AWA Hercules Cortez Memorial Tag Team Tournament

Stanley Blackburn: Welcome everyone to Korakuen Hall here in Tokyo, Japan as we present to you a joint event between the American Wrestling Association and All-Japan Pro Wrestling, it’s the AWA Hercules Cortez Memorial Tag Team Tournament! As you can see in the middle of the ring, we have the trophy as well as the tag title belts that will go to the winners of this illustrious tournament tonight. Let’s get the action under way!
Ken Resnick: We are live here for our fifth big pay per view spectacular, the AWA Hercules Cortez Memorial Tag Team Tournament! As this tournament continues to progress we will keep you updated here with the brackets. Let’s take a look at them right now.










Gordon Solie: Here we go with first round action in Bracket A, as it is the home team of Giant Baba and Tiger Mask taking on the Four Horsemen duo of Ric Flair and Tully Blanchard.


Ken Resnick: The action in this match is starting off hot and heavy as Tiger Mask hits a hurricanrana takedown on Ric Flair that sends him sprawling to the mat.
Gordon Solie: I am not really sure I have ever seen a move like that! This guy is very innovative wrestler in today's wrestling scene here in the great year we have had so far in 1985!


Gordon Solie: Tiger Mask with an impressive flip over the top rope! I'm told being told here at ringside that move is called a moonsault onto the floor. Very impressive.


Ken Resnick: The power man of the team is now in as Giant Baba is now getting in on the action as he has Tully Blanchard up in a giant bear hug! Listen as Tully Blanchard is screaming out in pain! He's definitely going need to get out of this or else the Horsemen may be upset here in the very first round of the tournament!


Gordon Solie: And just as we thought that the Horseman team was in trouble Tully Blanchard distracting Baba in the corner while meanwhile Ric Flair has worked over the legs of Tiger Mask and got him to submit to the Figure Four leg lock. Moving on in the tournament to the next round is Ric Flair and Tully Blanchard!


Gordon Solie: Due to time restraints we will be able to only show you highlights of some of these matches. In this Bracket B contest we saw Jerry Blackwell come off the top rope landing onto Tito Santana as a team of Jerry Blackwell and Scott Hall moved on in the next round by defeating Tito Santana and Paul Orndorff.


Ken Resnick: Now moving into Bracket C, we saw a match that never even got started! As you can remember a couple weeks ago, Ronnie Garvin in consecutive weeks knocked out both Bill and Scott Irwin with his “Hands of Stone” punch. The Long Riders seemed so afraid of that punch they never even got in the ring and therefore referee Jerry Calhoun put a ten count on them to enter the ring and they were counted out and by default, Jimmy and Ronnie Garvin moved onto the next round of the tournament!


Ken Resnick: We move onto Bracket D action now as we see Harley Race and Nick Bockwinkel trying to get some more revenge on the Four Horsemen! All four men are turning this into a brawl from the very start with fists flying and craziness a bound, I think this has almost turned into a Texas tornado like matchup! Referee Scrappy McGowan is having quite a lot of trouble trying to get this matter under control!


Gordon Solie: Harley Race and Nick Bockwinkel have turned the tide of the match as Race has softened up Barry Windham and Nick Bockwinkel shows his technical prowess with a picture-perfect suplex on Arn Anderson!


Ken Resnick: Harley Race gaining some revenge here and frustrating the Four Horsemen even more as he delivers a pile driver on Barry Windham and is able to get three three count on him! Harley Race and Nick Bockwinkel go onto the next round!


Ken Resnick: Now onto semifinals action in Bracket A between the Four Horsemen team Ric Flair and Tully Blanchard taking on the team of AWA World Heavyweight Champion, Stan Hanson and Terry Funk. Flair immediately wants to get his hands on Stan Hanson after what happened last week on AWA All-Star Wrestling. Stan Hanson instead of fighting Ric Flair has baited him into the corner as Tully Blanchard's attention has been turned and Terry Funk hits him over the back of the head with his branding iron!


Gordon Solie: With Flair’s attention turned to Hanson, Terry Funk pins Tully Blanchard and Stan Hanson is able to escape the grasp of Rick Flair! This is a volatile situation which needs a finale which we will hopefully get at AWA Clash of the Champions live from the Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham, Alabama in conjunction with Southeastern Championship Wrestling in just two weeks’ time!


