Still playing catch up….
 
Wrestling At The Chase
7/15/77
 
Taped on 7/15/77
 
Larry Matysik welcomed the fans. He informed them that there was a new Central States Champion and he was in the ring!
 
D.I. Bob Slaughter(Central States Champion) faced Terry Sawyer in a non-title bout. Sawyer put up a fight, but was overwhelmed by Slaughter. The champ picked up a win with the cobra clutch.
 
A video was shown of Stan Hansen being interviewed in the locker room in Kansas City after the final match of the Central States tournament. Hansen’s head and ribs were bandaged. Here are his comments:
 
“You know, I feel like I just took a long look at a mirror. For months, Bob Slaughter and I have been wreaking havoc in Central States. I did that without a second thought for the people we were victimizing. Well, tonight, I was the victim! I’ve probably got broken and busted ribs. I’ll need 50 stitches to sew up my head. I can barely talk because Bob jammed that riding crop into my throat! Now that I’m on the other side of the beating, I’m disgusted! If that’s what I was, Bob Slaughter, it’s over now! I’m gonna heal up and then, I’m gonna redeem myself! I’m gonna take that title and run you out of the territory, Bob!”
 
The Great Hussein Arab(w/Bobby Heenan) takes on Ron Sexton in the next bout. Lou Thesz joins Larry on commentary and announces that the winner of the July 29 Missouri Title bout at the Kiel between the Arab and Jack Brisco will wrestle Terry Funk for the NWA World Title at the August Kiel card. Hussein Arab looks impressive as he puts Sexton away with the camel clutch.
 
Jack and Jerry Brisco do a joint interview with Mickey Garagiola. Jack talks about his upcoming Missouri Title rematch with Hussein Arab. Jack admits that he was taken to the limit last time and that the match on the 29th will be one of the toughest ever. Jerry talks about the respect he has for Checkmate’s abilities and tells Mickey that he’ll have a real battle for the NWA Junior Heavyweight Title on his hands. Mickey tells the fans that Jack and Jerry will be in tag team action next week!
 
NWA World Champion Terry Funk takes on Tony St. Clair in a non-title match. St. Clair makes it tough on Terry early, but Funk comes through with a win via the spinning toehold.
 
After the match, Lou Thesz informs Terry that he will be defending the World Title against Bruno Sammartino on July 29th at the Kiel! Funk says that he’s wrestled Bruno “out west” and he wasn’t all that awed with him. Larry informs Funk that Clarence Grigsby is in St. Louis obtaining a film of that match and they should have it next week! Funk says that the match is “irrelevant” and that there’s no need to show the film.
 
The next match sees the NWA World Tag Team Champions Ole & Gene Anderson battle the veteran duo of George Gadaski and Kenny Jay in non-title action. During the match, Jesse Ventura and Adrian Ken Patera, the team that will face the Andersons on the July 29 Kiel Show, come out and start badmouthing Ole and Gene to Larry Matysik. Jesse claims that the Andersons are too old; that Patera & Ventura are the future…younger, stronger, and better in every way! Meanwhile, the match is hard hitting and rugged. After two Anderson slams from Ole, Gene cinches in an arm bar on Jay and gets the submission.
 
In a rematch from last month’s Kiel show, Ken Patera and Jesse Ventura tangle with Frank Hill and Danny Little Bear, who are ready for revenge! Ole and Gene join Larry for commentary. During the course of the match, Larry informs the champs of Jesse Ventura’s comments and the Andersons are seething! At first, the Indians dominate, beating Jesse from pillar to post! When Patera tags in, he slowly takes over. Patera finally finishes Hill with a neckbreaker. After the match, Little Bear checks on his partner and gets sneak attacked by Patera! Patera hits a neckbreaker on Little Bear as Ventura mockingly does a war dance! Gene says, “Let’s teach these punks a lesson!” Ole and Gene hit the ring….Ventura runs for the hills! Patera is in a 2 on 1 situation and takes a pounding before he bails out of the ring!
 
The entire Bobby Heenan Family is interviewed. Bobby tells the Great Hussein Arab that the match on the 29th with Brisco will be the biggest of his career, that he could be the next World Champion! After Hussein rambles on a bit in a foreign tongue, Sterling “The Hulk” Golden talks about what he and Heenan will do to Jos LeDuc in their handicap match on July 29th. Golden says that Bobby will have a night off! Mickey Garagiola informs the fans that Seiji Sakaguchi and Ox Baker will take on Bob Backlund and Tatsumi Fujinami at the Kiel on the 29th. Ox Baker says that Backlund won’t make it because the Ox is going to finish him today on TV! Heenan says that after Ox and Sakaguchi run Arnold Skoaland’s clients out of town, Arnold can come to work for him as a valet!
 
