1. Iceman Parsons vs Terry Gordy

 

What we got was all sorts of awesome. Just not enough time. Bam Bam, brought the stiffness. He was just killing Parsons. I dug how Gordy would just murder Parsons and he would take a powder and sell his ass beating. This was great. Parsons was great in his role as slimeball champ here.

 

int: Jerry Lawler from Memphis

 

2. Jerry Lawler vs Kerry Von Erich

 

This has a big time feel to it. I dug the early work where Lawler was one step ahead of KVE. Lawler took some nice bumps off KVE punches. Eventually Kerry would soon beat Lawler to the punch. Lawler was tremendous at working the crowd. The crowd was hot to begin, but the way Lawler worked the crowd got it to super heated levels. This is a bout that any young worker could work move for move, but not get near the mileage Lawler and Kerry do. This had a lot of neat stuff in it, and it goes forward.

 

3. Super Black Ninja vs Vince Apollo

 

Squash. Muto looked great.

 

- highlights Samoan Swat Team vs Michael Hayes + Steve Cox

 

- Buddy Roberts w/ Samu promo

 

4. Eric Embry vs Kendall Windham

 

I thought this was fun. Both wrestlers looked sharp.I bought the nearfall from Embry as a fall. Overall, fun but not a nomination. I feel if these men get enough time they could put together a nomination worthy bout.

 

5. Samoan Swat Team vs Michael Hayes + Steve Cox - Memphis

 

JIP. Steve Cox is like a poorer version of Shane Douglas. Though he looked good in the FIP role here, plus he did a tope' in what is shown.

 

6. Ron Garvin vs Black Bart

 

The work here was agressive and snug. The crowd wasn't into it. This was solid but not a nomination.

 

7. Terry Gordy vs Botswana Beast

 

Gordy blades from the Beast's chops and bites. Beast's reaction to the blood was good. When Bam Bam took over the bout kicked it into high gear and became a fun brawl. Gordy was awesome as the big time ass kicker. This started out slow, but picked up steam. I'm going to throw it onto the nomination pile and see where it shakes out.

 

- Terry Gordy promo

 

8. Kerry Von Erich + Kendall Windham vs Iceman Parsons + Botswana Beast -Elimination match

 

This was alright. It also marked Eric Embry's face turn. Their was no logic here.Possible extra though.

 

9. Super Black Ninja vs Tony Torres, Vince Apollo, Bob Bradley, + Tom Jones - Cotton Bowl

 

Possible extra to show how early Muto was booked.

 

- highlights Kevin Von Erich vs Brian Adias - Cotton Bowl

 

- highlights Eric Embry vs Jeff Jarrett - Cotton Bowl

 

int: Kendo Nagasaki w/ Super Black Ninja

 

This was a fun angle and a possible extra. The interview blew.

 

int: Eric Embry; Skandar Akbar comes out and Embry floors him; Embry's face turn - Ft Worth

Another possible extra.

 

10. Blackjack Mulligan + Kendall Windham vs Iceman Parsons + Black Bart - Ft Worth

Part of the above angle.

 

- Samoan Swat Team attack Harvey Martin - Ft Worth

 

11. Samoan Swat Team vs Michale Hayes + Steve Cox - Hayes goes it alone as Cox was attacked earlier; cage match - Ft Worth

Terry “Bamm Bamm” Gordy vs. Iceman King Parsons (9/9/88)

 

Gordy is a freight train here just plowing through Iceman to begin the match before Iceman starts chopping him but Gordy fights back and hitting hard. Iceman once again is a great stooge stalling on the floor whining. Akbar would try to trip up Gordy forcing a distraction so Iceman could hit the Butt Butt sending him to the floor where Iceman would follow up posting him. Iceman would continue his advantage back in the ring before Gordy would reverse a piledriver to setup going for the Oriental Spike. Akbar would jump on the apron where Gordy would knock him off. Iceman would go for the Butt Butt again but Gordy would drop down forcing Iceman to fall and setting up another Oriental Spike before Botswana Beast would run in for the DQ. Gordy would then get double-teamed before making his own save and grabbing a steel chair to clear the ring. This was awesome stuff and should be on the set as an extra.

 

Lawler sends in a taped promo from Memphis with Lance Russell and this is extra material.

 

AWA World Heavyweight Title vs. World Class Heavyweight Title: Jerry “The King” Lawler © vs. “Modern Day Warrior” Kerry Von Erich © (9/23/88)

 

Funny seeing Percy Pringle doing the ring intros. Lawler is really hated now after what he did two weeks earlier. Lawler is in full Memphis stall mode here to start and he is a master of that genre even breaking out the Fargo strut. Lawler gets in some clotheslines before Kerry would fight back until he missed a springboard splash from the apron landing on Lawler’s knees. Lawler’s selling of Kerry’s punch was phenomenal as he bumped huge and dropped to the floor where he sold it like he got shot. Lawler wanting a fist fight with Kerry then taking a beating before crawling and running to John Keaton was fucking great. Kerry would get the iron claw on Lawler but he would get to the ropes forcing the break. Lawler would get the piledriver on Kerry but Kerry would no sell it coming back up throwing punches in bunches on Lawler who sold like crazy but Lawler would demand more before throwing his own. We would then get a slugfest with John Keaton being caught in the middle and getting punched by both men at the same time with Lawler asking Kerry to do it with him in a great spot. They kept punching away as the bell rang before the jobbers came out to break it up. Cheap ending but still a great match with Lawler being so fucking awesome and Kerry looking great. Frank Dusek would then declare both belts vacant afterwards with Lawler demanding he get his belt back. Definite nomination.