Ken Resnick: In the other semifinal Bracket A matchup we have the team of Buddy Rose and Doug Somers taking on the Road Warriors with their manager, Paul Ellering. Remember it was Rose and Somers who costs the Road Warriors the tag team titles back at AWA War Games when they pushed them as well as Curt Hennig and Greg Gagne off a 20 foot ladder. Greg Gagne sustained severe shoulder damage in the fall and may be forced to retire from the sport. Because there was no clear cut winner, the titles were vacated and thus this tag team tournament was created to decide new champions.


Ken Resnick: Rose and Somers are definitely outmatched in the strength department here as from the very beginning Animal is showing his power and is able to press slam Doug Somers up above his head and down to the hard mat.


Gordon Solie: But don't discount the power of Hawk either as he is able to pick up the bigger of the two men, the 271 pound….excuse I mean 217 pound Buddy Rose over top of his head and give him the press slam!


Ken Resnick: Looks as though it may be all over as Hawk comes off the top rope with the Doomsday Device onto Buddy Rose!
Gordon Solie: Rose and Summers look like they're about to go down in defeat as this will be an upset of sorts after what happened in the first round!


Gordon Solie: Sherri Martel causing the distraction of Scrappy McGowan as Paul Ellering and Animal are also distracted trying to get her off the apron! Meanwhile on the other side of the ring its Doug Somers coming up from behind and nailing Hawk in the back of the head with a steel chair! Just as we thought he was going for the pin and the victory on Buddy Rose!


Ken Resnick: As Ellering was being pushed into Animal by Doug Somers, Buddy Rose was able to roll over and get the pin on Hawk as Rose and Somers move on to the finals of Bracket A.


Gordon Solie: Moving into Bracket B action it is the team that of the returning Andre the Giant who returns after that horrific knee injury after the attack from Abdullah the Butcher teaming up with Bruiser Brody to take on Jerry Blackwell and Scott Hall. Brody hits his flying knee attack on Scott Hall and that was enough to move them into the next round of the tournament.


Ken Resnick: Bracket B was definitely a place where bitter enemies meet up as Dusty Rhodes teams with his best friend, Dick Murdoch to take on the Snake Pit team of King Kong Bundy and One Man Gang with the power of Jake Roberts and his mystical club ever looming in this matchup.


Gordon Solie: The action is hot and heavy in this matchup as Dusty Rhodes and One Man Gang throw fists of fire at each other as it is King Kong Bundy delivering an avalanche slash in the corner on Dick Murdoch to take him out of this matchup!


Ken Resnick: With Dick Murdoch out of the picture in this one, One Man Gang and King Kong Bundy think it’s their time to finish off Dusty Rhodes once and for all with the 747/Avalanche Combo splash!


Gordon Solie: But going for the splash Dusty Rhodes is able to move from King Kong Bundy and One Man Gang as they may have triggered an earthquake throughout Tokyo, Japan as they both land on the mat and missed the American Dream!


Ken Resnick: We basically have a two on one match now as Dusty Rhodes has come back throwing his big bionic elbow in a double barrel like manner to both One Man Gang and King Kong Bundy that said both of them reeling!


Gordon Solie: Dusty Rhodes definitely has the upper hand in this match, but wait, what’s this? Jake Roberts has got up on the apron and started waving that mystical club at Dusty Rhodes! Dusty has almost fallen into a hypnotic trance and has been frozen momentarily by Jake Roberts!


Ken Resnick: As Dusty is distracted by the mystical club of Jake Roberts, King Kong Bundy and One Man Gang take the advantage and deliver the 747/Avalanche Combo to Dick Murdoch and get the three count!


Ken Resnick: Rick Rude, Precious, Eddie Gilbert and possibly Jimmy Garvin, love square takes another dramatic twist as Rude and Gilbert face off with Ronnie and Jimmy Garvin in the opening match in the second round of Bracket C. There seems to be no end in sight to this lover’s quarrel I must say.


