Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive returns today with tons to discuss, including Gawker’s amazing performance at the Hulk Hogan trial with David Bixenspan, WrestleMania, Roadblock, calls and texts and tons more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
1950
Kansas City, Kansas:
– NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz beat Tarzan Kowalski in 2 out of 3 falls to retain the title
– Lee Henning beat Enrique Torres in 2 out of 3 falls
– Tommy O’Toole beat Vic Holbrook
1957
Kansas City, Kansas:
– Richard Brown and Kit Fox beat Bob Geigel and Lou Plummer 2 falls to 1 by dq
– Ladies Champion June Byers beat Betty Hawkins 2 falls to 1
– Bobby Bruns beat Babe Zaharias
– Tommy O’Toole drew Gino Vagnone
1962
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada:
– AWA Champion Mr. M no contest Yukon Eric
– Bob Geigel beat Nikita Kalmikoff
– Joe Scarpello beat Ray Collins
– Doug Gilbert beat Tony Nero
1963
St. Paul, Minnesota:
– Crusher beat Hercules Cortez in 2 out of 3 falls
– Doug Gilbert won a 6 man battle royal
– Larry Hennig drew Jack Pesek
– Kay Noble beat Annette Palmer
– Jack Lanza beat Duke Hoffman
1965
Minneapolis, Minnesota:
– AWA Champion Mad Dog Vachon beat The Crusher dq
– Verne Gagne beat Moose Cholak
– Larry Hennig beat Ivan Kalmikoff
– Reggie Parks beat Bob Boyer
1970
Madison Square Garden:
– WWWF World Champion Bruno Sammartino defeated Karl Kovacs
– Killer Kowalski fought Waldo Von Erich to a curfew draw
1973
Chicago, Illinois:
– Dusty Rhodes & Dick Murdoch beat Dick the Bruiser & the Crusher dq
– Superstar Billy Graham beat Ken Patera by countout
– Bob Ellis drew Ernie Ladd
– Billy Robinson beat Reggie Parks
– Ivan Koloff beat Vic Rossitani
– Rene Goulet beat Jim Brunzell
1974
Minneapolis, Minnesota:
– Wahoo McDaniel beat Buddy Wolff
– Baron Von Raschke & Horst Hoffman beat Ken Patera & Chris Taylor
– Geoff Portz beat Larry Heiniemi dq
– Jim Brunzell drew Ric Flair
– Rene Goulet beat Paul Perschmann
1980
Milwaukee, Wisconsin:
– AWA Tag Team Champions Verne Gagne & Mad Dog Vachon beat Adrian Adonis & Jesse Ventura
– The Crusher no contest Bobby Heenan
– Super Destroyer Mark III beat Super Destroyer Mark II
– Handicap match: Steve Olsonoski & Buck Zumhofe beat Jerry Blackwell
– Greg Gagne beat Chris Markoff
– Dino Bravo beat Ricky Hunter
Toronto, Ontario, Canada:
– Dewey Robertson retained Canadian Championship over Greg Valentine by dq
– Indian Jay Youngblood pinned Ray (The Crippler) Steven
– Black Jack Mulligan was the winner over Big John Studd in a Texas Death match
– The Blue Demon and The Destroyer won over Pedro Morales and Don Kernodle
1985
Chicago, Illinois:
– AWA Champion Rick Martel beat Jim Garvin
– Special Referee: Verne Gagne: Sgt. Slaughter & Jerry Blackwell beat King Tonga & Masked Superstar & Sheik Adnan dq
– Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell beat Nick Bockwinkel & Mr. Saito
– Curt Hennig beat Billy Robinson
– Buck Zumhofe beat Steve Regal
– Candi Devine beat Diane Von Hoffman
– John Nord drew Tom Zenk
1987
Memphis, Tennessee:
– Jerry Lawler & Bam Bam Bigelow beat Austin Idol & Tommy Rich
– AWA Tag Team Champions Midnight Rockers beat Big Bubba & Mighty Goliath
– Jeff Jarrett beat Pat Tanaka dq
– Soul Train Jones beat Lord Humongous
– JT Southern & Paul Diamond beat Mr. Rising Sun & Tarzan Goto
– Alan West dcor The Hunter
– Mark Starr beat Boy Tony dq
– Brickhouse Brown beat John Boyd
1991
Montgomery, Alabama:
– Rick & Scott Steiner defeated Michael Hayes & Jimmy Garvin to become the NWA World Tag Team Champions
1996
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:
