dawho5

Good to see that even in this world Sting struggles to get one over on the Horsemen. Speaking of the Horsemen they are making quite the splash so far. Not a bad idea trying to take out Andre's arm, we'll see if it backfires or not. Great tag team main event with a huge superplex moment.

Yeah Vachons and SST would be a good feud for sure. Armand with a shocker over Bundy! Race vs. MS-1 is a really fun what-if match.

For Oldbirds: Intros take roughly 9 minutes. This is the first Toryumon 4-way tag match and it is suitably crazy. As spotfests go it's one of the best I've seen.

Steve Doll in a big match is definitely a change. Bruno was busy handing out matches tonight. Paul stealing the SWAT team seems about right. Wonder how long he and Adonis work together going forward. Huge win for Satanico in what would have been the best match of the night.

Rude & Manny with a great showing in Toronto. Both Jacques and Martel do their part in sending the fans home happy and I don't know how you could call Martel's run on top anything but great so far.

The last 8 matches on the card were all highlights for me. Piper vs. Jack more than the rest, but what a card!

Hall bringing in Dusty was a treat for the fans at Billy Bob's. Big win for Hall.

The heat on Rude pre-match is amazing. The early offense by Steamer on the arm and Rude's selling of it throughout is amazing. Rude's offense on Steamboat and his selling is amazing. The big comeback by Steamer, also amazing. The finish, not so much. But I won't let it wipe out all of that incredible work.

I like the use of all of the foreign talent. White and Simmons would be an incredible long-term tag team. The Facekickers is a good name for that team.

Jarrett and Oliver should tear the house down. I am liking Schultz's chances so far. Corny's promo and the main were great and would have definitely had me at the arena for the rematch.

Steamer vs. Bock again going to a draw. Zenk using the tights? Bigelow vs. LaFon would have been such an interesting match-up. Regal vs. Taylor is always a great match-up. Tanaka getting the push he always should have is great. Piper vs. Hogan-but-not-quite is a fun feud.

I for one can't wait for Piper and Cactus to tear the building apart. Larry and Adams both get huge wins. Pillman is finally free of Sullivan and I love seeing it.

Savoldi preparing for next week is a nice touch. Sammartino is not doing too well of late. I liked Johnson and Cooley coming out after the Assassins later in the show. I like the main event as a clean, yet intense brawl with the hometown hero Race getting to shine some. Great show.

Candido was a guy I at first wanted to put over in round 1. But a google search revealed he was born in 1972. He's not a bad wrestler in his prime, but keeping it pretty simple was my main goal with him. Kobayashi and Lane are both underrated and I want to keep the RnR's big as a tag team right now. My main goal with both matches was to put over all of the wrestlers and show the attitudes of Santana and Kobayashi with how they handled the win after the finish. Owen is a bit of a stretch the way I am doing things. I'm not sure he was ready to be 1994 heel Owen in any fashion in 1986, but it allows me to use the feud to develop both Owen and Santana equally. One of my main goals with outside talent isto always have them come out gaining something and looking good, win or lose. April 19th is a game changer for a few reasons. Bam Bam vs. Ayala may or may not be one of them. Just know that in PR, once the heels cross a line, the babyfaces are expected to do everything that a heel would have done to them in retaliation. Far past the point of reason. I try to get the crowd across in my big events, but TV I tend to not have them as rabid. Also, it's hard to adequately describe in words how amazingly into it those crowds are. During an ambulance match (Edger can back me up on this), members of the crowd actually start attacking Butch Miller when he's laying on the announce table and have to be warned off by military police. Also, fans swarm the ambulance while Luke is being loaded. Craziest scene I have ever watched in a wrestling match. With the aid of Colon and Invader 1 nonetheless. Absolutely. If I get sent somebody, they get the red carpet rolled out. Of course, it might look like they are trying to get themselves killed by a violent crowd, but you get what I mean. Thing for me is guys like Colon, Ayala, the Invaders, they are so well-known at this point in PR they don't need the TV time and squashes. Ron Starr is Chicky's cousin and that's more than enough when you couple it with how clearly capable he is in the ring. Pastores/Sheepherders are pretty well-known everywhere. My big worry is teams like the Mercs and Boyd/Crusher don't get enough time, as well as a guy like Abdullah Tamba. I had to put a lot of time into building Bam Bam into a force of nature and keeping the principal babyfaces on track that I feel like a few teams/guys got left behind. Even the TNT/Gama Singh feud I feel like I did too much right away and the momentum is going away as I reach the big show. Also, I made the comment a long while back about Gordi's booking looking like Baba's with outside input. I'd say I go pretty slow and steady on things in that same way with not a lot of guys winning over somebody higher on the totem pole. Just the tools I use are a little different.