Bob Backlund(w/Arnold Skoaland) vs. Ox Baker(w/Bobby Heenan) is the final bout. Baker uses his brutal tactics to rough Bob up. Ox throws Bob out of the ring where he has a brief conference with Skoaland. After that, Backlund makes a tremendous comeback. Backlund hits the atomic drop, usually a finisher, but Baker goes sprawling out of the ring. As Heenan tries to get his man back into the ring, Seiji Sakaguchi comes to ringside and distracts Bob as well as the referee. This allows Ox to sneak back in and cheap shot Bob to regain control. Tatsumi Fujinami comes to ringside as well. It looks like it’s all over when Ox goes for the heart punch, but Bob blocks it and hits another atomic drop! Sakaguchi comes into the ring, but Fujinami is there to meet him and they start going at it! The ref  calls for the bell! Now, Heenan is in, but Skoaland is, too….Arnie decks Heenan! Fujinami and Backlund double dropkick Sakaguchi out of the ring! Meanwhile, Ox has got to his feet…he grabs Skoaland, spins him around….OX BAKER HEART PUNCHES ARNOLD SKOALAND! Arnie goes down, clutching his chest! Backlund and Fujinami run Ox off, but the damage is done! Arnold Skoaland is gasping for breath on the mat as TV time runs out!  
 
Wrestling At The Chase
7/22/77
 
Taped on 7/15/77
 
The first match sees Jack & Jerry Brisco team up to defeat Juan Reynosa & Ron Slinker when Jack forces Juan to submit to the figure four. The Missouri Champ and NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champ are an awesome pair.
 
During a postmatch interview, Jack and Jerry talk about their title defenses on July 29th at the Kiel. Jack will face the Great Hussein Arab while Jerry takes on Checkmate. Jack is especially excited because a successful title defense means an NWA World Title shot in August! Clarence Grigsby comes out and informs the brothers that next week, they’ll face Hussein Arab and Checkmate in tag action!
 
Clarence Grigsby joins commentator Larry Matysik at ringside. Grigs has just returned and brought a film of the closing minutes of  Terry Funk’s NWA World Title defense on July 4 at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco. They roll the film(courtesy of R&S Booking):  
It looks like the World Title will change hands. Bruno whips Funk into the corner. Terry hits the turnbuckles hard and staggers out. Bruno slaps on the bearhug. This be will it! Funk fights it as Bruno tightens his grip. Terry is almost out. Funk summons enough energy to rake the eyes and Sammartino releases the hold. The World Champion is still in trouble. There is a commotion in the aisle. Ben Justice comes to ringside. He watches for a few minutes. Bruno continues to dominate the action. Justice jumps up on the ring apron and yells at Sammartino. Bruno turns to yell back. This allows Funk to roll him up from behind. The referee counts three. Funk and Justice high-tail it to the back. The crowd and Bruno are livid.
 
 
Then a film is played of Bruno Sammartino. Bruno says that Ben Justice won’t be in St. Louis to interfere. It will be one against one. It will be two out of three falls. If Terry wants to hold onto his  belt, he’d better be ready to fight for it!
 
Terry Funk comes out and says that the film was edited by the California promoter to make him look bad! Terry claims it wasn’t his fault that Ben Justice came down and distracted Bruno. Terry says that Bruno doesn’t have the endurance to go 2/3 falls and that he will beat Sammartino on July 29th!
 
Jesse Ventura & Ken Patera are interviewed about their NWA  World Tag Title match against the Andersons on July 29th at the Kiel. As usual, Ventura does the talking. Ventura and Patera flex for the camera. Patera says he and his partners have physiques like Greek gods while the Andersons have “bodies by Budweiser”! Ventura promises and guarantees a victory.
 
Ken Patera takes on the veteran Cowboy Bob Ellis as the Andersons join Larry Matysik on commentary. Both Ole and Gene have had it with Ventura and Patera. The match goes back and forth until Ventura finds Ellis’ cowboy hat and struts around ringside. Ellis is distracted and Patera takes over. Ole and Gene have seen enough! The Andersons go to ringside and beat Ventura down! Patera hits the neckbreaker on Ellis, but sees Ventura in trouble and goes after the Andersons! Ventura has crawled under the ring, so Patera gets double teamed by the Andersons! The ref calls the match a no contest as Ventura and Patera barely manage to escape!
 
Checkmate is interviewed about his upcoming NWA Junior Heavyweight Title match. Checkmate says that Brisco is a great champion, but he is very confident in his own abilities. Bobby Heenan comes out with the Great Hussein Arab and asks Checkmate if he is up to teaming with Hussein against the Briscoes next week. Checkmate says that he has a great deal of respect for the Hussein Arab’s wrestling ability and that the two of them can beat the Briscoes in a scientific match. Hussein and Checkmate shake hands.
 
Jos LeDuc defeats Chris Markoff in a rugged match with a kneedrop off the middle turnbuckle. LeDuc then tells Mickey Garagiola during an in ring interview that he can’t wait for his handicap match with Sterling Golden and Heenan on the 29th.
 
The entire Heenan Family is interviewed. Hussein Arab says that he is the uncrowned Missouri Champion and on July 29th, he will be the crowned Champion. Heenan tells the winner of the Bruno/Funk match to get ready for the Great Hussein Arab! Then, Sterling “The Hulk” Golden talks about how he and Bobby Heenan will overpower, outsmart, and outwrestle Jos LeDuc in the handicap match on the 29th! Larry Matysik chastises Ox Baker for heart punching Arnold Skoaland last week. Ox laughs about it and says Fujinami and Backlund are next!
 
