4/27/85 - GCW Superstars

4/27/85 - GCW Superstars (TAPED: 4/16/85)
LOCATION: Mid-Hudson Civic Center - Poughkeepsie, NY

The next big show for Global Championship Wrestling is Saturday Night Slam Masters, the big show that will air on MTV on May 11, but we had some stops before that - namely, GCW Superstars! Gorilla Monsoon and Mark Niemiller welcomed the show, and they put over not only SNSM, but today's Superstars. Today was a packed show, with Bruiser Brody in action, as well as Stan Hansen! Rick Martel will compete as well. Our wrestling main event will be Magnum T.A. defending the Television Title against Tully Blanchard! And we will have the official contract signing for Bob Backlund vs. Dusty Rhodes for the World Title! All that and so much more, but first to the ring, and Howard Finkel!

MATCH #1
Non-Title Match
"Mr. USA" Tony Atlas (Intercontinental champion) vs. Mike Gola

Our opening contest featured the reigning Intercontinental champion Tony Atlas, who is embroiled in an issue with Junkyard Dog & Jim Duggan currently. If that was on his mind, he didn't show it as he showcased his skills successfully against Mike Gola.

Tony Atlas pinned Mike Gola after a running powerslam in 0:03:08.
Rating: *

TONY ATLAS TRIES TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT, BUT THEY JUST GET A WHOLE LOT WORSE

After having his hand raised in victory, Atlas called out JUNKYARD DOG AND JIM DUGGAN to join him in the ring. They did so, but you could tell there was a lot of tension in the air. Atlas tried to smooth things over, assuring JYD that Duggan had nothing to do with the attack on him and he hated seeing his two best friends fight like this. He tried to get the two to shake hands, which Hacksaw seemed willing to do. JYD, however, was not as anxious about this, grabbing the microphone away and saying it's not going to be that easy. JYD brought up that Atlas said Duggan had nothing to do with the attack, but Atlas never said anything about himself. This got Duggan riled up, who came to the defense of Mr. USA, and before you knew it, Duggan and JYD were exchanging punches! The fight was quickly pulled apart by officials, but it is clear that this one has boiled over.

Monsoon couldn't believe what he just saw, and couldn't believe it even more when he said he didn't blame JYD. Niemiller stopped short of outright accusing Atlas of perpetrating the attack, which Monsoon would hear none of. Monsoon said that these three just needed some time to cool down and get their heads straight.

MATCH #2
Bruiser Brody vs. Terry Manton

Bruiser Brody didn't win the World Title, but it's hard to tell if he is any more angry about this than he normally is. Either way, this didn't bode well for poor Terry Manton. Brody had little trouble with Manton before putting him out with the Bombs Away.

Bruiser Brody pinned Terry Manton with the Bombs Away in 0:02:45.
Rating: * 1/2

Niemiller made the comment that if Brody could be this devastating in a regular match, what is the falls-count-anywhere match at Saturday Night Slam Masters going to be like? Monsoon admitted he was a little nervous to call that match with Kamala, because no one in the Nassau Coliseum is going to be safe with those two beasts slugging it out.

MATCH #3
Rick Martel vs. Steve Lombardi

Rick Martel didn't have a good night in Providence, as Monsoon mentioned that he was defeated by Arn Anderson, though under some shady circumstances. Niemiller said that it doesn't matter how you win, but just that you get your hand raised. Either way, Martel needed to bounce back on television, and he did just that. There was a brief moment early against Steve Lombardi where Lombardi looked like he could pull off the upset. Lombardi jumped Martel before the bell and had the upperhand for a bit. Lombardi is a brawler and looks to be a tough guy, even hitting a big suplex that got him a nearfall. Lombardi may be tough, but he is also unrefined. Martel used superior wrestling technique to get the edge, hit a picture-perfect dropkick that stunned Lombardi enough to get the 3 count.

Rick Martel pinned Steve Lombardi after a dropkick in 0:02:34.
Rating: ***

POST-MATCH INTERVIEW WITH RICK MARTEL

Lord Alfred Hayes entered the ring after the match to get a word with Martel, asking him about his loss to Arn Anderson in Providence. Martel said he was disappointed, but he made clarification that he wasn't beaten by Anderson; he was beaten by Anderson AND Bobby Heenan. Martel wasn't down though, saying that if he could come back from a year off with a broken neck, he can bounce right back after having a victory stolen from him. Martel knew he couldn't prevent Heenan from being around ringside, but he could make a challenge that would neutralize Heenan's presence. He wanted another match with Anderson, this time in the Boston Garden on May 18, and he wanted it to be best 2-out-of-3 falls! Hayes said he would try to get an answer from Arn Anderson and Bobby Heenan by the end of the show.

