WWWF IN MADISON SQUARE GARDEN  
MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1977
BROADCAST ON THE MSG NETWORK AND HBO
 
 
Vince McMahon is sitting at ringside, we see a shot of the ring were Mr. X is waiting in the ring.  
 
Vince McMahon: “ Welcome to the Mecca of Professional Wrestling, Madison Square Garden. Today we present, what could very possibly be, the biggest card of the year. A dual Main Event, in the first, NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion Jerry Brisco defends against the man from the Orient, “The Dragon” Tatsumi Fujinami. And in the second Main Event, the WWWF Championship will be on the line when Champion Superstar Billy Graham faces challenger Pat Patterson inside a Steel Cage!! Plus so much more here tonight. Now lets go up to the ring, as “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes has made his way to the ringside area for our first match up.”
 
 
“AMERICAN DREAM” DUSTY RHODES VS. MR. X
 
“The American Dream” gets Funky like a Monkey here in Madison Square Garden!!! Rhodes knocks the masked Mr. X all over the ring before putting him away with the Big Elbow. The Dream is on fire and his electricity spreads through the crowd here tonight!!!
 
 
ANDRE THE GIANT VS. “KANSAS  CITY BOMBER” ROGER KIRBY
 
The cheating, lying no good Roger Kirby has bitten off way more then he can chew here. Kirby launches himself at Andre as soon as the bell rings, throwing everything he has at The Giant, but nothing he can do seems to work, except for a slap in the face, which makes Andre an extremely angry Giant!!! Kirby begs off and then offers a hand shake to Andre, who surprisingly accepts it!!! But Wait!! Kirby starts to scream out in pain as Andre crushes the “Kansas City Bomber”'s hand!!!!! Andre lets go and Kirby nurses his injured hand. Andre then knocks Kirby down to the mat with a Giant Head butt, then follows it up by hitting the ropes and crushing Kirby with a sit down splash!!! Andre sits on Kirby for the pinfall, and fans I think that is the last we will see of Roger Kirby in the WWWF for a while!!!
 
 
  “POLISH POWER” IVAN PUTSKI VS. BARON MIKEL SCICLUNA
 
 Scicluna goes right after Putski to start, but Ivan is ready for him. Scicluna and Putski break into a heck of a brawl, but “POLISH POWER” comes through in the end pinning Scicluna after the Polish Hammer!!!
 
Before the next match begins, Vince points out a rather strange man and woman sitting at ringside, Vince says that is “Exotic” Adrian Street and Miss Linda. Vince said that Adrian recently took Brisco to the limit, and is seen by many as the uncrowned NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion.
 
NWA WORLD JUNIOR HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP: JERRY BRISCO © VS. TATSUMI FUJINAMI
 
 The Match begins slow, Jerry Brisco offers a handshake that Fujinami accepts. The two then circle each other and lock up, Fujinami quickly arm drags Brisco. Brisco pops up and locks back up with Fujinami, Brisco goes behind and grabs a waistlock, Fujinami reverses and grabs a waistlock of his own. Brisco then surprises the Challenger by dropping down and grabbing Fujinami's leg bringing him down to the mat.
 
 Brisco begins to work over Fujinami's leg on th mat. Brisco wrenches the leg and twists it in directions it should not go. Brisco buries his knee into the inside of Fujinami's leg, but Fujinami won't give up. Brisco then starts to turn the hold into a single Boston Crab, he gets Fujinami turned over after fighting him a bit, but Fujinami quickly grabs the ropes.
 
 Brisco releases the hold and Fujinami quickly gets to his feet and hits a lightning quick dropkick. Fujinami covers, but only gets two. Brisco jumps up, and he and Fujinami lock up in a Greco Roman Knuckle lock, a test of strength if you will, Brisco wins and pushes Fujinami down to the mat. SHOULDERS DOWN!!!  
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FUJINAMI BRIDGES UP!!!!!!
 
Fujinami is now on the offensive and pushes Brisco down to the mat.
 
SHOULDERS DOWN!!!
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BRISCO BRIDGES UP!!!!!
 
FUJINAMI CATCHES BRISCO WITH A MONKEY FLIP AS SOON AS THE CHAMPION GETS TO HIS FEET!!!!
 
