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WWF All American Wreslting - Feb 24, 1985

by Scrooge McSuck

- "Mean" Gene Okerlund is our host from the "Sports Control Center" as he puts it. All-American Wrestling is our typical clip show, cobbling together an hour-long program with matches mostly taken from Championship Wrestling and All-Star Wrestling, with an exclusive taped elsewhere occasionally featured.

The Junkyard Dog & "Mr. USA" Tony Atlas vs. Terry Gibbs & Carl Fury

From the February 16th episode of Championship Wrestling. Can someone tell me why Atlas and the JYD are a team, other than both are African-American? Vince McMahon makes sure to note this is their first appearance as tag team partners. Good to know. JYD forces a laugh watching the JYD dance. Gibbs goes for a Full Nelson on Atlas, but the hold is easily broken. Bruno notes that's a rather silly move to attempt on Atlas. Atlas carries Gibbs into the corner to escape a front face-lock and tugs on his noise playfully. Crisscross and Atlas with a hip toss. JYD comes in as the comedy routine continues. Fury tags in and walks right into a side headlock. JYD plants him with a slam and Atlas shows him up with a press slam. Atlas with a slam to finish things at 3:11. This was harmless fluff. I'd rather see people dick around having fun than sleepwalk through and looking miserable.

- Lord Alfred Hayes is standing by with Update. We have a NEW Ladies Champion, Leilani Kai, managed by The Fabulous Moolah. Wendi Richter isn't wasting time using the rematch clause in her contract, but no date is given for when the match will take place. Wow, Alfred was HORRIBLE in this segment. It reminds me of those middle school bulletins we had to do, and you probably know where this story is going when I'm comparing the quality.

The Spoiler (w/ Johnny Valiant) vs. Pete Pompell

From the February 16th episode of All-Star Wrestling. Here's a modern idea for a "Spoiler" gimmick: The guy who runs in and screws up Main Event finishes to tick off the crowd. The Spoiler casually pounds on Pompell with forearms. Whip to the corner and Spoiler with a knee to the face. He comes off the top with a sledge as Jesse Ventura points out there?s no referee! Valiant takes a picture from ringside as the incompetent referee finally gets in the ring. Pompell offers a comeback, but he doesn't have the Eye of the Tiger. Crisscross and Spoiler with a clothesline. He drops an elbow and hooks the claw for three at around 2:30 (there was no opening bell). I have no memory of Valiant managing the Spoiler. Terrible, even for a squash. Not only the work was bad, but the presentation (bad referee, bad commentary).

- "Mean" Gene Okerlund is standing by for an interview with Capt. Lou Albano. He's looking a bit cleaned up since becoming friends with Cyndi Lauper. He brings in his 15th set of Tag Team Champions, the U.S. Express and says Windham and Rotundo could be the greatest combination he's ever managed. Rotundo says they'll keep the belts with all the support of the fans.

Brett Hart vs. Rene Goulet

Taped from the January 21st card at Madison Square Garden. Joined in Progress with Monsoon and Okerlund calling the action. Goulet with a side headlock but Hart quickly counters with a head-scissors. They trade wrist-locks, with Goulet going to the ropes for the break. Brett drags Goulet in from the apron with the side headlock and takes him to the canvas. Monsoon notes Goulet has "an impressive win-loss record". I'd say I accept that if this were 1968. Crisscross and Hart rolls through an arm drag to hook an arm-bar. Goulet misses a cheap shot in the corner, gets tossed across the ring, and finally taken over into another arm-bar. Whip to the ropes and Goulet with a knee to the midsection. He connects with a double stomp across the midsection and hooks a bear-hug. Okerlund says Rene was at one-time "one of Europe's Greatest Amateurs." Brett escapes with an ear smack, but Goulet remains in control. Goulet with choking and biting and he rolls Brett out of the ring, onto the timekeeper's table. Back inside, Goulet with a snap mare into a claw. Bret escapes, sending Goulet into the corner, but runs into a forearm. Goulet with a slam and knee across the chest for two. Whip to the ropes and Hart with a sunset flip for two. Goulet with a snap mare into a chin-lock. Goulet with a knee to the midsection for two. Brett gets the better of a slugfest, but Rene tosses him to the floor. Brett comes back in with another sunset flip for two. Brett with an atomic drop and a flurry of right hands. Whip to the ropes and Hart hooks an abdominal stretch. Brett with a back breaker and leg drop for two. Whip to the corner and Bret meets a knee running in. Bret avoids a shot with a foreign object and comes off the ropes with a sleeper hold for the victory at 12:47 (shown). You could see two different eras here, with Rene's offense a product of a bygone era, while Brett was introducing a quicker, more athletic style not usually seen in early 80's WWF. *3/4

Piper's Pit with Mr. Fuji and "The Anvil" Jim Neidhart

Piper says Fuji is the greatest manager he's ever seen and a true inspiration. Fuji says he gave the Magnificent Muraco the night off but now he's found a new monster from Reno, NV. Neidhart says he's called the Anvil because you can't hurt an Anvil, no matter how hard you pound on it. Neidhart managed by Fuji seems so out of place knowing where things go once we reach the Summer.

Nikolai Volkoff & The Iron Sheik (w/ Fred Blassie) vs. Aldo Marino & Tony Garea

From the February 16th episode of Championship Wrestling. For a second I thought this is recycled from a few weeks ago, but that was different time Volkoff and Sheik squashed Marino (teaming with S.D. Jones). Volkoff sings the Soviet anthem, in case you?re wondering. How can Russia and Iran BOTH be #1, Sheik? Garea and the Sheik start by standing around for a while. Lockup and Garea with a side headlock, followed by a shoulder tackle. Crisscross and Garea with a sunset flip for two. Marino comes in to pick up where Garea left off and quickly gets nailed with a punt to the chest. Whip and Sheik with a back drop, followed by the back suplex. Volkoff tags in and connects with a piledriver. He press slams Marino into a back breaker and covers for three at 3:40. Keeping Volkoff out of the ring for all but 30-seconds is always a good move.

"Mean" Gene Okerlund is standing by for an interview with Mr. Fuji, manager of The Magnificent Muraco and Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. I have no idea what Fuji is saying half the time (OK, I lied. MOST of the time). He says himself and Muraco don't need to interact verbally, as they are connected through their minds. Muraco runs in screaming Banzai. I wonder if he laced his giant sandwich with any white powder. He talks about making people "gurgle" as he presses the Asian Spike down their throat. Well, this segment got a hell of a lot more entertaining.

Final Thoughts: As a sample of what All-American Wrestling offers, it wasn't much. The Update is probably the most important segment this week, letting us know that Leilani Kai defeated Wendi Richter for the Ladies Championship. Brett Hart and Rene Goulet was our ?featured match? which is the 1985 equivalent of a Jim Powers match (except with a far more talented babyface). Everything else is just random stuff to fill time. How did All-American stay on USA Network with this format for a decade?!

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