LIVE EVENT REPORT WITH GENE OKERLUND

"Mean" Gene Okerlund was with us next for the world famous Live Event Report. He recapped some of the results of this past Thursday's show in Providence, before going into the happenings for the very special live TV special on MTV, May 11, Saturday Night Slam Masters. The main event, of course, was locked into place after the show Thursday. We know it will be Bob Backlund defending the World Title against "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes. Okerlund reminded everyone that we will see the contract signing between these two later on in the program, and with the rivalry these two have had, who knows what sparks will fly? Not only that, but Okerlund talked about the other match that had been announced earlier this week, Bruiser Brody vs. "The Ugandan Giant" Kamala in a falls-count-anywhere match. Okerlund showed some footage from Thursday where Kamala attacked Brody during the World Title match, hitting the Air Africa on the wildman on the floor to cost him the match. Okerlund said he wasn't going out on much of a limb here, but he was predicting that this match would be the wildest encounter in GCW history. Okerlund said he could announce one more match officially, and it was a direct result of what happened earlier in the program. The match will be Junkyard Dog vs. Jim Duggan. Whether or not Duggan was the man to attack JYD has not been answered, but either way, the tensions have bubbled over to the point where this match is necessary, and it will take place at the Nassau Coliseum.

Okerlund had one more show to mention though, the one that was alluded to by Rick Martel earlier, and that was on May 18 in the Boston Garden, GCW will have a huge live event. Okerlund said that Boston has been a staple of GCW since 1963, and more history is sure to be made at this show. Okerlund said he will have the first batch of matches to announce next week on Superstars.

MATCH #4
Stan "The Lariat" Hansen vs. Larry Hamilton

Back from commercial, we had the always surly Stan Hansen in action against Larry Hamilton. Now to say Hansen is ever in a good mood wouldn't be an accurate statement, but the past month, he has been outright NASTY. If you don't believe me, ask Larry Hamilton. Hamilton's nose was bleeding no more than 15 seconds into the match. Luckily for him, the match only lasted about a minute longer than that before he was almost decapitated by the Lariat.

Stan Hansen pinned Larry Hamilton with the Lariat in 0:01:24.
Rating: * 1/2

STAN HANSEN IS NOT HAPPY ABOUT SATURDAY NIGHT SLAM MASTERS

Hansen didn't even give Howard Finkel time to announce him the winner before he snatched the microphone away from him and scared the Fink out of the ring. Hansen kept his words short and sweet, saying that it was outrageous that he wasn't the one to be given the World Title match at Slam Masters. He said it was he who was robbed by Backlund out of the championship, not Dusty Rhodes, and he deserved the title shot more than anyone. Hansen ranted that to him it was clear that he wasn't going to get a fair shake around here, and he was going to have to make his own opportunities. Hansen slammed the microphone down as he left, scaring the Fink one more time for good measure. Niemiller said he had never seen Hansen in a mood like this and he would hate to be anyone who gets in his way. Monsoon added that he knew Hansen was always a bit outspoken, but he needed to be careful.

MATCH #5
Television Title Match
Magnum T.A. (c) vs. Tully Blanchard (w/ Bobby "The Brain" Heenan" & Baby Doll)

Tully Blanchard earned this match by pinning Magnum T.A. in Providence, but really, I think Magnum would have been more than happy to give this shot to Blanchard regardless. According to the insert promo that aired, Magnum was still sore over Blanchard attacking him with his TV Title after the match at Super Cade, so he was looking to get his hands on Blanchard just as badly. Now with this being the first official defense of the Television Title, it should be important to note that all title matches have a 15-minute time limit unless otherwise specified. What this means is you can't take too much time getting going because if you wait too long to make your move, you'll run out of time. Blanchard still took his time early, as he likes to stall early on and get under his opponent's skin, but he escalated the action a lot earlier than he normally might in a situation like this. Magnum, to his credit, didn't look like he was going to be a champion to try to milk the time limit. He went right at Blanchard, smacking him directly in the mouth to let him know he meant business. When these two were just allowed to wrestle, it was very evenly matched and hotly contested. Blanchard had the advantage of having Bobby Heenan & Baby Doll at ringside, and their distractions (sometimes in tandem) gave Tully the edge on multiple occasions. Blanchard had the distinct authority over the match when the Fink announced that there was only two minutes left to go. Blanchard positioned Magnum for the Slingshot Suplex, but Magnum countered with a small package for a nearfall. Both men were quick to their feet, but Blanchard missed a clothesline and got hit with an atomic drop and a clothesline for a nearfall. A big dropkick got a nearfall, as did a high backdrop. Magnum kicked it into overdrive when the Fink announced 30 seconds left. Magnum went for the Belly-to-Belly Suplex, but Blanchard blocked it. Tully fought out with a right hand and then a kick to the midsection. Blanchard locked in for the Slingshot Suplex. Magnum shoved him into the ropes, and when Tully bounced back, drilled him with the Belly-to-Belly Suplex! Referee Danny Davis counted 1…2… and the bell rang?