– Rey Misterio Jr. defeated Juventud Guerrera in a best two-out-of-three fall match
– Raven defeated Shane Douglas to retain the ECW World Title
– The Gangstas defeated The Sandman & 2 Cold Scorpio and The Headhunters in a Three Way Dance
– Cactus Jack defeated Mikey Whipwreck
2002
– Dan Severn won the NWA title from Shinya Hashimoto
2008
TNA Destination X: Norfolk, Virginia:
– TNA X-Division champion Jay Lethal defeated Petey Williams
– TNA Knockout champion Awesome Kong defeated ODB and Gail Kim
– In a Fish Market Street Fight: Shark Boy & Curry Man defeated Team 3D
– Kevin Nash & Samoa Joe & Christian Cage defeated TNA champion Kurt Angle & TNA Tag Team champs AJ Styles & Tomko
2014
TNA Lockdown:
– Gunner defeated James Storm in a Last Man Standing Match
– TNA Knockouts champ Madison Rayne defeated Gail Kim
– TNA champion Magnus defeated Samoa Joe to retain the title
YESTERDAY IN FLORIDA WRESTLING HISTORY (thanks to Barry Rose)
The original alternate is back to catch all of the feels on our 10th anniversary show. Well, not all of them as we didn’t really expect to do a special when we hit record. But, enough feels to make you either tear up a bit, or soil yourself. Or both.
The nostalgia includes, but isn’t limited to: changes in the biz and show over the years, remember when nothing happened in Japan?, why we do what we do, a meeting of the Inspirational Alan4L Appreciation Society, names like KEN 45, octopus, Turkish oil wrestling, porpoise slapping, some thoughts on Hayabusa, and much more. Upset we didn’t mention Avril Lavigne’s Girlfriend in one of several languages? Or RAMBONE~! Or Super Strong Sean Avery Machine?! (Just kidding, he’s mentioned.)
Don’t worry, we’ll catch back over decade number 2. Thanks everybody! It’s the Adam and Mike BIG AUDO NIGHTMARE!
By Kevin LaRose for WrestlingObserver.com
The WWE is in Philadelphia. Brie is watching the crew set up the ring and Renee Young announces she bought a scooter. Brie wants one. Nikki thinks it’s a bad idea. She knows Brie will get frightened in traffic. Renee is really insistent that Brie get a Scooter. The whole scooter thing is really getting to Nikki.
Rosa is eating a ton of food. Nattie comes up and eats Rosa’s food. Nattie asks Paige if she wants to see a picture of her cats. Paige has to go to the ring. Nattie and rosa continue to eat. Paige is stoked that she is such a huge star but she’s bummed about Kevin. She’s decided work is her number one priority. That’s bound to mean bad news for Kevin.
Nikki confronts Renee about the whole scooter thing. Renee doesn’t think it’s a big deal. They tell Zeb Colter about the scooter. He’s confused. They find Brie. Nikki tells her she is not allowed to get a scooter. Renee thinks a scooter is cool and fine. Nikki makes Brie promise she won’t buy one. Brie promises and Renee could not possibly be more disappointed. Brie was actually lying though.
In Orlando, Paige and Kevin are at the grocery store. Kevin is making chili and he needs some stuff. He’s doing a horrible job finding ingredients and Paige is getting pissed. Paige’s mom, Sarya, is coming and she asked him to promise that everything is fine. Paige picks Sarya up from the airport. Sarya asks about Kevin. Sarya loves Kevin. She gives him a huge hug when she sees him.
In Phoenix, Brie and Renee are driving around, I bet they are up to something scooter related. Brie tells her that people are scared of Bryan when he is on a run. They are going to buy a scooter. She found one on Craigslist. Renee is scared of Craigslist. Renee calls the guy and they agree to meet at a pizza place.
