WCCW TV
October 30, 1982
Dallas, TX
Sportatorium
(taped on 10/12/82)

The NWA & WCCW champions were as follows:
NWA World Heavyweight Champion: Ric Flair (9/17/1981)
NWA American Heavyweight Champion: Kevin Von Erich (9/5/1982)
NWA American Tag Team Champions: King Kong Bundy & “Wild” Bill Irwin (9/12/1982)
NWA Texas Heavyweight Champion: David Von Erich (9/19/1982)

Your hosts are Bill Mercer and Jay Saldi.

Mercer wants to speak with Gary Hart about the bounty put on Kerry Von Erich, but Gary has said he would not be answering any questions. Mercer feels Hart is avoiding the issue as Fritz Von Erich says he has proof of the bounty.

• The Great Kabuki (w/Arman Hussein) vs. Al Madril
  

Bugsy McGraw is keeping an eye on this match from the stands. Madril punches away on Kabuki to start. He grabs an armbar and works the arm for a while. I’m talking 2-3 minutes. Kabuki crescent kicks him away and tries to keep Madril out on the floor with his “oriental” chops. Once Madril makes it back inside, he punches again on Kabuki. He gets tripped up to stop all that. Now Kabuki grabs the nerve hold. MADRIL WILL NOT DIE! Swinging neckbreaker by Kabuki, but only gets two. Madril surprises Kabuki with a crossbody out of the corner for 1-2-NO! Sunset flip garners the same result. Madril grabs an abdominal stretch, but there’s only about thirty seconds left. Kabuki hiptosses out, but Madril catches Kabuki with an inside cradle for another nearfall. They trade shots with each other as the time limit expires. (15:00) Pretty much your standard time-limit draw. Afterwards though, Kabuki pearl harbors Madril and gives him that Legbreaker he put Kerry Von Erich out of action with a few weeks back. OH SNAP! LITERALLY. Bugsy McGraw comes inside the ring and scares away Kabuki, but the damage has been done. Fun fact: Bugsy McGraw became a nurse at Tampa General Hospital after he retired from wrestling. **

• Ken Mantell vs. Checkmate (w/Arman Hussein)
  

This match almost worked like a shoot. Before I go any further, I believe Saldi mentions how Mantell is a successful businessman on the side in the gamecock fighting business. I can’t make this up. As I was saying, this is 90% mat wrestling and most looked like it could have been a shoot. Perhaps a worked shoot similar to UWF Japan. About five minutes in, Checkmate starts burying knees into the back and applies a Boston crab. Mantell flips him over to escape the hold and then counters a reverse neckbreaker with a backslide. Sunset flip by Mantell, but Checkmate counters into a rollup of his own for the 1-2-3. (6:55) I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I dig this Checkmate character. **½

Time to check in on Kerry Von Erich. Mercer speaks with his doctor to find that Kerry has some chipped cartilage in his knee that had to be removed. It’s not a common injury and will take time to heal, but the doctor feels Kerry is in good enough shape to bounce back and return to wrestling in a few weeks. Now Mercer speaks with Kerry. He’s more concerned about the bounty that was placed on him than the injury itself. Kerry says he’ll be back in six weeks at 110% coming right after the Great Kabuki and the NWA world champ Ric Flair. He feels Ric just lost $10,000. Kerry also knows his family has proof that there was a bounty on him and now he’s bound and determined to get even.

• Michael Hayes vs. “Wild” Bill Irwin
  

Irwin jaws with the crowd to start. Back inside, Hayes is all armbars, headlocks, and chinlocks in this one. Of course, there’s a lost art seen here with all of those holds. Irwin catches Hayes with a bicycle kick and goes for a running bulldog, but Hayes shoves him off into the corner. Now Hayes hits the Running Bulldog and calls for the PILEDRIVER, but Irwin backdrops him over the top rope for the DQ. (7:58) Back in, Hayes and Irwin criss-cross the ropes until Irwin sees a big right hand coming and puts on the brakes so he can head to the floor. *½

• Non-title match: NWA Texas Heavyweight Champion David Von Erich vs. The Great Renesto
  

Not a lot of time left, so this will be a quick one. In fact, it’s shorter than I thought it would be. Renesto jumps David from behind. Without even taking off his cowboy hat and jacket, David puts the CLAWHOLD on Renesto for the 1-2-3. (:09) Now that’s putting over your son!

When we return from a break, Michael Hayes talks about how great it is to be in Dallas. He also wants to let everybody know that his big brother Terry Gordy is coming! And if you want to party with the Freebirds, look for them in the surrounding area honkytonks. Ladies, his “blue jeans talk”, okay? Only in 1982! Until next time…

NEXT WEEK: Terry Gordy will be here!