Post by AWA on Dec 16, 2015 3:06:49 GMT
Verne Gagne: Welcome everyone to one of the biggest pay per view spectaculars of the year as the American Wrestling Association presents, "AWA Wrestle Rumble"! I am joined tonight by my esteemed broadcast partner, the one and only Ken Resnick! How are you tonight Ken?
Ken Resnick: I am ready and excited for this big night of AWA action. And what a way to kick it off but with the huge 20 man over the top rope battle royal to declare the first ever AWA United States Champion.
Verne Gagne: And what a collection of wrestlers we have in this match. This match includes, Dynamite Kid, Paul Orndorff, "Superstar" Billy Graham, Andy Kaufman, I'm not really sure what he's doing in there, Jim Brunzell, Bill Irwin, Scott Irwin, Eddie Gilbert, Rick Rude, Rick Martel, Steve Keirn, Stan Lane, Junkyard Dog, Steve Regal, Larry Zbyszko, Jerry Lawler, Barry Windham, Harley Race, Baron Von Raschke & Carlos Colon.
Ken Resnick: And the action is under way in this one as these competitors get attacked from all sides. Many wrestlers consider this one of the most dangerous matches in all of professional wrestling because at any given time you can be attacked from a number of sides and really have no idea where the attack may be coming from.
Verne Gagne: That is except for Andy Kaufman. Do you see this little sneak? First off, how did he even get into this match? And secondly, check it out as he has slithered like a snake under the bottom rope so as not to be eliminated and he has crawled under the ring. He better not be trying to wait there until the end of the match only to come and try and claim the title.
Ken Resnick: There just seems to be too much action in this match for us to call. Eliminations are coming fast and furious in this match.
Verne Gagne: The number of eliminations are coming quickly and soon it looks like we may be down to the nitty gritty here very shortly. This is a very exciting way to start out AWA Wrestle Rumble!
Ken Resnick: One guy that has been on quite a roll and is making waves here in the AWA as of late has been Junkyard Dog. He's got a few eliminations under his belt during this match and just eliminated Barry Windham and Harley Race of the Four Horsemen both on his own at the same time!
Verne Gagne: Eddie Gilbert thought he had the perfect plan for the match. He had the Long Riders and Rick Rude blocking him from getting attacked by all the other competitors. But the Fabulous Ones just took out the Long Riders which allows only Rick Rude to be protecting Eddie Gilbert.
Ken Resnick: We saw a bit of tension between Rude and Gilbert in the past few weeks and it'll be interesting to see if Rude protects the leader of Hot Stuff International, Eddie Gilbert.
Ken Resnick: Junkyard Dog takes a huge swing, Rick Rude ducks and Eddie Gilbert is sent up and over the top rope and has been eliminated from this match.
Verne Gagne: And that should add another twist to the saga between Eddie Gilbert and Rick Rude!
Eddie Gilbert: Rick! What are you doing?! You were supposed to protect me! I was supposed to win the title! I'm the leader of Hot Stuff International. You do it all for me!
Rick Rude: I'm sorry Eddie! I'm sorry! I couldn't get my pretty face smashed in by Junkyard Dog with that punch!
Eddie Gilbert: I can't believe you!
Verne Gagne: And that may be the end of Rick Rude's pretty face, as Junkyard Dog has eliminated Rick Rude and single handedly eliminated both of the main members of Hot Stuff International. Junkyard Dog is on a roll and I have a feeling that this may be his night to take home the gold!
Ken Resnick: But the bigger story out of those Junkyard Dog eliminations was the rift it may have furthered within Hot Stuff International.
Ken Resnick: And further eliminations have come rolling in as with the triple elimination of the Fabulous Ones and Jerry Lawler we are down to our final two competitors as it will be Junkyard Dog and Billy Graham to decide who will become the first ever AWA United States Champion!
Verne Gagne: And there's Billy Graham begging for mercy on the mat. Junkyard Dog seems to eliminated half of this field and with only one guy left in Billy Graham, this is his time to shine and go over that hump and become a true big name superstar wrestler here in the AWA.
Ken Resnick: We forgot just one thing, Andy Kaufman has been hiding out under the ring this whole time! Junkyard Dog is ready to deliver the big head butt to eliminate Billy Graham but Andy Kaufman is sneaking up behind JYD! It can't end like this!
Verne Gagne: I am rolling on the floor laughing that this plan blew up in Kaufman's face! I think Junkyard Dog used his canine senses and felt Kaufman coming up behind him and has dumped Kaufman over the top rope for the elimination!
Verne Gagne: No, c'mon, no, not this way.
