WWWF All-Star Wrestling Review 12-31-77

[spacer height=”20px”]Finishing up the short years….

WWWF ALL-STAR WRESTLING 12-31-77

All-Star Wrestling is taped from the Fieldhouse in Hamburg, Pennsylvania.
Taping date is December 21, 1977.  Your host is Vince McMahon.

We’re still about a year off before Vinnie Junior would find his new color commentary partner.

The following wrestling exhibition requires discretionary viewer participation!

We kick off the show with a video of Larry Zbyszko and a young child who promote the awareness of Juvenile Diabetes “USA’s #3 killer”.

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MATCH #1: TONY GAREA VS. “PRETTY BOY” LARRY SHARPE

This match is all mat wrestling. Headlocks, armlocks, you name it. Back and forth with both men countering holds and trading holds. Things appear like they’re finally going to pick up when Garea lands a leapfrog, but he caches Sharpe right back into a side headlock. Sharpe finally escapes and hits a nice looking hiptoss but misses an elbow drop. Garea fires back with a sunset flip for a 2 count. Tony shows off his technical prowess by using a series of short punches. Sharpe catches Garea in a scoop slam as the bell sounds. THANK GOD.

This match actually goes well past the 10 minute curfew, going 10:35.

While this match is a time limit draw, somehow referee Dick Woehrle has decided that TONY GAREA IS THE WINNER???? WTF??? Sharpe clearly outshined Garea and was in control as the match ended.

Winner is Tony Garea by referee’s decision

Following the announcement SHARPE IS PISSED. And I don’t blame him… Larry attacks Garea, and Tony shows more fire and moves over the next 15 seconds than he did in the entire f’n match. Garea disposes of Sharpe from the ring and gets the bullshit win. Pretty Boy was robbed!

Notes: I’m not a big Tony Garea fan by any means. Shout out to Tom Robinson by the way, who shares in my dislike of the poofy haired Garea. You can check Tom Robinson out on Twitter at @TRSHOCK and his podcast “Wide Men Can’t Jump” over at http://allpronation.podbean.com . He’s a hell of a funny guy and knows his rasslin’ history as well as basketball. All of that said, Garea hadn’t become completely useless yet but he was well on his way. Save for a few nice counters from Sharpe, I want the last 11 minutes of my life back.[spacer height=”20px”]

 

MATCH #2: BOB BACKLUND VS. TERRY YORK

York also worked as Terry Yorkston, and would eventually become a referee in the Toronto area for the Tunney’s and the WWF. As you might expect, the future WWWF champion Bob Backlund with a very traditional wrestling match. York tries to get salty with an eye rake, but Bob is ready to duke it out if he needs to. York finally manages to get in some offense with a series of short knee strikes. But it’s Bob Backlund right back on top with his knowledgeable wrestling takedowns.

Bob has enough and lands a backdrop and DEAD LIFTS YORK by his crotch right into the air for the ATOMIC DROP. He didn’t even give York time to get up off the mat, Backlund literally grabbed York’s entire body off the mat and jerked it up into an atomic drop in one swift move. If you’ve heard of Backlund’s insane strength, there’s a glimpse of it right there. Bob gets the win after 4:59.

Winner is Bob Backlund

Notes: Amazing strength by Bob to finish the match. If you’ve seen a Backlund squash before then you know what you’re getting here. Your typical squash full of takedowns and holds. Nothing offensive.[spacer height=”20px”]

 

RINGSIDE INTERVIEW WITH FRED BLASSIE, FUJI & PROFESSOR TANAKA

 

 

 

 

[spacer height=”20px”]Hilarious interview here as Blassie and Fuji proclaim they have discovered a secret “Oriental” herb or vitamin to make the champions even better in the ring. Tanaka randomly shouts the word GINSENG, which isn’t a very secret substance, so Blassie plays it off. Blassie says Tanaka THINKS it’s Ginseng because that’s what he and Fuji told Tanaka. BUT IT’S NOT GINSENG!

Vince wants to know why Fuji and Blassie are LYING to Tanaka. LMAO. Blassie says they’re not lying because they give Tanaka Ginseng mixed with this secret vitamin. I don’t know about you but it sounds like they’re drugging the Professor. This is hilarious, and Blassie is saying all of this right in front of Tanaka. LOL. You’d never get ad libbing like this now.

