Wayne's Legends Fed

[Ken West]

Great card and interesting mix of talent. I dig The Grapplers vs Team Extreme rivalry.

[wayne]

Thanks for the comments guys


Card 55 – Cleveland Arena:

(Buff Bagwell comes out midway through the show wearing his shades and announces his new manager. Bobby Heenan shocks everyone as he emerges from the curtain. In the ring he hugs Bagwell and announces he has come to the LWF as the top manager and will form the ‘Heenan Family’. Gorgeous George and the Valiants also come out to complete Heenan’s initial LWF line up. The crowd immediately reacts with hostility to the smiling family)

Heavyweight champ, Bobo Brazil, ends the challenge of Nikolai Volkoff. Time and time again Bobo pulls off these surges when on the brink. He is the comeback king and this is no exception. Things looking desperate as he is beaten to a pulp and then falls victim to Nikolai’s BACKBREAKER DROP. However he kicks out and fuelled by the hysterical fans builds himself into a winning position. Nikita Breznikov outside looks on in horror as the first COCO BUTT of several gets administered. Nikolai cannot take too many of them and drops pathetically to the canvas allowing Bobo to place a foot on his chest to win.

Ted DiBiase and Iron Sheik easily beat Jim Duggan and Brutus. Drama as Brutus no shows. He is busy running errands for Gorgeous George. Duggan forced to wrestle a handicap match. He does his best but ultimately gets overwhelmed. Iron Sheik sucks most of the life out of Duggan. Makes things easy for DiBiase who saunters in to apply the finishing touch which comes in the form of repeated applications of his MILLION DOLLAR SLEEPER. Post match Duggan refuses to blame Brutus for leaving him in the lurch but worries what might happen in the future. They are booked to team together again on #57.

The Grapplers get the verdict over Midnight Express by DQ. Both teams have designs on the tag belts so this becomes a big rankings match. Very evenly matched. Gotch applies GOTCH TOEHOLD to Stan Lane but gets foiled by Cornette interfering. Midnight Express then turn tables and hit Gotch with ROCKET LAUNCHER. Hutton takes a leaf out their book and steams in with a crucial pin save. It’s setup for a grandstand finish but Cornette spoils it. Hutton had nailed Bobby Eaton with an atomic drop. As he covered Cornette rushes the ring and tries to smash Hutton with his racquet. Cornette enjoys meating out the punishment but the smile is soon wiped off his face when the disqualification gets announced. Fans chant “rematch, rematch”.

Buddy Rogers and Red Bastien cannot be separated as they wrestle to a time limit draw. Flying start from Bastien shocks Buddy Rogers. He thought he would just be on cruise control for this match. When Bastien comes within a whisker of pinning Rogers after ATOMIC DROP it finally serves as the wake up call. Rogers up his game and locks in FIGURE FOUR GRAPEVINE but Bastien refuses to give up and breaks the hold. Becomes a war after this with momentum changing back and forth. There are groans from the crowd when the bell goes to signify time is up. A shame but this battle would probably of gone on all night. Great 4* match and another will be booked.

Cowboy Bob Orton crushed Jim Brunzell. Orton makes light of all Brunzell’s fanciful moves and leaves him for dead after SUPERPLEX. Orton is riding a win streak and is now #1 contender to the Heavyweight belt. So he will move on to challenge the winner of the Bobo-Volkoff match.

Chris Candido makes a winning debut against Jimmy Valiant. Cool opener. Jimmy uses all his experience to frustrate but Candido is not to be denied and successfully executes BLONDE BOMB to win. Most male fans spent the match salivating over Tammy Sytch at ringside.

[wayne]

CAULIFLOWER ALLEY CUP NEXT ... to finish off the second game year. Some new guys from the LEGENDS HARDCORE B&W edition incoming after this.

SINGLES DRAW

Harley Race-Don Leo Jonathan
Gorgeous George-Mil Mascaras
Johnny Valentine-Bobo Brazil
Ted DiBiase-Nick Bockwinkel

TAG TEAM DRAW

Valiant Brothers-The Grapplers
Midnight Express-Antonio Inoki and Giant Baba
Team Extreme-Koko B. Ware and Destroyer
The Vachons-Killer Bees

CAGE DRAW

Buff Bagwell-Jimmy Snuka
Iron Sheik-King Kong Bundy
Killer Kowalski-Jim Duggan
Ox Baker-Brutus Beefcake

Some notables ... Buddy Rogers is furious he didn't qualify despite a long unbeaten record in singles matches ... Gorgeous George orders Brutus into the cage to win the trophy for him ... The Vachons make their debut. Could make an instant impact in the fed.

[wayne]

Card 56 – CAULIFLOWER ALLEY CUP – Cleveland Arena:

(The event has been tweaked to limit the amount of competitors to 8 in each bracket. Also all non cage matches are booked as Texas Death matches to avoid some of the problems that occurred in the inaugural event. Fatigue will carry into the next round with 1 token being dropped as a result of a small rest period. There was the surprise inclusion of Giant Baba as he teams with Antonio Inoki. The crowd gave Baba a standing ovation. His popularity never diminishes and he promises to keep coming back for more special events! The event also includes another debut as the Vachons enter the LWF. There are no guarantees given but as well as valuable trophies the winners can also expect to receive title shots in the near future)

SINGLES

(Buddy Rogers is furious not to qualify despite a long unbeaten run in singles matches. He plans to have a showdown with senior LWF officials over this. Nick Bockwinkel also creates some controversy with claims Ted DiBiase contacted him with a bribe as soon as the draw was published. Ted DiBiase calls this slander and threatens to take Bockwinkel to court if he continues making the accusation)

Round 1:

Don Leo Jonathan eliminates Harley Race. Takes a while to get going. Neither guy prepared to take too many risks at first. Finally Race starts putting some moves together and manages to hoist Don Leo into position for his famed PILEDRIVER. Don Leo gets the crowd on its feet as he doesn’t sell the move and makes an immediate big kickout. Race looks shocked and allows Don Leo to battle his way back into the match. Don Leo then catches Race with a Running Lariat. Not normally the sort of move you’d expect Race to go down to but a pesky snake eyes roll means he is dumped out of the tournament.