Ken Resnick: Superstar Billy Graham has used the distraction of Andy Kaufman on the outside to dump Junkyard Dog over the top rope to win the battle royal. The winner of this match and the first ever AWA United States Champion, Billy Graham.
Andy Kaufman: Hahahahaha! I told you people from Hollywood are smarter than the usual guy. We told you last week we were going to win the title. But nooooo. Nobody believed us! Welcome everyone to the age of the Cabaret. That is Andy Kaufman's Cabaret of Hollywood Stars! The fun is only beginning and you just wait to see who joins this tour of stars next!
Verne Gagne: Oh what a disgrace, let's get the next match out here.
Ken Resnick: And now making his way to the ring is Kerry Von Erich being escorted out here by his brother Kevin Von Erich.
Verne Gagne: These two have had such a tough streak here in the AWA. The AWA Board of Directors have informed the Von Erichs that they only have a few matches left in their AWA contracts and if they don't pick up a win soon, those contracts will be terminated.
Ken Resnick: But tonight is now walk in the park for Kerry Von Erich. He's out here to get some revenge for the loss his brother took last week on AWA All-Star Wrestling, as he takes on Ric Flair.
Verne Gagne: The new attitude of Ric Flair is something to behold. He sensed being bitter over the initial win of the AWA World Title by Stan Hanson when he defeated Ric Flair a few months ago. Because of this, Flair has said he wants to right that wrong and has enlisted the help of Arn Anderson, Barry Windham and Harley Race by his side to help him obtain the title. Last week we saw him confront Hanson for the first time and it was a wild scene as Dusty Rhodes and Scott Hall jumped in the fray as well.
Ken Resnick: And in your normal Ric Flair style, instead of the lock up, he instead backs away from the old and does his famous strut....
Ric Flair: WOOOOOOOO!
Verne Gagne: I don't think Kerry took too kindly to that sign of disrespect followed by the WOOO by Flair. He just blasted Flair square in the face to really get this match going! Kerry is on a mission tonight, because he knows his job, as well as his brother's job may very well be hanging in the balance with this single match.
Ken Resnick: And would you look at Flair begging for mercy. In desperate times like these, do you think Kerry Von Erich is going to show any mercy? Nope! A kick to the gut has Flair reeling early on in this match.
Verne Gagne: Flair tried to escape the constant barrage of Kerry Von Erich but it looks like he's been hung out to dry and is about to take the hard ride down to the mat with a press slam from the top by Kerry.
Ken Resnick: Kerry is headed up to the high rent district and wants to put this match away with just one more high impact move.
Verne Gagne: Oh, but there's Arn Anderson sticking his nose in where it shouldn't be and interfering in this match. He's crotched Kerry on the top turnbuckle and ma have cost him this match....and more importantly his job here in the AWA.
Verne Gagne: Ric Flair is ferociously attacking that leg now and is setting up for the Figure Four.
Ken Resnick: Hold on a second now, I think Kevin Von Erich has had enough of this interference that Flair has been getting recently. He's up on the apron talking with referee Marty Miller while Kerry tries to turn the tide of this match.
Verne Gagne: Kerry has done it! I can feel this is the night for Kerry to pick up that much needed win for the Von Erich boys!
Ken Resnick: The big atomic drop is usually a setup to the famous Von Erich Iron Claw hold.
Ken Resnick: And there it is, the Von Erich Iron Claw! Listen to Flair scream in agony. This is it, it's do or die for Kerry Von Erich right.....
Verne Gagne: What is Arn Anderson doing grabbing Kerry's foot! The ref doesn't see it! The ref doesn't see it!
Verne Gagne: Ah c'mon, Marty! You can't miss cheating as blatant as that!
Ken Resnick: After the trip by Arn Anderson that went unnoticed by the referee, again the referee doesn't notice Flair using his feet on the ropes as he gains the three count and the fall from Kerry Von Erich.
Verne Gagne: What an injustice to these Von Erich boys.
Ric Flair: Wooo! To be the man, you have to beat the man, get them boys!
Verne Gagne: Oh now this has gone far enough. After stealing a win from Kerry Von Erich, Ric Flair has instructed the Four Horsemen to storm the ring and lay out both of the Von Erich boys. This may truly be the end for the Von Erichs after this loss and subsequent beatdown.
Ric Flair: we stand before you over these two bodies as a symbol. A symbol of things to come. Stan Hanson, I know you're watching. I want you to take a good hard look at the scene you see before you right now. When all is said and done, I will get my revenge. You and only you are the man I want to defeat for that AWA World Championship belt so that I can get the ultimate payback on you and you feel what it's like to have that title slip away from you. And these men standing beside me, they will help me in that quest through any means necessary.
