Remembering Slamebration 4, the forgotten super-card

[guiltyparty]

Episode 1

“The Crusher Problem”



Narrator: “WrestleMania III… Starrcade 1997 … Heatwave 98… Turning Point 2004... WrestleKingdon 11 … Full Gear 2021… In the pantheon of great wrestling super-cards, there is one name often over looked: Slamebration 4. The penultimate event for the mid-west based United States Wrestling Council, the influential event has been all but lost to history. In this six part series, we’ll look back at Slamebration 4, the matches, the behind the scenes stories, and the influence of the event. We’ll here from those who were there as well as those who felt the events impact.



William Muldoon, _{New York State Athletic Commissioner, former part owner USWC}: “Slamebration 3 had sold out the MECCA Arena in Milwaukee the year before. The Bucks were drawing 8 thousand on a really good night, we packed in almost 13 thousand that night.”



Jim Cornette, _{internet wrestling personality, former USWC assistant booker, manager}: “I’ve got it here in my book. Slamebration 3, Nov 12th, Milwaukee, 12,688 announced attendance, gate $203k. So probably closer to 10 thousand paid. Hell of a gate in those days. Of course, that was with Crusher on top.”



Muldoon: “So there was no question, we were going to go back to Milwaukee for 4. We looked at Omaha as a possibility but the houses were down there."



Cornette: “They’d killed Omaha deader than disco when they turned Mike DiBiase heel. No one wanted to pay money to go boo your hometown hero.”



Muldoon: “So we settled on Milwaukee as the site for Slamebration 4. But we knew we had to figure out, and pretty quickly, what we were going to do about what we called ‘The Crusher Problem’.”



Narrator: Reginald Lisowski, sometimes called “Crusher” Lisowski or more frequently simply “The Crusher” had been a huge part of the success of Slamebration 3. Known as ‘The Man who made Milwaukee Famous”, The Crusher had been a huge star in and around the Great Lakes region for years. For that reason, Crusher had been booked in the main event of Slamebration 3, challenging USWC champion “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers for the title.”



Buddy Rogers Vs. The Crusher

USWC Title Match

Slamebration 3

The Crusher started out strong, using his power advantage to gain the upper hand and then connecting with a belly-to-belly suplex. He went for the move a second time, only to have Rogers counter it. Rogers tried to use his superior agility, throwing a dropkick, before throwing The Crusher into the corner, only for The Crusher to come out with a jaw rattling lariat. Rogers quickly recovered though and dodged a stomp, before connecting with a jumping knee smash that knocked Crusher from the ring. As Crusher came back into the ring, Rogers connected with a flying elbow smash and a series of dropkicks that again knocked Crusher from the ring. Rogers pursued Crusher to the arena floor and the two men brawled, with Crusher regaining the upper hand. Crusher tossed Rogers into the ring and then connected with a clothesline from the top rope! With the champ in trouble, Crusher first wore him down with the dreaded stomach claw before locking in the Crusher Nelson. Rogers was able to get to the ropes to break the hold, and Crusher returned to the stomach claw before transitioning to a bearhug. Crusher than changed things up by hitting Rogers with an atomic drop. When Crusher went for the move again though, Rogers was able to block it. Rogers then got some heat on Crusher, slapping the challenger then taking him down with a hiptoss. Rogers looked to press the attack by sending Crusher into the ropes for a jumping knee lift, then following up with an elbow drop. Rogers sent Crusher into the ropes again, and bent down for a back body drop, only to have Crusher turn it into a piledriver! Smelling blood, Crusher again locked in the Crusher Nelson! Again, Rogers was able to get to the ropes, but the two men tumbled outside. As the two brawled outside the ring, Rogers grabbed his title belt and smacked Crusher with it in plan view of the referee. Referee “Blind” Mike Lawrence had no choice but to disqualify Rogers, but the title did not change hands.



Cornette: “You’re in Milwaukee, you’ve got to have Crusher on the card, at the top. But, you already did Crusher Vs. Rogers with the DQ finish. You can do the return, if you want to pull the trigger on Crusher winning the belt, but they didn’t want to do that. Having him lose or another screwy finish and you risk killing the town. Of course, they couldn’t have booked the return because of what happened with Buddy, but we didn’t know that at the time.”



