This week on World Class Championship Wrestling television, “Gorgeous” Jimmy Garvin and his valet, Sunshine, are forced by the NWA and David Von Erich to pay the piper out on the Von Erich ranch. Back inside The Sportatorium, Bruiser Brody looks to collect on a bounty for Buddy Roberts’ “hair”, as they square off in the night’s main event, plus much more!
WCCW TV*
Date: 07/23/1983
From: Dallas, Texas
MATCHES
1. Lola González vs. Vicki Carranza (Taped replay)
2. Johnny Mantell vs. Michael Hayes
3. “Gentleman” Chris Adams vs. Terry Gordy
3. Bruiser Brody vs. Buddy Roberts
*BROADCAST NOTE
This playback copy has been presented in the most complete form possible, due to original production technical difficulties. Reported by the WWE as of 03/01/2026.
BREAKDOWN & REVIEW
- STOP THE PRESSES! A new intro video was played, which was the iconic satellite coming into frame over earth and zapping out World Class Championship Wrestling in block letters. From there, Bill Mercer welcomed us to The Sportatorium for another night of exciting action.
- Lola Gonzales vs. Vicki Carranza: This playback tape was from their match at International Star Wars last month. Again, this was a singles match, set for one fall to a finish, for the Mexican National Women’s Championship, thirty minutes for a limit. We’ve seen Lola González, the champion, before on a Star Wars card last year. She had a really solid singles match, so I was interested to see what could be done here with the newcomer, Vicky Carranza. González kept control of Carranza in the early goings of here, as Bill Mercer and traditional format resumed for the presentation of this match. Carranza’s knee was taken to task, with elbows and a modified knee bar. Some nice submissions and chain wrestling occured at this point, except the transitions were relatively slow and unpolished. Carranza was sent to the floor, giving her a minute to breathe. Back in the ring, González missed a second rope senton and was nearly pinned by the challenger. A few fast near falls were shared back and forth, as we must have been going into the finish. A shift of weight in one pin attempt awarded Vicky Carranza the match and the championship!
- Definitely not as strong of an outing here for the ladies on this super card. Vicky Carranza’s freshness in the ring definitely showed through, in my opinion. After the knee work and chain wrestling, I felt I could tell they were basically out of material, perhaps working too quickly through what they had discussed for the match. The crowd grew tired of the back and forth pin attempts during the last third of the match, as they began to boo. Dud in my opinion, sorry ladies!
- Back from commercial, Bill Mercer spoke a bit about the feud between David Von Erich and “Gorgeous” Jimmy Garvin. At this point, the NWA has decided that Garvin had lost their most recent battle in Reunion Arena and the ruling stands: Garvin and Sunshine MUST be David’s valets for the day. Mercer than threw to tonight’s featurette. On Dave’s ranch, he and Bill were standing by and Dave said that today Jimmy Garvin was going to learn all about a hard day’s work. Garvin pulled up and Dave had him get out of the card and walk to the back forty acres where he would be working for the day. Garvin said that the only reason he even agreed to any of this, is because his lawyer advised him that if he didn’t, he couldn’t legally wrestle anywhere in the country! We then cut to Garvin using a post hole digger while Dave told him to shut his mouth and keep digging. Dave then had Sunshine launch a target he could shoot at with his rife, right over Garvin’s head! Our next cut brought us to Garvin and Sunshine washing Dave’s big dog. Both Garvin and Sunshine were soaked and complaining as the dog tried to get away. Next, Garvin and Sunshine were moving bales of hay, but instead of loading it into the back of Dave’s truck, Dave pulled away and told them to walk the bales where he needed them to go! Next, Bill Mercer and David Von Erich were discussing being surprised that Garvin was doing what he was told to do. Garvin then stormed into the shot and said he was NOT going to clean out this old barn on a television cameras. He is done! He then shoved Dave and they began to get into it until Garvin tackled him through a horse stall and Bill called for help as we went to commercial!
- This is the segment I’ve been waiting for since the start of this feud between Jimmy Garvin and David Von Erich. It is one of World Class’ most iconic featurettes and it definitely didn’t disappoint. I loved the banter between Dave and Jimmy in each little clip, as well as the bickering between Jimmy and Sunshine as he forced her to shoulder some of the responsibilities here. Absolutely classic stuff and again, it just blows my mind that these guys we’re able to present this on a bigger stage later on. This feud in general has just continued to make me feel fortunate to be able to watch World Class back in order for the first time.
- Johnny Mantell vs. Michael Hayes: Our opening contest was set for one fall with a fifteen minute time limit. Hayes showboated for a minute while the bell rang, turning his back on Mantell before strutting his stuff out of the corner. Mantell then caught Hayes off-guard with a bodyslam and a set of arm drags that sent Hayes out to the floor to regroup. Back in the ring, Hayes was again outwrestled by Mantell and the crowd ate it up. Mantell continued his offensive lead with a standing side headlock and a stiff shoulder tackle. Hayes was able to catch Mantell with a clothesline and a spinning neckbreaker for a near fall to get back into the action. Hayes laid in some punches as the crowd chanted for the Freebirds to go home! A back body drop took Hayes down but Hayes was able to block a side russian leg sweep attempt by holding on to the ropes. With Mantell throwing himself to the mat, Hayes capitalized by hitting a diving elbow drop off the second rope for a three count!
