WWF at Philadelphia Arena (12/18/71) Incomplete

         

Philadelphia Arena

Philadelphia, PA

December 18, 1971

Once again we got another incomplete writeup with one match that was thought to have been lost to time. It was December of 1971, Karl Gotch and Rene Goulet were the tag champs and Pedro Morales was the World champ. What makes this show tough to think about was this show was held mere hours after another house show in Queens earlier that day. Sad part was all but three guys worked on the matinee card. The match that has been restored is the tag team title match were Goulet and Gotch put the straps on the line against The Rugged Russians managed by Nikita Mulkovitch who was more well know designing championship belts in his later years. Let's get to it.

Match 1

Juan Caruso vs Mike Conrad

Both guys were pretty much jobbers here so something has to give. Not much is known about either of them, probably local Philly guys. Apparently Conrad got the duke here by count-out.

Winner: Conrad by count-out.

Match 2

Vincente "Bull" Pometti vs Mike Monroe

We already know Pometti was a big rough Argentinian while Monroe was a standard jobber at the time. Apparently they fought to a draw, no one wins.

Winner: No one: Draw

Match 3

The Black Demon vs Manuel Soto

Once again both these guys worked the other card with Demon tagging with Monroe from the previous match. Manuel Soto won this encounter.

Winner: Manuel Soto

Match 4

The Rugged Russians (Igor and Ivan) with Nikita Mulkovich vs Karl Gotch and Rene Goulet for the WWWF Tag Team Championship in a 2 out of 3 falls match

And now we get to the match that's been restored. On December 6, Goulet and Gotch knocked off "Crazy" Luke Graham and Tarzan Tyler and 12 days later they're pulling double duty. They beat Monroe & Black Demon in Queens earlier that day so they face the fake Russians here. Goulet and Gotch do some sort of battlerope taunt before Goulet bum rushes the "Russians". I don't have a clue which is Igor and which is Ivar so I'm just going to guess. Ivar starts with Goulet and they circle to start before exchanging mat based tactics. Goulet takes Ivar over with an armdrag before Ivan gets back to his feet. Goulet shoulderblocks him down before hitting another arm-drag takeover. Ivan makes it to his feet and he sends Goulet off only for Rene to clock Igor off the apron. Rene takes Ivan down with another arm-drag and Ivar takes nearly a full minute to get to his feet. Ivan pulls the hair but Rene won't let go. Ivan goes down to the mat again for another full minute, holy moly they'd never get away with this now. Igor interferes and eats an armdrag an Gotch tags in to put Igor in a full nelson....even though Igor isn't the legal man. Igor goes behind but Gotch stays with it to keep the full nelson then arm-drags Igor down...here we go again. A minute later Igor gets to his feet only to go down again. Ivan goes to interfere but the ref stops him. Another minute later Igor gets to his feet and looks to have reversed it but Gotch holds on to maintain it. Ivan goes to interfere again but the alert referee chases him off. Igor makes it to the ropes to force a break but Gotch refuses to let go. Finally Gotch tags in Goulet who teases punching Igor in the face only for Gotch to turn around just in time so Ivar clocks Igor instead. Goulet hops up and down but this time Igor gets the full nelson. He brings Goulet to his corner but naturally Rene ducks and Ivan hits Igor again. Rene clocks Ivar who gets in without making a tag. He kicks and scoop slams Goulet but Rene nips up and arm drags again. This time Ivar quickly rakes the eyes and rams Goulet into the buckle. Ivan kicks at Goulet and throws him through the ropes to the outside where Igor beats him up until Gotch chases him away. Goulet is attacked as he tries to get back in the ring so he falls off the apron. Finally the ref tells Ivar to back up so he can count. Goulet actually crawls under the ring and emerges from the other side where he taps Ivan on the shoulder. Ivan turns around into a forearm to the chest much to the crowd's delight.  Goulet hits a snap mare, a scoop slam....and another arm drag. Another scoop slam follows before Gotch tags in. Gotch lands a snap mare and a scoop slam and covers for 1....2...no. Gotch corners Ivan and unloads with forearms before heaving him across the ring. Gotch does it again and Ivan begs off. Gotch kicks at Ivan when Igor interferes and gets dropped. Gotch uses martial arts to drop both men and the camera closes in on Gotch so now I have no clue which "Russian" is which. I assume Ivan tags in Igor since Ivan was the legal man and Gotch goes to town with a wristlock and more foreams in the corner. A charge eats knee and Ivan tags back in, nailing Gotch with a running knee in the midsection. In the center of the ring Ivan hits a knee drop and covers for 1...2....3, that's it. The Russians take the first fall.

Gotch and Ivan start the second fall with Gotch taking control and Ivar complains the tights were pulled, nearly grabbing the ref's ass in the process. Gotch decks Ivan with a right hand and Igor tags in, only for all four men to get in the ring. The ref tells Goulet to beat it as Igor locks in a nerve hold only for Gotch to drop him with forearms. Ivar tags back in and Gotch hits a European uppercut that knocks Ivan over the top rope to the outside. Gotch sends Igor out too and caters to the crowd. Ivan misses a knee drop and Gotch hits a double chop and a karate kick before locking in what AJ Lee would later call the Black Widow. Goulet cuts off Igor and Ivan gives it up, the champs take the second fall.

The final fall starts with Gotch and Ivan again and they stall for time before Goulet tags in. Gotch beats up Ivan from the outside but Goulet gets clocked by Igor who switches with Ivan. Goulet goes for a victory roll for 1...2.., no, Ivan kicks him off. The "Russians" get Goulet in the corner and double team where Gotch is moved back by the ref. The "Russians" repeatedly throw the ref to the ground like idiots and he calls for the bell. The crowd pops as Goulet and Gotch beat up the "Russians" even though the bell already rang. Gotch heaves one of them and they bail. Really stupid move by the heels to throw the ref to the ground and it cost them the match. That was somewhat boring even by 1971 standards, guess you had to be there to appreciate it. Gotch moved pretty damn good for a 47 year old.

Time of match: 24:12

Winners: Gotch and Goulet 2 falls to 1

Match 5

"Handsome" Jimmy Valiant vs Chief Jay Strongbow

The last two matches of this card are just the reverse of the Queens card where Valiant faced Victor Rivera and Strongbow faced Freddie Blassie. Apparently Strongbow got the duke here.

Winner: Chief Jay Strongbow

Match 6

"Classy" Freddie Blassie vs Victor Rivera

By the end of 1971 Blassie was 53 years old with his knees starting to deteriorate. He still had some wars with John Tolos out in California and here he's taking on Rivera. Apparently Freddie won on a count-out.

Winner: Freddie Blassie by count-out.