Narrator: “We’ll cover what happened with Nature Boy Buddy Rogers and why he wasn’t on Slamebration 4 in a future episode.”



Bill Apter, _{long time wrestling journalist, USWC historian}: “It was decided that Crusher would be in the Semi-Main Event spot at 4. Since no titles would be involved, they decided to make the match special by putting it inside a steel cage.”



Cornette: “There’s a reason why UFC takes place in an octagon and not a boxing ring. You book two grannies in a slap fight and put it in a cage and people will pay to see it.”



Apter: “They also decided to have it be a first time ever matchup. There were some big monsters in the USWC, Bruiser Brody for example. But fans had seen Crusher take on those men before. So that’s when they brought in Gorilla.”



Narrator: “Robert Marella, known around the world as Gorilla Monsoon was a giant in the world of pro wrestling. Six and a half feet tall and announced at over 400 pounds. Gorilla had been a main event attraction in the Northeast. Once, Monsoon had made national headlines after an in ring confrontation with legendary boxing champion Muhammad Ali. With this track record, the massive Monsoon was instantly recognizable upon his debut in USWC.”



Gorilla Monsoon Vs. J.J. Dillon

USWC Weekly Wrestling

Monsoon’s USWC debut



To the surprise of many, the much smaller Dillon started off hot, rocketing the much larger Monsoon into the corner and following up with a big kick. Dillon then knocked Monsson down with a kneelift and tried to lock in a leglock submission hold. Monsson shook off the attempt, and when Dillon attempted a body slam, the massive Monsoon delivered a clubbing blow that stopped Dillon’s offensive flurry. Gorilla then tossed Dillon around the ring with a reverse headlock throw and beell across the ring. Monsoon then stunned the crowd with a massive dropkick! Dillon got in one last moment of hope, as Gorilla threw him into the corner, but Dillon was able to dodge the big man’s charge! After Monsoon collided with the turnbuckle, Dillon covered the big man for a two count. Moments later though, Monsoon rolled out of the ring, grabbed Dillon’s leg and pulled him into the ringpost. Monsoon than connected with the Manchurian Landslide and got the easy win.



J.J. Dillon, _{former USWC wrestler, long time manager, Delaware department of corrections officer}: “That was my next to last match for Muldoon. I was heading to Florida and I worked that taping and the next night in Bemidji. Gorilla, he didn’t have to give me anything, I was just there to put him over as this new monster. But he gave me half the match. That was just the kind of guy Gorilla was. But no one remembered the match, it was all about what happened after.”



Narrator: “What happened after the match was a bit of classic storytelling.”



Cornette: “So you have Gorilla, he’s just gotten a big win. Back then, USWC filmed the weekly show at the KSHB studios in Kansas City. They had a two locker room set up. Heels came out of the locker room doors that were camera left, babyfaces came out camera right. So Gorilla wins, and he goes to leave camera right towards the baby face locker room. Bob Caudle calls it out so the fans notice it.”



Bob Caudle, _{voice of USWC (archival audio)}: “The big man’s heading the wrong way! Guess he’s not used to his new surroundings yet.”



Cornette: “Crusher comes out, cause he’s got the next match. They pass each other on the way to the ring and BAM! Monsoon decks Crusher from behind. Monsoon lays the beating on Crusher, drops him neck first onto the bleachers… The women are screaming the babies are crying security is having to hold people back. And the whole time, Monsoon is smiling this big creepy smile, its almost like he only has one giant tooth. That smile. That sold the match.”



Muldoon: “When I saw the footage, I knew then and there that the Crusher Problem had been solved.”



Narrator: “Over the following weeks, Monsoon racked up a series of impressive victories; on television against perineal enhancement talents like Kenny Jay and on the road against stalwart allies of Crusher like former Midwestern Champion Billy Wicks. But as important as the victories were to setting up the match, equally important was what was being said, or more precisely not said.”



