The SmarK Rant for AWA Championship Wrestling – 02.27.88

The SmarK Rant for AWA Championship Wrestling – 02.27.88

Taped from Minot, ND

Your hosts are Rod Trongard and Donna Gagne

LAST WEEK: Curt Hennig successfully defends the AWA World title against Kevin Kelly, and we end up watching most of the match to eat up time on this show.

Kevin Kelly & Nick Kiniski v. Mike Smith & Daryl Olson

Madusa is wearing a flesh-colored bodysuit at ringside, which certainly draws the attention of the crowd and in fact some fans start a “Holy shit” chant in the front row. Olson works an armbar on Kiniski to start while Shawn Michaels joins us on commentary and even he’s transfixed by Madusa’s wardrobe choice tonight. Kelly comes in and works a hammerlock on Smith and they take Smith to the floor for some punishment. Back in, Nick with a back elbow and they work Smith over in the corner and it’s back to Olson. Kelly comes in with a slam that’s more of a toss, and Olson is forced to take the bump on his hip instead of his back, and Nick finishes with a piledriver at 4:20. 1 for 1 for Madusa’s outfit.

Meanwhile, Wahoo McDaniel joins Larry Nelson for a word backstage, and he’s got nothing in particular to talk about, so he just talks about how the AWA is great. The jury is out on that one. Also, Greg Gagne joins us to talk about all the offers he’s got across the country to defend his International TV title. Don’t tease me with Greg Gagne v. Mike Graham and then not deliver it, AWA!

Greg Gagne v. Mark Wagner

So we get an incredibly embarrassing spot to start, as Wagner immediately forgets his one shine spot and ends up running the ropes after a phantom whip while Gagne stands there rolling his eyes in the corner. I don’t even know how that made TV. Gagne takes him down and works the leg, but Wagner fights back in the corner, so Greg puts him down with the famous Gagne Chops and Gagne Dropkick, and the Gagne Sleeper finishes at 2:25. Thankfully he wakes him up afterwards, because if there’s one thing you know about Greg Gagne matches, it’s that they put you into a deep sleep and you might not wake up. Especially if you’re in them. 1 for 2.

Meanwhile, the Nasty Boys talk about how they’re the smelliest and loudest team in the AWA, but actually at this point they almost look kind of clean-cut compared to their later slobbish look.

Tom Zenk v. The Nomad

They get into a shoving match and Zenk wins that battle before taking the Nomad down with an armbar. I should note that the Nomad looks like a generic pudgy jobber in sweat pants and a mask, peak lazy AWA jobber gear. No clue who he is. He misses an elbow and Zenk finishes him off with a dropkick at 2:25, and I presume Nomad moseyed off to another town after that. 1 for 3.

Meanwhile, Tom Zenk joins Larry Nelson, and Larry thinks that Zenk has as much of a claim to challenge Curt Hennig as anyone. Disagree. Also, Zenk introduces his new partner, Ricky Rice, as Verne spent YEARS trying to get that guy over in a million ways with a million partners and never found anything that worked.

AWA World tag team title: The Midnight Rockers v. Adorable Adrian Adonis & The Bodyguard Ace Cowboy Bob Orton Jr

Man, poor Orton, as he finally broke away from the toxic relationship with Roddy Piper in 1986, found a fulfilling tag team partner in Magnificent Muraco, and then just ended up right back as a bodyguard again, for Piper’s arch-enemy! Marty dropkicks Bob into the corner for two and Shawn comes in with a side headlock and atomic drop into the corner. Marty with another headlock and Adonis tries to come in and break it up, so Marty does the headscissor takedown while holding the headlock. So Adonis grabs Marty and holds him for a shot from Orton, but that misses and the heels collide. Back to Shawn for another headlock on Orton, but Bob escapes with a backbreaker and Adonis comes in with a Demolition elbow and bulldog to take over. Shawn charges and runs into an elbow, doing a GREAT sell off that, and Orton hits him with a delayed suplex. Back to the corner for more punishment with Adonis slugging away while Shawn continues this amazing selling, and Orton chokes him out with the tag rope. Adonis drops knees on him for two and then we get a great spot where Adonis literally stands in front of Michaels to block the ref’s view while Bob gets a cheapshot on Shawn. Orton with a lariat and he slingshots Shawn into an Adonis clothesline, but Adrian hits knees with the big fat splash. But Shawn takes too long getting up and Adrian clips the knee to cut off the tag, allowing Orton to hit Shawn with a knee from the middle rope and drop an elbow for two. Adonis switches in with a fake tag and chokes out Shawn, who is incredible at drawing sympathy from the crowd, and a powerslam gets two. Adonis cuts off the ring and Orton takes the ref as we get the false tag to Marty, and of course Adonis tosses Shawn over the top rope for good measure. And then Adonis takes the ref and Orton clobbers Shawn into the post. Gorilla Monsoon would be yelling about how we need two refs by this point. Orton continues beating on Shawn on the floor while the kids in the front row freak out, and Adrian hauls him back in again. Blind charge misses and Shawn manages to slam Adonis, but he misses a splash of his own. Adonis cuts him off again with a backdrop driver (!) and Orton hits him with a neckbreaker and drops a fist off the middle rope as well, for two. Shawn finally whips Orton into the corner and crotches him on the top rope, having milked the crowd as far as he possibly can, and it’s HOT TAG Marty Jannetty. He runs wild, but Orton hauls him out and everyone brawls on the floor for the double countout at 15:45. Sadly lacking in a finish but this was a GREAT tag team match showcasing Shawn Michaels, somewhere around ****, and it’s well worth checking out on the Network. 2 for 4.

And Larry Nelson promises us another “blockbuster main event” next week as we’re out. This was a hell of a show by 1988 AWA standards and this Shawn Michaels kid shows some potential.