WCCW Star Wars 1981

As a sucker for WCCW, and more specifically the von Erichs, this show appearing as a Hidden Gem on the WWE Network was a real treat. 

Mil Mascaras vs Killer Tim Brooks

This kicks off with a bang, Mascaras hitting a flying chop to send Brooks to the floor. They work a nice battle over a test of strength, with Brooks heeling it up, sending Mil to the mat by pulling the mask and working a top wristlock. Brooks has little moments where he acts like a face, shaking hands when both men get back to their feet, but then digging in with cheap shots and little short punches to the head. Mil gets a neat headscissors from a test of strength that looks great. Brooks takes a big bump, flying over the top into the ring post on a corner charge, before Mascaras gets the win with a top rope crossbody. Good stuff

Fritz von Erich vs the Great Kabuki

I’m a sucker for Fritz matches, probably the biggest gap between “shitty human being” and “wrestler I really like watching”. There’s a nice contrast between the two, as they both play it cautiously to start. Kabuki is all weird gestures and oddness, whereas Fritz is just a fighter, plain and simple. Both give the vibe that one good shot will give them control, and that makes their caution more effective. Fritz misses a big punch, and Kabuki takes advantage with kicks and stomps. Kabuki bites Fritz on the mat, but this lets Fritz take his own opening and apply a stomach claw. There’s also a lovely spot where Kabuki applies a nerve claw with both hands under Fritz’s left arm, but this leaves the right hand free to apply a claw with nothing to defend against it. They really make this work with very little offence, with everything feeling important. Gary Hart gets involved from ringside, grabbing von Erich’s leg (and drawing a fan from ringside to attack Hart) and this in turn draws out David von Erich to attack Kabuki. A dropkick and a backdrop, and Fritz gets the win. Fritz needing his son to win the match for him feels a bit off, and Kabuki losing to a backdrop doesn’t help, but this was nicely worked.

Kerry von Erich vs Harley Race

This is for Race’s NWA title, and Race really puts Kerry over here. It’s mentioned that Kerry beat Race in a non-title match with a sleeper, and it makes it a big deal when he reverses an early vertical suplex into a sleeper. Race looks to be out before Race takes advantage of the ref positioning to hit a low blow and break the hold. Race really sells the effects of the move, looking dazed and hitting a diving headbutt in part because it only involves falling. KvE is all fire and energy, and Race is only able to get his control spots due to his savvy. He breaks pinfalls by knowing he’s near the ropes and getting his foot in place, and he avoids Kerry’s elbow drops to give himself more time. However, Kerry is so energised that he’s able to rebound, thwarting Race from being in control too long. We get the two fighting outside, with von Erich locking on the claw. A ref bump gives Kerry a visual pin to keep him looking strong, before they head back outside. Race slams Kerry on a table, but misses a diving headbutt from the apron (a bump that has to suck, but it’s the opposite side to the hard camera, so it’s missed by the TV audience) and we get a double countout, Race grabbing Kerry’s leg to stop him getting back in.

David & Kerry von Erich vs Hercules Ayala & Ali Mustafa

This is for the heels’ NWA tag titles. This was really great, the von Erich boys looked terrific and the heels played their roles excellently. Mustafa in particular is a sneaky dickbag, breaking pinfalls, getting cheapshots and stomping Kevin behind the ref’s back. Kevin is explosive, hitting a sudden slam and a big elbow right from the bell. Nice von Erich double team, with David elevating Kevin into a splash on Ayala. Even as face-in-peril, Kevin is all motion, trying to scurry to his corner and forcing Mustafa to stay on his toes to block the tag. The faces do get a lot of tags in this match, but find it hard to maintain control as the heels keep cutting them off. We get a few melees, with all four men brawling. Nice spot with Mustafa hitting a slingshot into a big Ayala forearm, and it gets paid off with the finish, as he sets up a slingshot on David, who battles and hold him bent in place to allow a top rope sunset flip from Kevin for the victory. Great match, huge post match celebrations make this feel like a big deal.

Battle Royal

Big names here include Bruiser Brody, Jose Lothario, Ayala, Mustafa, Tim Brooks and a bunch of filler. I’m a sucker for a battle royal, but they’re a pain to recap. Mustafa and Ayala don’t spend as much time teaming up as you’d expect them to do. With pinfalls and submissions allowed, we get a few dogpile pinfalls, which is always a neat spot. We get down to Mustafa and Brooks against Brody, which makes the winner pretty obvious. Ali holds Brody in place, but he ducks and Brooks sends both himself and Mustafa to the floor to give Brody the win. Sub ten minute match, pointless but painless.