Bobby Heenan, _{former wrestler, manager, friend of Gorilla Monsoon, weasel}: “Gorilla was an incredibly articulate man. He had one of the most successful second acts in wrestling history as an announcer. He called some of the biggest matches in history, Hogan/Andre and Savage/Steamboat. The whole of his run in USWC, he doesn’t say one word. He doesn’t have a manager to say anything for him. He just gives that creepy smile.”



Narrator: “With the ‘Silent Monster’ running roughshod over the USWC and Crusher off tv to drive home the impact of the injury Monsoon had , it fell to Bob Caudle to further the story.”



Cole Radrick, _{indie wrester, raddy daddy, USWC fan}: “You’d watch the show and every week it would be Monsoon killing Sodbuster Kenny Jay or someone and you’d have Bob going ‘I spoke to The Crusher last week, and his orthopedic specialist is advising him that he may need major surgery’. I was convinced that we’d never see Crusher again.”



Narrator: “The story came to a head when it was announced that Gorilla Monsoon would be facing beloved baby face Manny Fernandez for Manny’s Midwest championship on an episode of USWC Weekly Wrestling.”



Manny Fernandez, _{former 2 time USWC Midwestern champion, raging bull}: “I wasn’t thrilled about it. At that point, there was the chaos in the title picture of what happened with Buddy, so me and Joe Blanchard were main eventing a lot of the shows with the Mexican strap match. But we all knew they were building Crusher vs Gorilla as one of the feature matches at Slamebration 4. And Gorilla hadn’t lost since coming into the territory. So a lot of people assumed he was going to take the Midwest belt.”



Gorilla Monsoon Vs. Manny Fernandez

USWC Weekly Wrestling

Midwestern Championship Match



Defending champion Fernandez opens the match with a knife edge chop that has no effect on Monsoon. Gorilla takes over with a series of devastating overhead chops, then a body slam toss. Monsoon goes for a cover, trying to end it early, but Fernandez kicks out. Monsoon goes to work with his high impact offense, more body slams, a giant swing, a neck wrencher. Monsoon goes for a big leg drop, but Fernandez moves out of the way. Fernandez tries to take over, he hits Monsoon with a stiff forearm, and it again has absolutely no effect. Monsoon is back at it with the big power moves, the beell across the ring, the body slam toss, a whip into the turnbuckle and a massive kick to Manny’s face. Again, Monsoon goes for a leg drop but once again Manny dodges. The crowd goes crazy as in a truly impressive feat, Manny gut wrench suplexes Monsoon off his feet. The crowd is on their feet as Manny hits the Flying Burrito and goes for the cover, only for Monsoon to kick out with authority! Manny tries to take the big man over with a snap mare, but Monsoon refuses to budge! Monsoon starts throttling Manny, choking the champ. Then gorilla hits Manny with the Manchurian Landslide, that’s got to be it! Monsoon goes for the cover when…



Radrick: “In runs Crusher with an axe handle. He swings it and it cracks across Gorilla’s back. I remember thinking it sounded like a gunshot! Obviously, Gorilla wins the match by DQ, doesn’t win the title. But no one cared! Crusher was back. They have this huge pull apart brawl with Crusher shouting and Monsoon snarling.”



Cornette: “At this point, USWC TV main events had a well earned and bad reputation for, frankly, bull <expletive deleted> finishes. When they’re done well and make sense and further the story, like with Crusher breaking the axe handle across Gorilla’s back, it’s okay. It’s when it’s just dumb <expletive deleted> for <expletive deleted> sake, that’s when it kills the business.”


Muldoon: “We ran that footage for weeks afterwards, because we needed to keep Gorilla and Crusher apart. We wanted the fans hungry to see the match in Milwaukee. I came out on Weekly Wrestling a few weeks before the show, and announce that because of the violence the two men had already perpetrated against each other, we were ordering that match at Slamebration 4 happen inside a steel cage for the safety of the fans.”


Narrator: “With that, the semi-main event for USWC’s biggest show of the year was set, a blood feud had been manufactured out of almost nothing, and the “Crusher problem” had been solved. Next time on Remembering Slamebration 4, we’ll take a look at how two tag team matches on the card crossed paths on the road to Milwaukee.”

