WWWF: Championship Wrestling
September 17, 1977
Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia Arena

Your current WWWF champions are as follows:
WWWF Heavyweight Champion: Superstar Billy Graham (4/30/1977)
WWWF World Tag Team Champions: Vacant (8/1977)

Pop Culture #1s of the Time:
#1 Movie of the Week: Star Wars starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford & Carrie Fisher
#1 Song of the Week: “I Just Wanna Be Your Everything” by Andy Gibb
#1 TV Show of 77-78 Season: Laverne & Shirley starring Penny Marshall & Cindy Williams

Your host is Vince McMahon. Gary Michael Capetta is your ring announcer.

• Stan Stasiak (w/The Grand Wizard) vs. Lenny Hurst
  

When I hear the name Lenny Hurst, I think tall goofy looking white guy. This Lenny Hurst looks like Haku if he were working as a job guy. Stasiak pins Hurst after a backbreaker and continues his winning ways at 5:16.

• The Golden Terror (w/Captain Lou Albano) vs. Ted Adams
  

I have no clue who the Golden Terror is. He looks like the Yellow Dog gimmick. Terror is a pound em stomp em heel. His finisher is the STOMACH CLAW. I would say this guy is Killer Kowalski, but his body doesn’t look quite as gnarled and awkward as Kowalski. Ted Adams gives up at 2:51.

McMahon takes us back to Madison Square Garden where Dusty Rhodes took on big boy Tor Kamata back on March 28. Dusty is just at his charismatic best here. Kamata gets frustrated with everything Dusty does and winds up taking the Bionic Elbow and the RUNNING ELBOW DROP to give Rhodes the victory. He will face the WWWF champ Superstar Billy Graham on September 26 at MSG.

• Butcher Vachon (w/Captain Lou Albano) vs. Steve King
  

Vachon is just scratches and chokes. He delivers some nice chops to the collarbone, but that’s about it. HANGMAN’S NECKBREAKER though on King gets the win at 5:35.

• Jack Evans vs. Frankie Williams
  

1980s fans of Piper’s Pit will recognize Frankie Williams. “Dynamite” Jack Evans is sporting the blond hair right now. Evans seems to be doing a poor man’s Harley Race gimmick here. Frankie shows to be more of a challenge for Evans than any other squash match we’ve seen on this show. Backbreaker sets up the BOMBS AWAY knee drop finish to give Evans the win at 7:32.

Vince McMahon speaks with Freddie Blassie about the 1977 Manager of the Year trophy. Blassie is just in awe of this thing and has just the perfect place for it. He’s currently in third place right now. No mention of who is in second place. I would assume the Grand Wizard since he manages the WWWF champion. However, Arnold Skaaland is currently in first place as the manager of Bob Backlund. McMahon comments that Skaaland is in first place because he is such a high-caliber manager, but Blassie scoffs at the very idea. Blassie says he’s seen Skaaland handing out dollar bills to all the drunks in New York City to get them to vote for him, which is something he would never do.

• Peter Maivia & Chief Jay Strongbow vs. Nikolai Volkoff & Johnny Rodz
  

After Ken Patera injured Billy White Wolf and he (Billy White Wolf) left the territory, Strongbow now hangs out with Maivia. Nothing but total shenanigans here from Maivia and Strongbow. Volkoff and Rodz hardly control any of the match for only but a few moments. Strongbow gets knocked out to the floor and immediately sidesteps a baseball slide from Rodz. Strongbow connects with a series of Mr. Wrestling II knee lifts and tags in Maivia for the BILLY ROBINSON BACKBREAKER to score the pinfall. (7:33) While it’s not 2/3 falls, this was booked like one for sure. If you can turn your brain off and just enjoy two staple babyfaces having fun and owning two frustrated mid-level heels, you’ll like it. **

Pretty weak show here. I would have actually preferred more promos from the WWWF guys. Something from Dusty or Superstar would have definitely been cool. We didn’t even get to hear Captain Lou ramble on and on about God knows what.