Mil Mascaras in total control against Gorgeous George. Cherie Dupre’s absence from ringside hurts George. Some of his most devious moves are reliant on her interferences. Means he is unable to muster any meaningful offence. Mil Mascaras is dominant and it’s just a question of when and not if he will win. CROSSBODY ATTACK is the move that does it for him. Took four of them but he persisted with it until George stayed down.

Johnny Valentine sends crowd favourite Bobo Brazil packing. Tie of the round. The two guys have huge respect for each other. Although both popular it is clear Bobo is the darling of the fans. Johnny quickly understands this and slips into the more heelish role. Looks like it’ll be the tried and tested formula of Bobo getting absolutely battered and bleeding. Then surging back to win dramatically. He is at 7 tokens and has already kicked out of Valentine’s finisher twice when he starts to build momentum. Valentine looks worried. However in a quick thinking move coming off the ropes he stuns Bobo with a sunset flip and gets the pin. Big shock as the champ goes out. Bobo needs to get cleaned up and have those cuts attended to fast but he is still gracious enough to give Valentine the thumbs up before getting escorted away by a medic.

Nick Bockwinkel looks good as he progresses past Ted DiBiase. Bockwinkel is not your traditional heroic face. He looks awkward in the role and the fans don’t totally trust him yet. He is very sensitive to this and so will be pleased with the big ovation given to him. Although against someone hated as DiBiase most wrestlers would get their backing. Nonetheless he revels in the role of being a loved face and even breaks his entrance to sign a few autographs. When finally inside the ring he does the business. Putting all sorts of great moves together and weakening DiBiase with BOCKWINKEL SLEEPER and FIGURE FOUR LEGLOCK. Somehow DiBiase survives and has a brief spell on top which saw the MILLION DOLLAR SLEEPER used a couple of times. If he had beaten Bockwinkel it would of felt like daylight robbery as DiBiase had been knocked from pillar to post for most of the match. Fortunately Bockwinkel pulls it out the bag. Playing possum as DiBiase attempts an ambitious deathjump. Bockwinkel gets out of its path and scrambles to cover. Makes sure he really hooks in that leg so DiBiase cannot kick out. Means the first round has been a whitewash for the faces.

Round 2:

Don Leo Jonathan beats Mil Mascaras to make the final. Brilliant action and giving this 5*. Explosive start by Mil Mascaras as he tries to make up for size and power disparity with speed. Knows that if Don Leo closes in he might be in big trouble. Works for a short while but when Mascaras goes for a flying crossbody off the top rope Don Leo just catches hold of him then follows with MORMON SWING. Looked like it would be all over there and then but Mascaras digs deep for a kick out. Whilst that was pretty special what is even more remarkable is the second wind Mascaras gets from it. He almost pins Don Leo with FLYING BODYPRESS soon after. It’s game on now. Both giving it their all. Don Leo gets a second bite of the cherry with his finisher minutes later having just delivered a brutal piledriver but Mascaras kicks out again. Don Leo scratches head in bewilderment. The match continues with the pendulum swinging. Real edge of the seat stuff. However Don Leo doesn’t give up on his big move and uses his MORMON SWING again. It’s third time lucky as it secures a hard fought win. It has taken its toll though as Don Leo carries fatigue (2) into the final. Fans give guys a standing ovation as they leave.

Johnny Valentine wins a classic over Nick Bockwinkel. Yet another 5* match. Bockwinkel is brilliant and demonstrates his full repertoire. However Valentine is being very Bobo-esque. He is absorbing everything thrown at him in readiness for a big comeback. On the end of BOCKWINKEL SLEEPER and also FIGURE FOUR LEGLOCK (twice!) but no matter what it is he won’t give in. Inevitably having survived such an onslaught Valentine would have a period on top himself. When it comes it was a savage period of offence. He blasted Bockwinkel with ATOMIC SKULLCRUSHER four times in a row. Bockwinkel was stunned and just didn’t know where this was all coming from. He did well himself to kickout of the first few but Valentine was relentless and eventually the move yielded the three count to send him into the final. Bockwinkel looks crestfallen in the aftermath. Valentine offers him a handshake and at first Bockwinkel refuses but when he realises some of the crowd are heckling him for that he relents and accepts the hand.

Final:

Johnny Valentine grabs the glory against Don Leo Jonathan. Both have been through the wars to get to this stage and are token laden. Don Leo carrying 2 and Johnny has 3. Not expecting this to go very long as a result. Despite the fatigue they manage to serve up a worthy final. Don Leo has the agility and strength advantages but Valentine looks slightly more energised. He uses his ATOMIC SKULLCRUSHER on a few different occasions to weaken Don Leo. However it is a forearm bludgeon that leads to an emotional win. A brilliant moment is Greg Valentine coming to the ring as his father is handed the trophy. Johnny looks wary and holds up the trophy ready to use as a weapon. However Greg extends his arms and Johnny immediately puts it down and accepts the hug. The embrace becomes the iconic thumbnail of the event. Straight away questions asked of what now for Johnny? Surely deserves a title shot soon. He and Bobo Brazil may well be both faces but the LWF shouldn’t have any issues booking. Especially as they both represent different teams. Johnny will have a psychological edge having beaten Bobo already on his way to glory.

TAG TEAM

(Couple of makeshift tag teams thrown together to bring the entry list up to the 8 teams required. Antonio Inoki and Giant Baba make a big appearance whilst Koko B. Ware who seems to have a multitude of partners finds a willing ally in the shape of the Destroyer. Lots of interest in the Vachons who make their debut. What a stage to do it. A chance to make an instant impact)

First Round:

The Grapplers play the Valiant Brothers at their own game to progress. Long match. The Valiant Brothers looking pretty toothless as the Grapplers smother their offense. However with sneaky double teaming they find a way to get on top. Just as it looks like they may go onto win we get an unexpected twist. Johnny is trying to pin Dick Hutton. Fed up with the underhanded tactics used against them Frank Gotch uncharacteristically decides to fight fire with fire. He breaks up the pin and draws Johnny onto him. Hutton quickly picks himself up and ambushes from behind. Then locks in ABDOMINAL STRETCH. Gotch covers the move and Johnny cries out for a submission in no time at all.