- Nothing special here and I really don’t see the booking interest in Johnny Mantell, other than being the brother of the booker himself, Ken Mantell. There’s so many other guys Hayes could play off of, but instead we get the bland Johnny Mantell here again. That said, at least they didn’t give him a win over Hayes here. Star from me, but that’s about it.
- “Gentleman” Chris Adams vs. Terry Gordy: Our next match was set for one fall to a finish, twenty minutes for a limit. I had some higher hopes for this one, as both of these guys are more than capable to put a solid match together. These two men locked up, but Gordy was able to shove Adams off. Gordy found himself in a standing side headlock next, with Adams cranking it in. A little chain wrestling followed this up, with Adams being able to escape a few pin attempts. Back to their feet, another standing side headlock ate up a whole bunch of time that then turned into a seated side headlock. A shoulder tackle and running senton shook Gordy and then Adams caught the big man with a scoop slam and an awesome Super Kick! This burst of moves would’ve gotten Adams the win, had Gordy not gotten a rope break. Gordy then sent Adams up and over with a back body drop, pulled down his knee pad, and stuck Adams with a stiff knee drop. Gordy missed a second one, as Adams rolled out of the way and went right after the knee with kicks and stomps. With another two Super Kicks on Gordy, it looked like things were over when Adams went to the top to his a diving senton, but Gordy moved! Out of nowhere, Adams was able to get Gordy with a german suplex that bridged into a pin for a three count. After the bell, Gordy attacked Adams and put him down to the mat before walking out through the crowd.
- So, if you love side headlocks, this is your match! In all seriousness, the pacing was snail slow for most of this one, until about the last three minutes or so. That said, that last three minutes of action made up a lot of ground, as it was really good stuff. I wouldn’t mind a return match between these two, maybe with a little more time to put something really special together. This time around, I’d say a star and a half here, as we have seen much better from both men.
- Bruiser Brody vs. Buddy Roberts: Our featured match tonight was set for one fall to a finish, getting a forty-five minute time limit (or until TV remaining). Bill Mercer reminded viewers that “iceman” King Parsons had a $500.00 bounty for anybody who was able to pull the wig off Buddy Roberts! As soon as the bell ran, Buddy was getting his ass handed to him! A one-handed bodyslam almost put Roberts through the mat as the crowd was going nuts for the big man. Brody began prying at the headgear of Roberts, but Hayes pulled Roberts away from under the bottom rope enough to stop the attempt. Brody was distracted by Hayes enough to nail Brody with the front of his headgear. A second headbutt from the top rope onto a standing Brody put Brody in a bad way. Buddy worked him over for a bit until Brody went back to the headgear again. Suddenly, Roberts attempted a bulldog, but Brody held onto his head and the brown wig flew right off and out from underneath Roberts’ headgear! The crowd again exploded and Roberts scrambled out the floor where Michael Hayes covered up his head with a towel. The heels marched their way to the back as the bell rang out and Brody paced in the ring, wig in hand. The official call was made for Brody via a disqualification due to outside interference on the part of Michael Hayes.
- Bruiser Brody is lightning in a bottle. He has such a special, intimidating, and unique presence… he is unlike anybody else in the territory. His power comes off as awesome, only more so as Buddy bumped so well for him here. I was surprised to see the wig being taken away so quickly into the gimmick, I must say! I figured Parsons would’ve been chasing that for awhile, eventually getting it off at the next super show or Star Wars event. Good for Brody, though. Not that he really needed it, but still. This one gets a star and a half from me, obviously this match was only a thing to get the wig off Roberts. Mission accomplished. Brody’s star power alone helped get this one over a bit more.
- Back from commercial, Bill Mercer was standing ringside for an interview with “Iceman” King Parsons and Bruiser Brody, who was still holding Buddy Roberts’ wig in his hand. Parsons said that he told the people that he put up a bounty on that man’s head and he wasn’t lying! He and Brody slapped fives and Brody then handed half the money back, saying that the $500.00 was for the helmet AND the hair. Next time, he’s going to finish the job with Roberts and get that headgear. Bill Mercer then tried to ask Brody about Kamala, but Brody just thanked him and walked off to celebrate with Parsons.
- I’m not sure Brody really heard what Mercer was trying to set him up for some words for Kamala, nonetheless, I liked that Brody was willing to give half the money back in order to finish the job with Roberts. It’ll be interesting to see how Roberts will continue using that headgear as a weapon in matches until Brody or Parsons is able to get it off him.
- Bill Mercer then closed us out from ringside by announcing that next week, “Gorgeous” Jimmy Garvin will meet Kevin Von Erich in a match for Kevin’s WCCW American Heavyweight Championship in the main event, plus much more!
FINAL THOUGHTS
Obviously, I found this week’s action pretty lackluster. These matches were all treated as television matches in the worst way… all throwaways, for the most part. Of course, the most important things to come out of the matches tonight would be Brody getting the wig from Roberts and Adams getting a huge win over Gordy. My favorite part was none other than tonight’s featurette starring Jimmy Garvin, Sunshine, and David Von Erich. Absolutely classic stuff and just reinforces that fact that I believe they have the feud of the year in World Class on lock. I want to reiterate the fact of “Gorgeous” Jimmy Garvin being drastically underrated as a talent and as a territory heel. Will he walk away with Kevin’s title next week? Only one way to find out…
See you all then!