Cory's USWA

[neilybob21]

You run a great fed cory.

[Cory Olson]

Thanks to Neilybob for the comments!

September 17, 2018
Card #558: Rupp Arena in Lexington

1) “Sodbuster” Kenny Jay picked up a win in the opening contest over “The Unpredictable” Johnny Rodz in about 12 minutes. The New Yorker Rodz had the initial advantage but the action was back and forth. Jay got the upper hand with a Beele throw and scored a two-count. He stayed in control and nailed the Sodbuster Spike a few moments later. Rodz hit the mat and Jay covered him to score the pinfall. The Lexington fans gave Jay a big ovation for his second singles win in the last month! **¾

2) Dutch Savage was victorious over Doug Gilbert. Savage unleashed a vicious attack on Gilbert at the bell. He utilized a thumb to the throat and then finished Gilbert off with the running piledriver in about two minutes. Savage was impressive here and he looks forward to a rematch with the returning “Fabulous” Jackie Fargo in a few weeks in Evansville! DUD

3) Mad Dog Vachon defeated Mike Jackson. Jackson surprised the Algerian brawler with his offense, hitting a vertical suplex and scoring a two-count. Vachon took the fight to the floor and regained control. He worked over the Alabaman and hit the Mad Dog Pounce. He pulled Jackson off the ropes and immediately made a cover to pick up the win in about six minutes. Vachon was vicious, as he, Doctor X, Baron Von Raschke, and the Barbarian look ahead to the huge Elimination Match against the Armstrongs and Lou Thesz in a few weeks in Evansville with so much at stake! **

4) “The Man with The Cast Iron Stomach” Pepper Gomez scored a quick win over Nacho Barrera. Barrera attacked Gomez with an eye rake at the bell but the former Southern and Mid-America champion quickly rallied back. Gomez blasted Barrera with a dropkick and scored the pinfall at 1:16. As Ed “Strangler” Lewis and Tommy Marlin raised Gomez’ hand, you could see that he has his sights set on Harley Race and the World title on October 8 at the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Coliseum! DUD

5) Tommy Rogers scored a huge win via submission over one-half of the World Tag Team champions John Tolos in about eight minutes! Tolos swarmed Rogers at the bell, using a thumb to throat and rolling up Rogers in a schoolboy for a near fall. Tolos hit the flying knee drop just a few minutes into the bout but Rogers kicked out at two. Tolos used the corkscrew to try and knock out the former Mid-America champ but Rogers made the ropes. With Bobby Fulton and the Rupp Arena fans behind him, Rogers reversed a whip into the ropes and caught Tolos on the rebound with a power slam. He went for a pin but Tolos kicked out. Rogers stayed in control and executed the Tomikaze. He covered Tolos but the Canadian grappler got a foot on the bottom rope for the break. Rogers stayed on the offensive until Tolos cut him off with some forearm smashes. Tolos tossed Rogers out of the ring and then distracted Sam Platania, while Chris Tolos grabbed John’s World Tag Team title belt from the announcers’ table and smashed Rogers in the head with it, just as Chris did to Billy Red Lyons in last week’s main event in West Memphis. Rogers was busted open but with Fulton’s help was able to return to the ring by the count of eight. John pounced on Rogers and choked him with his shin. He pounded on Rogers and then tossed him into the ropes. He went for a clothesline but Rogers ducked, got behind him, and caught him in a sleeper. The fans went wild, as Tolos started to drop to the mat. Chris started to get up on the ring apron but before he could get involve, Fulton ran over and pulled him off. As Tolos continued to drop, Platania checked his arm. It dropped three times, so Platania called for the bell and awarded the match via submission to Rogers! The Lexington fans went wild as the Fantastics celebrated! ***¼

6) The Barbarian picked up a big win, albeit via controversial means, over “Bullet” Bob Armstrong. This was a knockdown, drag-out fight from the opening bell. Armstrong managed to knock down the big man with the Georgia jawjacker. He made a cover but the Barbarian kicked out at two. The Barbarian battled back and executed the flying clothesline but Armstrong kicked out. Barbarian hit a diving head butt. Armstrong rolled out of the ring for a breather. The Barbarian went to the corner, where Doctor X handed him an object that the Barbarian slipped into his boot. Barbarian then followed Armstrong to the floor, breaking Tom Branch’s count. Barbarian delivered a thunderous loaded boot to “Bullet” Bob, then tossed him back into the ring. Armstrong was dazed but managed to get to his feet. Barbarian came off the top with a second flying clothesline and scored the win in seven minutes. Brad and Brian Armstrong came down to ringside to help their father back to the locker room. As the Barbarian got his hand raised by Branch, with Doctor X standing nearby, X indicated to the Armstrongs that their entire team would get their hands raised and send the Armstrongs packing in a few weeks in Evansville! ***

