WWWF All-Star Wrestling (9/13/75)

WWWF All Star Wrestling
September 13, 1975
Hamburg, PA
Hamburg Fieldhouse

Its the end of the summer of 1975 and things are still hot in the World Wide Wrestling Federation. Bruno Sammartino has some trouble over yonder as Waldo Von Erich, The Blackjacks and Superstar Billy Graham are in town. 30 year old Vince McMahon Jr and Antonino Rocca are your hosts for this week's show in matching red jackets. For you youngsters, Rocca was one of the first legitimate international stars of the 50's and 60's for Vince Sr's Capitol Wrestling, winning the tag titles with Miguel Perez Sr. Vince runs down the card which features some of the top of heels of the 1970's. Vince sends us to the ring for Joe McHugh's introductions. This hour of wrestling is promoted by Phil Zacko, supervised by the state athletic commission, the doctor at ring side is Dr. Fred Heinbach, the timekeeper at the bell is Tony Silvio, the referees are "Wee" Willie Webber & Dick Woehrle and his name is JOEEEE McHugh.

Match 1

Tom Stanton vs "Superstar" Billy Graham (with The Grand Wizard)

The Superstar was being groomed to take on Bruno Sammartino as he makes his entrance with Wizard. Stanton was actually a star in Canada in the early 80's but he's fodder for Graham here. Wizard does a great spot where he has to really struggle to take Graham's shirt off to put over the massive arms of Billy. Bell rings and Graham poses for the crowd with Wizard still in the ring so Wiz takes off. Stanton is actually the same height but is a lot less physically imposing. Graham hiplocks him down and punches him in the head before going to work with forearms. Graham kicks away at Stanton then delivers more forearms. Graham kicks away at Stanton until Tom falls out of the ring. Graham snaps Stanton off the top rope before ramming his head into the buckle. Graham whips him off and Stanton eats a back elbow smash. Billy drops another elbow before antagonizing the crowd. A forearm is followed by Graham delivering a knee to the mid-section. Vince goes to the replay as Graham pulls up Stanton from a pinfall twice. Graham sends Stanton into the buckle again then whips him into the other corner. We go to a replay of the whip before Graham locks in a bearhug. Stanton gives up as the ref calls for the bell. Graham refuses to let go and rams him into the buckle again and again for more heat. He finally lets him go as Vince says "He's proud of himself." As McHugh announces Graham the winner, Billy kicks at Stanton some more. Vince goes to the replay of Stanton submitting. Standard squash match as mentioned earlier, Graham was being groomed to face Bruno down the road.

Time of match: 3:57

Winner: "Superstar" Billy Graham by submission

We go straight to the next match without any segue

Match 2

Buddy Porter and Buzz Sawyer vs WWWF Tag Team Champions The Blackjacks (Mulligan and Lanza) with Captain Lou Albano

No, that's not "Mad Dog" Buzz Sawyer and I don't have a clue who Porter is. Porter is in the standard black trunks with Sawyer in long black rights. The Jacks had won the tag belts on August 26th and are in their standard gear. The bell rings with Albano giving some words of wisdom to his crew. Mulligan and Landa pound each other with forearms as Rocca says something unintelligible. Mulligan gets a headlock in as Albano comes over to yell at McMahon. I love how McMahon was the only one ever to say LouIS Albano and not just Lou. Lanza tags in to work over the arm of Sawyer before unloading with a few fists. Mulligan tags in and continues to torture the left arm. Ole Anderson would be proud. Sawyer tags out to Porter and Mulligan takes over on Buddy's left arm. Lanza tags in and lands a big right hand before dropping with another. Lanza chokes Porter as Vince asks Rocca if the Jacks will give the former champs "Irish" Pat Barrett and Dominic DeNucci a rematch. Rocca says the Jacks are the champs and will face who they want. Vince describes how the Jacks won the straps as Albano chokes Porter from the outside until the ref tells him to scram. Lanza tags Mulligan back in as Rocca admires Vince's memory as we go to the replay of Mulligan and Lanza double teaming. Mulligan lands a back elbow smash and tags in Lanza for the finish. Lanza applies the Texas Claw and the ref counts 1.....2.....3 and its over. The Jacks win it as Lanza refuses to break the hold. Mulligan heaves Sawyer out of the ring as Lanza lets go to celebrate with Albano and Mulligan. We go to the replay of Mulligan's elbow smash and once again this was a standard squash to establish Mulligan & Lanza as mean lookin' fellas.

Time of match: 5:11

Winners: The Blackjacks by pinfall

We got to an interview conducted by Vince Jr with Billy Graham and Grand Wizard. Wizard asks Vince if he's ever seen a physique like Graham has and tells Vince to check out Billy's back. Wizard says out of the goodness of Billy's heart he will speak to McMahon. Billy asks Vince how it feels to be standing and talking to Graham. He says Vince has a skinny little spine and don't touch him. He asks the people on the east coast eating tv dinners and drinking soda pop feel and all the women feel about Graham. He says he's the women's pet and men's regret. He then gets to the point and says Bruno Sammartino is sitting at home in a chair and he's the man of the hour, the man with the power and too sweet to be sour. He calls Bruno out of shape, potbellied and white skinned (hilarious since Bruno was none of those three) and brags about his tan he got in Death Valley. He goes on to say he eats raw steaks and calls Bruno out for homesteading the New York area and refusing to face him in other territories. Now Graham is there and Bruno has nowhere to run. Graham then says if you don't have a color TV, hock your car and go get one to see the Superstar. Back to Vince who tells Wizard Graham looks great but wrestling ability is different. Wizard says he knows what Graham can do and he's the next World Wide Wrestling Federation champion. Apart from his bravado the point is he's chased Bruno around the country and now he's here to challenge him. They have a date with destiny coming up. On to the next match.

