The SmarK Rant for AWA All Star Wrestling – 05.31.87

The SmarK Rant for AWA All-Star Wrestling – 05.31.87

Originally written 07.28.25

OK, it’s another U-Matic master tape from Richard Land’s collection, from the period when they were still hanging on and had just put the World title on Curt Hennig. So in case you missed the last time I did one of these, “U-Matic” is the format of tapes used by most broadcast TV stations, and is the master tape that stations received from the AWA (or whatever wrestling promotion) that they would play as the weekly TV and insert their own commercials, local house show promos, introductions, whatever. Eventually it mostly switched to the promotions sending out a master satellite signal that stations used instead, but U-Matic tapes were around for a LONG time and I believe are still used today in a lot of TV stations.

Taped from Las Vegas, NV, where I enjoyed going in May and will probably never return again. Probably should have visited the Pawn Stars store when I had a chance. Oh well.

Your hosts are Rod Trongard & Russ Francis

Meanwhile, the Russian contingent of Boris Zhukov and Soldat Ustinov are coming after the Midnight Rockers for those AWA tag team titles, and any other Americans who want a piece of them like DJ Peterson and Wahoo McDaniel! Ustinov still hasn’t learned that fake Russians from Minnesota need to shave their heads in order to look intimidating.

DJ Peterson v. Tom “Rocky” Stone

Look out, it’s SPECIAL TROUBLESHOOTING REFEREE Scott LeDoux working this one, a guy they spent what felt like years trying to get over via a feud with Larry Zbyszko, even though he wasn’t a wrestler. Rocky immediately uses the hair to win a wristlock battle and then takes DJ down with a hiptoss for two. But then DJ uses the POWER OF ARMDRAGS to take him down. Why the heck does DJ have dollar signs on his boots? Was he borrowing a pair from Ted Dibiase? It certainly couldn’t have been a celebration of all the money he was making from Verne Gagne in 1987. DJ works a hammerlock on the mat while Rod promises that DJ has a new move he calls TNT and will presumably debut tonight. Stone sends him to the floor to escape, but DJ makes the comeback with a backdrop and then goes up with a flying shoulderblock to finish at 4:39. Apparently that was TNT. I would not have guessed that without the announcers informing me of that fact.

Meanwhile, Larry Nelson sits down with Nick Bockwinkel, talking about how all the promoters want to book the rematch between himself and Curt Hennig. Larry Lisowski in Wisconsin is looking to book it! Even Jerry Jarrett in Memphis wants the match! Oh man they’re shooting now, brother! Bockwinkel makes the spurious accusation of Larry Zbyszko cheating to help Hennig win the title, with his “video proof”, like that means anything here in the age of AI. FAKE NEWS.

The TERRORIST v. Jake Milliman

The Terrorist is from the Republic of South Africa, although he’s masked so we can’t know for sure which terrorist he is. Spoiler: Based on the time period I believe this one is actually young Brian Knobs. Well, he IS blond haired, but I don’t think he’s specifically a supported of apartheid. Although he was good friends with Hulk Hogan. Milliman tries to start a “beer belly” chant for the pudgy Terrorist, trying to reduce the terror level with humor, but the Terrorist beats on him with forearms and chokes him out on the ropes, and then drops an elbow on him to instantly give away his identity as the future Nasty Boy. He tosses Jake (“Ow my back!” he notes) but then runs back in and powerslams the Terrorist out of the corner for an unlikely comeback, before missing an elbow off the middle rope. Terrorist hits him with a samoan drop (when I say “Hits” I mean he fell on his ass and then gently leaned back and deposited Milliman on the mat) and pins him at 5:00. Luckily he eventually found a pair of pants that fit him better so he didn’t have to spend the match pulling them up.

Meanwhile, Larry Nelson continues spewing his conspiracy theories, this time to Larry Zbyszko, as he won’t let go of his nonsense idea that Larry Z gave Hennig a roll of quarters, based only on the testimony of Ray Stevens. It’s about GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP.

