We have a set of replays and some lightning fast action queued up for this week’s episode of World Class television. In our main event, Bruiser Brody looks to continue settling his score with The Fabulous Freebirds when he takes on Michael Hayes in singles action. Plus, David Von Erich will be in action against The Mongol, and we will see the replay of Kevin Von Erich’s shot at Harley Race for the NWA World’s Heavyweight Championship from back in June. All that and more!
WCCW TV*
Date: 10/01/1983
From: Dallas, Texas
MATCHES
1. Harley Race vs. Kevin Von Erich (Taped replay)
2. Bill Rathke vs. Johnny Mantell
3. The Mongol vs. David Von Erich
4. Bruiser Brody vs. Michael Hayes
*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 06/25/2026.
BREAKDOWN & REVIEW
- Bill Mercer welcomed us to the world-famous Sportatorium un d
- Harley Race vs. Kevin Von Erich: This replay was from International Star Wars back in June. The match was set for one fall, sixty minutes, for the NWA World’s Heavyweight Championship. Lowrance announced that going over the top rope wouldn’t result in a disqualification and if Race was disqualified, he would lose the championship! So, they’re sticking with the stipulations that Flair had agreed to before losing the belt to Race, that’s interesting… the crowd was buzzing for Kevin as Race stalled off into one corner. As we got started Race ran into a dropkick and then hit his awesome turning cross body off the top rope for a two count! After nearly winning the match within a minute, Race bailed to the floor to regroup. Back in the ring, Kevin slipped out of a suplex and slapped on a sleeper hold. After Race used Kevin’s hair to break the hold, Kevin sent Harley up and over the top rope for a measure of revenge. Race was back in, laying in some closed fists in the corner, but then his shoulder was sent into the ringpost by Kevin. I was surprised to see how much punishment Race was taking here. An Iron Claw was slapped onto Race’s forehead in the center of the ring. To break the hold, Race dumped Kevin out to the floor through the ropes. With Kevin back in, Race got in some nice headbutts. Kevin’s shoulder began to bother him after falling out onto the timekeeper’s table, to which Race took full advantage of. Kevin threw strikes with one arm, but Race picked him up and stuck him with a hard shoulder breaker. David Manning threatened to stop the match, as Kevin protested. Race dropped a few standing elbows into Kevin’s shoulder and then came off the second rope with a double axe handle onto the shoulder. Race went up to the second rope for a repeat, but was caught in an Iron Claw! Out of desperation, Race again sent Kevin out through the middle rope down into a cameraman at ringside. At this point, David Von Erich ran down to ringside to try and convince Kevin to give it up this time to fight another day. While Dave helped Kevin up, Race threw a boot down on them and David snapped. He jumped into the ring, put hands on Race, and hit a running high knee on Race! The official called for the bell as Kevin and David were disqualified for the interference. Dave had to be pulled off Race as he snatched the World’s Championship away from the official to taunt Race. He shouted at Race that he was next in line and he didn’t care if it was Race or Flair and if he couldn’t beat them, he’d quit wrestling! Then Dave almost decked Harley with the title, but instead threw it down on him to console Kevin in the corner.
- For a lot of reasons, the way that match was structured, Kevin should’ve won the championship here. Instead, once again, a Von Erich loses a NWA World’s Heavyweight Championship on a Star Wars card… Dave was almost showing some heelish tendencies after the bell here, birating Race and nearly hitting him the title while he was down. Kevin put up a good battle and the shoulder angle worked well with the ruthless style of Harley Race. Given the non-finish and the slight lack of consistent action that Kevin normally delivers, I’m giving this match two stars.
- Up next, Bill Mercer said they had a request to re-air the infamous featurette of when “Gorgeous” Jimmy Garvin had to be David Von Erich’s valet for the delay. We then threw to the same video presented back in July from when Garvin and Sunshine were forced to do chores around Von Erich’s ranch, backed by the NWA ruling. 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!
- I loved this when they first aired it and loved it just as much as I did before. Jimmy Garvin is such an underrated wrestling character. Von Erich shooting targets over Garvin’s head still makes me laugh. That, and when Sunshine’s shoe falls off as she’s dragging a hay bale behind Jimmy.
