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Mr.Dufour’s Wayback Machine: WWF @ MSG, March.16, 1981.

January 16, 2016 | Posted by Greg Dufour
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Mr.Dufour’s Wayback Machine: WWF @ MSG, March.16, 1981.  

Mr. Dufour’s Wayback Machine: March 16th, 1981

Welcome everyone to another edition of Mr. Dufour’s Wayback Machine where we review classic WWF shows of wrestle-years gone by.

While I was in the middle of completing this review my sister went into labour, and 5 hours later I became an uncle for the first time. Welcome to the World Dean Richard Phillips! Mom and baby are doing fine.

Today we travel back to March.16th 1981 at the world famous Madison Square Garden. This is the earliest show that I’ve reviewed thus far, and it will be interesting to see how it compares with shows that I’ve reviewed from 1983/1984. This show is available on youtube if you’d like to check it out.

Your current champions are:

World Title: Bob Backlund
Intercontinental Title: Pedro Morales
Tag Team Titles: Rick Martel and Tony Garea

Your host for tonight’s action is Vince McMahon and your ring announcer is Howard Finkel

Match #1: Baron Mikel Scicluna vs The Great Yatsu

Before the days of Rene Goulet and Tony Garea opening matches at the Garden there was Baron Scicluna, who had been with the company since the 60’s. He was a very good worker in the late 60’s-early 70’s, but by this time age had caught up to him. The Great Yatsu (Yoshi Yatsu) had a hell of a career in Japan, headlining many New Japan cards. He formed a tremendous tag team with Jumbo Tsuruta and competed for Japan in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal and also competed for PRIDE Fighting Championships in 2001! Yoshi had a very nice run in World Class in 1983 managed by Arman Hussein.

Yatsu shows off his impressive strength by picking up Scicluna and sitting him on the top turnbuckle. He follows it up with a weak looking forearm shot. Scicluna undeterred, yanks Yatsu down to the mat by his tights and works an arm bar. Scicluna transitions into a head scissors before delivering a series of punches and kicks to Yatsu. The crowd is all over Scicluna tonight. The Baron works a reverse chin lock, but Yatsu is able to elbow his way out of it, but Scicluna strikes back with a boot to the stomach. Yatsu block a turnbuckle shot and goes to town on the Baron with multiple boots to the chest. Yatsu goes to work on the left arm of Scicluna, delivers a series of knees before locking in an arm bar. A snap mare by Yatsu allows him to work a reverse chin lock on the Baron for a while. Baron is able to break the hold by yanking Yatsu’s hair. Two knees to the face of Yatsu get a two count for Scicluna. Baron continues to work his basic offense consisting of punches and kicks. Yatsu begins to fight back and takes Baron down with a standing leg lock. Scicluna punches his way out of it, and catches Yatsu coming off the ropes with a knee to the stomach for a two count. Two body slams yield the same results for the Baron. The Baron goes for a third, but is small packaged by Yatsu for the three count.

Result: The Great Yatsu @ 8:39 via small package
Rating: **. That actually wasn’t too bad, considering one of the competitors was Baron Scicluna. The crowd enjoyed it and the two worked pretty hard.

Match #2: Johnny Rodz vs S.D Jones

Many will be surprised to hear that S.D Jones had been with the company since the late 70’s after coming off a very successful run in California. He and Tony Atlas formed a pretty good tag team in 1981 and challenged for the tag straps on numerous occasions. Speaking of tag teams, I loved when Johnny Rodz and Jose Estrada would tag up.

The two trade arm drag take down as neither man gains the advantage to start off the match. They follow this with a series of nice takedowns and reversals before getting back to a vertical base. Both men seem tentative with neither man wanting to make the first mistake. Rodz and Jones are really making this feel like an important match. The two engage in some more wonderful chain wrestling before again starting from square one. The crowd gives their efforts a polite applause. Rodz takes down Jones briefly and begins strutting and laughing around the ring! Rodz has a tremendous heel smile/laugh. Jones takes Rodz down by the leg and begins shaking his ass in the face of Rodz. Ha! The two trade clean rope breaks, but the third time is the charm as Rodz delivers a series knees to the stomach of Jones, followed by a roundhouse right that floors S.D. Rodz works a very basic offense, stopping only to talk shit to the crowd. Rodz comes off the second rope with a boot to the face of Jones. Multiple boots to the face of S.D followed by an elbow drop gets only a one count for Rodz. Jones fights back with a couple of big left hands that have Rodz stunned in the corner. A big back body drop has Rodz begging off Jones, but S.D shows no mercy by pummeling Rodz and later giving Johnny another big back body drop. Rodz fights back and delivers three falling head butts to the sternum of Jones. Rodz heads to the second rope and misses a somersault senton (it sounds better than it looked). A falling head butt from S.D gets the three count! Great match!

