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The SmarK Rant for Pro Wrestling This Week – 11.08.86

By Scott Keith on 12 April 2024

The SmarK Rant for Pro Wrestling This Week – 11.08.86

OH MY GOD SOMEONE ACTUALLY PUT ALL THESE ON YOUTUBE. I can die happy in wrestling nerd heaven now.

So yeah, this is the show that helped define my childhood and gave me a window into all the wacky territories and stars I didn’t see on WWF or NWA TV. Produced by and starring Joe Pedicino as an extension of his wrestling block in Florida, it was a trip around the wrestling world (or at least to everywhere that would give him footage) covering the week that was. I loved every damn minute of it.

Also if you’re like me, whenever you hear the opening notes of “Party All the Time” your mind goes right back to this.

Your hosts are Gordon Solie & Joe Pedicino

BREAKING NEWS: Magnum TA is still in critical condition after his accident, but he’s apparently doing a little bit better.

First up, we travel to World Class…

Cage match: Bruiser Brody v. Abdullah the Butcher

Joined in progress with Abby finding a foreign object and taking Brody down with it, and then also nailing special ref Fritz Von Erich as well. So Fritz smashes Abby’s hand and take it back, and then slugs the Butcher down and invites Brody to make the pin. This naturally enrages Gary Hart, who stomps into the cage to confront Fritz, but Fritz decides to use the fork and destroy both heels by himself until the officials pull him back and keep him from doing too much damage to 2 men at the same time.

BREAKING NEWS: World Class has merged with USA Championship Wrestling and Kevin Von Erich is the champion of both after beating Black Bart. So we go to an interview with Kevin, as he talks about how David Von Erich was supposed to get a shot at the NWA World title in Japan when he suddenly died. Also Kerry Von Erich should be back in about 3 months after his motorcycle accident, I’m sure with a leg that’s better than ever!

Off to Continental in Alabama…

Southeastern heavyweight title: Adrian Street v. Rip Rogers

Joined with Rip beating on Street and dropping elbows on him to take over, and then putting him down with a headbutt. Street fights back in the corner, but Rip gets an object from his valet while he’s in the ropes, and knocks out Street to apparently win the title. But then Miss Linda stooges him out to the referee and the decision is reversed, at which point Rip clotheslines Linda to show that women’s lib is alive and well, and then steals the belt and leaves.

To the NWF in New Jersey…

The Masked Executioners v. Jim Finnegan & Cruz Martinez

Hold up, is that young PAUL HEYMAN on commentary here? Wild. The Executioners quickly squash the geeks and finish with a double clothesline from the middle rope. Heyman sounds nothing like his future self, except for a copule of moments where he gets really excited and the voice changes.

Ring Report, with a special report on Starrcade 86. Pedicino talks with Jim Cornette about the upcoming scaffold match, and he is fine with his team pushing the Road Warriors off even if they’re clinging to the scaffold in terror. There’s no soft fall from 25 feet! Well Cornette would certainly find that out.

Off to Polynesian Championship Wrestling from Hawaii now…

Farmer Boy Ipo v. JR The Wild Hog

This couldn’t be any more indie. Gotta love it. Don’t recognize either guy, and Ipo fights off Hog and then throws him into the corner and finishes with a flying splash. Crowd certainly seemed to enjoy it.

Meanwhile, Joe Pedicino talks with Candi Devine, who is now in the Deep South in Georgia, but still wants to go back to the AWA and get the Ladies title back from Sherri Martel.

Bill Apter joins us with a couple of lists and they’re scrolling by so fast that I don’t even have time to do my usual gag.

FLORIDA TOP TEN:

  1. Lex Lugar
  2. Barry Windham
  3. Ron Bass
  4. Hacksaw Higgins
  5. Kendall Windham
  6. Kareem Muhammad
  7. Ed “The Bull” Gantner
  8. Ron Simmons
  9. Chris Champion
  10. The Falcon

But wait! There’s more!

PWI’s TOP TEN TAG TEAMS!

  1. The Road Warriors
  2. The Rock & Roll Express
  3. The British Bulldogs
  4. The Fantastics
  5. The Andersons
  6. The Midnight Express
  7. Buddy Rose & Doug Somers
  8. Buzz Sawyer & Matt Borne
  9. The Midnight Rockers
  10. John Tatum & Jack Victory

That’s quite the list. How the hell do Sawyer and Borne even crack a top 10 with that kind of murderer’s row of talent?

Also, Bill takes a look at the supposed “Von Erich curse”, which is actually the opposite, it’s a BLESSING. Because hey, they’re courageous and brave, and Mike Von Erich is back from his injuries right away and Kerry is healing up from his accident as well. Whew, well they sure dodged a bullet there.

BREAKING NEWS: At a TV taping in Glens Falls NY, apparently Randy Savage dropped a ringbell on Ricky Steamboat’s throat, which will be aired in a few weeks on WWF TV. They didn’t have a deal with the WWF so instead we get TV TAPING SPOILERS with still photos of the talent. This is batshit for 1986.

MAT CLASSIC: Red Berry v. Cyclone Anaya

All the way back to 1953 in Hollywood for this one, with Berry getting beaten down by some surprisingly stiff forearms from Anaya in the corner. Berry tries a headlock, but Anaya reverses him into an abdominal stretch to win the second fall quickly. If you look closely in the crowd you can see Bobby Fish in the front row, contemplating coming out of retirement for the second time.

Off to Stampede!

Makhan Singh v. Con Kovidas

Makhan beats Kavitas down with forearms and tosses him onto the ringside table, but the jobber makes the comeback before Makhan goes low behind the ref’s back. Karachi Krunch finishes. Of note here, Ed Whalen explains the origins of the “Toilet Bowl” nickname for Makhan that he always used. I always thought it was supposed to be some kind of weird rhyme, but in fact Singh did an interview where he wanted to be given his own appliance nickname because he was better than William “The Refrigerator” Perry, so Ed dubbed him “Toilet Bowl” and the rest is history.

AWA Ring Report: Donna Gagne gives us a brief history of Nick Bockwinkel and his acting background. Also Rose & Somers are offering workout tips to fans.

International match of the week: The Crush Gals v. Dump Matsumoto & Bull Nakano

Yeah sure, All Japan Women, why not. This is an immediate crazy brawl, with insane reactions from the crowd, as they haul a table into the ring and smash into it, and then battle outside to a double countout.

And finally, back to World Class…

WCCW World title: Black Bart v. Kevin Von Erich

This is from the Cotton Bowl stadium show, as we get the closing clip of Kevin using a missile drop and splash to win the title. And also the PWTW Wrestler of the Week!

This show used to BLOW MY LITTLE MIND when I was 12 and absorbing all the wrestling I could watch and it still blows my mind that it even existed today. This one is absolutely staying in the rotation.