The holiday season is in full swing as this week, we are treated to clips, replays, and montages of some of the greatest hits (and matches) of 1983! Match replays include Kevin Von Erich taking on Ric Flair for the NWA World’s Heavyweight Championship and Kevin, David, and Kerry Von Erich scrapping with The Fabulous Freebirds for the WCCW Six-Man Tag Team Championship. All that and more!
WCCW TV*
Date: 11/26/1983
From: Dallas, Texas
MATCHES
1. David, Kevin, & Kerry Von Erich vs. Michael Hayes, Buddy Roberts, & Terry Gordy (Taped replay)
2. Kevin Von Erich vs. Ric Flair (Taped replay)
*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 09/29/2026.
BREAKDOWN & REVIEW
- Bill Mercer welcomed us to another episode of WCCW. Clips flashed thought of the breakup between Jimmy Garvin and the story so far between Kerry Von Erich and Michael Hayes. He explained that tonight, we’ll see some of the biggest moments from the last year, as well as some music videos.
- Back from commercial, Bill Mercer introduced our first ‘close up’ featurette, featuring the breakup of Jimmy Garvin and Sunshine. Flashbacks of them washing David Von Erich’s dog, Sunshine being spanked by Precious, Sunshine using the spray on Kevin Von Erich, her getting in David Von Erich’s face… a whole montage of clips from all of 1983 leading up to this point. An extended clip showed Garvin winning the WCCW American Heavyweight Championship.
- This was a cool get-me-up-to-speed piece of business here. Sunshine and Garvin together and then apart has been a cornerstone of World Class television this year, no doubt about it.
- Back from commercial, we were treated to footage from the cage match from last year’s Christmas Star Wars. The slamming of the steel cage door was the focus, as Bill Mercer explained that that is what had started it all. Bill Mercer also introduced the footage from David Von Erich and Terry Gordy’s handcuff match, where David was left beaten and bloodied. Footage was also shown of Michael Hayes ripping Mike Von Erich’s gifted jacket from a few weeks back. In the coming weeks, Bill Mercer promised the footage of Mike Von Erich’s debut and the results of the cage match determining who was to leave Texas between Kerry Von Erich and Michael Hayes, both from Thanksgiving Star Wars!
- Kind of a hodgepodge of footage here for this one. Not sure what Mike Von Erich and Skandor Akbar’s issues have with the Freebird feud… but, whatever.
- Back from commercial, we headed into our pre-taped six-man tag team match. Prior to the bout, Kevin Von Erich grabbed the house mic and had a few words to say. He said that The Freebirds may have people believing that this is a war between Texas and Georgia, but the Von Erichs have family living under that Georgia flag and he wants to set the record straight. This wasn’t a war between Texas and Georgia, this was a war between decency and FILTH! The crowd erupted with this and tensions only rose inside the ring.
- Famous line from Kevin here. It definitely landed well with The Sportatorium audience.
- David, Kevin, & Kerry Von Erich vs. Michael Hayes, Buddy Roberts, & Terry Gordy: This taped match originally aired back on the 8/20/83 episode of WCCW TV and it was for the WCCW Six-Man Tag Team Championship, set for one fall with a sixty minute time limit. I was surprised to see this go on a regular week of television, but here we were, ready to go! The bell rang and it was Hayes and Kevin to kick things off. An atomic drop sent Hayes to his corner to tag out to Buddy Roberts. Soon, Kerry was in to drop a standing knee on Roberts, but Buddy would tag out quickly leaving Gordy to lock horns with Kerry. Dave would get a running high knee on Gordy after tagging in, but Hayes would be in next to take advantage. Hayes and Kevin were in together next, with Kevin bouncing Hayes from pillar to post! At this point, The Freebirds were really on the ropes. Each man was sent out of the ring by Kevin, forcing them to regroup on the outside as the chants of “Go home, Freebirds” rained down! Once they re-collected themselves, The Freebirds began picking apart Kerry Von Erich in the ring. Kerry rallied back with an arm wringer on Roberts, which was just enough to get a tag out to David. Dave caught a kitchen sink which opened the door for Terry Gordy to come in and continue the punishment. Gordy and Dave traded blows toe-to-toe while the crowd worked itself into a frenzy. After a few minutes of downtime for David, he was able to make the hot tag to Kevin. Kevin attempted a running body splash but caught two knees in his gut instead. Then, it was Kevin getting taken to task by Gordy followed by Hayes. A huge suplex put Hayes down for a two-count at the hands of Kerry. A triple dropkick on Hayes got the crowd even more excited! All six men ended up in the ring at this point, tag format completely breaking down. Roberts was dropkicked out of the ring by Kerry. David was then dumped over the top rope rope. While Kerry had Michael Hayes in a bearhug, Roberts ran back into the ring and nailed Kerry with a headbutt between his shoulder blades using his loaded headgear. This kept Kerry down with Hayes collapsing on him to get an upset pinfall! The crowd was stunned and not really sure what happened, as The Fabulous Freebirds were awarded the giant trophy at ringside. David and Kevin checked on Kerry as the heels marched away with the win.