7) The Heavenly Bodies picked up a quick win via disqualification over The Uptown Boys. The Uptown Boys stormed the ring and went right after the former World Tag Team champions. Marty Jannetty stayed in the ring with Dr. Tom Prichard, while Ric McCord took Chris Candido to the floor. McCord, fired up by Mr. Hughes’s attack on him two weeks ago in Nashville, grabbed Candido and threw him into the bodyguard at ringside! McCord then went to the Uptown Boys’ corner and tagged in. He hit a fireman’s carry on Prichard for a two-count and tagged back to Jannetty. The Uptown Boys were looking for revenge tonight, as they pounded on Prichard in the corner, before delivering a double dropkick. Unfortunately, they did not notice or ignored Tommy Marlin’s five-count for double teaming. Marlin called for the bell and disqualified the Uptown Boys after only two minutes and before “The Suicide Blonde” could tag into the bout legally. Jim Cornette, Hughes, and the Bodies quickly retreated to the locker room before Jannetty and McCord could unleash more punishment! neg*

8) “The Monday Night Messiah” Tyler Black defeated Colt “Boom Boom” Cabana by countout in a competitive bout. Black controlled the pace in the first few minutes. He surprised Cabana with God’s Last Gift for a two-count. He tossed Cabana out of the ring and then distracted Sam Platania, while his bodyguard and Mid-America champion Luke Harper delivered a clothesline. Harper tossed Cabana back into the ring. Black continued the attack and tossed Cabana hard into the turnbuckles with a power bomb. Cabana’s back hit hard and he was in a lot of pain. Black continued the attack for several minutes but missed a flying clothesline in the corner and crashed hard. Cabana went for a quick cover but Black kicked out. Cabana managed to lock on the Chicago Crab and looked like he might score a submission win but Black made it to the ropes for a break. Black rebounded off of a turnbuckle whip and nailed Cabana with a jumping knee strike. He picked up Cabana and hit another power bomb into the turnbuckle. He went for a cover but Cabana kicked out at 2¾. The host of The Art of Wrestling rolled out of the ring for a breather but “The Monday Night Messiah” followed. He picked up Cabana for another power bomb and this time tossed him into the guard railing! The Chicago native crashed hard, knocking over the railing, while security swarmed to keep fans away from him. Black returned to the ring, while Platania continued his count. The count hit 10 and Black got the victory after 22 minutes. Cabana was still down in pain on the floor, while Black and Harper stood in the ring. Southern Heavyweight champion “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson came down to the ring to ensure Black and Harper wouldn’t administer more punishment. Black and Harper returned to the locker room, while Danielson checked on “Boom Boom.” Several USWA officials came down as well and they helped Cabana back to the locker room. ****¼

9) Brad and Brian Armstrong scored a countout victory over the First Family of Wrestling’s team of Ray “The Crippler” Steven****¼s and Greg “The Hammer” Valentine. The two-time former World Tag Team champions the Armstrongs double teamed Valentine for the first few minutes of the match, until Valentine cut off “The Road Dogg” with a knee to the midsection and then executed a shoulder breaker for a near fall. Valentine immediately tagged to Stevens, who went up to the top rope right away. Brian got to his feet and slammed Stevens off the top before he could leap. Later, Brian hit the Shake, Rattle, and Roll knee drop on Valentine for a two-count and followed up with the pump handle slam. “The Mouth of The South” Jimmy Hart jumped up on the ring apron and yelled insults at “The Road Dogg,” which distracted Brian from preventing a pin attempt. Brad tagged back in and executed the Russian leg sweep. He went for a cover. Stevens started to enter the ring but so did Brian. Tom Branch saw “The Road Dogg” first and ordered him back to his corner. Stevens went to the second turnbuckle and came off with a stomp to Brad’s head. He then put “The Hammer” on top for a cover. Branch turned around to count but Brad kicked out. Valentine tagged “The Crippler” and he came off the top with the Bombs Away. Stevens went for a cover but Brian made a save. Brad managed to tag his brother but the First Family cut off Brian and double teamed him for several minutes. With Brian in the center of the ring, Valentine charged at him with an elbow to the head. Brian ducked and Valentine crashed into Branch. Branch was down and chaos ensued with all four men, battling it out. The Armstrongs gained the advantage and dropkicked Stevens out of the ring. Brad hit a two-handed bulldog on “The Hammer,” driving his face into the mat and busting him open. Sam Platania came into the ring and took over refereeing duties, while other USWA officials helped Branch to the back. “The Crippler” and “The Hammer” double teamed Brad, hitting a double back suplex. Stevens went for a cover but Brad kicked out. Stevens went up top and came off with the Bombs Away but Brad rolled out of the way and Stevens crashed hard. Both wrestlers tagged their respective partners. Brian took control on Valentine. He hit a drop toehold, sending Valentine throat-first onto the middle rope. He followed up with a rope straddle. Hart and Stevens immediately ran over and pulled Valentine out of the ring. Rather than risk an injury or a decisive loss, Hart, Stevens, and Valentine bailed and headed back to the locker room. They were berated with boos by the Lexington fans, as Platania counted out Valentine. Platania hit 10 and declared the Armstrongs the winners after 26 minutes! ****¼

10) The main event was for the USWA Southern Heavyweight championship. Current and three-time champion “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson defended against former champion Mr. Hughes. Hughes captured the title from Danielson back in March in Jackson, TN. Danielson would win the title back the next month in Evansville. This was Hughes’s first shot at the Southern title since losing it five months ago.

