AMERICAN HEARTLAND WRESTLING: ALL-STAR WRESTLING
March 16, 1983
WGN Studios (Chicago, Illinois)
Airing in: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Nebraska, Colorado, Iowa, Manitoba and Las Vegas, Nevada
Broadcast Team: Gene Okerlund and Larry Nelson
Ring Announcer: Roger Kent
Referees: Marty Miller, Larry Lisowski, and Jimmy Bunning[/b]
 
We go now to WGN Studios in Chicago to our broadcast team Larry Nelson and ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund.  
 

 
- ‘Mean’ Gene Oklerund and Larry Nelson welcome the viewers to this week’s edition of ‘All-Star Wrestling’. The duo run down the major results from the International Amphitheatre show, including the crowning of new American Heavyweight Champion Jim Brunzell. Lord James Blear joins Okerlund and Nelson to announce that Heartland will be hosting to upcoming super cards, to be held two days apart. The first show will be Super Sunday ’83, which will be held on April 21 from the Metrodome in Minneapolis. This show will be shown via closed-circuit capabilities to all of the other AWA territories. One of the main events for that show will be AWA World Tag Team Champions Adrian Adonis and Jesse Ventura defending against Nick Bockwinkel and Ray Stevens in a ‘Lights Out’ match. Lord Blears saw what happened in Chicago and there will be no disputed results at Super Sunday. He can also announced that American Heavyweight Champion Jim Brunzell will be defending the gold against Jerry Blackell on that show! Lord Blears promises to have more about the April 23 card in Winnipeg next week.
 
Match One:
Mad Dog Vachon vs. Serge Dumont
 
The Mad Dog from Montreal makes his first appearance on All-Star Wrestling in quite some time, and he gets a nice reception. Dumont gets him going in the early moments and gains a near fall with a running clothesline, but Vachon is able to kick out. The Mad Dog fights his way back up and ends up pounding Dumont to the canvas. Vachon eventually scores the pin with a pile-driver.
 
Winner: Mad Dog Vachon
 
- The always intimidating Mad Dog Vachon joins ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund. Vachon tells Okerlund that he has come back because he saw what Sheik Adnan El-Kaissie did to Greg Gange in Chicago. Mad Dog has heard that Greg will be out of wrestling for quite some time so he has come here to settle the score with the Sheik. Vachon says Greg is a pure wrestler and also nice man so maybe he wasn’t prepared to match the Sheik’s sick tactics. Mad Dog looks straight into the camera and tells Sheik Adnan El-Kaissie that the Vachons are most vicious wrestlers on the planet. He will show that to the Sheik first-hand if El-Kaissie has the guts to face him in the ring.
 
COMMERCIAL BREAK
 
- Brad Rheingans is out after the break and he is boasting to Larry Nelson about “easily” beating Curt Hennig in Chicago. Nelson seems taken aback and mentions Rheingans shaking Curt’s hand after the match, although it was Brad who won under questionable circumstances. Rheingans tells Nelson that he’s surprised to hear the announcer say something like that. He thought Larry Nelson was a friend of his – but friends don’t make allegations like that. Brad reminds the viewers that he is a former Olympian and has a sterling reputation, so he won’t stand here and be insulted by the likes of Larry Nelson. Rheingans storms off and a flustered Larry Nelson sends us back up to the ring.
 
Match Two:
Curt Hennig vs. ‘Gentleman’ Jerry Valiant
 
His ears must have been burning because here comes Curt Hennig for a chance to get things back on track here in Heartland. Valiant uses his experience to dictate the pace early on and he attempts to keep Hennig on the mat. Young Curt shows tremendous heart as he escapes several pin attempts and submissions. Curt rallies back late in the match and eventually is able to put Valiant away with a spinning neckbreaker.
 
Winner: Curt Hennig
 
- Curt Hennig makes his way over to the broadcast desk and speaks with ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund. Hennig tells Okerlund that he is surprised by Brad Rheingans comments a few moments ago. It’s true that Brad got his hand raised, but it was a very close match and there were some questionable circumstances. This brings Brad Rheingans back out and he tells Curt that he meant no disrespect. He just didn’t like the insinuation that he didn't cleanly defeat Curt in Chicago. Hennig laughs and asks if Rheingans is up for round two. Brad is a little taken a back, but eventually he agrees. Brad says he will give Curt a chance to prove himself against a superior wrestler. Hennig shakes his hand and closes the interview by saying he will be asking Lord James Blears to sign that match for next week on All-Star Wrestling.
 
COMMERCIAL BREAK
 
- Larry Nelson is back and he introduces the manager known as Tarzan ‘La Bottine’ Tyler, who is decked out in workout attire. Nelson mentions that ‘La Bottine’ means ‘The Boot’ in English and it denotes rumors that Tyler used a loaded boot when he was an active wrestler. Tarzan Tyler objects and says Brad Rheingans was right about Larry Nelson earlier! Tyler tells Larry that he always fought clean. He was always criticized because men were jealous that he could take their women. Tyler tells Nelson that he has turned his efforts to managing and he represents a man who will someday be the AWA World Heavyweight Champion. Tyler reveals that he traveled to the Pacific Island to find the island’s toughest man… King Tonga! The imposing King Tonga comes out from the back and is led to the ring by Tarzan Tyler.
 