Magnum T.A. and Tully Blanchard battled to a draw in 0:15:00.
Rating: *** 1/2
(Magnum T.A. retained the GCW Television Title.)

The match was officially declared a draw as the time limit expired. The crowd booed loudly, but no one was more upset than Magnum T.A. Blanchard rolled out of the ring and was helped to the back by Heenan & Baby Doll. Blanchard was talking the entire time, repeating, "He didn't beat me," over and over again.

ARN ANDERSON ANSWERS RICK MARTEL'S CHALLENGE

After the conclusion of the match, we went back to Lord Alfred Hayes who had tracked down Arn Anderson. Hayes asked the Heenan Family's enforcer if he had heard Rick Martel's challenge earlier. Anderson said he was done with Martel and wasn't wasting his time listening to Martel. Hayes informed Anderson about Martel's earlier challenge for a 2-out-of-3 falls match for the Boston Garden show. Anderson laughed (well, his version of a laugh anyway) and asked if Hayes was serious. Anderson said that if Martel wants to get embarrassed that badly, it would be his pleasure to beat him two straight falls and run him out of GCW once and for all.

CONTRACT SIGNING BETWEEN WORLD CHAMPION BOB BACKLUND AND DUSTY RHODES

After our final commercial break, a large table was set up in the middle of the ring. At the head of it was GCW President Jack Tunney. To his left was GCW World champion Bob Backlund. To his right, the #1 contender, "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes. They were also joined by Gorilla Monsoon who handled the interviewing. Tunney started by declaring that this was the official contract for the World Title match taking place on May 11 at Saturday Night Slam Masters. Tunney asked the challenger to sign the contract first. Rhodes took a quick looked at the contract before signing his name on dotted line. Before handing it back to Tunney, the Dream grabbed the mic from Monsoon and said that Backlund hasn't been the champion that the fans deserve. He brought up Backlund's past, saying he used to be one of the most honorable champions in history, but he has turned his back on that to do anything and everything to keep the World Title. Rhodes said that he was disappointed in Backlund, because they have known each other for a very long time, and he knew deep down this wasn't the man that Backlund truly was.

It was now Backlund's turn to sign, and he carefully looked over the contract before signing himself. Monsoon asked Backlund if he had any words to say. Backlund simply stared at Monsoon before saying, "No." Rhodes seemed disappointed by this, wanting to hear something out of Backlund. Backlund waited until Rhodes turned his back, then jumped over the table and hit Rhodes in the back of the head! Backlund was beating Rhodes down, but when Rhodes got to his feet, he was pissed. Rhodes fired back with a series of elbows before one big Bionic Elbow dropped Backlund to the canvas. Backlund rolled out under the bottom rope and headed for higher ground as Rhodes begged him to get back in the ring, bringing out show to a close.

Match observations:

Next week on Superstars, we will have more matches to announce for both Slam Masters, and the show in Boston. Also we will have not one, but TWO feature matches! President Jack Tunney has decreed that both Bob Backlund & Dusty Rhodes will be in action in a match leading into their clash at Slam Masters. Backlund will meet Raymond Rougeau while Rhodes will take on Dino Bravo! You won't want to miss it!

5/11/85 - SATURDAY NIGHT SLAM MASTERS - NASSAU COLISEUM - Uniondale, NY

WORLD TITLE - Bob Backlund (c) vs. Dusty Rhodes
FALLS-COUNT-ANYWHERE - Bruiser Brody vs. Kamala
Junkyard Dog vs. Jim Duggan

5/18/85 - BOSTON GARDEN - Boston, MA

2-OUT-OF-3 FALLS - Rick Martel vs. Arn Anderson

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