I'm not sure Pritchard wants both Duggan and Taylor angry with him. The way Pritchard backs into the win to keep his title seems right on. American Made is still having issues in both of their matches. And that 6 man tag would have been insane.

Great 4-corners tag match. I was hoping for more Horner vs. Parsons JYD with a huge win over Studd. Embry makes a point in his own inimitable way. Big win for the Von Erichs. Great main as well.

All I got out of this (after googling the names I wasn't familiar with) was that Sasaki and Shinobu had some kind of issue going in. And that Okabayashi is really uninteresting as the unstoppable heavyweight. Other than that it was mostly guys taking turns hitting each other to supposedly keep the match moving. I hate doing negative reviews, but this one didn't seem like much beyond stiff strikes just for the sake of stiff strikes.

Parsons/Horner strikes me as a really good match. Super Destroyers against Von Erichs would be a fun feud as well. JYD taking on Studd would have drawn for sure. Corny with a great promo and the crowd gets a great main event if not a happy ending.

J.J. immediately grabbing Bundy makes a lot of sense. Singh and Inoki should be fun. Hacksaw, Orndorff and Taylor could all fill the star power void left by the Horsemen nicely. American Made looks like they are headed for trouble.

Macho's interview looks like it would have been good. The main was good too. But the Horsemen reveal is off the charts. Can't wait to see how this unfolds.

Great TV with Adonis completely stealing the show. I bet the MS-1/Fulton match had some sweet punches thrown around. Pringle is having a huge effect on things even up in Canada. Not sure what Creatchman signed, but it was a mistake. Keith is on a huge roll lately, notwithstanding the injury. Hell of a 6-man tag with the debuting NWA members. Floyd seems to have trouble on his hands. Martel vs. Abby again, yes!