This sounds like a fun show and imagine if you drove all the way from Queens to catch it? Its only 100 miles from Sunnyside Garden Arena to the Philadelphia Arena. The tag match was a bit of a let down with Goulet not letting up with the armdrags but again, it was standard for its time. Also that's one of the few matches I've seen utterly dominated by the babyfaces, usually its the heels getting the heat. Would have been nice to see Blassie who was nearing the end of the line or a young Handsome Jimmy long before he was the Boogie Woogie Man. Ah well, a small bit of footage is better than none

WWWF at Madison Square Garden (11/15/71) Incomplete

Madison Square Garden

New York City, NY

November 15, 1971

We've finally made it back to Madison Square Garden for the big inter-promotional showdown between WWA Champion Freddie Blassie representing Mike LeBell's territory against WWWF Heavyweight Champion Pedro Morales representing Vince McMahon Sr's territory. We have a pretty stacked card as Tarzan Tyler and Luke Graham put the tag belts on the line against Victor Rivera and Chief Jay Strongbow. Stan "The Man" Stasiak takes on Gorilla Monsoon and Rene Goulet goes one on one with Manuel Soto. Who's gonna walk out of MSG as the heavyweight champ? Let's find out.

Match 1

"Popeye" Chuck Richards vs The Black Demon

Chris Candido's grandfather jerks the curtain at MSG against the human punching bag Black Demon.....and somehow loses. Demon wins it.

Time of match: 8:27

Winner: Black Demon

Match 2

Manuel Soto vs Rene Goulet

Two younger stars going at each other in friendly competition as Soto meets Goulet. Rene Goulet had a rough life before wrestling in Quebec City. Born Robert Bedard, Rene aspired to be a pro hockey defenseman but a skate slashed his throat, and he wanted to be a boxer but a pro-boxer told him he'd be punch drunk. He made his wrestling debut in 1957 and later changed his name to Rene Goulet because of popular Canadian singer Robert Goulet.  It was a hard fought contest but both faces were protected as the match ended in a 20 minute draw. Both men shook hands afterwards.

Time of match: 20:00

Winner: No one (draw)

Match 3

Mike Monroe vs Karl Gotch

Karl Gotch was born Charles Istaz in Belgium and wrestled in the 1948 Olympics at the age of 24. Now he was 47 years old and making a name in the WWWF. His opponent Monroe was a standard jobber of the time period. Gotch may have been 47 but he won the match.


Time of match: 11:05

Winner: Gotch

Match 4

The Rugged Russians (Igor & Ivan) vs Jimmy Valiant and "Beautiful" Bobby Harmon

There's a lot to unpack here. The Russians were actually Spanish and Cuban respectively. Igor was born Juan Onaindia in Bizkaia, Spain. Ivan was Pedro Godoy, a Cuban immigrant. Handsome Jimmy was born Jim Fanning and he started wrestling in 1964 as Jim Vallen. He came to New York as Jimmy Valiant and  eventually would form a team with John L Sullivan, but that's a story for another day. Beautiful Bobby was NOT Bobby Eaton who would have been 13 years old at the time but Bobby Harmon. The Russians got the victory here.

Winners: The Rugged Russians

Match 5

Gorilla Monsoon vs Stan "The Man" Stasiak

Stan "The Man" Stasiak was born George Stipich in Arvida, Quebec and was a lifelong wrestling fan, even getting knocked out trying to take a swing at legendary Canadian wrestler Don Leo Jonathan. Growing up in Quebec, naturally he played hockey and as a sign of things to come, he was a goon in Juniors. His last coach convinced him to give up hockey and take up his real love of wrestling after throwing too many sucker punches. When he first started he wrestled as Emile (his middle name) Koverly as a 21 year old in 1958 and in 1960 wrestled a fellow 23 year old youngster named Gino Marella...yes, the one and only Gorilla Monsoon. Later that year he made his United States debut by taking the name of long dead wrestler Stanley Stasiak who died 30 years before. Imagine someone calling themselves "Eddie Gilbert" now. So 11 years later Stasiak battles Monsoon again. This time Monsoon got the win.

Time of match: 9:51

Winner: Monsoon

Match 6

Chief Jay Strongbow and Victor Rivera vs Tarzan Tyler and "Crazy" Luke Graham for the WWWF Tag Team Championship

Ah the legendary Tarzan Tyler. He was born Camille Tourville in Montreal and was nicknamed "Tarzan" by his friends growing up in Montreal. He started wrestling in the 1950's and had been a top heel in the US and Canada ever since. Three days before this show, Graham and Tyler defeated The Mongols to unify the World and International tag team titles and now they defend against Strongbow and Rivera. Strongbow and Rivera won.....by disqualification. The champs retain.

Time of match: 24:45

Winners: Strongbow and Rivera by disqualification (Tyler & Graham retain)

Match 7

WWA Champion "Classy" Freddie Blassie vs Pedro Morales for the WWWF Heavyweight Championship

Inter-promotional matches were common back in these days and on this night, Mike LeBell's WWA out in California sent Blassie to take on Vince Sr's champion Pedro Morales. Thankfully a short clip of this match is on Youtube so I'll do the best I can to describe what goes on. Blassie complains to the ref that Morales hit him in the face before locking up. Blassie rakes the eyes and bites him in the corner then brings him to the other corner. Blassie heaves Morales over the top rope to the floor into the timekeeper's table. Blassie sends him into the ring post and Morales sells the left shoulder. Blassie goes onto the apron and puts the boots to Pedro. Blassie bites the head of Morales and sends him into the ring post a second time. The ref backs up Blassie to give Morales some room but Blassie continues to attack. Blassie covers but the ref refuses to the count.....what? I've never seen that before. Apparently Blassie needs to apply a hold according to Captain Lou on the overdub. We cut to Blassie hitting a scoop slam on Pedro before dropping some knees on the throat of Morales. Blassie covers for 1...2....nope, Morales kicks out. Blassie chokes Morales and bites the head but Morales gets a big left hand to the ribs. Morales lands another left to the ribs and rallies with more left hands to drop Blassie. Fred gets up and Morales continues to fire away with Blassie countering with bites. Captain Lou on the overdub calls Blassie "The Vampire" as Morales turns the tables by biting Blassie. The ref then calls for the bell and declares Pedro the winner.....what??? Lou on commentary says Blassie was disqualified but the official reason was the match was stopped due to Blassie's blood loss. Albano missed the fact Blassie was busted open and in those days, apparently matches were stopped because of it. Well that's one way for Blassie to keep his California heat by not actually getting pinned or submitted. Pedro wins the match and keeps his title.

Time of match: 8:24

Winners: Morales by stoppage (still WWWF champion)

Its a shame only a clip from the main event remains because this sounded like a fun show on paper to watch. Jimmy Valiant against the Russians would have been funny to see and anytime Monsoon or Stasiak is in the ring is a jolly good time. Still, Morales kept the belt and a few of the heels were hot on his trail. It'll be interesting to see who steps up to Tyler & Graham next as well. This was definitely the home run show but we pick up the action three days later in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. I'll see you then.

WWWF at Sunnyside Garden Arena (3/25/71)

Sunnyside Garden Arena

Queens, NY

March 25, 1971

This is going to be a straight write up since no matches from this house show have ever been recorded. Ten days after Pedro Morales had his first WWWF title defense at Madison Square Garden, almost the same crew came to Queens for a house show. The main event was Pedro and Manuel Soto taking on Bulldog Brower and The Wolfman in a 2 out of 3 falls tag match. Other matches included Little Brutus and Sky Low Low taking on Little Joey and Frenchy Lamont who were subbing for Sonny Boy Hayes and Haiti Kid. Let's get to it.