Midnight Express dig deep to beat Antonio Inoki and Giant Baba. Decent 3* battle. Midnight Express needing to call on all their tag team expertise to overcome their more powerful Japanese opponents. Stan Lane got Giant Baba with an enzuigiri to take it. Giant Baba was frustrated because he had earlier been illegally attacked after his NECKBREAKER DROP on Bobby Eaton with the pin reversed as a result. Very few usually survive the move. However he is too honorable to think about revenge and is grateful that he and Inoki were given the opportunity to enter the tournament. Notable that seasoned tag teams reign supreme over the non regular combos that came together to make out the numbers.

Team Extreme violently dispose of Koko B. Ware and the Destroyer. The makeshift team of Koko and the Destroyer give a good account of themselves. They just didn’t real have any potent attacks to back up their slick tag teaming. Sabu has fun and games with his TRIPLE JUMP MOONSAULT. Missing and hitting it against the Destroyer. The toll of Sabu’s violence very evident on the Destroyer. As he reaches a fifth token he makes the hot tag and is in no shape to assist further in the match. Koko pretty much on his own. A gallant effort ends after Koko takes SINGAPORE CANE straight in the face.

Killer Bees upset the Vachons. The arrival of the Vachons comes a cropper. Started well enough and they kept B. Brian Blair in the ring for a long time. When Butcher Vachon subjected him to HANGMAN it seemed only matter of time. However Blair got the hot tag and Jim Brunzell exploded into the action. Catching Butcher Vachon with KILLER DROPKICK and then optimistically going for the cover. Blair prevented Mad Dog breaking it up but Brunzell looked as surprised as anyone when Butcher kicked out a split second too late. The angry Vachons try to continue the fight but double dropkicks clear them out of the ring.

Second Round:

Midnight Express make it past the Grapplers. The betting is the winners of the tournament would come out of this match. It was very evenly contested but Stan Lane caused Frank Gotch all sorts of trauma with a Flapjack repeated times. Being an add 1 move it quickly ramped his token count to critical levels. It was also the move directly responsible for the win. Dick Hutton missed his cue to break the pin. He was suffering fatigue himself but also may not of wanted to intervene. The levels of rulebreaking were from the Midnight Express were nowhere near that of the Valiants. Being a vintage wrestler such tactics are not really associated with the likes of Gotch and Hutton. However it certainly cost them here.

Killer Bees make the final as they beat Team Extreme. The Bees are not out of their comfort zone against such violent wrestlers as they take another scalp. B. Brian Blair takes some hefty punishment from the Sandman but lives to tell the tale. Sabu then enters the ring to finish things off but once again TRIPLE JUMP MOONSAULT goes horribly wrong. This time it is costly. Quick as a flash the Bees link up for BEE STING. It’s not enough to get the win but Jim Brunzell continues thinking fast and delivers his KILLER DROPKICK. One of those devlish snake eyes rolls means the match is over and the Bees are unlikely participants in the final.

Final:

Killer Bees defy the odds to take the trophy at expense of Midnight Express. Midnight’s looking amazingly fresh for the final and the heavy favourites to win. The Bees though are confident they can pull another upset as Brunzell says in the pre match interview “don’t count us out”. However the record books suggest this will be easy for the Midnight’s having met the Bees three times during the fed’s short history and winning comfortably each time. They are definitely in the driving seat. At least in the early stages but with each passing minute the Bees come more into it. Jim Cornette tries to come to ringside but it is against the match rules and he is ushered away. Proves fatal as the Midnight’s lose their concentration and cool. The Bees pounce on the moment with Brunzell, for a third match in a row, using his KILLER DROPKICK to earn victory as Bobby Eaton falls to it. Same pattern as their last match as they had just used BEE STING to set it up. Great moment for the Bees and they didn’t use their notorious MASKED CONFUSION switch move at any point during the tournament.

CAGE

(Jimmy Snuka into the cage bracket and not defending his singles crown after all. He has to give up his spot in deference to team leader Nick Bockwinkel. There were some very frank discussions about Bockwinkel pulling rank. Gorgeous George orders Brutus into the cage to win the trophy for him. Brutus isn’t comfortable in cage matches but has no choice but to comply)

First Round:

Jimmy Snuka barely breaks sweat against Buff Bagwell. Not a good start for the newest member of the Heenan Family. Bagwell goes down to SUPERFLY LEAP in little over a minute. Trying to save face by claiming cage matches aren’t his speciality and will show his skills much more in regular matches.

Iron Sheik easily escapes against King Kong Bundy. Over quickly. Iron Sheik spitefully kicks Bundy in the gut with his loaded boot. Then straight astride Bundy with CAMEL CLUTCH. Thought he’d kept it on long enough to enable a casual stroll out the door but Bundy pulled him back. However damage is done. Iron Sheik just pushes Bundy down and gets a Scorpion Death Lock onto those huge tree trunk legs. After this Bundy is barely able to stand and support his own weight much less foil another escaping attempt.

Killer Kowalski wins a bloody one over Jim Duggan. Kowalski is desperate to win the cage trophy and become the hardcore icon of the LWF. He was within a whisker last year but lost out to Bobo Brazil. Becomes a brutal match. Kowalski batters Duggan for a long time and is suspected of maybe drawing it out to enjoy the suffering caused. Bad idea against Duggan who comes storming back and lets Kowalski know this will be a helluva of a fight. Tokens and blood aplenty by the end. Kowalski just about coming through after CLAW HOLD. Even then Duggan gallantly tries to pull a leg back but gets kicked away. 4*

Ox Baker mauls Brutus Beefcake. Predictably Brutus never lays a glove on Baker. He goes through a few minutes of sustained punishment and is cut open by several tosses into the cage side. Then comes HEART PUNCH which leaves Brutus floored and gasping. Baker now easily walks out of the cage door. There is relief as Brutus manages to recover from the brutal move and get to his feet with the help of the ropes. Looking wobbly but all still in one piece.

