WWWF All-Star Wrestling (8.26.1978) Review

-Originally aired August 26, 1978.

-Your host is Vince McMahon.

CRUSHER BLACKWELL (with The Grand Wizard) vs. CHARLIE BROWN
-Blackwell has actually upgraded his ring gear significantly and has something that looks like an actual wrestling outfit instead of his unemployed guy ensemble from his last tour in this territory.

-Blackwell pounds Brown to the ground, but Brown goes to town on that clown until Blackwell takes him down with an elbow that draws a frown. Blackwell dumps Brown to the floor, then brings him back in and chokes him out. Visual here is impressive as Blackwell is so massive that his body just blocks out the entire view of the choke. Speaking of amazing visuals, Blackwell throws a dropkick and Vince just straight-up pops for that, even though Blackwell is a heel. Blackwell looks like MUCH more of a star in this go-round than he did before. Legdrop looks to finish but Blackwell wants to continue kicking ass. A big slam finally ends it.

DINO BRAVO vs. TONY RUSSO
-Armdrags to and fro by Dino Bravo, then he works the arm on the immediately-sweaty Russo. Backdrop and a knee by Bravo get two. Russo gets some token offense, but Dino connects with a dropkick and ends it with an airplane spin.

-THE GRAND WIZARD CUTS A PROMO OH MY GOD IT’S BEEN TOO LONG. Wizard says that harnessing the contract of Crusher Blackwell makes him feel as though he is a scientist at Los Alamos who has mastered the power of the atom.

YUKON LUMBERJACKS (Tag Team Champions, with Captain Lou Albano) vs. STEVE KING & CARLOS CRUZ
-Eric works the arm. Pierre tags in and also works the arm, and that’s about as much as I have to work with here. Albano still has the whistle thing going, and the ridiculous thing is he has a cigar and a new hat, too, like he can’t decide what his “thing” should be. Cruz tags in and gets double-teamed and Captain Lou heads over to give guest commentary.

-Hot tag to King and he gets to kick some ass for a minute before his opponents remember it’s just Steve King, and Pierre just knocks him over. Cruz comes back in, and Eric puts him away with a slam and an elbow. The Lumberjacks aren’t bad, they’re just…THERE.

SUPER DESTROYER (with The Grand Wizard) vs. MIKE MILTON
-Cagematch says this could be one of 20 guys, and I’m stumped. Googling around, I found one site that says this is Nikolai Volkoff under a mask, and actually, seeing how he moves around the ring and how he does certain holds, I think that’s the guy.

-Forearm smashes by Super D, who throws Milton over the top rope. Back in, Milton throws punches but gets whipped across the ring for his trouble. Body vice finishes.

TONY GAREA, LARRY ZBYSZKO, & HAYSTACKS CALHOUN vs. BUTCHER VACHON, MOOSE MONROE, & BARON MIKEL SCICLUNA
-Right away this match is a must-watch because Larry has grown a handlebar mustache and sideburns, and he has his hair slicked, and with plain black tights going halfway up his torso, he looks like the lost third Vaudevillain.

-Garea knocks Butcher flat on his ass, so Moose tags in and the Forces of Burliness overwhelm him. Butcher tries to finish off Garea, but Garea slams him and tags in Larry, who peppers his porridge with a proper thrashing. Moose knocks him dotty with an elbow and gives him the soup with a tag rope, but Larry hotfoots it out there, and Calhoun “hammers” Monroe with some of his shitty looking offense before Garea comes in and gets the win with an abdominal stretch.

4.0

The final score: review Poor

The 411

Another episode that, like the Lumberjacks, was just there.