Cory's USWA

[victoryroll84]

Looking forward to your Derby City Stampede card Cory!

Mr. Hughes may be in tough versus the American Dragon

Always a fantastic read

[Cory Olson]

Thanks to Victory Roll for the comments!

April 23, 2018
Card #542: Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Coliseum in Evansville

1) Ray “The Crippler” Stevens and Greg “The Hammer” Valentine were victorious in the opener over “The Anarchist” Arik Cannon and Cecil Hedge. Hedge is a 420-pounder from Missouri who was making his USWA debut with the PBR drinker Cannon. Cannon and Valentine started off the bout for their respective teams and Cannon looked like he could get the win for his team. He agreed to tag to Hedge, who tried his best but was outclassed by “The Hammer.” Stevens tagged in and blasted Hedge with a dropkick. Stevens went up to the top and hit the Bombs Away to score the pinfall after 3.5 minutes, while Valentine stopped Cannon from a save. The First Family of Wrestling team is now 7-1, with their only loss coming via disqualification. DUD

2) “The Monday Night Messiah” Tyler Black scored an impressive pinfall on Brad Armstrong in about four minutes. This was a competitive, albeit brief, match. Armstrong surprised Black with a sleeper about 90 seconds into the bout but Black got to the ropes. Black took control when Armstrong attempted a charge into the corner by blocking him with a knee to the face. Black stayed in control, tossing Armstrong out of the ring and hitting a suicide dive. Black returned to the ring, while bodyguard Luke Harper tossed Armstrong back inside. Black hit a thunderous power bomb into the buckles and then covered Armstrong to score the pinfall. Black scored a strong win tonight, as he awaits a shot at the Southern title! *¾

3) “The Fabulous” Jackie Fargo debuted in the USWA and scored a pinfall on George South in four minutes. The Evansville fans gave Fargo a big ovation. Fargo is largely a brawler and used those skills against South. South surprised him by ducking a haymaker and rebounding off the ropes with a neckbreaker drop for a two-count. South missed a clothesline and Fargo caught him with a body slam to score a near fall. South got back to his feet but was down again quickly, as Fargo hit his atomic drop to get the victory. As the fans cheered Fargo, he performed his Fabulous Fargo Strut! **

4) Baron Von Raschke was the victor over “The Road Dogg” Brian Armstrong by countout. This was a very competitive match between these two. It looked like former Mid-America champion Armstrong might score a big win, as he had Von Raschke in trouble and scored near falls after a DDT and a Shake, Rattle, and Roll knee drop. “The Clawmaster” took control and scored a two-count of his own after an atomic drop. Armstrong battled back and whipped Von Raschke into the corner, but the German grappler reversed the whip, and sent Armstrong in hard, as he hit the buckles and flipped to the arena floor. Von Raschke diverted Tom Branch’s attention, while Doctor X and Mad Dog Vachon (dressed in suits, since neither was schedule to wrestle on this card) made a surprise appearance at ringside. They executed a double suplex on “The Road Dogg” on the arena floor. Branch turned around, as X and Vachon moved away, and saw Armstrong on the floor. He counted him out of the ring and declared Von Raschke the winner after 12 minutes of action! Bob and Brad Armstrong came down to check on Brian and indicated to the rulebreakers that they will see them all in the ring at Derby City Stampede! ***

5) Ivan Koloff and Mr. Saito were victorious over The Uptown Boys in eight minutes. The first few minutes were back-and-forth action with all four men tagging into the bout. The House of Humperdink trapped Marty Jannetty in the ring and kept him in for the remainder of the match. Saito was the legal man and took Jannetty to the House of Humperdink’s corner, where they double teamed him, as Ric McCord tried to intervene but was stopped by Sam Platania. Koloff tagged in when Platania was looking. Saito sent Jannetty into the ropes and Koloff hit the Russian Sickle in the center of the ring. McCord went for a save but didn’t need to, as Jannetty kicked out at 2¾. The former USWA champion continued the attack, hitting a knee drop off the top rope, landing right on Jannetty’s face and busting him open. He went for another cover but again the Georgian kicked out. Koloff tagged back to Saito, who locked Jannetty in the Scorpion Leglock in the center of the ring. McCord went for a save but was stopped by “The Russian Bear.” A bloodied Jannetty was forced to tap out. It was an impressive display of teamwork by the House of Humperdink duo! **¾

6) King Kong Bundy scored a controversial countout win over The Patriot. The Patriot was fired up in this one, wanting revenge for Bundy costing him the World Heavyweight title two weeks ago in Knoxville. Bundy hit the Atlantic City Avalanche twice but the masked American managed to kick out both times. The Patriot fought back and hit the Patriot Missile but Bundy kicked out. Suddenly, World Heavyweight champion Harley Race appeared at ringside with Jimmy Hart. Bundy reversed a whip into the ropes and tossed the Patriot over the top rope. “The Mouth of The South” distracted Tommy Marlin, while Race attacked Patriot and hit the piledriver on the arena floor! Marlin turned around and saw the Patriot out and counted him out of the ring, giving Bundy the win after eight minutes! As the First Family members returned to the locker room, “Hot Stuff” Eddie Gilbert came out of the back to check on his ally and help him to the back. **

