Bobby Heenan/Mr. Saito/Nick Bockwinkel v. Fabulous Ones/Blackjack Lanza

 

JIP. Starts off with the babyfaces using heel isolation tactics to work over Bock. Bock tags out to Saito who immediately gets into a strike exchange with Keirn which he loses. Saito does a really nice sell job of a Lane headkick and then gets into another really good strike exchange this time with Lane who knocks him on his ass into his corner. At this point the crowd starts chanting "weasel" and Heenan is livid and refuses to tag in, with Bock coming back in. The faces keep trying to get Heenan on and there is a great spot where the heels gets distracted by the Lane and Lanza allowing Keirn to run over and waffle Heenan a few times on the apron to a big pop. Lanza ends up isolated in the heel corner. Cool recovery spot as they are heeling behind the refs back and the ref turns around to see Saito on the top about to jump down which is a DQ at this point in the AWA so Heenan gives him a stern look and counsels him down as if he is admonishing him legitimately for such flagrant contempt of the rules. Heenan tags in and gets some cheapshots in but Lanza reverses and we get a cool hope spot with Bock just barely breaking up a hot tag. Lanza gets tossed to the floor but the Fabs save him. Saito locks on a Boston Crab but the Fabs immediately break it up. Heenan's body language and directing traffic in the corner during the control segment is really fucking great and really adds to the match. Lanza gets the hot tag when Bock accidentally decks Saito and Keirn comes in and hits a nice monkey flip and a suplex. Cool spot as Heenan accidentally stomps Bock twice and then just resorts to a swat at Keirn to break up a fall. Keirn with a nice piledriver for a nearfall. Keirn piledrives Bock again but in the process falls back into the corner allowing Bock to get a limp tag off to Saito. Keirn ends up locking an ab stretch on Saito and Bock runs in to make the save but gets jumped by the other faces. Heenan takes this time to dive off with a cheapshot and there is a great nearfall for heels off of this and another good one after a Saito suplex. Bock comes in and goes for a revenge piledriver but Keirn reverses and Bock tags in Heenan in desperation. The Brain locks on a headlock but Keirn tags blind to Lane. Heenan gets shot into the rope and ends up getting hit with a double drop down into a double clothesline for the finish. Post-match Heenan is forced to put on a weasel suit and he is really great selling it as the height of humiliation and shame. Naturally the faces beat on them after this. This is almost complete and really for the type of match it is is damn near perfect.

 

Rick Martel v. Brad Rheingans

 

Rheingans floatover headlock reversal looked awesome as fuck. Awesome knuckle lock spot with Martel floating over with a cartwheel, building a Rheingans monkey flip, which Martel rolls through into a sunset flip. Martel tries to a hit monkey flip and Rheingans hits a round off out of it. We are seriously entering Steven Wright v. Tiger Mask territory here. Rheingans goes to work on the arm and I continue to be impressed with the greatness of Martel's selling of basic holds as he really knows how to build tension off of relatively simple stuff. Martel is also really good at mixing in hope spots off of this basic sort of mat work and is really awesome at it here. Loved them coming up and Rheingans hitting a nice shoulder, only for Martel to hit a great delayed body slam only to miss an elbow and then get dragged back down with a nice arm drag. Martel gets back to his feet and shoots off Rheingans and hits a really nice dropkick that Rheingans bumps huge for, followed by an overhead take down for a nearfall and now Martel has gone to the arm. Rheingans is a fucking beast here working like this is an amateur match as he floats into a bridge to try and alleviate the pressure. Rheingans gets back to his feet and they work in a nice roll up only for Martel to take him back down. Rheingans gets locked in a hammerlock and sells it lock it is the most painful experiences of his life. He gets up and shoots Martel into the rope and takes him down with a drop toehold which Martel sells like his testicles just got hit with a sledgehammer. Rheingans locks in a leg bar and slams Martel's leg down. Martel kicks off shooting Rheingans into the ropes, but Rheingans takes him back down with a nice double leg and goes back to work on the leg. Martel fights back to this feet and they do an awesome rope running spot where Martel avoids one drop toehold, but gets caught on the back end with another one. Rheingans goes for the spinning toehold but Martel kicks him face first into the top turnbuckle and hits a body slam and a backbreaker with him selling the effect of the backbreaker on his own leg. Slight flub on a cradle off of a rope running spot but I actually thought the lack of smoothness made it look more organic. Martel hits a reverse crossbody for a nearfall. Martel locks on an ab stretch and Rheingans does a really awesome slow motion escape, where he works a sort of Stretch Armstrong style transition into a really great gutwrench suplex for a nearfall. Both guys are pissed now and start pie facing each other on the collar and elbow tie up. Martel takes Rheingans down and hits a knee drop for a nearfall. Rheingans shoots Martel in and hits a back body drop for a nearfall. Martel hits a backslide off the ropes for a nearfall. Rheingans comes rushing in on a corner charge but bumps crotch first into the middle rope and really sells the fuck out of it. The ref tries to award the match to Martel when Rheingans can't get up but Martel refuses to take the win and goes to check on Rheingans. The selling of the finish is so great by Rheingans that you can almost forgive how lame it is and overall this is a great match with very little of substance lost to clipping. Possibly the best thing I've watched so far. Rheingans is going to be the Hoshino of AWA.