Gordon Solie: Before the match begins, again its Rude and Gilbert getting an argument over Precious!
Eddie Gilbert: Haven’t you been listening to me Rude?! I told you to stay away! She's mine! It is over you know!
Rick Rude: Eddie, if it's over then I'm not even going to try and help you in this match! You’re on your own from here on out!
Eddie Gilbert: What you're not going to help me?! Hold on a second here!


Ken Resnick: Ronnie Garvin delivers the big Hands of Stone punch straight to the side of the head of Eddie Gilbert as Jimmy Garvin has taken down Rude onto his knee and is beating the daylights out of his chest!


Gordon Solie: That one definitely did not last long as Ronnie Garvin puts the pin on Eddie Gilbert before he can even get his jacket off as Jimmy Garvin disposes of Rick Rude on the outside!


Eddie Gilbert: That's it that's it Rude! You cost me one too many matches and that's enough of that. At AWA Clash the Champions, Precious, you need to make a decision, it's either me or it's Rude. You need to decide between one of us. You can’t have us both. This is splitting up Hot Stuff International too much and I am sick of it. You need to make your decision and you better make the right one if you remember who writes the checks in Hot Stuff International!


Gordon Solie: Now onto the other match up in Bracket C as we will see the debuting Gino Hernandez along Billy Graham who make up the tandem for Andy Kaufman’s Cabaret of Hollywood Stars, taking on Kerry and Kevin Von Erich. The poor Von Erich boys are on quite a losing streak here in the AWA, perhaps tonight is the night they turn it all around and walk out with the trophy and the tag belts.
Ken Resnick: Gino is an absolute specimen to look at, tanned, muscular, jet black hair and of course the ladies love him.
Gordon Solie: And it’s those few ladies in the crowd that may be cheering him right now as he's putting the back breaker on Kerry Von Erich in the middle of the ring.


Ken Resnick: Kerry and Kevin are looking to break their losing streak right here as Kevin has the Iron Claw on Billy Graham in the middle of the ring!
Gordon Solie: Scrappy McGowan is down asking Billy Graham if he’d like to give it up, meanwhile Andy Kaufman is shouting at Kerry, that's definitely a distraction more than it is a discussion when Andy Kaufman is involved.


Ken Resnick: With Kerry’s attention diverted, Gino Hernandez is able to come in the ring and break up the Iron Claw and he delivers his massive back breaker onto Kevin Von Erich!


Gordon Solie: Gino drives Kerry into the corner, meanwhile Billy Graham pins Kevin after the big back breaker by Gino Hernandez and the count by Scrappy McGowan does it as it will be the Andy Kaufman Cabaret of Hollywood Stars team of “Superstar” Billy Graham and “Gorgeous” Gino Hernandez moving on in this tournament.


Gordon Solie: Next up in Bracket D action we have the team of Bill Watts and the Junkyard dog taking on Harley Race and Nick Bockwinkel. Bill Watts and the Junkyard Dog or definitely want to get to the next round where they can finally get their hands on the Fabulous Freebirds. Race and Bockwinkel however may need to watch their backs, as they have a bullseye on them courtesy of the Four Horsemen.


Ken Resnick: The action is fast and furious in this one as Junkyard Dog is going toe to toe with Harley Race over in the corner while meanwhile Bill Watts is having a boxing match with Nick Bockwinkel on the other side of the ring.
Gordon Solie: It's definitely not every day do you see a mat technician like Nick Bockwinkel going face-to-face with his opponent like that where fists are flying.


Gordon Solie: Hold on just a second right here, as I thought that this would be one of the matches we could see go right down the middle with no interference. However, it’s Arn Anderson who has grabbed the chain of the Junkyard Dog that was laying on the apron and has just hit Harley Race square in the forehead with it! I am not sure that the Junkyard Dog and Bill Watts know exactly what happened or they wouldn’t accept the outcome of this match. It’s because of the interference from the Four Horsemen, that Watts and the Dog are able to beat the team of Bockwinkel and Race and move on in the tournament.


Gordon Solie: The team originally scheduled for this match was supposed to be Curt Hennig and Ted DiBiase, but before the start of the match we have been told that Curt heading would not be able to take part in this tournament because of the injury sustained along with Greg Gagne during that giant fall off the ladders at AWA War Games. We hope to have Curt and Greg both back with us soon but instead it is Ted DiBiase teaming with “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan to take on Terry Gordy and Michael Hayes better known as the Fabulous Freebirds. In typical Michael Hayes fashion he decides he is going to moonwalk before the match and he almost paid dearly for that decision as Ted DiBiase uses his infamous black glove on Hayes!


