[molson]

WCCW: Last Man Standing
Saturday, Week 4, March 1984
Dallas, TX (Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 5,247 Ticket Prices: $3 over default
Actual Attendance: 4,282

-This is my first show running the latest patch for TEW, which was released 9/10

-This also my final show of the 1st full year of the dynasty.

-Because of the format of the show, we need some extra time, so this will be a 2 1/2 hour show. I think it's only the second time we've run a show this long.

-This will be the last WCCW show for both Jimmy Garvin & Chris Adams (at least for a while).

-Pre-Match Dark Segments
Since everyone can potentially have a match tonight (in kayfabe), there's no pre-show dark matches. Instead, Lance Russell conducts a series of interviews with eligible participants of "Last Man Standing":
-Lance Russell interviews Terry Gordy (B-)
-Lance Russell interviews Kevin Von Erich (C+)
-Lance Russell interviews The Sheepherders (C+)
-Lance Russell interviews Kerry Von Erich (C+)

-As the show starts, Fritz Von Erich comes out to the ring, and recaps the rules for the Land Man Standing event. He says tonight, we'll see Adonis v. Piper, Tiger Mask v. Villano IV (mask v. mask), and Hayes v. Backlund v. David. Everyone else in the company who's present tonight, as well as a few guys not under WCCW contract, are in the back waiting for their name to be drawn for the Last Man Standing event. Fritz says we'll see 5 random pairing tag team matches, with a 10 minute time limit each, with each participant's name drawn immediately before the match. The 5 winning teams will take part in a Battle Royal later tonight (where it will be every man for himself). The winner of that Battle Royal will be the 1984 WCCW "Last Man Standing", and will earn an automatic spot (and first round bye), in the WCCW World Championship Tournament to be held next month. (B)

-Fritz Von Erich goes back down the entrance way towards the locker room, where a rolling drum with ping-pong balls has been set up. One by one, Fritz draws the names of the participants to take place in the first match: Chris Adams & Villano V will take on Butch Miller & The Great Kabuki. (C)

-Butch Miller & The Great Kabuki defeated Chris Adams & Villano V in 3:35 when Kabuki pinned Villano V. (B-) Miller & Kabuki weren't sure of each other at first, but once they turned their attention to their opponents, it was a dominating victory.

-Fritz announced the next match. Mike Von Erich (making a surprise return tonight) and Jake Roberts (from Houston Championship Wrestling) will take on Al Perez & Doug Sommers. (C-).

-Mike Von Erich & Jake Roberts defeated Al Perez & Doug Sommers in 3:42 when Mike made Sommers submit. (D+). Jake was solidly over as a face with the Dallas crowd, and cooperated well with Mike.

-Roddy Piper defeated Adrian Adonis in 15:43 by submission after Gary Hart, trying to spray hair spray into Piper's eyes, missed and sprayed Adonis instead. Piper quickly finished Adonis with a sleeper. (B+). The two showed good chemistry. After the match, Adonis, still groggy and with impaired vision, tried to attack Piper, but was easily repelled. (C-)

-Fritz Von Erich announced the next random tag team match: Villano IV & Gino Hernandez (from Houston Championship Wrestling) v. Jose Lothario & Jimmy Garvin. (C)

-Gino Hernandez & Villano IV defeated Jose Lothario & Jimmy Garvin in 3:43 when Gino made Lothario submit. Gino never tagged Villano IV into the match (C+). Gino was a clear heel with the fans. Lothario & Garvin showed poor chemistry as a team.

-Fritz announces tag team match #4: Kerry Von Erich & Tommy Rodgers v. Kevin Von Erich & Iceman Parsons. (C)

-Kevin Von Erich & Iceman Parsons defeat Kerry Von Erich & Tommy Rodgers in 8:58 when Kevin made Rodgers submit. (C+) Kevin and Kerry seemed to be on good terms until their first physical altercation in the match. After that, Kerry seemed determined to show up Kevin, to the latter's annoyance. After the match, Kerry was enraged, and took out his frustration on partner Tommy Rodgers, throwing him out of the ring. (D+) Kevin came back into the ring to confront Kerry. The two had a heated argument, before coming to blows. The brawl spilled to the outside, where it was broken up by Mike, David, and Fritz. (B-)

-Finally separated, Kevin goes back to the locker room, while Kerry pouts around ringside. Kerry grabs a mic and tells the fans that he's done with Kevin, and done with WCCW. He rambles for a few minutes, and then takes his six-man-tag team title belt, and throws it into a trash can near the ringside table, before storming off. (B-)

-A shaken-up Fritz announces the final tag team match: Owen Hart & Frank Dusek v. Terry Gordy & Buddy Roberts. (C-)

-Terry Gordy & Buddy Roberts defeat Owen Hart & Frank Dusek. (C). Roberts appears very wary of teaming with Gordy, and spends most of the match outside the ring with a scared look on his face. Gordy is still able to dispatch of Hart & Dusek rather easily. Gordy looked good.

