WWWF: All Star Wrestling
November 12, 1977
Hamburg, PA
Hamburg Fieldhouse

Your current WWWF champions are as follows:
WWWF Heavyweight Champion: Superstar Billy Graham (4/30/1977)
WWWF World Tag Team Champions: Mr. Fuji & Professor Tanaka (10/1/1977)

Pop Culture #1s of the Time:
#1 Movie of the Week: Julia starring Vanessa Redgrave & Jane Fonda
#1 Song of the Week: You Light Up My Life by Debby Boone
#1 TV Show of 77-78 Season: Laverne & Shirley starring Penny Marshall & Cindy Williams

Follow along if you have the WWE Network!

The following wrestling exhibition requires discretionary viewer participation.

Your host is Vince McMahon. RIP Antonino Rocca.

• High Chief Peter Maivia & Chief Jay Strongbow vs. Johnny Rodz & Jose Estrada

Rodz gets PISSED when Maivia and Strongbow try to make a fool out of him to start. Pretty soon, Maivia gets cornered on the wrong side of town and gets pounded. Estrada looking like a Puerto Rican Chavo Guerrero Jr. here. Strongbow gets the same treatment, but he’s an American Indian and he can go on the WARPATH. Maivia holds onto Rodz tights in the corner as Strongbow throws Estrada into him. When Strongbow throws Estrada at Rodz again, Rodz brings up a boot to block him and that causes some problems. Meanwhile, Maivia is dancing and strutting around. Strongbow gets double-teamed again, but momentum after a whip in the corner sends him into a hot tag from Maivia. Rodz takes all he can stand and tags Estrada. Maivia whips Estrada into the ropes for the SLEEPERHOLD from Strongbow for the win. (6:25) Seriously, Rodz could have been so much more in this territory. Not a main eventer, but a higher mid card heel if he wanted to instead of a JTTS. After the bell, Maivia tries to put Rodz into a sleeperhold, but Rodz sneaks away and leaves Estrada all alone. *½

• Ivan Putski vs. Joe Turco

Lots of comedy on this show so far. Putski grabs Turco by the goatee and does a Three Stooges thing. Ref Dick Worley is even pushing Turco around. Not a lot else happening here. Putski wears down Turco and submits him with the bearhug in 4:51.

Vince McMahon talks with Peter Maivia and Chief Jay Strongbow. They are on a quest to defeat Mr. Fuji and Professor Tanaka. These two act like best buds. Vince uses big words on Peter Maivia that he doesn’t know like “versatility”. Anyways, they are coming for Fuji, Tanaka, and Blassie for those tag belts.

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

Typical monster squash as Butcher has no problem defeating King with his big splash at 4:06.

• Stan Stasiak (w/The Grand Wizard) vs. Larry Zbyszko

FEATURE BOUT: Stasiak tries the Heart Punch early and fails, but then Larry Z goes after the arm. Why doesn’t anyone ever go after his heart punching arm? This continues on for a while. Vince makes comparisons of Zbyszko to Sammartino in looks and style of wrestling. Stasiak winds up going low on Zbyszko and throws him to the floor. Larry Z pulls out Stasiak and there’s a hot brawl around ringside until they are both counted out at 6:54. *½

• Mr. Fuji & Professor Toru Tanaka (w/Freddie Blassie) vs. Dewey Robertson & Johnny Rivera

World Class fans will know Dewey Robertson best as the Missing Link. Robertson wants to wrestle Tanaka in the middle of the ring, but Tanaka wants Robertson in his corner so Fuji can do some cheating. That pisses off Robertson who punches back and takes Tanaka over to Rivera for a tag. He punches down Tanaka and tries a cannonball splash, but barely hits him. Tanaka corners Rivera and then cranks on the neck. Tag to Fuji, he slams Rivera around and smashes his face in the turnbuckle. Back over to Tanaka, he grabs a hold of the traps. Fuji comes back in and throws Rivera around, but Rivera punches back and hot tags Robertson. He runs wild on the Japanese guys. He wants an ab stretch for Fuji, but Tanaka breaks it up. Rivera gets chopped and kicked by Fuji and then takes the KAMIKAZE CLOTHESLINE for the three-count. (5:34) Robertson showed some fire there. I’d like to see more of him. *½

We are almost done with 1977! Until next time, so long for now.