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

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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.

WWWF at Witchi's Sports Arena (1/29/71)

Witchi's Sports Arena

North Attleboro, MA

January 29, 1971

While half the crew was in Harrisburg, PA tonight, the other half made their way to North Attleboro for tonight's show. Unfortunately the card is pretty lackluster with the main event being Bulldog Brower vs Tony Marino. The Wolfman takes on Manuel Soto and Pete Sanchez goes up against Joe Turco. Its definitely a small spot show but its still something, let's get to the action.

Match 1

Carlos Parades vs Vincente Pometti

We open the show with a battle of the latinos as Argentina's Pometti takes on Parades. Pometti got the win, no 20 minute draw this time.

Winner: Pometti

Match 2

"Nobleman" Joe Turco vs Pete Sanchez

Another mid-card showdown between Turco and Sanchez. Turco got the win, no idea how.

Winner: Turco

Match 3

Tomas Marin vs "Unpredictable" Johnny Rodz

Another mid-card showdown with Rodz taking on Marin. Rodz somehow got the win.

Winner: Rodz

Match 4

Manuel Soto vs The Wolfman

Wolfman needed a big win to get back in title contention after losing to Pedro Morales earlier in the month and Soto wants to win to get back into title contention after losing to Ivan Koloff. Unfortunately for Soto, the Wolfman got the win.

Winner: Wolfman

Match 5

Tony Marino vs Bulldog Brower

Not much of a main event with the crazy Bulldog taking on the former Battman. Marino won by DQ and chased Bulldog away to send the fans home happy.

Winner: Marino by DQ

Not much of a show with a bunch of mid-carders and curtain jerkers. 30 years later this type of card would be perfect for an episode of WWF Metal. This was like re-arranging the chairs on the deck of the Titanic. None of these guys with the exception of maybe Brower would be in title contention in the future. Still, Vince Sr had a deal with North Attleboro so every week they'd send guys there no matter where they were in the pecking order. The main crew would make their way to Queens tomorrow night so we'll pick up there.

WWWF at Zembo Shrine Center (1/29/71)

Zembo Shrine Center

Harrisburg, PA

January 29, 1971

Its Friday night and Vince Mcmahon Sr has booked a double shot. While half the crew is in North Attleboro the other half are here at the Zembo Mosque for WWWF action. This card was actually the big draw as the main event features a sneak preview of Madison Square Garden in 10 days. WWWF Heavyweight Champion Ivan Koloff teams with the International Tag Team Champions The Mongols to take on number 1 contender Pedro Morales, Gorilla Monsoon and Chief Jay Strongbow in a special six man tag  3 out of 5 falls match. Other matches include "Golden Boy" Arnold Skaaland taking on Blackjack Mulligan, "Popeye" Chuck Richards taking on Gene Dubois and The Black Demon taking on Hurricane Rivera. Let's get to the matches

Match 1

"Popeye" Chuck Richards vs Gene Dubois

Interesting opening match as Chris Candido's grandfather takes on Ontario promoter Dave McKigney.  Dubois got the win....wow, no opening match draw?

Winner: Dubois

Match 2

Hurricane Rivera vs The Black Demon

Demon had been a punching bag all month but in essence so has Rivera. Something has to give, right? Wrong! They fought to a 20 minute draw.

Winner: No one (Draw)

Match 3

"Golden Boy" Arnold Skaaland vs Blackjack Mulligan

Mulligan was quickly gaining steam with big victories to set himself up for future matches so it made sense to put him with the crafty veteran Skaaland. Mulligan got the win to further move up the ladder.

Winner: Mulligan

Match 4

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

Talk about a tag match that would be a PLE main event today. You got the world champ and the tag champs against the number one contenders for both titles. Koloff and Morales had a date with destiny ten days later while Monsoon would be facing Geeto. Not much is known about the match apart from it ended in a no-contest. Probably were tied two falls apiece before a pier six brawl erupted with both teams being counted out or disqualified. Good way to keep everyone's heat intact. Still, having Koloff and Morales face each other before the big Garden show should have done a lot of business.

Winners: No one (Draw)

The show has been lost to time at it was a spot show long before the era of recorded television, house shows, ppvs, etc....but that main event with all the talent and the stories going in would have been a MSG main event any time. The Mongols wouldn't be defending the straps at MSG but Koloff and Morales would be going mano e mano. The ramifications were huge as Koloff really didn't have many credible contenders apart from maybe Gorilla Monsoon while if Morales won, he had plenty of heels to chose from as opponents. As for this show, if only it was recorded. Now the next show was taking place the exact same day in North Attleboro, I'll see you there.

WWWF at National Arena (1/28/71)

National Arena

Washington, DC

January 28, 1971

We're eleven days away from Madison Square Garden but in the old days long before PPV and Cable TV, some house shows were more important than others. Vince McMahon Sr always had an affinity for Washington, DC hence the name Capitol Wrestling. We got a huge eight match card featuring Pedro Morales and Gorilla Monsoon going after the tag belts from The Mongols. Jean DuBois gets a shot at the Heavyweight crown when he faces Ivan Koloff and Blackjack Mulligan is back facing Lee Wong. Vince wanted the home run show in the nation's capital so let's get to it.

Match 1

Miguel Feliciano vs The Wolfman

Wolfman needed a big win to get his heat back after losing to Pedro in the Garden so he has to start at the bottom. Taking on local Baltimore jobber Feliciano was step one in getting back on track. Wolfman did win the match.

Winner: Wolfman

Match 2

Lee Wong vs Blackjack Mulligan

Needing a fresh heel, Vince Sr brought in Blackjack Mulligan to do some damage in the territory. He faces Lee Wong in the second match of the night and wins it. He's starting to gain steam for sure.

Winner: Mulligan

Match 3

"Popeye" Chuck Richards vs Manuel Soto

Interesting battle here as both of them have taken some losses lately so one of them has to win, right? Well it turns out Soto won this one.

Winner: Soto

Match 4

"Nobleman" Joe Turco vs Chief Jay Strongbow

Another big battle as both of them have lost some high profile matches. Strongbow needed a win to get back in the hunt for Koloff and Turco just had to establish himself again. Unfortunately for Joe, Strongbow got the duke.