World Class Championship Wrestling 18/12/1982

Killer Tim Brooks vs Brian Adidas

Good little match here, always fun to see Brooks fighting dirty against an opponent. Loved Brooks variation of a hiptoss here, as he chucks Adidas across the ring by his head. There’s a fun look of apprehension on the face of Adidas on a rope break, but Brooks breaks cleanly…before moments later raking the eyes with his finger then along the top rope. Adidas doesn’t offer much, but he makes Brooks’ offence look good. The end sees Adidas charge into a corner, but Brooks takes him down with a double-leg and pin him holding the ropes, a decision later reversed by a second referee.

Checkmate & Magic Dragon vs Al Madril & Bugsy McGraw

This was a reasonable match with an eyerolling ending. The majority of the match sees Checkmate and Dragon in control of Madril, with Checkmate keeping Madril’s arm under his control, pulling him back to the mat by the hair if it looks like Madril is recovering. Love the kicks and chops Dragon throws in the corner, looked really nasty. The heels really cut the ring in half, Madril nowhere near tagging out, until Checkmate grabs the arm again and Madril is able to whip him into a corner at speed. This lets him tag in McGraw and, as limited as he is as a wrestler, McGraw does at least have the energy you need for a good hot tag. Then the ending. McGraw and Dragon, the two legal men, are in the ring, and McGraw gets a really shitty looking sunset flip. The ref doesn’t start counting. Then Madril hits a top rope sunset flip on Checkmate as he enters, at which point the ref does double count, counting both heels down. Just nonsensical, he could have counted three on Dragon before Madril had even left the top rope.

David von Erich vs The Great Kabuki

This is for Kabuki’s All-Asian title. Loved David’s aggression at the bell, wanting revenge for the injury Kabuki caused to Kerry, and he gets an early 2 count right away. The bulk of this match is worked as a battle of the Kabuki nerve hold vs the Von Erich Claw, with both men fighting to apply their move. Loved David’s smarts, as he tries for a while to claw Kabuki on the head then, realising this left the rest of Kabuki vulnerable, suddenly switching and locking in a stomach claw instead. Kabuki does get to lock in a nerve hold on the shoulders of Von Erich, who manages to break free and get another Claw to the head. Loved David’s running knee to the head, looked like a knockout blow. We get a ref bump, and Kabuki’s manager Armand Hussein holds David for a misting. With hilarious inevitability, David ducks and Hussein gets the mist. Beautifully timed too, as the replay shows. This leads to a DQ win for David, which also seemingly gives him the title. Odd. Match was surprisingly fun for two men trying to apply the same moves over and over.

World Class Championship Wrestling 27/11/1982

Kerry von Erich vs Frank Dusek

Fun short bout, with both guys working the other’s leg. Kerry is just coming back from a knee injury, so it makes sense from Dusek, and it feels like Kerry is just doing it to inflict his agony on other people. Loved his high leap on elbow drops to the leg. Discus punch gets the win.

Bugsy McGraw vs Bill Irwin

When he’s not coupled with Checkmate, McGraw is a far less interesting wrestler to watch. They do some initial comedy before things kind of heat up. Neither is a particularly interesting offensive wrestler, with Irwin having surprisingly light kicks. They end up fighting on the apron and the match ends with a double countout. Not much fun.

Al Madril vs Killer Tim Brooks

This was pretty fun. Madril seems pretty vanilla, if competent, but facing someone like Brooks gives him a bit more to work with. Loved Brooks’ little tricks, at one point he escapes a headscissors by getting to the ropes, but he then keeps hold of Madril’s ankle to give him an opening to attack from the defensive. Nice kneebreaker, before Brooks sends Madril to the floor and wont let him back in. This seems to fire up Madril, as he angrily gets involved in a punch exchange that he ends up winning. The time limit goes for a draw, a disappointing ending to a decent match.

