On this episode, King Kong Bundy and Wild Bill Irwin take on Kerry and Kevin Von Erich in a tag team match for the main event! Also featured on the card, Bugsy McGraw in singles action, Al Madril takes on Raul Castro, The Great Kabuki’s martial arts skills are put on full display, plus more.
WCCW TV
Date: 07/24/1982
From: Dallas, Texas
MATCHES
1. Pete Montrose vs. Bugsy McGraw
2. Al Madril vs. Raul Castro
3. Brian Adidas vs. The Great Kabuki
4. King Kong Bundy & Wild Bill Irwin vs. Kevin & Kerry Von Erich
BREAKDOWN & REVIEW
- Bill Mercer and Jay Saldi welcome us to the Sportatorium tonight. They mention H&H Limited’s plan to pit their King Kong Bundy with the Texas Heavyweight Champion to take down the Von Erichs. Also tonight, we will get a sneak peek at Magic Dragon & Great Kabuki’s training, and Bugsy is set to reveal a surprise tonight!
- Pete Montrose vs. Bugsy McGraw: This opening bout was scheduled for one fall with a ten minute time limit. Bugsy circled Pete before tying up and shoving off. Bugsy’s silliness was throwing his opponent off here. Barely any bumping here, just a lot of circling and over-the-top strikes. Bugsy finished this one with a falling splash off the top. This was arguably one of the WORST matches we’ve seen in 1982 for WCCW. I feel like nothing happened…
- Bill Mercer caught Bugsy McGraw at ringside who pulled in two small fans to ask them if they liked surprises. He promised something unusual and something that H&H are really going to like, too. I am curious as to what this ‘surprise’ could be. Perhaps, a debut?
- Al Madril vs. Raul Castro: This next one was set for one fall, also a ten minute time limit. These guys felt each other out to begin with, arm drag for arm drag and punch for punch. Madril got a roll and bounced Castro from a few turnbuckles, the crowd is so hot for Al Madril! Quickly, Al almost had Raul Castro’s mask off. Al rallied further with strikes, a flying shoulder block, and a quick crossbody off the second rope for the pinfall victory. Al Madril is very over, it is probably time he wins the Texas Heavyweight Championship from Wild Bill. This was a nice little showcase and both men showed a little bit of fire.
- We got a zooming close up to Bill Mercer and Jay Saldi at the commentary desk, a view we’ve never seen before on World Class television. They threw to a pre-taped interview with Jay Saldi joined by Kevin and Kerry Von Erich. Kevin said that this match isn’t for the title, but they’re still going to bring it. Kerry added that they are rested and ready. Short, kind of a waste…
- Brian Adidas vs. The Great Kabuki: This matchup was set for one fall with a ten minute time limit. Big match for Adidas here! Kabuki went to work with and arm drag and a controlled wrist lock to follow up. Kabuki laid in some stiff chops. Kabuki kept laying shit in, throwing a spinning back kick that caught Adidas right in the mouth. Suddenly, a man in a gorilla costume stormed the ring and ran The Great Kabuki off. The ref called this match a no contest. Once the bell rang, the gorilla took off his mask to reveal himself as Bugsy McGraw! I will admit, I was pretty surprised. This match, before the silly finish, was good and Brian Adidas sold really well for Kabuki (whether he wanted to or not). I wouldn’t mind seeing this pairing again.
- After the match, Bill Mercer joined Gary Hart at ringside who said that this was all absolutely ridiculous. Kabuki comes from the jungle and seeing something like that jump in the ring should earn Bugsy a fine! As Hart ranted on, the gorilla turned him around and pied him out of nowhere! The crowd went nuts as Hart stared into the camera with pie dripping off his face. He swore at Mercer and it was censored as he left in anger. Another surprise here, and we’ve never seen Gary Hart involved with being on the receiving end of silliness like this. Pretty odd, no bad, just weird.
- Bill Mercer then pulled Bugsy McGraw aside, who again peeled off the gorilla mask. All he did was laugh and said that someone told him he had a real sweet tooth. This should only further get Bugsy over as a face, as again, I can’t really think of anybody who has gotten the better of Kabuki and Hart this much in one night like this.
- In another pre-taped promo, Bill Mercer was standing by with Gary Hart who was going allow the media to view this workout session. Kabuki was dressed in samurai gear that was roughly 300 years old. Hart says that first ‘Kung-Fu’ will be shown. The camera then cut to Kabuki and Magic Dragon doing stereotypical karate poses. ‘Jiu-Jitsu’ was then displayed, as Kabuki threw Magic Dragon down a few times by using his own body weight against him. Lastly, “Karate” was shown as striking attacks and blocks. They then highlighted a few training weapons, including Kabuki’s skills with the nunchucks and the martial arts sais. Gary Hart wrapped things up covering the importance of safety and training when it came to practicing martial arts. Again, a pretty unique look at wrestlers doing something other than wrestling. Segments likes these feel fresh. Do they progress stories? Not really. However, do they give their featured characters more depth? Absolutely! I can only imagine that if I were a kid at this time watching, I’d want to join karate ASAP.
- King Kong Bundy & Wild Bill Irwin vs. Kevin & Kerry Von Erich: The main event was set for one fall with a thirty minute time limit. The Von Erichs are the American tag team champions, but again the titles won’t be defended here. Kerry and Wild Bill started things off but Kevin tagged in quick to work over Bill’s arm. Kerry was back in quick and had his working boots on with Wild Bill! Bundy was freshly shaved bald from a match in San Antonio, and did some damage to Kevin while he was tagged in briefly. Each man tagged in a few more times, having their own flurries of offense. In the midst of the chaos, Wild Bill Irwin hit a running splash on Kevin and stole the win for he and Bundy after an unseen tag took place. As the heels celebrated, the crowd chanted for Bugsy! This was a solid closing match with some heavy starpower! Bundy came off more legitimate as a threat than he has in months. Wild Bill was as dastardly as always, and I think this was the most focused we’ve seen Kerry Von Erich (must be keeping his match with Flair next month in the forefront of his mind). A big win for the heels here, who need it.
- Bill Mercer and Jay Saldi were joined by Bugsy McGraw and a screen full of kids from the crowd. Jay and Bill closed the card, before asking Bugsy if he any more surprises up his sleeve. He said surprises were the spice of life and that he isn’t going to let a program go by without providing a surprise. Bill promised us a match between Wild Bill Irwin and Kevin Von Erich next week, too!
FINAL THOUGHTS
Unlike last week, this show was action-packed and saw some good progression. Despite the worst match of the year bombing the first ten minutes of the show, we made a miraculous comeback. Kerry was in top form ahead of his Reunion Arena match with Flair on the fifteen of next month, Adidas sold great for Kabuki, King Kong Bundy is feeling like a more well-rounded threat, Bugsy is getting over big, Al Madril is over huge, and we get a big match announced for next week. After a week like this, I cannot wait!
See you all then!