Winner: Strongbow

Match 5

Jean Dubois vs "Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff for the WWWF Heavyweight Championship

Somehow, someway Dave McKigney got himself a WWWF Heavyweight title shot against Koloff. As I mentioned before, the big showdown with Pedro was less than two weeks away so it made sense for Koloff to beat up on the curtain jerkers on the spot show circuit to save the heavy hitters for future MSG shows. As expected, Koloff beats McKigney.

Winner: Koloff (Still WWWF Champion)

Match 6

Bulldog Brower vs Tomas Marin

Bulldog was very irate after failing to win the US title from Pedro Morales so he asked for an open challenge, anyone will do. Tomas Marin stepped up to the plate only to be dispatched by the angry Bulldog.

Winner: Bulldog

Match 7

Vincente Pometti vs Ernie Lassiter

The big rematch from three weeks earlier in the same arena as Pometti looks to avenge his loss to Ernie. Unfortunately for him, Ernie won again.

Winner: Lassiter

Match 8

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

Kind of telegraphing who wins this match because Pedro didn't need two belts. Ironically The Mongols would be split up for singles competition at MSG. The actual details of this match has been lost to time but as per norm, the bout ended in a draw. Don't know how the fans were sent home happy, maybe the faces cleaned house of the heels at the end.

Winners: No one (Draw)

Eight match cards are usually reserved for the big shows but remember this was 1971 and the "big" shows were still house shows. Basically Boston, Philadelphia, DC and New York were the core areas so Vince Sr usually had the home run shows booked for there. Koloff continues his run with the world title but Morales his hot on his trail. Blackjack Mulligan looked to put himself in a good position with Bulldog and Wolfman lurking around. The Mongols still had a stranglehold on the tag belts so things were done with purpose on this night. Well the crew was about to get busy because Vince Sr booked a double shot for the next day. Half the crew would go to North Attleboro while the other half went to Harrisburg, PA. That's where we'll pick up next time.

WWWF at Augusta State Armory (1/26/71)

Augusta State Armory

Augusta, ME

January 26, 1971

One day after a small crew worked the Waterville State Armory, 3 of them joined the rest a few miles south for a spot show at the Augusta State Armory. This was a pretty stacked card as we are just 13 days away from the big title vs title showdown with US Champion Pedro Morales and Heavyweight Champion Ivan Koloff. Unfortunately for Morales, Bulldog Brower had beaten Chief Jay Strongbow the night before and would get a US title shot. Blackjack Mulligan was in town and he'd be taking on Hurricane Rivera. We had a double main event as The Mongols were scheduled to put the Tag Team belts on the line against Tony Marino and Chief Jay Strongbow but Geeto had gotten hurt the day before in Waterville. "Nobleman" Joe Turco would take Geeto's place with the belts no longer on the line. The champ himself Ivan Koloff would be teaming with punching back The Black Demon to face Gorilla Monsoon and Manuel Soto. Let's get to the action.

Match 1

Gene DuBois vs The Wolfman

Battle of the Canadians (sort of) to start the show as Dave McKigney (DuBois) taking on the Wolfman. As per norm, they fought to a 20 minute draw. Again, doesn't this get old after a while?

Winner: No one (Draw)

Match 2

Bulldog Brower vs Pedro Morales for the WWWF United States Championship

Bulldog had earned his title shot due to a hot streak in the month of January. Beating Strongbow the night before cemented his status as number one contender. "Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff gave Bulldog strict orders to take Morales out so he never made it to MSG. Bulldog did his best to beat up Morales and sure enough, Bulldog got himself disqualified for excessive violence. The crowd was not happy as now the question was would Morales make it to the Garden?

Winner: Morales by DQ (still US Champion)

Match 3

Hurricane Rivera vs Blackjack Mulligan

The big rematch from Madison Square Garden from eight days earlier has Rivera angry and wanting revenge for the humiliating defeat. Unfortunately for him, Mulligan got the win again.

Winner: Mulligan

Match 4

Chief Jay Strongbow and Tony Marino vs Beppo Mongol and "Nobleman" Joe Turco

This was supposed to be a tag title match but Geeto was injured doing double duty the night before so Turco takes his place. With the straps not on the line, Marino and Strongbow got the win.

Winners: Strongbow and Marino

Match 5

Gorilla Monsoon and Manuel Soto vs WWWF Heavyweight Champion "Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff and The Black Demon

The main event features the champ teaming with the human punching bag against Soto and Monsoon. Koloff was enough to off-set Demon because they won when Soto was counted out.

Winners: Koloff and Demon by count-out

A rare W for The Black Demon although the card was kind of pointless apart from Brower beating up Morales. Geeto Mongol getting hurt telegraphed the makeshift team of Turco & Beppo were gonna lose and the other matches were just kind of there, especially the main event. Still, thirteen days out from Madison Square Garden meant Morales and Koloff are going to face all-comers to keep their belts for their showdown. The next big card would be Thursday night in Washington, DC with an EIGHT match card. Vince Sr was throwing out the home run show at National Arena. See you then

WWWF at Waterville State Armory (1/25/71)

Waterville State Armory

Waterville, ME

January 25, 1971

We are 16 days away from Madison Square Garden where WWWF US Champ Pedro Morales takes on WWWF Heavyweight Champion Ivan Koloff in a winner take all match. Until then we still have business to take care of and a small crew headed to Waterville, ME for a four match card. Ironically three of the matches featured the exact same people. Morales would be defending the US title against Geeto Mongol while Hurricane Rivera took on Beppo Mongol. The main event would be The Mongols putting up the International Tag Titles against Rivera and Morales. The fourth match would be Chief Jay Strongbow taking on Bulldog Brower. Let's get to the action.

Match 1

Beppo Mongol vs Hurricane Rivera

The opening match would also be a preview of the main event as Mongol and Rivera get it on in a singles match. Thanks to drastic cheating, Beppo Mongol got the win.

Winner: Beppo Mongol

Match 2

Geeto Mongol vs Pedro Morales for the WWWF United States Championship

The other half of the Mongols takes on the other half of the main event as Morales puts the US strap on the line against Geeto. The fans were happy as Pedro prevailed and kept his date with Ivan Koloff in 16 days.

Winner: Morales (still US Champion)

Match 4

Chief Jay Strongbow vs Bulldog Brower

Brower scored a huge victory on Saturday to put himself as a top contender in case Morales won the title in MSG. Strongbow needed a win to get another title shot if Morales were to fail. Bulldog kept his hot streak going with a big win over Strongbow.