Jim Cornette’s bodyguard came out strong. He blasted Danielson with a big boot to the face for a near fall in the opening minute. Danielson started to fight back but got cut off, when “The Louisville Slugger” tripped him as he bounced off the ropes. Tommy Marlin missed this but the fans did not and they let Cornette know! Hughes lifted up Danielson in a choke hold and wore him down. He then hit triple backbreakers and went for a cover but the Southern champion kicked out. Suddenly, the Uptown Boys appeared at ringside and cheered on Danielson! Hughes hit the spike slam and went for a cover. Suddenly, both Marty Jannetty and Ric McCord jumped into the ring and attacked the bodyguard! Marlin was left with no choice but to call for the bell and disqualify Danielson after six minutes! Hughes was sent over the top rope with a double dropkick from the Uptown Boys. Marlin went to the floor and raised Hughes’s hand in victory via disqualification but Danielson remained the Southern Heavyweight champion! DUD

[victoryroll84]

Always a blast to read Cory

[TTX]

Always nice to see a Nacho sighting.

[Cory Olson]

Thanks to Victory Roll and Troy Xavier for the comments!

Highlights from the last three episodes of USWA Championship Wrestling:

September 22:
• An interview aired with four-time former USWA World champion Lou Thesz. The interview was conducted by Larry Matysik at the Kiel Arena in Thesz’s hometown of St. Louis as part of a card for Central States Wrestling (CSW). Thesz addressed the USWA fans and told them he has been wrestling around the world the last four years but most recently has been wrestling in CSW. He said he looks forward to returning to the USWA to team up with the Armstrongs on October 8 and to try to unmask Doctor X once and for all. Larry asked Thesz what made him accept the Armstrongs’ offer to join them in this Elimination Match. Thesz told Larry and reminded the USWA fans that in 2014 Doctor X started appearing in the crowd at various USWA cards in his mask and a suit. X attacked Thesz in March of that year, immediately after Thesz won his third USWA World championship at the Mid-South Coliseum. This lead to a feud between the two that Thesz largely dominated but he never received the opportunity to unmask him. Larry asked if Thesz plans to return to the USWA full-time. Thesz said that is not in his plan at the moment but you never know what could happen!
• Coming off last week’s main event in Lexington, Commissioner Theodore R. Long announced that “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson’s next defense of the USWA Southern Heavyweight championship will take place in the main event on October 22 at the Community Center in Cookeville, TN! On that night, Danielson will not have one but two challengers for his title, as he will defend the Southern gold against both Mr. Hughes and “The Monday Night Messiah” Tyler Black in a Triangle Match! Because Danielson has lost via disqualification against both competitors the last two months, he will put the title on the line against both of them! Since both of those title bouts ended due to outside interference, Commissioner Long has also added that no one will be allowed at ringside during this match! This will be only the second time the Southern title has been defended in a Triangle Match and only the eighth time any USWA championship will have been defended in a three- or four-person (or team) match.
• Speaking of Danielson and Black, it was announced that Colt “Boom Boom” Cabana suffered a back injury from Black’s power against the guard railing at Rupp Arena. While Cabana will be able to record and release The Art of Wrestling, he will miss ring action for about six weeks.

September 29:
• Commissioner Teddy Long announced some more great matches for the October 22 card in Cookeville:
o One of the hottest feuds of 2018 will continue in Cookeville, when “Superstar” Bill Dundee collides with “Exotic” Adrian Street! Dundee is hoping for his first win over the two-time former Southern Heavyweight champion!
o The Patriot will do battle with one-half of the World Tag Team champions John Tolos! It was during the Patriot’s defense of the USWA World Heavyweight title in August in Tupelo against “Classy” Freddie Blassie where the Toloses turned against “The King of Men” and blinded him with Monsel’s powder. Although the Patriot retained the championship at the time, the masked American did not want to hold on to the title in that way and will be fighting on behalf of Blassie in this one.
o In a rematch from a few weeks ago in West Memphis, “Wildfire” Tommy Rich will battle Baron Von Raschke! The last time these two met, “The Clawmaster” was disqualified for using a steel chair. Rich will be fired up for revenge in this one!

• A video aired from Bill and Randy Mulkey that was recorded in Atlanta at Center Stage. The Mulkeys have competed in Georgia Championship Wrestling (GCW) and Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling (MACW) and have been featured nationally on cable channel WTBS on GCW’s weekly Saturday morning show. They don’t have the best track record but they are often supported by the fans. Bill said that the Mulkeys know Commissioner Long from his time as a referee in GCW and they want a chance to make their name in this area. Randy said they would like to join the USWA!