Original Airdate April 4th 1986 (Originally airing in Spanish on WAPA Channel 4 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This broadcast is translated to English where applicable.) The opening montage featuring highlights of Carlos Colon, Chicky Starr, Invader 1, Invader 2, Invader 3, Abdullah the Butcher, Hercules Ayala, Bam Bam and Dutch Mantell plays. Carlos Colon doing a cartwheel and coming up fists at the ready leads to the WWC logo as the music ends. NWA and Capitol Sports Presenta Los Campeones De La Lucha Libre Con Tus Luchadores Favoritos De Fama Mundial Rickin Sanchez and Hugo Savinovich sit smiling at the commentary desk in Coliseo Municipal Pedro Rodriguez Gaya De Catano. Rickin: Welcome fans to another exciting week of WWC action. I am joined by my friend and colleague, Hugo Savinovich. Hugo: Tournament time!! And we have a surprise return!! Rickin: Tonight is the beginning of our light heavyweight title tournament. We will have two tournament matches tonight. First we will see the return of Dutch Mantel after the injury to his arm by los Mercenarios. Hugo: I'm sure Dutch has revenge on his mind! Rickin: I would imagine he does. We will also see the team of Jonathan Boyd and the Crusher in action. Hugo: Did you know they lost the NWA 6-man titles last weekend?!? Rickin: I did, but I didn't want to be the one to say it. Barrabas is no fan of mine already and he will be in a foul mood when he stops by the desk after his team's match already. Abdullah Tamba will be in singles action again tonight. Hugo: He impressed again two weeks ago! Little Abdullah is very graceful for such a large man! Rickin: He certainly is. Owen Hart will be joining Chicky Starr in his Sports Shop. Hugo: I know you don't approve of Owen and Chicky being friends. Rickin: Owen Hart is an impressionable young man and needs the right guidance. I don't think Chicky Starr is the man to provide that guidance. Hugo: I doubt he'll be going to see Invader 1 or Carlitos Colon! They are friends of Ricky Santana. Rickin: There is that. Our first tournament match this week will be one half of the Rock and Roll RPMs, Tommy Lane, against the Japanese veteran Kuniaki Kobayashi. Hugo: Kobayashi is very well rounded. He is a capable martial artist as well as a mat wrestler. He likes to use a fisherman's suplex or a bodyscissors sleeper to finish off his opponents. And he is willing to do whatever it takes to win! Rickin: Something you were known for as well. Ricky Santana will join me at the desk before going against the young American Chris Candido in the main event. I'm told he uses a headbutt off the top rope as a finisher. Hugo: It's hard to beat a man with that little regard for his own safety! They tend to be very tough. Rickin: I can see that being the case, yes. The crowd is cheering and here comes Dutch Mantell. Hugo: Given who it was that injured him, I can see him getting crowd support. Rickin: I'm sure these fans would love to see Dutch opposed to los Mercenarios and Chicky Starr. Hugo: Dutch is a very dangerous man!! Even when he doesn't have revenge on his mind! Rickin: One downside of los Mercenarios willingness to hurt other wrestlers for money has to be the amount of enemies they make. Hugo: I'm sure Dutch wants to settle with whoever put the bounty out on him too! Rickin: I imagine he does. I'll be talking to him next week and it should give us an idea of what Dutch means to do now that he's back. Hugo: He's not waiting for the bell! Domingo Robles vs. Dutch Mantell Mantell takes Robles apart early, but the veteran comedy jobber is able to get a few dirty tricks over on Dutch and start in on the injured left arm. Dutch with an eye gouge, then runs Robles' face all the way down the top rope on one side of the ring. Short clothesline by Dutch with no ill effect on the injured arm. Gourdbuster gets Dtuch the 3 count. Dutch Mantell by pinfall in 3:51 with a gourdbuster Rickin: Big win in his return for Dutch Mantell. Hugo: He showed that his arm was back to full strength! That's a very important thing to do. Rickin: It will still be a target for his opponents for a while. When we come back we'll see Jonathan Boyd and the Crusher in action. Don't go anywhere. (Commercial Break) 0-8:30 Rickin: We're back and Barrabas is leading Jonathan Boyd and the Crusher to the ring. Hugo: Barrabas looks very unhappy! Do you think his team blames him for their loss?!? Rickin: It is likely that has come up in the last 4 days. Hugo: How did that sit with Bam Bam?!? Rickin: Given that Bam Bam is not here, I can only imagine not well. Hugo: He might be appearing in Japan today! Or somewhere in the U.S. I'm told Bam Bam is in demand all over the world! Rickin: That is possible. I can't imagine the way those titles were lost improved the relationship between Barrabas and Bam Bam though. Hugo: No, probably not... Rickin: Referee Ricky Vargas is calling for the bell. Mr. X & Y vs. Jonathan Boyd and the Crusher Boyd uses his energetic brawling while the Crusher is more deliberate with his power offense. Mr. Y is able to mount a short comeback before running into