WWF: All Star Wrestling
July 21, 1979
Hamburg, PA
Hamburg Fieldhouse

Your current WWF champions are as follows:
WWF Heavyweight Champion: Bob Backlund (2/20/1978)
WWF North American Heavyweight Champion: Pat Patterson (6/23/1979)
WWF World Tag Team Champions: Johnny & Jerry Valiant (3/24/1979)

Pop Culture #1s of the Time:
#1 Movie of the Week: Moonraker starring Roger Moore
#1 Song of the Week: Bad Girls by Donna Summer
#1 TV Show of the 78-79 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 hosts are Vince McMahon and Bruno Sammartino.

• Bulldog Brower (w/Captain Lou Albano) vs. Mark Pole

Another roughhousing squash for Brower. Not much to talk about here. At one point, Vince shows his disgust with how fat Albano is. The BOMBS AWAY knee drop and a fist drop to the chest ends this one. (5:06) While he sticks around through the middle of 1980, this looks like the last time we will be seeing old Bulldog Brower on All Star Wrestling.

• Johnny & Jerry Valiant (w/Captain Lou Albano & Jimmy Valiant) vs. Ivan Putski & Steve Travis

Straight out of the lockup, Travis puts Johnny in a full nelson and takes him over to Putski for a shot only for Jerry to run in and nail Travis from behind. That starts a beatdown on Travis that goes on for a while. Anytime Travis begins to make a comeback, the other Valiant brother nails him from behind. They do a false tag spot that gets Travis even more hurt. Jerry delivers a swinging neckbreaker, but Travis prevents a second one from happening. Out comes Jimmy Valiant to talk smack about Putski. There’s a blind tag to Putski as he unloads on the Valiants. Jerry takes control for a moment, but Ivan finds a way to grab a bearhug. Johnny breaks up the hold by lowering the boom. While Travis is with the ref, Johnny and Jerry whip Ivan into the corner. They cut the ring in half on Putski who battles back and tags in Travis with Jerry tied up in the ropes. The match breaks down as Johnny crotches Travis on the top rope. This match just won’t settle back down so the ref DQ’s both sides. (7:15) Afterwards, both teams go to the floor to continue to brawl. Both Putski and Travis deliver their own DOUBLE NOGGIN KNOCKER to the Valiants. Fun little match. **½

After the break, we hear from the Valiant brothers while Vince holds the mic. Johnny V talks smack about how stupid Ivan Putski is. Jimmy says the Valiants are one of the richest families in the world. He shows us a Holiday Inn towel around his neck. They didn’t steal this towel – OH NO – they have invested their money and hold the biggest share in the company. Of course, Jerry says nothing. Albano says he’s got the world tag team champs among other nonsense to kill time. Johnny puts Albano over as the reason for their success. Vince reminds Johnny that the last time the Valiants lost the tag belts, Albano dropped them like a hot potato. Johnny claims that was all a diversion of some sort. Jimmy says the Valiants look good, smell good, and taste good. WOO MERCY. More Albano nonsense closes out the segment.

• Greg Valentine (w/The Grand Wizard) vs. Frank Williams

Bruno does a great job putting over Valentine as a capable yet sadistic wrestler. Valentine punishes Williams with an armbar for a while. When he tries to come out, Valentine hammers him out to the floor. He pounds Frankie on the apron. Back inside, Williams gets a brief comeback but charges into a knee in the corner. Valentine now takes his time knee dropping Frankie on the back. Vince and Bruno discuss when they think Valentine is going to implement the Figure-Four again since he hasn’t used the hold in a while. A pair of elbow drops later and Valentine scores another victory in 7:21.

• Chief Jay Strongbow vs. Jose Estrada

Estrada stalls on the floor to start. Vince and Bruno discuss whether or not Strongbow’s knee brace is being used as a weapon. Bruno hasn’t seen that, but thinks maybe Strongbow is just waiting to use the brace against the right opponent: GREG VALENTINE. Estrada jumps Strongbow and beats him down in the corner. This sets up Strongbow going on the WARPATH as you might expect. They brawl on top of the timekeeper’s table where Strongbow nails Estrada with the water pitcher. Umm, DQ? He then runs Estrada into the post and heads back inside to finish him off with a knee lift and a double TOMAHAWK CHOP for the win in 4:47.

Vince takes a moment to discuss what fundraising organizations can do to get with the WWF to help them out. An address appears on the screen which happens to be the address of the Cape Cod Coliseum that Vince Jr. purchased in 1979 to hold WWF events as well as some minor league hockey fiasco that I don’t know enough about to discuss right now.

Bruno Sammartino speaks with Chief Jay Strongbow to discuss him using the knee brace as a weapon. Strongbow says the doctor agrees he needs to wear the brace. If an opportunity comes up and he’s in the ring with a certain person, he’ll use the brace against him. Why aren’t they using names? We all know who he’s talking about.

WAIT, WHY IS VINCE WRAPPING UP THE SHOW? There’s still one more match.

• Swede Hanson (w/Freddie Blassie) vs. Steve King

Hanson and Blassie are having some serious issues with ref Dick Whorle to start. Anyways, Hanson hammers on Steve King and puts him away with a PILEDRIVER in 3:07.

That’s going to do it for this week. Until next time, so long for now.