LOW - Legends of Wrestling

[EpicDave]

With a gallery of rogues like Drake Younger, Killer Kowalski, The Sheik, and Blassie, DQ finishes are to be expected. I am also down with Stars and Stripes and OMG!

[Crimson Cross]

The Sheepherders and Ken Doane are a unique pairing and them winning is fun stuff, plus Ilio DiPaolo with a victory is good stuff and over The Sheik to boot. Dutch Savage with a big PWiT victory, plus I agree having all those DQ's is fitting for those rogue types...

[cruefan68]

Thanks for the comments Pariah, Daytondave and Crimson. I am not a huge fan of DQ decisions and often hate when half the card is filled with them but I guess sometimes it works out. I hope to have my next show posted soon, just need some time to roll the dice...

[cruefan68]

LOW Southern Wrestling Alliance - Textile Hall - Greenville, SC (Card #875)

1) J.J. Dillon defeated George South:
The opening contest saw George South of ASW take on J.J. Dillon, manager of “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers and the Blonde Bombers (Chris Candido & Bobby Shane). Dillon grabbed the mic pre-match and said that he was going to lead by example by taking care of South and giving the Blonde Bombers inspiration going into their match with D-Lo Brown & Kenny King. Dillon was in control early and hit an ax handle off of the turnbuckle leading to a pin attempt but South kicked out with some authority. South then hit a suplex causing Dillon to bail out of the ring holding his lower back. South followed him out which proved to be a mistake as Dillon delivered a low blow and dropped him throat first on the guard rail. Back inside it was Dillon delivering the Elbow Drop to score the pin.

2) Timber defeated Bob Armstrong:
Popular veteran star “Bullet” Bob Armstrong took on former LOW Tex-Arkana Television champion Timber “The Insane Lumberjack” appearing courtesy of ASW. It was a one night return to the SWA for Timber who had a fairly successful run in the territory teaming up with Necro Butcher. Timber used his size to his advantage as he dominated most of the early action. That included scoring big near falls with the Log Splitter and moonsault. Armstrong countered a back bodydrop with a cradle hold for a two count and then locked on the Sleeper Hold but it was broken up in the ropes. Timber showed what led him to the television championship as he fought off a nice comeback by Armstrong and hit another Log Splitter to score the pin.

3) D-Lo Brown & Kenny King defeated Blonde Bombers by DQ:
The outstanding combination of D-Lo Brown & Kenny King took on the equally effective Blonde Bombers (Chris Candido & Bobby Shane) who were accompanied by their manager J.J. Dillon. Hoping to feed off the earlier win by Dillon it was the Bombers in control early especially when they isolated King in their corner. Shane was able to lock on the Japanese Sleeper for a submission chance but Brown made the save. After King made the hot tag it was Brown going on a nice offensive including hitting key moves like the Shakey, Shakey leg drop and running power bomb. Dillon yelled in instructions to his men but they were unable to contain Brown. This one ended up out on the floor where the Blonde Bombers were disqualified after Candido ran Brown head first into the ring post.

4) Don Muraco defeated Bob Roop:
The championship aspirations of “The Magnificent” Don Muraco were dashed on the last SWA card in Greensboro, NC (Card #865) when Bob Roop interfered in his match with LOW Tex-Arkana Television champion the One Man Gang. Roop later said he did it because Muraco “stole his spot” in the championship match. Both men are entered in the qualifying round of the seventh annual PWI Invitational Cup Tournament which Roop won last year so that was something to think about going into this bout as well. Roop did a number on Muraco through much of the early going including scoring a two count with a piledriver. He also punished Muraco with the gut wrench backbreaker and reverse stepover toe hold. Things were looking pretty bad for Muraco until he caught Roop with the over the shoulder backbreaker which was broken up when Roop grabbed the top rope and fell out onto the ring apron. The two then traded blows, Roop standing on the apron and Muraco inside, leading to the finish of the bout. It was Muraco hauling Roop back over the ropes into position for the Hawaiian Hammer which resulted in him scoring the pin. It was a tough loss for Roop who no doubt will be looking for a rematch with Muraco down the line possibly even in the PWI Cup tournament should both gain entry.

