WWWF All-Star Wrestling Review 10-28-78

I got nothing…

WWWF ALL-STAR WRESTLING 10-28-78

All-Star Wrestling is taped from the Fieldhouse in Hamburg, Pennsylvania.
Taping date is October 11, 1978.  Your announcer is Vince McMahon

MATCH #1: DINO BRAVO VS. JOSE ESTRADA

Once again, a certain site who CLAIMS to have the most accurate results on the net is wrong. They have this match listed as being on the 10/21 episode. That’s clearly not the case. Another example of their diligent work and effort which started as a novel idea only to devolve into a way to make half ass books for sale.

Dick Woehrle is the referee here. Dino has total control of this one and scores some near falls off a backdrop and a RUSSIAN LEGSWEEP! You go Dino!

Estrada manages to back Dino into a corner and take over with a series of shots, but it doesn’t last long for Jose.

Bravo with a really nice looking double underhook suplex gets 2. Inside cradle also gets 2 on Jose. Estrada goes to the eyes of Bravo. Estrada works Dino over in the corner and takes him down for a 2 count. Bravo powers out of the cover. Estrada begins to choke Bravo, which only angers Dino. Bravo breaks free and plants Jose with the dropkick, and an airplane spin, and this one is over in 5:28.

Winner is Dino Bravo

Notes: This was a good little squash. Every time I see Dino here it makes me sad to think about what we got circa 87-91.[spacer height=”20px”]

MATCH #2: CRUSHER BLACKWELL (w/THE GRAND WIZARD) VS. FRANKIE WILLIAMS

We’ve got John Stanley as the official. Blackwell clobbers Frankie right out of the gate and pummels him to the mat. Williams stands no chance as the Crusher continues to dominate him on the mat, stepping on him, choking him, and smashing Frankie upside down in the corner with a slam. Blackwell picks Frankie up into a suplex but turns it into a slam. Looks like he may have lost control when Frankie got up there.

Crusher smashes Frankie with a kneedrop, but pulls him up at the count of 2. BIG LEGDROP and this time it’s all she wrote for poor Frankie Williams after 5:33.

Winner is Crusher Blackwell

Notes: A simple squash. A little on the boring side compared to most of Blackwell’s squashes. Blackwell didn’t do as much here as he usually does. Not that he had to.[spacer height=”20px”]

RINGSIDE INTERVIEW WITH CRUSHER BLACKWELL & THE GRAND WIZARD

The Crusher is getting sick of the lack of competition. He talks about his abilities, his endurance, and how he apparently used to catch and slaughter pigs on his grandpa’s farm, because the next day he always had pork chops. Blackwell wants Andre, he wants handicap matches, he wants competition damn it!

The Wizard explains that Blackwell’s contracts state that whomever steps in the ring with him will enter at their own risk. Wizard won’t be responsible for what happens to the opponents who sign on to meet the Crusher…. Why would Wizard be responsible? Anyway, it sounded good.[spacer height=”20px”]

MATCH #3: LUKE GRAHAM (w/THE GRAND WIZARD) VS. JOHNNY RINGO

Whyyyy meeee? Here we go again. Lots of punching and eventually choking by Lucas. Ringo looks like he might amount some offense in the corner, but Graham quickly cuts him off with a shot to the stomach. Vince spends most of the match ignoring the match (smart move) and rather discussing Peter Maivia’s heel turn on Bob Backlund during a tag team match against Spiros Arion & Victor Rivera.

Somehow, Ringo manages to make a comeback, he event drops Graham to his knees. We’re supposed to assume Luke has loaded his thumb, because he places one thumb shot to the throat and it drops Ringo. Luke drops a chop or a thumb, or something else that looks awful and pins Ringo to end this horse shit after 5:18.