Second Round:

Iron Sheik knocks out Jimmy Snuka. Decent contest. Iron Sheik does early damage again with his loaded boot. Snuka rallies back and gives Iron Sheik a torrid time. Then mounts the turnbuckle which brings the crowd to it’s feet. They all think SUPERFLY LEAP is coming but instead it’s a conventional deathjump. Unfortunately the kamikaze dive goes wrong. Iron Sheik manages to get to this feet and turn the attempted crossbody into a devastating powerslam. Snuka is stunned. Iron Sheik doesn’t hang around. He dashes for the door and jumps out for the win.

Killer Kowalski wins the hardcore battle over Ox Baker. Kowalski all patched up and ready to go again. This meeting would be worthy of the final itself and has all the hallmarks of a bloodbath. Except it doesn’t quite turn out that way. Kowalski is probably the most determined of any competitior at CAC to win his bracket. Rarely gives Baker a chance to inflict any moves on him. At the first opportunity locks in CLAW HOLD. Baker fights it for as long as he can but eventually drops to his knees. In a long spot Kowalski keeps it applied until he is sure he can then escape the cage unhindered.

Final:

Iron Sheik overcomes Killer Kowalski to win the tournament. The toughness of these guys has to be applauded. Already come through gruelling matches and still able to wage war at an intense level. Iron Sheik fares much better than those before him as he is able to no sell CLAW HOLD. After this it anyone would be hard picked to choose a likely winner as the pendulum swings many times. The finishing sequence is dramatic. Kowalski propping Iron Sheik against a turnbuckle ready for a smash. Not for the first time tonight Iron Sheik gets out of the path of a dangerous move. Kowalski crashes into the buckle and also hits his head on the cage. He is not knocked out but very groggy. Iron Sheik seizes the moment and applies CAMEL CLUTCH. When releases Kowalski just lays motionless on his front. He has nothing left and Iron Sheik takes the trophy for the cage bracket.

[wayne]

LWF REPORT (CARDS 53 TO 56)

Champions

LWF Heavyweight Champ: Bobo Brazil
Top Contender: Cowboy Bob Orton

LWF Tag Team Champs: Team Extreme
Top Contenders: Killer Bees

LWF US. Champ: Gorgeous George
Top Contender: Johnny Valentine

Latest News:

The second CAULIFLOWER ALLEY CUP was a huge success. Johnny Valentine, Killer Bees and Iron Sheik were the big winners. Big loser was Buff Bagwell who damages his rep with a quick loss in the cage tournament. His claims that ‘cage matches are barbaric and have no place in wrestling’ does not wash with the wrestling media. Spawned a couple of rivalries too. Bockwinkel-DiBiase and Killer Bees-Vachons. The most abiding memory was the reunion for Greg and Johnny Valentine. Hopefully means Greg, if and when he returns, will be on the side of the faces. But nothing is guaranteed in wrestling. For now Johnny though deserves the headlines and not Greg. He couldn’t of had it tougher with Bobo Brazil, Nick Bockwinkel and Don Leo Jonathan to get through but he saw them all off.

Buddy Rogers moaned at his not qualifying for the CAC tournament despite not being beaten in a singles match since #35 which is almost 9 months. The reason given that it was a legacy of his recent suspension and deemed to be further punishment. With the LWF committee having a tough time splitting guys who should be in they were looking for excuses to cut people.

Several newcomers have entered the fed making noise. Buff Bagwell has signed with Booby Heenan as part of the ‘Heenan Family’ for a small fortune. Joining him will be Gorgeous George (a guy Heenan has always said he would love to manage) and the Valiants. They will face a popular new team fronted by Chris Candido and Tammy Sytch called ‘Pure Muscle’. Naturally Brutus has joined with them so he can oppose Gorgeous George. Although at the moment he is still performing his slave duties.

Several wrestlers have departed in a roster shake up. One of those is Nikolai Volkoff who departed in disgust at not being able to win the Heavyweight title. He doesn’t feel he got enough support from Nikita Breznikov during his attempts to grab the belt. Nikita is low on confidence and has left again.

This has left the Iron Sheik high and dry without a team. He had hoped to re-unite with them after the Headliners shuffled its pack. Wanting to stay in the LWF he has been forced to hook up with the newly formed ‘Dog Pound’ run by the Vachons but he doesn’t really fit in there. They are set to feud with a team led by Koko B. Ware which he calls ‘The Orphanage’ set to take in the guys floating about who nobody really wants. King Kong Bundy is in the team but has taken exception to the name and refuses to acknowledge it.

Ted DiBiase has disbanded the Million Dollar Corporation and is now plowing his vast wealth into Camp Cornette. He even bought Jim Cornette a jewel encrusted tennis racquet.

George Hackenschmidt has joined Old School but also wants to start a rivalry with Frank Gotch in an internal feud.

Although Bobo Brazil lives and breathes the CAC he has temporarily left the team and entrusted the leadership to his good friend, Nick Bockwinkel. He wants to help Lou Albano run the interfering Jim Cornette out of the fed. Recent results haven’t been kind to the All Americans so they need a man of Bobo’s stature to try and help give them the boost they need. Bockwinkel hopes by heading up the team he will finally win total trust from the fans.

As previously mentioned Brutus has been forced to serve as a slave to Gorgeous George. He is busy doing demeaning jobs and is currently living in George’s grounds in a small shed with very few luxuries. George even heightened the humiliation by posting pictures online of Brutus doing his ironing.

Speaking of Gorgeous George he has had a brilliant year and been punching well above his weight. He featured very highly in the voting for wrestler of the year but nobody was going to beat Bobo Brazil who wins it for the second year running. His reward for such a great year is being invited into the Heenan Family which will make him a big player in the fed for sure. Nick Bockwinkel despite small pockets of fans distrusting him manages to grab the popularity plaque.


