AWA Heavyweight Title Semifinals Cobo Arena
Before the show starts Wally Karbo records a special segment for tv . He announces that Owen Hart will represent the AWA in the ladder match for the NWA World Super Junior Heavyweight Title at the Royal Rumble . He and Owen shake hands . Bret comes down and hugs his brother .
AWA Heavyweight Title semifinal Sheik Ken Patera ( w/ Sheik Adnan Al Kassie ) vs Tommy “ Wildfire “ Rich : Rich starts off very quickly with a hip toss and then a dropkick that pushes Patera back into the turnbuckles . Tommy monkey flips Patera out of the and then drops an elbow across the chest and goes into a side headlock . Patera works his way off the mat , grabs Rich by the back of the hair and pushes him into the ropes where he knees him in the gut . Elbow to the back of the head by Patera and then swinging neck breaker . Patera now with a face crusher on Rich and then under orders from Kassie uses a Camel Clutch . Rich is close to the ropes however and gets a foot barely on the bottom rope .
Patera stomps him on the back off the break and then hurls him out to the floor , as the ref is admonishing Ken , Kassie bounces Rich’s head off the ring apron . Patera now pulls Rich up on the ring and pulls him back over the ropes and slams a big powerful forearm right into the chest of Rich . Rich falls back down to the floor . Patera goes out after him and puts the boots to his man and rolls him on the ring . Rich staggers up and Patera goes for a clothesline , but Tommy ducks under and comes back up with a dropkick . Flying head scissors sends Patera to the outside .
Rich meets him at the ring apron and goes to Suplex back in . Kassie grabs Rich’s foot however and trips Rich . Patera lands on top of him , but the ref doesn’t count , he saw Kassie trip up Patera . He orders Kassie back to the locker room . Patera is furious with the ref and shoves him ! Right after he does that Rich rolls Patera into a School Boy and gets the pinfall !!!! Tommy Rich moves on to the AWA Heavyweight Title finale at the Royal Rumble.
AWA Heavyweight Title Tournament semifinal HHH vs Bret Hart : The two lock up , Bret slips quickly into a hammer lock and rides HHH down to the mat . Bret knees the arm a couple of times and keeps the hold on . HHH gets to the ropes . Off the break , he rolls out to the floor and tries to shake loose the pain He gets back in the ring and Bret goes right back to the arm . HHH goes into the ropes for the break and goes to the outside again . HHH gets on the ring apron and Bret has had enough of his BS , he Suplexes him back in and then leg drops him across the chest . Hart grabs both legs of HHH and stomps him on the gut . Hart goes to the second rope and comes down with a flying forearm that misses its mark as HHH moves .
HHH now gets off a Kneelift as Hart is getting to his feet and then a neck breaker . HHH pulls his man up , vertical Suplex and now works a rear chinkock on Hart . Hart gets to his feet , backs HHH into the ropes and goes to shoot him off , but HHH grabs the top rope , puts on the breaks and clotheslines Hart out and over the top rope . HHH goes down to the floor with Hart and sets for a Pedigree, but Hart backdrops out of it . Hart rolls HHH back in the ring and puts on the Sharpshooter!!! HHH gets to the ropes for the break . Hart now hits a snap Suplex and goes back for the Sharpshooter one more time , but HHH rolls on his back and kicks him off . Bret flails backward and nails the referee . The ref falls out of the ring . Bret goes out to check on him . A chair to the back of the head by HHH . Hunter revives the ref , rolls a dazed Hart back on the ring and gets off a Pedigree ! He covers and gets the 3 !!! Winner and moving on to the finale at the Royal Rumble, HHH !
Submission Match Verne Gagne vs Billy Robinson : In the opening 3 minutes of this match there is a ton of chain wrestling , both men countering each other’s holds trying to gain an advantage . Verne changes levels first however and floats behind Billy and gets off a side Russian Leg Sweep and then goes into an STF . Billy gets to the ropes forcing the break and off the break grabs Verne by the front of the trunks and hurls him in to a turnbuckles . A very unlike Billy move . Billy knees Verne in the back and puts on standing surfboard. Verne spins out of it and counters into a Killswitch ! Verne now goes into his military background and puts on a Cobra Clutch . Billy is in real trouble here . He tries to make his way to the ropes , but Verne pulls him back and now forces Billy to the mat . Billy is trapped and has nowhere to go . He ends up passing out . Winner of the submission match , Verne Gagne .
Ivan Koloff & Baron Von Rashke vs Dick The Bruiser & Crusher : This is a brutal affair in which all four men get color . Crusher knocks BVR out of the ring with the Bolo Punch . While the ref is checking on BVR , Ivan clocks both Bruiser and Crusher with his chain . Bruiser staggers and Ivan takes him out with the Russian Sickle !!! Ivan covers and BVR pulls Crusher out on the floor with him . 1…..2….3! Winners of the match Ivan and Baron Von Rashke !!