 

News HIghlights of AWA show.

 

Steve Regal v. Brad Rheingans.

 

JIP though i think it starts right at the jump with Regal jawing with local fans. Rheingans gets criticized by a lot of old timers as being colorless but he was right there to pick up on this and seemed to enjoy playing off of Regal's shit stirring. Rheingans throws always look good and his arm drag here was no exception. Regal ends up rolling on top and using the tights for some cheap early nearfalls. Rheingans is pretty adept at being place for the standard heel bits and works a really nice one armed suplex for a hope spot. Rheingans slams Regal down but misses a top rope knee. Unfortunately there is an edit here and we come back with a dropkick and gutwrench suplex win for Rheingans. What was shown was good stuff but to chopped up to nominate. Rheingans got more out of Regal than anyone else so far.

 

Tony Atlas v. Billy Robinson

 

Robinson takes over at the jump and tosses Atlas to the floor. This quickly turns into a badly of schtick with Robinson avoiding Atlas, offering up handshakes, et. and Atlas dancing around and doing butt bumps to break full nelsons. Robinson ends up working the neck and working some basic holds in between stalling spots. Robinson works a lot of repeat spots in this but there is really something to be set for how smartly he puts this match together against a very limited worker in Atlas. I even liked the finish with Atlas getting carried away and tossing Robinson over the top mid-comeback. Not a nomination but a good match all things considered.

 

Larry Zbyszko v. Jim Brunzell

 

Larry controls early and jaws throughout. Brunzell ends up making a mini-comeback with a nice headscissors but gets cut off and after escaping a piledriver attempt gets knocked to the floor. He come back in the ring pissed off and takes over with punches and goes to work on the leg. Larry almost immediately stops this with an eye rake but then misses a dropkick and gets his eyes raked. Brunzell goes back to the leg but Larry tries to reverse it into a cradle and Brunzell has to switch into a headlock. Brunzell with a quick nearfall and they go into a bit of a back and fourth before Brunzell hits his dropkick for the finish. This was a good little match that got better as it went along but even with the post-match Larry Z beatdown it doesn't feel like anything that anyone needs to see.

 

Fabulous Ones v. Mr. Saito/Nick Bockwinkel

 

Keirn almost immediately gets beat down and worked over by the heels. Really love Saito as the cheapshot man and he hit a nice Russian legsweep. Bock locks on a brutal looking sleeper that Keirn sells great and goes for a second attempt but Lane breaks it up from behind. Saito comes in and locks on one of his own and god damn is Keirn selling this thing. Saito's head gets driven into the top turnbuckle but Bock gets a quick tag and hold Keirn at bay. Really cool hot tag as Keirn goes hand over hand on the top rope with Bock holding him and just makes it. Lane is explosive as fuck leveling both heels with kicks and the place goes fucking nuts for him. Lane hits a Russian legsweep and then drags Bock over to his corner so Keirn can work over him which is a nice "what's good for the goose" spot. Lane flipping off Saito was amusing. Bock gets locked in a sleeper by Keirn, but Saito breaks it up. Saito locks in a Scorpion, but Lane breaks it up. Saito with a Saito suplex for a nearfall and then goes back to the Scorpion this time with Bock half way through the ropes ready to ward off Lane. Keirn reverse out of the Scorpion but Saito tags in to Bock who locks on a figure-four. Lane runs in and hits an elbow drop and then does an end run to get back in tag position but Saito cuts off Keirn. Keirn locks on an ab stretch but Lane distracts the ref as Saito comes off the top to break it with a big forearm. Saito and Keirn do a double knockdown spot coming off the ropes and they do a spot with Keirn falling to the floor and Lane sliding in his place to roll up Bock for the finish. This was somewhat different from a lot of tags of the period because the face shine segment came after a semi-lengthy FIP. Still this really worked well on just about every level and the finish was a clever way to give a top tag team a pinfall win over a World title level singles wrestler.