Winner: Bulldog Brower

Match 5

Hurricane Rivera and Pedro Morales vs The Mongols (Geeto & Beppo) for the WWWF International Tag Team Championship in a 2 out of 3 falls match

Usually cards like this were done in the territories when there were double shots or spot shows. Only six guys were used on this show and four of them meet again. The faces took the first fall when Morales pinned Geeto but the heels took the second fall when Morales was counted out following a sneak attack on the outside by both Mongols. Geeto then pinned Rivera to win the match. After the match, Morales and Rivera cleaned house and chased the Mongols away to send the fans home happy.

Winners: The Mongols (still International Tag Team Champions)

As I mentioned earlier, cards like this were pretty common in those days when people would pull double duty on spot shows or double shots. This was the definition of a spot show but the fans probably didn't mind just outside of Augusta. The road schedule wasn't as intense as it would be under Vince Jr but back then guys would work at least half the month if not more. The Mongols were finding every which way to keep their titles but luck won't last forever. Morales was definitely in the middle of a big time push so Koloff is in big trouble come February 8th. Ironically half of the card that worked this show would be working Augusta the next day, see you then.

WWWF at Jaffa Shrine Center (1/23/71)

Jaffa Shrine Center

Altoona, PA

January 23, 1971

The big news around the country was who was tapped to face Ivan Koloff at Madison Square Garden on February 8th. None other than the US Champion Pedro Morales would be facing Koloff in a champion vs champion, title vs title showdown. Talk about a monster match, but until then we still have business in Altoona PA. We got a pretty stacked card with former champion Bruno Sammartino taking on George "The Animal Steele", The tag champs The Mongols defend against US Champ Pedro Morales and Gorilla Monsoon, Ivan Koloff defends the Heavyweight crown against Chief Jay Strongbow and Bulldog Brower takes on Manuel Soto in a big contenders match. This is the opposite of North Attleboro so let's get to the action.

Match 1

"Jumpin" Johnny DeFazio vs Baron Mikel Scicluna

The Junior Heavyweight champion takes on the evil Baron from the Isle of Malta to open the show. DeFazio's title is not on the line as Baron is 6'3 and 250 pounds. The difference might have been the difference in the match as Baron CHEATS to pull out a victory! What a heel.

Winner: Scicluna by pinfall

Match 2

Dominic DeNucci vs Jos LeDuc

The insane LeDuc takes on DeNucci in a big grudge match for no apparent reason. DeNucci's tactics seemed to have angered LeDuc more than usual because LeDuc got himself disqualified for excessive violence. 

Winner: DeNucci by disqualification

Match 3

Manuel Soto vs Bulldog Brower

This match has big implications depending on who walks out of Madison Square Garden the Heavyweight Champion. If Morales pulls it off, Brower needs a win to get a title shot. If Koloff wins, Soto would move closer to another shot. Well Bulldog may be cheering for Pedro on the 8th because he won this match.

Winner: Brower by pinfall

Match 4

Bruno Sammartino vs George "The Animal" Steele

In match number 700 of 7,000 between the two of them, once again this has big implications depending on who walks out of MSG the champion. Bruno somehow didn't get a rematch and Pedro Morales was tabbed as the next one in line so he needs a big win. If Morales were to win, Steele would want a crack at him like he had chances against Bruno. Well the bad news was both men beat each other to a pulp and the ref threw the match out.

Winner: No one (Draw)

Match 5

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

Now this was a monster match. Monsoon and Chief Jay Strongbow had been chasing The Mongols the whole month of January and now Monsoon is with the US Champ and number 1 contender. The Mongols struck first when Geeto clobbered Monsoon from behind allowing Beppo to the get the pin. The faces rallied when Pedro Morales beat Beppo almost unconscious and pinned him to even the fall. Then it was a pier six brawl and the ref threw the match out, ending it in a draw. Usually that was pretty normal but it was telegraphed as Morales would have two titles with a potential third had he won. That was uncommon at the time.

Winners: No one (Mongols retain)

Match 6

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

Finally some real competition for Koloff who had been facing the lower card faces in the days following his win over Bruno. Strongbow had momentum on his side but Koloff had a date with Morales in 16 days. Fans went home happy as even though Koloff won the match, Strongbow chased him out of the arena with the champ running for his life.

Winner: Koloff by pinfall (still WWWF Champion)

That was a MSG worthy card and it was held in Altoona, PA. The news of Morales being tapped to face Koloff rather than a rematch with Bruno was shocking since Pedro was US Champion at the time. Still, Pedro was more than worthy of a title shot and we got 16 days to hype up the showdown. The Mongols got lucky against Pedro and Monsoon but luck doesn't last forever. The win by Brower over Soto meant Morales had to keep his eye on him if he walked out the champ and Koloff has to worry about Bruno if Morales fails. Things were heating up around here and the group would now travel to Maine for the next show, see you there.

WWWF at Witchi's Sports Arena (1/22/71)

 

Witchi's Sports Arena

North Attleboro, MA

January 22, 1971

The new era continues with Ivan Koloff was your new WWWF Heavyweight champion. The next Madison Square Garden show was just 17 days away and on Saturday it would be announced who Koloff's opponent would be. Until then, Manuel Soto gets the title shot tonight against the champ. Other matches include Pedro Morales once again defending the United States title against The Black Demon, Bulldog Brower takes on Jean Dubois and Bull Pometti takes on Tomas Morin. Let's get to the action.

Match 1

Carlos Parades vs "Nobleman" Joe Turco

The king of the curtain jerkers Joe Turco gets Parades in this one. As per norm, the match is a 20 minute draw.....how unusual.

Winner: No one (Draw)

Match 2

Jean DuBois vs Bulldog Brower

With Koloff as champion, Bulldog pretty much loses a future WWWF title shot by default since heels didn't face each other. But Pedro Morales as the US champion so Bulldog set his sights on him instead. He needed a win against DuBois to move up the ladder.....and he got it. Bulldog won the match.

Winner: Brower

Match 3

Mike Conrad vs Tony Marino

The punching bag Conrad takes on Battman in this one. Marino had lost his WWWF title match with Ivan Koloff and needed a win to get back in contention. Naturally he defeated Conrad in this one.