Ken Resnick: And now we take you outside the arena and down the street. As we are being told that our AWA Camera Crew is on location at the Good Times Saloon where Dusty Rhodes has just walked in with his good friend Jerry Blackwell and is looking for a fight as he takes on Terry Funk in a Bar Room Brawl.
Verne Gagne: Think they found the Funker, or at least Jerry Blackwell's head just found the Funker as he just got pasted with that steel chair right in the back of the head! And this fight is definitely on now!
Ken Resnick: Terry and Dusty have probably been in thousands of bar fights between the two of them. So neither is not shy to use every tactic there is in the book when it comes to a anything goes style brawl like this. Terry has jumped on the back of Dusty and is trying to choke the life out of him.
Verne Gagne: Talk about dirty, under handed bar room brawl tactics! Terry Funk has grabbed a bottle of beer from one of the bar patrons and is forcing it down the throat of Dusty Rhodes!
Ken Resnick: I hope Dusty Rhodes and Terry Funk have their pocket books open after this one. Their going to be paying for all the damage that they have caused to the Good Times Saloon. Looks at that man scream in the background, poor guy probably came into the bar to get a drink after a hard day's work and to relax and watch AWA Wrestle Rumble and instead AWA Wrestle Rumble has come live and in person to him!
Ken Resnick: Terry Funk wants to end all the years of bar room brawls with Dusty Rhodes right here and right now!
Verne Gagne: Remember the only way to win this match is to render your opponent so that he cannot continue the fight. And a piledriver through one of those hard wooden bar tables may just do the trick!
Ken Resnick: Oh that's got to be it. Remember this is not an officially sanctioned AWA match and therefore there's no referee on hand. But if I had to take a guess I'd say Dusty Rhodes is down for the count and will not be continuing in this match.
Verne Gagne: Give me a break Terry! Terry Funk wants to fight just about anybody and everybody in the bar tonight. After laying Dusty Rhodes out with that piledriver through the table, he has started attacking some of the other bar patrons. These poor guys arent professional wrestlers like Terry Funk, they can't defend themselves!
Ken Resnick: It looks like one of the bar patrons may be stepping up to take on Terry Funk. I've seen him sitting in the back the whole time minding his own business, but it looks as if he's had enough of Terry Funk's antics.
Verne Gagne: That's the Redneck Bar Room Brawler himself, Dick Murdoch! Him and Dusty are former tag team partners in the infamous tag team of the Texas Outlaws. Terry Funk is scared to death and I think he's now regretting his decision to challenge everyone in the bar to a fight!
Ken Resnick: Well the bar's local Elvis impersonator isn't going to be to happy when he comes in for tomorrow night's set. Dick Murdoch just used his guitar to tune up Terry Funk's skull!
Verne Gagne: Looks like Dusty Rhodes may be coming to as well, this fight looks like it's far from over.
Ken Resnick: What is Dusty doing? He's standing on top of the bar with Terry Funk in his clutches and may be looking to put an end to this fight!
Verne Gagne: And with a sickening thud, Dusty Rhodes has given Terry Funk a powerslam off the top of the bar and through a table!
Ken Resnick: And that'll do it. Terry Funk is not moving. The winner of the first ever unsanctioned Bar Room Brawl is Dusty Rhodes.
Verne Gagne: But more importantly, they have gained an important ally in Dick Murdoch in their fight against the Four Horsemen as well as the struggle to gain the AWA World Heavyweight Championship from Stan Hanson.
Verne Gagne: And now we move on to the six man, anything goes, come as you are street fight. There's no love lost in this one as the fued between Greg Gagne and the Road Warriors, along with Paul Ellering reached a new level last month at AWA Wrestle Rock when Greg and parnter Curt Hennig disguised themselves as the Masked Mercenaries and were able to capture the AWA Tag Titles from the Road Warriors. They furthered the bad blood when they gave Paul Ellering a piledriver off the stage and through a table injuring his neck, just like they had done to Greg months before. Paul Ellering again furthered the war by bringing in Abdullah the Butcher to attack Greg Gagne. But Bruiser Brody made the save as he looks for revenge on Abdullah for injuring the leg of his friend Andre the Giant. So here we are tonight as we have a six man, anything goes, come as you are street fight.
Ken Resnick: The rules to this match are quite simple. Each man was allowed to bring one weapon to the ring for this match. Then after that, anything goes, all six men are in the ring at the same time and the first pinfall wins it.