Brisco springs up quickly and rushes Fujinami, Fujinami with an arm drag! Brisco rushes Fujinami again and gets hit with a second armdrag!!! Fujinami then snaps Brisco's head back with another lighting fast dropkick!!! Brisco crashes down and Fujinami covers!!!!
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 Brisco's foot on the bottom rope stops the count. Fujinami pulls Brisco to his feet and tries for a bodyslam, but Brisco wiggles out and grabs a waistlock, Brisco forces Fujinami into the ropes and then rolls him up from behind!!!
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BRISCO BRIDGES!!!!!
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FUJINAMI KICKS OUT!!!!!!!!
 
 Both men up and Brisco executes a snap mare, Fujinami quickly snaps to his feet, but this time it's Brisco that hits the armdrag, when Fujinami springs to his feet a second time Brisco drops him to the mat with a Drop Toe Hold. Brisco tries to grab a leg, but Fujinami twists and sends Brisco through the ropes and to the floor!!
 
  It looks like Brisco may have hit his head on the apron and is slow to get up. Brisco barley beats the count back in and is slumped in the corner. Fujinami tries to take advantage with a flying splash, BUT BRISCO MOVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
FUJINAMI HITS HIS HEAD ON THE RINGPOST!!!
 
BRISCO WAS PLAYING POSSUM!!!!!
 
BRISCO COVERS, HE IS GOING TO STEAL THIS ONE!!!!
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FUJINAMI KICKS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Brisco pulls Fujinami up to his feet and hits  a picture perfect Butterfly Suplex, Brisco covers
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Fujinami kicks out!!!! Brisco pulls Fujinami to his feet and whips him into the corner, Brisco charges him but Fujinami gets his foot up and Brisco runs right into it!!! Brisco is stunned and Fujinami scrambles to the top rope, Fujinami sails off looking for a Cross Body Block BUT BRISCO DUCKS!!!!! FUJINAMI CRASHES AND BURNS!!!!! BRISCO QUICKLY COVERS!!!
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FUJINAMI SOMEHOW SOMEWAY KICKS OUT!!!
 
 Brisco is frustrated, he pulls Fujinami to his feet and slams him down, Brisco bounces off the ropes and tries for a splash, but Fujinami gets his knees up!!!!! Fujinami and Brisco are both slow to their feet, Fujinami grabs a waistlock and tries for a German Suplex Brisco blocks it then reverses. Brisco now has a waistlock, and he tries for a German Suplex, but now Fujinami blocks it!!! Fujinami reverses the waistlock and quickly grabs a Full Nelson..............
 
DRAGON SUPLEX!!!!!!!!!!!
 
DRAGON SUPLEX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
DRAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGOOOOOON SUUUUUUUPPPLEEEEEEEEXXXXXXX!!!!
 
BRIDGE!!!!!!!!!!!
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FUJINAMI WINS!!!
 
FUJINAMI WINS!!!!!!
 
TATSUMI FUJINAMI IS THE NEW NWA WORLD JUNIOR HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION!!!!!!!!!
 
 Brisco takes the belt from the referee before he can give it to Fujinami, all so that Brisco can give Fujinami the belt himself! Brisco raises Fujinami's hand in victory but tells Fujinami that he will be coming for the belt soon. Brisco leaves Fujinami with his chance to shine. When Fujinami does leave the ring, Adrian Street stops him at ringside and has some words for the New Champion, telling Fujinami to enjoy the belt for now, because soon it will belong to Adrian Street. Vince remarks that Fujinami may have won the title, but now he is going to have a heck of a fight on his hands trying to keep it.
 
INTERMISSION
During the intermission people at home see an interview with Dusty Rhodes where Dusty says that he has been suspended from wrestling in Florida and has decided to wrestle at the Mecca while serving that suspension.  
 
 
DOMINIC DENUCCI VS. BULL POMPETTI
 
 Denucci's return tour of the WWWF finally comes to Madison Square Garden, and the people here are delighted to see him. Denucci dominates Pompetti and pins him with a backslide. Denucci makes sure to slap hands with everyone he can as he makes his way to the back.
 
“HIGH CHIEF” PETER MAIVIA VS. MOONDOG MAYNE with GRAND WIZARD
 
 Maivia and Mayne both made big names for themselves on the West Coast and spent most of the last year wrestling for opposite sanctioning bodies out in California. They go at it full tilt. Neither man gives an inch as they batter each other with some of the stiffest shots ever seen in Madison Square Garden, Maivia gets a very hard earned victory with the Samoan Drop. But even after the bell rang Mayne wasn't finished and the two fought all the way to the locker room!!!!
 