Winner: Marino

Match 4

Tomas Marin vs Vincente Pometti

Kind of a lackluster matchup consider neither of these guys have a big grudge or anything but the whole show is pretty much a hodge podge as it is. Pometti gets the win.

Winner: Pometti

Match 5

The Black Demon vs Pedro Morales for the WWWF United States Championship

Don't know why they continue to run Demon vs Morales when Morales has won every time, especially with Bulldog Brower and Nobleman Joe Turco around. Morales beat Demon again to retain the title.

Winner: Morales (Still US Champion)

Match 6

Manuel Soto vs Ivan Koloff for the WWWF Heavyweight Championship

Last night Koloff defended against Tony Marino and now he gets Manuel Soto. Vince Sr was saving his big opponent for Madison Square Garden which would be announced the following day. Until then the rising star Soto gets his shot. Unfortunately for Soto, Koloff got the win.

Winner: Koloff (still WWWF Champion)

Apart from the final two matches (and the US title match was done to death anyway) the card was totally lackluster. Running the same venue every week eventually gets old and it looked like Vince Sr didn't even try. With Koloff as the champion, that meant the babyfaces were becoming the contenders now and having Soto and Marino as stop gaps before the big opponent is announced makes sense. We'll just have to find out tomorrow who Koloff will be facing on February 8th. As for this card, meh....they had to give North Attleboro something. See you tomorrow.

WWWF at Punxsutawney High School (1/21/71)

Punxsutawney High School

Punxsutawney, PA

January 21, 1971

We're in the dawn of a new era in the WWWF as Ivan Koloff is the new WWWF Heavyweight Champion. 3 days after Koloff defeated Bruno Sammartino at Madison Square Garden, he would have his first title defense at the Punxsutawney High School in PA. His challenger? None other than....Tony Marino. Yes, the ex-Battman would get the first crack at the new champion. Other matches include Bruno himself taking on Jos LeDuc in a comeback match after losing to Koloff, Dominic DeNucci against Baron Mikel Scicluna and a novelty tag match between ladies and lady midget partners. Sounds like a party so let's get right to it.

Match 1

"Jumpin" Johnny DeFazio vs John L Sullivan

DeFazio's Junior Heavyweight title wasn't on the line as he battles Sullivan in the opening contest. As per norm, the bout ended in a 20 minute draw. Weren't fans sick of opening match draws by then?

Winner: No one (draw)

Match 2

Sharon Joy and Little Darling Dagmar vs WWWF Women's Champion Fabulous Moolah and Diamond Lil

Remember the women's midget match in Bangor where there were four prominent lady midgets? Well we saw Cuddles Anderson and Celine Fontaine then but now we have Little Darling Dagmar and Diamond Lil. Dagmar was basically a fun-sized Marylin Monroe who was the midget version of popular 50's women's wrestler Darling Dagmar. Midget women really haven't been an attraction since the 70's which is peculiar since men's midget wrestling continues today. Sharon Joy was another Moolah girl from the early 70's. Diamond Lil was born Katie Glass, moved in with Moolah when she was 17 and was her lifelong friend. She even lived with Mae Young when Mae came around creating the dynamic we knew in the late 90's. As for the main attraction, what can be said about Fabulous Moolah? Born Lillian Ellison in 1923, she unfortunately lost her mother to cancer when she was eight years old. She had to work on a cotton farm to make money to make up for the lost income but her father brought her to see women's champion Mildred Burke which inspired her to take up wrestling. Moolah then became one of the biggest draws in wrestling from the women's side starting in 1949. In 1956, she won a battle royal to become the Capitol Wrestling women's champion which later morphed into the World Wide Wrestling Federation where she's still the champ 15 years later. Not surprising but Moolah's team won.

Winners: Moolah and Lil

Match 3

Baron Mikel Scicluna vs Dominic DeNucci

With Ivan Koloff as champion now, DeNucci needs a big win to be a future contender against the Baron. Koloff himself told Baron to take care of Dominic so he never becomes a contender. Fortunately for Ivan, Scicluna got the duke.

Winner: Scicluna

Match 4

Jos LeDuc vs Bruno Sammartino

After dropping the WWWF title to Koloff just 3 days earlier, Bruno begins his comeback trail against the dangerous LeDuc. Koloff sent LeDuc to take out Bruno so Bruno doesn't get a rematch. Unfortunately for the heels, Bruno wins the match.

Winner: Bruno

Match 5

Tony Marino vs "Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff for the WWWF Heavyweight Champion

The new champ's first defense would be against the former Battman. It was a good move by Vince Sr to have Koloff go against a lower card babyface so when his next MSG opponent could be announced on Saturday, they didn't have to sacrifice anyone beforehand. Naturally Koloff got the win and kept the title.

Winner: Koloff (still WWWF Champion)

What a difference a week makes. When Bruno was champion all the talk was which heel would he be facing next after Ivan Koloff but the unthinkable happened, he lost. Now the question is who will be Koloff's first MSG defense going to be against? It sure as hell wouldn't be any of the heels since that was taboo back then and it wasn't going to be Tony Marino. Guess we'll have to just find out on Saturday. Still, it would have been nice to see the women's tag match just for the novelty of it. The next show would be the big Friday night show in North Attleboro, see you there.

WWWF at Madison Square Garden (1/18/71) Incomplete

Madison Square Garden

New York City, New York

January 18, 1971

We finally made it to MSG after a month of hype. Unfortunately only one match on this card remains but its the most important one, perhaps one of the most important in wrestling history. On May 17, 1963 Bruno Sammartino defeated Buddy Rogers to become the WWWF Heavyweight Champion and hadn't lost since. Tonight, Bruno put the title on the line against "The Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff who had been on a hot streak since the year began. Other matches include Pedro Morales putting the US title on the line against The Wolfman, The Mongols put the WWWF International Tag Team titles on the line against Chief Jay Strongbow and Gorilla Monsoon after Chief chased them all month, and Toronto's own Gene Dubois goes at it with "Nobleman" Joe Turco. After a whole month of hype, let's get to the card.

Match 1

Gene Dubois vs "Nobleman" Joe Turco

Good to see ol Dave McKigney again as Gene Dubois and on this night he takes on the Italian wildman Joe Turco. Gene Dubois got the victory.