7) “Wildfire” Tommy Rich picked up an impressive pinfall win over “The Unpredictable” Johnny Rodz. It took Rich only about 90 seconds to catch Rodz in the sleeper and put him out for the submission. The Evansville fans gave Rich a big ovation for his first match in their city! DUD

8) World Heavyweight champion Harley Race defeated two-time former champion “The Gamesmaster” Kevin Sullivan in a non-title grudge match. Sullivan started off the aggressor in the bout. He was able to pull out brass knuckles and use them three separate times on Race, eventually busting him open. He tossed the knuckles to Sir Oliver Humperdink, who put them back in his jacket. Sullivan hit a running forearm and the double foot stomp for near falls. Race took over in a brawl outside the ring. He hit the piledriver and went for a cover but Humperdink put Sullivan’s foot on the bottom rope. Jimmy Hart saw this and yelled at Humperdink through the megaphone. Race continued the attack and hit the vertical suplex but only got a two-count. He hit another piledriver a few moments later and scored the pinfall after 26 minutes of intense action. Race seems ready to defend his World title against the Patriot on May 4! ****½

9) Colt “Boom Boom” Cabana drew first blood on “Scrap Iron” Adam Pearce in a First Blood Match that was also match #3 in the Seven Levels of Hate series. This was a physical brawl with both wrestlers trying to bust open the other while the opponent had to defend any strikes or attacks that could lacerate him. Each man used his primary finisher at one point, with Cabana hitting the Colt .45 and Pearce using the jumping piledriver. Obviously, given the rules of the match, they couldn’t score pinfalls with the moves but they used them to try to weaken each other and make each other prone to being beaten on and bloodied. Cabana at one point, rammed Pearce into the ring post outside the ring to try and draw blood. Pearce was clean and rallied back, later using Jim Cornette’s tennis racquet on the host of The Art of Wrestling to try to do the same. Late in the match, Pearce whipped Cabana into the ropes and went for a big haymaker but Cabana ducked, and rebounded off the ropes with a flying hip attack, knocking down Pearce. Cabana stayed in control and whipped Pearce into the ropes, blasting him with a Thesz Press on the return. He stayed on top of Pearce and punched away at him with stiff right hands. Tommy Marlin stepped in and noticed that Pearce was wearing the “crimson mask.” He called for the bell after 16 minutes and awarded the bout to Cabana, who stared down Cornette and Southern champion Mr. Hughes at ringside! With the win, Cabana regains the lead in the series, 2-1. ***

10) The USWA Southern Heavyweight champion Mr. Hughes and Jim Cornette were back after intermission for the main event. Hughes made his first defense of the Southern title against two-time former champion and the man he defeated for the belt last month in Jackson—“American Dragon” Bryan Danielson. Going into this match, Hughes held three pinfall victories over “Dragon.” The challenger wasn’t intimidated by the champion, as he went after Hughes right at the bell. He had the big man dazed and came off the top with a missile dropkick. Danielson kipped up and went for a cover but Cornette’s bodyguard kicked out. Hughes rolled out of the ring for a breather but Danielson attacked him, hitting two suicide dives in a row, the second one knocking Hughes hard into the guard railing. Danielson tossed Hughes back in the ring but before he could continue his attack, Cornette grabbed Danielson’s leg, distracting him momentarily. The challenger stayed in control and knocked Hughes out of the ring with a clothesline. He then dove off the ring apron with a jumping knee smash. Hughes was almost counted out but with “The Louisville Slugger’s” help, returned to the ring by the count of eight. Hughes briefly regained control and whipped Danielson into the corner. “Dragon” had the wherewithal to run up the buckles, backflip over the Southern champion, and send him crashing head-first into the buckle. Hughes was busted open. Before Danielson could capitalize, Cornette cracked him in the back of the head the tennis racquet, which allowed Hughes to take over. Hughes hit three backbreakers in a row and went for a cover but Danielson kicked out. The bodyguard sent his challenger into the ropes and hit the spike slam. He covered Danielson but again “Dragon” kicked out. Hughes looked on his way to his fourth victory over Danielson when attempted a dropkick. Danielson dodged the attack and Hughes crashed hard to the mat. Hughes got up to his knees and Danielson swarmed in, blasting him with a series of roundhouse kicks, as the Evansville fans chanted “yes” with each strike. Danielson nailed one more roundhouse kick to the head, knocking out Hughes. Danielson covered him and scored the pinfall after 10 minutes. Tom Branch called for the bell and awarded Danielson the Southern Heavyweight title for the third time! The Evansville fans erupted! Danielson was joined in the celebration by Colt Cabana, the Armstrongs, and several other fan favorites! (With the win, Danielson now shares the third-place spot for most Southern Heavyweight title reigns, with three, along with Gorgeous George, The Sheik, and “Hot Stuff” Eddie Gilbert. In second place is The Iron Sheik with four reigns and in first is Steve “Dr. Death” Williams with eight!) ***½

[TTX]

Always great to see Jackie Fargo doing his thing.

Not surprising that Danielson quickly bested Hughes

Nice to see Cabana and Pearce matching up.

[victoryroll84]

Great to see the Baron get a win

And congrats to Danielson for winning the Southern Title!

