We are two days removed from Thanksgiving but that hasn’t stopped World Class Championship Wrestling from STUFFING this week’s show with action! Kerry Von Erich is in singles competition, Bugsy McGraw takes on Wild Bill Irwin, and in main event, David Von Erich squares off with The Great Kabuki. Will it be the Von Erich’s or H&H Limited that is more thankful for tonight’s episode? Find out NOW!
WCCW TV
Date: 11/27/1982
From: Dallas, Texas
MATCHES
1. Kerry Von Erich vs. “Captain” Frank Dusek
2. Bugsy McGraw vs. Wild Bill Irwin
3. “Killer” Tim Brooks vs. Al Madril
4. David Von Erich vs. The Great Kabuki
BREAKDOWN & REVIEW
- Bill Mercer and Jay Saldi welcomed us to the show. It is announced that in the main event, David Von Erich takes on The Great Kabuki. We then cut to a David Von Erich pre-taped promo.
- At ringside earlier in the day, David Von Erich said that we all knew that Kabuki was paid to take out his brother Kerry. He said that he may have injured Kerry’s knee, but tonight, very soon, he plans on rearranging Kabuki’s face! I liked this aggressive take on a promo from David, though if I’d said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times… he’s still as though he’s working heel!
- Gary Hart got a chance to speak in a pre-taped promo from ringside next. The Great Kabuki was with him, but not in his normal costume, instead dressed like a stereotypical ninja outfit. He said that tonight, we would see how great a Von Erich that David really could be. He said David could come and try anything he wanted, but he wasn’t going to beat the boogeyman. David knows it and the people out there know it! Hart helped seal the deal and sell this main event for me. Talking on Kabuki’s behalf is always the best Gary Hart stuff.
- Kerry Von Erich vs. “Captain” Frank Dusek: This opening contest was set for one fall to a finish with a ten minute time limit. Dusek tried jumping Kerry before the bell, but Kerry sidestepped it and the two started wrestling around for control. Kerry went right to work on the left leg of Dusek. Back on his feet, Kerry worked on a standing side headlock and a quick rebound dropkick. A discus punch out of the corner dropped Dusek for a three count. Kerry looked really good here, barely breaking a sweat with Frank Dusek. He’s in great shape and seems to really be maturing as a performer.
- After the match, Bill Mercer met up with Kerry Von Erich for a post-match interview. Bill asked about Kerry’s rematch with “Nature Boy” Ric Flair for the NWA World’s Heavyweight Championship that was coming up. Kerry said that he feels in great shape, besides his knuckles being a little sore after this one with that discus punch. He promised that his knuckles wouldn’t be sore when he meets Flair soon enough! There we go! Short and sweet from Kerry. Hide those negatives!
- Bugsy McGraw vs. Wild Bill Irwin: This one was allotted fifteen minutes, scheduled for one fall. The crowd worked up the ‘Chauncy’ taunts against Irwin early here, causing him to bail to the floor after the bell and yell at them. Bugsy began with his antics early here, so Irwin again bailed to the floor in protest. Bugsy continued to make a fool of Wild Bill and I could sense a non-finish incoming. Bugsy slapped on a laying head scissors, keeping Irwin grounded. At one point, these two were just standing across from one another, literally not doing ANYTHING. Irwin did fire up and begin laying in stops, kicks, and punches at this point. Irwin kept Bugsy on the outside, punching him off the apron three times in a row before being backed off by the referee. Both men then fought on the apron until the referee got to a count of ten for a countout! Bugsy and Irwin continued brawling before being broken up shortly after the bell. I think I officially like Bugsy McGraw less than Frank Dusek at this point. Dude just does do anything worth watching for people beyond the age of eight. He brings down everybody he works with to his level, turning his matches into dull, tasteless, confusing comedy routines. Don’t do my boy Wild Bill like this, World Class. Please.
- Back from commercial, we were at the commentary table with Bill Mercer and Jay Saldi. Bill threw it to a special video package where he visited David Von Erich on his ranch to talk about his upcoming match with The Great Kabuki. For the video, Bill Mercer was standing with David in a horse corral, petting a horse. David really missed Texas, his family, and being able to get away from anything here on the ranch. As the Texas Heavyweight Champion, he knows that what Kabuki has done to Kerry and his family has hurt him deep inside. He said if Kabuki thinks that for one minute he’ll be able to do anything like what he did to Kerry, to him, or to his brother Kevin, again… he is even stupider than that manager of his! Undoubtedly, David Von Erich is the most believable of the brothers on the microphone. He speaks from the heart and not necessarily from the character. Though this package did do him some good favors, when I think of a straight-up ‘good guy’, they typically don’t talk about injuring guys out of revenge and rearranging people’s faces (especially in 1982). Despite the weird heelish behavior at points, I’m starting to come around on Dave!