 

Super Black Ninja (Keiji Muto) vs. Playboy Vince Apollo (9/23/88)

 

Muto looks awesome here.

 

Akbar then cuts a promo about the upcoming Cotton Bowl show.

 

Then we get clips of Cox/Hayes taking the titles from SST on 9/16/88.

 

Kendall Windham vs. “Flamboyant” Eric Embry (9/23/88)

 

This was a very even match with both men trading the advantage fairly often and Embry was really looking good at this time period. The action would really heat up as Embry hit a piledriver on Windham but was too close to the ropes and he had a cocky pin attempt. Kendall would follow up with a DDT and a funky jumping clothesline nearly taking Embry’s head off. These two would continue countering everything until Windham finally locked in an inside cradle to get the win. The finish was sorta anti-climatic but the action was really solid. Embry then wants Kendall to come back in and shakes his hand before jumping him and walking away. This goes on the block.

 

“Hands of Stone” Ronnie Garvin vs. Black Bart (9/23/88)

 

These two had a feud 3 years earlier over the National title and they pick it up right where they left off as Garvin just chops the shit out of Bart. The crowd doesn’t know what to really think of Garvin as he was heeling in the AWA right after he left JCP where he turned on Dusty. Garvin throws his patented punches and working in his odd style which I loved. Bart would come back taking it right to Garvin with his hard hitting style until Garvin would fight back getting a nearfall with a cross body block off the top rope. There would be a double collision with Garvin soon playing possum forcing Bart into his Mulekicker but moved and cradled him up for the win. I loved this as both guys were beating each other’s ass and the cool finish. This goes on the block.

 

Botswana Beast vs. Terry “Bamm Bamm” Gordy (9/23/88)

 

Gordy comes in swinging a chain around sending the Beast scurrying out of the ring. Beast would attack Gordy at the bell going for his head even biting it forcing some blood that they would try to block out which was ridiculous. Gordy tries to fight back but the Beast keeps him grounded on the mat. Gordy would throw some bombs to make his comeback as the blood is streaming down his face before bodyslamming him. Gordy then becomes relentless in his attacks as they go on the floor where the slugfest would continue back into the ring. Gordy is tremendous here being an asskicker with the fans going nuts for him and starts swinging a steel chair after they go on the floor but the Beast would fight back until Bronko Lubich calls for the bell in a double countout. This was a hard hitting brawl as Gordy just a badass motherfucker. Easy nomination in my mind.

 

Elimination Match: Kerry & Kevin Von Erich, & Kendall Windham vs. Botswana Beast, Jimmy Jack Funk, & Iceman King Parsons (10/9/88)

 

Kevin isn’t there to start selling the injuries so it is a 3-on-2 brawl until Kerry & Kendall clears the ring out but Kerry would fall down after taking off his entrance attire looking stoned out of his mind. Funk would clear out making it 2-on-2. Kerry was really out of his mind as he got some slams on the heels before tagging out to Kendall visibly looking dazed and confused. Kerry doesn’t even stand in the corner but in the middle of the ring holding the ropes. Kendall would come in and got some offense in before being distracted by Akbar leading to Iceman getting a schoolboy on him to eliminate him thus making it Kerry against the other 2. Kerry is all alone fighting off the heels as Eric Embry jumps on the apron all of a sudden wanting to be the replacement partner for Kevin. Embry would tag himself in the ring and goes to war on the heels. The fans go apeshit for Embry working over the heels as Kerry would help with them hitting a double dropkick on Iceman. Embry’s face turn is in full effect now and we need to put this on as a definite extra.

 

Next is clips from the 10/15/88 Cotton Bowl show.

 

Kendo Nagasaki cuts a promo about why they hate Fritz Von Erich.

 

Next is the interview with Eric Embry in Fort Worth about his face turn and this is a definite extra as Embry gets the shit kicked out of him by Devastation Inc.

 

Then we get clips of the SST/Roberts attacking former Dallas Cowboys DE Harvey Martin who was doing color commentary until Hayes could make the save but as this happens, the SST attacked Cox with a steel chair.

 

Handicap Steel Cage Match for the World Class Tag Titles: Michael “PS” Hayes © vs. The Samoan Swat Team (10/17/88)

 

Cox is still hurt from the earlier attack so Hayes wants a member of the SST solo but with the belts on the line that the heels would decline so it becomes a handicap match. Hayes takes a serious beating here and bleeds all over the place but won’t quit and keeps coming for more. Bronko Lubich then decides that Hayes has had enough punishment and stopped the match to save Hayes and giving the SST the titles

Terry “Bamm Bamm” Gordy vs. Iceman King Parsons (9/9/88)

 

Really good short match that I agree belongs as an extra.

 

int: Jerry Lawler from Memphis

 

No LEGEND HEEL RUSSELL~! here, as even he seems a little ashamed of Jerry. Extra.

 

“Hands of Stone” Ronnie Garvin vs. Black Bart (9/23/88)

 

Sure, the striking was cool, but I also really dug Garvin going all IWRG with his matwork and hold exchanges. Black Bart has really been a disappointment on these discs so far, but he came up pretty big here. He was throwing some bombs and reacting really well to Garvin's unorthodox approach. I'll second this as a low-end nomination.

 

Super Black Ninja vs Tony Torres, Vince Apollo, Bob Bradley, + Tom Jones - Cotton Bowl

 

I think we have more compelling examples than this of how early Muto was booked. I'd rather include one of his squashes with Jim Richardson or Vince Apollo as an extra than this.