October 6:
• The commissioner was back and responded to the Mulkeys’ video from last week. He said his new talent initiative is still in force and he would love to give the Mulkeys a shot! He said that he contacted them during the week and they will make their USWA debut on October 22 in Cookeville!
• Commissioner Long also announced a big tag team match for October 15 at the Civic Coliseum in Knoxville, as “Wildfire” Tommy Rich and “Superstar” Bill Dundee will team up to take on Baron Von Raschke and The Barbarian! This will be one week before Rich and the Baron’s singles rematch in Cookeville.
• Sir Oliver Humperdink was interviewed in studio. He announced that after a lot of negotiations, he has signed the latest member of the House of Humperdink. Lance Russell asked who this wrestler was. Humperdink stated that his newest charge is very familiar to USWA fans, as he is a former World Tag Team and Southern Heavyweight champion. Lance pressed the manager for more information. Humperdink revealed that he has signed the Masked Superstar! The Superstar left the USWA at the end of 2014. Lance noted to Humperdink that when the Superstar last competed in this area, he was a member of Jimmy Hart’s First Family of Wrestling. Lance asked if “The Mouth of The South” was aware of this signing. Humperdink said that he and Hart talked and Superstar’s departure was an amicable one and there is no animosity between the First Family and the House of Humperdink. The manager stated that the Superstar will make his return on November 5 at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis!
• In a brief update on two-time former Southern Heavyweight champion “Classy” Freddie Blassie, “The King of Men’s” vision has not improved. Doctors feel that the Monsel’s powder appears to have been an extra-strength version and it did extreme damage to Blassie’s right eye in particular. They are still looking at treatment options for Blassie but no solutions have been found as of this date.

The USWA returns to the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Coliseum in Evansville on October 8 with a huge card of action!
• The Fantastics have proven to be a fantastic team since debuting in July. This week, they will face their toughest challenge to date, when they take on the House of Humperdink’s team of Ivan Koloff and Mr. Saito! Will Tommy Rogers and Bobby Fulton remain undefeated or will “The Russian Bear” and the Japanese Olympian stop their streak?
• In another tag team match, Ray “The Crippler” Stevens and Greg “The Hammer” Valentine of the First Family of Wrestling will face two members of a great wrestling family: Tommy and Eddie Gilbert! All three Gilberts have had some tough battles with the First Family over the last few months. Tommy and Eddie would love to give Stevens and Valentine their first decisive loss, especially one week before the First Family duo challenges the Tolos Brothers for the World Tag Team titles in Knoxville! Will the Gilberts triumph or will the First Family succeed again?
• “The Fabulous” Jackie Fargo will return to action and will be out for revenge against Dutch Savage! In their last meeting, last month on Labor Day in Nashville, Fargo gave Savage his first loss in the USWA. Right after the bell, Savage ambushed Fargo and attacked his throat with a foreign object. Fargo is looking to avenge that attack. Can he score another win on Savage or will Savage give “The Fabulous” Fargo his first decisive loss?
• In a huge tag team battle, “Superstar” Bill Dundee and “Wildfire” Tommy Rich will take on the World Tag Team champions John and Chris Tolos in a non-title bout! The popular duo of Dundee and Rich have been very effective in their few outings together. As many of the USWA fan favorites are doing, they are fighting on behalf of “Classy” Freddie Blassie. Can they score a big win over the champs?
• “The Boogie Woogie Man” “Handsome” Jimmy Valiant continues his battles with Jim Cornette’s men when he tangles with “Exotic” Adrian Street! When these two met a few weeks ago in West Memphis, Street got the win via disqualification after a 32-minute battle. Street had Valiant in trouble after Mr. Hughes’s interference but Bill Dundee ran in for the DQ. Can “The Boy from New York City” defeat the British glam rocker?
• In a huge eight-man tag team Elimination Match with a lot at stake, Bob, Brad, and Brian Armstrong will be joined by the returning four-time former World champion Lou Thesz! These four grapplers will take on the team of Doctor X, Mad Dog Vachon, Baron Von Raschke, and The Barbarian! The Armstrongs have had some heated bouts with X and his men this year. When the Georgian family put out X back in June with a concussion, they recruited the powerful Barbarian to fill his spot. The Barbarian incorporated one of the masked man’s tactics in using a foreign object to load up his boot. The Armstrongs, along with the USWA fans, have wanted to see who Doctor X is. They issued this challenge and enlisted the services of Thesz to be their fourth partner, as X made his debut back in 2014 attacking then-World champion Thesz. This will be X’s return to action from his concussion, as well as Thesz’s return to the USWA after nearly four years. (Interestingly enough, Thesz’s last match was in this same city of Evansville.) Dave Brown reviewed the rules of this match on the last episode of Championship Wrestling:
I. A wrestler is eliminated from the match when he has been pinned, disqualified, counted out, or has submitted.
II. Once eliminated, that wrestler must return to the locker room for the duration of the match.
III. The last team with any number of surviving wrestlers will be the winners.
IV. In this particular match, there is a stipulation in place for each team. If the Armstrongs and Thesz win, Doctor X must unmask and reveal his true identity.
V. If Doctor X’s team wins, all three Armstrongs must leave the USWA for one full year.
Which foursome will leave Evansville victorious in this high-stakes match?
• The main event will be for the USWA World Heavyweight championship. Current and three-time champ Harley Race will defend the title against “The Man with The Cast Iron Stomach” Pepper Gomez! Gomez returned to the USWA about a year ago and had an impressive run with the Mid-America Heavyweight championship. After losing the title to Luke Harper at Independence Day Bash, Gomez set his sights on the World title. He acquired the services of six-time former World champion Ed “Strangler” Lewis as his manager to guide him. So far, the pairing has done well together. Race is a three-time champion. With his impressive wrestling arsenal, as well as Jimmy Hart and the First Family of Wrestling behind him, he is a tough champion to defeat. This will be Gomez’ first ever shot at the World title. Can he capture the gold in his first challenge or will Race continue his reign atop the USWA?