“The Hulk” Sterling Golden finishes Ron Sexton with a big legdrop as Bobby Heenan cheers him on.
 
New Central States Champ D.I. Bob Slaughter is interviewed. Slaughter says wrestling is a war and that Stan Hansen is a “yellow bellied maggot suffering from battle fatigue and shell shock!” Slaughter says he has signed an open contract for July 29th at the Kiel and dares Hansen to sign it. Since Hansen has “gone soft”, Slaughter predicts an easy win.
 
A pre-recorded interview is shown with Arnold Skoaland relaxing on a sofa at home. Arnie says that the doctor has told him to take it easy for a few weeks. Arnold says that he has great confidence that his protegees Bob Backlund and Tatsumi Fujinami can handle things.
 
Bob Backlund takes on Seiji Sakaguchi(w/Bobby Heenan). Backlund is fired up and looks to have things well in hand. Ox Baker comes to help, but Tatsumi Fujinami attacks him before he can get to the ring! Bob is going for the atomic drop, but Heenan trips him and the ref doesn’t see it!. Backlund falls with Sakaguchi on top and the Japanese star gets the pin!  
 
We’re out of time, we’ll see you next week on Wrestling At The Chase!  
 
 
Wrestling At The Chase
7/29/77
 
Taped on 7/15/77
 
The opening match sees NWA World Champion outclass veteran Kenny Jay before finishing him with the spinning toehold.  
 
A pre-recorded interview with Bruno Sammartino is shown. Bruno says that he is looking forward to wrestling in St. Louis again. Bruno tells Funk that Ben Justice won’t be around to interfere and the best man will win.
 
Terry Funk responds in an interview with Mickey Garagiola. Funk says that he’s glad that Ben Justice won’t be around to get involved. Funk says that he wants to prove to St. Louis and the World that Bruno’s reputation is overblown and that Terry Funk is the greatest wrestler alive today!
 
Bob Backlund, Tatsumi Fujinami, and Jos LeDuc beat George Gadaski, Juan Reynosa, and Chris Markoff when Fujinami gets Reynosa to submit to a “figure four/Boston Crab combination”. After the match, Backlund says that he and Fujinami are going to win their July 29th Kiel match against Ox Baker and Seiji Sakaguchi “for Mr. Skoaland”. LeDuc says that he, Backlund, and Fujinami are going to watch out for each other from now on. LeDuc also is excited about getting his hands on Sterling Golden and Bobby Heenan on the 29th!
 
“The Hulk” Sterling Golden, Ox Baker, and Seiji Sakaguchi(w/Bobby Heenan) defeat Ron Sexton, Danny Little Bear, and Terry Sawyer. Sakaguchi pins Sexton after the atomic drop. Afterwards, the Heenan Family are interviewed at ringside. Bobby introduces the Great Hussein Arab as the future Missouri and NWA Champion. He also says that he plans on slapping LeDuc around during his handicap match on the 29th and pokes fun at the LeDuc/Backlund/Fujinami alliance. Heenan does all the talking this time and then criticizes Mickey Garagiola for not letting his men answer any questions!
 
D.I. Bob Slaughter puts his Central States Title on the line against Akio Sato. Sato shows no ill effects from the heart punch three weeks ago as he gives Slaughter quite a fight. In the end, Slaughter puts Sato away with a clothesline to end a hard fought battle. Stan Hansen shows up, waving a piece of paper. It turns out to be the open contract that Slaughter bragged about signing for July 29th at the Kiel……AND HANSEN’S SIGNED IT, TOO!
 
Ole Anderson(w/Gene Anderson) battles Ken Patera(w/Jesse Ventura) in a preview of the July 29th NWA World Tag Team Title Bout. Ole and Gene give their challengers a lesson in cheating as they break every rule in the book! A frustrated Ventura tries to interfere, but Gene chokes him with his own boa! As Patera tries to help his partner, Ole rolls him up for the pin! Ole and Gene get the title belts and leave as Ventura throws a hissy fit!
 
Our final match sees Jack & Jerry Brisco face Checkmate & the Hussein Arab(w/Bobby Heenan). Checkmate shakes hands with both Briscoes as Heenan looks disgusted. The match sees a lot of holds and counterholds as all four men are tremendous wrestlers. The end comes when Jack Brisco rolls up Hussein Arab, but Heenan distracts both Jerry and the ref! Checkmate scampers in and reverses the pin, rolling Hussein on top of Jack! The ref turns and counts the fall for the Hussein Arab! The Hussein Arab has pinned the Missouri Champ! The fans tell Jack & Jerry what happened and Jerry points an accusing figure at Checkmate, who shrugs his shoulders. Meanwhile, Heenan grabs the ring mic and announces Hussein Arab as the next World Champion!
 
I’ll have the July 29th  Kiel show up ASAP.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Some really good shows here. Baker looks to be tough here as well as Slaughter.