Excellent as always Cory

[Pariah]

Boom Boom reclaims the lead in the Seven Levels of Hate... Ouch! Hoping that good ol' Scrap Iron can even the score again when they meet in round round four of this apocalyptic series.

Very cool that Danielson has gold around his waist once again... And I really enjoyed Jackie Fargo's debut... Fun stuff, my friend... As always!

[cruefan68]

Very cool to see Bryan Danielson regain the Southern Heavyweight title from Mr. Hughes. The Harley Race-Kevin Sullivan match was great, and I also am psyched to see Jackie Fargo show up. The USWA continues to be the standard bearer.

[Cory Olson]

Thanks to Troy, Victory Roll, Pariah, and Crue Fan for the comments!

Highlights from USWA Championship Wrestling on April 28:
• In addition to announcing the final matches for Derby City Stampede (see preview below), Commissioner Teddy Long announced more matches for the May 14 card at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Long announced:
o The winners of the USWA World Tag Team title match at the Stampede between The Flying Redheads and The Toloses won’t have long to rest, as they will defend against former champions Brad and Brian Armstrong 10 days later in the main event of this card!
o The fourth match-up in the Seven Levels of Hate series will take place on this card. Colt “Boom Boom” Cabana currently leads over “Scrap Iron” Adam Pearce, 2-1. Their match-up in Memphis will be a Dog Collar Match! This will be the second Dog Collar Match in USWA history!
o “Superstar” Bill Dundee will be out for revenge when he takes on the now-former Southern Heavyweight champion Mr. Hughes, one-on-one! Hughes interfered in Dundee’s match with “Exotic” Adrian Street last month in Jackson, causing Dundee to hit the arena floor, get counted out, and get a concussion. Dundee hopes to get a big win over Jim Cornette’s bodyguard!

It’s the fourth annual Derby City Stampede, coming from the Horse Show Pavilion at the Kentucky State Fairgrounds in Louisville, on Friday, May 4, the night before the fastest two minutes in sports—the Kentucky Derby! Here is the card line-up from beginning to end!

Jackie Fargo vs. Larry Sharpe
“The Fabulous” Fargo had a successful debut against George South on the last card in Evansville. He cannot underestimate the “Pretty Boy,” who has scored big wins in the past. Can Fargo beat the New Jerseyan?

Billy Gunn vs. Tyler Black
Black has been very successful since donning the “Monday Night Messiah” nickname. He and Gunn are very familiar with each other, after their tag team feud in 2015 and ’16 with the New Age Outlaws against the Age of the Fall. Who will win this big singles bout?

The Uptown Boys vs. Ray Stevens & Greg Valentine
Jimmy Hart’s team of “The Crippler” and “The Hammer” have been impressive since teaming up in February. This will likely be their toughest challenge to date, as Marty Jannetty and Ric McCord have an impressive win-loss record. The Uptown Boys have scored many of their wins in quick fashion, keeping one member of the opposing team in the ring for the entire time. The First Family of Wrestling team could be favored if the match goes longer. Which team will triumph?

15-Man Battle Royal
(Winner will challenge Pepper Gomez for the USWA Mid-America Heavyweight title on May 28 at Engel Stadium in Chattanooga.)
Commissioner Teddy Long is giving these grapplers a huge opportunity, as seven of the competitors have never challenged for any USWA championship! On the April 28 edition of Championship Wrestling, the full line-up was announced:
1. Luke Harper
2. Tom Prichard
3. Chris Candido
4. “The Anarchist” Arik Cannon
5. Hillbilly Jim
6. “Special Delivery” Jones
7. “Soul Train” Jones
8. Jake “The Milkman” Milliman
9. “Sodbuster” Kenny Jay
10. “Dastardly” Danny Doring
11. The Amish RoadKill
12. Nacho Barrera
13. Johnny Rodz
14. George South
15. A surprise competitor (As part of his new talent initiative, Commissioner Long announced that there will be a mystery entrant, who will be making his first appearance in the USWA in the hopes of making a big impact and capturing gold quickly!)
Dave Brown reviewed the rules of a Battle Royal from the WMC-TV Studios:
I. All the participants start in the ring at the same time.
II. No managers, valets, or other non-participants are allowed at ringside during the match.
III. Two referees will be stationed outside the ring during this bout to determine when a wrestler is eliminated.
IV. There are no disqualifications, countouts, pinfalls or submissions in this match. The only way a wrestler is eliminated is by being thrown over the top rope to the floor. Both of the wrestler’s feet must touch the floor. The last wrestler left will be the winner and will challenge Pepper Gomez for the Mid-America Heavyweight title on May 28 in Chattanooga.
It will be interesting to see how tag teams like the Joneses, The Heavenly Bodies, or Doring and RoadKill function; if they work together or turn on each other! Who will outlast 14 other wrestlers and go on to challenge for the Mid-America title?