- This was a HUGE match, with a surprise finish, seeing The Freebirds walk away with the championship. World Class is perhaps defined by matches exactly like this, at exactly this time. The action was one-hundred miles an hour from the first bell to the last and the fans couldn’t contain their excitement for each tag, big spot, or brawl that occurred throughout. Four stars. All six men were at the top of their game here, the action delivered, and the atmosphere in The Sportatorium was electric. Again, to this day, WCCW is defined by matches like these.
- Back from commercial, Bill Mercer said that many requests have come in for replays of some of the music videos WCCW has presented in the past. So, at this point, that’s exactly what they’re going to show. Our first one will feature “Iceman” King Parsons, followed by one for Kerry Von Erich!
- We got the same music video from October of this year, highlighting “Iceman” King Parsons in a battle against The Great Kabuki. Some funky music straight out of the decade before played as more highlights showed Parsons taking the fight to Buddy Roberts, Jimmy Garvin, The Mongol, and more from his World Class run over the last nine months.
- I was glad for “Iceman” to get the rub again here, being featured as one of the highlights of tonight’s ‘World Class’ greatest hits’ of an episode tonight.
- Then, it was time to see the re-airing of Kerry Von Erich’s training “Eye of the Tiger” style training montage that WCCW put together last year, leading up to his next battle with Ric Flair for the NWA World’s Heavyweight Championship for Summer Star Wars back in August of 1982. Clips of Kerry pumping iron, riding a horse, and laying waste to opponents were on full display!
- This music video never gets old and always reminds me just how big of a star Kerry is. Again, why the WWF didn’t offer him millions to come to New York is beyond me.
- Kevin Von Erich vs. Ric Flair: This match originally aired on 04/09/83 and was set for one fall, with the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on the line, sixty minutes for a limit. The American Heavyweight Champion, Kevin Von Erich, was the challenger tonight and he was going to have both hands full with Flair tonight. Kevin used his legs to his advantage in the beginning, taking Flair over with a head scissors. On commentary, Bill Mercer announced that coming soon to World Class television was Chavo Guerrero, of Mexican fame, and a gentleman named Chris Adams, from England. We’ll have to look out for both of them! Before long, Kevin had Ric Flair begging off in one of the corners as the crowd cheered him on. A dropkick set Flair to the mat. Flair got flattened with a back body drop, but he’d recover quickly, chopping away on Kevin and throwing him through the middle ropes to the floor. Kevin popped right back up into the ring and the another stalemate occurred between the two. Some nice, stiff-looking punches, and a standing knee to the forehead kept Kevin down for a two count. Neither man could get too much momentum strung together before the other took back over. Kevin did end up locking an Iron Claw on Flair as the crowd erupted, but Flair was able to break it pretty quickly. Flair attempted a suplex, but Kevin dropped behind him and applied a sleeper hold. A running crossbody almost kept Flair down for a three! The referee was taken out inadvertently, allowing Flair to illegally throw Kevin up and over the top rope to the floor! After a near countout, Kevin got back in and was suplexed for a near fall. More strikes and near falls occurred for both men before the referee again was bumped, this time, out to the floor. Kevin applied another Claw and sent Flair out over the top rope for a measure of revenge as the action spilled to the outside for a moment. A flying crossbody off the top caught Flair off guard, allowing him to get a three count pin and win the match when a second referee was able to make the call! The crowd absolutely erupted and I was legit shocked as David Von Erich came out to celebrate with his brother. Once the original referee recovered, he argued with the second official. According to him, the match ended when Kevin threw Flair over the top rope, Flair retaining the championship officially.
- A FRICKIN’ DUSTY FINISH! YOU GOT ME WORLD CLASS! Nonetheless, that was an awesome match and one this show desperately needed. The crowd reaction to the false finish really had me thinking they were letting Kevin win the belt here for tonight. These two guys were hammering each other with fists, chops, and knees, so the battle was hard-fought and well-received. Three and a half stars for me, had that gotten a little more time and Kevin won the match clean? That would’ve made for a totally different story.
- Back from commercial and coming out of our last taped match featured this evening, Bill Mercer mentioned that next week, we’d be seeing Mike Von Erich make his debut. Plus, we will see the Super Destroyers take on “Iceman” King Parsons and The Junkyard Dog for the WCCW American Tag Team Championship!
- So, the replay footage continues with Thanksgiving Star Wars matches coming up next week… you can tell its the holiday season, as I’m willing to bet we don’t get much fresh content between now and the end of the year! This episode is probably the start of that. We may get a week or two of some new stuff, just to set up Christmas Star Wars 1983.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Well, that was that for this week’s episode! Basically a clip show and a ‘best-of’ for 1983 WCCW television. This was a nice trip down memory lane and at least two really good matches were our replays tonight. In fact, that six-man tag between the Von Erichs and the Fabulous Freebirds is on my shortlist of greatest matches for World Class’ 1983. Otherwise, shout out to people like King Parsons, Jimmy Garvin, Sunshine, Chris Adams, and more for really helping flesh out the rest of the roster and television stories throughout the year. Anyway, here’s to reliving more memories next week!
See you all then!