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Mr.Dufour’s Wayback Machine: WWF Championship Wrestling: March 5th, 1983
Loading...Mr. Dufour’s Wayback Machine: March 5th, 1983
Welcome everyone to another edition of Mr. Dufour’s Wayback Machine where we review classic WWF shows of wrestle-years gone by.
Today we travel back to March 5th, 1983 at the Agricultural Hall in Allentown Pennsylvania to take a look at one of the WWF’s syndicated shows. I thought it would be fun to take a look at how the syndicated shows were run during this era. The WWF would tape 3 weeks worth of shows at a time, so this show was actually taped on February 15th, 1983. This show is on youtube if you’d like to check it out. I’ll review some early 80’s syndicated shows from time to time just to mix things up.
Your current champions are:
World Title: Bob Backlund
Intercontinental Title: Don Muraco
Tag Team Titles: The Strongbows(Jules and Jay)
Your hosts for tonight’s action are Vince MaMahon and Pat Patterson. Pat was the main colour commentator at this time, but you’d have other active wrestlers like Tony Garea (as bad as it sounds) and Don Muraco (as good as it sounds)
Your ring announcer for tonight is my all time favourite ring announcer: Jooooooooooooe McHugh! As sad as this sounds, I have Joe’s entire introduction nailed voice and all. A couple of interesting names in his introduction that I’d like to speak briefly about are Phil Zacko and Dr. George Zahorian. Phill Zacko was your classic old school wrestling promoter. He was very short with an explosive personality. He was Vince Sr’s right hand man, and promoted the Pennsylvania area. You’ll recognize Dr. Zahorian’s name from the steroid scandal in the early 90’s. I just burnt my burgers on my George Foreman Grill while typing that out. Grrrrrrr zero stars for everyone!!!!!!!
Match #1: Ivan Koloff (with Freddie Blassie) vs Miguel Feliciano
It’s a shame that Ivan Koloff isn’t in the WWE Hall of Fame. He really was fantastic, even in his later years. Miguel Feliciano is s long time prelim wrestler, who bares an uncanny resemblance to Frankie Williams.
Ivan begins to beat the ever-loving piss out of Miguel right away. Feliciano gets caught with a back elbow coming off the ropes, followed by a knee drop. Koloff is only just beginning to have fun, as he whips Miguel into the corner and nails him with a running knee. Koloff drops repeated knees on Felicinao before chucking Miguel to the outside. Feliciano makes his way back into the ring, but in caught with a boot to the chest immediately. Koloff hits another running knee in the corner before climbing up to the top rope with his right knee placed on the upper back of Feliciano. Koloff jumps off the top rope, driving Feliciano face first into the mat with his knee, and that’s all she wrote.
Result: Ivan Koloff @ 1:55 via top rope knee to the back
Rating: **1/4. Koloff is just so vicious in the ring. An enjoyable squash match.
Match #2: Chief Jay and Jules Strongbow (WWF Tag Team Champions vs Johnny Rodz and Bob Bradley
The Strongbows are atrocious and might be my least favourite tag team champions of the era. Chief Jay was a mainstay in the WWWF/WWF for many years, previously winning tag gold with Billy White Wolf and Sonny King. Jules debuted in 1982, previously wrestling in the Tri-State territory (Arkansas/Oklahoma/Louisiana). This is actually the Strongbows second reign, beating Mr.Fuji and Mr. Saito on both occasions. Johnny Rodz would go onto greater acclaim as one of the great trainers of all time. He’s also a WWE Hall of Famer…….and Ivan Koloff isn’t.