Bryan Danielson & Colt Cabana vs. Adam Pearce & Mr. Hughes
The war between Danielson and Cabana and Jim Cornette’s men continues! With the fan favorites getting big wins on the last card in Evansville, with Cabana beating Pearce in a First Blood Match as part of their Seven Levels of Hate series and Danielson regaining the Southern Heavyweight title from Hughes, Cornette’s men will come out fighting in “The Louisville Slugger’s” hometown! Wrestling experts have to wonder what condition Cabana and Pearce will be in following their first three grueling matches and with a Dog Collar Match in Memphis 10 days later. Can “Dragon” and the host of The Art of Wrestling defeat “Scrap Iron” and Cornette’s bodyguard or will Cornette’s men pull off the win?

Tommy Rich vs. Hugh Morrus
“Wildfire” has been impressive in his first few outings in the USWA. He will have a tough opponent in the laughing man, who has built up an impressive win-loss record. Can the popular Rich defeat Morrus or will the man from the Isle of Nowhere pull off the big upset?

Bob, Brad, & Brian Armstrong vs. Doctor X, Mad Dog Vachon, & Baron Von Raschke
The rulebreakers have given “Bullet” Bob some headaches this year, so Bob called in his sons to even up things. This should be an interesting six-man tag team bout!

Bill Dundee vs. Adrian Street
Dundee has had some frustrating battles with Jim Cornette’s men in 2018, most notably the “Exotic One,” who has two wins over the “Superstar,” thanks to Cornette and Mr. Hughes. Dundee will be returning from a concussion caused by Hughes in his last match with Street and you can bet he will come out fighting! Can Dundee get his first win over the two-time former Southern champion or will Street go 3-0?

Tommy & Eddie Gilbert vs. Kevin Sullivan & Sir Oliver Humperdink
Another long-running feud will continue. The most recent chapter took place during a singles match between Tommy and “The Gamesmaster” a few weeks ago in Jonesboro where Eddie and Humperdink got involved. The Gilberts and Sullivan are all capable competitors but Humperdink may be the wildcard in this one! Who will leave Louisville the winners?

Jimmy Valiant vs. Freddie Blassie
(No-Disqualification Match)
This battle really started in the main event of New Year’s Knockout XIII back in 2016 in this same city where Valiant defended the World Heavyweight title against the then-Southern champion Blassie. These two have had several bouts since then, including Blassie bringing in the Tolos Brothers last August to ambush Valiant. The bouts between these two have been wild ones, which is why Commissioner Long put in the stipulations of no disqualifications and no countouts in this match. Will it be “The Boogie Woogie Man” or “The King of Men” getting the win?

The Flying Redheads vs. John & Chris Tolos
(USWA World Tag Team Championship)
These teams have had some competitive bouts and with the World Tag Team titles at stake, you can bet that this will be a hot one! The champions have been undefeated since reuniting last summer and captured the titles from the Armstrong Brothers in March in Nashville. The Toloses were supposed to receive a rematch against then-champions the Heavenly Bodies in February but Commissioner Long delayed that shot as punishment for their attack on “The Boogie Woogie Man” “Handsome” Jimmy Valiant (along with “Classy” Freddie Blassie) in January in Knoxville. The Toloses twice came to defeating the Bodies for the titles but they have yet to defeat the Redheads. Will new champions be crowned or will the Redheads keep up their winning streak?

Harley Race vs. The Patriot
(Main Event—USWA World Heavyweight Championship; Ed “Strangler” Lewis as Special Guest Referee)
These two men have traded the World title twice since March, with Race’s recapturing last month in Knoxville involving a pre-match attack by King Kong Bundy. To try and ensure a fair match-up and to keep an eye on ringside antics, Commissioner Long assigned Louisvillian “Strangler” Lewis to be the referee. “Hot Stuff” Eddie Gilbert announced on Championship Wrestling that he plans to be in the Patriot’s corner from the start of the bout also as a way to keep an eye on Jimmy Hart and the First Family of Wrestling. Can the masked American regain the gold or will Race hold on to the title?

That’s Derby City Stampede 2018, coming your way on Friday, May 4! Get your tickets now!

[victoryroll84]

A stacked card for sure!

Looking forward to the battle royale & who wins versus Blassie and BWM!

[Cory Olson]

Thanks to Victory Roll for the comments!

Derby City Stampede 2018
May 4, 2018
Card #543: Horse Show Pavilion at Kentucky State Fairgrounds in Louisville

1) “The Fabulous” Jackie Fargo kicked off this supercard with a pinfall win in three minutes over “Pretty Boy” Larry Sharpe. Fargo got a big welcome from the fans in Louisville, many of whom were traveling in from all parts of the world for this supercard and the Kentucky Derby the next day. Fargo largely dominated Sharpe, using brawling skills in and out of the ring to control things. He hit a body slam and dropped down into a parallel cover to score the pinfall. A Fargo Strut after the bell brought the fans to their feet! DUD

2) Even though it was Friday night, “The Monday Night Messiah” Tyler Black scored an impressive pinfall on Billy Gunn. Black attacked his former rival strong at the bell, going for a quick schoolboy roll-up in the first few seconds of the match to try and score a quick pin. Gunn fought back and had control for a few moments, hitting a knee lift for a near fall of his own. Black regained control, surprising Gunn with a reverse STO into the turnbuckle and earning a two-count. He followed up with a flying forearm in the corner for another two-count before finally putting Gunn down with a jumping stomp to the back of the head (a move Black is calling the Curb Stomp). Black scored the pinfall in six minutes and looked impressive! **½