Rosa returns home with a ton of food. Her fiancé is pissed that she bought a cake. He tells her she eats too much, it’s keeping him up at night. Rosa thinks its ok because she is one of the healthiest woman on earth. He is pissed but she forces him to eat cake and he loves it.
Bryan is freaked out that the scooter costs $3000. He’s driving a car with Brie in the front seat and Renee in the backseat. They see the man who has the scooter from Craigslist. He’s in a white windowless van. They are scared. He’s a totally normal guy. Renee and Brie go for a ride on the scooter. Brie loves it. Bryan looks cool in the motorcycle helmet. He tells her to negotiate. Bryan actually negotiates and cuts a very good bargain. Now they all have scooters. Nikki is going to be so pissed when she finds out.
Rosa’s fiancé is setting up cameras because she thinks he wants to make sure she doesn’t eat whenever she wants. She is concerned.
Back in Florida, Paige and Sarya are jumping on a trampoline. Then they go out for lunch at a fancy restaurant. Paige tells Sarya she’s going to put her in a home one day. Sarya thinks that’s hilarious. Paige is drinking Bud light. Sarya is worried about Paige. Paige walks out of the restaurant.
Back in Phoenix, the scooter guy comes to deliver the scooters. Renee and Brie go out for a ride. Brie loves it.
Sarya and Paige are back together in the car laughing about old times. Sarya loves Paige so much, and she’s worried about her. She likes knowing Kevin’s around because she thinks he watches out for Paige.
In LA, Rosa, Mandy, and Eva Marie are out to lunch at a nice restaurant. Rosa orders so much food and everyone thinks it’s weird. Rosa is so hungry. Everyone also thinks it’s weird that her fiancé set up cameras to watch the fridge.
Nikki and her mom and everyone are going out to a nice looking restaurant. Brie pulls up in a scooter and Nikki is pissed. Nikki makes the whole brunch about the scooter. Everyone thinks Nikki is acting weird. Back in LA, Rosa makes a disgusting video of her eating whipped cream sandwiches. She asks him if he’s seen it. He says no. She is confused. He admits that he installed the cameras so that he could monitor himself because he can’t control himself around sweets and he’s gained like 20 pounds since Rosa became pregnant. He feels terrible. They decide to work it out like adults, and everything actually ends up ok.
Paige and Sarya go to a park to talk. Sarya is very protective over Paige. She doesn’t want the bad things that happened to her to happen to Paige. Paige comes clean about her issues with Kevin. Sarya is understanding. Paige realizes she’s been worried about nothing. This is one of those moments where WWE produces something actually heartfelt and emotional, something that feels honest and human and real. Maybe this show is turning a corner and we are going to get some genuine humanity.
Back in LA, Rosa and her fiancé are going to the doctor. They do a sonogram and look at the baby. Rosa wants the baby to be an Olympic soccer player, the fiancé wants her to be the female Kobe. I want her to be herself, untethered from familial expectations. Rosa tells the doctor that she’s been eating too much. The doctor tells her not to eat so much because she could get diabetes.
In Phoenix, Brie and Bryan are looking at a calendar. They aren’t going to see each other for a while. Nikki barges in yelling, “Bitches.” She acts all smug because Brie didn’t say hi. Nikki is upset about the scooter and Bryan is pissed because Nikki is trying to tell them how to live. The show devolves back into ridiculousness. Nikki thinks she gives great advice. Bryan hates to be told what to do. She wants Brie to buy a car like a normal person. Nikki all of a sudden realizes she’s flying off the handle about the whole scooter thing.
Back in Florida, Paige is putting Tough Enough Josh to work. Tough Enough Josh speaks in short one or two words bursts. His vocabulary is small, consisting of simple phrases such as “what?” and “for sure.” Paige broke up with Kevin and she’s moving out. She feels bittersweet. Paige moves into a nice new house and immediately calls Kevin. She tells him she’s moved her stuff out. They chat awkwardly. It’s really sad but Paige doesn’t want to be pinned down. She goes back inside and smiles at Tough Enough Josh… That Josh… What a dream boat.
The Bryan & Vinny & Craig Show is back today with tons to talk about. FIGHT BREAKS OUT AT BIG WOOD’S and we’ve got all the details, plus full reviews of Raw and Nitro from 19 years ago this week. TWO FUN SHOWS! A good time was had by all as always, so check it out~!