[guiltyparty]

Episode 2
part 1

“Tag team turmoil”

Jim Cornette, _{Former manager, podcaster, professional contrarian}: “Every territory had their own identity, or at least the successful ones. New York was the land of the giants, Oklahoma was a middle weight territory, in the Carolinas they loved their heels. In their glory days, the USWC was a tag team territory.”

Narrator: “Once upon a time, the mid-west based United States Wrestling Council was considered the Mecca of tag team wrestling. For a tag team to be considered the greatest, they had to have held the USWC tag team gold, and the list of former champions reads like a hall of fame ballot.”

William Muldoon, _{former wrestler, former USWC booker, solid man}: “We had the Fantastics, the Kangaroos, Pat Paterson and Ray Stevens, the Road Warriors.”

Cornette: “The Sheephearders Vs the Midnight Express drew more money than any program ever did in that territory. The Powers of Pain Vs. The Voodoo Kin Mafia would never have main evented the first Slamelebration without that program. Those four drove down the road Dennis and Randy paved.”

Narrator: “In the period between the Slamebration 2 card and Slamebration 4, a series of departures decimated the tag team division of USWC. The Road Warriors and the Fantastics left for the Carolinas, the Killer Bees and the British Bulldogs left for New York, while The Voodoo Kin Mafia split up and headed to Jacksonville and Stamford.”

Bill Apter, _{publisher, story-teller, photographer}: “The real low point came when, in the span of something like 30 days, the Powers of Pain give notice that they are leaving for Mid-South. They drop the tag titles to Windham and Rontundo. Eight days after The U.S. Express win the titles, they give notice that they’re leaving for New York.”

The U.S. Express Vs. Adrian Adonis & Angelo Poffo
USWC Tag Title Match
USWC Weekly Wrestling

Barry Windham started off against Adonis, using an atomic drop and a big kick in the corner to get an early advantage. Adonis reversed an attempted scoop slam and knocked Windham down, then went for a leg drop, only for Barry to move out of the way. Windham then hit Adonis with a big vertical suplex, then tagged in Rotundo who nailed Adonis with a couple of standing dropkicks and an elbow to the head. Rotundo went for a third standing dropkick, only for Adonis to dodge out of the way. Adonis took over then and hit a gut wrench backbreaker followed by a DDT. Adonis’ rally ended quickly when Rotundo caught him with a big shoulder block coming off the ropes., After connecting with a leg drop, Rotundo tagged in Barry Windham and the two connected with a double dropkick that knocked Adonis from the ring. Windham went to grab Adonis, only to be pulled outside and rammed head first into the ring apron! Adonis tossed Windham back into the ring and hit him with a DDT and a stiff knee lift. Adonis then went for a drop toe hold, only to be reversed by Windham. Windham sent Adonis into the turnbuckle only for Adonis to come out with a big running lariat. Adonis tossed Windham from the ring, then followed him outside and hit a devastating piledriver on the floor! Windham barely beat the referee’s count, and once back in the ring is on the receiving end of another DDT. Adonis goes for the cover and Windham kicks out at 2. Adonis presses the attack and hits another DDT, then a flying clothesline off the top rope! Adonis locked in Goodnight Irene, but Rotundo comes in an breaks it up. Adonis continues his assault, with another DDT and another flying clothesline. A bulldog headlock gets a close two count. Adonis again locks in Goodnight Irene and the referee calls for the bell!

Apter: Some call that the original screw job.

Mike Rotunda, _{tax code enthusiast, former Orangeman, spelled with an A}: “That wasn’t the finish I got in the back, that’s all I’ll say.”

Barry Windham, _{Stalker, west Texas redneck, Uncle Howdy}: “It wasn’t a screw job, let’s put that to bed right now. We were gonna put over Angelo and Adrian, but it was going to be another 10 minutes in and it was going to be Angelo rolling up Mike with a handful of tights, but we got the call to go home early and Adrian and I called it in the ring.”