Verne Gagne: Some interesting choices of weapons for both the teams. We've got Curt Hennig with a metal bucket. Brusier Brody brought his signature chain as well as a 2x4 board. Greg Gagne has brought out a steel chair. Animal of the Road Warriors has a ladder. Abdullah the Butcher is out with his favorite weapon, the wrench, Paul Ellering, who let me remind you isn't even signed to be in this match has a table. And remember that old saying, "throw everything at them but the kitchen sink"? Well, Hawk of the Road Warriors looks like he's going to throw everything at them AND the kitchen sink!
Ken Resnick: The action in this one is under way, and there just seems to be too much to call at this point as everyone is being attacked from all sides. This is going to be a wild melee of a contest!
Verne Gagne: Brody is out to get vengeance for Andre the Giant's broken leg, he's whipping Abdullah the Butcher across the back with that huge chain of his!
Ken Resnick: Greg still hasn't forgotten all the wrongs that Road Warriors and Paul Ellering did to him. He's choking Animal out with a chair.
Verne Gagne: The action in this match is so exciting and unpredictable!
Ken Resnick: But you can never count the Rod Warriors down and out at any given time. Hawk has that 2x4 board that Brody originally brought to the ring and he's choking Curt Hennig right across the throat with it!
Verne Gagne: You knew it was only a matter of time before that little weasel Paul Ellering stuck his nose in where it shouldn't be!
Ken Resnick: As Paul Ellering holds Greg Gagne's arms, Abdullah the Butcher attacks with that wrench to the eyes.
Verne Gagne: That could permanantly blind a man!
Verne Gagne: Oh c'mon now. As if a three on three contest wasn't dangerous enough, Paul Ellering looks to have inserted himself into this match and is choking Greg Gagne with that chain.
Ken Resnick: It looks as through the team of Brody, Gagne and Hennig are in some pretty dire straights right now. They've got to get things turned around fast or it's going to be too late.
Ken Resnick: This does not look good at all now.
Verne Gagne: As the Road Warriors both grab the arms of Brody, Abdullah the Butcher delivers a shot with the kitchen sink right between the eyes. I think Brody is down and out after that shot.
Verne Gagne: Wait...no....wait....no! They're not going to....! They can't possibly!
Ken Resnick: Hawk is standing on top of the ladder while Animal has Greg perched on top of his shoulders on the apron. But worse yet, there's a table on the floor that has been setup and it looks like they're going for the Doomsday Device from the top of the ladder!
Ken Resnick: That has got to be one of the most incredible crash and burn moments I have ever seen in my entire life. They delivered a Doomsday Device off a ladder to a man on the apron to the floor through a table. That has got to have the impact of a fall from 40 feet. And the carnage is so bad that I think all three of those competitors are completely out of it.
Verne Gagne: Oh that was such a disguisting move by the Road Warriors. The careers of all three of those men may never be the same after that move.
Ken Resnick: Meanwhile, back in the ring, Abdullah the Butcher has sandwiched Curt Hennig between a ladder and has jumped from the top rope and came crashing down on Hennig.
Ken Resnick: There's the three count and this one is over. The winners of the anything goes, come as you are, six man, street fight are Abdullah the Butcher and the Road Warriors with their manager, Paul Ellering.
Verne Gagne: And would you look at Ellering mock Greg's lifeless body on the floor. After all the punishment he's gone through....
Paul Ellering: Next month, this is the end Greg. Next month, is the end of the WAR!
Ken Resnick: And according to Ellering, sounds like he's planning something big for next month's pay per view show, should be interesting to find out what develops in that saga. Be sure to tune in to AWA All-Star Wrestling in the coming weeks to find out more!
Ken Resnick: And this is it, our main event match here at AWA Wrestle Rumble. Stan Hanson defends the AWA World Heavyweight Championship against the #1 contender, Scott Hall.
Verne Gagne: And as you can see as he makes his way to the ring, Scott Hall is carrying all that remains of the Frank Gotch Memorial Trophy that he won last month at AWA Wrestle Rock which gave him the opportunity at the title here tonight. Stan Hanson and his partner in crime, Terry Funk, smashed the trophy over the head of Scott Hall a few weeks ago on AWA All-Star Wrestling and ever since then the bad blood has been boiling between these two.
Ken Resnick: Look at this intense stair down we are having between the challenger and champion as Marty Miller gives the final instructions.
Verne Gagne: Remember AWA President Stanley Blackburn made this match a no disqualification match this past week. So there's no telling what's going to happen in this match up.
