Seeing as it’s a repost from Scott and I fancy checking out some new/old content I thought I’d give the LPWA another shot, on VHS with the theme of ‘The Good Girls’. Rule of thumb used to be with wrestling on video tapes that it would often promise gold and deliver shit, as anyone who’s watched the likes of Koko B. Ware and the Brooklyn Brawler or Jim Neidhart and Skinner do battle on Coliseum Video, but let’s see.
Great intro with some CGI leopards turning into multi-coloured line art female wrestlers who splash off the top rope into an empty ring.
Studio hosts are Joe Pedicino and Jim Cornette. No effort made to disguise the store-bought TV in the background. Apparently the VHS/special is to cover for a “worldwide tour”, although the reality is they’d probably stopped recording new content before their failed PPV.
On the road interview with Bambi by Ken Resnick at a farm. She could eat an apple through a tennis racket, but it’s local yokel delivery through her nose.
Bambi vs. Candi Devine
Anyone ever try to piledrive Candi? Presumably the perm would protect her. Candi’s a strange one to me because she’s always putting the effort in but just has no presence, looking like someone’s mom. They exchange snapmares and armdrags early on. Awkward small package reversal by Bambi out of an attempted Candi slam. Corny on commentary makes me laugh despite myself: “Candi told me she’s just spent two weeks in Greece. I told her I’d been in hot water myself.” Another awkward Bambi reversal out of a rear chinlock, with what looks like a Stone Cold Stunner, but Candi sells it like a snapmare. So, Bambi invented the Ace Crusher! They excuse clotheslines while a kid they cut to in the audience looks like they’re going mad or wanking. Candi misses a charge into the corner and Bambi gets the win with her bulldog. Not great, not terrible, but at least had something interesting like the proto-Stunner.
On the road interview with Reggie Bennett, seemingly at a different part of the same place as Ken spoke to Bambi. Reggie laments an injury to her latest tag team partner: “It’s a shame, but I’ve got to go on.” – that’s cold. Reggie has a really strange voice and I’m not entirely sure she doesn’t have a stammer, but at least she’s natural.
Reggie Bennett vs. Rusty Thomas
From the early days of the promotion, with Ken and Nick Bockwinkel on commentary. Joe and Jim promised Judy Martin as the opponent for Reggie, but we’ve got Rusty instead. Nick, as always, is talking at length about the downfall of switching holds and various wrestling miscellany. Rusty ties up Reggie in the ropes and hits her with chops, no-sold, so she bails to the outside. Ken: “It’s better to be a live chicken than a dead duck!” Rusty, who looks facially just like Luna, runs straight back into a bearhug, but claps the ears to break. She goes for a swinging neckbreaker, but over-pantomimes it to give the office and Reggie reverses to a backslide for two. Bodyscissors with the big thighs brought up into a full nelson. She’s switching around a lot, but at least it’s all wrestling. Transition into a nice suplex, followed by a splash pin for one. Not long after there would be no lifting Reggie off before ten! Now to the legs, with Reggie dropping elbows on Rusty’s left that look like they’d hurt her more, then taking the heel. Nick sounds like he’s getting off on seeing Reggie throwing some stiff punches. Slam and another splash for two this time, with Nick confusing both girls’ names. Something goes amiss on a collision mid-ring, then Reggie screws up a tilt-a-whirl suplex for the victory final. Started off well but got worse as it went on, falling apart at the end.
On the road interview (in the gym) with Terri Power. Her voice is deeper than Ken’s at this point. She always came off as nice, but X-Pac’s evaluation of her as “crazier than a shithouse rat” seems to fit too.
Terri Power vs. Dangerous Denise Storm
Terri’s entrance gear looks like one of those foil jogging suits you would see women out in at the time. Closest comparison I can think of for Storm is like a female Bad News Allen, with obvious toughness and constant jawing at the crowd. She gets an early slam, but succumbs to being taken down by the arm. Storm breaks by going to the eyes, but misses a clothesline and is taken down with a bodypress. Neckbreaker from Storm in response for two. Double axehandle from the top rope for another two. Missed charge into the corner. Power gets some pretty harsh chops and mounted punches in the corner. Powerslam, but no attempt at a pin. Gutwrench suplex, but she whiffs on one of those splashes that wasn’t going to meet anything other than knees even if it hit. Storm goes to the top, but Terri cuts her off and gets the Powerplex/superplex for the win. Best match of the show so far, perfectly fine.
Back in the studio, Boni Blackstone interrupts Joe and Jim to announce the first LPWA PPV will take place in the fall of 1991 in Las Vegas (ended up being in February of 1992 in Minnesota). The money dried up when Magnificent Mimi stopped going out with the money mark that was funding the whole thing.
On the road with Malia Hosaka, elsewhere in those gardens, but Ken has made the effort to change his clothes again. She’s reading a book about the fundamentals of trigonometry… snooze! She’s going for about three different degrees to work with young offenders, which in all likelihood she’s still doing now.
Malia Hosaka vs. Alma Alvarez
Alma going heel here, and working in a far more interesting way immediately. She kicks the knee and slams Malia early on. Joe Pedicino is teasing the debut of the Queen’s Court, with the identity of the Queen to be revealed. Spoiler: it was Bert Prentice as the fat Liberace-esque Queen Christopher Love. Really quickly Malia gets a huracanrana for the win. Not enough to rate, but everything was fine.
Back in the studio, Bambi joins Joe and Jim for a chat, swearing revenge on Mimi, who’s currently in Germany. Joe interviews while Jim heckles. Apparently there’s a video special coming up for Bambi called Hey Y’all, I’m Bambi – I was expecting Jim to cut in with his plywood and sheet rock routine. Joe and Jim sign off, with Jim promising to redress the balance next week with a feature on the bad girls of the LPWA… will have to see if that’s out there.
The Bottom Line: Harmless time filling episode to remind everyone who the featured stars are, even if it wasn’t especially exciting.