Gabe Sapolsky announcd Tuesday that Kota Ibushi will be part of the three WWN-related “supershows” over WrestleMania weekend in Dallas, TX.
Ibushi, a former DDT and New Japan star, will return after a neck injury in two weeks. The current free agent has talked about starting his own group in Japan, and there has been rumors he would appear on the WrestleMania weekend shows for the past week.
On Twitter, Sapolsky announced he would be at all three shows: Evolve on 4/1 and 4/2, and the WWN Super Show on 4/2.
Ibushi has already made it clear he’s interested in appearing in WWE’s summer cruiserweight tournament. Evolve, WWN, and WWE has a relationship with WWE talent doing autograph signings on Evolve shows and William Regal has already been announced as being part of two upcoming March New York shows doing interaction with talent.
Ibushi is one of the world’s most spectacular performers and had the 2015 match of the year award winner at the Tokyo Dome on 1/4 against Shinsuke Nakamura.
– At a WWE press conference today, John Cena said that he would not be ready to return at WrestleMania.
– A New Day vs. King Barrett & Sheamus tag team title match has been added to Roadblock on Saturday in Toronto. We are checking to see if this change in the show is related to a change in WrestleMania plans where this match was originally scheduled.
– The show opened with Miz TV with Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. Owens tried to walk out and Neville showed up and then Miz attacked Zayn to set up a tag team match.
– Sami Zayn & Neville beat Owens & Miz. Owens walked out and Zayn pinned Miz.
– Brie Bella beat Summer Rae and then Lana attacked Brie and once again hit the X Factor on her.
– Chris Jericho came out and set fire to a Y2AJ T-shirt. Jericho said he hates people cheering Styles. Styles went after Jericho but The Ascension came out and Styles laid them both out.
– Wade Barrett & Sheamus beat Lucha Dragons when Barrett pinned Sin Cara.
– Ryback did an interview challenging Sin Cara
– Dean Ambrose & Dolph Ziggler & Usos beat The Wyatt Family (Bray, Harper, Rowan, Braun)
Even with the McMahon family storyline, Raw moved back into normal non-football territory with 3.54 million viewers, down five percent from last week.
The audience total was also down about 8 percent from the same week last year as the March 9, 2015 edition did 3.86 million viewers. The 3.54 million should equate to a rating between 2.45 and 2.5, which is down from the 2.63 that last week’s show and the 2.85 the show did last year.
This week’s show also returned to the normal pattern with a declining audience throughout the show and the big third hour drop.
It was the highest rated show on cable for last night, beating Major Crimes on TBS which did 3.49 million viewers and The O’Reilly Factor on Fox News at 3.32 million viewers. The three hours of RAW were also the top 3 rated programs in the highly desirable 18-49 demo, doing 1.29, 1.27 and 1.23 respectively. The 3rd hour was percentage points ahead of the 4th rated program, Love and Hip Hop.
Viewership totals for each hour:
8 p.m. 3.76 million viewers
9 p.m. 3.61 million viewers
10 p.m. 3.28 million viewers
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive returns today to talk all the news in wrestling and MMA including tons of thoughts on Hogan’s Gawker trial today, next year’s WrestleMania, Raw and Roadblock, Undertaker vs. Shane and so much more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
Photo of Mike Jackson selling his “broken shoulder” by Karl Stern
This is the first of two mailbag heavy shows with a broad range of questions and topics. Email your questions for the next mailbag show now!
On this show, topics and questions include:
– Undisputed world heavyweight champions including champions from the past such as Ed “Strangler” Lewis and Frank Gotch and how the world title split into various championships
– Paul Heyman hypocrisy and a very good question on whether or not he is getting a free pass from journalists
– Promoting indy shows in the 1990s and who was a pleasure to work with
– The most insane publication, maybe in history, the National Police Gazette…and much more!
This show literally has something from everyone from the Civil War era to today, hitting almost every era in between. When you can talk about wrestlers as diverse as Frank A. Gotch, Shane Douglas, Mike Jackson, Demolition, and Verne Gagne, that is a great show!