5) Brian Blair defeated Brad Armstrong:
It was scientific wrestling at its finest as Brian Blair out of Tampa, FL, took on Marietta, GA, native Brad Armstrong. These two were at their best for a match which featured some great technical exchanges. Armstrong went for a top rope dive earl on but Blair avoided it and cradled him for a two count. Armstrong scored a two count of his own when he rolled up Blair after a missed corner charge. A great finishing sequence saw Armstrong reverse a whip into the turnbuckle but Blair got his knees up on the following charge. Blair then caught a stunned Armstrong in an Airplane Spin and dropped down with a press to score the pin. It was a hard fought battle and both men received a well deserved standing ovation from the fans post-match capped off by them shaking hands in a show of mutual respect.

6) Johnny Valentine, Ox Baker, & Lord Humongous defeated Andre the Giant, Blackjack Mulligan, & Angelo Mosca:
Huge six-man tag team action saw the undefeated “Eighth Wonder of the World” Andre the Giant team up with Blackjack Mulligan & Angelo “King Kong” Mosca to take on the House of Humperdink team of Johnny Valentine, Ox Baker, & Lord Humongous. Manager Sir Oliver Humperdink proudly led his team to the ring for what he hoped would be an epic victory. The capacity crowd in Greenville erupted in cheers as Mulligan and Mosca made their way to the ring followed by the imposing Andre the Giant. There was nearly a ton of humanity in the ring which had to be reinforced by the ring crew beforehand. The early battle between Andre and Valentine was pretty intense and included Andre kicking out with authority after taking an atomic Skullcrusher. Andre then found himself on the defensive as he was attacked by all three opponents. Mulligan was finally tagged in and he and Humongous had a great exchange. Both sides went to the floor several times and it nearly ended in a disqualification. The turning point came when Humongous delivered a headbutt with his controversial hockey mask shaking up Mosca. Valentine tagged in and nailed Mosca with the Atomic Skullcrusher but he kicked out at two. Humperdink shouted instructions in and Valentine delivered a second Atomic Skullcrusher to score the pin on Mosca as Baker and Humongous prevented a save attempt by Andre and Mulligan. It is rare to see Andre on the losing side of a match but that is what happened here and the House of Humperdink picked up a huge win.

7) PWI Invitational Cup Tournament Qualifying Match: The Terrible Turk defeated Jim Londos to advance:
The Terrible Turk (Youssuf Ishmaelo) felt justifiably slighted when he was left out of the qualifying round especially after a strong performance in the PWI Invitational Cup tournament last year. The former LOW Tex-Arkana Television champion then found his way in when he replaced fellow AWE star Hacksaw Jim Duggan who was put out of action with an injury. His qualifying round opponent was GWA star Jim Londos, a former LOW World Heavyweight champion and a popular star known as the “Golden Greek”. Most tabbed Londos as the favorite in this one and that may have been all of the incentive that The Turk needed to find his way back into the PWI Invitational Cup tournament. After a grueling bout it was The Turk scoring a near fall with the falling bodyslam before trapping Londos in the Stranglehold, his feared and controversial finisher. Londos tried to battle out of the hold but The Turk locked it on and scored a snake eyes submission victory. The win meant that The Turk will join Bruiser Brody, Tommy Rich, The Mountie, and Dutch Savage in the opening round of the prestigious tournament during WrestleCade IX weekend.

8) LOW World tag team titles – No DQ Match: Midnight Express defeated Sabu & Rob Van Dam to win the titles:
The main event saw Sabu & Rob Van Dam, accompanied by manager Bill Alfonso, return to the SWA for a rematch defending the LOW World tag team titles against the Jim Cornette-led Midnight Express (“Loverboy” Dennis Condrey, “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton, & “Ravishing” Randy Rose). The previous double disqualification that the two teams had in Greensboro, NC (Card #865) led to LOW Commissioner Charlie Cox sanctioning this as a No DQ Match for the titles. As is custom with the now three-man unit of the Midnight Express they were forced to reveal their team prior to the card and Cornette elected to have the high flying Eaton paired with Rose for this match, a change from Condrey who teamed with Eaton in the prior match. It was an interesting change in strategy for Cornette who was looking to guide his team to a fourth reign as the LOW World tag team champions. Both teams were on top of their game here engaging in a hard fought battle both in and out of the ring. Sabu, RVD and Eaton all hit trademark aerial moves while the more grounded Rose impressed during his time in. Late in the bout it was Rose nailing Sabu with the Rose Bomb for a big near fall. He and Eaton then combined on the Double Goozle leaving Sabu in a bad way. That is what set up the finish as the Midnight Express hit their trademark Veg-O-Matic, Rose holding Sabu in a downward bearhug position while Eaton delivered a top rope legdrop, and it was Rose making the cover to score the pin. Cornette erupted in joy at ringside as the Midnight Express became four-time LOW World tag team champions. Condrey ran in from the back to help celebrate the win with Eaton, Rose and Cornette ending a three year championship drought for the Midnight Express. The victory by the Midnight Express makes for an interesting situation as they employ the “Freebird rule” as a three-man unit defending the LOW World tag team titles.