a big boot from the Crusher. Crusher tags Boyd and holds Y for the three point clothesline from Boyd, who covers for three. Jonathan Boyd & the Crusher by pinfall in 5:14 with an assisted three point clothesline Rickin: Boyd and the Crusher needed that win going into the 19th agianst Castillo and Perez. Hugo: They got the win against them last time! I think Castillo and Perez need the momentum more. Rickin: They got the win with the help of Barrabas. Hugo: A win is a win!! Rickin: Fair enough. We'll be right back with Barrabas at the desk and Abdullah Tamba in action. (Commercial Break) 8:30-14:45 Rickin: We are back, fans, and I am joined by Barrabas. He is flanked by Jonathan Boyd and the Crusher. Big win for your team going into Roberto Clemente Coliseum. Barrabas: You think we need that win to beat two silver spoon wannabe wrestlers like Huracan Castillo Jr. and Miguelito Perez? If they didn't have those names do you think we would even know who they are? Rickin: I think they are developing into a very good tag team and both have shown growth as wrestlers as well. Barrabas : Of course you do. How many times have you brought up my team losing the NWA 6-Man Championships so far?? Rickin: We discussed it as you were on your way to the ring. What would you have us talk about? Barrabas: How much we embarassed those spoiled brats Castillo & Perez last time we faced them for one. I bet Castillo's dad has a bonus in it for you if you can mention it neough times, doesn't he?? Rickin: I am paid the same regardless. There is no attempt now, nor has there ever been, to undercut you. Barrabas: Of course you won't talk about it! I'm sure you've also been saying that Bam Bam is unhappy with me too! Rickin: Is he? Barrabas: No! I'll be in his corner on the 19th when he wins the Caribbean Heavyweight Title and I'll be in his corner when he takes on Invader 1 on TV in 2 weeks! I want you to stop slandering me and spreading lies about my relationship with my clients! Rickin: We in no way stated that- Barrabas: This interview is over! Barrabas storms off with Boyd and the Crusher in tow. Rickin: That could have gone better. Hugo: You said it yourself, Barrabas was in a terrible mood. Rickin: I'm surprised he let me keep the microphone. Chicky Starr is leading Abdullah Tamba to the ring. Hugo: And the crowd is pelting both with garbage! Rickin: Chicky Starr seems to have accepted this and looks like he enjoys it. Hugo: If it happens long enough, you just get used to the idea. You start to understand that the crowd will get angrier if you like it. Rickin: Tamba seems to be ignoring anything thrown his way, focused on the ring. Hugo: He's got a job to do! Rickin: And he's been doing it well. Last week it took him less than 3 minutes to defeat Frank Conners two weeks ago. Hugo: Little Abdullah is very dangerous! Almost as dangerous as the monster! The machine! The madman from the Sudan! Rickin: To be in the conversation is....I hesitate to use the word impressive. Hugo: Even if it is the right word! Rickin: So it is. It looks like we're ready to go, referee Tomas Marin has called for the bell. Armandito Salgado vs. Abdullah Tamba Tamba again steamrolls his opponent, giving him no offense save a few no-sold punches. A splash from the top rope gets Tamba the three count. Abdullah Tamba by pinfall in 2:43 with a top rope splash Rickin: Abdullah Tamba is on a roll and doesn't look to be stopping soon. Hugo: Chicky Starr has one of the dominant wrestlers in the WWC at his disposal. Rickin: Yes, and I'm sure I'll disapprove of however he chooses to use that. Up next we will see Owen Hart in the Sports Shop. Hugo: Can't wait! Rickin: And then our first match of the tournament, Tommy Lane against Kuniaki Kobayashi. We'll be right back fans. (Commercial Break) 14:45-21:30 Hugo: We're baaaaaack...and it's Sports Shop time!! The intro for the Sports Shop plays and we cut to Victor with a microphone on the set. Victor (wooden): It is my pleasure to introduce the hottest wrestler and manager in the World Wrestling Council. Ladies and gentlemen, here is the most exciting, most charismatic, best dressed man in Puerto Rico, Chicky Starr. Chicky Starr walks on set in his athletic gear, tag title draped over his shoulder, and picks up the microphone on his chair before sitting down. Chicky: Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the most important 3 minutes on television! I am Chicky Starr and this is my Sports Shop. It seems all ofthe talk is about this tournament for the Light Heavyweight Championship. I could have been in that tournament, but I already have a championship belt. And to be fair, I could win that tournament hands down if it were not for the inclusion of my guest today. Owen Hart walks on set, picks up the microphone on his chair and sits down after shaking Chicky's hand. Chicky: (English) I have been watching your progress as time goes on and I am very impressed. You know what it takes to win a wrestling match and that is a rare thing! Owen: I'm glad somebody noticed. All I ever hear is how I'm doing it wrong. Chicky: Take it from