Winner is Luke Graham

Notes: I’m running out of adjectives and creative  ways to describe how horrible these Luke Graham matches are in this era. They’re just bad. #drizzlingshits[spacer height=”20px”]

MATCH #4: “UNPREDICTABLE” JOHNNY RODZ & TONY RUSSO VS. STEVE KING & JIMMY RAY

John Stanley is referee. A really enjoyable fast pace start by all four men. Some of the best enhancement of the time period is involved in this match. Ray makes the mistake of head butting Rodz and hurting himself. First time I’ve seen that spot work in favor of the heel. Rodz with a unique looking snap mare slam, and a powerslam follows up for 2 on Ray before King breaks it up.

King tags in but eats a Flying Stomp by Rodz immediately. Russo is short and stocky but a heck of a talent. Russo throws a dropkick on King for 2. Rodz back in, but now it’s King who hits a pair of dropkicks on Rodz for 2.

Rodz smashes King with a kneelift, but the faces soon make a few quick tags to take over. King telegraphs a backdrop and Rodz plants him with a kick to the chest. A vertical suplex and fistdrop later and Rodz covers King for the win in 6:02.

Winners are Rodz & Russo

Notes: Russo and Rodz were easily some of the very best enhancement anywhere on the planet during this period. Rodz was just a machine. King was a capable opening match type of performer. I thought this match was fine for what it was, a way to keep the underneath guys looking somewhat competent. I liked the Rodz/Russo combo, I thought they worked well together.[spacer height=”20px”]

MATCH #5: LARRY ZBYSZKO, DOMINIC DENUCCI, TONY GAREA VS. SPIROS ARION, STAN STASIAK, BARON MIKEL SCICLUNA

Stasiak and DeNucci start, and after some wrestling around on the mat we end in a stalemate. DeNucci gets a little close to the heel corner and takes a shot from Arion. Scicluna tags in and gets in some shots on Dominic. And now it’s Arion’s turn to wrestle around with DeNucci on the mat. The heels continue to take turns working on Dominic.

During the match, Gorilla Monsoon joins Vince McMahon on commentary to discuss last week’s heel turn by “High Chief” Peter Maivia on his partner Bob Backlund and manager Arnold Skaaland. They really liked to work Gorilla into these heel turn conversations. Again, the story is that that dirty FRED BLASSIE has turned another wrestler heel. First it was Arion, then Rivera, and now the High Chief.

This match is an afterthought at this point, and for good reason as Tony Garea takes a beat down from the heels. Monsoon isn’t completely shocked at Maivia’s heel turn, because he knew Peter was a business man first and enjoys the money.

Back to the match as Zbyszko tags in. Perfect timing. Larry, still rocking that stache, has it out with the Iron Greek. Stasiak tags in next, sand haven’t we seen enough of Larry vs. Stasiak in 78? Zbyszko catches Stasiak in an Abdominal Stretch, but the Baron breaks it up.

DeNucci & Scicluna tag in and we get a series of botched spots and bumps from the Baron. Eww. The heels triple team Dominic in their corner while Dick Woehrle tries to hold back the baby faces. Woehrle tries to break things up as the heels continue their triple team on Dominic, but the Baron shoves the ref. Finally, the bell randomly sounds as the faces rush into the ring to aid Dominic and fight off the heels.

Time of the match was 7:48.

Winners are Zbyszko, DeNucci & Garea by DQ

Notes: DeNucci worked a good portion of the match. Garea came in and played whipping boy for a brief period before Zbyszko came in to finish things up. There was really nothing to this match as Vince and Gorilla spent most of the time discussing Maivia’s heel turn, which was easily the biggest thing that had happened in some time on TV.[spacer height=”20px”]

Closing Thoughts: A disappointing followup to last episode as it felt like the WWWF was starting to build momentum back into a better product. Major changes are coming as many of the names you’ve come to learn throughout 1978 will be gone within weeks of this episode. And you know what that means… Lots of new, younger, energetic talent headed in.

We’ll return with November of 78 in the next edition of the Retro Rasslin’ Review, and a rare Chief Jay Strongbow singles match..