[Crimson Cross]

Good to see the Midnight Express dethrone RVD&Sabu, plus I was glad that the Turk won that PWiT bout. Timber winning is great too, solid action Crue...

[Pariah]

LOL! Unfortunately, I will have to disagree with Crimson Cross... Not happy about RVD & Sabu losing the tag straps at all...

But, seeing Andre on the losing side of that six-man tag match was a sight to behold... And it's always great to see the Magnificent One picking up a victory...

Truly entertaining!

[bookerbill]

Enjoyed the action from Mexico on Card 873. Will be watching to see who Bockwinkel brings in to have his back for the tag team battle on #882. Street over Mascaras was incredible and I could totally see security having their hands full after that result. Hodge v. Saint was classic from bell to bell as was the main event. Rematches of those two bouts would be welcome at any time.

The action in Baltimore was a great read as well. I really like the match up of the ethnic hero DiPaolo taking on The Sheik. Something the fans can really get behind. Gang and Atlas cannot be finished and the main event was awesome. The tension between George & Blassie was awesome.

Greenville has a little bit of everything. Enjoy the combo of King and Brown and Turk over Londos was a shocker. It will be interesting to see if the Express can find some consistency at the top of the tag team division.

[cruefan68]

Thanks for the comments Crimson, Pariah and Bookerbill it is very much appreciated. Sabu & RVD had two great runs as champions but now that they have been unseated I have different plans for them so stay tuned. BB, that deal with Street pinning Mascaras was a huge shock when it happened and I figured that the Mexico City crowd would not be too happy. Next up is action from the AWE, hope you enjoy it...

LOW American Wrestling Enterprise - Hara Arena - Dayton, OH (Card #876)

●Before the action got underway the entire Heenan Family (Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, “Ravishing” Rick Rude, Larry Zbyszko, Angelo Poffo, Jimmy Valiant, and Johnny Valiant) entered the ring. Heenan shoved ring announcer Gary Michael Cappetta and grabbed the mic away from him saying that it was going to be a huge night for the Heenan Family. He mentioned Rude challenging Jimmy Snuka for the LOW International Heavyweight title in the main event and Zbyszko going against his former tag team partner John Pesek. After saying that both men would win, and that Rude would bring a championship to the Heenan Family, he addressed Poffo regarding the situation on the last AWE card in Indianapolis, IN (Card #866) where he was in the corner for John & Chris Tolos against his own son, Randy “Macho Man” Savage, and Bruiser Brody.

He said that Poffo nearly caused a break in the Heenan Family and put everyone in jeopardy by having both Savage and Brody gunning for them. It was a tense situation as Poffo grabbed the mic and said that both of his sons, Randy Savage and Lanny Poffo, are his family and that the work he does for Heenan is just for the money. He said that John Tolos asked him to be in their corner and he accepted that as a way to deliver a message to his son. He said that Randy is a future LOW World Heavyweight champion but that he is “wasting his time” teaming with a renegade like Brody. Heenan agreed and noted that if Poffo truly wants to send a message to his son they could do it on the next AWE card in Bloomington, MN (Card #886) as he has acquired a contract for a tag team match with Savage and Brody. Poffo seemed reluctant to accept but Heenan reassured him that he wouldn’t be in the match it would be the Valiant Brothers going against Savage and Brody and that the former LOW World tag team champions would “take care of business”. Poffo smiled and agreed with Heenan saying that his son “needs to be set straight” and he wished the Valiant Brothers well. Heenan smiled back and said “Oh, and one other thing tell that other punk kid of yours to stop calling himself The Genius as I am the only Brain in LOW!” That comment startled Poffo who was the only member of the Heenan Family not laughing as they left the ringside area.