somebody who has made a career of doing it wrong. It doesn't ever stop. People like Rickin Sanchez and Ricky Santana will always have a problem with people like us. Speaking of Ricky Santana, why did he need to be at ringside for your match last week? Owen: That's a damn good question! I don't recall stalking him. Maybe all those losses to me have made him desperate to do whatever he can to hurt me. Chicky: He can't seem to beat you in the ring. Costing you a win in a title match seems like it's going a little far though. Owen: Do you KNOW how big a win there would have been for me back home in Canada?!? I will tell you this, Chicky, I do not forget when somebody does something like that to me. Ricky Santana can expect payback sooner or later. Chicky: You have to stand up for yourself, yes. I've looked at this tournament and the only man I think you have to worry about is this Kobayashi. Owen: I'm sure Rickin Sanchez would argue that Ricky Santana is a favorite. Chicky: He likes his wrestlers to do things the "right" way. Owen: So I noticed. I wonder if he ever had to compete for a job. Or find a way to stand out with 7 older brothers! Chicky: Being overlooked can change your way of seeing things. Don't go as far into that territory as Barrabas though. The man tries so hard he guarantees his own failure. Learn from that example. Owen: I hadn't really been paying attention. I really should now that you mention it. Chicky: Everyone should. That is it for another edition of Chicky's Sports Shop. I'd like to thank Owen Hart for being my guest. Owen: Thanks for having me! Chicky: (Spanish) Now it's time for Ric Flair to to take us back to the boring part of the show. Flair's sign-off plays as Owen and Chicky walk off the set talking. Cut to the arena. Rickin: That went about as expected. Hugo: Everyone needs a sympathetic ear now and again. Owen Hart included. Rickin: And do you agree with any of what was said? Hugo: There is a lot of pressure to win. It can be hard to resist the temptation to take shortcuts when that kind of money and prestige is on the line. Rickin: That's fair. Tommy Lane of the Rock and Roll RPMs is on his way to the ring. Hugo: He's got a big test tonight! Not only is he used to tag team wrestling, but he's up against a very good wrestler in Kuniaki Kobayashi. Rickin: It's going to be a tough match, but he's got this crowd behind him and that will give him a second wind down the stretch. Hugo: I'm not sure that will be enough to counteract the skill and experience of Kobayashi! Rickin: I don't pretend to know much about Kobayashi, but Lane has been impressive these last two months. He's reached the ring and here comes Kobayashi. Hugo: The fans don't seem to know how to react! Rickin: It's their first time seeing Kobayashi. I'd guess tonight's match will have a lot to do with their opinion of him going forward. Hugo: I don't think they will like what they see.. Rickin: I defer to you on that. You know much more about Kobayashi than I do. Hugo: He has never been shy about using... Rickin: Illegal tactics? Hugo: I was going to say whatever dirty trick he could think of, but that works. He is one of the arch-rivals of the great Japanese champion Tiger Mask. Rickin: That is a name I have heard. It looks like ring announcer Eliud Gonzalez is finished with his announcements. We're ready for action. Tommy Lane vs. Kuniaki Kobayashi Lane has the advantage early, prompting Kobayashi going to the eyes to set up his martial arts kicks. Lane fires back with punches and the match goes back and forth with Kobayashi cheating to regain the advantage each time Lane fires up. Lane finally has enough and hits a low blow from his knees (big cheers), then hits a big jumping leg drop for a 2 count. He goes for a powerbomb and Kobayashi rolls through for a sunset flip nearfall. Lane gets a nearfall off of a side suplex, then barely kicks out of a rollup attempt by Kobayashi (who has his feet on the ropes). A big spinkick by Kobayashi and he's looking for the fisherman's suplex, but Lane counters before Kobayashi can grab the leg. Lane gets Kobayashi up for his own suplex, but Kobayashi floats over and locks in the bodyscissors sleeper. Lane refuses to give up, struggling for the ropes, but passes out. Kobayashi advances in the tournament. He leaves the ring, celebrating to boos as referee Ricky Vargas tries to revive Lane. Kuniaki Kobayashi by submission in 12:17 with a bodyscissors sleeper (Lane passed out) Rickin: Tommy Lane with a good showing, but the experience and skill of Kobayashi did come through. After a lot of cheating. Hugo: A win is a win!! He advances! Lane showed me more than I thought he would. Rickin: He probably should have tapped out when he knew he couldn't make the ropes. Hugo: We all know that when we go in the ring. Sometimes it's hard to let your pride go. Rickin: Up next I will be talking to Ricky Santana before our main event. Stay tuned to see if Ricky Santana can advance in the tournament. (Commercial Break) 21:30-39:00 Rickin: We're back with Ricky Santana joining me. We both saw the comments by Owen Hart