Ken Resnick: And we are under way even before Marty Miller has a chance to ask for the bell as Stan Hanson jumps Scott Hall and is choking him with his own ring jacket!
Verne Gagne: Stan Hanson is looking to pull out all the stops tonight as the action has spilled to the outside and is right next to our announcers desk.
Ken Resnick: Stan Hanson looks like he's trying to choke Scott Hall out with the rope from the hammer to the ring bell.
Verne Gagne: It looks as though Hanson is trying to work over the neck and throat area of the challenger to make that Lariat clothesline all the more effective later on. The Lariat puts a lot of pressure and pain on the neck, throat and shoulders, and those are the area Stan Hanson appears to be trying to soften up.
Ken Resnick: Stan Hanson has placed the ring bell in the middle of the ring and looks like he's going to try a suplex here to finish Scott Hall off, or perhaps get him dazed and groggy enough to connect with the Lariat.
Verne Gagne: And the plan has back fired on Stan Hanson!
Ken Resnick: Scott Hall was able to reverse the momentum and Hanson was sent sprawling backwards and may have knocked himself out by hitting the back of his head on the ring bell!
Verne Gagne: A big back body drop by Scott Hall and the challenger has seized the opportunity. He's got his eyes set on the prize and it doesn't look like anything is going to stop him from obtaining the title now!
Ken Resnick: But Scott Hall apparently doesn't want to just take the title from Stan Hanson, it looks as though he's out for revenge as well. He's taken that ring bell that Hanson introduced into this match and is working over the arm of Hanson with it.
Verne Gagne: A smart tactic here by Scott Hall. He's weakening that arm so that Stan Hanson may not be able to use that dreaded Lariat clothesline with a disabled arm.
Verne Gagne: I can feel it now as Scott Hall is softening Stan Hanson up as he connects with a huge piledriver.
Ken Resnick: Hate to say it Verne, but I'd cool it on these "feelings" you're getting tonight. You've jinxed both Junkyard Dog and Greg Gagne tonight when you had a "feeling" that they were about to win the match.
Verne Gagne: He hit it! He hit it! I can't believe he hit it! Scott Hall with his finishing move, The Edge, and we are about to have a new AWA World Heavyweight Champion. Marty Miller down for the count, count of one, count of two, count of th......
Verne Gagne: Hey, hold on a second here, what are Ric Flair and the other Four Horsemen doing out here?
Ric Flair: Scott Hall! Don't you dare pin that man. That is MY title. And that is MY title to win by defeating Stan Hanson!
Ken Resnick: What does Flair mean by those remarks? Apparently he wants to be the man to defeat Stan Hanson for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship and no one else?
Verne Gagne: But here comes the cavalry to save the day! Dusty Rhodes, Jerry Blackwell and their new ally, Dick Murdoch have stormed the Four Horsemen and are clearing the way for Scott Hall to take the title home!
Ken Resnick: I think Hall has had his back turned a little too long to Stan Hanson.....
Verne Gagne: No, not a low blow! Ah c'mon now!
Ken Resnick: I had a feeling something like this was going to happen when he had his back turned to Hanson for so long!
Ken Resnick: A whip into the ropes and there it is, the dreaded Lariat clothesline. Meanwhile, Dusty, Murdoch and Blackwell are all on the outside fighting with the Horsemen and don't see what's transpiring in the ring!
Verne Gagne: Marty Miller down for the three count and that's all she wrote. I can't believe it. After being seconds away from winning the title, the Four Horsemen interfere and cause a distraction which allows Stan Hanson to slip by with the AWA World Heavyweight Title still in his possession.
Ken Resnick: Flair did state to Hall that the only man he wanted to defeat for the championship was Stan Hanson. And after tonight, that plan is still in place, as Stan Hanson is still your AWA World Heavyweight Champion.
Verne Gagne: Dusty Rhodes and company now are finally finding out exactly what happened and how lucky Stan Hanson was tonight.
Ken Resnick: And the Four Horsemen are attacking Rhodes, Blackwell, Murdoch and Hall. I just don't understand what the agenda of the Horsemen is. I believe that they see the Rhodes/Hall group as a threat to their AWA World Title plans and will use as means necessary to clear them out of the picture!
Verne Gagne: And look at this, Stan Hanson backing away from the battle. He's got no friends by his side. He knows that the in fighting between those other two groups will help secure his reign over the AWA World Title just a little bit longer. This is just something to behold.
Ken Resnick: AWA fans, we are out of time on the special AWA Wrestle Rumble pay per view telecast. Please join us next week for another exciting edition of AWA All-Star Wrestling as I'm sure we will feel the fall out from this huge event. Good night!