Match 1

Mike Conrad vs Pete Sanchez

Sanchez was another New York latino veteran that was a fan favorite in the Garden. Here he takes on jobber Mike in the opening contest. The bout ended in a 20 minute draw.

Winner: No one (Draw)

Match 2

Jack Evans vs Hurricane Rivera

The big rematch from Madison Square Garden from 10 days earlier. Just like at MSG, Rivera got the victory

Winner: Hurricane Rivera

Match 3

Vincente Pometti vs Chief Jay Strongbow

The Argentinian takes on the fake Native American in the middle of the card. Strongbow got the victory.

Winner: Strongbow

Match 4

Little Joey and Frenchy Lamont vs Little Brutus and Sky Low Low in a 2 out of 3 falls match

This was advertised as Sonny Boy Hayes and Haiti Kid but apparently Joey and Lamont subbed for them against Brutus and Low Low. As usual Brutus and Low Low win.

Winners: Little Brutus and Sky Low Low

Match 5

Bulldog Brower and The Wolfman vs WWWF Heavyweight Champion Pedro Morales and Manuel Soto in a 2 out of 3 falls match.

Who thought back to back 2 out of 3 falls tag matches was a good idea needs their heads examined. Thankfully this was the main event and it had Pedro teaming with Manuel Soto to take on two top heels in Brower and Wolfman. After Pedro dispatched Blackjack Mulligan, he was going to need a new opponent and showcasing Wolf and Bulldog made sense. Pedro and Soto got the win

Winners: Morales and Soto

Not much to say about this show as it was a house show in Queens that's been lost to time. The good thing is it essentially had possible Pedro opponents in Bulldog and Wolfman. Really would have liked to have seen Strongbow and Pometti because Pometti in his younger days could go. Still, if you caught this show I doubt you left dissappointed.

WWWF at Madison Square Garden (3/15/71) Incomplete

Madison Square Garden

New York City, New York

March 15, 1971

Yes this is an incomplete writeup as this show has been lost to time except for the main event, which is a real treat. On January 18, 1971 Ivan Koloff defeated Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF Heavyweight Championship after Bruno had been on top for eight years. Four weeks later on February 8, Koloff dropped the belt to Pedro Morales in Madison Square Garden. Morales' first MSG title defense would come against Blackjack Mulligan on this card. Its a shame the rest of the card has been lost to time because a lot of pre 70's wrestlers are on it.

Match 1

Little Joey and Sonny Boy Hayes vs Little Brutus and Sky Low Low in a 2 out of 3 falls match

Vince Sr must have lost his mind when he thought opening an MSG show with a 2 out of 3 falls midget tag team match was a good idea. Sonny Boy was a legendary midget wrestler that wrestled well into the 80's. Brutus and Low Low were in that tag team match the previous month against Little Joey and here they are again facing Joey only with Sonny Boy Hayes as a partner. Apparently Low Low and Brutus got the duke in this match.

Winners: Sky Low Low and Little Brutus

Match 2

Manuel Soto vs "Unpredictable" Johnny Rodz

One of the greatest jobbers of all time takes on the rising star in Soto. As per custom, Rodz lost to Soto in this one.

Winner: Manuel Soto

Match 3

Hurricane Rivera vs Jack Evans

Puerto Rican legend Hurricane takes on the jobber Jack in this one. Not surprisingly, Rivera got the victory here.

Winner: Hurricane Rivera

Match 4

Tony Marino vs Mike Conrad

Marino we all know as the Batman cosplayer. His opponent Mike Conrad was a jobber in the early 70's and sure enough....Marino beats the jobber.

Winner: Tony Marino

Match 5

Chief Jay Strongbow vs Bulldog Brower

Two legends of the 60's and 70's right here. By this point Strongbow was 42 years old but still had a lot of years left. Bulldog was 37 but he too had a lot of years left. Apparently Jay and Bulldog fought to a 20 minute time limit draw.

Winner: No one (Draw)

Match 6

Blackjack Mulligan (with The Grand Wizard) vs Pedro Morales for the WWWF Heavyweight Championship

Finally we get to our main event which has been restored. Blackjack Mulligan was 28 years old and had Wizard as his manager  On January 6, 1971 Pedro won the United States title to become the number two babyface behind Bruno. Vince Sr decided that Bruno had enough on top and felt that Pedro could connect with the latin audiences of New York. Vince named Pedro the successor. On February 8, 1971 Pedro defeated Ivan Koloff to become the new WWWF champion and this was his first title defense in Madison Square Garden. The ref gives instructions and the bell rings with Blackjack mad at the crowd already. The legit 6'9 Mulligan towers over Pedro and Morales slaps his arm away. They tie up and Pedro takes him down with an armdrag which causes Mulligan to beg off. Mulligan stalls and looks around at the crowd before they tie up again. Pedro arm drags him a second time and Blackjack claims the tights were pulled. I always thought it was funny when heels complained in title matches because if the ref did lose his mind and disqualify the champ, the title doesn't change hands and the heel just cost themselves a lot of money. Mulligan collects himself in the corner and does the "object behind his back routine" where punches Pedro a few times but the ref never sees it. Mulligan locks in a nervehold but Pedro powers out of it and unloads with clubbing left forearms followed by a scoop slam. Mulligan begs off and calls for a test of strength. Mulligan gets the upperhand and kicks Pedro when Morales tries to come back. Mulligan bails to the outside to threaten the fans before getting back in. Pedro gets in a side headlock before getting whipped off the ropes. Pedro drops Mulligan with a shoulderblock but gets scoop slammed. Pedro nips up and catches Mulligan with a scoop slam of his own. Morales botches a bulldog attempt and Mulligan drops him with the object again. Mulligan punches away at Pedro but the ref finally catches on that Blackjack is cheating. Mulligan locks in a wristlock, backs him into the corner and lands a right hand. Mulligan backdrops Pedro and covers for 1...2..and Pedro taps Mulligan on the side so he stands up thinking he's won. You can look at it as Pedro telegraphed the spot or he kayfabed fooled him. Either way the ref says the match is NOT over and Pedro dropkicks Mulligan into the corner. Pedro goes upstairs and hits a whoopie cushion on the back of Mulligan. He covers for 1....2...3 and that's it. Mulligan looked to have gotten his shoulder up but to no avail, Pedro retains. Mulligan gets mad in the corner but he only has himself to blame for getting up too early on his pinfall attempt. It was 1971 so if you want to judge it by today's standards, your funeral. Back then that would have been a decent main event, especially for Pedro's first Garden defense.

Time of match: 14:12

Winner: Pedro by pinfall (Still WWWF Champion)

All in all that could have been a fun card if it was shown in its entirety. The main event was pretty good for what it was and it would have been funny to see midget action in the opening bout. The one I REALLY want to see was Brower vs Strongbow, that must have been a war. Still, this show establishes Pedro as the new king in town with Bruno working a much lighter schedule after carrying the company for eight years. Let's see how far Pedro can take his title reign.