Winner: Gene Dubois

Match 2

Vincente "Bull" Pometti vs The Black Demon

We all know both these guys so no sense going over that again. Pometti won this match.

Winner: Vincente Pometti

Match 3

Mike Conrad vs Manuel Soto

Conrad was a standard jobber at the time while Soto was a rising star in New York. Soto won this match.

Winner: Manuel Soto

Match 4

Blackjack Mulligan vs Hurricane Rivera

For those that don't know, Blackjack was born Robert Windham and played college football for Texas Western, now known as UTEP. He actually went to training camp with the New York Jets in the fall of 1966 but washed out. Wahoo McDaniel, who was on the Miami Dolphins in 66, convinced Mulligan to become a wrestler. He was trained by Joe Blanchard (Tully's father, Tessa's grandfather) and worked for Verne Gagne in Minnesota as a big rough cowboy. Ironically he was inspired by Bobby Duncum who was two years younger than Blackjack. We all know who Rivera is so no sense introducing him. Blackjack got the win here.

Winner: Blackjack Mulligan

Match 5 

Tony Marino vs Bulldog Brower

We all know the legendary heel Brower is and how Marino was The Battman. Brower got the win here.

Winner: Bulldog Brower

Match 6

The Wolfman vs Pedro Morales for the WWWF United States Championship

Pedro defends the strap against the lunatic Wolfman. Pedro had won the US strap 12 days before this night. Apparently Pedro won this match and kept the title.

Winner: Pedro Morales (still US Champion)

Match 7

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

The Mongols and Monsoon we know but Chief Jay Strongbow was actually an Italian man named Joe Scarpa who began his career in 1947 after being trained by Chief Don Eagle. He came to New York in 1970 under the Strongbow name and became a fan favorite. In this match we had a fake Native American team with a fake Chinaman facing two fake Mongolians. Apparently the bout ended in a draw. 

Winners: No one (Mongols retain)

Match 8

"The Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff vs Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF Heavyweight Championship

Finally we get to the main event. We all know their backstories but storyline wise, Koloff had been beating everyone in sight so Ivan gets a crack at the title. The bell rings and they circle before a tieup goes nowhere. Koloff drops Bruno with a shoulderblock but Koloff eats a back body drop. Bruno covers for just a 1 count. Sammartino armdrags Ivan then executes a single leg takedown. Koloff flips Bruno but Bruno takes him down by the leg again. Ivan gets to his feet but eats another arm-drag. Ivan gets to his feet for a test of strength and Koloff wins it. Koloff goes to the standing surfboard and Bruno counters into one of his own. Ivan breaks free and Bruno gets in a side headlock. Bruno is whipped off into a hiptoss by Koloff but the count only gets 1. Shoulderblock by Koloff drops Bruno but Sammartino counters with a drop toe-hold. He rams Ivan's knee into the mat but Koloff gets up and takes control with forearms and kicks. Ivan rams Bruno into the buckle and delivers a series of forearms in the corner. Ivan kicks away at Bruno and Bruno finally makes his comeback. He punches and kicks at Ivan before sending him into the ropes for a big powerslam. Bruno covers for 1...2...no. Bruno gets in a chinlock but Ivan makes it to the ropes. Bruno rocks Ivan with right hands and another cover gets 1. Another chinlock has Ivan down and he covers for 1.....2..nope. Ivan then rallies with right hands and accidentally clocks the ref. Bruno sends Ivan into the corner but a charge eats knee.  Ivan scoop slams Bruno and goes upstairs. He drops a knee from off the top and covers for 1....2....3! That's it! The 8 year reign of Bruno is over! Anyone who was at the Garden that night said the building went completely silent when the bell ring and Koloff was announced the winner. This was the 1971 version of Undertaker's streak ending as the unstoppable champion had finally been stopped. Koloff becomes just the third WWWF champion since 1962

Time of match: 14:55

Winner: Ivan Koloff

The rest of the card pales in comparison to the monumental defeat of Bruno. Ivan Koloff was the new WWWF Champion and fans wondered who was going to beat Koloff. It would have been fun to have seen the Mongols face Monsoon and Strongbow and a younger Dave McKigney away from Toronto. For the first time since 1963, Bruno was NOT the champion. The 8 year reign is a record that will probably never be broken. Here's to a new era in New York.

WWWF at Philadelphia Arena (1/16/71)

Philadelphia Arena

Philadelphia, PA

January 16, 1971

We are two days away from the Madison Square Garden showdown between Ivan Koloff and Bruno Sammartino but there's still business left to do in Pennsylvania. The day before Vince Sr pulled a double shot with half of the roster in North Attleboro and the other half in Pittsburgh. Today Philadelphia gets their turn to showcase the WWWF. We got the main roster on this one as Bruno defends the title against the red hot Bulldog Brower, The Mongols put the tag straps on the line against Chief Jay Strongbow and Tony Marino and Pedro Morales defends the US belt against The Black Demon. Morales and Sammartino took a beating yesterday so let's see if it affects them moving forward.

Match 1

Victor Rivera vs Jim Grabmire

We open the show with the rising star Rivera against the grizzled veteran Grabmire. For once the opening match wasn't a draw as Rivera got the victory

Winner: Rivera

Match 2

Baron Mikel Scicluna and George "The Animal" Steele vs Dominic DeNucci and WWWF Junior Heavyweight Champion "Jumpin" Johnny DeFazio

The duo that beat up Bruno yesterday take on the local Pennsylvania boys DeNucci and DeFazio. Unfortunately for the good guys, Steele and Scicluna got the victory.

Winners: Scicluna and Steele

Match 3

Vincente Pometti vs "Nobleman" Joe Turco

Gotta love when two curtain jerkers face each other for bragging rights. The Argentinian and the Italian face off and surprise, surprise....it ends in a draw.

Winner: No one (draw)

Match 4

Manuel Soto vs The Wolfman

Big match here as Soto wants to be a successor to Pedro Morales as US Champion while Wolfman is locked in to a US title shot against Morales in two days. Wolfman keeps his heat by getting the win, Morales awaits.

Winner: Wolfman

Match 5

Gorilla Monsoon vs "The Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff

Talk about a monster match before the big show at MSG. If Koloff wants to beat Bruno, he has to get by the big Monsoon first. Ivan gets the duke to have all the momentum going into MSG.

