MAPLE LEAF WRESTLING presents
HOLIDAY SPECIAL Saturday December 29th, 1982 Bell time 7:30
Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto ON
A very well-attended event, 8200 on hand, in an excited, festive mood. Ring announcer Norm Kimber gets the crowd warmed up before a rousing "O Canada". To the opening match!
Match 1 Mike Miller vs Moose Morowski
One fall 15 minutes Referee Danny Marsh
"Mean" Mike gets one of his tougher tests to his undefeated run from rangy vet "Moose". A bit quicker, he ducks a few blows, grabs a boot headed to his chin. Good strength as he slips from a Full-Nelson. Inverted atomic drop, a run off the ropes with a flying bulldog.
Result Match 1 - Mike Miller pins Moose Morowski @ 12:50 Match 2 Ron Ritchie & "Rocky" Ed Boulder vs. Buddy Roberts & Vic Rossitani w/ Rip Hawk
One fall 15 minutes Referee Danny Marsh
Cheers & chants for Ron & Rocky, booing & chants for the Hollywood Bombshells. Buddy has the official showy blue robe, "The Fabulous Blonde" script across the back. A fine tilt with Buddy letting us know what we can expect (outright cheating and lotsa conversation). BOTH teams taken quite offguard when a man in prison stripes (including mask & brinless cap) circles the ring. Crowd buzzes speculatively but he slips away just as mysteriously, leaving no clue to a motive. On a criss-cross, Rip reaches & snags Ron's foot - he takes a boot in the kisser, but Vic feels Ritchie was out of order - he leaps through the ropes and Rocky rushes in with an elbow to the to head. All four go tooth & nail.
Result Match 2 - Ron Ritchie & "Rocky" Ed Boulder vs. Buddy Roberts & Vic Rossitani DCO @ 12:10 Referee Terry Yorkston gets nice hand for his recently-completed successful stint in a sock.
Match 3 "Downtown" Denny Brown vs, Don Arakawa
Two of three falls One hour Referee Terry Yorkston
NWA CANADIAN LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE
Brown stands his ground against Arakawa's varied offense. The Japanese star tries one move too many off the ropes & is caught by a second-buckle superplex @ 7:40. Brown leads 1-0.
Arakawa gets more cagey than kamikaze. He sticks to keeping on his feet, dishing out chops & kicks. A flush spinning heel kick leads to a rolling cradle pin @ 6:50. Tied at a fall apiece.
More chops from Don, then he gets Brown down - nerve hold & Denny in pain. A desperate jawjack, and Brown staggers to his feet. Arakawa runs him to the ropes but DB blocks a rollup by grabbing the ropes. He turns, but DA has shot in on the legs! He tries pulling Brown out, but another grab of the rope allows DB a kick to the coconut. A sunset flip...
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Arakawa rolls the shoulders & grabs a headlock. Denny maintains a waistlock & hits the atomic drop as they get up. He charges after Don as he heads to a corner - Don was ready with a back elbow but Denny ducks. He braces against the buckles & clamps his legs around Don's head! Flying take-over! The legs are being tied up and Arakawa submits to a standing grapevine @ 7:50.
Denny Brown defeats Don Arakawa 2-1 in falls
DENNY BROWN WINS NWA CANADIAN LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE Johnny Powers jogs in to great applause. Masked Strangler is irate Yorkston is assigned! TY asks senior ref Wayne Cashman to pinch-hit.
Match 4 Johnny Powers vs. Masked Strangler
One fall 30 minutes Referee Wayne Cashman
The combatants put on a hard-hitting affair. Fans get antsy each time Johnny's hands are near the black mask, but the Strangler keeps forging ahead. Powers is caught in a sleeper but the hold is broken as they crash to the buckles. We have several forays on the floor, both taking bumps. The Strangler gets Powers wedged against a post, but any leg or crotch abuse is thwarted by kicks. Back in the center of the mat, suplexes are exchanged - Strangler tries a piledriver - blocked! Reversed! A quick pin and hold the armraise!
Powers has a chance to get the mask off, the Strangler is ripe for the...thumbs to Johnny's eyes - they roll on the mat, both with chokeholds...low blow knee by the masked man who seems to be revived...Out come Ritchie & Boulder! They block an escape and pin the arms back & present the catch of the day to Powers! He furiously yards on the hood...it's OFF!