Result: S.D Jones @ 9:41 via falling head butt
Rating: ***. Very enjoyable match. It had some great technical wrestling, some comedy and some brawling. Well done.

Match #3: Rick McGraw vs Moondog Rex

Moondog Rex along with Moondog King, would win the World Tag Team Championships from Rick Martel and Tony Garea the following night at the syndicated T.V tapings in Allentown Pennsylvania. They were managed at this time by Captain Lou Albano who didn’t accompany Rex for whatever reason. Moondog Spot would replace Moondog King in May due to King not being allowed to enter the U.S. Rick McGraw is a sad story. Rick was a short, stocky wrestler who passed away at age 30 due to heart complications brought on by a severe drug problem. He left behind a wife and newborn son. Greg Valentine stated in an interview that when the wrestlers would all go out for dinner, Ricky would take a handful of pills and pass out face first in his supper.

Rick uses his speed to get the early advantage of Rex and later drop kicks Rex into the ropes. Rex eventually catches McGraw with three knees to the stomach and takes control. Rex takes Rick down to the mat and works a arm lock for quite a while. Rick eventually rolls through and catches Rex with a head scissors take down. That was quite impressive. Rex though manages to take Rick down with an arm lock again, and later drops a big leg on it. Rex transitions the hold into a hammer lock. A brief McGraw comeback is stopped dead in its tracks when Rex catches Rick in an arm lock once again. Rex is pretty brutal on offense. Not smooth at all. McGraw elbows his way out of it and finally makes a comeback with a flurry of right hands. Rex stumbles to the corner and McGraw mounts the second rope and delivers a series of punches to the head of the Moondog. McGraw whips Rex into the corner and catches him with a huge back drop for a two count. McGraw double knees Rex and whips him back into the corner. McGraw misses a corner charge and Rex hits a shoulder breaker for the three count.

Result: Moondog Rex @ 6:38 via shoulder breaker
Rating: *. That was pretty bad. McGraw can do some exciting moves, but this match was all Moondog Rex and his clumsy offense. Rex is much better in tag team competition.

Match #4: Pretty Boy Larry Sharpe vs Dominic DeNucci

Ugh, this is going to be bad. DeNucci is horrible at this point of his career. The future trainer of Shane Douglas and Mick Foley is 50 years old and still wrestled for the company into 1983. Larry Sharpe had some great success in Puerto Rico before coming to the WWF. Sharpe would of course later on open the Monster Factory and train such future stars as Raven, Bam Bam Bigelow, Sheamus and Wrestling Superstar Virgil.

DeNucci takes off his ring jacket and he seriously looks like he’s 70 years old. Good Lord. DeNucci starts off by reversing a standing double wrist lock into a hammerlock, followed by a drop toe hold. The two then engage in an awkward looking test of strength which DeNucci slowly transitions into an arm bar. Sharpe regains his vertical base and gets a rope break. A knee to the stomach turns the tide for Sharpe. Sharpe then beats DeNucci like he owes him money with a series of vicious stomps and punches. DeNucci for whatever reason refuses to go down and holds himself up by the ropes. Probably because he’s afraid of taking a bump and breaking a hip. Sharpe continues his assault with DeNucci still holding himself up by the ropes to the point where he’s in a “crab walk-like” position. Very odd. DeNucci decides to no sell everything and whips Sharpe into the corner. DeNucci runs into a knee while attempting to make a corner charge and takes a VERY delayed bump. This results in a two count. Sharpe body slams DeNucci and heads to the top rope. DeNucci is able to get to his feet and delivers a punch to the stomach which cause Sharpe to crotch himself on the top turnbuckle. Sharpe decides “screw it” and just blatantly low blows DeNucci in front of the ref, who does absolutely nothing. Sharpe goes to body slam DeNucci, but Dominic catches Sharpe with a small package for a three count! Oh God.


Result:
Dominic DeNucci @ 6:54 via small package
Rating: DUD. I’m not kidding you, DeNucci took one bump the entire match. I understand that you have to take into account that it’s 1981 but this was so bad.