Winner: Koloff

Match 6

The Black Demon vs Pedro Morales for the WWWF United States Championship

The human punching bag Demon somehow gets a crack at the US title two days before Madison Square Garden. Bruno has to face Bulldog Brower on a hot streak while Morales faces the winless all month Demon. No surprise but Morales gets the win.

Winner: Morales

Match 7

Chief Jay Strongbow and Tony Marino vs The Mongols (Beppo & Geeto) in a 2 out of 3 falls match for the WWWF International Tag Team Championship

Strongbow has been chasing the Mongols all month with various tag team partners ranging from Gorilla Monsoon to the local peanut vendor in the arena so this time he chooses Tony Marino. As per norm, Strongbow gets the first fall, the Mongols got the second fall and Marino got counted out to end it. The Mongols retain the titles.

Winners: The Mongols (still Tag Team Champions)

Match 8

Bulldog Brower vs Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF Heavyweight Championship

Brower has been on a hot streak since the month began and he gets Bruno two days before the big MSG show. Bruno got the crap kicked out of him by George Steele and Baron Scicluna the previous day and now he's got the vicious Bulldog on his tail. The match ended in a double disqualification when everyone in the back interfered and had a big brawl. That must have been fun to watch.

Winner: No one (Bruno retains)

That was a stacked card and it definitely served its purpose as a preview for Madison Square Garden coming up. Bruno & The Mongols have their work cut out for them moving forward while Pedro goes into the US title match with momentum. They kept Bulldog strong for a future match with Bruno so he was definitely getting another title shot down the road. All in all it was a good card that unfortunately has been lost to time. Next up is MSG, you don't want to miss it.

WWWF at Pittsburgh Civic Arena (1/15/71)

Pittsburgh Civic Arena

Pittsburgh, PA

January 15, 1971

While half the WWWF roster was performing at Witchi's Sports Arena in North Attleboro, MA.....the other half was at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena for a great card of wrestling three days before Madison Square Garden. WWWF and adopted hometown hero Bruno Sammartino teams with Dominic DeNucci against the dastardly Baron Mikel Scicluna and George "The Animal" Steele in the main event. Other matches include a young John L Sullivan taking on Jim Dillon, Gorilla Monsoon teaming with Victor Rivera against number one contender Ivan Koloff and the insane Jos Le Duc, and "Nobleman" Joe Turco taking on Bobby Hunt. Let's get to the matches.

Match 1

Frank Holtz vs Mike Conrad

Check it out, its Frank Holtz! I said this before but he was a local Pennsylvania police officer who was booked when the WWWF came to Pittsburgh from the 60's all the way to 1976. As per norm, this was a 15 minute time limit draw.

Time of match: 15:00

Winner: No one (Draw)

Match 2

Jim Dillon vs John L Sullivan

Talk about two guys who would go on to greatness. For those that don't know, Jim Dillon is none other than James J Dillon the future architect of the Four Horseman in the NWA. Back then he was a 28 year old "rookie" just getting into the business. He was doubling as referee and enhancement talent. John L Sullivan would later become Luscious Johnny Valiant. He was born Thomas Sullivan and was good friends with Bruno Sammartino in the Pittsburgh area in the late 60's. It was Bruno that helped Johnny get into the business in Detroit, being trained by Al Costello and working for The Sheik. In 1969, he came to New York as the babyface John L Sullivan basing his name off 19th century boxing champion John L Sullivan. Seeing these two great managers in their prime would have been fun to see. Sullivan got the duke when Dillon was counted out.

Time of match: 11:40

Winner: Sullivan by count-out

Match 3

Victor Rivera and Gorilla Monsoon vs Jos Le Duc and Ivan Koloff

This is an interesting matchup as Koloff was three days away from challenging Bruno Sammartino for the heavyweight crown and here he is teaming with the lunatic Jos Le Duc against Rivera and Monsoon. The heels got themselves disqualified.

Time of match: 13:08

Winners: Rivera and Monsoon by pinfall

Match 4

"Nobleman" Joe Turco vs Bobby "Hurricane" Hunt

Hurricane Hunt was a local Pittsburgh wrestler and he had the hometown advantage against the dastardly Turco. Hunt pinned Turco to win the match.

Time of match: 10:33

Winner: Hunt by pinfall

Match 5

Jim Grabmire vs WWWF Junior Heavyweight Champion "Jumpin" Johnny DeFazio

What's that you ask? Believe it or not the WWWF did have a rarely used Junior Heavyweight title for the smaller guys of the time.  This would be a non-title match as Jim Grabmire was 6 foot 6 and 242 pounds. DeFazio pinned Grabmire to win the match.

Time of match: 13:19

Winner: DeFazio by pinfall

Match 6

Baron Mikel Scicluna and George "The Animal" Steele vs Dominic DeNucci and WWWF Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino in a 2 out of 3 falls match

The champ is here and he's teaming with DeNucci to take on Scicluna and the insane George Steele. The first fall went to the faces as Sammartino pinned Steele but George got mad and belted Bruno with a chair rendering him unable to continue in the second fall. The third fall went to the faces when Scicluna and Steele were disqualified for doubleteaming Bruno. Back then house shows weren't really talked about on TV but these days they could play up Bruno taking a beating at the hands of Steele & Scicluna just days away from his battle with Koloff. Still, the Pittsburgh Italians win it.

Winners: Bruno & Dominic 2 falls to 1

We're just days away from the big MSG showdown and both the Heavyweight and US champion took beatings at the hands of the heels tonight. Once again, WWWF had only local syndication on the weekends so Friday night Smackdown didn't exist in 1971, otherwise you could play up Morales and Sammartino getting beat up days before their title defenses. Still there was a lot going on that's been lost to time. A younger JJ Dillon duking it out with the future Johnny Valiant and the Junior Heavyweight Champion Jumpin Johnny. There's only one house show left before MSG so we'll see you in Philadelphia.

WWWF at Witchi's Sports Arena (1/15/71)

Witchi's Sports Arena

North Attleboro, MA

January 15, 1971

The WWWF roster was split into two on January 15th as they had this show in North Attleboro and another show with the other half in Pittsburgh. Maybe there was a show scheduled for the night before but it got postponed due to snow or whatever. Either way we're back in North Attleboro just three days before the Monday night show at Madison Square Garden. Pedro Morales has a date with The Wolfman at MSG but he's facing him tonight as a preview. The Mongols also have a date with Gorilla Monsoon and Chief Jay Strongbow at the Garden but here they take on Strongbow and Manuel Soto. Let's get to the card.