 
WWWF TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: JOHNNY AND JERRY VALIANT with CAPTAIN LOUIS ALBANO VS. TONY GAREA AND “IRISH” PAT BARRETT
 
The Valiants are still smarting over their non title loss on TV against Garea and Barrett and they show it by attacking the challengers as they come through the ropes. Much like the TV match, the Valiants dominate the early going with double team moves and quick tags in and out, but a miscue allows Barrett to make the tag to Garea who cleans house. Only unlike the TV match, right before Garea is able to get the pin, Jerry pulls Johnny out of the ring!!! The two collect their title belts and just head to the back, taking the count out loss, but retaining their championship.  
 
 
   
 
While the Steel Cage is going up, the people at home are shown interviews with Pat Patterson and then with Superstar Graham. Patterson says little except that he will beat Graham and show him for the coward he is, Wizard on the other hand talks allot, blasting Graham and promising to teach him a lesson. When Graham is interviewed the Champion says he will tear Patterson apart, and what Patterson did to the WWWF Title will be nothing compared to what Graham does to him, Graham promise to make a huge withdraw tonight from Patterson' blood bank, to pay the debit Patterson owes!!!
 
Once the cage is up the wrestlers make their ways to the ring, and then are followed by Tony Atlas, who will be manning the cage door, and will open it when need be. Wizard is not happy about this and rants and raves about it to everyone in earshot.  
 
WWWWF CHAMPIONSHIP: INSIDE A STEEL CAGE!!!!!  
SUPERSTAR BILLY GRAHAM © VS. PAT PATTERSON with GRAND WIZARD
 
 This is it, this is what it has all come down to, Superstar Billy Graham. Pat Patterson. A Steel Cage. And the WWWF Championship!!!!  Once the Cage door is locked the two men circle each other, never taking their eyes off each other.  They lock up in the center of the ring and Patterson is the first to throw a punch, Graham answers back, then Patterson swings again and the two men are slugging it out in the center of the ring!!!! The Champion starts to back the challenger up after several punches go unanswered. Graham has Patterson against the ropes and is unloading on him, Graham takes off his tye dye T Shirt and starts to choke Patterson with it!!!!!!!!! Graham is looking for his revenge and plans to get it here in the steel cage!!!!
 
 
 After throwing the shirt out of the cage,  Graham grabs the punch drunk Patterson, who is trying to crawl away, and slams him hard to the mat. Graham hits the ropes and tries to drop a knee, but Patterson moves and just like that the tide turns here. Patterson, like a shark to blood, go right for Graham's knee, which is the same one he worked over in the last match. Patterson wrenches the knee, kicks at the knee and grinds on the knee. Patterson then locks on the Figure Four Leg lock and the Champion screams out in pain!!!! Anything goes here, but a submission will do Patterson no good, he has to escape the cage. After several minutes of punishment, Patterson must think that he has done enough and releases the hold. Patterson then tries to make his way to the cage door, but Graham stops him.  
 
 The Champion is hoping to show a one legged man can win an a$$ kicking contest, he unloads with punches on Graham and tries to bodyslam him, but his leg gives out and Patterson crashes on top of him. Graham grabs his knee in pain, and Patterson decides to draw first blood. Patterson reaches into his boot and pull out A FORK!!! Just like he used in the last match here in Madison Square Garden, only this time, Patterson doesn't have to hide it!!!!  
 
 Patterson stabs Graham in the head with the fork repeatedly, and blood begins to cover Graham's face!!! Patterson throws the fork away and then head for the top of the cage to escape. Graham is lying in the ring as Patterson gets to the top of the cage, all he has to do is go over and drop to the floor and he will be the WWWF Champion, but Patterson stops, he looks at Graham lying lifeless in the ring and decides to finish Graham off once and for all, instead of escaping the cage, Patterson leaps from the top of it with a Knee Drop!!!!  
 
BUT GRAHAM MOVES!!! GRAHAM MOVES!!!!! GRAHAM  MOVES!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
PATTERSON CRASHES DOWN TO THE MAT HARD!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
BOTH MEN ARE DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!
 