Match Three:
King Tonga w/ Tarzan Tyler vs. ‘King Cobra’ George Weingeroff
 
Tarzan Tyler’s newest charge is incredible dominant as he uses his deceptive speed and power to bully Weingeroff around the ring. Weingeroff tries everything thing he can to gain a foothold, but King Tonga kicks him off at every pass. The turning point comes when Tonga press slams Weingeroff to the canvas. He then goes up top and connects with a flying headbutt. He then locks in what Tarzan La Bottine calls 'The Tongan Stretch' for a quick submission. Tarzan Tyler enters the ring to raise King Tonga’s hand after the match.
 
Winner: King Tonga
 
- American Television Champion Blackjack Lanza joins ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund to talk about his win over Baron Von Raschke in Chicago. Lanza says he has heard that Baron has left Heartland so clearly he was more than Von Raschke could handle. Lanza then moves on to tell everyone in the locker-room that he is ready for all of their challenges. Blackjack will defend the belt against anyone at anytime. Lanza assures Okerlund that he will be a fighting champion and he believes he will be holding onto this title belt for quite a long time. ‘Mean’ Gene then sends us to a VTR for a possible challenger for Blackjack Lanza’s American Heavyweight Title – it’s ‘The California Nature Boy’ Buddy Landell!
 
* VTR: Fred Blassie and ‘The California Nature Boy’ Buddy Landell are at the Hollywood premiere of the upcoming film ‘Flashdance’. Landell has a beautiful woman on arm as Blassie hypes him as professional wrestling’s next superstar. Landell tells Blassie that he’d like to tell Fred that he’s being grandiose, but he can’t do it! Buddy says the women on his arm and soon everyone in the AWA will know that The California Nature Boy is the biggest, brightest star in professional wrestling today. Landell announces that he will be on All-Star Wrestling in two weeks – and he expects the red carpet to be rolled out.
 
COMMERCIAL BREAK
 
- American Heavyweight Champion Jim Brunzell joins Larry Nelson to talk about his upcoming title match against ‘Crusher’ Jerry Blackwell. Brunzell watched Blackwell destroy the legendary Crusher, so he knows the Mountain from Stone Mountain is all business. Jim acknowledges that the odds are probably stacked against him for Super Sunday ’83, but he has never been one to let other wrestlers determine his destiny. Brunzell reminds Nelson that the bigger they come, the hard they fall. The American Champion believes that Crusher Blackwell is in for one heck of a fall in Minneapolis.  
 
Main Event:
Dino Bravo, Jacques Rougeau Jr., Raymond Rougeau and Wild Bull Johnson vs. The Convicts, Roger Kirby and Dale Mann
 
We have lots of newcomers his week and this match gives us a look at four of the most promising. Bravo, of course, has a strong fanbase given his time here in the AWA in the past. The Rougeaus set a fast pace early on as they isolate Convict #2 on their side of the ring. Will Bull tags and uses his power to really beat down the masked Convict. Finally, Dino Bravo comes in and puts Convict #1 in the airplane spin and then turns it into a slam. Bravo makes the cover to get the three count.
 
Winner: Dino Bravo, Jacques Rougeau Jr., Raymond Rougeau and Wild Bull Johnson
 
- Paul Ellering and the Road Warriors join Larry Nelson and ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund in our final moments. Ellering won’t address his loss to Jim Brunzell in Chicago. He tells our announcers that his focus is now on taking Hawk and Animal to the top of the wrestling world. Ellering found out earlier that the two old men – Larry ‘the Axe’ Hennig and Harley Race – have signed for rematch with the Road Warriors on All-Star Wrestling. Ellering says he can’t believe two veterans would be so dumb! Hawk looks straight into the camera and says he can’t think of a better way to make the Road Warriors’ reputation than to cripple two legends. That’s what the Road Warriors will do in front of millions of people watching at home. Larry Nelson and ‘Mean’ Gene Okerund then wrap up the show and remind us to tune in next week to All-Star Wrestling to see Curt Hennig face off against Brad Armstrong.
 
© 1983, AWA AMERICAN HEARTLAND WRESTLING
 
AMERICAN HEARTLAND WRESTLING PRESENTS:
SUPER SUNDAY ‘83
April 21, 1983
The Metrodome (Minneapolis, MN)
 
You Will See These Big Matches:
 
Lights Out!!
AWA World Tag Team Championships
Jesse Ventura & Adrian Adonis vs. Nick Bockwinkle & Ray Stevens
 
American Heavyweight Championship
Jim Brunzell vs. ‘Crusher’ Jerry Blackwell