- Bill Rathke vs. Johnny Mantell: Our opening contest was set for one fall with a fifteen minute time limit. This was the first fresh programming of the show, which was already almost twenty-five minutes in. We started with trading wristlocks back and forth. Then, some collisions in shoulder block attempts. Rathke ended up catching Mantell in a crossbody attempt, slamming him hard to the mat. Rathke then worked in some hard, clubbing blows in the corner, followed by a big back body drop. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Mantell dropped Rathke with a side russian leg sweep and pinned him for a three count!
- So, without nearly one bit of offense, Mantell comes away with the win. Despite Rathke playing the role of the immovable object, he was pinned after one move? Silly, in my opinion. DUD.
- The Mongol vs. David Von Erich: Our next match was set for one fall to a finish, another ten minute time limit. A lockup followed by a shove-off surprised David a bit with The Mongol here. Then a running high knee and a dropkick sent The Mongol out to the floor to regroup. On commentary, Bill Mercer said that Sunshine would be getting an assistant. Garvin would be on the search for this valet for his valet with Mercer saying their name would either be Moonbeam, or one of the planets… Back in the ring, David was stuck in a standing side headlock. A set of dropkicks knocked The Mongol off balance and David was really fired up here. Dave ran into a back elbow next, allowing the big man to get some good punches and stomps on Dave in the corner. Dave was sent into the ropes but came back on the rebound with an Iron Claw! Dave kept it locked on for a good minute or two and I thought that was going to be it! Sure enough, the Claw stayed on and that was that. The referee called for the bell and Dave celebrated, blood on his palm. After the match, Akbar argued with the referee as The Mongol stumbled around.
- David Von Erich has won me over so much as worker. 1983 has been a great year for Dave, really breaking him out into a main event player and someone who can carry heavy, more dramatic storylines well beyond his brothers. He and The Mongol worked well here, but this was a glorified squash for Dave, obviously. That said, it was very, very effective. Star and a half from me.
- Skandor Akbar and The Mongol stuck around after the match and Akbar grabbed a house mic to complain about the ruling of the match. He said the ruling was incorrect. Only Skandor Akbar can announce a submission for his men in Devastation Inc. He again said that the call was incorrect.
- That would be an interesting angle for a manager. Individual guys can’t officially ‘tap out’, their manager has to quit for them… not sure it would work in execution. Still, interesting.
- Bruiser Brody vs. Michael Hayes: Back from commercial, Brody was already putting the boots to and slamming Michael Hayes! A big stomp and kick planted Michael Hayes, but Hayes tried to fire up. He was stopped quick with a face rake and then sent hard into the corner. Stunned, Hayes was then thrown to the floor and whipped into a corner post on the outside. Back in the ring, Hayes tried to ram Brody into the corner head-first a few times until Terry Gordy jumped into the ring. Brody fought both off for a moment, until he was taken over by both men. Terry then measured Gordy and stuck that Oriental Spike in his neck as the crowd erupted with disdain. Men from the locker room started coming down in aid of Brody, including Chris Adams and Kerry Von Erich. Kerry got a few good shots in on Tery and then it was back to work on Hayes. The chaos continued as Adams was choked out by Gordy and Kerry went up and over the top rope momentarily. Bruiser Brody was declared the winner due to the interference as the heels retreated to the locker room. Kerry and Bruiser checked on Chris Adams as we went into commercial.
- Honestly, that was a perfect way around this match. Start it in commercial and keep it hot all the way through with no real damage done to either man with a loss. These Texas brawls always play best in front of the Sportatorium crowd, as they just eat it up. For the excitement and chaos, despite it not being much of a match at all, I’m also giving this one a star and a half.
- Back from commercial, Bill Mercer was standing by at ringside with Terry Gordy, Michael Hayes, and Buddy Roberts. Terry Gordy started things off by saying that he was here to clean up a little bit of the mess going on around here. He was talking about Bruiser Brody, Kerry Von Erich, and it doesn’t matter where its at. Dallas, Ft. Worth, San Antone, or St. Louis! Gordy continued yelling as Bill Mercer said goodbye and we rolled into the credits.
FINAL THOUGHTS
There’s nothing better than a chaotic night in the world-famous Sportatorium! Replays ate up a bunch of television time this week, but once we were back in the arena for the night, the card flashed by lightning quick. We are really spoiled with the amount of talent in the territory these days. Seeing Brody, Gordy, Hayes, Kerry, Dave, Kevin, Garvin, and so many others on a regular week of television is so insane to me. As far as action, there was nothing much to write home about here. This week was definitely about the sum of its parts as a whole. Fun week of television that left me wanting more… and I guess that’s the whole point, isn’t it?
See you all then!