Match 1

Tony Marino vs Vincente Pometti

As per norm the Argentinian opens the show against the former Battman. Also as per norm they battled to a 20 minute time limit draw. Wouldn't that be boring for the first match to go the distance every single card?

Winner: No one (Draw)

Match 2

The Black Demon vs "Golden Boy" Arnold Skaaland

The human punching bag Demon gets fed to Arnold Skaaland three days before MSG. Skaaland gets the victory,  big surprise.

Winner: Skaaland

Match 3

Pete Sanchez vs Bulldog Brower

Brower was currently the number three heel behind The Wolfman and Ivan Koloff so he needed a big win against Sanchez if he wanted to keep pace with the others. Sanchez needed a win to put himself on the same level as Pedro Morales. Unfortunately for Sanchez, Brower got the win.

Winner: Brower

Match 4

The Wolfman vs Pedro Morales for the WWWF United States Championship

Three days before MSG, Morales defends against the same man he'll be facing in the Garden. Wolfman got himself disqualified by beating the daylights out of Pedro outside the ring. For a wild man, that was a brilliant move by Wolfman to soften Pedro up for the Garden by sacrificing this match.

Winner: Morales by DQ (still US Champion)

Match 5

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

The main event of the card saw Strongbow bringing Manuel Soto to help him take the titles from the evil Mongols. As per norm, the first fall went to the faces, the second fall went to the heels and all four men brawled to earn the double-disqualification to end the match. The Mongols retain the titles.

Winners: No one (Mongols retain)

North Attleboro had some rudimentary cards every week it seemed but fans didn't seem to mind. They were clearly building toward MSG but Vince Sr had all these house shows to drum up interest. Having Pedro & Wolfman and Strongbow vs The Mongols bring their matches around the territory but settling it at MSG was pretty standard. Up next is the other card that happened on this day.

WWWF at Hammonton Elementary School (1/13/71)

Hammonton Elementary School

Hammonton, New Jersey

January 13, 1971

We are just five days away from the big showdown at Madison Square Garden between Bruno Sammartino and Ivan Koloff. The International tag team champions The Mongols will be defending the straps at the Garden and Pedro Morales faces The Wolfman. Meanwhile Gorilla Monsoon was a busy man as he himself promoted this show 35 minutes from his hometown. Monsoon not only was the promoter but he'd be facing The Black Demon on the card. The Mongols would be defending the titles against Chief Jay Strongbow and Arnold Skaaland and in a sneak preview of MSG, Pedro Morales would be defending the US title against The Wolfman. Let's get to the matches.

Match 1

Tomas Marin vs "Nobleman" Joe Turco

These two had been going around the territory opening each show with a 20 minute draw so Monsoon figured to have them knock each other around for another 20 minutes in an elementary school. Well that's exactly what happened as the match ended in a 20 minute draw.

Winner: No one (draw)

Match 2

"Golden Boy" Arnold Skaaland and Chief Jay Strongbow vs The Mongols (Geeto and Beppo) in a 2 out of 3 falls match for the WWWF International Tag Team Championship

Five days before Monsoon and Strongbow get their shot at the Mongols, Strongbow teams with Skaaland to try to take the titles, logically that would be very awkward if the faces were to win. Well, as usual the bout ended in a draw at 1 fall apiece.

Winners: No one (Mongols retain)

Match 3

Gorilla Monsoon vs The Black Demon

The hometown hero Monsoon takes on the human punching bag Black Demon. Not surprisingly, Monsoon got the duke much to the fans delight.

Winner: Gorilla Monsoon

Match 4

The Wolfman vs Pedro Morales for the WWWF United States Championship

The final match on the card showcased Pedro defending the strap against his opponent in five days. The fans went home happy as Morales got the duke to keep the title.

Winner: Morales (still WWWF US Champion)

Short but sweet as it was just a four match card. Still, Monsoon was able to book a WWWF show five days away from a possible sellout at Madison Square Garden in a little town in New Jersey close to where he lived. It served its purpose as in those days without cable, internet and streaming the citizens of Hammonton weren't likely to make the trek to MSG so to have Pedro beat Wolfman there was good enough for them. The WWWF roster was going to be very busy Friday as they got TWO shows booked on the 15th, god help us.

WWWF at Scranton Catholic Youth Center (1/12/71)

Catholic Youth Center

Scranton, PA

January 12, 1971

We are six days out from the big showdown at Madison Square Garden between Bruno Sammartino and Ivan Koloff. Also on that card, The Wolfman takes on Pedro Morales for the US title and the tag champs The Mongols defend against Chief Jay Strongbow and Gorilla Monsoon. Tonight The Wolfman takes on Arnold Skaaland, Pedro defends against The Black Demon and The Mongols take on Monsoon & Strongbow a week early. Let's get to the matches.

Match 1

Tomas Marin vs "Nobleman" Joe Turco

Turco needed a big win to keep his heat while The Wolfman and Ivan Koloff were rising to the top of the card. In his way is Tomas Marin. Well, they fought to a 20 minute time limit draw.

Winner: No one (Draw)

Match 2

"Golden Boy" Arnold Skaaland vs The Wolfman

Wolfman had a date with Pedro Morales locked in but Arnold Skaaland was a big test for the wild man six days out. Wolfman ended up getting the duke over the Golden Boy.

Winner: Wolfman

Match 3

Pete Sanchez vs "Unpredictable" Johnny Rodz

A battle of the jobbers so something has to give. Fortunately for Sanchez, Rodz got himself disqualified.

Winner: Sanchez by disqualification

Match 4

The Black Demon vs Pedro Morales for the WWWF United States Championship

Morales was the new US champion and one of his first title defenses was going to be against Demon just six days before MSG. Naturally, Morales won it.

Winner: Morales

Match 5

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

The main event for the evening is a preview of the tag team title match coming up at MSG. The Mongols defend against Monsoon and Strongbow in Scranton. The first fall went to the challengers and the second fall went to the Mongols. Then one minute into the third fall Monsoon and Beppo knocked each other out to render the match a draw. The Mongols were still the champs.