All these bouts, plus The Patriot takes on Hugh Morrus! As well as Mr. Hughes taking on Doug Gilbert and more USWA stars in action in Evansville!

[victoryroll84]

Mulkey Mania is about to hit the USWA!

Looking forward to the next write up Cory

Great stuff here

[Cory Olson]

Thanks to Victory Roll for the comments!

October 8, 2018
Card #559: Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Coliseum in Evansville

1) “Dastardly” Danny Doring picked up a win in the opener over Mike Jackson. Jackson put up a fight against the former Mid-America champion. Doring was cockier than usual, as he hit the Danaconda a few minutes into the bout but decided to do a Dastardly Strut instead of going for the pin. He hit a second Danaconda and made a lax cover but Jackson surprised him with a kickout! Doring executed the Bareback and the G-Spot Sweep but Jackson kicked out of two more pin attempts. A third Danaconda would put Jackson down for the count after eight minutes. **¼

2) Mr. Hughes picked up a hard-fought win over Doug Gilbert in five minutes. This was a back-and-forth brawl. Gilbert had the advantage and hit a short version of the piledriver. Before he could go for a cover, Jim Cornette jumped up on the apron and distracted Frank Morrell. “The Louisville Slugger” tossed the tennis racquet into the ring behind Morrell’s back, trying to get it to his bodyguard. Gilbert intercepted it and nailed Hughes in the head with it, then tossed it out of the ring. He went for a cover as Morrell turned around but Hughes kicked out. Cornette looked relieved that his backfired plan didn’t cost Hughes the match! Gilbert stayed in control and whipped Hughes into the corner. Gilbert charged in but Hughes bounced back and nailed Gilbert with a stiff clothesline. He covered Gilbert and put his feet on the middle rope for leverage to score the pinfall! Hughes prevailed and looked ready for another shot at the Southern title in two weeks in Cookeville! **½

3) Ivan Koloff and Mr. Saito gave The Fantastics their first loss, albeit by controversial means. The House of Humperdink team came to the ring first accompanied by Sir Oliver Humperdink. As Tommy Rogers and Bobby Fulton were making around the ring, greeting the Evansville fans, they were ambushed by the World Tag Team champions John and Chris Tolos! John grabbed Koloff’s chain from the House of Humperdink’s corner, wrapped it around his hand, and punched Rogers with it. (“The Russian Bear” showed no anger in having his chain used against one of his opponents!) Several USWA officials came down to ringside, as well as the Toloses’ opponents later on the card, “Wildfire” Tommy Rich and “Superstar” Bill Dundee. They ran off the Toloses as quickly as they had appeared. Paul Neighbors consulted with the Fantastics if they wanted to compete in the match and to little surprise, they agreed! The teams went to their respective corners and the match officially started. Both Fantastics fought their best against “The Russian Bear” and the Japanese Olympian but the onslaught had been too much. Koloff blasted Rogers with the Russian Sickle and scored the pinfall in three minutes, as Saito stopped Fulton from a save. The Evansville fans berated Koloff, Saito, and Humperdink with boos, as they got their hands raised! DUD

4) The Patriot earned a very hard-fought victory over Hugh Morrus in 18 minutes. Since Sir Oliver Humperdink had just been out with Ivan Koloff and Mr. Saito in the previous match, he did not initially accompany the laughing man to ringside. Morrus was doing well without his manager, as he wore down the two-time former World champion and hit No Laughing Matter but the masked American kicked out. Humperdink finally came out from the locker room about five minutes into the match. The Patriot started to rally back and went up top for the Patriot Missile. Humperdink distracted the masked American long enough for Morrus to recover. Morrus climbed up to the top and executed a superplex on the Patriot. He went for a cover but the Patriot kicked out. The Patriot came back and slammed Morrus to the mat. He came off the top with an elbow drop, landing right across Morrus’ face and busting him open. He went for a cover but Morrus kicked out. Morrus took over and hit a second No Laughing Matter. He went for a pin attempt but the Patriot kicked out at 2¾. Morrus stayed in control and looked like he might score a big upset. He hit the No Joke and later a power bomb. He whipped Patriot into the buckle but the masked American reversed the whip and sent Morrus crashing in chest-first. Patriot immediately went up top and hit the Patriot Missile to put him down for the count. The Evansville fans went wild for the Patriot’s big comeback win! ****½