Match #5: WWF Heavyweight Championship Match: (Champion) Bob Backlund (with Arnold Skaaland) vs Stan Hansen (with Freddie Blassie)

Backlund gets a fantastic response from the crowd tonight. This is my favourite Backlund feud next to his feud with Slaughter. Before the match begins, Pat Patterson climbs into the ring and challenges Sgt.Slaughter to a match. The two would later go on to have their legendary Boot Camp match in May of 1981. Hansen and Backlund feuded throughout 1980-1981 and the two produced some excellent matches. This match is towards the end of their lengthy feud. Hansen wrestled on and off with the company through the mid-late 70’s/early 80’s. He’s most famous in the WWWF/WWF for breaking Bruno Sammartino’s neck with a botched power slam during a match in 1976 which led to an incredible feud between the two.

Backlund jumps Hansen before Hansen even finishes getting into the ring! The feud has been hot and heated so this is no surprise. Backlund beats the big Texan from pillar to post with a barrage of punches and kicks. Hansen starts fighting back and we got ourselves an old fashioned slug fest as neither man is willing to let up. Backlund eventually gets the upper hand and Hansen rolls out of the ring to regroup. The crowd is REALLY into it. Hansen finally gets his jacket and stirrups off and goes right back into the right where the fight continues! Backlund again gets the upper hand and Hansen must once again roll out of the ring to regroup. Hansen’s mustache is glorious by the way. Hansen gets back into the ring and is body slammed for his troubles. Hansen tries to beg off but Backlund is having none of it. Hansen finally gains the advantage with a clubbing blow to the back, followed by a series of knee drops. Backlund gets back to his feet and the two once again begin punching the hell out of each other. An eye rake by Hansen leaves Backlund stumbling to the corner where Backlund is met with some big Hansen lefts. Hansen later snap mares Backlund over and locks in a reverse chin lock. Hansen releases the hold to deliver a few elbows, but a Backlund headbutt tho the stomach stop the assault. The advantage is short lived as Backlund misses a corner charge. Hansen gives Backlund a body slam followed by a thunderous knee drop for a two count. Hansen later attempts a back drop but receives a kick in the face that sends Hansen out of the ring. Man that looked stiff. Nice shot of Bill Apter outside of the ring with his camera. Check out his book “Is Wrestling Fixed, I Didn’t Know It Was Broken”. It’s quite good. Back in the ring, Hansen attempts a bearhug, but Backlund knees Hansen in the face and hits a piledriver for a two count. Backlund later drops the leg brother for another two count. Backlund attempts another piledriver, but Hansen counters with a back drop. Hansen looks to put Backlund away with a big running splash but Backlund rolls out of the way. It’s been a great back and forth battle. Backlund with a flurry of right hands that causes Hansen to head to the outside. Back in the ring, Hansen fights back with some brawling tactics, but Backlund withstands the barrage and fights back! A dropkick sends Hansen out of the ring. Hansen gets back into the ring, but immediately bails when Backlund starts beating on him again. This time Backlund follows Hansen outside, but Hansen slams Backlund head onto the ring apron. Back inside Hansen gives a loud “Hook em Horns” salute! Back in the ring, Hansen goes for the Western Lariat, but Backlund ducks and gives Hansen a running crossbody block for a two count. Hansen goes back to the outside again, but Backlund chases after him. Hansen rams Backlund into the steel ring post. Back in the ring, Hansen again goes for the Lariat, but Backlund dodges it once more and punches Hansen square in the mouth. Hansen bails to the outside again, and once again Backlund heads out after him. Hansen gets back into the ring first and decapitates Backlund with a Lariat while Backlund is standing on the ring apron. Backlund is unable to make it back into the ring by the count of ten. Post match, Backlund climbs back into the ring and starts pounding on Hansen until Stan escapes through the ropes.

Result: Stan Hansen @ 12:02 via count out
Rating: ***3/4 Ok, so if I just rate this match on it’s own merit, it’s probably just a three star match. But, these two would have an epic cage match next month at the Garden, so this match served its purpose to set it up: Hansen kept bailing to the outside whenever he got in trouble. He won’t have that luxury next time!