The two Titans of the mat slowly rise to their knees, they throw sloppy punches and chops at first, but then start to unload on each other from their knees!!!!  PATTERSON!!! GRAHAM!!!! PATTERSON!!!! GRAHAM!!!! GRAHAM!!!!! GRAHAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Both men are on their feet, but Graham has the advantage, he grabs Patterson by the hair AND TOSSES HIM  FACE FIRST INTO THE CAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
 
PATTERSON IS BUSTED WIDE OPEN!!!!!!!!!!!
 
 Graham wipes the blood from his face and when he sees it on his hands, The Champion starts to loose it!!!! Graham grabs the now bloody Patterson and unloads on him with punches,Graham then takes Patterson on a tour of the cage running his head into each  side of it!!!! There is so much  blood coming from Patterson's head that his platinum hair is red from it. Patterson crawls to the and corner and uses the ropes to pull himself up. Graham goes after Patterson but the bloody challenger strikes, kicking Graham below the belt!!!!!!Graham crumbles to the mat in pain!!! In a normal match Patterson would have once again be disqualified, but anything goes inside the cage!!!  
 
 Patterson tries to come out of the corner and head for the door, but he has lost so much blood he is weak and his knee is gone from the missed attack off the top of the cage. Patterson takes two steps and collapses onto the mat.  Both men, in pain and bleeding buckets lay in the ring for what seems like an eternity when suddenly, The Grand Wizard springs Plan B!!!
 
 George Steele and Moondog Mayne come rushing from the locker room to the cage, but “Mr. USA” stands his ground and tries his best to fight the two maniacs off, luckily he isn't on his own for long as Peter Maivia and Ivan Putski also rush out. Putski and Maivia start battling with Mayne and Steele and fight the two lunatics up the aisle and back to the dressing room!!!
 
 Patterson slowly begins to stir in the ring as he crawls ever so slowly to the cage door. Atlas does his duty and opens it for Patterson. The Challenger gets his head out of the door, then his chest, it looks like Patterson will become the New Champion when Graham grabs his leg and stops him!!! Patterson fights to get out of the cage but Graham won't let him.  
 
 Graham drags the challenger, who is clawing at the mat to stay away, back into the ring!! Graham pulls Patterson to his feet, Patterson tries to throw a punch, but Graham blocks it and blasts Patterson with a punch! Then another!!! AND ANOTHER!!!! Graham then grabs Patterson and RUNS HIS HEAD ACROSS THE STEEL CAGE!!!!!!!!!
 
 Patterson collapses to the match and is bleed profusely, Graham starts to make his way up the cage, but his knee is still screwed up, so he is unable to move to quickly. Patterson rolls over and reaches into his tights and pulls out a pair of Brass Knuckles!!! Patterson heads for the same side of the cage Graham is climbing and begins his own journey up, keeping Graham from escaping. Soon both men are perched on top of the cage!!! Patterson tries to punch Graham with the Brass Knuckles, but Graham blocks it, Patterson tries a second time and Graham blocks it again.  Graham then hammers Patterson with some hard punches that knocks the bloody Patterson loopy. Graham then reaches over and takes the Brass Knuckles off Patterson's hand!!!!
 
 Graham holds his hand up and slips the Brass Knuckles on his hand for everyone to see!!!  
 
GRAHAM BLAST PATTERSON WITH THE BRASS KNUCKLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
PATTERSON FALLS OFF THE TOP OF THE CAGE DOWN TO MAT!!!!!  
 
GRAHAM GOES OVER THE SIDE AND DROPS TO THE FLOOR!!!!!
 
SUPERSTAR GRAHAM RETAINS THE WWWF CHAMPIONSHIP IN A BLOOD BATH!!!!!!!!!!

The Patterson/ Graham main had so much blood and mayhem that there there were no portions of rest anywhere. I would have paid the money for that match alone.
 
Fujinami is going to be a fighting champion handling Brisco and Street by themselves. Congrats to him.
 
I can't believe The Valiants just took off Barrett and Garea were robbed.
 
Kirby and Andre? Ouch!
 
Maivia and Mayne was good, too.
 
Great MSG stuff. HBO coverage? Nice touch.

Quote from macwfan1957 on Oct 9^th, 2007, 6:06am:

 
Quite a few MSG shows were broadcast on HBO in the 70's. Which I was very surprised to discover.
 
Thanks for all the feedback guys, I'll have the rest of this weeks house shows up later in the week

Fantastic show!
 
The Brisco/Fujinami match was so well written! Loved it!
 
Great job as always!

other than dusty, it was a great show.
the JR tile change was real good. the main event was super.
lot of good bouts on there.