WWWF at Westchester County Civic Center (2/10/71)

Westchester County Civic Center

White Plains, New York

February 10, 1971

We have a new WWWF Heavyweight Champion and that's Pedro Morales. Morales defeated Ivan Koloff for the strap at Madison Square Garden and the next show was held two days later in White Plains, New York. Since Morales was the reigning United States champion, that meant Bulldog Brower was next in line by default. This five match spot show began the reign of Morales so let's get to it.

Match 1

Mike Conrad vs Jack Evans

Evans had beaten Conrad seven days earlier in the National Arena so now they go one on one again. Once again Evans got the duke.

Winner: Evans

Match 2

"Unpredictable" Johnny Rodz vs Jean DuBois

Two mid carders go one on one here as Dave McKigney takes on Johnny Rodz. These two fought to a draw.

Winner: No one (Draw)

Match 3

Frenchy Lamont and Joey Russell vs Sky Low Low and Little Brutus

Another standard midget tag team match. Low Low and Brutus took this one.

Winners: Low Low and Brutus

Match 4

Vincente Pometti and The Black Demon vs Gorilla Monsoon and Tony Marino in a 2 Out of 3 Falls match

Kind of a hodge podge of a match as Marino and Monsoon take on Demon and Pometti. Monsoon and Marino win this one.

Winners: Monsoon and Marino

Match 5

Bulldog Brower vs Pedro Morales for the WWWF Heavyweight Championship

Pedro's first title defense comes two days after taking the title from Ivan Koloff. Brower was the number 1 contender for the US title so it made sense he'd get the first crack at the unified champion. Not surprisingly, Pedro wins the match.

Winner: Pedro Morales

The Morales era had begun which would usher in a new group of fans. For eight years, Italian fans packed Madison Square Garden to see Bruno Sammartino but now it would be the Latin fans to see Pedro Morales. The babyface champion also meant they were going to need new heels to face him since he'd face the guys that Bruno faced in short order. As for the rest of the card, not something I'd pay for. The main crew would be back tomorrow in Washington DC so I'll see you there.

WWWF at Madison Square Garden (2/8/71) Incomplete

Madison Square Garden

New York City, NY

February 8, 1971

We finally made it to Madison Square Garden. Three weeks earlier "The Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff pulled off the miracle of beating EIGHT year champion Bruno Sammartino to become the new WWWF Heavyweight Champion. His first title defense in Madison Square Garden would be against the WWWF United States Champion Pedro Morales. This is an incomplete writeup because the rest of the card is lost to time, but the main event remains. So what else was on the card? Remember last month where The Mongols fought Chief Jay Strongbow and Gorilla Monsoon to a draw? Well tonight Monsoon goes one on one with Beppo Mongol. Bruno Sammartino in his first MSG match since dropping the belt to Koloff takes on Geeto Mongol. Blackjack Mulligan had come to New York a few weeks earlier and won all six singles matches. He takes on Tony Marino and we got a midget tag team match. Let's get to it.

Match 1

Lee Wong vs Vincente Pometti

Pometti makes his return to the Garden and this time he's got Lee Wong with him. These two didn't really have a feud or history, just a classic opening match. Pometti gets the duke.

Winner: Vincente Pometti

Match 2

Jack Evans vs Gene Dubois

Dave McKigney is back as "Gene Dubois" and he's got Jack Evans tonight. Jack Evans was a territory jobber that later became the masked Mr. X. Jack gets the win over Dubois.

Winner: Jack Evans

Match 3

Little Brutus and Sky Low Low vs Frenchy Lamont and Little Joey

Oh boy....a midget tag team match. The same guys wrestled each other in Boston two days earlier. Apparently Brutus and Low Low won this time.

Winners: Low Low and Brutus

Match 4

Tony Marino vs Blackjack Mulligan

Looks like Mr. Battman has his hands full with Blackjack Mulligan on this night. Mulligan had been undefeated since coming to New York three weeks earlier. Mulligan got the win and pretty much set himself up as one of the top heels for the WWWF at the time.

Winner: Blackjack Mulligan

Match 5

Gorilla Monsoon vs Beppo Mongol

As I mentioned earlier, these two worked the previous month in a tag match. Now one half of the International tag champs faces Monsoon one on one. Apparently the match ended in a double count-out, so much for a feud blowoff.

Winner: No one (Draw)

Match 6

The Wolfman vs Manuel Soto

Big rough wild man takes on the latin sensation Soto. Apparently they went a 20 minute broadway....one of the only times I'm glad I don't have to see a match. The idea of those two going 20 isn't appealing, no offense to either.

Winner: No one (Draw)

Match 7

Bruno Sammartino (with Arnold Skaaland) vs Geeto Mongol

One month after Bruno drops the World title to Koloff, he gets to take his frustrations out on half of the tag champs in Geeto Mongol. Bruno knocked him off in about 5 minutes.

Winner: Bruno Sammartino

Match 8

WWWF United States Champion Pedro Morales vs Ivan Koloff for the WWWF Heavyweight Championship

Its title vs title as the main event of tonight's MSG card has the US champ Pedro taking on the world champ Koloff. Essentially the winner is the unified champion. The bell rings and the ref argues with Koloff before anything happens. Morales tries to right jab Koloff who backs off and tells the ref to watch the fists. They tie up twice and Pedro shoves him off. Koloff steps between the ropes. Morales shoulderblocks Koloff down but runs right into a backdrop. Morales nips up, scoop slams and does a headlock takeover. Morales does another one and locks it in but Koloff makes it to his feet. Morales is sent off but shoulderblocks Koloff down. Koloff responds with a kick to the mid-section to trip up Pedro. Koloff locks in a rear chinlock but Pedro gets up only to eat a snapmare by Ivan. Koloff locks in another chinlock but starts choking Pedro. The alert ref tells him to let go and Koloff gets up to taunt the crowd. Pedro gets up and backs Koloff off with a big left hand. Koloff begs off and extends a handshake but Pedro is too smart for that. Koloff wins a test of strength against Pedro but Morales starts to reverse it and monkey flips Koloff off. Koloff begs off again but gets in a side headlock. He rakes the eyes and goes for the bearhug. Morales gets a left hand in to break up the bearhug but Ivan collects himself, reapplying it. Morales somehow gets his arm underneath and scoop slams Koloff. Ivan kicks away and goes for another bearhug but Morales breaks free. Koloff unloads with right hands and shoulderblocks Pedro down. Morales tries to slam Ivan but his back gives out and Koloff lands on top for 1...2..no. Ivan misses a knee drop but scoop slams Pedro. Koloff goes for the top rope knee drop that beat Bruno but misses it. Pedro goes upstairs and hits a crossbody for 1...2...no. Koloff sends Pedro into the corner then to the other corner. He throws him into a third corner and hits a german suplex. Both men's shoulders are down for 1....2....Pedro gets his arm up....THREE! Its over! Pedro Morales is the new WWWF Heavyweight Champion. Koloff goes ballistic thinking he's won but the ref raises Pedro's arm instead. Bruno Sammartino hits the ring and raises Pedro's arm to signify the passing of the torch. The match itself was damn good for 1971 standards, it would have fit right in 10-12 years later.