The Rock vs Bob Backlund : This match is every bit as advertised. Rock for some reason is surprised by Backund’s speed and freakish wrestler strength. Backlund witn an over the head belly to belly. Then a Release German and then a gut wrench and a dropkick that puts Rock into the turnbuckles . Backlund catches Rock bounding out of the corner with a back body drop . Backlund waits for Rock to get to his feet , sneaks in behind him and goes for the Crossface Chicken Wing , but Rock feels it coming and elbows out and then spins around and counters into a DDT ! Rock makes the first cover of the match 1……2…..Nooooo Backlund kicks out .
Rock now with a roaring elbow puts Backund on the mat and Rock clamps on his version of the sharpshooter , Backlund gets to the ropes . Rock off the break gets off over the head throw and then Backiund staggers up , Rock with a Samoan Drop and quickly covers 1……2……Noooo !! Backlund kicks out ! Rock hits a big Spinebuster and then sets and goes for the People’s Elbow, Backind isn’t home ! Backlund now with an Atomic Drop !! Backlund covers 1…….2…….Noooooo!!!! Backlund pulls Rock up , but Rock with left jabs and then spits on his hand and Smackdown !! Rock sets for the Rock Bottom as Backlund staggers up , but Backund spins through it and counters into a Sleeper . Rock counters into a belly to back Suplex . The bell rings signaling a 30 minute time limit draw . The two men stagger to their feet , shake hands and embrace and the crowd is going crazy .
Main Event
AWA Tag Team Titles The Rock N Roll Express ( C) vs The Minnesota Wrecking Crew : Robert starts things off with Ole . Robert gets off a flying head arm drag takedown and controls Ole with a top wrist lock . Ole tries to get to the ropes , but Robert drags him back down to the mat and tags in Ricky . Ricky hits two solid forearm shots to the side of Ole’s head abs then goes right back in the arm . He tags Robert back in , who comes in with a Lucha style arm drag and then back to the hold . Ole works his way off the mat doubles up his fist as to suggest he’s just gonna blatantly cold cock Robert right in from the ref , but Robert used a back leg trip and puts Ole back on the mat . Again he tags off to Ricky who comes in and now works a hammer lock . Ole gets to the ropes this time for the break , knees Ricky in the gut and chokes him in the ropes and then hiptosses him to the Anderson corner , where Gene is waiting with a knee to the face , despite the ref’s warning and gets the tag from Ole . Gene with a second Kneelift to the face and covers and gets two .
Gene gets off a Bulldog and then tags in Ole . Ole with a uppercut right to Ricky’s chin with a forearm smash and then a nasty clothesline and then a face plant . He uses a side headlock on Ricky and tags in Gene . Gene two hard forearm smashes right to Ricky’s jaw and then cutter . The Andersons seem to be content to work Ricky’s head and face and as a result you can see Ricky is having a hard time breathing now . Gene slams Ricky’s head into the turnbuckles and then chokes him in the top rope before tagging in Ole . Ole with a reverse spinning neck breaker on Ricky . 1…….2…….Noooo ! Robert breaks it up . The ref orders Robert back to the corner , which allows some Anderson double teaming . When the ref turns around , Ole has a front facelock and tags Gene . Gene with a third Kneelift on Ricky and now sets for a Brainbuster , but Ricky reverses into a snap Suplex ! Gene staggers up , flying head scissors take over by Ricky , that hurls Gene to the corner . Ricky gets the hot tag to Robert .
Robert with several forearm shots in Gene and then a hiptoss and then a flying Backfist ! Robert covers , Ole comes into the break it up with an elbow , drop , but Robert moves and Ole hits Gene instead . Robert with a Tornado DDT on Ole !!! He tags Ricky back in just as Gene is standing up ….. Double Dropkick !!!!! Ricky covers 1……2….. Stevens and Bockwinkle hit the ring and attack both teams . The ref calls for the bell .
Now it seems as the Bombers and The Minnesota Wrecking Crew are happy beating up the champions . The High Flyers leap out of the crowd in street clothes and are helping the Express . Billy Robinson comes down to ringside and he has something in his hands . It’s a tin whistle. He blows on it out come Rex and Spot with chairs . They are swinging at anything not nailed down . Verne comes down and gets gets Robinson in the Sleeper . Finally security and Detroit’s finest come and put an end to all this . A fired up crowd cheers when Freddy Miller takes the mic and says they will be coming back to Cobo Arena sometime in the early spring . He bids the goodnight .
End Show