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Revealing a spitting-mad JERRY VALIANT! Jerry V. had reached into his grab bag of masked characters to terrorize the promotion, but the reign of terror has been ended by the Golden Adonis!
Result match 4 - Johnny Powers pins The Masked Strangler @ 14:20 After such drama, we turn to light entertainment! The fun begins as the little devils swarm around Norm Kimber's legs as he tries to make the introductions.
Result Match 5 - Lord Littlebrook & Sky Low Low pin Little Brutus & Cowboy Lang @ 9:00 Victory is acheived by the mass dog-pile maneuver with Terry Yorkston playing the part of the exasperated referee with the shirt untucked.
INTERMISSION Match 6 The Soviets (Chris Markoff & Kortsia Korchenko) vs. Mighty Igor & The Great Wojo
One fall 30 minutes Referee Terry Yorkston
Rack up another win for Team Polski! Featured is Markoff & Korchenko blaming each other for their mis-steps! Comrade Markoff makes a save of junior partner Kortsia by a double ax handle run-in that puts Igor on the mat. The lengthy bickering & disagreement over a tag suits Igor fine! With a huge grin he sees Markoff backing int through the ropes...fans roar as Igor signals a bear-hug is coming. Mighty Igor rag-dolls Chris in a circle around the ring! Korchenko slow on the run-in, Wojo staples him to the buckles with a tackle.
Result Match 6 - Mighty Igor submits Chris Markoff @ 13:00 Exit the rugged, hairy, nasty beasts and bring in Moolah!
FM: "If you want to see me wearing the WORLD championship belt, run out and buy a magazine, because I sure didn't bring it to the wild outback! And BIG MOUTH types like Joyce Grable are NOT contenders...hey wait, Watson, is that your GRANDSON gonna referee the match?" Referring to young Danny Marsh being assigned. Commissioner Watson is engaged in conversation with the menopausal marvel as Grable enters & lifts the mic.
JG: "Let me say, it is a pleasure to be in Canada, and look at that beautiful NWA Canadian Women's belt! Have you all met The Fabulous Moolah? The one barking and spitting and hissing over there? I came here because there was a CHANCE there can be a CHANGE for 1983, to have a breath of fresh air and to END Moolah thinking all her plots and blackmail will keep her on top for the NEXT 100 years!" THAT ends the ceremonial part as shrieking Moolah unleashes her unpleasant side! Hair twisting and nail gouging as the the dignitaries scramble & Marsh gets the bell.
Match 7 The Fabulous Moolah vs. Joyce Grable
One fall 30 minutes Referee Danny Marsh
NWA CANADIAN WOMEN'S TITLE
And Grable won't give up this chance! As she takes control, Moolah determines it is the ref that is to blame! Marsh is looking pretty intimidated by the bucolic banshee. But this gives the gracious Grable plenty of openings...snapmare and a two-count, school-girl roll-up and 2 and seven-eighths. A kneelift by Joyce off the ropes and the Jungle Girl tries sacrificing Danny! He is pulled into the way & gets clipped...Joyce apologetically helps him up as Moolah leaps on her back! Forearm across the throat but Marsh makes a stand! A break and a an adamant warning to the disbelieving diva!
Grable slaps on a hammerlock but the old battleax grabs the ropes...and on the clean break, climbs down to the floor! Pantomimes every type of foul Joyce COULD have committed (but didn't), vile innuendo about Marsh's lack of impartiality...Marsh is making a count-out. The NERVE! Moolah clambers on to the apron and tries to break the count...Marsh looks for guidance...and calls for the bell!
Result Match 7 - Joyce Grable defeats The Fabulous Moolah via count-out @ 9:10 Kimber pauses - Commissioner Watson climbs in with the belt & completes the announcement.
WBW: "As the title WAS vacant and this was NOT a defence, there was NO stipulation giving EITHER lady an advantage! So, by virtue of Moolah QUITTING the match...JOYCE GRABLE wins the title!" As Marsh discreetly clasps the belt on the waist of a proud new champ, Moolah spews further invective in a disgusted manner.
You want belts? You want more booing? Here come the Maple Leaf tag champs, waving their bling.