Narrator: “With the U.S. Express the latest team to depart, the USWC put the tag team titles on the make shift pairing of dependable hands, Adorable Adrian Adonis and Angelo Poffo. Born in Buffalo New York, Keith Adonis Franke, known professionally as Adrian Adonis, was something of a tag team specialist. His pairing with Poffo was just one of the successful teams in his career, he also captured titles with Jesse Ventura, Roddy Piper, and Dick Murdoch.”

Bobby Heenan, _{broadcast journalist, former manager of Adonis}: “Adrian didn’t look like it, but he was a hell of an athlete. He was an amateur wrestler, he played football in the Canadian league. Adrian was a good hand.”

Lanny Poffo, _{son of Angelo, poet laureate, genius}: “My father was often described as ‘a good hand’.”

Narrator: “Angelo Poffo is best remembered today as the patriarch of a legendary wrestling family. Poffo’s lengthy in ring career was winding down when he suddenly found himself holding USWC gold.”

Poffo: “At that point in his career, my father had been looking to buy into a territory, he wanted to pull back from the active ring time to move into promoting. That was what lead, a year or two later to him buying into the Maritime provinces up in Canada and eventually to starting up ICW. But make no mistakes, my dad could go. He won titles in Detroit, in Chicago, in Indianapolis, Dallas, all over.”

Narrator: “With the belts now on Adonis and Poffo, a hopefully stabilizing pair, an attempt was made to revitalize the depleted tag team division.”

Cornette: “So we brought in four teams that were, to be frank, greener than goose <expletive deleted>. There was Dirty White boy and Tommy Gilbert’s kid Doug, Scott Taylor and Jerry Lawler’s kid Brian Christopher, and there was PG-13 which had Bill Dundee’s kid. It was like I was running a <expletive deleted> day care center for Memphis. Then there were the American Pitbulls, who eventually dropped the American part.”

Narrator: “The attempt to revitalize the tag division with an influx of young talent lead to some exciting matches, but ultimately ran afoul of some of the young men involved and their explosive personalities.”

The Dirty White Boy & Doug Gilbert Vs. Too Cool
USWC Weekly Wrestling
Both teams’ final match in the territory

Right out of the gate, Scott Taylor tried to hip toss Dirty White Boy, but Anthony reversed it into a side backbreaker. Dirty White Boy than put a hurting on Taylor, hitting a clothesline and a pair of running back elbows. White boy looked to continue the assault with a pair of headbutts, but Taylor dodged the second one and tagged in Brian Christopher. Christopher tried to shoot Anthony into the ropes, only to get leveled with a shoulder block. White Boy continued his simple but effective attack, using headbutts and, a swinging neckbreaker, and even a tombstone piledriver to wear down Christopher. Dirty White Boy went for a fist drop, but Brian Christopher dodged out of the way! Christopher takes over, hitting a dropkick and then a flying elbow drop! But Dirty White Boy was able to make a hot tag to Gilbert! Gilbert came in like a house of fire, laying out Christopher with a hot shot! Gilbert than hit two back to back superplexes followed by a DDT on Christopher for a near fall! After softening him up with a Cobra Clutch Suplex, Doug Gilbert hit Christopher with a Piledriver for the three count!

Apter: “A few days after the match aired, word came down that both teams had been fired. Apparently there was a fight back stage afterwards. Tony Anthony got rehired about a month later but in a singles role. I heard from sources that Scott Taylor was offered a similar arrangement but declined.”

Scott Taylor, _{wrestler, worm master, 2 hottie}: “Brian had asked Doug not to use the piledriver on him, because it was his dad’s move. Doug agreed, then did it anyway. Brian reminded Doug about it after the match… Loudly. Insults flew, then beer bottles. One of which hit a member of the crew. We were, all four of us, fired on the spot.”

Cornette: “With five tag teams, you can make a functioning division. With occasional job guys added to the mix, you can mix and match and shuffle around the dance cards enough to keep the match ups from being too stale. With three, it’s just not enough options. My project to fix the tag division was officially <expletive deleted>.”

Narrator: “With the already struggling tag team roster cut by 40%, the champions found themselves defending the titles infrequently against teams that had been as hastily assembled as themselves.”

