The replays continue tonight, as a showing of the NWA World’s Heavyweight Championship Cage Match between “The Modern Day Warrior” Kerry Von Erich challenges “Nature” Boy Ric Flair for the most prestigious prize in all of professional wrestling! After nearly a year of anticipation, who will walk out of the winner? If you missed it in Reunion Arena on Christmas night, you won’t want to miss it TONIGHT!
WCCW TV
Date: 12/28/1982 (originally 12/25/1982)
From: Dallas, Texas
MATCHES
1. Ric Flair vs. Kerry Von Erich
BREAKDOWN & REVIEW
- Bill Mercer welcomed us to Reunion Arena in downtown Dallas for tonight’s big main event match. After a moment, Bill threw to a replay from August when Kerry Von Erich and Ric Flair last met for the NWA World’s Heavyweight Championship. A voiceover was given to explain each separate fall as the replay continued, ultimately leading to a double-disqualification.
- We’ve seen this tape like three, or four times by now. That’s one of the biggest downfalls of the territory days of wrestling with the NWA. You don’t have the champion on hand very often, so when you go him, you got him, and that’s all that you’ve got! I wish a little more attention and television time was given to us for this one, but I think World Class has done all it can to get people excited for this one…
- We then got a pre-taped interview with Kerry Von Erich in the locker room from earlier today. He said he was mentally ready and physically ready for Ric Flair versus Kerry Von Erich. The air was electrified and he was looking forward to getting in that cage tonight!
- Bing. Bang. Boom. All you need from Kerry here, really. I wish he would’ve been able to handle more of his own talking during this feud (instead of Fritz stepping in as his mouthpiece), but the time for talk is done and we’re way past that now.
- “Nature Boy” Ric Flair was up for a quick interview next as we returned to the locker room from earlier today. He said that a champion always worries about a contender like Kerry Von Erich, but the whole Von Erich family has put themselves in a do-or-die situation. Tonight, in the cage, one man is going to walk out of that cage the World Heavyweight Champion. Diamonds are forever and so is Ric Flair. Tonight, Kerry Von Erich is going to pay the ultimate price for thinking he is even half the man that Ric Flair is every single day.
- All hits, no misses. Typical Flair doing it like nobody else can.
- Ric Flair vs. Kerry Von Erich: We got full entrances for this match, including their walks through the curtain, which was really cool to see. This steel cage match had no time limit and would be contested under no disqualification, meaning their must be a winner! This felt big and I was looking forward to this. Michael Hayes announced that Terry Gordy would be outside the ring, to oversee that nobody tries to get in to interfere with this match, being as important as it is. With the deck stacked slightly in Kerry’s favor, the bell rang and we were off and running. A lockup opened Flair up to some immediate work on his knee as a measure of revenge for Von Erich early on. Once back to their feet, Flair ate a nice dropkick and begged off into a corner. Flair began his work on Kerry, hitting some closed fists and dropping a knee across Kerry’s forehead. Michael Hayes forced his way between Flair and Kerry equally, as the two began blatantly breaking basic rules of wrestling. The crowd exploded for Kerry slapping a sleeper hold on Flair and at this point, Kerry unloaded some strikes and knees onto a downed “Nature Boy”. Flair resorted to choking Kerry over the top rope in a corner, as Hayes and Manning continued to give the champion grief. A near fall over Kerry Von Erich, but this only helped fire Kerry up, as he returned to his feet and reversed an abdominal stretch into one of his own. Ric Flair then met the mesh of the cage twice and was then scrubbed against the fencing and I expected some color coming ASAP. Sure enough, there it was. Hayes continued to get in between Flair and Kerry while Flair was using ropes for leverage on Kerry’s repaired knee. Flair attempted two Figure-Four Leglocks, but Kerry was able to kick him away both times before returning to his feet and sending him into the cage wall again. Flair finally locked in his finish on Kerry and the crowd was going nuts for Kerry to hang on. With a