In another huge main event for World Class Championship Wrestling television, brothers Kerry and Kevin Von Erich take on The Fabulous Freebird team of Michael Hayes and Terry Gordy in tornado tag meyhem! Plus, we hear a little more from Skandor Akbar about his business in professional wrestling, the new Texas Heavyweight Champion “Gorgeous” Jimmy Garvin is in action, and much more!
WCCW TV
Date: 03/26/1983
From: Dallas, Texas
MATCHES
1. José Lothario vs. “Gorgeous” Jimmy Garvin
2. King Kong Bundy vs. The Great Yatsu
3. Michael Hayes & Terry Gordy vs. Kevin & Kerry Von Erich
BREAKDOWN & REVIEW
- Bill Mercer welcomed us to the show and was immediately joined by David Von Erich for some comments about the main event tonight. David mentioned there being another jam-packed night in the sportatorium. He plans to watch his brothers’ backs tonight to make sure things go just fine. He begged his fans to write in letters to get him a match with “Gorgeous” Jimmy Garvin, so that he can take that Texas title back where it belongs, up on his mantle! David then left the both and Bill threw it to commercial.
- So, it seems Dave will at least be ringside for the main event, which tells me Buddy Roberts will probably do the same for the opposite corner. Things are really starting to heat up around that six-man championship!
- José Lothario vs. “Gorgeous” Jimmy Garvin: The opening contest was set for one fall to a finish, twenty minute time limit. The newest holder of the Texas Heavyweight Championship went through his usual pre-match routine with Sunshine ensued. Lothario went right after Garvin, no games or funny business being put up with. After a minute, Garvin bailed to the floor to keep Lothario from getting on an offensive role. Plenty of pacing, stalling, and playing to the crowd made up the beginning of this match. Garvin locked in a deep standing side headlock, but Lothario fought his way free, hit a set of stereo arm drags, and again Garvin slipped out to the floor to regroup. Another side headlock set in, before José hoisted Garvin up and sent him out through the second ropes with a big kneebreaker. Garvin recovered with a big kitchen sink and set of standing knee drops on Lothario. After several minutes of control, Garvin was stopped in his tracks with a rebound backbreaker that made the crowd explode for Lothario! Few attempts of pinning José shoulders to the mat came up with nothing, until Garvin used the top rope for leverage and got a stolen three count. After the match, José was able to put Garvin down and almost let Sunshine have it before the duo exited!
- Firstly, that went way longer than I expected it to! I wish it would’ve began to pick up a lot sooner than it did, but with that said, I was pleasantly surprised with this match. With all due respect to Lothario, I figured this would be a cakewalk for Garvin, and that’s exactly what I was supposed to expect with the story they told in the ring. Garvin made Lothario look like a million bucks and a real threat to his newly-won championship. Garvin is also VERY EASY to hate… I can’t help but to feel that someone like MJF (a known WCCW fan) has stolen a bit from “Gorgeous” Jimmy. Anyway, an easy two and a half stars from me, solid effort on the part of both men here.
- Back from commercial, we joined Bill Mercer who was threw to tonight’s pre-taped featurette, a meeting with Devastation Incorporated in their private office. King Kong Bundy, ‘The Man’ Skandor Akbar, and Akbar’s assistant, Mr. Kumar. Akbar and Bill spoke a bit about OPEC and the current state of his oil ventures, including a video presentation on oil rigging fields, before getting into his interests in wrestling. He cannot stand by while suffering any defeats. Kabuki will be back and be as devastating as ever, and he will be taking care of Yatsu shortly. He also mentioned Kamala and how he is a savage, uncontrollable, and unfit to be simply a third man in a three-man team. He is simply too dangerous. Akbar also claimed to be negotiating with “Nature Boy” Ric Flair, because his pockets are deep and he has the money!
- So, a lot of big promises and claims made by Skandor Akbar here… of course, no way Flair is going to join up with them, I think that was the general just blowing some smoke. However, we got confirmation of Kamala being a singles act, which I think is important and automatically makes me think this is going to be a guy to take as a serious main threat. Akbar blatantly said he doesn’t have his aims set on a six-man tag team. I think all the oil stuff was a little over-played, too, but it is definitely a sign of the times. OPEC, gas prices, oil prices, and relations with the Middle East were big headlines in the late ’70s and early ’80s…
- Bill Mercer caught up with Arman Hussein and The Great Yatsu at ringside for a pre-match interview quickly. Arman again claimed Yatsu to be the greatest wrestler to come to the United States. He as beat Kabuki, Bundy, and everybody else who has come in his way. Mercer also mentioned that, next week, Kabuki has set out a challenge with the kendo sticks. Arman acknowledged the challenge and said Kabuki was in for the worst beating he ever had in his life.
- I kind of like how nonchalant Arman was being about Devastation Inc. in this interview. It was very much a ‘business as usual’ thing for Arman, almost discrediting and downplaying all the threats made by Devastation Inc. I can’t help but to feel like his days on camera are number, though… at this point, the promotion and its influx of talent may have eclipsed him.