David von Erich vs the Great Kabuki

This is a revenge match, as Kabuki had taken Kerry out of action with his kneebreaker, so David is nicely fired up here. Loved the contrast of his elegant looking flying headscissors that he takes down into a furious punch exchange. Von Erich gets a stomach claw, but gets caught with a nice thrust kick. Loved the part where David feigned grogginess, then took advantage to lock on another stomach claw. There’s an incredible visual, with Kabuki’s pain wracked face, green mist pouring from his mouth, looking like acid was melting his insides. This is pretty good fun, so it’s a shame that Magic Dragon comes in to draw the DQ. This was neat while it lasted.

WCCW 13/11/1982

The Fabulous Freebirds vs Frank Dusek & Killer Tim Brooks

Pretty decent match, liked how well these two teams matched up. There’s some little touches that indicate a bit of hate, like Brooks biting Hayes’ hand early on, which goes with the vicious brawling that occurs every time the two are in the ring together. The Freebirds are the more fluid team, loved some of their early quick tags and teamwork. Gordy is briefly isolated, but makes the tag after a big back suplex on Dusek, and the Freebirds win as Gordy holds Dusek in a fireman’s carry, leaving him prone to a Hayes elbow to the head.

The Great Kabuki vs The Samoan & Sal Olivares

Very similar to the Kabuki squash on the last episode, as he blitzes both opponents with thrust kicks. Like before, the Samoan is left alone when his partner falls to the Kabuki legbreaker, and he gets a brief run  before he falls through the ropes and takes the legbreaker for the submission.

Kerry von Erich vs The Destroyer II

Nice little Kerry showcase. They work a brief mat stint, before Kerry ups the pace. Pair of nice kneedrops give von Erich control and he finishes with the discus punch.

Bugsy McGraw vs Checkmate

There were bits of this I liked but the ending was very frustrating. McGraw strikes me as someone I wont like as much when he’s not facing Checkmate, but he works well in this type of match, as he sells the frustration of not being able to deal with the mat smarts of his opponent. Checkmate will roll into a ball, annoying McGraw and luring him in so that he can grab an arm or a leg. Checkmate can also look vicious, hitting some nice headbutts, and McGraw does get to drop a nice elbow when he finally unravels the knot of Checkmate. Unfortunately, the ending makes Checkmate look foolish, as he lures McGraw to the apron, but seemingly has no plan as he gets put in a bearhug for the double count out. Weak end, but I enjoyed the meat of this.

World Class Championship Wrestling 11/11/1982

Bugsy McGraw & Al Madril vs Checkmate & Bill Irwin

The early stages of this, with McGraw working a pointless and not-very-good mat section with Irwin, weren’t great, though I did like McGraw actually tripping up his opponent on a drop down. Madril becomes face-in-peril, and Checkmate works the arm. Lovely little bit where Checkmate uses his wristlock on Madril to kick the ribs, knowing Madril can’t block it. Heels control Madril nicely, quickly tagging in and out when Al gets any kind of hope spot. They throw Madril to the floor, but this is a mistake as it gives him plenty of time to recover. After a brief flurry by a hot-tagged McGraw, Madril locked in a figure-four on Irwin, but Checkmate stomps on his throat to earn the pin. This is quickly overturned by another ref, and we get a brawl to finish. Fun stuff.

Destroyer II vs David von Erich

Very short match, with David controlling on the mat after some fun misdirection on a drop down. Von Erich hits a big leaping knee to the face, drops a series of knees and hits a proto-Vader Bomb to win.

The Great Kabuki & Magic Dragon vs the Fabulous Freebirds

Decent tag action, with the Freebirds controlling early with lots of quick tags. Dragon is portrayed the weak member of his team, as Gordy has far more difficulty with Kabuki than he does with Dragon, before Hayes blitzes Dragon with strikes. The Freebirds tag continuity allows them to string together 3-4 moves on each tag to give them control. The heels do get some brief heat on Gordy, but Dragon backflips out of the corner into a Gordy dropkick and a big elbow gives the Freebirds the win.

Kerry von Erich vs Killer Tim Brooks

Really quick sprint, but this was the match of the show. Brooks attacks before the match, and Kerry has to put on a headscissors to keep Brooks subdued long enough to enable him to take off his robe. Brooks locks on a big choke after ducking the discus punch, really liked the commentary highlighting that the punch forces you to briefly turn your back on your opponent, which helped explain it. Kerry gets knees on a slingshot splash, but Brooks instantly hits knees on a splash of his own, and a sunset flip wins it for Kerry.