Match 8 Gino Hernandez & Jimmy Garvin © vs. Kurt & Karl Von Steiger
One fall One hour Referee Wayne Cashman
NWA WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE
The champs seem pretty unpopular as well as they casually stroll in. Jimmy Jam addresses the crowd.
JG: "Hope you eskimos enjoyed your Christmas...fried whale blubber with all the trimmings? Getting a lump of coal is a GOOD thing here, warms up the old igloo? What other backwards traditions do you have in this God-forsaken wasteland?"
GH: "I think Canada is GREAT, Jimmy! They look after each other...see, they use the hockey arenas to house the homeless drifters during a blizzard! And speaking of the down-and-outers, look what a couple of mouth-breathin' misfits we get to beat the holy heck out of...the VON KLINK Brothers!" Gosh darn, who DO we want to win here? Credit to Kurt & Karl, they get some results from their uber-aggressive brawling style. Enough success to let the visitors showcase the preening, pretty-boy roles...lots of whining & hugging from the safety of the floor.
Level-headed patience never a trademark of the hot-tempered Master-Race Teutonic types...the Bavarians are out, chasing after the young hot-dogs. Playing right into their hands, alas. Jimmy with a drop toe-hold sends Karl sliding into the front row. Legal Kurt gets his choppers rocked by a double-dropkick before being rolled in. Jimmy with a top-rope flying elbow drop ends the skirmish.
Result Match 8 - Jimmy Garvin pins Kurt Von Steiger @ 15:00 BONUS! As the winners berate & insult everything they can think of before heading back to civilization...Karl enters with THWO chairs, tosses one to Kurt and they chase the unwelcome guests into the night.
MAIN EVENT TIME! The Sheik enters the squared circle with his sponsoring acolyte, Sheik Ali. Beautiful Bruce left on the outside as we have the gloating unpleasant verbiage. Roar for the entrance of Gene Kiniski with a hand mic.
GK: "This year WILL NOT end on a sour note, Sheik, I can't promise what will happen here tonight, other than ANY success for you will come over my dead body! ALI! Or is it Sheik JUNIOR...or son-of-a-stinking-Sheik? Take a look over there - Igor, Wojo AND MOROWSKI! NOT the numbers YOU want! Get lost, I know tinkle-toes Bruce still has a manager's licence, but he better keep out of the way!" Sheik Ali skulks out...patdowns, instructions, a bell, and let's get ready to rumble!
Match 9 Gene Kiniski © vs. The Sheik
One fall One hour Referee Wayne Cashman
NWA CANADIAN HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE
Did I mention pat-downs? Well, by 4:00, Cashman is puzzling over Kiniski leaking from the forehead. The Sheik IS making a surprising number of visits to Bruce...hmmm. Kiniski is getting madder the messier things get. Cashman gets diverted by The Sheik and Bruce has a chain to choke a face-down champ. Cashman now faced with kicking incoming projectiles off the canvas! Sheik straddles Gene's back but gets propelled to the ropes - mysterious appearance of a blackjack on the apron causes a break...Ali storms out to play Perry Mason for the two suspects. Gene rocking the Casbah with uppercuts, turns his attention to ALI - is this wise?
The Sheik is digging in his boots. Ali gets pushed off the apron by Gene...now Bruce up to poke a finger in the champ\s chest...Cashman pulls Kiniski back. And The Sheik rushes the throw (never great at pitching from the stretch!). Gene doesn't even need to duck as it is high & outside...
THE FIREBALL!
Screams fill the air!
MORE screams fill the air as BEAUTIFUL BRUCE goes PYRO-TECHNIC! Orange flashes, blue...yellow. STOP DROP & ROLL! No the flaming idiot is doing a jig! Wojo & Igor run out & smother the fireworks...The Sheik has missed his handiwork as Kiniski is adjusting the spine with Canadfian backbreakers...the bell is being rung amid the pandemonium.
Result Match 9 - Gene Kiniski def. The Sheik via disqualification @ 9:40 As Maple Leaf is family-oriented, we do get the champ's head tidied up before the belt presentation and as Bruce is helped away, he gives a reassuring wave as the paramedics cover him up on a gurney.
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Maple Leaf 12/29/82 - HOLIDAY SPECIAL House show (Read 118 times)