The SmarK Rant for All Star Wrestling (Vancouver) – 10.31.87

The SmarK Rant for All Star Wrestling (Vancouver) – 10.31.87

So after my initial review of the 1983 All Star Wrestling show, I had commented that KrisPLettuce didn’t have anything that was more in my wheelhouse. Well, I was wrong, it was just in a different section, and in fact he has EXACTLY the period that is in my wheelhouse. His late-era collection picks up at the end of 1987, with about a year and a half to go in the life of the promotion as Al Tomko was basically driving the company into the ground at this point. You can’t even blame Vince for this one.

Taped from Vancouver, BC

Your host is Ed Karl

BCTV Championship: Vicious Vern Siebert v. The Atomic Kid

The Atomic Kid is young Buddy Wayne, with an impressive mullet for the 80s. Buddy had been teaming with Al Tomko’s kid Terry as part of a masked tag team called “The A Team”, consisting of Buddy (the Atomic Kid) and Terry Tomko (The Frog). Everyone knew who they were all along, but they both got dramatically unmasked by heels anyway and now Wayne is working without the mask for good. So the station carrying this show was British Columbia Television out of Vancouver, hence the BCTV Championship. They trade headlocks and Vern reverses to a headscissors while possibly pulling the hair to retain control. Buddy reverses out for two and goes back to the headlock while Ed notes that fans who want to get on Vern’s case like to call him THE WIMP. Savage. Buddy grinds on the headlock while local manager Jonathan Sayers protests a hairpull, and Buddy backdrops Vern out of the corner, but Vern hits him with a knee to the gut to take over. Siebert tosses him and puts the boots to Buddy before going to a chinlock. Buddy fights out of that, so Vern rakes the back and drops him on the top rope to cut off the comeback. Buddy comes back with a rollup for two, but Vern grabs the ropes to escape, and they collide for a double down in awkward spot. Buddy makes the comeback and slugs him down for two, and a small package gets two. Buddy with a Boston crab and Vern is tapping like crazy but it’s 1987 so it doesn’t mean anything. Sibert cradles him for two, but Buddy gets a snap suplex and goes up, and then Sayers throws powder in his eyes and Siebert blatantly kicks him in the nuts and pins him at 11:44 to retain. Solid TV match. **1/2.

Afterwards, Sir Joseph Cagle has words for Diamond Timothy Flowers, who is a babyface by 1987, and attacks Cagle before jamming an axe handle into his throat in order to coax him into signing a chain match in Cloverdale to settle their issues.

The Frog v. Dirty Danny Denton

So as noted, the Frog is Terry Tomko, son of promoter/owner/top star Sgt. Al Tomko, which is the rare situation where not only does the talentless promoter push himself as the badass champion, but also pushes his talentless kid as a top star as well. The Frog had started out using “Frogger” off the Pac-Man Fever album, but now he’s using “Danger Zone” because it’s more 1987. He is still masked at this point, however. Seriously, though, who thought that calling someone THE FROG and putting a mask on them would make a top babyface star? It’s not like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were barely even a thing yet so you can’t say he was trying to cash in on amphibian fever sweeping the nation or whatever. And we are joined on commentary by teenaged heel manager MAURO RANALLO, who started out as a special troubleshooting official and then revealed that he was actually a villain. Impressively, he was only 17 at this point. Denton, who looks like Dino Bravo without the muscles, beats on the Frog but gets dropkicked into the corner. Denton puts him down with a knee to the gut, but misses a blind charge and Frog goes to work on the arm while Mauro promises that someone is going to come along and squish the Frog, as though he’s a frog on a hot sidewalk. Denton puts him down with a back elbow and bites him on the mat, but the Frog leapfrogs him and gets an ugly rollup for the pin at 7:12. Bleh. *

Diamond Timothy Flowers joins us again, complaining about Joseph Cable always running away, so in addition to a chain match, Tim wants a CAGE around the ring in Cloverdale. Al Tomko interrupts and this Cage/Chain deal sounds too dangerous to him, so he wants Flowers to sign a document releasing the promotion from any liability for injuries. Cagle stops by and refuses to sign, so Flowers grabs him and threatens him with the axe handle until he agrees. I’m no legal expert but that feels like signing under duress to me.

I-Ton v. Wolverine Eddie Watts

We’re joined in progress as Wolverine comes off the top with a bodypress, but the I-Ton (who appears to be a ninja by way of a Vancouver high school training program for white kids) throws powder in his face for the DQ and the heels send him to the back for treatment.

Afterwards, Ed Karl is joined by Vern Siebert, who is apparently also the Canadian Junior Heavyweight champion because he awarded himself the title, and he assures us that everyone in the arena will have Siebert Fever and be clapping their hands uncontrollably as a result. And that’s the show for the week.

OK, now we’re into my comfort zone for this stuff. I just need some Billy Two Eagles and King Kong JR Bundy to complete the set and I’m fully back in business with this one.