Jay and Rodz start the match with Jay chasing Rodz around the ring. Jules eventually joins in and delivers a vicious chop to the chest of Rodz. Bradley joins the fray as all four men battle it out in the ring with the Strongbows getting the upper hand. The Strongbows whip their two opponents into each other and the match resumes with Jay and Rodz in the ring. For whatever reason, Jules just jumps into the ring without tagging and takes over for Jay and the ref does nothing about it. Whatever, this team is so friggen awful. Jules arm drags Rodz before locking in an armbar. Rodz punches his way out but is unable to make the tag as Jules tags in his partner who takes Rodz down with a series of arm drags. Jules tags back in and does the same. Rodz finally makes the tag to Bradley and the two double team Jules in the corner. Bradley catches Jules with an elbow coming off the ropes, but Jules is able to tag Jay while falling down. Jay breaks into his war dance before delivering a series of chops. Jay has a hell of a time throwing Bradley into the ropes for whatever reason, but sends Bradley over the top rope with a two-handed chop. Wow that looked ugly. Jay drags Bradley back into the ring and finishes him off with a sleeper hold. Fuck me.
Result: The Strongbows @ 4:24 via sleeper hold
Rating: 1/4 *. I’m being generous with the quarter of a star. My God was that ever bad.
Match #3: Iron Mike Sharpe (with Captain Lou) vs Barry Hart
There we go! Put me in a better mood Iron Mike. It’s funny to see Sharpe doing the squashing for once. It’s too bad Sharpe’s push ended so fast. He’s more entertaining than 90% of the roster at this point. Barry Hart was a prelim guys who wrestled quite a bit on the syndicated shows in 1982-1983.
Hart immediately tries to shoulder tackle Sharpe numerous times to no avail. Sharpe beats the hell out of Hart in the corner with some huge clubbing forearms. Sharpe catches Hart coming off the ropes with a back drop. Sharpe seems to be less vocal today. That’s a shame. Sharpe keeps it basic by punching, kicking and stomping poor Barry. Sharpe ties up Hart’s neck in between the top two ropes (similarly what wrestlers would do to Andre the Giant’s arms) and chokes him. The ending is botched badly as Sharpe completely misses Hart’s head with the loaded forearm brace coming off the ropes. Hart sells it though, so Sharpe makes the pin
Result: Iron Mike Sharpe @ 2:51 via loaded forearm shot
Rating: 1/2*. Not one of Mike’s better performances.
Match #4: Victor Merchado vs Pete Sanchez
We’ve got ourselves a jobber vs jobber match. The WWF would occasionally do this during their syndicated shows. Pete Sanchez was a long time prelim wrestler for the company. He’d win a match here and there, but not very often. Victor Merchado is about as low on the totem pole as they come.
Zero crowd reaction for either wrestler as the match starts. Sanchez with a horrible looking money flip to start. The two engage in some basic mat wrestling as Sanchez locks in a leg lock. Merchado gets to his feet and takes over Sanchez with a side head lock. Sanchez gets back to his feet and regains the advantage with some awful looking punches. Sanchez works a reverse headlock for a moment as Vince begins shitting on the match calling it a “lackluster match up”. I couldn’t agree more. Sanchez catches Merchado in a small package for the three count after an attempted back drop with Merchado literally bending over the minute Sanchez hit the ropes. Wow.
Result: Pete Sanchez @ 3:04 via small package
Rating: DUD. The Strongbows set the bar very low this week and yet somehow this match didn’t reach it. Well done Merchado and Sanchez. Well done.
Match #5: Mr.Fuji vs Curt Hennig
Curt is sporting the ugliest ring jacket that I’ve ever seen. Curt arrived in the company in 1982 filling mainly a “white meat babyface” role. He’s only 24 years old at this time and is beanpole skinny. Mr. Fuji was a former 5 time tag champ and would begin tagging with Tiger Cheung Lee around this time.
