WWF: All Star Wrestling
May 31, 1980
Hamburg, PA
Hamburg Fieldhouse

Your current WWF champions are as follows:
WWF Heavyweight Champion: Bob Backlund (2/20/1978)
WWF Intercontinental Champion: Ken Patera (4/21/1980)
WWF World Tag Team Champions: The Wild Samoans (4/12/1980)

Pop Culture #1s of the Time:
#1 Movie of the Week: The Empire Strikes Back starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher
#1 Song of the Week: Funkytown by Lipps Inc.
#1 TV Show of the 79-80 Season: 60 Minutes hosted by Mike Wallace

Follow along if you have the WWE Network!

Your hosts are Vince McMahon and Bruno Sammartino.

• Rick McGraw vs. Jose Estrada

Back and forth brawling to start. McGraw misses a corner charge and runs his shoulder hard into the top buckle. From there, Estrada starts to go to work on the arm. He hits a hammerlock slam and pulls the hair to maintain control of an armbar. McGraw monkey flips Estrada to escape the hold, but Estrada keeps on the arm. He punches back and attempts another monkey flip, but Estrada holds onto the ropes and McGraw crashes and burns. Estrada tries a cross corner whip, but McGraw reverses the whip and dropkicks Estrada down. He then follows up with a flying headscissors and cradles Estrada for the three-count. (7:09) They tried a little bit of a story there, but the finish felt flat. *

• Pedro Morales vs. Ron Shaw

You would think being a former WWWF world champ that Pedro would have shorter matches especially against ham-and-eggers like Shaw. Morales breaks up a headlock with a Billy Robinson backbreaker. Shaw angers him again and Morales comes back to apply the BOSTON CRAB in 4:42.

Bruno Sammartino speaks with Pat Patterson at ringside. He understands that Patterson is upset with the way he lost the IC title. Patterson blames the referee’s mistake for losing the championship. He claims Ken Patera is telling everybody that he beat him like a dog fair and square which Patterson feels isn’t true. Patterson challenges Patera to a rematch and says under fair and square conditions, he’ll take back the IC title. Bruno wonders what will happen with his tag team relationship with Andre the Giant. Patterson is frustrated with what’s happening around here and knows he and Andre can beat the Wild Samoans. The reason Tito Santana lost the WWF tag team titles was because he was hurt. But hey Pat, that’s part of it. Bruno asks Patterson about holding both the IC and tag team championships. Patterson says he’s achieved a lot in wrestling, but he’s not satisfied and still wants to accomplish much more. Patterson tells us a story about having a meet with the “Wrestling Alliance” board, but runs out of time. Pat says he’ll tell us about it next time.

• Pat Patterson vs. Johnny Rodz

Rodz controls early with an overhead wristlock – pulling the hair and whatnot. Vince and Bruno seem surprised that Patterson is taking so much damage. Once he gets Patterson to the apron, Rodz runs Pat’s shoulder into the ringpost. Patterson yanks Rodz to the floor for a brawl and Rodz gets the better of Patterson running him into the ringpost again. Bruno points out there’s a bruise on the left shoulder now. Back inside, we get a double-KO. Patterson fights up and catapults Rodz into the corner. Patterson wins a slugfest and punches Rodz to the floor. Rodz baits Patterson out to ringside, but Patterson runs him off into the ringpost. Back in the ring, Patterson rips at Johnny’s legs and wraps his leg around the post so much so that Rodz goes falling out of the ring. Back in, a visibly angry Rodz charges Patterson only to be rolled up for the win. (7:51) This was a fun little match with two angry wrestlers, but the finish wasn’t too great. Patterson taunts Rodz after the bell, but Rodz can’t handle the Pat. **

• The Wild Samoans (w/Captain Lou Albano) vs. Jim Duggan & Frank Williams

HOOOO! This is our earliest look at Jim Duggan at his first series of WWF TV tapings. Weird seeing him without a beard here. Referring to the Samoans and Albano, Vince acts like he doesn’t know the names of the Three Stooges, which honestly wouldn’t surprise me. Always some crazy shenanigans going on with Albano. Afa and Sika knock Duggan around for a while to start. He’s got no chance. Frankie gives them a shot, but his shot is short lived. Sika throws Frank to the floor to be beaten down by Afa and Albano. You can hear Albano going on and on about nothing. There’s some Samoan miscommunication allowing Frankie to punch on Afa. Big deal. Afa headbutts Williams to the floor. Back inside, the breakdown of Frank Williams continues until Afa lands the SAMOAN DROP for the win. (7:52) LONG SQUASH. Interesting if for no other reason to see Duggan in his earliest WWF TV work.

• Ken Patera (w/the Grand Wizard) vs. Steve King

Wizard helps Patera off with his gear – AND THE CROWD GOES WILD. Patera just manhandles King to begin things. He hammers on the neck and delivers the SWINGING FULL NELSON for the submission in 3:20.

That’ll do it for this week. Until next time, so long for now.