Full roster and team affiliations are as follows:

HEENAN FAMILY (Buff Bagwell, Gorgeous George, Valiant Brothers); PURE MUSCLE (Chris Candido, Johnny Valentine, Virgil, Brutus Beefcake); CAC (Nick Bockwinkel, Antonio Inoki, Jimmy Snuka, Red Bastien); THE HEADLINERS (Harley Race, Killer Kowalski, Masked Superstar, Buddy Rogers); CAMP CORNETTE (Midnight Express, Ted DiBiase, Cowboy Bob Orton); ALBANO’S ALL AMERICANS (Bobo Brazil, Jim Duggan, Killer Bees); TEAM EXTREME (Sabu, the Sandman, Ox Baker, Justin Credible); OLD SCHOOL (Frank Gotch, Dick Hutton, George Hackenschmidt, Don Leo Jonathan); THE DOG POUND (Mad Dog Vachon, Butcher Vachon, Missing Link, Iron Sheik); THE ORPHANAGE (Koko B. Ware, Mil Mascaras, the Destroyer, King Kong Bundy)


(Note – At the moment I am planning to rotate wrestlers fast as guys come and go. Many only signing short term contracts. Just so I can use many of the cards and then move my fed along towards the colour cards as at the moment I am using only black and white and mainly the online ones. I noticed some online cards have slight differences to the cards. Snuka’s SUPERFLY LEAP finisher for example has an impact range of +2 to +6 online but his B&W card is +1 to +5. There are probably quite a few other subtle differences)

LEFT– Greg Valentine (9), PROBATION – Buddy Rogers

END OF YEAR AWARDS:

WRESTLER OF THE YEAR: Bobo Brazil
TAG TEAM OF THE YEAR: Midnight Express
MOST POPULAR: Nick Bockwinkel
MOST HATED: Harley Race
BEST FEUD: CAC–Headliners

[wayne]

Card 57 – Shelby Recreation Center:

(DQ blighted card but no short changing the fans as lots of exciting action. The Red Bastien-Buddy Rogers and Antonio Inoki-Harley Race matches worth the admission price alone)

Bobo Brazil (sub. Brutus) and Jim Duggan get the verdict over Ted DiBiase and Gorgeous George by DQ. Another no show by Brutus as his slave role to Gorgeous George forbids it. This time Duggan is prepared and has a mystery partner. Duggan grabs the mic and proudly introduces “a great American hero”. Bobo Brazil emerges from the curtain with Lou Albano clapping and working the crowd behind him. Ted DiBiase goes nuts and calls the move an illegal one but the officials tell him to shut up or be disqualified. They also go one step further and state that there are too many ringside managers. With Jim Cornette, Bobby Heenan and Cherie Dupre all present it is decreed only one be allowed to remain. Cornette and Heenan get into an argument over this so the officials make the decision for them and ejects both to leave just Cherie Dupre behind. Sets the tone for a very ill tempered match. Bobo and George (the two singles champs) end up brawling outside of the ring. George takes it too far as he attempts to spray Cherie’s perfume bottle into Bobo’s face. Thankfully missing the eyes. That’s when the bell went. Some semblance of order is restored and the ref’s official decision announced. What was very notable was that before this chaos George was actually dominating Bobo inside the ring and even comes close to forcing a submission on him with SPINNING TOE HOLD. Maybe this sets the scene for a match between Bobo and George. Not sure the LWF championship committee would put either man’s belt on the line but it could be a money spinner.

Midnight Express overcome the Grapplers by DQ. Rematch between the two teams. Cornette sees the Grapplers as a stepping stone to getting a chance to regain the belts and get at Team Extreme. Whilst these two teams take each other on it is clearing a path for others. Almost over in the blink of an eye as Hutton nearly pins Bobby Eaton after Cowboy backbreaker. Stan Lane makes a nifty baseball slide to break the cover. Later Dick Hutton uncharacteristically sends the match outside. In his haste to get at Bobby Eaton he knocks the ref flying. Jim Cornette makes a big thing of helping the ref up to make sure he is okay and then vociferously complains. The bewildered official buys everything Cornette says and calls the DQ.

Red Bastien wins another classic over Buddy Rogers. Buddy vows not to underestimate Bastien this time and pledges to get the bout won in under 5 minutes. Makes a real aggressive start as he doesn’t want to look silly after saying that. What ensues is another incredible match. I kid you not, it was barely a handful of moves from being yet another time limit draw. Both guys right at the top of their game and giving everything. Failed finishers multiple times on both sides but in the end it is Red Bastien’s delivery of his crippling ATOMIC DROP that ends it. Buddy Roger’s spine can take no more. His long unbeaten run at an end. Can give this nothing less than 5* and it’s a no brainer to book them to wrestle again. Especially as Buddy Rogers bragging meant ending up with egg on his face. Within hours of the show being over the challenge is issued and the next match arranged for the grander stage of LEGENDS LIVE #60.

Harley Race nicks victory over Antonio Inoki. Baptism of fire for Inoki. His first match as a CAC member against the leader of the infamous Headliners. He competes manfully and gives Race plenty of problems. Attempted pins after ENZUIGIRI and OCTOPUS HOLD testament to that. However Race uses all his experience to grind out a win which comes courtesy of a back suplex. The match was almost twenty minutes old by this point and Inoki understandably was running out of steam. Inoki said of the match later “I could of won but Race was pulling all sorts of heel stunts. He crossed the line there. Next time it will be different”

Don Leo Jonathan wins a bruising contest over Justin Credible by DQ. Dramatic stuff. Don Leo hit countless times with SINGAPORE CANE and THAT’S INCREDIBLE. Fair to say a ref bump is what kept him alive in the match as he was 7 tokens by the end. Not that Justin came through unscathed as he had a couple too. The thirst for violence hurts Justin in the end as he is disqualified for trying to throw Don Leo into a table. The ref who had let a lot go, including the bump which had put him down for 10 moves, could no longer turn a blind eye and called the bell. Poor Don Leo is being advised to take a few weeks off after this savage beating.

Missing Link defeated the Destroyer. Solid opening match. The Destroyer struggles against the chaotic Missing Link and loses to BACK FLYING HEAD BUTT.