Ken Resnick: DiBiase and his black glove knocks Hayes right in the chin and right into next week.! Looks like we have a major upset about to go down as the Fabulous Freebirds may be going down in their first match up of the tournament!


Gordon Solie: Terry Gordy however is able to make the save on Michael Hayes and now we are seeing a battle between two of the biggest brutes here in the AWA and possibly the two toughest men in pro wrestling in Jim Duggan and Terry Gordy. They are going toe to toe as Gordy delivers a big back elbow to Jim Duggan.


Ken Resnick: Looks like the upset bid is about to be spoiled as Terry Gordy hits his “Bam Bam Slam” on Ted DiBiase to propel them into the next round where the big grudge match is set between Bill Watts and Junkyard Dog taking on the Fabulous Freebirds will take place.
Gordon Solie: The four bracket finals are all set, let’s take a look at the updated brackets before we move onto the finals of Bracket A.










Gordon Solie: As our next match is ready to get started, why are the Four Horsemen up on the apron? None of them are involved in this match up. Flair is shouting some sort of verbal barbs at the AWA World Heavyweight Champion, Stan Hanson and of course Stan is giving it right back to him.


Ken Resnick: Referee Marty Miller doesn’t seem to care much for the verbal bantering, so he calls for the bell to get this match underway.
Gordon Solie: Stan Hanson's attention is diverted to the Four Horsemen and Doug Somers takes the advantage and rolls Terry Funk up in a school boy pin from behind and gets the three count to move on to the final four of the tournament! Stan Hanson can’t be happy with that outcome and we’ll surly be looking to make Ric Flair come Clash of the Champions.


Ken Resnick: The finals of Bracket B as we have possibly the biggest combination of two teams in the ring as Bruiser Brody and Andre the Giant take on the team of King Kong Bundy and the One Man Gang. What a monumental collision this is going to be!


Gordon Solie: In a situation that you don't see too often One Man Gang is able to overpower Bruiser Brody and get him into a bear hug. Brody is definitely in trouble in this matchup if he stays in this hold for too long as Jake Roberts orchestrates the Snake Pit with the help of that mystical wooden club from the outside.


Ken Resnick: Right when it seems that Brody is on the comeback trail against King Kong Bundy, here comes Abdullah the Butcher, the man that Brody put through a barbwire table at AWA War Games, as Abdullah hits Brody from behind with his reclaimed Mongolian Spike to the back of the knee!


Gordon Solie: The attack by Abdullah the Butcher leads to this as with Brody laying on the mat, the big 747s Splash of One Man Gang flattens Bruiser Brody and sends Gang and Bundy into the final four of the tournament.


Ken Resnick: The finals of Bracket C we have the team of Ronnie and Jimmy Garvin taking on Billy Graham and Gino Hernandez. To start out the match Ronnie Garvin wants to show Billy Graham the true power of the Hands of Stone punch but Billy Graham is maybe smarter than the average bear as he ducks the punch before it was even thrown and avoided an early exit from the match. Can’t say I blame him as we have seen many a men go down to that punch recently.


Gordon Solie: Instead, it is Jimmy Garvin showing his version of the Hands of Stone punch as he cleans the clock of Gorgeous Gino with a massive blow to the right side of the head! Gino was absolutely rocked with that punch!


Ken Resnick: Everything is going right for the Garvins at this point as Jimmy has a meeting of the minds so to speak between Billy Graham and Gino Hernandez in the middle of the ring. Meanwhile, Andy Kaufman decides to get himself in the match and he pays for it dearly to the crowds delight as he feels the wrath of the Hands of Stone punch first hand, no pun intended, from Ronnie Garvin!


Gordon Solie: Ronnie Garvin is loading up his ammunition to fire away as he connects with the Hands of Stone punch to Gino Hernandez! Jimmy Garvin and Ronnie Garvin score the victory and have moved themselves into the final four of the tournament with a win over Hernandez and Graham!