Meanwhile, Donna Gagne introduces us to Madusa Micelli, who is working out in the gym. Donna wonders how she’s going to get past Sherri Martel and win the Women’s title. Considering Sherri was literally about to walk out on the promotion and go to the WWF, she’d better hurry up.

This was brought to you by Norelco shavers, by the way, which apparently shave “as close as a blade”. Oh that’s rich. Especially in 1987.

The Midnight Rockers v. Frankie DeFalco & Pete Sanchez

I have to say, “Living After Midnight” was pretty on the nose for the Rockers and their lifestyle. The jobbers attack and immediately run into each other, and The Rockers send them out of the ring with dropkicks. Shawn Michaels looks like he literally woke up from a Vegas bender and rolled out of bed 2 minutes before this match. Luckily, as always Marty Jannetty is there as the sane and sober one. Marty works the arm on DeFalco and uses Owen Hart’s bounce off the top rope to take him down. DeFalco carries Marty to the heel corner and the bad guys work him over for a bit, but Shawn comes in with a bodypress and pins Sanchez at 4:00. He didn’t even try to hit Pete properly, basically overshooint by a foot and depending on the jobber to bump properly, and even the announcers are like “Shawn was only in that match for 5 seconds!”. Yeah because he was clearly so hungover that he could barely function.

Meanwhile, Curt Hennig talks with Larry Nelson, and we get footage of Curt turning on Greg Gagne to go heel and running him into the post. Curt points out that Gagne dropkicked him earlier in the match, so he started the fight. Nelson: “You know that was accidental!” Hennig: “Well I accidentally rammed his face into the post so I guess we’re even now.” HAHA. That’s why I was such a huge Curt Hennig mark in 1987.

Meanwhile, Larry Nelson shills the new NINJA STAR WARS game, which is like Lazer Tag, but you’re throwing ninja throwing stars at each other. IT’S ABSOLUTELY SAFE, we cannot stress that enough. The kids wear face shields! So this was one of those incredibly bizarre deals that changed wrestling and we didn’t even realize it at the time, because “Ninja Star Wars” was the brainchild of a young Eric Bischoff and his friend Sonny Onoo, and after getting his sponsorship deal with the AWA, Eric was kind of hanging around and networking with Verne and broke into the business because Verne needed a new announcer. And there you go. Also the Ninja Star Wars commercial is so incredibly stupid that it seems like an SNL commercial parody, but no, it was real.

Big Bubba v. Jim Jamison & Mike Murphy

Oddly this is from Memphis TV, as a part of their increased crossover at the time. Bubba is not the future prison guard, but rather the future boat / natural disaster / wall destroyer. Bubba hits both guys with a clothesline after letting them bounce off him for a bit. He beats on the guys with slams while these poor guys desperately try to take bumps for him and make him look like he has ANY idea what he’s doing out there. He tosses Murphy with a hiptoss out of the corner and he’s just got no ring awareness at this point, just kind of lumbering around the ring and depending on the other guys to get into position for him. More slams and he pins them both at 4:25. He was really, REALLY, bad until he got to Florida and worked with Dusty in 1989 and actually learned how to be a wrestler.

Meanwhile, Greg Gagne offers his opinion on Curt Hennig now, whining about how Hennig should have told him earlier if he had a problem with the Gagnes. MAYBE HE DID AND YOU WOULDN’T SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO HIM, JERK! History shows who the real star was in the end. And then he complains that Curt Hennig is too busy being World champion now, so the promoters have to call him and get him to work dates instead, and that takes time away from his family. CRY ME A RIVER, Greg! I’m so sorry that you’re being asked to do the job you’re paid to do. Must be really tough.

And we wrap it up with Verne Gagne talking about how no promoters are going to be able to afford to book the Hennig-Bockwinkel rematch because it’s going to cost so much money to get it. That’s right promoters, don’t even bother calling! Especially you, Ron Fuller! That Lisowski guy in Wisconsin sounds pretty suss as well.

Love me some AWA.