Time of match: 23:18

Winner: Morales by pinfall (new WWWF unified Heavyweight Champion)

Well that looked like a fun card, too bad only one match is still in existence. Big changes were going on as Bruno dropped the belt to Koloff who dropped it to Pedro. Morales was going to be the next star in  New York and this was his coming out party. Now Vince Sr had a dilemma because Pedro would be facing the same guys Bruno had so Vince had to import or elevate new heels for Pedro to compete against at the Garden. Definite a rematch with Koloff would be one of them but otherwise it was more of the same. Still, this was wrestling history of Pedro winning the championship.

WWWF at Lewiston Armory (2/8/71)

 

Lewiston Armory

Lewiston, Maine

February 8, 1971

Anyone want to ask what Vince McMahon Sr was thinking? On the same day you're running a very important Madison Square Garden card, you decide to run a double shot up in Maine? Thankfully none of these guys had to drive all the way to NYC for that night's card but still, this is overkill. You could have had this the day before or the day after. Anyway what we do have here is a women's tag team match along with Chief Jay Strongbow battling it out with Bulldog Brower. Let's get on with this totally useless card.

Match 1

"Nobleman" Joe Turco vs Tomas Marin

These two had been curtain jerkers in other cards so its no surprise to see them doing it here up in Maine. Just like their other bouts, this went the 20 minute time limit.

Winner: No one (Draw)

Match 2

Miguel Feliciano vs The Black Demon

Demon had beaten Joe Turco two days earlier in Springfield while Miguel was coming off a loss to The Wolfman four days earlier in Philadelphia. Surprisingly the Demon won this match as well. Talk about a hot streak for Black Demon standards.

Winner: The Black Demon

Match 3

Chuck Richards vs Mike Conrad

The man known as Popeye takes on perennial punching bag Conrad in this one. Richards gets the duke 25 years before his grandson would win the WWF Tag Team Championship.

Winner: Richards

Match 4

Sharon Joy and Barbara Owens vs Donna Christianello and Toni Rose

Moolah girls in action. Sharon and Donna we already know but who are the other two? Toni Rose was trained by Moolah and grew up in Terra Haute, Indiana....the hometown of Larry Bird. Barbara started wrestling as a 16 year old in 1965 and was very active in the late 60's. Ironically this was her only appearance in the McMahon territory in 1971. Donna and Toni won the match.

Winners: Toni and Donna

Match 5

Bulldog Brower vs Chief Jay Strongbow

The main event of the show had more implications than meets the eye. If Koloff were to successfully retain the WWWF Heavyweight title that night, a victory over Brower would theoretically put Strongbow in line for a title shot at the Garden. Now if Morales were to lose, Bulldog could lobby for a US title match immediately. If Morales to win, Bulldog would put himself up there for a future match with Pedro at the Garden if he beat Strongbow. The fans went home happy as Brower got himself disqualified to give Strongbow the win.

Winner: Strongbow

Who knows why Vince decided to have this completely useless card the same day as his big Madison Square Garden show but money is money I guess. Then again, this was 1971, the Garden show wouldn't be on television so at least the fans got to see live wrestling. Even if the rest of the card was lackluster, if Koloff were to dispatch Morales then Chief Jay Strongbow would be waiting. It all comes down to what happens at Madison Square Garden. See you all for the big one.

WWWF at Springfield Auditorium (2/6/71)

Springfield Auditorium

Springfield, MA

February 6, 1971

Vince McMahon Sr had his guys working overtime as the night of the big Boston Garden card saw a double shot all the way out in Springfield. Pedro Morales, Ivan Koloff, Chief Jay Strongbow and The Mongols had to drive all the way from Boston to Springfield for this card. Its only a 5 match card but there's going to be some long matches. We got three preliminaries but then we have a 2 out of 3 falls women's tag match featuring the queen herself, Fabulous Moolah. Then the main event is a special six man tag team 3 out of 5 falls match as the WWWF International Tag Team Champions The Mongols team with the WWWF Heavyweight Champion "Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff to take on the WWWF United States Champion Pedro Morales, Chief Jay Strongbow and Gorilla Monsoon. We got two fake Mongolians, a fake Russian, a fake Native American, a fake Chinaman and a real Puerto Rican. Let's get to the card.

Match 1

Mike Conrad vs Pete Sanchez

We open the show with a battle of jobbers, although calling Sanchez a jobber in early 1971 might be harsh. It wasn't until later on syndicated television that Sanchez was featured primarily as enhancement talent. Conrad was the jobber here and he did the job to Sanchez for sure.

Winner: Pete Sanchez

Match 2

"Unpredictable" Johnny Rodz vs Lee Wong

6 years or so later, we'd know who'd win this match as Johnny Rodz became the gold standard for jobbers. Fortunately it was still 1971 so Rodz got the duke.

Winner: Johnny Rodz

Match 3

Tomas Marin vs Vincente Pometti

Another preliminary bout that really doesn't matter as neither of these guys were in a prominent position to challenge Ivan Koloff or Pedro Morales in a big time main event. Still, Pometti got the victory.

Winner: Vincente Pometti

Match 4

Sharon Joy and Tippy Wells vs Donna Christianello and Fabulous Moolah in a 2 out of 3 Falls match

Moolah's girls in action. Sharon and Moolah we already know but who are the other two?  Donna was another Moolah trained girl who was working as a waitress that just happened to wait a table for Waldo Von Erich. Waldo got her in touch with Moolah and her career was off and running. Tippy Wells was born Fran Gravette in Alberta, Canada and started training under Moolah in 1959. She took a break from the ring for years but returned in 1970. This was definitely a case of Moolah getting her booked. Moolah and Donna won this one.

Winners: Moolah and Christianello

Match 5

Chief Jay Strongbow, Gorilla Monsoon and WWWF United States Champion Pedro Morales vs The Mongols (Geeto and Beppo) and WWWF Heavyweight Champion Ivan Koloff in a 3 out of 5 Falls match

To put this match in perspective, imagine its Pedro vs Koloff on a Premium Live Event and the night before on Smackdown they face off in a six man tag featuring two tag teams feuding with each other. Very common now, big time news back in 1971. The heels took the lead when Beppo Mongol rolled up Strongbow and hooked the tights for the 1-2-3. The heels then took the second fall when The Mongols beat up Monsoon on the outside and he was counted out. The faces rallied as Monsoon got back in the ring and crushed Beppo Mongol with the big splash for the 1-2-3 to take the third fall. Pedro then dropped Geeto Mongol and pinned him for the 1-2-3 to tie up the match. Then a big schmozz outside the ring caused the ref to throw the match out. All that for a draw? Still, all 6 men were going to be busy in two nights at Madison Square Garden so this was definitely a sneak preview.

Winners: No one (Draw)

Just days before Madison Square Garden, Vince Sr booked a nearly useless double-shot but at least the final match must have been entertaining. Like I mentioned earlier, nowadays six man or normal tag matches featuring guys in feuds is common for go-home shows before PLE's. Pedro and Koloff have a date with destiny while the Mongols are in singles action in Madison Square Garden. However, there's one more piece of business before that show in MSG. For some reason Vince Sr thought it would be a good idea to have a double-shot on Monday. Half the crew would be in Lewiston, Maine while the main stars would be at Madison Square Garden. Why? Ask Vince. See you in Lewiston, guys.