Fuji throws his ceremonial salt into the corner before beginning the match. I love the “salt in the eyes” heel move. I wish the WWE would bring that back. The two lock up with Hennig getting e clean rope break from Fuji. Fuji smiles manically while bowing. So good! The two lock up again with Hennig getting a rope break. Fuji acts like it’s going to be a clean rope break again, but takes a swing at Hennig. Hennig blocks it and unloads on Fuji with a series of right hands. Fuji tries to beg off, but Hennig rams his face into the mat. Fuji gains the advantage with a shot to the stomach and the throat. Fuji delivers a few right hands, but Hennig is able to fight Fuji off with some right hands of his own, followed by a drop kick. Hennig misses a second drop kick and Fuji hits a falling head butt to the lower stomach for the three count
Result: Mr. Fuji @ 2:39 via falling head butt
Rating: **1/2. A nice short, competitive match. Hennig was still very green at this point of his career, but still sold very well. Fuji was such a great heel.
Buddy Rogers Corner: with Ivan Koloff and Freddie Blassie
You could call this the precursor to Piper’s Pit. This segment debuted in September of 1982 and my God was this bad. Buddy would look bored or disinterested as he mumbled his way through interviews. Buddy introduces Ivan by saying that and I quote “I feel by saying this gentleman is really in shape and to me he looks like Mr. Perpetual Motion”. Ivan is just looking at him like “what the hell”. Koloff talks about how inferior Americans are and how he wants to be WWF World or Inter-Continental champion. That’s it.
Match #6: Tony Garea and Eddie Gilbert vs Swede Hansen and Mac Rivera
It’s the “Battle of the Madison Square Garden Opening Match All Stars”. Garea and Gilbert tagged quite a bit in 1983. My God, Eddie looks like he’s twelve. Mac Rivera would become Jose Luis Rivera in 1984 and later a Conquistador. Tony Garea gets a nice pop.
Gilbert and Rivera start the match off and the crowd immediately breaks into a loud “we want Swede” chant. The two engage in some scientific wrestling with Gilbert taking Rivera over with an arm drag before tagging in Garea. Garea takes Rivera over the an arm drag take down before locking in an arm bar. The crowds into an even louder “we want Swede” chant! Tag into Eddie Gilbert who continues to work on the arm of Rivera. Swede finally gets the tag and the loudest pop of the night! Swede delivers around two chops to Gilbert and tags Rivera right back in. Hahaha after all that! Gilbert mounts a comeback and catches Rivera with a drop kick coming off the ropes. A second drop kick floors Rivera again. Quick tag to Tony Garea who finishes Rivera off with a running crossbody block.
Result: Eddie Gilbert and Tony Garea @ via running crossbody block
Rating: **. Lol well then. If North Carolina is Flair Country, then Allentown is Swede Country. Unfortunately for the WWF, this match was ment to shine up the team of Gilbert and Garea but the company failed to take into consideration Swede Nation.
After the match they show the Don Muraco vs Rocky Johnson match from All-Star Wrestling. The WWF would tape three weeks of All-Star Wrestling in Hamburg, Pennsylvania the night after they taped Championship Wrestling.
Match #7: Salvatore Bellomo vs Eddie Carson
Salvatore Bellomo was actually given quite the push in 1982-1983, beating some names that would shock you. I have a soft spot for Bellomo. He always gives his all and usually puts on entertaining matches. Eddie Carson wrestled quite a bit as a jobber at the syndicated tapings in 1983.
Some excellent chain wrestling from both men to start the match with neither gaining the advantage. The two continue to trade holds until Bellomo catches Carson with a mule kick. Carson reverses a hammerlock and puts Bellomo into an arm bar on the mat. Bellomo rolls through the hold and drop toe holds Carson to the mat before working a modified Regal Stretch which Bellomo transitions into an arm bar. Carson hip tosses Bellomo coming off the ropes. He throws Bellomo into the ropes attempting another hip toss, but Bellomo reverses it into a backslide for the three count!
Result: Salvatore Bellomo @ 3:55 : via backslide
Rating: **3/4. Well done to both men. That was a fun, scientific match. Bellomo could definitely go in the ring. He just just have that “it” factor to break through to the next level.