 

King Kong Brody v. Jerry Blackwell

 

Pretty sure we have this on one of the Blackwell disc but I'm watching this because it has a better camera angle. Khawk may need to step in and point to what is what as far as dates, but god damn is Blackwell's selling great in this. He gets busted open early on the ring post and the whole match is about his selling that damage. I mean Brody really sucks ass, but this camera angle captures all the intensity that Blackwell has really well and really shows you the full range his working as he is both bruising big man and vulnerable broken down man in the same match. Crowd is just insanely hot for his comeback spots and the look he gets when he fires up is so fucking awesome. I also really enjoyed Adnan in this as the guy who constantly has to save Brody. Problem here is that the finish is not really well caught as Brody was DQ'ed for Adnan interference but there is an edit that makes this unclear. Post-match rampage by Blackwell looked really fun here as well. This is much better from this ringside raw footage perspective.

 

News clips from St. Paul news.

 

Mr. Saito v. Tony Atlas

 

I admit I thought Atlas reversing Saito's bearhug into one of his own was kind of clever. Saito did a good job bumping around for Atlas and making him look good, but I almost felt bad for him when he had to sell a back round kick that barely touched his shoulder. Stupid finish as Saito gets DQ'ed for a karate thrust to Atlas throat. Press slam of Saito was fairly impressive.

 

Jimmy Garvin v. Tom Zenk

 

Precious and Garvin really work the place into a frenzy pre-match. I am not a Zenk fan here but he is fine here as a babyface, hits a nice dropkick, takes a really nasty looking hotshot bump, et. Hope spots in this were well timed and looked good. Garvin looks like he might have killed Zenk on the brainbuster finish. Nothing special but a perfectly respectable match.

King Kong Brody v. Jerry Blackwell

 

Khawk may need to step in and point to what is what as far as dates, but god damn is Blackwell's selling great in this.

This is the 9/30/84 St. Paul match, and was the initial Brody-Blackwell encounter after the June Battleroyal. Three-month build on TV almost every week for this one. This was also on the Blackwell-Brody feud disc which I think you reviewed, but that one would have been with the stationary camera angle. (Perhaps splicing the ending of the regular camera angle onto the end of this ringside footage would do it more justice? )

 

The "lights out" match which I believe you reviewed elsewhere is the match after this one, from October 1984 in St. Paul.

Blackjack Lanza & The Fabulous Ones (Steve Keirn & Stan Lane) vs. Nick Bockwinkel, Mr. Saito, & Bobby Heenan (9/9/84)

 

This is an important match because this is Heenan's last appearance on a St. Paul show before going to WWF. Bockwinkel just gets his ass kicked early and often here as all the faces take turns pounding on him before he crawls rapidly to tag Saito. Saito then tries to fight with the Fabs but they send him back to Bock although they want Heenan in the ring but he isn't coming in for now. Heenan being a wimp on the apron is great and then finally Keirn sneaks up on the apron right besides him and cleans his clock then pounds him on the floor before he gets a punch by Lanza back on the apron. Lanza would soon get cornered by the heels who were cheating like shit much to the chagrin of the Fabs who tried to run in and stop it but the referee would push them back. Heenan then tags in as Lanza is weakened but he comes back and throws Heenan in the corner who does his big bump and Lanza kicks ass until Heenan scurries to tag Bock back in so the heels can resume their control section. Lanza was pretty good here as the FIP selling the punishment and had some fun hope spots. Bock would then hit Saito who was holding Lanza by mistake so Lanza could get the hot tag to Keirn who runs wild on Bock. Kein would hit a sweet looking piledriver on Bock which got the fans nuts and then hit another one right in the heels corner so they raked his eyes before he could try a pin and Bock snuck a tag into Saito. Keirn would lock on an abdominal stretch and guys start running in which allows Heenan to climb up top and drops down on Keirn allowing Saito to turn the tide. Saito hits a nice Saito Suplex and tags Bock back in who tries to get a payback piledriver but Keirn backdrops him so Heenan gets in and the crowd goes wild as Lane sneaks in a tag with the Fabs hitting a double clothesline and gets the pin. This was really fun and Heenan was awesome here in his role. Since Heenan lost he was forced to wear the weasel suit which was fantastic and then the heels get beat up afterwards. Good stuff and moves forward easily.

