While the rivalry between The Von Erichs and Gary Hart continues, Kevin Von Erich takes to the ring to go one-on-one with Texas Heavyweight Champion Wild Bill Irwin in the main event. Plus, King Kong Bundy in action, Al Madril takes on Captain Frank Dusek, and much more!
WCCW TV
Date: 02/27/1982
From: Dallas, Texas
MATCHES
1. Bugsy McGraw vs. Jesse Relampago Leon
2. Al Madril vs. Captain Frank Dusek
3. King Kong Bundy vs. El Negro Assassin
4. Kevin Von Erich vs. Wild Bill Irwin
BREAKDOWN & REVIEW
- Ring announcer Marc Lowrance was standing in for Gene Goodson this week and he was joined by Kevin Von Erich! Kevin was excited to be on last tonight and expected a whole bunch of spectacular action in the squared circle. Lowrance ran down the card and we were set for action.
- Bugsy McGraw vs. Jesse Relampago Leon: This one was set to be a singles match with a fifteen minute time limit. Joe Renelli stood in for Marc Lowrance to do the ring introductions here. Every time I see McGraw, he just comes off as trying so desperately for heat. Relampago Leon stayed a step ahead of McGraw, Kevin putting over his quickness on commentary. A couple of mistimed exchanges told me that these two weren’t really meshing well together. The crowd stayed hot for Relampago Leon, as he would have quick rallies before being grounded again by the slower McGraw. McGraw was able to take over and bully his opponent with strikes and head smashes into the turnbuckle, finishing Relampago Leon with a falling body splash from the top rope for a three count. I was surprised to see Bugsy McGraw go over here, but nonetheless, a decent little match. One star from me!
- Marc was standing by with the newly-formed duo of Gary Hart and King Kong Bundy, formerly known as Big Daddy Bundy, who was now apparently a heel wrestler. He was getting a solid babyface reaction the last time we saw him, so we’ll see how this goes. Hart spoke money, because it’s what everybody understands. Hart said he pulled Bundy from the nickels and dimes Fritz Von Erich was offering him, stripping away the silly farmer outfit, and by brought Bundy into the big bucks of professional wrestling. Bundy backed this up by saying all that mattered was money and that sportsmanship means nothing if your bank account reads zero. Another solid promo from Hart, and Bundy carrying his own with the limited exposure he’s had thus far!
- Captain Frank Dusek vs. Al Madril: These two were set to have their return match, scheduled as a singles contest, with a ten minute time limit. Wild Bill Irwin was thrown out from ringside to start things off and this opened Dusek up to be pummeled by Madril who sent him retreating to the floor. Dusek always visually reminds me of a shorter, fatter Barry Windham. Madril was doing all he could to take the fight to Dusek, who tried stalling and avoiding Madril as much as possible. Captain Frank Dusek, out of desperation, pulled a weapon from ringside and used it on Al Madril to cause the blatant disqualification. Turns out, it was a small whip of some kind, most-likely left behind deliberately by Wild Bill Irwin. Following the disqualification, Dusek hightailed it to the locker room and this one was over. Al Madril stays strong, with the feud still smoldering here… Another star in my book!
- We went back to Marc who was standing by with Fritz Von Erich, who was concerned with Gary Hart and his collection of wrestlers. Fritz wants Kabuki in a Texas Deathmatch sooner or later to right the wrongs he has committed. He shifted his focus on Bundy, who he said came down from Alaska, and was directly trained under the Von Erich family. Fritz said he didn’t think much of his choice of managers and that he and The Great Kabuki will pay, and pay, and pay for their wrongdoings. For Hart, who Fritz says it’s been personal with since he was alive, he’ll make sure he gets what’s coming to him for wreaking havoc on he and his boys! Fritz came off as legit fired up here, I’ll take it!
- El Negro Assassin vs. King Kong Bundy: These two were scheduled for a singles match with a fifteen minute time limit. Kevin said this was a Bundy he didn’t know, all thanks to Gary Hart buying him off. The ring announcer was corrected by Hart for announcing him as Big Daddy Bundy. Bundy was outsmarted bt Assassin during the onset of this match. Kevin mentioned that he believed Bundy might be stronger than André the Giant. Still pushing that idea! Bundy sent Assassin flying to the floor by standing his ground on a shoulder tackle. King Kong Bundy put El Negro Assassin away once back in the ring with a body splash for the quick three count. Bundy and Hart are a winning combo and the crowd as already bought into him as a heel. A star and a half for this solid squash here!
- Kevin Von Erich vs. Wild Bill Irwin: These two were set to square off in a singles match with a ten minute time limit. Marc announced on commentary that next week, we will see Kevin & Kerry Von Erich take on King Kong Bundy & Armand Hussein in a featured match! Back in the ring, Kevin started to got to work quickly with some solid amatuer wrestling. Marc again covered how Kabuki caused Fritz twenty percent of his vision with the poison green mist. Kevin got a flurry in on Irwin, but the tide changed quickly with some well-timed strikes landing on the part of Wild Bill. Marc also announced that in two weeks time, we will see the NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Ric Flair, defending his title! The pace stayed quick for a few minutes, with both guys trading the leads back and forth. Captain Frank Dusek then decided to jump up to the apron and nail Kevin with the same whip that caused a disqualification earlier in the night. The referee called for the bell, but Kevin refused the victory and demanded Irwin get back in the ring. The match was restarted and again, Kevin went right after Irwin. Kevin signalled for the Iron Claw and the crowd popped big. Irwin was able to escape with a thumb to Kevin’s eye. Both men traded blows back and forth and it was anybody’s match, with only sixty seconds left of the time limit. The time limit expired before we could get a finish and the bell rang. As soon as it did, Dusek was back in with the whip. Kevin was able to rally back and fight both off as the teammates ended up crashing into each other. Kevin got back on the mic and asked for the match to be restarted again! This wouldn’t happen, though, with official declaration being a time limit draw. A sleeper match, here! These guys worked great together in what was probably my second-favorite WCCW TV main event we’ve seen thus far (behind Kabuki and Kerry, of course). Two stars for this one!
- Marc Lowrance mentioned running out of time for Kerry Von Erich versus Carlos Zapata that was also scheduled for tonight as he closed out the show, which he said was otherwise a spectacular night of action in Dallas!
FINAL THOUGHTS
Wow! I’d have to agree with Marc here in saying that this episode of WCCW was definitely better than the last few. I do like the developments with Bundy and Hart, and I look forward to what kind of grief they can cause. Also, I continue to have a soft spot for Wild Bill Irwin and he and Kevin really tore it up out of nowhere tonight. I could’ve watched another ten minutes of these two tonight. I’m also excited to hear that “The Nature Boy” himself will grace us with his presence in Dallas in the coming weeks! As for next week, we have a big main event coming down the pipes, too!
See you all then!