3) Ray “The Crippler" Stevens and Greg “The Hammer” Valentine earned a hard-fought victory over The Uptown Boys in 18 minutes. It looked as if the Uptown Boys would give the First Family of Wrestling team their first decisive loss, as Marty Jannetty scored a near fall early in the bout on Stevens after a superkick. Ric McCord tagged in and hit the flying body press for another near fall. Stevens finally tagged to Valentine and the rulebreakers slowed down the pace, working over McCord for a few minutes. Stevens was the legal man and came off the top rope with a double sledge. McCord was ready, sidestepped him, and blasted Stevens with a big punch to the face! McCord was hurting but had the energy to tag Jannetty. Jannetty entered and immediately hit the Rocker Dropper, which busted open “The Crippler’s” nose. Jannetty went for a cover but Jimmy Hart distracted Paul Morton. Stevens was able to recover and tag “The Hammer.” The rulebreakers trapped Jannetty in the ring for the remainder of the bout. Valentine stomped on Jannetty’s leg outside of the ring, then tossed him back in and applied the figure-four leglock. Jannetty was trapped but managed to make the ropes for a break. Stevens tagged back in and hit the Bombs Away. McCord made a pin save but Valentine was there to counter him. The two brawled outside the ring, while Stevens went up top again and hit a second Bombs Away to score the pinfall on Jannetty. It was an impressive win by the First Family team! ****

4) “Dastardly” Danny Doring came out the upset winner of the 15-man Battle Royal to earn a shot at Pepper Gomez and the USWA Mid-America Heavyweight title on May 28 in Chattanooga! Before the participants were introduced, Gomez came to the ring in a fine suit, holding the Mid-America title belt, and sat ringside with Lance Russell and Dave Brown to scout his potential challengers. The 14 wrestlers who had been announced on Championship Wrestling were introduced first by Gary Michael Cappetta. Then the 15th mystery entrant was announced as “Lightning” Rod Fenton! Fenton has made his name in West Coast promotions such as Pacific Northwest Wrestling (PNW), Big Time Wrestling (BTW) of San Francisco, and the World Wrestling Association (WWA) of both Los Angeles and the Indianapolis areas. He is a technical wrestler but will easily bend the rules when needed!

In an interesting bit of USWA history, S.T. Jones and Chris Candido were involved in the first elimination. Candido won a 12-man Battle Royal at New Year’s Knockout VI in Dallas in 2009 by last eliminating S.T. (then known as Virgil) to earn a shot at the USWA Texas title. After some back and forth, including both men’s tag team partners getting involved, "Soul Train" tossed out Candido in a bit of surprise!

“The Anarchist” Arik Cannon was out shortly thereafter, having been double teamed and eliminated by Doring and The Amish RoadKill.

Despite a valiant effort by “Sodbuster” Kenny Jay, he was eliminated about a minute later after a reversal into the ropes by Doring.

Jay’s tag team partner Jake “The Milkman” Milliman scored a surprise elimination by tossing out Dr. Tom Prichard about 30 seconds later! Prichard seemed the most surprised by this, as the fans berated him!

Luke Harper quickly eliminated S.D. Jones with the big boot, sending “Special Delivery” over the top rope and to the arena floor!

Hillbilly Jim pounced on Harper, nailing him with a big boot of his own. He stayed on top of the former Mid-America champion and nailed him with an elbow smash, which knocked Harper over the top rope to the arena floor!

Rivals Nacho Barrera and George South battled it out, with the Mexican grappler prevailing and tossing out South.

“The Unpredictable” Johnny Rodz lived up to his “Unpredictable” moniker by shocking the world and tossing out Fenton! Fenton had Rodz in trouble near the ropes and went for a big forearm smash but Rodz ducked and backdropped Fenton over the top rope and to the floor! Fenton was outraged by being eliminated rather quickly.

Jim had “The Angry Amish Warrior” in trouble and almost eliminated him but Doring came to the save with a dropkick to Jim’s back. Jim tumbled over the ropes, while RoadKill managed to land on the apron, rolled under the bottom rope, and stay in the match, while Jim was eliminated.

Doring stayed on a hot streak, eliminating “Soul Train” with a superkick that knocked Jones over the ropes and to the floor.

Rodz and Barrera double teamed “The Milkman.” It looked like Milliman was in trouble but he surprised Barrera with a head butt and then tossed him out!

Milliman looked close to eliminating Doring but RoadKill came to the rescue. He attacked Milliman and hit a big clothesline, sending Milliman over the top and out of the match.

Doring and RoadKill continued to function as a team and wore down Rodz. Doring hit the Danaconda off the top, then picked up Rodz off the mat, and eliminated him.

