temper?

-Nikita Koloff is continuing his nice push - he takes out Tommy Rodgers again (and that'll be it for Rodgers in WCCW), and cleanly defeats his uncle's old nemesis, Bruno Sammartino.

-The disappointment of the night was the tag title match - I guess the Lumberjack Rules just didn't click. These guys have wrestled "A" matches, so to get a "C" match in the feud's blowoff was not what I expected. The Sheepherders were the longest running champions in WCCW, having held the titles for 4 months, and 7 title defenses

-The Road Warriors made something of a "statement", getting physically involved in that match, as well as with their "lack of respect" promo earlier in the show. This would have been a great chance to work in Paul Ellering to help bring them "guidance" and better matchups, but Paul turned us down.

-Another new champion is Buddy Landell, who defeated an injured Mike Von Erich, with indirect help from Terry Gordy's attacks the last few weeks. Mike's reign only lasted 1 month, with 2 title defenses.

-I only raised the ticket prices a dollar over default, and somehow lost more than 1,000 people from the expected attendance. That'll cost me some money it what has been a pretty expensive month.