WWWF at the Boston Garden (2/6/71)

Boston Garden

Boston, Massachusetts

February 6, 1971

We are two days away from Madison Square Garden and the showdown between WWWF US Champion Pedro Morales and the WWWF Heavyweight Champion Ivan Koloff. Until then, we have a big match card for the Boston Garden. We got a midget tag team match, Chief Jay Strongbow takes on one half of the International tag team champions Geeto Mongol in singles action with the other half, Beppo, taking on Bruno Sammartino. Ivan Koloff will be defending the title against Jean Dubois and Blackjack Mulligan puts his hot streak on the line against Manuel Soto. Let's get to the action.

Match 1

Little Joey and Frenchy Lamont vs Little Brutus and Sky Low Low in a 2 out of 3 Falls match

Good lord, they're starting the show with a midget tag team match. Who are Joey and Frenchy? Joey Russell was a midget wrestler in the late 60's and early 70's and Frenchy Lamont was probably the strongest midget of all time. He legit picked up the near 400 pound Gorilla Monsoon and carried him around on his shoulders according to Jesse "The Body" Ventura. Low Low pinned Joey to win the first fall, Lamont pinned Low Low to tie the match up. Joey pinned Brutus to win the match.

Winners: Joey and Lamont by pinfall

Match 2

Geeto Mongol vs Chief Jay Strongbow

For months now, Strongbow and Gorilla Monsoon had been chasing the Tag Champs the Mongols so today in Boston, Chief takes on Geeto one on one. Apparently these two did a 20 minute broadway draw.

Time of match: 20:00

Winner: No one (Draw)

Match 3

The Wolfman vs Pedro Morales for the WWWF United States Championship

A rematch from the last Madison Square Garden show as Wolfman once again challenges Morales for the title. Morales finished him off rather quickly.

Time of match: 4:08

Winner: Morales by pinfall (Still US Champion)

Match 4

Jean Dubois vs Ivan Koloff for the WWWF Heavyweight Championship

Just two days away from Madison Square Garden, Koloff defends the strap against Dubois in the Boston Garden. Koloff made short work of Dubois and finished him with the backbreaker.

Time of match: 3:40

Winner: Koloff by submission (still WWWF Champion)

Match 5

Beppo Mongol vs Bruno Sammartino in a Texas Death Match

Bruno makes his return to the Boston Garden taking on half of the tag champs in Beppo Mongol in a special Texas Death Match. Bruno took a chair and whacked Beppo in the head with it then covered for the three count to win the match.

Time of match: 5:20

Winner: Sammartino by pinfall

Match 6

Tony Marino vs Bulldog Brower

If you're wondering why the main event matches were put on first, The Mongols, Bruno, Koloff and Strongbow were performing in Springfield, Massachusetts for the second half of the double shot later that night. As for this match, Brower got the victory when he put his feet on the ropes.

Time of match: 8:40

Winner: Brower by pinfall

Match 7

"Nobleman" Joe Turco vs The Black Demon

Shockingly Demon defeated the Nobleman. I have no idea why or how.

Time of match: 6:10

Winner: Demon by pinfall

Match 8

Blackjack Mulligan vs Manuel Soto

Mulligan had been on a hot streak since coming into the territory and was pretty much situating himself as the number one contender to Pedro Morales regardless if he was successful in MSG or not. Mulligan needed just 5 minutes to slap the iron claw on Soto and make him give up to end the day.

Time of match: 5:10

Winner: Mulligan by submission

Booking this show not only just two days away from the Madison Square Garden showdown but as the first half of a double shot is peculiar. If that wasn't bad enough, there was a house show booked in Lewiston, Maine the day of the MSG show as well. This show definitely would have been fun to see but they were too close to MSG to have anything truly drastic happen. It did put over Mulligan as a future contender and Bruno wasn't taking kindly to the Mongols. Later that night the crew made it to Springfield for the second half of the double shot. I'll see you there.

WWWF at Witchi's Sports Arena (2/5/71)

Witchi's Sports Arena

North Attleboro, MA

February 5, 1971

We are just three days away from Madison Square Garden with the card all set. Gorilla Monsoon takes on Beppo Mongol with Bruno Sammartino coming back to the Garden to face Geeto Mongol. Then, the US Champion Pedro Morales takes on WWWF Heavyweight Champion Ivan Koloff. Today's main event sees the Mongols defend the International Tag Team Tittles against Chief Jay Strongbow and Monsoon. Its only a four match card so let's get to it.

Match 1

Lee Wong vs Vincente Pometti

The Argentinian bull takes on the perennial jobber in the opening contest. These two were scheduled to jerk the curtain at MSG in three days. Not surprisingly, Pometti got the victory.

Winner: Pometti

Match 2

Tomas Marin vs Mike Conrad

The babyface jobber to the stars faces the heel jobber to the stars. Someone had to win and it was Marin on this date.

Winner: Marin

Match 3

Manuel Soto vs Jean Dubois

Dave McKigney is back as Jean Dubois as he takes on the latin star Manuel Soto in this one. Soto got the duke this time.

Winner: Soto

Match 5

Gorilla Monsoon and Chief Jay Strongbow vs The Mongols (Geeto & Beppo) for the WWWF International Tag Team Championship in a 2 out of 3 Falls Match

With Monsoon and Beppo Mongol having a date at MSG, the obligatory 2 out of 3 Falls match to main event North Attleboro has Gorilla teaming with Chief Jay again. This one ended in a draw

Winner: No one (Draw)

Kind of a nothing card but the territory had two big shows the following day, both in Massachusetts. Fans had to see the bottom of the barrel in this one but the good news is they didn't have to go very far for the following day's doubleheader. They had three jobber matches and the main event tag match. The following day had two shows in one day with a matinee at the Boston Garden and a nightcap at the Springfield Auditorium. Least the Boston area gets their big house show even if its just before MSG. See you all in the Boston Garden tomorrow.

WWWF at Philadelphia Arena (2/4/71)

Philadelphia Arena

Philadelphia, PA

February 4, 1971

We are just 4 days away from Madison Square Garden with the big showdown between US Champion Pedro Morales and the Heavyweight champion Ivan Koloff. Tonight in Philly, the hot newcomer Blackjack Mulligan looks to continue his winning ways against Chuck Richards while Bulldog Brower wants another title shot, having to go through Jimmy Jones first. In the main event, Koloff defends the title against Lee Wong. Let's get to the show.

Match 1

Miguel Feliciano vs The Wolfman

Wolfman defeated Feliciano back on the 28th in Washington so Miguel wanted another crack at him. Unfortunately for Miguel, The Wolfman won.

Winner: Wolfman

Match 2

"Popeye" Chuck Richards vs Blackjack Mulligan

Mulligan had been on a hot streak since showing up in the territory on the 18th. "Popeye" Chuck Richards was his next test on his way to a future title shot against either Koloff or Morales, whoever won in MSG. Mulligan beat Richards to continue his streak.