- King Kong Bundy vs. The Great Yatsu: This next one was set for one fall, twenty minutes to a finish. Not really sure who we’re supposed to cheer here, I guess Bundy? I’m interested to see who the crowd hates more. Yatsu did his pre-match sumo ritual. Bundy worked over the left arm quickly, putting his whole body weight on it and driving a knee down. On commentary, Bill mentioned that Kevin Von Erich will soon be challenging Ric Flair in a coming match on World Class television! Meanwhile, Yatsu was being neutralized by Bundy as he kept wrist and arm control on the mat. From here, karate kicks and judo chops rained down on Bundy on the mat and in the corner. A back bodydrop sent Yatsu up and over and then he was avalanched in the corner by the big man. This triggered Hussein to toss the kendo stick up to Yatsu for use. Yatsu swung the cane into Bundy’s midsection, causing a blatant disqualification. Arman could be heard yelling up to Bundy that he better pray there isn’t a rematch, as it would be his last match at the hands of Yatsu!
- Nothing much to say about this one here. Again, I feel it went a little long if we were just going to end up with a disqualification anway. This will make a nice lead-in for next week’s match, though (the kendo stick use). I will say, Yatsu’s stuff doesn’t really do it for me. I don’t find him super entertaining and he just comes off second-rate. I’m hoping Kabuki puts him to task and Yatsu and Arman are slowly phased out heading into the second half of 1983. This one gets one star from me.
- Next, we again joined Bill Mercer in the commentary booth, to which he threw to the same video package on Kamala that we had seen a few weeks ago. Shots of Kamala walking through tall grass as a voiceover gave stats, facts, and explained the nicknames of “The Ugandan Giant”. Back in the booth, Mercer said that we should probably expect to see this man very soon.
- Yeah, they are definitely giving a special focus to Kamala here and I am here for it. His debut will feel that much bigger, especially being part of the main heel faction right off the bat. I look forward to what he is able to bring to the World Class table.
- Michael Hayes & Terry Gordy vs. Kevin & Kerry Von Erich: This match was to be contested under tornado tag team rules, set for one fall to a finish, with a sixty minute time limit. The crowd had complete rushed the ring for autographs, leaving the crowd control rope nowhere to be found. This felt like it was going to be a huge match. Once the bell rang, all hell broke loose. The crowd erupted as all four men started at one-hundred miles an hour. Michael was sent to the floor, allowing Kerry and Kevin to his a double armdrag and double dropkick on Terry Gordy. Hayes sent Kevin to the floor after a rake of the eyes and then was there to provide his partner a knee to thrown Kerry down onto. More double-teaming on Kerry happened until Kevin was in to distract Hayes again. The way they were working this one, one heel and once face was always ahead in offense on each side of the ring, which I thought was a cool approach. A sleeper hold was slapped onto Gordy, but Hayes was able to save him with a jumping elbow landing on Kerry. This whole thing was organized chaos, as the brothers sent the birds into one another from opposite corners! Kerry again fell victim to more double-teaming shortly after, being put down for a near fall. Both Kevin and Kerry were able to apply a set of Iron Claws, but they would be broken after only a few seconds. Every time a Freebird was thrown to ringside, the crowd erupted. Finally, Buddy Roberts had enough and jumped into the ring, with David following right behind him. A double disqualification was the official word, due to the interference from both corners. The Freebirds exited as the Von Erichs spoke with the officials and we went into our final commercial.
- This was crazy. The whole thing felt like a sanctioned brawl, which was something I have not been used to with World Class. Usually, situations like these last a minute or two and are broken up, but these officials let this tornado tag match go as much as they possibly could. To say the crowd is hot for this feud is a gross understatement, as they popped for pretty much anything Kerry or Kevin did to Hayes and Gordy. I know it has been said a million times by a million guys, but the Freebirds’ and Von Erich’s feud is something to really be seen. The match was balanced, followable, and the finish kept the crowd hungry for more. It’s a three for me, a common occurrence for these matches between any combination of these six guys thus far in 1983.
- Back from commercial, we joined Bill Mercer, King Kong Bundy, and The Great Kabuki at the commentary booth. Bundy doesn’t want a disqualification finish. He doesn’t know anything about kendo sticks, but the man behind him does, and the match has been signed. Bundy also said with Kamala under contract with Devastation Incorporated, the world of wrestling will never be the same!
- More hype for Kamala! Even Bundy doing some promoting for the guy here!
- With the members of Devastation Incorporated gone, Bill Mercer quickly wrapped up by announcing a few of those in action for next week, including “Iceman” King Parsons, The Great Kabuki, David Von Erich, and Buddy Roberts.
FINAL THOUGHTS
They used every second of television time this week, right up until the very end. The matches ran pretty long this week, with some decent action spread throughout. Garvin is good television and someone you love to hate. Kamala was continually mentioned as being a big deal to hit World Class soon… and speaking of big deals, The Freebirds and Von Erichs are running a tear through Texas with no signs of slowing down. Compared to last year, 1983 has felt leaps and bounds more exciting, leaving me hungry for more week after week. Here’s to the next one!
See you all then!