It was down to the two partners Doring and RoadKill as the last men in the match! The crowd buzzed waiting to see what would happen. RoadKill seemed confused and ready to share the victory but as he turned his back, Doring nailed him from behind with a double sledge. The crowd booed the “Dastardly One”! RoadKill fought back and had the crowd on his side. It looked like he might get the big win but Doring surprised him with the Bareback, which dazed “The Angry Amish Warrior.” He stumbled near the ropes, where Doring was able to toss him over the top and win the match after 25 minutes! As Doring got his hand raised, he offered his apologies to RoadKill, stating it was every man for himself. RoadKill seemed fine with the apology. Doring also stared down Gomez at ringside and said he would see him in 24 days for the Mid-America title! **¾

5) Jim Cornette’s team of “Scrap Iron” Adam Pearce and Mr. Hughes scored a victory over their rivals Southern Heavyweight champion “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson and Colt “Boom Boom” Cabana. Cornette and his team entered the arena first, with Cornette dressed like a Kentucky colonel, as he has done for past Stampedes! His hometown fans did not welcome him home! The fan favorites but as they entered the ring and before Gary Michael Cappetta could finish his introduction, they were attacked by Pearce and Hughes. Pearce stayed in the ring with “Dragon,” while Hughes took Cabana to the floor. Pearce hit the jumping piledriver on the Southern champion about two minutes into the match but Danielson managed to kick out. Hughes tagged in and hit the spike slam for another two-count. Danielson finally made the tag to the host of The Art of Wrestling. He took control on the bodyguard and tagged back to Danielson. Danielson caught the big man in the guillotine choke. Hughes managed to power his way to the ropes for a break. Hughes and Pearce took control on Danielson and double teamed him for a few minutes, with Pearce hitting a swinging neckbreaker for a two-count. Pearce punched away at Danielson, while Hughes held him from the apron, busting open Danielson. Hughes came back in and sent “Dragon” into the ropes. He went for a big boot but the Southern champ slid underneath, then tripped Hughes’s legs. He immediately went for the LeBell Lock but Hughes scrambled for the ropes. Danielson got Hughes in his and Cabana’s corner and tagged “Boom Boom.” Danielson helped Cabana lift Hughes up so he could hit the Colt .45. Cabana went for a cover but Pearce saved his partner. Danielson tagged back in a few moments later. With Hughes down on the mat, Danielson came off the top with a diving head butt, busting open the former Southern champ. Danielson was dazed himself but managed to make a cover. However, Cornette distracted fellow Louisvillian Joe Wheeler from making the count. Danielson briefly went after “The Louisville Slugger” but returned to the ring. The distraction was enough for Hughes to recover and take control. He tagged back to Pearce, who again focused the attack on Danielson’s neck, hitting a hangman’s neckbreaker for another near fall. Pearce stayed on the offensive and hit another jumping piledriver. He covered Danielson and scored the pinfall on the Southern Heavyweight champion while Hughes stopped Cabana from making a save. Cornette’s team was victorious after 20 minutes but it still didn’t sway the crowd in the manager’s favor! ****½

6) “Wildfire” Tommy Rich got a countout victory over Hugh Morrus in 10 minutes. The laughing man gave Rich a challenge, even getting him down on the mat and hitting No Laughing Matter. He went for a cover but Rich kicked out. Rich dodged an attack and got Morrus up in an airplane spin. He dropped Morrus and went for a cover but only got two. Morrus reversed a whip into the ropes and caught Rich on the rebound with a spinebuster to score another near fall. With the crowd behind him, Rich fired up and fought back. He blasted Morrus with a series of punches near the ropes. He finished off with one final big right hand, which sent Morrus over the top rope and to the floor. Sir Oliver Humperdink tried to help his man back into the ring but couldn’t beat Scott Bowden’s count. While it might not have been the type of win Rich would have wanted, the fans gave him a big ovation for the victory! **¾

7) Doctor X, Mad Dog Vachon, and Baron Von Raschke were victorious in a wild six-man tag team match over Bob, Brad, and Brian Armstrong via disqualification in a controversial ending after 26 minutes. Brad and Vachon started off the bout for their teams. The Algerian brawler had control but missed a knee drop and Brad tagged his brother. It was “The Road Dogg” against the Mad Dog and Brian had the advantage, as he dropped Vachon throat-first onto the middle ropes and then hit a rope straddle (similar to Vachon’s Mad Dog Pounce). Brian hit a second straddle for good measure, then pulled Vachon off the ropes and went for a cover but Vachon kicked out. “Bullet” Bob tagged in and worked over Vachon. Vachon managed to tag the masked Doctor X. X worked over Brad’s leg for a few minutes but was unable to apply the figure-four. Von Raschke tagged in for the first time a few moments later. He was going at it with Bob when the “Bullet” went up the ropes. He came off with the Georgia jawjacker. Von Raschke sidestepped him and caught him as he landed in the brain claw! Bob started to drop but Brian made a save to break up the claw. Vachon tagged back in and hit the piledriver on Bob but the Armstrong patriarch kicked out. X came back in and beat on Bob in the rulebreakers’ corner. Vachon pulled out some type of object and placed it into X’s mask. X delivered a loaded head butt to “Bullet” Bob, just as he did when interfered in Bob’s match with “The Clawmaster” back in March in Lexington. X made a cover but Bob kicked out at 2¾! The fans went wild at Bob surviving the illegal tactics. Bob finally tagged to Brian, who executed the pump handle slam on X. He went for a cover but X got a foot on the bottom rope. A few minutes later, Bob and the Baron were the legal men again when Bob nailed the jawjacker. He went for a cover but Vachon broke up the pinfall. Brian tagged back in but Von Raschke took over, hitting a running knee smash to score a near fall. Mad Dog tagged back in against “The Road Dogg” but Brian cut him off. He took him to the Armstrongs’ corner and set him on the top rope. He went for a superplex but before he could hit it, X came in to break it up. Bob came in and took the masked man to the floor. Brian tagged his brother and the two double teamed Vachon. They lost track of Paul Morton’s count, as they blasted Vachon in the face with a double dropkick, busting him open. Morton’s count hit five and he disqualified the Armstrongs for double teaming. The Louisville fans were not happy about this result but the rulebreakers definitely were! ***¾