1) Virgil defeated Jim Brunzell:
The opening contest saw the popular Jumpin’ Jim Brunzell out of White Bear Lake, MN, taking on “Wrestling Superstar” Virgil of ASW. Virgil unsuccessfully tried to sell his twenty dollar autographed photos to ringsiders before the match. Brunzell looked good early avoiding a dropkick by Virgil and taking him down with a suplex. He looked to have things in hand until Virgil exploded with a running tackle and then locked on the Cobra Clutch. Brunzell fought to escape but Virgil pressed his foot against the bottom rope for leverage adding pressure to the hold. The referee missed that and Brunzell was forced to tap out giving Virgil a submission victory.

2) Mikey Whipwreck defeated Adam Pearce:
The hardcore Mikey Whipwreck squared off against “Scrap Iron” Adam Pearce with IWA scouts again noted at ringside observing Pearce. They were impressed early as Pearce used his size advantage to control the action. Whipwreck showed what he is made of as well stunning Pearce with a well timed dropkick off the ropes and then scoring a near fall with a Russian legsweep. Pearce was in trouble as Whipwreck connected on a missile dropkick and then delivered a Slingshot Legdrop to score the pin. It was a solid win for Whipwreck and Pearce, though disappointed with the loss, was again seen talking to the IWA scouts as he returned to the back.

3) PG-13 defeated Blue World Order:
The crowd erupted in cheers for the Blue World Order (Stevie Richards & Blue Meanie) as they entered the arena to take on PG-13 (J.C. Ice & Wolfie D). Both teams have looked good in recent weeks and were looking to make an impression on the championship committee with a win here. PG-13 got the heat on the Meanie for an extended stretch and nearly put him away with the Backbreaker and Elbow combo. Richards made a timely save there and a short time later got the hot tag from Meanie to a big pop from the crowd. Richards looked great during his time in but with the Meanie fatigued he perhaps tried to do too much. Wolfie D nailed Richards with the sitout power bomb for a near fall before he and Ice combined on a double bulldog. Richards showed great resilience but was in trouble after Ice hit him with the hubcap out of view of the referee. Ice then used the Choke on Ropes on Richards before executing a quick roll-up on him to score the pin. The crowd jeered the decision but the duo of PG-13 could care less as they continued a recent winning streak in the tag team division of the AWE.

4) The Crusher defeated Bill Dundee:
It was a grudge match up next as The Crusher, the “Man that made Milwaukee Famous”, hit the ring to take on First Family member “Superstar” Bill Dundee. Manager Jimmy Hart was not at ringside for Dundee due to accompanying King Kong Bundy to Oregon for his upcoming match in the qualifying round of the PWI Invitational Cup Tournament. The Crusher was looking to avenge the injury that Hacksaw Jim Duggan suffered at the hands of the First Family when Dundee held his legs down allowing the massive Bundy to repeatedly splash him. This was a knock down drag out brawl and to Dundee’s credit he hung in there with The Crusher. Both men also used submission holds to punish the other, Crusher with the stomach claw and Crusher Nelson and Dundee with the Boston Crab and Indian Deathlock. The finish of a hard fought bout saw Dundee execute a whip into the turnbuckle but The Crusher bounced out with a wicked Counter Running Lariat to score the pin.

5) Larry Zbyszko defeated John Pesek:
This battle of longtime friends and tag team partners turned bitter enemies saw the “Nebraska Tiger Man” John Pesek take on Heenan Family member, and the self proclaimed “Living Legend” Larry Zbyszko. Bobby “The Brain” Heenan accompanied Zbyszko to ringside and was upset early as Pesek dominated the action. Pesek had Zbyszko howling in pain as he trapped him in the Tiger Man Toehold. Zbyszko mounted an offensive using the Larryland Sleeper to great effect and then used a distraction by Heenan to remove the turnbuckle pad. Pesek managed to regain the upper hand, including hitting the fireman’s carry slam, until Zbyszko sent him back first into the exposed steel of the removed turnbuckle pad. Zbyszko followed up with a Piledriver for a big near fall as Heenan shouted to the referee about making a slow count. Zbyszko was flustered but regained his composure planting Pesek with a second Piledriver to score the pin. Zbyszko got the better of his former tag partner in this bout but Pesek will no doubt continue to hound him looking for some revenge.

