WWWF: All Star Wrestling
June 3, 1978
Hamburg, PA
Hamburg Fieldhouse

Your current WWWF champions are as follows:
WWWF Heavyweight Champion: Bob Backlund (2/20/1978)
WWWF World Tag Team Champions: Dominic DeNucci & Dino Bravo (4/1/1978)

Pop Culture #1s of the Time:
#1 Movie of the Week: The Buddy Holly Story starring Gary Busey
#1 Song of the Week: Too Much, Too Little, Too Late by Johnny Mathis & Deniece Williams
#1 TV Show of the 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.

• Crazy Luke Graham (w/The Grand Wizard) vs. Jim Ray

Total annihilation. Ray gets zero offense. Graham batters this guy until he thumbs him in the throat as Ray is sprawled out on the mat to get the three-count in 3:19.

• Stan Stasiak (w/The Grand Wizard) vs. Jim Oliver

Stasiak wears down Oliver with a headlock, but then decides to just start stomping and choking the guy. HEART PUNCH ends Oliver in 2:55.

Vince McMahon interviews the WWWF heavyweight champ Bob Backlund at ringside. We’re three months into his reign and he already seems like he’s moments away from cracking due to the schedule as champion. They discuss how happy he is with choosing Arnold Skaaland as his manager and that he’s only thinking of today’s opponent because if you are thinking about some future match, that’s how you can get beat today. Old school, folks.

• Haystacks Calhoun & Larry Zbyszko vs. Sylvano Sousa & Moose Monroe

MOOSE wrestles with Larry Z to start. Seems there’s some real problems between Monroe and Calhoun. Zbyszko gets pummeled a bit, but he’s too fast for Monroe who misses a shot and falls out to the floor. Tag to Sousa, he runs into a series of armdrags and bails. Back in, Sousa hiptosses Zbyszko from one corner to the next. Zbyszko comes right back with a slam and the crucifix hold gets the pin on Sousa in 4:39.

• WWWF Heavyweight Championship: Bob Backlund (c) (w/Arnold Skaaland) vs. Strong Kobayashi (w/Freddie Blassie)

WOW. It is actually a world title match for free. How about that. Kobayashi refuses a handshake to start. They feel each other out. Kobayashi wants a hiptoss so bad, but Backlund will not give an inch. They do some sitouts and Backlund comes out on the winning end of that exchange. Backlund applies a front headlock and because Kobayashi complains it’s a choke, ref Dick Whorle makes Backlund break the hold – even though Backlund would NEVER choke anyone. We get a test of strength. Of course, Kobayashi kicks him down to gain an advantage. Backlund then decides he’s just going to roll out of this thing and takes Kobayashi down into an armbar. Once Kobayashi escapes, they start running the ropes and collide with neither man budging. Kobayashi grabs the ropes to break the hold on a hammerlock and then puts Backlund down on the mat with kicks and chops. Backbreaker gets two as the crowd shrieks that Backlund might lose. Kobayashi lands a reverse neckbreaker for 1-2-NO! Backlund starts to come back and lands a knee lift. He rowboats the arm down on the mat until Kobayashi is able to roll around and reach the ropes. Kobayashi tries reaching in his tights for something, but it’s all a ruse just to get Backlund to come at him. Kobayashi chops and kicks him back and covers him for two. He grabs a front headlock and when he’s tired of that, he jabs Backlund in the throat. Big chop to Backlund gets two as well. More jabs to the throat behind Whorle’s back. Kobayashi sends Backlund into the ropes for another big chop, but Backlund ducks and grabs Kobayashi for the ATOMIC DROP for the win. (12:56) They gave just enough time for this one to feel like a championship match without it starting to drag. Kobayashi got some pretty big nearfalls with some bomb moves. This was easily the best match we’ve covered to date on this program. ***¼

• Dominic DeNucci & Dino Bravo vs. Butcher Vachon & Tank Patton

DeNucci actually gets owned to start, but then he escapes a nerve hold and slams Butcher for a two-count. Back over to Patton, he takes over with his “loaded” elbow pad. Bravo reaches in and tags DeNucci. He backdrops Patton over and grabs a wristlock. Tag to Butcher, he eats a forearm smash from Bravo. Back over to Patton, Bravo reverses a whip on him and delivers a DROPKICK to Patton for the three-count in 3:58.

That’s all for this week. Until next time, so long for now.