8) “Exotic” Adrian Street scored another controversial win over “Superstar” Bill Dundee. Street had Jim Cornette and Mr. Hughes in his corner, as usual. Hughes had his forehead bandaged up under his sunglasses from his own tag team match earlier on the card and did not have his full suit on, just wearing the shirt, tie, and pants. Dundee looked fully recovered from his concussion, as he was aggressive in the first few minutes. He tried to put Street out with a sleeperhold but the “Exotic One” made the ropes. Street took control and caught Dundee in the crucifix but Dundee kicked out. Dundee fought back and hit a flying fist drop for a two-count. Street tried to get a breather outside the ring but Dundee followed him and rammed Street’s head into the ring post. With Cornette and Hughes’s help, he was able to get back in the by the count of eight. Street regained control and hit a running splash for another near fall. Street went up to the top rope and came off with a flying body press but the momentum caused Dundee to roll through and end up on top. Dundee hooked the leg but Street kicked out. Dundee stayed in control and hit a jumping knee drop, which busted open the British glam rocker. Before he could make a cover, Cornette jumped up on the ring apron. Dundee went after him but Cornette hid behind Hughes. Street crawled to one corner of the ring but the “Superstar” followed. Street got to his feet and Dundee climbed up to the second rope, delivering punches, as the fans counted along with each one. Jerry Calhoun’s vantage point was blocked and he didn’t see Cornette reach in and shove Dundee off the ropes. Street scooped up Dundee’s legs into a pinning position and put his own feet on the second rope for leverage to score the three-count after 14 minutes. The fans berated Street, Cornette, and Hughes for their tactics as they returned to the locker room! (A few mint juleps may have been thrown at them!) ****

9) “The Gamesmaster” Kevin Sullivan and Sir Oliver Humperdink defeated Tommy and Eddie Gilbert in a wild, controversial match. Sullivan started off for his team to little surprise. After taking some punishment from both Gilberts, Sullivan went to his corner and pulled his golden spike out of his robe. While Humperdink distracted Joe Wheeler, Sullivan jabbed Eddie in the face with the spike. He went for a cover but Eddie managed to kick out. With “Hot Stuff” hurting, Humperdink tagged into the match. He attacked Eddie but Eddie tagged his father. Tommy pounded on the manager and hit the running knee lift but “The Gamesmaster” made the save with the double foot stomp to Tommy’s back, sacrificing his own manager’s safety to keep the match going. Tommy tagged to Eddie while Sullivan tossed something to Humperdink out of Humperdink’s coat. It turned out to be brass knuckles, which Humperdink slipped on. Eddie came to attack him but Humperdink blasted him with the knucks. He tossed them back to Sullivan and went for a cover but Eddie kicked out at 2¾. Sullivan tagged back in and used the spike again! Fans were outraged by Wheeler missing the objects being used. Sullivan kept the spike in while shielding it from Wheeler’s view but at the same time making a legal cover. He scored the pinfall before Tommy realized what was going on and could make a save. Sullivan and Humperdink got the win after 10 minutes but they didn’t have long to celebrate, as Doug Gilbert made an early return from injury and had a baseball bat in hand! He charged the ring and nailed Humperdink in the stomach with the back and then smashed Sullivan in the back twice! Eddie and Tommy then held Sullivan by the arms so Doug could get in two more shots! Hugh Morrus, Ivan Koloff, and Mr. Saito charged the ring but Doug held them off with the bat, threatening to do the same thing! The House of Humperdink members gathered up Sullivan and Humperdink and retreated to the locker room! ***

10) “Classy” Freddie Blassie was victorious over “The Boogie Woogie Man” “Handsome” Jimmy Valiant in a No-Disqualification Match after 15 minutes. As expected, this was a wild brawl, with both men bending the rules. Blassie bit Valiant early in the match, which was totally legal in this setting. Blassie used the Southern neckbreaker twice but Valiant kicked out. “Handsome” Jimmy fought back and had the advantage but couldn’t get Blassie down for a pin. Blassie bailed out of the ring but “The Boy from New York City” followed. Blassie grabbed a steel chair and smashed Valiant with it in the head. He tossed Valiant back into the ring and hit a series of knee drops, then covered him to score the pinfall. It was an impressive win for “The King of Men”! **¾