Blassie goes on to talk about the ancestry of Tanaka and Fuji, and even King Curtis Iaukea who has been gone for years. The comedy ensues. FUJI BANK! This was a fun segment.[spacer height=”20px”]

 

MATCH #3: MIL MASCARAS VS. FRANKIE WILLIAMS

 

 

 

 

[spacer height=”20px”]Prior to the match, both Blassie and Albano are seen at ringside checking out Mascaras. Mil uses his unique takedowns and holds. Mascaras applies a lengthy body scissors which he rolls into a pinfall attempt several times. Mil has enough of the toying with Williams and finishes things off with a top rope reverse body press for the pin after 5:24.

Winner is Mil Mascaras

 

 

 

 

[spacer height=”20px”]Notes: Even though Mil has inherited negative publicity due to his ego thanks in part to people like Mick Foley and Bruce Prichard, it was always fun to see him in the ring. If the stories of his monster sized head are true, and I have no doubt that they are, then Mil Mascaras the human being is a giant doucher. But let’s talk about Mil the wrestler for a moment. Mascaras used a lot of Lucha Libre style takedowns and moves that weren’t commonplace in the States. Add to that a mix of flashy outfits and masks and the occasional top rope move and he made for a good novelty act when he would grace the TV. This was nothing special by today’s standards but being able to see it for what it was back then there wasn’t anything wrong with the match here. It was fine for a squash. But that’s all it was, a squash.[spacer height=”20px”]

 

MATCH #4: KEN PATERA (w/LOU ALBANO) VS. PETE AUSTIN

 

 

 

 

[spacer height=”20px”]Willie Webber the referee. Pete Austin would also work places like Memphis under the “Wildman” moniker. Patera takes his time undressing for the match. The two men finally lock up and Patera forces Austin against the rope and Pete actually steps so far back his foot falls out of the ring. LOL. Austin is a pretty large guy but Patera just hoists him up in one motion for a big slam. A whole lot of nothing leads to a bearhug and this one is over quickly after only 2:29.

Winner is Ken Patera

Notes: Not much to this. Patera has just returned after a suspension early in the fall where he refused to release his swinging full nelson and “broke the neck” of jobber Juan Lopez. Patera returns in smug fashion with an easy win. For people who only saw Ken in his late 80’s WWF run, they have no idea how great of a heel Patera was throughout the 70’s and early 80’s. Like his real life persona, Ken was the ultimate heel.[spacer height=”20px”]

 

MATCH #5: DOMINIC DENUCCI VS. “DYNAMITE” JACK EVANS

 

 

 

 

[spacer height=”20px”]Evans has his hair dyed blonde as he and Larry Sharpe were working as a team with matching ring gear at the time. Evans jumps Dominic from behind to get things going. Dynamite stomps DeNucci into the mat until it’s time for DeNucci to make the comeback. Dominic fights his way out of the corner and sends Evans flying out of the ring. Dominic with a standing side headlock that seems to go on forever. Evans finally escapes and hits a backdrop, but misses a legdrop and both men are down.

Evans with the dreaded trapezius nerve hold, but Dominic manages to break free and plant a kneelift on Evans. Then Evans BLATANTLY grabs Dick Woehrle and whips him right into DeNucci. Dominic helps Woehrle up, and after the ref scolds DeNucci for a moment he calls for the bell. We’re led to think that the referee has disqualified DeNucci, but we learn from the announcements that Evans is the one who is DQ’d after 5:44

Evans gets hot and goes after DeNucci, but Dominic sends Evans out of the ring. Dick Woehrle then jumps up into the arms of DeNucci for a comedy spot as the credits begin to roll.

Winner is Dominic DeNucci by DQ

Notes: This was one of those pick a hold and keep it on TV matches. A side headlock with a couple of spots mixed in. Evans Irish whips Woehrle into Dominic out of nowhere for the finish. I don’t know why we were supposed to believe DeNucci might be disqualified when Evans actions were so blatant, but I admire that they tried to keep the fans guessing. Nothing to see here.[spacer height=”20px”]

Closing Thoughts: The Blassie promo was great and if you like campy things it’s worth a listen. The rest of the show was blah. If you’re into a different style you might want to check out Mil Mascaras, but honestly I could do without this show other than the funniness of Blassie.

Well this was it for 1977. Sadly only these two episodes seem to exist. And really this episode is one day removed from being aired in the following year. It’s odd there were more shows from 1976 than 77 that survived. What can you do? As we move into 1978 you’ll be pleasantly surprised that nearly half or more than half of the next three individual years exist on video. As a historian of the business I’m grateful that even the smallest amount of this footage has survived time.

Thanks for reading this edition of the Retro Rasslin’ Review! 1978, here we come…