Winners: No one (Mongols retain)

Another standard house show but it served its purpose. The Mongols against Strongbow & Monsoon was a good main event and they'd lock up again in just six days. The Wolfman and Pedro Morales were due to go one on one and they both won their matches tonight. Joe Turco got a big win as well, he might be a future opponent for a top face as well. All in all at least it didn't look like a bad show.

WWWF at Bangor Municipal Auditorium (1/11/71)

Bangor Municipal Auditorium

Bangor, ME

January 11, 1971

Two days after the Boston Garden show the WWWF crew travels to Bangor, Maine for another house show. Only this one has an ultra rare treat, ladies MIDGET wrestling! Little Joey's wife Celine Fontaine takes on legendary ladies midget Cuddles Anderson. We also got Ivan Koloff against Tony Marino and the main event of Manuel Soto going one on one with Bulldog Brower. Clearly Brower wanted a crack at Bruno Sammartino but with Ivan Koloff locked in at the Garden and The Wolfman on a hot streak, Brower needs a win over Soto to put himself in position to challenge Bruno. Let's get to the card.

Match 1

Miguel Feliciano vs Mike Conrad

Everyone's favorite punching bag Mike Conrad takes on latin star Miguel Feliciano. Well the good news for Conrad fans is he didn't lose, too bad he didn't win either. They fought to a 20 minute time limit draw.

Winner: No one (Draw)

Match 2

Vincente Pometti vs Lee Wong

Very interesting matchup to put lower card guys against each other. The thinking was whoever wins could face a guy like Wolfman, Brower or Pedro Morales down the road. Good news for Lee Wong is Pometti went insane and got himself disqualified.

Winner: Lee Wong by disqualification

Match 3

Celine Fontaine vs Cuddles Anderson

And now we have a very rare situation, midget women's wrestling. Cuddles Anderson was born Marilu Walker in Thief River Falls, Minnesota and got into wrestling in 1965 at the age of 19. She was nicknamed "Cuddles" by The Sheik's wife when Anderson was working in Detroit. She actually trained with her opponent Celine Fontaine. At the time there were only four lady midgets Little Darling Dagmar, Celine, Cuddles and Diamond Lil. Cuddles eventually married Frenchy Lamont. Celine trained with Cuddles and she herself married Little Joey. Too bad Vince Jr wasn't the promoter back then, the natural tag team match of Cuddles & Lamont vs Celine and Joey would have been epic. Cuddles got the win on this night.

Winner: Cuddles Anderson

Match 4

Tony Marino vs "The Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff

Koloff had a date with Bruno Sammartino in a week at Madison Square Garden so Tony Marino wants to deal him a loss on this night in Bangor. Unfortunately for Tony, Ivan gets the win by pin.

Winner: Ivan Koloff by pinfall

Match 5

Manuel Soto vs Bulldog Brower

The final match of the night is somewhat important as Brower needs a big win to put himself as a future contender for Bruno while Soto needs the win to get him a step closer to a US title run if Pedro Morales were to ever lose it. Well, Brower pinned Soto so Bruno now has a possible opponent after he's done with Koloff.

Winner: Brower by pinfall

Pretty cool house show with ladies midget wrestling, Ivan Koloff's tuneup and Brower putting himself as a future contender for Bruno. Still, house shows were standard at the time to have time limit draws and four or five matches. They were kept short and sweet and without entrance music and mannerisms, was probably a lot easier to sit through. Madison Square Garden was one week away.

WWWF at the Boston Garden (1/9/71)

Boston Garden

Boston, MA

January 9, 1971

One day after the Boston Celtics defeated the Phoenix Suns in the Boston Garden, the WWWF came to town. We got a stacked card on this one compared to the house shows in Buffalo and North Attleboro recently. Ivan Koloff is on a collision course with Bruno Sammartino at Madison Square Garden but he's got Chief Jay Strongbow here. Bruno himself has a tune up against Beppo Mongol while Pedro Morales defends the US title against The Black Demon. Its a 9 match card so fans were going to get their money's worth.

Match 1

"Unpredictable" Johnny Rodz vs "Golden Boy" Arnold Skaaland

Skaaland gets the unpredictable one in the match top open the show. As per norm, Skaaland got the victory.

Winner: Skaaland

Match 2

Mike Conrad vs "Nobleman" Joe Turco

Speaking of jobbers, here's Conrad going up against everyone's most hated Italian. Apparently Conrad got himself disqualified so Turco gets the duke.

Winner: Turco by disqualification

Match 3

Vincente Pometti vs Tony Marino

The Argentinian is no fan of Battman so he wants to take his frustrations out on Tony Marino. Unfortunately for the Bull, Marino got the pinfall victory.

Winner: Marino by pinfall

Match 4

Manuel Soto vs The Wolfman

The rising star faces the Canadian wildman. Wolfman gets a BIG victory to launch himself up there with Ivan Koloff as opponents for Bruno Sammartino.

Winner: The Wolfman

Match 5

Hurricane Rivera vs Geeto Mongol

The Hurricane (no, not THAT one) takes on one half of the tag team champions in Geeto Mongol. Geeto got the win.

Winner: Geeto Mongol

Match 6

Gorilla Monsoon vs Bulldog Brower

Monsoon has had it up to HERE with the likes of Brower so he gets him in the ring one on one. The bout ended in a draw

Winner: No one (Draw)

Match 7

Chief Jay Strongbow vs Ivan Koloff

Koloff has a date with Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF title but first he's got to deal with Chief Jay Strongbow. Koloff maintained his hot streak with a big victory.

Winner: Koloff

Match 8

The Black Demon vs Pedro Morales for the WWWF United States Championship

This was originally scheduled to be Morales against Crusher Verdu but Crusher couldn't make it so Demon took his place. Pedro gets the win to keep his title.

Winner: Morales (still US Champion)

Match 9

Beppo Mongol vs Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF Heavyweight Championship

The other half of the tag team champions, Beppo Mongol gets a shot at Bruno in the main event of the evening. Bruno gets the win over the future Nikolai.

Winner: Bruno (still WWWF Heavyweight Champion)

A nine match card with a lot of action, too bad its been lost to time. You still had the main players in the right spots. Wolfman needed to be a strong number 2 heel so beating Soto made sense. Needed to keep Koloff strong and beating Strongbow accomplishes that. Morales and Bruno kept their belts for now and it was all heading to MSG. Would have been nice to see something from this show but oh well.