[wayne]

Card 58 – Shelby Recreation Center:

Bobo Brazil defeats Gorgeous George by DQ in non-title action. Book it while it’s hot. Lots of heat between the managers, Albano and Heenan, outside too. Again George is the superior wrestler using his SPINNING TOE HOLD a couple times albeit unsuccessfully. As so often happens Bobo hangs on and then rallies. George not taking too kindly to a COCO BUTT. Things then get real tense when Bobo’s next challenger, Cowboy Bob Orton, walks halfway down the runway on a scouting mission. Bobo angrily goes out to meet him despite Lou Albano trying to hold him back. In what looked like a planned attack Gorgeous George gets handed a chair by Bobby Heenan and comes up behind to plant it across Bobo’s back. The bell goes but together George and Orton beat on Bobo leaving him a bloody heap. Rumours later circulate that Jim Cornette and Ted DiBiase had paid Heenan and George a handsome sum to take the DQ loss and injure Bobo. If Bobo is injured it will greatly enhance the chances of Orton bringing the Heavyweight belt into Camp Cornette.

The Vachons have the Killer Bees for dinner. The Vachons hellbent on revenge. The Bees are frustrated some of the wrestling media said they had ridden their luck to win the CAC. Another win here will surely mean they have to be taken seriously. Interestingly there is no Lou Albano in their corner as he chooses to focus on preparing Bobo Brazil for the main event. Maybe his absence costs them dear as the Bees are nowhere near the recent levels they have shown. They do string some nice stuff together but lack potency. Mad Dog Vachon managing to cut Jim Brunzell off. He snarls and delivers a double foot stomp right on the side of Brunzell’s head which seals the victory.

Ted DiBiase beats Nick Bockwinkel with surprising ease. Nightmare start as the outright leader of the CAC for Bockwinkel. He drops the ball big time. Allows himself to get snared in the MILLION DOLLAR SLEEPER. A pesky snake eyes roll means Bockwinkel sinks to his knees for a disappointing defeat.

Frank Gotch and George Hackenschmidt defeated Ox Baker and Justin Credible. Just the start Hackenschmidt would of wanted. He rolls Justin Credible into a pinning combination for the win. During the match Frank Gotch maintained his tough as nails reputation by brushing off Ox Baker’s HEART PUNCH. The guy never fails to impress.

Buff Bagwell blows Chris Candido away. Tammy Sytch always fishing for compliments and making sure her cleavage gets plenty of camera coverage. Chris Candido looks slightly jealous when others ogle her. Bobby Heenan makes the mistake of being caught staring. Candido tries to grab him by the collar but this allows Buff Bagwell to attack from behind and start in the ascendancy. Heenan straightens his jacket and calls Candido a hooligan. Bagwell is in control from start to finish. Tammy Sytch screams at her man to fight back but he musters very little. The hugely impressive Bagwell leaps at him with a perfect cross body block for a win in less than 2 minutes.

Iron Sheik barely breaks sweat against Koko B. Ware. Not really much of a contest. Koko does his best but is no match for Iron Sheik. He falls inevitably to Iron Sheik’s infamous CAMEL CLUTCH. Despicably he kept the hold locked in after the bell. Several security guys had to force an eventual release.

[wayne]

Card 59 – FESTIVAL OF WRESTLING 3 – Cobo Hall:

Heavyweight champ, Bobo Brazil, humiliates Cowboy Bob Orton with a fast win. Lou Albano looking proud as punch to be managing the champ. Maybe it is a cover up but he proudly announces Orton and Gorgeous George’s attempts to injure Bobo had failed miserably and that he is fighting fit. Gives Bobo a pep talk before the bell. That quickly gets interrupted as Orton starts things early and smashes Albano and Bobo’s heads together. Picks up Bobo by the hair. Attempts a vertical suplex. Jim Cornette turns his back with his arms in the air in a celebratory pose and then trash talks with fans in the front row. By the time he turned round again it was over and his man was beaten. Going for that suplex was fatal. Bobo blocked the move and powerfully reversed the suplex. Doesn’t hesitate and goes for a Bobo body slam. Orton is badly winded but instrinctively tries to get to his feet where he is met with a big hammer punch. Bobo dives on him for the cover and wins in just the 3 moves. Cornette looks horrified and smashes his tennis racket to the ground in frustration.

CAC-HEADLINERS challenge (ends 1-2):

Harley Race mauls Nick Bockwinkel in a crucial match between the team leaders. Bockwinkel in dire need of a win after CAC failure was followed quickly by a damaging loss to Ted DiBiase. Who better than to get it against than his opposite, Harley Race, unofficial leader of the Headliners. Bockwinkel struggles against Race’s devious tactics in the early minutes. He even gets hit with Race’s PILEDRIVER. That knocked the stuffing out of him but Bockwinkel summons enough to get a shoulder up. He attempts to muster a fight back but Race is really on his game tonight. It’s a case of trying to hang in there for Bockwinkel but he is soon on the end of Race’s finisher again. This time there is no coming back. It’s been a disastrous start to life as CAC leader for Bockwinkel. Some cruel fans even start a chant “Bring back Bobo”.

Killer Kowalski takes down Antonio Inoki. Fast start from Inoki. Has Kowalksi rocking but cannot keep the momentum. Kowalski’s CLAW HOLD wears him down significantly although it isn’t the move that ends things. Kowalski relies on a giant swing to do the business for him. As soon as the match is won Kowalski heads straight out to grab hold of a chair. He brings it down across the fallen Inoki as punishment for daring to try and pin him a couple of times at the start, his way of saying “don’t try that again”.

Air Assault too good for Masked Superstar and Buddy Rogers. The Headliners looking even stronger with the arrival of the Masked Superstar. Whilst, perhaps unfairly, the departure of Bobo Brazil has weakened the CAC. However that doesn’t look to be the case here. Snuka and Red Bastien have been very effective as a team in the past and they combine for another good victory. Masked Superstar got caught in no man’s land against Snuka and flattened with SUPERFLY LEAP (+3). It was the second time he’d felt it’s impact having earlier managed a kick out from it (+5). Probably a debut Masked Superstar will won’t to try and forget.

OTHER MATCHES:

Jim Duggan brings the house down by beating King Kong Bundy. An old rivalry that has been festering ever since Duggan made a save for Brutus and chased Bundy off with his 2x4. Although Bundy is in a face team he is only loosely affiliated and will take on anyone. The other interesting quirk is because Bundy is supposedly a face at the moment Duggan’s manager, Lou Albano, has decided not to appear at ringside. Notable moment within the contest is Duggan showing great strength to slam Bundy and comes so close to getting the pin off it. Bundy stumbles back to his feet but Duggan was just waiting for him. Launches into him with FLYING SPEAR to take him back down and Bundy is too big and cumbersome to kick out. Crowd goes berserk for the result. If looks could kill as Bundy staggers from the scene scrutinising the celebrating Duggan with the American flag in hand. Something tells me Bundy is close to a heel turn again which is much more natural to him.