11) In the first of two title matches, The Tolos Brothers got their long-awaited rematch for the USWA World Tag Team titles. They defeated The Flying Redheads by disqualification, so the Redheads remained the champions in an amazing 18-minute match. This was another competitive bout between these rival teams. The challengers definitely came out fighting, as they cut the ring in half on Red Bastien in the first few minutes. John hit the solo version of the flying knee drop for a two-count. Chris went for a big elbow drop off the second rope but Bastien rolled out of the way and Chris crashed hard. Bastien made the hot tag to Billy Red Lyons, who immediately went for the sleeperhold. Chris scrambled to the ropes before the Canadian could lock it in. Bastien tagged back in a few moments later and the champs hit a double dropkick. Bastien went for a crossbody block but Chris ducked and Bastien went sailing over the top rope and hit the floor hard. Lyons went to help his partner beat Paul Morton’s count. John tagged in and used the corkscrew for nearly a minute, causing Red to “see red” and get busted open. John a double ax-handle off the top and went for a cover. Lyons came in for a save but so did Chris. However, Morton saw Chris first and order him back to the Toloses’ corner. Lyons hit a knee drop to the back of John’s head and then put Bastien on top. Morton turned around to count the pin but John kicked out. Lyons tagged back in a few moments later. Chris sent him into the ropes and telegraphed a backdrop attempt. Lyons surprised him with a sunset flip for a two-count. Bastien and John were the legal men a few moments later when John whipped Bastien into the corner and charged in after him. Bastien leapt over him and John hit the buckle hard, getting busted open as well. Bastien caught him in a backslide for a near fall. Bastien hit the airplane spin into the atomic drop and went for a cover but John got a foot on the bottom rope. Lyons tagged in and clamped on the figure-four but Chris broke it up. John took over in a brawl outside the ring against Bastien. He came off the top rope with an elbow drop and made a cover. Lyons jumped over the top rope into the ring for a save but in doing so, landed on Morton. Morton did not see this and thought it was intentional, so he called for the bell and disqualified the champions. The Tolos Brothers were initially happy getting the win until they realized they once again left without the titles! ****½

12) The main event was for the USWA World Heavyweight championship. Current and two-time champion Harley Race, accompanied by his manager “The Mouth of The South” Jimmy Hart, defended the title against former champion The Patriot, accompanied by his ally “Hot Stuff” Eddie Gilbert. Due to the controversial ending to their last match last month in Knoxville where Race regained the title after a pre-match attack by King Kong Bundy, Commissioner Teddy Long assigned six-time former USWA champion and Louisvillian Ed “Strangler” Lewis to be the special guest referee for this bout.

The champion looked like he would retain quickly, as he controlled the first few minutes of the bout. He hit a swinging neckbreaker for a near fall. He tried for a submission with an Indian Deathlock but the Patriot made the ropes. Race caused the Patriot to bleed through his mask and then executed the vertical suplex but again the masked challenger kicked out. Race started to bend the rules, such as choking the challenger, which got him some warnings from referee Lewis. Race mouthed off to the “Strangler,” making comments about being the true champion to the six-time former champ! Lewis kept his cool but a shove from Race, caused him to shove back hard! The Patriot took advantage of this and came back. He came off the ropes with the Patriot Missile but Race kicked out. Patriot hit an atomic drop, which sent Race head-first into the turnbuckle and busted him open as well. The Patriot made a cover but the World champion kicked out. He hit the Uncle Slam but Race got a foot on the ropes. Race took control and hit the piledriver but took his time in making a cover so the Patriot was able to kick out. Race couldn’t believe this. He went for another vertical suplex but the Patriot blocked it and surprised him with a small package for a near fall. The Patriot stayed in control and continued to control the champion. Race’s cut opened up more and the blood was flowing profusely. The Patriot hit a clothesline. Hart jumped up on the apron but before he could enter the ring, Gilbert ran over and pulled him down! Suddenly, First Family of Wrestling members Ray “The Crippler” Stevens, Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, and King Kong Bundy made their way to ringside. Gilbert stood ready to stop them and Jerry Calhoun turned his attention to the skirmish in the aisle. Inside the ring, the Patriot hit a standing dropkick, which is how he won the title from Race in March in Lexington. He covered Race but Calhoun was still distracted. Hart recovered, entered the ring, and clocked the masked American on the back of the head with the megaphone. Both men were down, as the First Family members went back to the locker room and Calhoun turned his attention to the action. Gilbert hadn’t seen Hart’s interference and was confused. Both men got to the their feet but Race struck first and booted the Patriot in the midsection, then delivered the piledriver again. He covered the Patriot and score the pinfall after 20 minutes to retain the World Heavyweight title! The fans in attendance were not happy about this outcome! *****

[Pariah]

Tons of great action from the Kentucky State Fairgrounds with no less than FIVE MATCHES scoring four stars or higher... The audience certainly got plenty of entertainment for their dollars during this remarkable event.

Totally stoked that Handsome Harley was able to retain despite the obvious shenanigans... The Tolos bro's gained a technical decision over the Redheads, but left without the title belts... Hopefully, we get a rematch that delivers a more decisive finish 'cuz this rivalry is about as hot as it gets.

The Battle Royal was great with lots of memorable moments... And no one is going to forget how Doring earned a title shot against Pepper Gomez by betraying his longtime tag team partner.

Highly entertaining stuff, my friend... From start to finish... As always!