Match #6: I.C Title Match: Pedro Morales (Champion) vs Moondog King (with Captain Lou)

So Captain Lou must have been out buying vodka during Moondog Rex’s match, because he’s accompanying Moondog King for his match. Moondog King is a big boy, probably 50 pounds heavier than Rex. As previously stated, he would depart the company in May while still one half of the tag team champions due to issues entering the United States. Moondog King or Sailor White as he was known in Canada, built quite the impressive resume outside of the WWF in Montreal and Eastern Canada. Pedro Morales was the first WWF Triple Crown Champion and a legend in the company. The I.C Title ment a lot back in this era, and Morales was possibly the greatest face I.C champion of all time, holding the belt for a record 619 days between his two title reigns. Morales would lose the title in June to in my opinion the greatest heel I.C champ of all time: Don Muraco (I really wish more fans could have seen Muraco in his prime. Man was he good). Morales would regain the title in November of 1981 and go on to hold the title until January of 1983.

Captain Lou keeps running around the ring during ring introductions (using the term “running” loosely), so Morales starts attacking him. This distraction works perfectly as King is able to attack Morales from behind. King delivers left after left to the kneeling Morales before putting Morales in a nerve hold. This goes on for over two minutes. Morales finally gets to his feet, but is eye raked by King. Morales staggers to the corner where King starts pounding away on the mid section of Morales before body slamming him. King actually heads to the top rope but get caught by Morales. Morales absolutely LAUNCHES King off the top rope. King weighs 350 pounds and literally got sent across the entire ring before he came to a stop. Morales starts feeding King left hands before whipping King into the corner where King bounces off the turnbuckle and does a reverse somersault. That’s pretty impressive. Morales back body drops King and then botches a head scissors horribly. King sends Morales into the corner and attempts a charge, but Morales is able to leap over the back of King and sunset flip him for the three count.

Result: Pedro Morales @ 4:48 via sunset flip
Rating: **. Once Morales broke King’s nerve hold it got pretty exciting. King bumps extremely well for a big man. Still, that was a terrible botch at the end, and the match was quite short. Morales was so over with the Garden crowd.


Match #7: Sgt Slaughter (with the Grand Wizard) vs Andre The Giant

I imagine that we will be seeing Slaughter bumping like a maniac for Andre, so this should be a great match. I really think Slaughter lost his spark as a heel after the Grand Wizard passed away in 1983. That being said, he was one hell of a heel during this time period. Andre at this point could still have a pretty good match with the right opponent. He was big, but not immobile like he became in a few years.

Slaughter spends the first part of the match running away from Andre and ends up escaping through the ropes. The crowd is pretty hot for this match. Back in ring, Andre corners Slaughter and delivers a huge chop to the chest of the Sarge. Sarge tries to escape through Andre’s legs, but Sarge gets his head stuck. Andre jumps up in the air and Sarge takes a ridiculous bump where he does a reverse somersault and tries to springboard himself with his hands over the ropes, but his feet hit the top rope and he literally does a headstand before crashing back down to the mat. Lol that was amazing. Andre picks up Slaughter and knees him in the head which causes Slaughter to fl over the top rope. Sarge is on fire tonight. Andre then backs Slaughter up into the corner and squashes Sarge with his butt which sends Slaughter back through the ropes. Back in the ring, Sarge works a side head lock, but Andre ends up lifting Sarge off his feet with no hands! Wow! Andre shoots Slaughter into the ropes and drops down to the mat. Slaughter hurdles over him and hits the ropes again, but Andre takes his sweet time getting up so Sarge runs into Andre’s ass! Hahaha awesome, I love that Andre spot. The crowd is going crazy! Andre then slaps on a bearhug on the Sarge and rams him into the turnbuckle before delivering a Giant right hand (pun intended). Andre shoots Slaughter into the rope for an attempted back body drop, but receives a kick to the mush that drops Andre. Sarge goes to town on Andre with punches and kicks before trying to lock in the Cobra Clutch but Andre powers out of it. Sarge goes for a double axe-handle, but Andre scores with a single leg take down and transitions into a leg lock. Sarge is able to somehow roll out of it and once again goes for the Cobra Clutch but Andre backs Slaughter into the turnbuckle. Andre delivers a massive head butt, followed by a vertical suplex. Andre seemed to hurt the back of his head on that move. Slaughter is actually first to his feet and boots Andre in the back f the head before climbing to the second rope, but Andre catches Slaughter in mid air with a bearhug. Man was Andre ever strong! The Sarge was no small man. Sarge rakes the eyes and drops Andre with two right hands. Sarge climbs again to the second rope and catches Andre with a flying boot to the head for a two count. Slaughter then climbs to the top rope, but gets press slammed by Andre! Andre throws Slaughter into the turnbuckle and catches him with a back body drop. Andre continues the assault on Slaughter by whipping him into the turnbuckle and connecting with a running shoulder block in the corner. Andre attempts this again, but Slaughter pulls the ref into the corner where he gets squashed by the big man. The ref comes to his senses and calls for the bell! The two keep fighting and Andre catches Slaughter coming off the ropes with a huge big boot! I think the Sarge has had enough.