The Grapplers beat Midnight Express by DQ. This is a side feud distraction Jim Cornette doesn’t want but with 2 DQ outcomes between the teams in 3 meetings it is a necessary one. Unbelievably it ends that way again. Jim Cornette is barking commands which irritates Frank Gotch. He jumps out the ring and asks Cornette if he’d like a stint in his GOTCH TOEHOLD. The crowd love it and will him on. Before he gets within a metre of him Bobby Eaton picks up Cornette’s racquet which had been dropped. He delivers a forearm smash from behind. Dick Hutton rushes over to help his partner but gets struck with it too. The Grapplers win but something needs to be done to settle this all properly. Crowd chant goes up for ‘cage match, cage match’. Somehow I think they’ll get their wish.


LEGENDS LIVE (#60) NEXT ... TAG BELTS ON LINE WITH TEAM EXTREME DEFENDING AGAINST CAC TAG TROPHY WINNERS THE KILLER BEES ... US. BELT MATCH, GORGEOUS GEORGE FACES THE HOTTEST GUY AROUND IN THE SHAPE OF JOHNNY VALENTINE ... RED BASTIEN-BUDDY ROGERS. THESE TWO HAVE HAD SOME GREAT MATCHES SO LET'S HAVE ANOTHER ONE ... FRANK GOTCH TAKES ON GEORGE HACKENSCHMIDT. GOTCH DEALING WITH AFTER EFFECTS FROM THE MIDNIGHT EXPRESS ASSAULT ... CAGE ELIMINATION, THE DOG POUND AGAINST THE OPRHANAGE, LWF TRYING TO PUT THIS TEAM FEUD ON THE MAP ... PLUS 3 MORE MATCHES

[wayne]

Card 60 – LEGENDS LIVE – LA Grand Olympic Auditorium:

(Huge excitement as the LA Grand Olympic Auditorium opens its doors and hosts its first LWF card. The fans went wild when it was approved as a venue and have been counting down the days to this massive card. Johnny Valentine’s reward for winning CAC is a shot tonight at the US. Belt. Johnny sees himself as a Heavyweight belt guy but takes what is offered to him. His mantra is now to win the US. Belt and then try and win the Heavyweight belt and hold both titles. That would certainly make history if he delivers on that)

Tag champs, Team Extreme, see off the challenge of the Killer Bees. Too easy for Team Extreme. They bullied the Bees. The Sandman puts Jim Brunzell out his misery with his SINGAPORE CANE. From a huge high to a low in just the space of a few cards for the Killer Bees. Their surprise CAC victory seems a distant memory after suffering two losses. Word is that the Vachons are sniffing around the tag belts now. Will they be seen as credible challengers given that they have only been in the fed a short while? Normally the Midnight Express and the Grapplers would be above them in the pecking order but those two teams are too busy battling each other.

US. champ, Gorgeous George, lost to Johnny Valentine by DQ. Brutus still acting as George’s gopher. Cherie Dupre given a chance to take a backseat as Brutus accompanies George. He is forced to remove and carefully fold George’s robe before checking the back of his hair to make sure it looks good. George starts in the ascendancy but as the minutes tick by Johnny is getting stronger and looks the more likely winner. Especially as Brutus is refusing to run interference. George in a move of desperation takes possession of Brutus’s shears and holds them up as a dangerous weapon in front of Johnny thus drawing the DQ and saving the belt. Johnny looked gutted and pleaded the ref continue the match but the final decision stood. (That was disappointing. I really wanted Johnny to win and then make a pursuit of the Heavyweight belt too but that’s the way the dice roll sometimes. He’ll get a rematch though)

Bobo Brazil battles hard to beat Ted DiBiase in a non-title match. Bobo goes down a storm in LA. He’s popular everywhere he goes. Classic heel heat from Cornette and DiBiase as they insult Bobo’s mama before the bout. Calling her a whore and many other unpleasant things. Is that wise to rile Bobo up like that? In a late twist Virgil offers to accompany Bobo instead of Lou Albano because he and DiBiase ‘still have unfinished business’ but the ref turns him away. DiBiase cackles with laughter but that soon changes as Bobo piles into him. Bobo starts like a locomotive looking for another quick win. However DiBiase is resilient and hangs in there. Not that he ever looked capable of turning it around. The tokens keep building and get as high as 5 but a COCO BUTT finally does the job. He then kicks DiBiase out of the ring and warns him never to speak ill of his mother ever again.

Red Bastien beats Buddy Rogers yet again. This is a formula for a great match. The last two meetings have been classics. Rogers is still agitated he cannot beat this guy and that trend continues. Red Bastien absorbs some early pummeling and manages to use his greater agility to surge back. Hits ATOMIC DROP which doesn’t get the pin but with Buddy Rogers still down quickly locks in a Boston crab. Rogers is in agony and tries to get towards the ropes but is too central. He has no option but to quit. When asked if there will be yet another match between them Rogers rants “I have better things to do. Red Bastien is just a bogey opponent but it is clear I am the superior wrestler”.

George Hackenschmidt overcomes Frank Gotch. Much anticipated first meeting between these two. They may be on the same team after Gotch invited Hackenschmidt to join them but they are keen to strike up a healthy rivalry. The action stays entirely in the ring which is refreshing and the fans are wowed by the incredible mat wrestling. They give both of them a standing ovation at its conclusion. The winner being George Hackenschmidt after a double dose of RUSSIAN BEAR HUG took all the air out of Gotch. It was applied with such force that Gotch had sore ribs for days afterwards.