Winner: Mulligan

Match 3

Jimmy Jones vs Bulldog Brower

For those that don't know, Jones was actually the legendary Burrhead Jones who damn near got the Fuller territory disbanded a few years after his WWWF stint. He was working as an elevator operator when he got trained. Vince Sr named him Jimmy Jones and he was in the Alabama territory as a heel until he was turned face by Jimmy Golden aka Bunkhouse Buck in WCW. Golden and Jones lost a "tar and feather" tag team match in which Jones was tarred and feathered, much to the chagrin of the NAACP who filed a formal complaint against Tri-States Wrestling. Back on this night, Bulldog got the duke.

Winner: Brower

Match 4

Mike Conrad vs Gorilla Monsoon

The perennial punching bag Conrad takes on the fan favorite Monsoon in this one. Monsoon wins it....as if you couldn't guess that would happen.

Winner: Monsoon

Match 5

Lee Wong vs "The Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff for the WWWF Heavyweight Championship

Its the main event of the evening. With Koloff locked in to face Pedro Morales in four days, it made sense to have someone like Wong main event the Philly show against Koloff. Not to anyone's surprise, Koloff won to retain the title.

Winner: Koloff (still WWWF Champion)

Philadelphia can't be happy that Wong lost to Koloff but they did get to see Monsoon win a match. Monsoon had a date with Beppo Mongol in four days at Madison Square Garden so he needed a big win to gain some steam. Mulligan was the one to watch, he was on a hot streak and was definitely being pushed to be a future opponent for Pedro Morales one way or another. In the event Pedro lost to Ivan, he'd still be the US champion. Bulldog Brower was still lurking around as well so there was much to do around the territory. It was all coming to ahead at MSG but we still have some cards to go to get there. The following day WWWF was coming back to North Attleboro, see you there.

WWWF at National Arena (2/3/71)

National Arena

Washington, DC

February 3, 1971

We are just five days away from Madison Square Garden and the big showdowns between Gorilla Monsoon & Beppo Mongol along with Ivan Koloff vs Pedro Morales. Tonight Pedro will be defending the United States championship against Joe Turco while The Mongols put the tag titles on the lines against Tomas Marin and Miguel Feliciano. Bulldog Brower also faces Vincente Pometti and its almost the exact same card a a month earlier just missing a few matches.

Match 1

Lee Wong vs The Wolfman

After losing to Pedro Morales on the house show circuit, Wolfman now has to face Lee Wong in the opening match at the National Arena. Wolfman did get the win

Winner: Wolfman

Match 2

Vincente Pometti vs Ernie Lassiter

The big rematch from a month earlier saw Lassiter and Pometti tangle again. Lassiter got the win.

Winner: Lassiter

Match 3

Bull Molina vs Bulldog Brower

Another rematch from a month earlier with the same result, Brower wins

Winner: Brower

Match 4

Mike Conrad vs Jack Evans

Its the exact same card as January 7th with the exact same result. Evans wins

Winner: Evans

Match 5

Miguel Feliciano and Tomas Marin vs The Mongols (Geeto and Beppo) for the WWWF International Tag Team Championship in a 2 out of 3 falls match

Same thing as January 7th, The Mongols win.

Winners: The Mongols (still Tag Team Champions)

Match 6

"Nobleman" Joe Turco vs Pedro Morales for the WWWF United States Championship

Same as January 7th with Morales getting the win

Winner: Morales (still WWWF Champion)

That was weird to have the exact same card a month after their January 7th show in the exact same arena. You would think the results would have changed even slightly....but nope. Still, there was no internet in those days so unless you were there in January, you wouldn't have known it was the same card with the same results. Either way the crew heads to Philadelphia so I'll see you there.

WWWF at Scranton Catholic Youth Center (2/2/71)

Catholic Youth Center

Scranton, PA

February 2, 1971

Six days away from Madison Square Garden and the crew heads to Scranton for another card of WWWF wrestling. Once again both contestants in the main event of MSG will be defending their titles as Pedro Morales once again faces The Wolfman while Ivan Koloff puts the WWWF Heavyweight title on the line against Chief Jay Strongbow. Basically its the same card as the day before with almost the same results, which was common back then. Let's get to the matches.

Match 1

Lee Wong vs "Nobleman" Joe Turco

An irate Turco has to face Wong in the opening match and he gets on the microphone to DEMAND a match with Pedro Morales instead. Pedro comes out and says tomorrow in Washington, he's on. Turco celebrates and taunts the irate crowd but Wong rolls him up and gets the pin. Whoops!

Winner: Wong by pinfall

Match 2

Tony Marino vs Bulldog Brower

Brower comes to the ring threatening to attack the fans sitting ring side and Marino will have none of it so they brawl on the floor to start. Back inside they hold a match but Marino continues to frustrate Brower with various holds. Finally Brower can't take it anymore and grabs the ring bell. The ref warns Brower not to use it and Brower nails the ref with it. Marino knocks Brower around and chases him away as the official word is Brower has been disqualified. The ref is carried out on a stretcher, poor guy.

Winner: Marino by DQ

Match 3

Vincente Pometti vs Manuel Soto

The Argentinian takes on Soto and.....wins? Wow, big win for the Bull

Winner: Pometti

Match 4

The Wolfman vs Pedro Morales for the WWWF United States Championship

Once again Wolfman gets a US title shot under orders from Ivan Koloff to take out Morales before he even gets to MSG. Wolfman doesn't waste any time attacking Morales and eventually gets himself disqualified for excessive violence. Bad news for Pedro but he keeps the title.

Winner: Morales by DQ

Match 5

Chief Jay Strongbow vs Ivan Koloff for the WWWF Heavyweight Championship

Six days before MSG Strongbow gets a title shot against Koloff but unlike Wolfman, he's out to win the title. After a fierce battle Strongbow was counted out of the ring giving Koloff the victory.

Winner: Koloff by count-out (still WWWF Champion)

Pretty standard card although it was almost the exact same as the day before, which was common. The mind-set was every town got its turn and this practice would go well into the 2000's. Friday night in Maine Koloff hits Strongbow with a chair outside and then does the same finish Saturday night in Pennsylvania. Still, the fans in Scranton probably had a good time and that's all that matters. The crew now goes to Washington DC for the next show, I'll see you there.

WWWF at Little Palestra Gymnasium (2/1/71)

Little Palestra Gymnasium

Allentown, PA

February 1, 1971

Its a new month and we are one week away from Madison Square Garden's big showdown between WWWF United States Champion Pedro Morales taking on WWWF Heavyweight Champion Ivan Koloff. Both of them will be defending their belts tonight as Morales once again faces The Wolfman while Koloff takes on Chief Jay Strongbow. The WWWF International Tag Team Champions The Mongols also take on Gorilla Monsoon and Manuel Soto. Without further adieu, let's get to the action.