5) Tommy and Eddie Gilbert made a comeback of their own and scored what many wrestling experts would consider an upset, as they gave the First Family of Wrestling’s team of Ray “The Crippler” Stevens and Greg “The Hammer” Valentine their first decisive loss, albeit via controversial means! Stevens and Valentine double teamed Tommy for the first seven minutes of the match. Stevens used the piledriver for a near fall. Valentine tagged back in and went for theiguree-four leglock but Tommy made the ropes. Stevens came back in and hit a double underhook suplex, then made another quick tag to Valentine. The two trapped Tommy in their corner, where Valentine nailed Tommy in the face with elbows, while Stevens held him in place with the tag rope wrapped around his throat. Tommy was busted open, while Eddie attempted a save but was intercepted by Frank Morrell. “The Hammer” sent Tommy into the ropes and went for a clothesline but Tommy ducked, rebounded, and knocked Valentine down with a forearm smash. Tommy dropped to the mat, exhausted from the beating and blood loss. He managed to get to the Gilberts’ corner and tag Eddie for the first time. Eddie ran wild on Valentine but made a mistake and got trapped in the First Family’s corner, where they double teamed him as they had done to their father. Tommy tried to intervene but again was cut off by Morrell. Eddie fought free of “The Crippler’s” grip with some punches, knocking the former Mid-America champ to the floor, then surprised Valentine with a fireball! The fans lit up at this unexpected event, as Eddie dove onto “The Hammer” for a cover. Morrell turned around. Jimmy Hart jumped up on the apron but was knocked down by Tommy, who charged off and nailed him with a forearm. Eddie scored the pin after 10 minutes and the Evansville fans erupted! “The Mouth of The South” recovered from Tommy’s attack, realized what had transpired, and was outraged! ***½

6) “The Fabulous” Jackie Fargo returned to action and gained a measure of revenge on Dutch Savage. As was expected, the action was wild from the opening bell. Fargo was largely in control. He went for the atomic drop but in lifting Savage, his feet kicked Paul Neighbors, knocking him down momentarily. Fargo hit the atomic drop and Savage went flying to the floor. Fargo checked on Neighbors. Savage went into his boot and pulled out an object similar to what he used on Fargo last month in Nashville. He reentered the ring and went to jab Fargo in the throat but Fargo blocked and drove it back into Savage’s throat! Savage dropped to the mat and Fargo covered. Neighbors recovered, crawled over, and counted the pinfall! The Evansville erupted for “The Fabulous” Fargo’s win! Savage was writhing on the mat in pain after the bout. *¼

7) The World Tag Team champions John and Chris Tolos got a win via disqualification over “Superstar” Bill Dundee and “Wildfire” Tommy Rich in about four minutes. As soon as the fan favorites entered the ring, the Toloses charged them, in a similar scene to what they did to the Fantastics earlier on the card. Chris took Rich to the floor and nailed him in the head with one of the World Tag Team title belts, unseen by Jerry Calhoun, who had his hands full with Dundee and John. John wore down the Aussie and tagged to Chris, who had returned to the apron. Chris pounded on the “Superstar” and came off the ropes with his own flying knee drop for a two-count. John tagged back in and was mocking Dundee and incensing the crowd. He stood above Dundee but before he could strike, Dundee nailed him with a low blow! It was right in front of Calhoun, who had no choice but to disqualify Dundee and Rich. Rich recovered and stormed the ring with a steel chair. The World Tag Team champions quickly retreated before Rich and Dundee could unleash mayhem! neg*

8) “Exotic” Adrian Street picked up another dastardly win over “The Boogie Woogie Man” “Handsome” Jimmy Valiant via DQ in a 25-minute battle. Valiant was very aggressive in this bout and controlled most of the match. He hit a running elbow smash a few minutes in to knock down Street and score a two-count. Valiant executed a neckbreaker on the British glam rocker. Before he could try for a pin, Jim Cornette got up on the ring apron and distracted Frank Morrell. The “Exotic One” covered and wore down Valiant. He followed up with an elbow drop, somewhat similar to Valiant’s own Boogie Woogie elbow. He made an arrogant cover but “The Boy from New York City” easily kicked out. Valiant rallied back in a brawl outside the ring and busted open Street with some roundhouse punches. He tossed him back in the ring and hit the elbow. He went for a cover but Cornette put Street’s foot on the bottom rope. “Handsome” Jimmy saw “The Louisville Slugger’s” interference and briefly went after him. Mr. Hughes stepped in front of his employer and Valiant returned to the ring, not wanting to lose focus against Street. The battle was back and forth, when the action spilled out of the ring again. Valiant gained control and rolled Street back into the ring. Cornette distracted Morrell on the other side of the ring, while Hughes attacked “Boogie Woogie” from behind. He grabbed him and ran him head-first into the ring post. He rolled Valiant back into the ring. A bloodied and beaten Street made a cover but Valiant kicked out at 2¾! Street stayed in control and sent Valiant into the buckles but Valiant reversed the whip and sent the two-time former Southern champion hard into the corner and up and over the ropes to the floor! Valiant followed him to the floor. Hughes grabbed a chair and charged at Valiant but Valiant cut him off with a punch to the midsection. Hughes dropped the chair and Valiant grabbed it. Fed up by Cornette and Hughes’s interference, “Boogie Woogie” smashed Hughes in the back with the chair and then nailed a bloody Street in the face with it! Morrell saw this and disqualified Valiant. Valiant nailed Street twice more with the chair. “Superstar” Bill Dundee and “Wildfire” Tommy Rich came down to ringside to calm down Valiant as well as to ensure Cornette’s men didn’t retaliate. Street, Cornette, and Hughes made a beeline to the locker room! ****¼