Result: Andre the Giant @ 7:58 : via DQ
Rating: ***3/4. That was hands down the best Andre the Giant match I’ve ever seen. The crowd loved it and it was non stop action. Slaughter deserves a friggen medal for his performance tonight. He was outstanding!

Match #8: The Hangman vs one half of the WWF World Tag Team Champions: Rick Martel

The Hangman was a mid carder who was managed by Freddie Blassie who is not here tonight it seems. Being from Canada, he wrestled quite a bit in Montreal and Calgary before making stops in California and the AWA. He has a pretty sweet submission maneuver called “ the Hangman’s Hold”, where he gets his opponent in a reverse neck breaker position but instead of dropping down, he leans forward so he’s basically hanging his opponent off his back. Rick Martel is another wrestler who should be in the WWF Hall of Fame. He was brought in as a white meat baby face in 1980, but formed a tag team with Tony Garea soon after. The two would hold tag team gold twice, and I’d have to say out of all of Tony Garea’s many tag teams, this pairing was the best.

Hangman begins with a side head lock, but Martel reverses it into a top wrist lock. Hangman manages to get a rope break and the two lock up again. Hangman gets Martel in a front face lock, but Martel reverses the hold into a hammerlock with the Hangman again reaching the ropes. Martel catches the Hangman with a couple of arm drags and this has the Hangman thinking of a different strategy as Martel is too quick. The Hangman proposes a test of strength which momentarily distracts Martel as the Hangman boots Martel in the stomach. The Hangman resorts to brawling tactics by biting, kicking and choking Martel in the corner. The Hangman gets Irish whipped into the ropes and Martel catches him with two drop kicks to the face! Martel then locks in a standing arm bar that has he Hangman down on his knees and later to the mat as Martel continues to work on the left arm of the Hangman. Hangman eventually gets to his feet and breaks the hold by pulling on Martel’s hair. Martel though takes the Hangman down with a drop toe hold and once again goes to work on the left arm of the Hangman. Martel works a very painful looking short arm scissors. That’s a move that needs to be brought back. Martel works this hold for about five minutes, but they keep things interesting by Martel reversing all of the Hangman’s various attempts to get out of the hold. Excellent wrestling by both men. The Hangman finally breaks the hold by picking up Martel and dumping him on the top rope back first. The Hangman now targets the back of Martel, delivering various blows to the lower back. Hangman shoots Martel off the ropes and catches him with a bear hug which Martel eventually punches out of. Martel’s back though has taken two much punishment to capitalize as the Hangman is able to get Martel again in a bear hug. Martel is able to wiggle his arms inside of the bear hug and hip tosses the Hangman over. Martel is again too weak as the Hangman gives Martel a back breaker, but holds Martel over his knee to try and get a submission. The Hangman drops Martel to the mat and get a one count. The Hangman attempts an over the shoulder body vice, but Martel back drops his way out of it. The Hangman though shoots Martel off the ropes and again catches Martel with a bear hug. Martel is able to punch his way out of it and later boots the Hangman in the face. Hangman regains the advantage and shoots Martel off the ropes. The Hangman tries to catch Martel coming in again with a bear hug, but Martel leaps onto the quads of the Hangman, jumps off them and hooks the Hangman’s arms with his feet and takes him over in a hurricanrana type maneuver for the three count! Wow, what a move!

Result: Rick Martel @ 15:37 via hurrcanrana type maneuver
Rating: ***1/2. Very fun match! A classic battle of speed vs strength with both men trading various types of counters to each others holds. That was a hell of a move by Martel at the end, especially for 1981!

Match #9: One half of the WWF World Tag Team Champions: Tony Garea vs Bulldog Brower

Let’s see If Garea can make it two for two for the tag champs tonight. Garea was a four time tag champ and would add a fifth and final title reign in July winning back the belts from the Moondogs with Martel before losing the straps to Fuji and Saito in late 1981. He’d later transition into a JTTS role before working as an agent for the company, a role in which he still holds to this very day. Bulldog Brower is a veteran of many in ring wars all over the world, achieving much success in Toronto, Australia and Puerto Rico. He’s 48 years old at this point and pretty bad in the ring. He’d wrestle into his mid 50’s by the time his career was over.