The Sheik burns Don Leo Jonathan. This was billed as a mystery opponent for Don Leo. He looks shocked when the Sheik bursts through the curtain. In a memorable entrance the Sheik attacks ringside furniture and has various ringside personnel scarpering in all directions. Despite being totally unprepared Don Leo gets down to action. Engages the Sheik to the relief of everyone. Trouble is the Sheik is so crazed that he seems impervious to Don Leo’s best moves. Two times struck down with MORMON SWING but he just kept on coming. Then gasps as he throws a FIREBALL right in Don Leo’s face. How could the ref let that go? Maybe he genuinely missed it or was intimidated. Either way it renders Don Leo incapable of fighting back and the Sheik wins it.

Buff Bagwell barely breaks sweat against Virgil. Bagwell looking to slay another member of the PURE MUSCLE team. He didn’t have too many problems dealing with Virgil. A few minutes showboating with very little offence to deal with from Virgil. Bobby Heenan then instructs Bagwell to finish things off which he dutifully does with BUFF BLOCKBUSTER. No doubt Buff has great potential but he hasn’t really been tested yet.

The Dog Pound defeated the Orphanage in a cage elimination match. With King Kong Bundy teasing a heel turn the Orphanage already looks a short lived idea. Could they go out with a bang? The introductions take place and Bundy fails to show. Officials deliberate for a while. As the crowd grows restless it is finally decided the Dog Pound must lose a participant. Much to his dismay a draw of straws means the Missing Link has to leave the cage. He doesn’t go quietly and causes a fair amount of destruction on the way out. So it’s down to 3 on 3 … Mil Mascaras pinned Butcher Vachon after a long opening duel. Butcher Vachon first to go. Looks unsteady going for a deathjump. Misses by a mile and gets pinned and forced to leave the cage. Teams supposed to reset for the next fall but Mil Mascaras insists on staying in the ringside ignoring Koko’s call to huddle for tactics … Mad Dog Vachon eliminates Koko B. Ware. The Orphanage cannot press home man advantage. Koko did well against Mad Dog but guilty of trying to do too much and falls to a running knee lift … Mad Dog Vachon carrying the fight as he beats Mil Mascaras. Takes some licks but manages to get him beat with PILEDRIVER … Iron Sheik finished the Destroyer with CAMEL CLUTCH to end the contest. The Destroyer was overwhelmed and already token laden. The Dog Pounds wins pretty easily. Does this feud even have legs? Crowd was only lukewarm for the match despite the cage setting.

[wayne]

LWF REPORT (CARDS 57 TO 60)

Champions

LWF Heavyweight Champ: Bobo Brazil
Top Contender: Harley Race

LWF Tag Team Champs: Team Extreme
Top Contenders: The Vachons

LWF US. Champ: Gorgeous George
Top Contender: Johnny Valentine

Latest News:

All the main champions seem unbeatable at the moment. Bobo Brazil brushed aside Cowboy Bop Orton. Am just running out of superlatives for this guy. Johnny Valentine would clearly be the top contender at the moment but is being hurt by the unwritten code that faces don’t fight faces. How long before he demands a title shot and tries to add the Heavyweight belt to his current pursuit of the US title? It’s the sort of thing that could trigger a heel turn. In the tag division Jim Cornette bemoans the naming of the Vachons as #1 contenders ahead of the Midnight Express as a scandalous decision. They’ve only won one match. It will be an incredible rapid rise to the top if the Vachons go onto win the belts.

Nick Bockwinkel struggles to live up to his role as CAC leader. Damaging defeats suffered by himself and the team. Worst of all was his own at the hands of Harley Race. The loss elevated Race to the #1 contender spot so it was a double whammy. Already questioning of whether he is up to the task. He remains defiant in the face of criticism, “my good pal Bobo trusted me and I won’t let him down. I am going to knuckle down and work extra hard to turn this slump around. It is like having to build a giant jigsaw very quickly but I will do it”.

Bobby Heenan being called a glory hunter. He inherited the US. Title into his family. Now he wants to try and sign Team Extreme to bring more gold in without having to physically win it. Such a barbaric team isn’t really his style but Heenan is motivated by gold and will side with anyone to get it. He’d probably sell his own mother if it meant getting another title into his family. So far Team Extreme have not answered his calls or responded to any emails. They probably don’t know how to use computers.

Out of nowhere the crazed Sheik has shown up in the LWF. The mix of talent within the fed is now getting real interesting with some of the guys from the HARDCORE edition being introduced. His entrance was dramatic as he burned Don Leo Jonathan with a FIREBALL. The Old School team have banded together in the wake of this and vow to end his terror. That gives the Sheik a natural association with Team Extreme as a result. He is a loner though and may not want to be pigeon holed.

A feared wrestler from another territory, Bruiser Brody, has also turned up and caused quite a stir. He is preferring to stay unaffiliated to any particular team at the moment. Should he show any desire to join a heel team there will be no shortage of takers.

Greg Valentine showed up at Cobo Hall to watch the action and told everyone he was coming back after his enforced lay off. In a follow up to his actions at CAULIFLOWER ALLEY CUP he says he has turned over a new leaf, stepped up his training regime and is staying out the bars as he is desperate to recapture the glory days. His father is so proud of him and chimes in “it takes a big man to realise the error of his ways. I always loved my son throughout and hoped he would see the light”.

Money talks as Ted DiBiase helped lure the Heenan Family into helping Camp Cornette. His plan to get the belt onto Cowboy Bob Orton and then take ownership of it by purchasing it off Orton was rumbled. Cornette’s team also in the news as the spontaneous feud between the Midnight Express and the Grapplers gets bloody. Gotch and Hutton are fuming after being assaulted with Cornette’s Tennis Racquet and want this settled once and for all. A cage match on the next show will provide a perfect solution. For the winning team a huge tag team ranking rise awaits. Maybe even a title shot although for now, as mentioned at the top, the Vachons seem to be the favoured tag team in the LWF.

The future of the Orphanage hangs by a thread after King Kong Bundy no showed LEGENDS LIVE. Team leader, Koko B. Ware, insists it was just a blip and Bundy is still a committed member. Who is he kidding? He also got undermined by Mil Mascaras in the match and doesn’t seem to have the respect needed to be a leader. It’s a shame as he is such a popular and nice guy but unfortunately this isn’t a playground.

LEFT– Greg Valentine (5)