9) In somewhat of a surprise, Doctor X, Mad Dog Vachon, Baron Von Raschke, and The Barbarian were victorious in an epic eight-man tag team Elimination Match over Bob, Brad, and Brian Armstrong and four-time former USWA World Heavyweight champion Lou Thesz, making his return to the USWA after nearly four years. The stipulations for this bout were huge, as if X’s team lost he would have to unmask. If the Armstrongs and Thesz lost, all three Armstrongs would have to leave town for one full year! Thesz got a huge reaction from the Evansville fans, who were happy to see him in the same city where he lost the World title to “Ravishing” Rick Rude at New Year’s Knockout XI back in 2014.

The crowd was buzzing for this bout, with so much on the line. The first fall saw all eight men enter the bout at least briefly. It seemed as if the rulebreakers were trying to protect Doctor X. He finally entered the bout against a weakened “Bullet” Bob but Bob tagged Thesz, which drew a big pop from the crowd. X tried to ambush Thesz but Thesz was ready and surprised him with the Thesz Press for a near fall. He followed up with the Greco-Roman backdrop but X rolled out of the ring before Thesz could try for a pin. “Bullet” Bob tagged back in and X tagged to “The Clawmaster” shortly thereafter. Bob worked over the German grappler and had him in trouble. He went up to the top rope and came off with the Georgia jawjacker but Von Raschke sidestepped him and caught him in the brain claw! He drove Bob down to his knees. The fan favorites tried to make a save but were cut off by Von Raschke’s partners. Bob started to drop weaken. Paul Neighbors checked the “Bullet’s” arm and it dropped three times, so Bob was eliminated via submission after 12 minutes of action. “The Clawmaster” stomped Bob in the head to revive him and the Armstrong patriarch returned to the locker room.

“The Road Dogg” started off the next fall for his team. He took a lot of punishment, kicking out of the Barbarian’s flying clothesline and getting hit by Vachon’s Mad Dog Pounce. Doctor X busted Brian open with some forearm smashes, knocking him down to the mat. The masked man went for the figure-four leglock but Brad jumped in for a save. Brian managed to tag to Thesz a few moments later but “The Clawmaster” surprised him with a back suplex for a near fall. Vachon and the Barbarian worked over the former World champ as well, including the Barbarian hitting a power slam and scoring a two-count. Later in the fall, Thesz rallied back and executed a released power bomb on the German grappler. He went for a cover but Von Raschke kicked out. Thesz hit the Thesz Press and had Von Raschke down. Mad Dog and the Barbarian jumped in and made a save, which brought in the Armstrongs. All four brawled in and out of the ring, which tied up Neighbors’ attention. X loaded up his mask, came into the ring and head butted Thesz, busting him open. He put Von Raschke on top and indicated to Neighbors that a pin attempt was happening. Neighbors counted but Thesz got a shoulder up out of instinct at 2¾. Von Raschke tagged X back in, while the Armstrongs continued to brawl up the aisle with Vachon and the Barbarian. X locked Thesz in the figure-four, with Thesz pointed toward the center of the ring and the masked man having his back toward the ropes. Thesz was woozy from the loaded head butt. Just for added insult, X grabbed “The Clawmaster’s” hands from outside the ring for leverage. Thesz passed out from the pain and blood loss and Neighbors counted his shoulders down to the mat. Thesz was eliminated at 37 minutes into the bout and the Evansville fans were in shock, as previously, only Bruiser Brody, “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers, and “Ravishing” Rick Rude had scored pin or submission wins over Thesz in the USWA!

The Armstrongs quickly realized what had transpired and that they were down, 4 to 2. But the former two-time USWA World Tag Team champions showed their tenacity. Brian started off the next fall against the masked man. X took control and looked like he might eliminate “The Road Dogg.” He charged in at Brian with a double sledge but the former Mid-America champion sidestepped X, surprised him with a drop toehold, and sent him crashing head-first into the second turnbuckle. X’s mask was still loaded and perhaps the object bashed into his own head! Brian made a quick cover and scored the pin out of nowhere! It happened so quickly that X’s partners didn’t have a chance to attempt a save. The fans went wild, as it was now a 3-on-2 match after 42 minutes. The rulebreakers looked concerned knowing they had to fight hard to keep X’s identity safe!