Adrian Adonis & Angelo Poffo Vs. Hillbilly Jim & Brad Armstrong
USWC Tag Title Match
USWC Weekly Wrestling

At the bell, Adonis nails Armstrong with a windmill forearm, then follows it up with a jumping knee smash. The second generation star counters the champions attempted knee lift and tags in Hillbilly Jim. Jim sends Adonis into the turnbuckle and charges in with a clothesline, but Adrian comes out with a big clothesline of his own. Adonis gets to his feet first and locks in his Goodnight Irene sleeper hold! Brad comes in and breaks it up. Adonis tags in Poffo, who hits Hillbilly with a top rope neck snap for a two count. Poffo then hits Jim with his patented neckbreaker for the pinfall and to retain the tag team championships.

Cornette: “Armstrong and Hillbilly, Thatcher and Disco, hell, I think I booked them against a mop and bucket one time in Gary Indiana. It didn’t matter that Adrian and Angelo were good workers who were starting to gel, I had no one for them to work with. In the first 200 days of their title reign, their most frequent opponents were Kenny Jay and Larry Sharpe.”

Narrator: “Meanwhile, the rest of the tag division, that is to say PG-13 and the Pitbulls, were locked in a seemingly endless feud.”

Jamie Dundee, _{Scotch-Aussie Tennessean, Nation of Domination member, AKA JC Ice}: “Back then, there were two loops for the USWC. There was an eastern loop, some called it the lake loop, that was the towns in Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Occasionally Illinois but never Chicago. Then there was the prairie loop. Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, and the Dakotas. The way it would work usually is that you’d do a match on the lake loop, then the prairie loop, then blow it off either on TV or in one of the bigger towns; Kansas City or St. Paul or Milwaukee. Me and Kelly we did our match with the Pitbulls on the lake loop, then the prairie, then again on the lake loop. Then we did it again on prairie loop. Then again on both loops twice more. After 6 months we’d done basically the same match with just little changes in front of the same people four or five times.”

Kelly Wolfe, d_{isciple of the new church, AKA Slash, AKA Wolfie D}: “The fans were sick of it, we were sick of it, the Pitbulls were sick of it. Fifth time through, we start adding all these stipulations to it. In Bloomington it would a street fight, in Davenport it would be falls count anywhere, in Lincoln it would be a bunkhouse match. The matches were getting better, but no one cared.”

Cornette: “I would have loved to have had something else for either of them to do. Literally anything. I was going to bring in Don Curtis and Tony Garea from Buffalo, but at the last minute the deal fell through, and I ended up only getting Don.”

Narrator: “Don Curtis though would end up playing an important part in the tag divisions road to Slamebration 4. More on that, when we continue…”

[guiltyparty]

Episode 2, part 2


“Tag team turmoil”

Narrator: “On the road to Slamebration 4, the tag division of the USWC was a wobbly three legged chair with young up and coming teams The Pitbulls and PG-13 locked in an endless rivalry and the Frankenstein’s monster duo of Angelo Poffo and Adrian Adonis holding the gold, but no clear direction for the looming supercard.”

Dutch Mantel, former wrestler, manager, and booker: “Muldoon, he had one foot out the door but we didn’t know it at the time, had put the whole booking of the tag division on Corny’s plate. Now, Jimmy’s a miserable sone of a <expletive deleted> on a good day. These weren’t good days.”

Narrator: “It was the arrival of tag team specialist Don Curtis from Buffalo that would spark the creative direction for the division as it headed into the supercard.”

Jim Cornette, USWC booker, Sprite and Wendy’s enthusiast: “Getting Curtis was something I was very excited for. He was a good hand and tag team guy.”

Narrator: “Don Curtis, born Don Beitelman in Buffalo New York, had held tag team gold on several occasions with a variety of partners.”

Cornette: “Everyone knows about his run with Lewin, but he also partnered with Eddie Graham, and Strongbow, and Supersock. So I knew I could put him with almost anyone and it would work. The plan was to put him with D-Lo.”