-Villano III came to the ring with Villanos IV and V, and Super Kendo, and promised that he'd win tonight's mask v. mask match with Tiger Mask. He rambled for a while about the importance of the Lucha mask, and the superiority of Lucha to Puroresu. He also mentioned that tonights match will be under Lucha rules, and would be 2 out of 3 falls. (B)

-Mask v. Mask
-Lucha Rules, 2 out of 3 falls.
Tiger Mask defeated Villano III, 2 falls to 1, in 18:35. The first fall was a clean pinfall for Villano III. The second fall was a DQ fall for Tiger Mask, after interference from Super Kendo, and Villanos IV and V. The third fall was a clean pinfall for Tiger Mask. (B+). The match suffered from a lack of selling.

-After the match, Villano IV, V, and Super Kendo hit the ring to attack Tiger Mask. Tiger Mask is ready for them, and is able to repel the attack, sending the 3 outside the ring. Tiger Mask then continues his attack on the fallen Villano III, until he's able to remove his mask. The fans get a pretty good look at Villano III, before his fellow Mexicans can hit the ring again, and help aid his escape, while covering his face. (B). Tiger Mask celebrates his match, briefly going into the crowd. (B). He grabs a mic and tells the fans that even though they got a pretty good look at Villano III tonight, he'll make sure that they get an even better look if Villano ever shows his face at a WCCW event again. (B)

-Last Man Standing; 10-Man Battle Royal
-Participants: The Great Kabuki, Butch Miller, Mike Von Erich, Jake Roberts, Gino Hernandez, Villano IV, Iceman Parsons, Kevin Von Erich, Buddy Roberts, Terry Gordy
-Terry Gordy wins the Battle Royal in 10:31 to become "The Last Man Standing" (C+). The final 5 were Gordy, Mike, Kevin, Roberts, and Gino. Gordy worked well with the Von Erichs to eliminate Roberts and Gino. Mike, Kevin, and Gordy then shook hands before competing themselves - Gordy was able to overpower the two Von Erichs to win the match. The shook hands again afterwards.

-David Von Erich came out to hype his triple threat match with Michael Hayes an Bob Backlund. He put over the importance of the match, that the winner will get his choice of first opponent in the WCCW World Title Tournament next month, and will thus be considered the odds-on favorite. David also brings up the Kevin/Kerry incident from earlier in the show, saying that frankly, he thinks that maybe Kerry needs to take a break from WCCW. (B+)

-Triple Threat Match, elimination rules
-Winner choses first opponent at World Title Tournament.
Michael Hayes defeated Bob Backlund and David Von Erich in 12:43. (A+). During the match, before anyone had been eliminated, the referee was accidentally knocked out. Backlund took the opportunity to throw David outside the ring, and grab a steel chair. Backlund followed David out, looking to strike. Terry Gordy suddenly came out, and stood between Backlund and David, shaking his head. Backlund then turned to put the chair away, when he was viciously attacked by Gordy. Gordy grabbed the chair himself, and struck Backlund twice, before throwing him back into the ring. Hayes, still in the ring, made a quick cover and got a three count from the groggy ref, eliminating Backlund from the match. Gordy then helped David to his feet, explaining to him what happened (by pointing to the chair, and to Backlund). David looked appreciative, and then started to climb back into the ring. Before he got there, however, Gordy struck David with the chair to knock him back down to the arena floor. Gordy struck David with the chair twice more before throwing him back in the ring (the ref still too groggy to see what's going on). Hayes then gets the quick 3-count on David, to win the match.

-Terry Gordy went into the ring and celebrated with Hayes, before grabbing a mic. Gordy says he didn't come back to WCCW with the plan to re-unite with Hayes, but that tonight, after seeing what utter disarray the Von Erich family is in, he decided that tonight was the night to establish Freebird dominance in WCCW. (B-)

-Hayes grabs a mic, as Buddy Roberts joins the duo in the ring. Hayes says that just like old times, they've outsmarted the Von Erichs. Kerry's gone, the Von Erichs are weak, depleted, and old news, and the Freebirds will instead lead WCCW from here on out. Hays says that if "second rate Freebird" Jimmy Garvin is listening, he can consider himself fired, because the originals are back. (C+)

Overall Show Rating: B

THOUGHTS:

-This isn't my highest rated show ever, but I think it's my favorite. Every match meant something, as did every angle. The Von Erich family implodes, and the original Freebirds see an opportunity. Gordy uses the trust of Kevin & Mike to help him win the Battle Royal, and then violently turns on David when that suits his purpose later on. I'm a fan of shows where the big storylines logically progress through a single show, and I think I was able to do that here.

-This obviously will kick off some version of Freebirds v. Von Erich, with Bob Backlund's role currently unknown. The Von Erichs start the feud at a clear disadvantage, since Kerry has had another fit and has apparently quit the company.

-The random pairing tag matches did a lot better, ratings wise, then I thought they would. Miller/Kabuki v. Adams/Villano V was the best of the bunch, and nothing was worse than "C".

-Adonis/Piper and Tiger Mask/Villano III both had very solid "grudge" matches. Adonis/Piper isn't nearly over, while the Tiger Mask/Villano III storyline technically ends tonight.

-With the events of tonight, (and the departure of Garvin, which ends his angle with Kevin/Roberts/Mike), we only have 3 current storylines: The Sheepherders v. Koko & Eaton, Nikita Koloff/Ricky Morton, and Adonis/Piper. Everything else is a clear slate going into year 2.

-The only thing I really screwed up on here was the ticket prices - I set them $3 over default, and ended up getting a crowd well less than capacity.