The Barbarian entered next and tried to get revenge on the only man to have defeated him so far in the USWA. The Armstrongs showed their teamwork and kept the powerhouse in the ring for the entire fall. They tagged in and out. Brad was able to execute the Russian leg sweep on the big man and score the pinfall to eliminate him at the 54-minute mark, while Brian stood guard against Vachon and Von Raschke! The Armstrongs had evened the odds!

The next fall saw the rulebreakers trap “The Road Dogg” in the ring and open his cut more. Von Raschke applied the brain claw to a bloodied Brian. Brian started to drop, as his father had earlier. Brad ran in and nailed the German grappler with a dropkick to the back. Mad Dog came in and he and Brad battled in the corner, which again diverted Neighbors’ attention. Von Raschke went to X’s playbook and pulled out an object, which he slipped into his kneepad. He delivered a loaded running knee smash, which dropped the bloodied Brian. He covered Brian and Neighbors turned around to count the pin at around 64 minutes. Brad quickly realized that he was left on his own, 2 to 1.

The rulebreakers worked over Brad. “The Clawmaster” went for the brain claw. Brad started to drop but made his way to the ropes for a break. Vachon tagged back in and hit a running knee lift. The Algerian brawler went for a pin attempt but Brad kicked out. Vachon set up for a second knee lift but Brad was ready this time and dodged the attack. He rolled behind Vachon and schoolboyed him to score the pinfall out of nowhere after about 72 minutes. The fans went wild at Brad’s big comeback!

Somehow, these two were able to battle it out for another 10 minutes. It was back and forth with so much on the line. Brad had Von Raschke in the corner and was punching away at him, with the crowd counting along. Von Raschke swept Brad’s legs and went for a pin attempt with his own feet on the ropes. Neighbors started to count but noticed Von Raschke’s feet on there and stopped the count. Brad rallied back and had Von Raschke in an Armstrong specialty—the sleeper. Von Raschke started to drop but ran forward, ducked down, and drove Brad head-first into the turnbuckle. As Brad stumbled around dazed, Von Raschke caught him and hit a back suplex. He bridged into a pin and scored the three-count. The fans were stunned, as X, Vachon, and the Barbarian returned to the ring to celebrate the huge win! Bob, Brian, and Thesz returned to ringside to check on Brad. The Evansville fans gave the Armstrongs a big ovation, as this will be the last time they will be seen on a USWA card for at least a year. (In some random USWA trivia, Brad was the survivor of a huge eight-man Elimination Match about a year ago in Knoxville, featuring Brad, Brian, Billy Gunn, and Colt Cabana against Jim Cornette’s team of “Exotic” Adrian Street, “Scrap Iron” Adam Pearce, and The Heavenly Bodies!) *****

10) After that epic match, the pre-main event intermission was held. Following intermission, three-time USWA World Heavyweight champion Harley Race put the title on the line against Pepper Gomez. Gomez, a former Southern Heavyweight and Mid-America Heavyweight champion, was getting his first-ever shot at the World title. He enlisted six-time former champion Ed “Strangler” Lewis as his manager hopefully to help guide him toward the title. With Lewis in Gomez’ corner, the champion, as usual, had his manager “The Mouth of The South” Jimmy Hart in his corner.

The challenger controlled most of the first half of the match and looked on his way to winning the title. He went for a sleeper a few minutes into the bout but Race made the ropes. Gomez later executed a flying head scissors and scored another two-count. “The Man with The Cast Iron Stomach” went up to the top rope and came off with a top rope version of the Mexican Leap but Race rolled out of the way and Gomez crashed hard. Both men got to their feet but Race attacked first with a punch and then hit the vertical suplex. He made a cover but Gomez kicked out. The champion took control for the next few minutes until he missed an elbow drop and Gomez blasted him with a dropkick for another near fall. The Mexican star stayed on the attack and executed a dizzying airplane spin. The two stumbled near the ropes and both tumbled over the top and to the floor. Race hit his head on the ring apron and was busted open. Gomez recovered first, rolled Race back inside, and made a cover but Race kicked out at 2¾. Gomez hit the Mexican Leap and followed up with the Mexican cradle. Hart jumped up on the apron and distracted Jerry Calhoun. Gomez got off Race and went after “The Mouth of The South,” who jumped off the apron but was cornered by Lewis! Gomez set up for another Mexican Leap but Race rolled out of the ring to the arena floor. Gomez followed and came off the ring apron with an impressive Leap to the floor! Gomez rolled back into the ring. Race’s cut was flowing profusely and despite Hart yelling through the megaphone, Calhoun’s count hit 10. Gomez was declared the winner after 26 minutes but did not leave Evansville the World Heavyweight champion. ***¾

[neilybob21]

Excellent fed Cory. Great use of talent.

[db1091]

Love that Adrian Street/Jimmy Valiant match! And the eight man elimination match sounds like an absolute classic!

["Emperor Norton" (Mark T)]

A full year without the Armstrongs? USWA is going to look a lot different for a while. Would have been fun to see how Dr X's "unmasking" would have gone down, though. Always has to be some shenanigans with one of those angles.