Ken Resnick: No love lost here as it is a battle of Oklahoma versus Georgia as Bill Watts and the Junkyard Dog take on the team of Michael Hayes and Terry Gordy, the Fabulous Freebirds. Watts as soon as he gets in the ring starts out the action as he jumps on Michael Hayes with a Thesz Press and starts beating him down with rights and lefts to the face. Michael’s rock and roll image may be severely damaged after Watts is done beating on his face.


Gordon Solie: Watts is out for revenge as he connects with a giant clothesline on Michael Hayes that sends PS reeling as Watts and the Dog look to be firmly in control of this matchup!


Ken Resnick: A low blow by Michael Hayes has Bill Watts hunched over in the corner as Junkyard Dog has Terry Gordy up on the top rope as Bill Watts.
Gordon Solie: But what is this? Michael Hayes has grabbed their famous “Freebird Hair Cream” and has come up from behind on the Junkyard Dog. Watch it Dog, that stuff is like acid, it’ll burn you!


Gordon Solie: No! No! No! That man may be blind!
Ken Resnick: Michael Hayes has sprayed the Freebird Hair Cream right in the eyes of the Junkyard Dog and has blinded the Dog. He is down on the mat screaming in pain and agony! This is definitely a career threatening incident that the Fabulous Freebirds are guilty of!


Gordon Solie: Junkyard Dog is holding his eyes and he is in so much pain that I don’t even think he realizes that Terry Gordy is pinning him.
Ken Resnick: An absolutely sickening scene that we have seen here and this feud that has flared up is definitely far from over if we know how Watts likes to get revenge on his adversaries.


Gordon Solie: An absolutely awful sight we are seeing here after the match as Bill Watts has brought a towel into the ring to help the Dog out and put it over his face. Referee Jerry Calhoun and Bill Watts attend to the Dog here. This may be the last time that Junkyard Dog ever steps inside a professional wrestling ring as he may be blinded for life after this heinous attack. We hope to have an update on Junkyard Dog’s condition shortly and hopefully will have more information for you next week on AWA All-Star Wrestling. Let’s take a look at the updated bracket as we move onto the final four teams of the tournament.




Ken Resnick: We move into the final four the tournament where we will see the Fabulous Freebirds taking on Ronnie and Jimmy Garvin. Terry Gordy and Ronnie Garvin, the two bruisers in this match are going out at it right from the start, while Jimmy Garvin and Michael Hayes come to blows in the corner.


Gordon Solie: Terry Gordy using a move he learned in Japan that he calls the power bomb on Jimmy Garvin here. That sends Jimmy Garvin reeling down on the mat with pain to the back of the head and the neck area after that monstrous slam.


Gordon Solie: Terry Gordy hits Ronnie Garvin with an Ace Crusher and it looks like that could possibly be it at this point. Can the Garvin team make a stunning comeback?


Ken Resnick: Ronnie Garvin is able to hit the Hands of Stone punch on Terry Gordy as Bill Watts comes in from behind and attacks Michael Hayes in retribution for what the Fabulous Freebirds did to the Junkyard Dog earlier in the night! Watts figures if they got knocked out of the tournament with underhanded tactics, then why not use a few of his own to eliminate them from the tournament?! Ronnie and Jimmy Garvin move onto the finals of the tournament!


Gordon Solie: In our other final four match we have Buddy Rose and Doug Somers taking on the Snake Pit team of the One Man Gang and King Kong Bundy.
ken Resnick: Before the match it looks as though Sherri Martel is trying to use use some of her charm to persuade the One Man Gang into possibly forfeiting the match. But that’s highly doubtful as we have seen that One Man Gang seems to only care about one thing, beating people up.


Gordon Solie: One Man Gang will have none of Sherri Martel's charms as he slams Buddy Rose to the mat in a very vicious manner. That will definitely do a chiropractic readjustment to your spine.


Ken Resnick: One Man Gang continues the beat down in this match as he throws Doug Somers in the corner as it looks like the Gang and Bundy were well on their way to heading to the finals to take on the Garvin family team. These two just look like an absolutely unstoppable force.


Gordon Solie: And here it comes, but this time it looks like there’s going to be even more extra impact as One Man Gang is going to hit a Super 747 Splash from off the top rope onto Doug Somers!