 

AWA World Heavyweight Title: Rick Martel © vs. Brad Rheingans (9/9/84)

 

Now this should be interesting as we have a face vs. face matchup for the world title no less. This is a fantastic babyface match as both guys go all out in everything they do and it's not boring. The finish is interesting as Rheingans injures himself trying to smash Martel in the corner the problem was that he was supposed to crotch himself and it didn't work out like it was supposed to as he barely touched the turnbuckle. The fans saw this and booed as the match was stopped by Verne Gagne who was the referee here. The finish hurts this as a match but this was really solid stuff here and moves forward easily.

 

Brad Rheingans vs. Steve Regal (9/30/84)

 

Clipped up but pretty good.

 

Billy Robinson vs. "Mr. USA" Tony Atlas (9/30/84)

 

Atlas at this time was fresh off leaving WWF and Verne wanted him to schtick it up here which he did since Verne didn't know how to handle black wrestlers. Robinson was very good here leading Atlas along to a decent match as he forced him to work and not just bullshit around.

 

"Jumpin" Jim Brunzell vs. Larry Zbyszko (9/30/84)

 

Larry was good here and Brunzell was a game opponent but there wasn't anything special here other than just a good match.

 

The Fabulous Ones (Steve Keirn & Stan Lane) vs. Nick Bockwinkel & Mr. Saito (9/30/84)

 

Keirn gets dominated early here and the heels take turns beating his ass as they aren't going to let the Fabs embarrass them last the show 3 weeks earlier. Saito is really good working as the cheapshot artist on the apron then being a tough guy in the ring while Bock is solid as usual in everything. Keirn is really fun here as the FIP showing great fire in trying to make his way to Lane and then just overcomes Bock to get the tag as Lane runs wild using his educated feet to send the heels to the mat. Lane hits a nice russian legsweep for a nearfall before throwing him to Keirn who was on the floor who beat on him for a bit. Bock gets his ass kicked here as the Fabs show some of the Memphis intensity here on offense as they come in the ring willy nilly trying to keep Bock away from tagging Saito but they can't stop it from happening and Saito would come in immediately locking on the sasorigatame on Lane but Keirn runs in to stop it so Saito fires off a Saito Suplex in response. Saito eventually got the sasorigatame on Lane then Bock followed up with a figure-four but Keirn would run in again to stop it. Lane made his way to Keirn for the tag but the referee missed it and they did the abdominal stretch spot again this time with Saito coming off the top before we got a double collision. This allowed the Fabs to do a double switch with Keirn locking on the inside cradle on Bock to get the win. Great finish that they used in Memphis a lot and this was lots of fun. Nomination.

 

Crusher Blackwell vs. Bruiser Brody (9/30/84)

 

This is their first match in the Twin Cities after a hot angle and this is a wild brawl as Brody starts kicking ass with Blackwell being bloody which leads to a great Blackwell comeback as the fans are molten for the fairly new babyface Blackwell. Blackwell tees off on Brody so of course Adnan gets involved leading to Brody regaining the advantage as the crowd is going nuts for Blackwell wanting a comeback which he hulks up after a kick by Brody and goes back to war with some great headbutts a running smash sending Brody to the mat. Blackwell would miss a big elbow though and the crowd is going insane chanting Jerry as he again comes back with a vengeance before we get a clip to after the finish as Blackwell destroys Brody with a chair. Khawk said that we have a different version of this which I haven't seen that has the finish so we need that one spliced in here because this is a slam dunk nomination in my eyes. Blackwell was so fucking awesome here.

 

"Mr. USA" Tony Atlas vs. Mr. Saito (10/21/84)

 

Clipped and not that great.

 

"Gorgeous" Jimmy Garvin vs. Tom Zenk (10/21/84)

 

Garvin's Twin Cities debut and this is a pretty decent match as Zenk was still a rookie but did pretty well making Garvin look great.