- Back on commentary, Bill Mercer said that he similarly was able to catch up with Gary Hart and The Great Kabuki to collect some of their thoughts and comments about the upcoming match with David Von Erich tonight. For the video, Bill was standing by with Gary Hart in an empty Sportatorium at ringside. Bill asked Hart to explain the check he got from Ric Flair for the ‘bounty’. Hart said that he was sent a check from ‘Ricky Flair’ to get him a Cadillac Station Wagon, because everybody knows the only place you can get them, is here in Texas. Ten thousand out of the twelve thousand five-hundred was used for the down payment and the other twenty-five hundred went to Gary Hart for his services. That was all there is to it, same thing he told the National Wrestling Alliance! I don’t think we were meant to buy this explanation, as it was the first time we heard the story from Hart. Not to mention, can you imagine Flair in a Station Wagon!? I can’t. Nice try, Gary Hart!
- “Killer” Tim Brooks vs. Al Madril: This next match was set for one fall with a ten minutes to a finish. I was expecting for Al Madril to make quick work of Brooks here. Madril was working quickly to stay ahead of Brooks. It was again mentioned on commentary that supposed this run of Brooks’ was him coming out of retirement for the fourth time! An armbar turned into a head scissors on the mat, as Brooks was forced to get a foot on the bottom rope. The crowd screamed for Madril as both men got back to their feet to try a test of strength. Out of the test of strength, Al Madril locked in a strong standing side headlock. A shin breaker stopped Madril’s momentum, though. Brooks began to maul Madril and bite at his face, forcing Al to roll out of the ring and regroup. Brooks didn’t allow Madril to get back into the ring for several minutes here, striking him and dropping him to ringside each time Al tried to get into the ring. Madril was finally able to get into the ring, but continued to get the boots put to him. Al fired up big with his signature rabid punches and the crowd began to explode. After a little more back-and-forth with punches, the bell rang for a time-limit draw. Not sure why Al Madril couldn’t go over Brooks cleanly here, as Brooks isn’t a featured guy and hasn’t really been around since the beginning of the year. This match started off slow, but really got the crowd going and ended up being a much better match than I was expecting, regardless of the lame draw finish!
- David Von Erich vs. The Great Kabuki: The main event was set for one fall with a forty-five minute time limit. David is over big, we even got to see a full entrance all the way from the back to the ring for David. Kabuki’s paint was a little different tonight, featuring more white paint than normal. David began hot and heavy with strikes in the corner and a flying head scissors. The mist was all over David’s cheek and body from Kabuki’s hands, only heighten the visual drama. An Iron Claw was applied on Kabuki’s abdomen, forcing Kabuki to grab at the eye’s of Von Erich to break the hold. Kicks and chops had David reeling on the mat. David was opened up by Kabuki with a thrust kick that sent him up and over the top rope to the floor. David was able to rally though, kitting a running knee lift on Kabuki for a near fall. A nerve hold was applied by Kabuki to slow the flurry of action. Suddenly, another Claw to Kabuki’s abdomen was applied and this was the most danger we’ve seen Kabuki in, with David then switching his Claw to Kabuki’s head! Kabuki would gouge David’s eyes again to break the hold and would shortly be thrown from the top rope by David. Arman Hussein jumped up on the apron but got a Sleeper Hold for his troubles. A Sleeper Hold was then applied to Kabuki, until Magic Dragon interfered and landed a tomahawk chop on David’s back. This would mark the end of the match, due to a disqualification. After the match, Kerry Von Erich ran down to help David, cleaning house of Magic Dragon and Kabuki. Wow. The lead-up and execution of this bout was perfect for a television main event. The crowd was popping huge for almost everything, the chemistry was just as good between these two as it is between Kabuki and Kerry, and at times David really sold his ass off (coming off like more of a babyface than ever)! This was the best match we’ve seen in months, hands-down.
- After a commercial break, David and Kerry Von Erich were at the commentary desk with Bill Mercer and Jay Saldi. Bill asked David about his match with Kabuki that just wrapped up and asked if he was satisfied. David said absolutely not! It was his own blood on his hands, not Kabuki’s. Bill then asked why David got wrapped up with Arman on the apron and David said that anybody who stuck their nose into that ring when it didn’t belong, was his, or his brother Kerry’s. David continued with saying Arman got what he deserved and next week, when his brother Kerry takes on Kabuki, he’s going to tear him limb-from-limb! David was FIRED UP here! Kerry didn’t get the chance to speak (for the better). A nice, heated post-match promo from David here.
- As the Von Erichs left the commentary area, Bill Mercer and Jay Saldi quickly wrapped up the show. Bill announced that next week, The Spoiler would be back, a special exhibition match would take place, and there’d be a big feature on the Von Erichs hunting. All that and more!
FINAL THOUGHTS
This was THE David Von Erich show tonight. We heard from him on three separate occasions, he tore the house down with The Great Kabuki, and worked like a true star. There was something different about Dave tonight, as if he has finally come into his own and jumped ahead of his brothers as the main Von Erich boy (even thought it was Kerry again challenging Flair for the World Championship soon)! Solid night of action all the way around (minus Bugsy) and a nice overall example of what World Class Championship Wrestling is and can be in 1982. Nights like this one have me wanting to rush and find out what happens on the next episode!
See you all then!