6) Midnight Rockers defeated Mad Dog & Butcher Vachon by Count Out:
This rematch from the last AWE card in Indianapolis, IN (Card #866) saw a fired up Midnight Rockers (Stan Lane & Marty Jannetty) take on First Family members Mad Dog & Butcher Vachon. These two teams have had some heated battles and this one was no different save for the absence of manager Jimmy Hart from the corner of Mad Dog & Butcher. Lane was on fire early stunning Mad Dog with his nice blend of quickness and karate kicks. Jannetty followed with a good attack of his own until Mad Dog got the upper hand in a battle on the floor. After executing an airplane spin he made a much needed tag to Butcher who maintained control. Jannetty was able to reverse the momentum after a while and hit the Rocker Dropper on Butcher for a big near fall. Late in the bout things went back outside where this battle was decided as it was Lane blasting Butcher with a Superkick before beating the ten count back into the ring for a snake eyes victory. The count out victory for the Midnight Rockers angered Mad Dog & Butcher leading to another wild post-match brawl between the two teams. When the smoke cleared it was announced by ring announcer Gary Michael Cappetta that the AWE has sanctioned a rematch under Falls Count Anywhere Match rules for the next card in Bloomington, MN (Card #886).

7) PWI Invitational Cup Tournament Qualifying Match: Killer Kowalski defeated Ivan Koloff by DQ to advance:
The crowd had no favorite in this one as the “Russian Bear” Ivan Koloff of the GWA took on NWC star Killer Kowalski in a qualifying match to determine who would advance to the PWI Invitational Cup tournament being held during WrestleCade IX weekend. Kowalski was without the services of his manager Captain Lou Albano who is still sidelined after taking a top rope splash from Andre the Giant. This went about as you would expect with the two trading stiff blows back and forth trying to gain the upper hand. It came down to who would be the more vicious and opportunistic and that was Koloff. After both men went down in a collision out of the corner it was Koloff retrieving his chain and smashing it against the head of Kowalski. The referee immediately called for the bell and the painful disqualification victory meant that Kowalski will join Bruiser Brody, Tommy Rich, The Mountie, Dutch Savage and The Terrible Turk in the opening round of the tournament.

8) LOW International Heavyweight title: Jimmy Snuka© defeated Rick Rude to retain the title:
The main event saw Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka make his version one defense of the LOW International Heavyweight title against “Ravishing” Rick Rude, a two-time former champion and the crown jewel of the Heenan Family. Bobby “The Brain” Heenan earlier promised a title win for Rude and he was at ringside in full support of the talented star from Robbinsdale, MN. The well muscled Rude had things going his way early until Snuka caught him with a counter sunset flip for a two count. That turned the tide and after a missed corner charge by Rude it looked like the challenger hurt his shoulder crashing into the ring post. Snuka took advantage of that and launched into a wild attack culminating in him hitting the spectacular Superfly off of the top rope. He went for the pin but an alter Heenan distracted the referee to break that up. Snuka continued his offensive with an attack of flying headbutts and stinging chops and then hit the Superfly again. Heenan took action and provided another distraction to save Rude from what could have been a sure pin. Rude was a bloody mess by this point and it was Snuka going for another pin after a leap frog and chop but then Angelo Poffo ran down to ringside. Heenan again distracted the referee as Poffo jumped in and dropped an elbow on Snuka. A bloody Rude recovered and hit the Rude Awakening on Snuka but he had to crawl to make the cover and the champion kicked out at two. Heenan was beside himself at ringside as Snuka regained control and hit his third Superfly of the match to score the pin and retain the title. The crowd cheered the big win by the “Superfly” as the defeated Rude was assisted to the back by Heenan and Poffo.

[Pariah]

Really enjoyed the opening segment with the Heenan Family and it makes you wonder what side the patron of the Poffo clan will come out on... Intriguing build, to say the least...

Enjoyed the win by the Midnight Rockers... And Kowalski earning his spot in the PWI Invitational Cup Tournament with a DQ decision over Koloff is big news...

Wonderful to see that Jimmy Snuka retained his title... Even with constant involvement by Heenan (and later, Poffo), Superfly takes care of business... Wild!

Another entertaining show with lots to talk about... Great work!

[Crimson Cross]

I really liked the victory by Larryland over Pesek, plus the whole Heenan Family/Angelo Poffo/Savage storyline has been one of your best going in your rich and great history, fun stuff Crue...