Ken Resnick: Here comes Dusty Rhodes as he has pushed the One Man Gang off the top rope sending him down through our announce table here at Korakuen Hall!
Gordon Solie: One Man Gang is out of it and we may need medical attention for this man!


Gordon Solie: Rose and Somers aren’t really quite sure what has happened as Dusty Rhodes tries to attack Roberts on the outside. Meanwhile referee Marty Miller has a 10 count going on the legal man, One Man Gang, as Rose and Somers are really benefiting from this attack by Rhodes.
Ken Resnick: And that is it, Marty Miller has counted One Man Gang out. What an upset. The finals of the tournament has been set as it will be Ronnie and Jimmy Garvin taking on Buddy Rose and Doug Somers.


Gordon Solie: The finals are now set and ready to go as it will be the team of “Playboy” Buddy Rose and “Pretty Boy” Doug Somers taking on the team of Ronnie and Jimmy Garvin. The winners will win the vacant AWA Tag Team Title belts as well as also take home the trophy for being the winners of the first AWA Hercules Cortez Memorial Tag Team Tournament. AWA President, Stanley Blackburn displays the trophy as Marty Miller holds the AWA Tag Team belts.


Ken Resnick: Ronnie Garvin starts off the match by threatening the Hands of Stone punch to Buddy Rose. Buddy intelligently sneaks between the ropes so that Marty Miller has to break up the action as the threat of Ronnie Garvin’s whale of a punch escapes Rose at least for the moment.


Gordon Solie: A big back body drop here by Jimmy Garvin sends Doug Somers reeling. Ronnie and Jimmy Garvin have been working like a well-oiled machine throughout this tournament. One more victory and this could go down as one of the greatest runs in any wrestling tournament we have ever seen.


Ken Resnick: A neck breaker by Doug Somers has Jimmy Garvin down on the mat, meanwhile a big clothesline in the back part of the ring sends Buddy Rose up and over the top rope and to the floor here at Korakuen Hall here in Tokyo, Japan.


Gordon Solie: Rose and Somers have dramatically turned the tide of this match and are going for their finishing move, the Ugly Face Killer on Jimmy Garvin! This looks like it could be it for the Garvins and their magical run through this tournament!


Ken Resnick: Hold on a minute, what’s she doing out here? I don’t get it. Precious has jumped on the apron and is distracting Marty Miller right when he went to make the count on Jimmy Garvin.
Gordon Solie: Why would she be helping out the Garvins? After all, it was Precious that turned her back on Jimmy Garvin all those months ago.


Ken Resnick: Now Marty Miller’s attention is really being distracted as Precious and Sherri are going at it meanwhile Ronnie Garvin just nailed Buddy Rose with the Hands of Stone punch! I think they’re about to do it!


Gordon Solie: Ronnie Garvin clears the ring of Somers as Jimmy Garvin gets the count of three and we have new AWA World Tag Team Champions as well as the winners of the first ever AWA Hercules Cortez Memorial Tag Team Tournament, Ronnie and Jimmy Garvin!


Ken Resnick: Jimmy Garvin is in utter shock right now as he is wondering why Precious helped them out in this match. He thought the relationship between Precious and he was over after she turned her back on him. Leading into the big “decision” that Precious is supposed to make between Eddie Gilbert and Rick Rude, where does this leave her as far as her mental state? This is a very strange situation that we are seeing here. I can’t wait to see what decision she makes and how Jimmy Garvin may or may not factor into that decision between Gilbert and Rude.


Gordon Solie: Rose and Somers look on from the outside but there’s nothing they can do now as the decision has already been rendered. It is indeed Jimmy Garvin and Ronnie Garvin celebrating with the AWA Tag Team Titles and the trophy right here in the middle of it all in Tokyo Japan.
Ken Resnick: That’s it for us here at the AWA and All-Japan Pro Wrestling. Everyone we thank you for tuning into the AWA Hercules Cortez Memorial Tag Team Tournament and we will see you next week with another great episode of AWA All-Star Wrestling and in two weeks we will see you for the first-ever AWA Clash of the Champions live on free television. The event is being held in conjunction with Southeastern Championship Wrestling and will reside from the Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham, Alabama. Until next time, good night everyone from all of us here in Tokyo.