AWA Heartland Wrestling  
Omaha, Nebraska  
Civic Auditorium  
THANKSGIVING NIGHT
November 22, 1982  Bell 7pm
 
 
Tournament for The Heartland Heavyweight Title:
 
First Round
 
-      Blackjack Lanza beat Billy Anderson with the claw at 9:01.
 
-      Ken Patera beat Larry Hennig with help from Johnny Valiant at 8:25.
 
-      Manny Fernandez and The Crusher battled to a bloody double disqualification at 5:39 but continued fighting until other wrestlers from the back had to separate both men. Both were eliminated.
 
-      Larry Zbyszko and Leroy Brown fought to a 10minute time limit draw. However after the match, Brown battered Zbyszko all the way back to the dressing room.
 
 
Second Round
 
-      Blackjack Lanza beat Sheik Adnan El Kaissee by disqualification at 11:03 when the Adnan tried to use a fireball on Lanza but instead missed and nearly caught the ring on fire.  
 
-      Jim Brunzell surprised Ken Patera with a win when he snared his opponent with a small package at 12:21.
 
 
Semi Finals
 
-      Paul Ellering, who drew a bye into the semi finals with the elimination of Zbyszko and Brown,  cheated past Blackjack Lanza in 12:54 to advance to the finals.  
 
-      Greg Gagne versus Jim Brunzell.  The match started off with a handshake and after that a scientific showcase ensued. As you might imagine neither man held the advantage over the other for very long. At one point both men missed simultaneous dropkicks and then tried to outdo the other with aerial tactics. Gagne held the advantage here, but Brunzell finally hit a dropkick and kept his tag partner down on the mat after that. The fan support was mixed for both men, Gagne had about half while Brunzell had the other half usually younger fans were leading the way. Brunzell got into trouble when Greg snared him in the sleeper. Jim almost went out but made it to the ropes for the break. Gagne whipped Jim into the ropes, but Brunzell reversed it sending Greg instead. Brunzell went for a backdrop, Gagne leaped over catching his partner in a sunset flip. Greg got a two count as Brunzell wiggled and rolled through. Jimmy using his weight advantage, was able to get the 3 count on Gagne at 18:29. Both men shook hands after the match. Brunzell looked more sad for Greg’s loss than he was happy for his win and advancing to the finals. Greg was visibly upset with the loss and more mad at himself than he was at Brunzell.  
 
 
For the USA Tag Team Titles:
Adrian Adonis and Jesse Ventura w/Johnny Valiant  [Champions]
vs.
Steve Williams and Bobby Jaggers w/Blackjack Lanza [Challengers]
 
It was a whirlwind to start the match as Johnny Valiant put his cigar out on Lanza’s western style jacket. This was met with a punch from Lanza and a brawl between Williams/Jaggers and Adonis/Ventura.  From there it became a good mixture of brawling and hardnosed wrestling as both teams seemed to have something to prove. Adonis and Ventura got the advantage when they started double teaming Williams. Steve took a beating in the corner and even suffered through a piledriver from Adonis.  
 
Late in the match with Williams back in the ring, he was locked in Adonis’ Goodnight Irene sleeper. Williams makes a calculated move to break the hold by charging into the opposition’s corner and ramming Adonis and Ventura’s heads together. Ventura falls to the floor while Adonis is stunned in the corner. Williams struggles over and makes the tag to Jaggers who is ready to get in the ring. Ventura dazed but makes it too the ring apron where he is immediately tagged in by Adonis. Jaggers whips Ventura over the top rope into the ring and then nails him with a bulldog.  
 
Valiant on the outside sees what is going on and his losing his mind. When he tries to enter he is caught by Blackjack Lanza. In the ring, Ventura hasn’t had a chance to breath as Jaggers keeps on him and tags in Williams. Jaggers whips Ventura into the ropes and Williams catches him in a crushing powerslam. Adonis realizes what is happening too late and as he tries to enter the ring, he is caught by Jaggers. Williams pins Ventura at 21:39 and he and Jaggers win the USA Tag Team Titles.  Valiant, holding his jaw, is stunned. Jaggers, Williams along with their mentor, Blackjack Lanza celebrate in the ring.
 
 
Finals for the Heartland Heavyweight Title:
Paul Ellering vs Jim Brunzell
 
Ellering got out to an early start with cheap shots and illegal tactics. Brunzell came back and dazzled Ellering and had him in trouble by the 10minute mark.  It was only a few minutes later, Konga and Animal of Doomsday showed up and immediately made their presence known. Ellering would purposefully throw Jimmy out of the ring and Doomsday would batter him as Paul had the referee distracted.  The second time this happened, Brunzell was able to fight back some but entered the ring before being counted out. Inside the ring, Ellering’s advantages were short lived as Brunzell regained control.  
 
Late in the match, Brunzell dominated Ellering and caught him in the sleeper hold. While Paul was trapped with nowhere to go, Animal distracted the referee by pulling him by the shirt over to him to “tell him something”. With this going on, Konga mounted the top turnbuckle and smashed Brunzell with a double axehandle to the back of the head and neck. The HiFlyer fell like a sack of potatoes. Animal let go of the referee once Konga was out of the ring. Ellering, wobbly moved over to Brunzell and covered him for the win at 17:42.  
 
To celebrate the win, Ellering grabbed the referee telling him to raise his hand over and over while, Animal and Konga beat the stuffings out of Brunzell. The crowd started to cheer as Greg Gagne rushed down to ringside and belting Ellering out of the way and stopped Konga and Animal’s attack on Brunzell. Doomsday then ganged up on Gagne until Blackjack Lanza and the new USA Tag Team Champions, Bobby Jaggers and Steve Williams entered the ring and cleared it out. The new tag champions helped the former  tag champions to their feet and rallied the crowd to cheer for Gagne and Brunzell.  
 
 
Good Night from Omaha!

Great Thanksgiving card!  WOW, serious upsets indeed!  Great stuff Carl!