Match 1

Jean Dubois vs Blackjack Mulligan

This match stems from the six man tag the previous day where these two were on opposite teams. Now they face each other one on one. Mulligan continues his hot streak by getting the victory

Winner: Mulligan

Match 2

Tony Marino vs Bulldog Brower

Marino needed a win to stay in contention as a future opponent for Ivan Koloff while Brower needed a win to get back in contention just in case Morales won the world title. Brower got the win.

Winner: Brower

Match 3

The Wolfman vs Pedro Morales for the WWWF United States Championship

Wolfman has been chasing Morales for a solid month to try to get the US title away from him and also keep him from facing Koloff at MSG. Well he fails again as Morales wins.

Winner: Morales (Still US Champion)

Match 4

Gorilla Monsoon & Manuel Soto vs The Mongols (Geeto & Beppo) for the WWWF International Tag Team Championship in a 2 out of 3 falls match

Monsoon had a one on one contest with Beppo Mongol coming up at MSG but here he tries to win the tag titles with Soto. The Mongols won the contest 2 falls to 1

Winners: The Mongols (still Tag Team Champions)

Match 5

Chief Jay Strongbow vs "The Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff for the WWWF Heavyweight Championship

Koloff had pretty much dispatched every babyface on the roster with the exception of Morales since he took the belt from Bruno Sammartino. Bruno didn't get a rematch so Koloff has been defending against everyone else. Strongbow was game but Koloff won by a count-out to retain the title.

Winner: Koloff by count-out (still WWWF Champion)

With MSG a week away Vince Sr had to put on good cards without spoiling the main event for MSG. Having everyone wrestle each other in house shows leading up to MSG was fine since before cable and the internet, not very many people knew what happened in Allentown, PA if they were living in Boston or NYC. Giving MSG quality cards in the territory was common at the time and this felt like a big show with all the titles on the line. Obviously none of those titles were going to change this close to the big show but at least they were defended. Tomorrow the WWWF comes to Scranton, PA so I'll see everyone there.

WWWF at Philadelphia Arena (1/31/71)

Philadelphia Arena

Philadelphia, PA

January 31, 1971

We're just eight days away from the showdown at Madison Square Garden between WWWF US Champion Pedro Morales and WWWF Heavyweight Champion Ivan Koloff. Both of them will be putting their belts on the line tonight in a special house show for the Philadelphia faithful. Morales faces his nemesis The Wolfman who is under strict orders from Ivan Koloff not to let Morales make it to New York. Meanwhile Morales countered by sending Gorilla Monsoon after Koloff in the main event tonight. With these ramifications that could potentially change history, let's get to the action.

Match 1

"Nobleman" Joe Turco vs Angelo Savoldi

These two met a year ago in North Attleboro so tonight was the big re-match. Turco got the victory.

Winner: Turco

Match 2

Vincente Pometti vs Chief Jay Strongbow

Strongbow scored a big win the day before against Bulldog Brower and needed another one if he wanted another shot at Ivan Koloff if Koloff were to get by Monsoon tonight and Morales on the 8th. Pometti was looking just to play spoiler but it didn't work, Strongbow won.

Winner: Strongbow

Match 3

Tony Marino vs Manuel Soto

Two popular babyfaces going one on one just to fill out the card was a rarity. To keep them both in their spots, the bout ended in a 20 minute draw.

Winner: No one (Draw)

Match 4

Gene Dubois, Geeto Mongol & Beppo Mongol vs Blackjack Mulligan, Bulldog Brower and The Black Demon

What the hell is THIS? An all-heel six man tag match was even rarer than the babyface match the previous bout. No idea why Vince Sr booked this match but its definitely interesting. To keep everyone's heat, the bout ended in a draw.

Winners: No one (Draw)

Match 5

The Wolfman vs Pedro Morales for the WWWF United States Championship

The rematch from Madison Square Garden last month had a special kick to it as Koloff sent Wolfman to specifically stop Morales from getting to MSG. Unfortunately for Koloff, Wolfman failed and Morales got the duke

 Th

Winner: Morales (still US Champion)

Match 6

Gorilla Monsoon vs "The Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff for the WWWF Heavyweight Championship

Koloff looked nervous as he got in the ring as his henchman Wolfman failed to knock off Morales. Pedro in retaliation sent Gorilla Monsoon after Koloff just eight days before their showdown in MSG. Koloff barely escaped with the win when Monsoon was counted out. Morales came to the ring and chased away Koloff to end the show.

Winner: Koloff by count-out (still WWWF Champion)

Very interesting card with an all-heel 6 man tag, a babyface showdown and both main titles on the line. Vince Sr was saving the home run show for the Garden but this would have been a fun card to see if video footage of it existed. Koloff and Morales were on a collision course and Monsoon had a date with the Mongols. It was also nice to see Savoldi again nearing the end of his career. The crew travels to Allentown, PA for their next show. I'll see you there.

WWWF at Sunnyside Garden Arena (1/30/71)

Sunnyside Garden Arena

Queens, NY

January 30, 1971

We're back in Queens for a special house show nine days before Madison Square Garden. In a match that had been going around the circuit, the main event would be WWWF US Champion Pedro Morales and Gorilla Monsoon taking on the WWWF International Tag Team Champions The Mongols. Bulldog Brower takes on Chief Jay Strongbow and Blackjack Mulligan faces Tony Marino. Nine days out from Madison Square Garden, let's get to the action.

Match 1

The Black Demon vs Manuel Soto

Demon and Soto have had a tough time getting victories lately so putting them together makes sense that something has to give. Soto gets the win by DQ

Winner: Soto by DQ

Match 2

Jean Dubois vs The Wolfman

These two match up again and they are no stranger to each other. The bout ended in a 20 minute draw.

Winner: No one (Draw)

Match 3

Blackjack Mulligan vs Tony Marino

Big match for Mulligan here as he was gaining steam with a string of victories setting himself up for a future title shot if Pedro Morales were to knock off Ivan Koloff. Marino fought hard but Mulligan got the victory.

Winner: Mulligan

Match 4

Bulldog Brower vs Chief Jay Strongbow

Just like Mulligan, Brower needed a big win to put himself in a position for a future title shot if Morales were to win the title. Unfortunately for Brower, Strongbow got the duke.

Winner: Strongbow

Match 5

Gorilla Monsoon and WWWF United States Champion Pedro Morales vs The Mongols (Geeto and Beppo) for the WWWF International Tag Team Championship in a 2 out of 3 falls match

This was going around the circuit but even smart fans at the time knew what was going to happen since Morales didn't need two belts with a potential third coming up. Monsoon made Beppo submit to win the first fall but Beppo pinned Monsoon to even it up. Finally the Mongols were disqualified to give the victory to the faces, but the champs retain. Morales said after the match in Spanish the equivalent to "we'll get em next time."

Winners: Morales and Monsoon by DQ (Mongols retain)

Things were shaping up for Madison Square Garden with Monsoon getting his hands on the Mongols and Morales having a date with Koloff. The pecking order in the WWWF was being established even though guys came and went because that was the nature of the business back then. Strongbow knocking off Brower elevated Mulligan up the ladder so that might have been an important victory by the Chief. All in all it was a standard show and not the worst thing to happen. The WWWF ends the month in Philadelphia so I'll see you there.