Don Curtis & D-Lo Brown Vs. Keith Steinborn & Frogman LeBlanc
USWC Weekly Wrestling
Don Curtis’ debut match

At the bell, Steinborn tried to take Curtis down with a snap mare, Curtis counters with a punch to the face and tags in Brown. Brown hits Stienborn with a samoan drop flapjack and then scored a near fall with a cross body off the top rope. Brown tags Curtis back in, as the new duo are showing good team work early on. Curtis knocks Steinborn from the ring and the two brawl outside. Steinborn gets the upper hand and gets a little bit of heat on Curtis by kicking him in the knee, but Curtis counters an attempted eye rake and tags D’lo back in. D’lo goes to work on Steinborn, hitting another samoan drop flapjack and a moonsault. D’lo goes for a body slam, only for Steinborn to counter with punches. D’lo quickly recovers with a clothesline, then tags out to immediately to Curtis. D’lo is favoring his arm and drops off the apron as Curtis makes short work of Steinborn with a running lariat for the 3 count.


D-lo Brown, former wrestler, CPA: “We’re at the TV studio for the weekly filming. Cornette pulls me into one of the offices and introduces me to Don. Cornette lays out the whole plan. We’re going to have a couple of weeks of wins on TV against job guys and then a title shot against Angelo and Adonis. That would set up a rematch at Slamebration.”

Cornette: “It wasn’t great, it wasn’t even good; but it was what I had. And I knew it would work because the guys involved were all good workers and understood how to tell stories and how to draw heat and get babyface sympathy… Could put together a god damn tag match in a way that makes sense.”

Brown: “So we have that first match and at one point I clothesline one of the tomato cans and POP. My bicep tears right off the bone.”

Cornette: “There’s never been a division in wrestling more snakebit than this <expletive deleted>ing tag division was.”

Narrator: “The injury to Brown threw the tenuous plans for the supercard into further chaos. But from the hardship, unexpected inspiration struck.”

Cornette: “One of the reasons I went with D-lo, was because he was one of the few midcard baby faces we had who hadn’t already worked with Angelo and Adrian in some thrown together team. But the heel side hadn’t worked with them. “

Off screen voice: “Why not just turn the champions face then?”

Cornette: “Because people wouldn’t cheer Adrian Adonis if you had him kiss babies and hand out twenty dollar bills before the bell. Adrian was a natural born heel. But a handsome clean cut guy like Angelo… He could get some cheers if the situation was right.”

Jamie Dundee, one half of PG-13: “We had been working with the Pitbulls for months. We get to the TV studios for the taping and we see on the board that we’re working the main event against Adrian and Angleo.”

Kelly Wolfe, one half of PG-13: “We’d been asking to work with Adonis and Poffo for a while. We’d been asking to work with anyone but the Pitbulls for a while. So Jamie and I were ecstatic.”

Adrian Adonis & Angelo Poffo Vs. PG-13
USWC Tag Title Match
USWC Weekly Wrestling

Adonis starts things off taking JC Ice over with a snapmare, but Adonis doesn’t see the blind tag to Wolfie D. Wolfie D. used a drop toehold to knock Adonis off his feet then quickly tagged JC Ice back in. JC Ice slapped Adonis, then the duo hit their fist bump and elbow drops on Adonis. An ill-advised attempt at a bodyslam leaves Adonis in control. Adonis looks to end things quickly and applies Goodnight Irene, but JC Ice makes it to the ropes. Adonis tags in Poffo, who immediately hits his neck breaker for a two count. Poffo quickly tags back in Adonis who tosses JC Ice from the ring. On the outside, JC Ice uses underhanded tactics to get the upperhand. Back in the ring, JC Ice impressively hits Adonis with a tombstone piledriver. Adonis rolls out of the ring to avoid a pinfall. When he climbs back in JC Ice goes for another tombstone, but Adonis counters and quickly tags Poffo back in. Poffo sends JC Ice into the corner and follows up with a big kick, but misses the blind tag to Wolfie D. Wolfie D tries to drop Poffo with a drop toe hold, but Poffo counters it. Poffo starts laying into Wolfie D., alternating knee lifts with clubbing forearms before climbing up on the turn buckle to connect with a cross body block for a near fall. Poffo goes for a clothesline, but Wolfie D dodges it, he then whips Poffo into the ropes only for Poffo to reverse it. Wolfie D. charges out of the corner with a big clothesline. The downed Poffo goes for a tag but is cut off by Wolfie D. Wolfie D. hits a leg drop on Poffo followed by two back suplexes for a near fall. Poffo is really selling pain in his neck and head. Wolfie D. tosses Poffo to the outside and the two brawl. With the referee distracted by JC Ice, Wolfie D. hits Poffo with a hubcap! Wolfie D. tosses Poffo inside and hits a flying face slam for the three to become the new USWC tag team champions!