earlier in the show. Santana: He can say whatever he wants, Owen Hart tried to cheat a man out of his title. I wasn't going to stand by and watch it happen. Rickin: We both know that Owen Hart will try to interfere with your chances in the tournament as payback. Santana: That's the way it goes. He comes to Puerto Rico claiming to be this gret technical wrestler, but I've seen him cut corners, attack before the bell and cheat his way to winning more than I've seen clean victories. He's going to do whatever he's going to do. I have to concentrate on what I need to do to win. Rickin: Tonight you face the American rookie Chris Candido. It's not often you go in with an experience advantage. Santana: That doesn't mean I get to take him lightly. He's won a lot of matches in Canada and the U.S. with his diving headbutt. Rickin: So you don't feel your experience advantage will give you an edge? Santana: It might. Then again, I pushed Dutch Mantell farther than naynoe thought I would. And he has almost a decade of experience on me. But he never took me lightly and there is a lesson there. If you don't go in focused on what you need to do it's going to work against you, regardless of experience. Rickin: It sounds like you are learning the right lessons. Thank you for stopping by the desk Ricky. Santana: Thanks for your time Rickin. Santana heads to the ring s the fans cheer him on. Rickin: I know you don't often agree with what Ricky Santana has to say, Hugo. What did you think? Hugo: He's not wrong. You can't underestimate a man going into a match or you will find yourself losing very quickly! Rickin: Something not all wrestlers learn early in their careers. Hugo: Al Madril made that mistake not too long ago. Now he has a broken leg! Rickin: I don't think that is at stake here, but Santana could find himself out of the tournament if he doesn't take Candido seriously. Hugo: High enough stakes! Rickin: Yes, for a young man like Santana, a chance at a title belt is very important. Now Santana is in the ring and here comes Chris Candido. Hugo: He's engaging the crowd! Rickin: It's good to see young wrestlers who understand how important it is to have the crowd on their side. Hugo: Even if the crowd will be with Santana?!? Rickin: The crowd can support both wrestlers, but I do agree that Santana will be the crowd favorite here. Hugo: Will we see Owen?!? Rickin: I hope not. The crowd seems to at least not be getting on Candido. Hugo: They will if he beats Santana!! Rickin: I imagine if he wins cleanly he will gain some fans here today. Both wrestlers are now in the ring and Santana is offering a handshake. There it is and referee Victor Quinonez has called for the bell. Chris Candido vs. Ricky Santana Things go back and forth on the mat early after a few basic wrestling sequences. Candido gets a few two counts on rollups, then Santana. Both men get a little heated after some hard chops by Santana and they exchange chops with no advantage gained. A slam by Candido and he whips Santana hard into the corner. Santana pushes Candido off on the superplex attempt, but the attempted flying crossbody is rolled through for a nearfall by Candido. Santana tries the fisherman's suplex, but Candido reverses. He climbs up top for the diving headbutt, but Santana moves out of the way at the last instant. This time the Santana flying crossbody connects as Candido staggers to his feet, and Santana gets the three. Santana helps Candido to his feet and raises his arm to the crowd. Ricky Santana by pinfall in 11:19 with a top rope crossbody Rickin: Big win for Ricky Santana, but Chris Candido came very close. Hugo: Good match for both!! Rickin: I'm sure Candido would have liked the win, but that diving headbutt is a double edged sword. Hugo: You hit your head very hard either way, if it doesn't hit the other man it definitely works against you! Rickin: So Kuniaki Kobayashi and Ricky Santana will meet in two weeks to determine one half of the finals matchup. Be sure to tune in next week for the remainder of the first round matches. We will Be showing you the entire announced card for April 19th as we leave. Main Event - Abdullah the Butcher w/Chicky Starr vs. Carlitos Colon © for the Universal Heavyweight Championship Los Invaders (1 & 3) vs. Los Primos Starr © for the Caribbean Tag Team Championships Bam Bam w/Barrabas vs. Hercules Ayala © for the Caribbean Heavyweight Championship Los Super Medicos vs. Los Mercenarios Huracan Castillo Jr. & Miguelito Perez vs. Jonathan Boyd & the Crusher w/Barrabas Gama Singh vs. TNT Light Heavyweight Tournament Finals

That's a pretty incredible tag team tournament there. Just the right amount of experienced guys to go with the exciting young guys. Simmons/White vs. Sasaki/Nakano should be a good power bout.

For jmare, a classic shootstyle vs. pro style bout between Tatsumi Fujinami and Akira Maeda. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4u0xnm

I'm in agreement on the first two matches. Gilbert vs. Rogers would have been in contention for match of the night for me. Martel vs. Abby is a treat for any crowd, great main!