last push of strength, Kerry was able to reverse the hold and put pressure on Flair momentarily. Flair begged off and attempted to climb out of the cage, but Kerry caught him by the trunks. Kerry again scrubbed Flair in the cage and Hayes continued to pull Kerry away. An Iron Claw caught Flair trying to come off the top rope and it looked like things were over for the champion. Hayes called for a rope break and Kerry ignored this, as there was no disqualification. As a result, Michael Hayes yanked Kerry by his hair causing the crowd to boo loudly. Kerry and Hayes argued in the corner, allowing Flair a chance to recover and drive a running knee into Kerry’s back. Hayes got frustrated with Flair and finally decked him. Michael Hayes then tried to convince Kerry to cover Flair, but of course, he refused. Michael began to shove Kerry and ultimately stormed his way over to the door. Flair again nailed Kerry from behind, sending him into Hayes, and sending Hayes flying to the floor outside. In retaliation, Terry Gordy SMASHED the cage door closed on Kerry Von Erich’s head! Hayes returned to the ring, threw David Manning away and counted his own false three over Kerry. David Manning disregarded the call and the match continued as The Freebirds headed for the back. Kerry was able to kick away from a few pin attempts, but was sent into the cage wall for his troubles. In a last burst of strength, Kerry nailed Flair with a discus punch. Manning called for the bell once Kerry was unable to capitalize or return to his feet. The official call was that Kerry was simply unable to continue. A doctor was called for to check on Kerry Von Erich as Ric Flair was awarded his successfully defending NWA World’s Heavyweight Championship!
- What a battle! Ric Flair came to Dallas with his working boots tied extra tight for this Christmas clash in the cage! I think with the months of build and the countless segments dedicated to this blow-off, for Kerry not to win, was pretty disappointing. The guy battled back after nearly a whole year’s worth of injustices, technicalities, and even a paid hit job that resulted in a knee injury! I get why it didn’t get done tonight, but man I wish it had. I really didn’t like that Michael Hayes became SUCH A FOCAL POINT in this match, as I definitely think the story should’ve stayed between Flair and Von Erich. With all that said, I still really enjoyed this knock-down, drag-out brawl inside the steel cage. A measure of revenge was taken on Flair and the crowd was rabid for this one all the way through. This might easily be my favorite match out of all WCCW’s bouts this year.
- After the match, David and Kevin Von Erich rushed to Kerry Von Erich’s side in the cage to check on him. An angry David Von Erich grabbed a house mic and began unloading on The Freebirds. He said that he sees now what they had given he and his family for Christmas… but the audio was muted for expletives, I assume? Whatever was said, the crowd popped for it. Kerry was then helped up by his brothers and lead out of the cage.
- Thus, the legendary Freebirds-versus-Von Erichs saga begins! I am so ready for 1983…
- Bill Mercer guided us from some of the biggest moments of the cage match that concluded just prior to the commercial break. A crew began to deconstruct the cage at rinside as Mercer continued with the replay, putting a special focus was made on Michael Hayes pulling Kerry Von Erich away from the Iron Claw.
- Maybe Kerry goes back on the injury list after this one? He has been away a lot this year, so I hope it isn’t for too long, but Bill was really selling it here.
- Still at ringside, Bill Mercer closed us out as he reviewed some of the action that had unfolded tonight in this huge championship matchup. He mentioned that it looked as if Kerry had all the makings of a concussion following the door being slammed on his head. More updates would come in the following weeks regarding this injustice!
FINAL THOUGHTS
And so 1982 officially closes for World Class Championship Wrestling! What a wild year it has been for the Dallas-based promotion… It has really built into a red-hot television show and I cannot wait to see what 1983 has in store for us. In what is arguably considered the company’s hottest year, The Freebirds-versus-Von Erichs saga promises to be absolute dynamite! On top of so, so much more…
See you all then!