After the match, a dejected Poffo sits in the ring. His partner Adonis goes to console him… And promptly attacks him! Adonis locks Poffo in the Goodnight Irene and refuses to let go until forced to by several USWC officials.

Dundee: “We were so excited after that match. We felt like it had been a solid tv title match and the finish with the hub cap, it set the stage for the rematch. Then we look at the monitor and we see in the ring that Adonis is attacking Poffo.

Wolfe: “Goodbye rematch.”

Dundee: “So we go to Jimmy and we ask who we’re defending the titles against in Milwaukee. He says the Pitbulls.”

Wolfe: “<makes sad trombone sound effect>”

Narrator: “With the tag team titles now added to the equation it was hoped that the waning rivalry between the two young teams would see renewed interest.”

Cornette: “With the belts on the line, it set the stage for a blow off match for the championship in Milwaukee that we could build around a ‘last time ever’ story. Meanwhile, I was going to use the break up of the champs to make two new tag teams for after the big show.”

Narrator: “To quickly establish these new teams, the decision was made to put Adonis with the USWC’s top heel faction: Johnny V.’s Lucious Alliance.”

Cornette: “It was a good fit. Adonis and Valiant were as New York as any two guys could be. Also, the alliance had a couple of good hands who were just hanging out; working as heavies for the champion, so I knew I could pull one of them off to team with Adonis.”

Adrian Adonis with Johnny Valiant Vs. Angelo Poffo
USWC Weekly Wrestling

At the bell, the two former partners lock up. Adonis uses his power and scoop slams Poffo, who rolls out of the ring. Poffo comes back into the ring, and Adrian immediately goes to lock in Goodnight Irene, but Poffo is able to get to the ropes. Adonis goes for a top rope elbow drop, and misses! Poffo takes over with a knee lift, a flying clothesline and a running stomp (which got a near fall). The action spilled out of the ring, where Adonis took over. Back in the ring, he hit a series of suplexes and DDTs that got him a near fall, then again went for Goodnight Irene, but again Poffo was able to reach the ropes. Poffo then countered a knee lift with one of his own and got another near fall after a back elbow smash. After another running stomp, Poffo went for a leg drop, by Adrian countered and hit a gut wrench backbreaker. For the third time in the match, Adrian locked in the Goodnight Irene only for Poffo to escape via rope break. Adonis then laid into Angelo, hitting multiple suplexes and jumping knee smashes. Adonis then sent Poffo into the ropes and bent down for a big back drop, only for Poffo to catch him by surprise and hit a piledriver! Poffo then connected with a flying clothesline and his patented neckbreaker for what surely would have been the three, only for Adonis’ new Lucious Alliance stablemate Big John Studd to hit the ring! Studd and Adonis gave Poffo a brutal beating, not carrying about the obvious disqualification. A cheer though came up from the crowd as Don Curtis ran out from the locker room and chased off Johnny V. and his goons.

Cornette: “That was it. Those were our two tag team matches for the show. Pitbulls Vs. PG-13 in a street fight. We called it the Wisconsin Farm Fight, but it was just a street fight. And Adonis and Studd against Angelo and Curtis. It was the very best chicken salad I could make from this chicken <expletive deleted>”

Narrator: “But the tag titles weren’t the only belts on the line at Slamebration 4. Next time on Remembering Slamebration 4, we’ll look back at Manny Fernandez and the storied USWC Midwest championship.”