Brower locks in a standing arm bar to start the match before taking Garea down by the hair while maintaining the arm bar. Garea kips up and breaks the hold. Brower catches Garea in a side head lock and later goes to work on the mid section of Garea with various punches and head butts. Brower then works a nerve that does nothing but bore the audience. Some guy in the crowd starts blowing a whistle so loud that it drowns out Vince’s commentary, and of course others follow. Unfazed, Brower goes back to work on the arm of Garea with an arm bar, but Garea gets a rope break. Garea finally gets in some offense by applying a side head lock to the Bulldog. The crowd is dead for this. Brower breaks the hold and pounds on Garea in the corner. Brower then slaps on a bear hug, but Garea is able to break it and once again apply a side head lock on Brower. This goes on for about three minutes before Brower gets a rope break. Brower cowers in the corner to avoid further punishment from Garea, but Tony delivers some rapid fire punches. Brower though fights back with some heavy right hands that leave Garea staggered in the corner. Brower slams Garea’s head into the turnbuckle before applying a nerve hold again on Garea. Tony tries to make a comeback, but a Brower head butt stops Tony dead in his tracks. Garea keeps fighting though and starts pounding the hell out of Brower in the corner. Brower irish whips Garea into the corner and starts beating on Garea with closed fists. While the ref is admonishing Brower, Garea sneaks up from behind and school boys Brower for the three count. THANK GOD!

Result: Tony Garea @ 10:56 via school boy
Rating: 1/4*. That was a chore.


Match #10: Tony Atlas vs Hulk Hogan

Hogan’s heel run in 1980-81 has always fascinated me. These two began feuding on an episode of Championship Wrestling in December of 1980. Vince was doing a ringside interview with Tony Atlas and asked him to pose and flex. Hulk and his manager Freddie Blassie came out and claimed Vince was wasting his time having Atlas pose because Hogan is bigger and stronger. Hogan then made some racially charged remarks that would probably get the WWE thrown off television today. I’m a big Tony Atlas and Hulk Hogan fan, so I’m looking forward to this match up. Hogan’s cape is tremendous by the way. No Blassie tonight, so Hogan’s going at it alone.

Pretty funny to see Hogan get mad at the crowd chanting “U.S.A”, considering what he became later on. The two engage in a “pose off” with Atlas being the clear winner. The two lock up and Hogan shoves Atlas into the corner. They lock up again and the result is the same. The third time is the charm for Atlas who shoves Hogan into the corner when they lock up for the third time. The crowd is eating this up. Atlas locks in a side head lock but Hogan shoots him off the ropes and catches Atlas with a shoulder block. Atlas shoots himself off the ropes this time and again runs into Hogan, but it’s Atlas who gets knocked off his feet again. Atlas shoots himself off the ropes again, but this time catches Atlas with a flying body press for a two count. The two lock up and Hogan is able to push Atlas into the corner where he delivers some big knees to the stomach of Atlas, followed by some clubbing blows to the back. Hogan body slams Atlas and drops the leg brother! Since it isn’t 1984 yet Atlas easily kicks out at two. Atlas fights back and actually press slams Hogan over his head! That’s 300 pounds folks! Hogan later beats on Atlas in the corner and gives him a vertical suplex followed by a knee drop for a two count. Atlas fights back with some quick left hands followed by a huge drop kick! Atlas delivers a couple of head butts and later pick up Hogan and straddles him in the top rope. Hogan falls back into the ring and Atlas covers him for the three count but referee Dick Kroll fails to notice Hogan’s foot on the ropes! Post match, Hogan beats the living hell out of Dick Kroll, giving him a body slam and a leg drop.

Result: Tony Atlas @ 7:08 via crotching Hogan on the top rope.
Rating: **3/4. That was short but quite a bit of fun. The constant tests of strength played well into the angle that they shot in December. Man was Tony Atlas ever one hell of an athlete back then.

7.0
The final score: review Good
The 411
A mixed bag. When you start going this far back you're pretty much guaranteed to have a couple of matches on the card that will be tough to get through and this show was no different. You had some fun matches like Andre vs Slaughter and Martel vs The Hangman, but I only had to sit through the bore that was Garea vs Brower. All in all it was a pretty fun show this month. Like I said, it's on youtube so check it out.
legend