Match 3

Manuel Miranda vs Baron Mikel Scicluna

Miranda is in the one strapped purple tights with Scicluna in standard gear. Love how Scicluna was one of the very few heels without a manager in those days. Miranda doesn't have the best physique but is still built as 310 pounds. Scicluna effortlessly takes him over and goes to work with knee drops. He starts the forearms to the back then gets in some headlocked punches. Scicluna stomps away before hitting a snapmare takeover. Scicluna locks in a nerve hold before driving a forearm to the top of the head. Rocca says Miranda doesn't have enough experience to beat Scicluna. Mikel does an eye rake and continues to punch, kick, forearm and stomp the poor guy. Miranda does briefly rally with right hands but a punch to the throat stops Miranda. Vince says he doesn't want to be in Bruno's shoes if he has to face Scicluna, Graham and others. Scicluna snapmares Miranda and continues to stomp away. Vince says Francisco Flores is up next against Frank Monte then Bugsy McGraw and Waldo Von Erich vs Louis Cerdan and Tony Parisi. Scicluna continues to stomp and punch away before landing another snapmare. Two knee drops and a cover gets 1...2....3 and thankfully thats it. I know its a squash match designed to get Scicluna over but all he did was punch, stomp and kick. At least the Blackjacks have the claw and Graham did some power moves. This was just a brawl. Miranda pops up quickly as McHugh announcers Scicluna the winner. Baron celebrates as we cut there.

Time of match: 3:34

Winner: Baron Mikel Scicluna by pinfall

We immediately segue into the next match

Match 4

Francisco Flores vs Frank "Magnificent" Monte

Monte looks like a long lost Valiant with a Magnificent Monte t-shirt and long red tights. Flores has pink trunks and a sombrero on.....yeah. Monte starts with a forearm but Flores counters with a few armdrags that has Monte on the run. Flores gets in a full nelson but breaks it at the ropes. Monte gets in a few right hands then a knee to the mid-section. Frank sends Flores into the corner and clubs away at him but Flores fights back. The crowd starts to get into it a little as it should be noted they haven't made a sound yet because the first three matches were straight heel squashes. We only got 16 minutes left of film on this broadcast and this was the first pop. Flores sends him into the corner and Monte begs off. Monte surprises him with a kick to the midsection before choking him on the top rope. Vince asks Rocca who's going to win and I can't understand what he says. Flores continues to counter Monte's moves as we go to the replay of a shoulderblock by Monte. Flores clubs away with forearms and locks in a surfboard. Rocca continues to say something I can't translate which is a shame because if it wasn't for his broken English, he's probably saying something noteworthy. Monte clubs away before heaving Flores over the top rope. They brawl on the apron as the ref starts to count. Monte is sent away by the referee as Flores is all tied up in the ropes. The ref tries to free Flores and he does. Flores then takes over by kicking away at Monte before ramming him into the buckle. A scoop slam by Flores has Vince going to the replay again. Was that a new thing? He does that way too much. Monte fireman carry slams Monte over the top to the floor and goes outside to stomp away. The ref counts them both out as Flores rams Monte's head into the ringpost. Flores continues to stomp away as Monte thinks he's won. McHugh says the match is a double count-out. That was better than I expected as the fireman's carry part at the end was cool for 1975 standards. Too bad neither one of them went on to stardom in New York.

Time of match: 6:01

Winner: No one (double count-out)

We segue right into the main event of the show.

Match 5

Louis Cerdan and Tony Parisi vs Bugsy McGraw and Waldo Von Erich (with Captain Lou Albano and "Classy" Freddie Blassie

What a treat. Not only do we have the legendary Waldo Von Erich but we also get Blassie managing him with Albano managing Bugsy. For you youngsters, Waldo was the kayfabe brother of Fritz Von Erich and World Class actually repackaged local Texas high school football star Kevin Vaughan as Waldo's son Lance Von Erich. Needless to say that didn't work, but what did work was Waldo himself being a great heel. Cerdan and Parisi are the babyface Canadian (yes Parisi was born in Italy but he immigrated to Canada when he was 9 years old) tag team so let's see how this turns out. Waldo is wearing the German army helmet over his double strapped long black tights. McGraw is in the long red tights and the other two are in standard red trunks. Albano, Blassie and McGraw beat it as Waldo starts with Parisi. Waldo lands a forearm but Tony counters with one. Parisi no sells everything Waldo does and actually rakes the eyes of Von Erich much to the crowd's delight. Parisi continues to counter everything he does until Waldo kicks him in the ribs. Waldo sends him off the ropes but eats a boot to the head. An irate Albano hops up on the apron as referee Dick Woehrle tells Blassie and Albano to get in the corner. The faces then call timeout and leave the ring. Albano heaves a wooden chair as the ref tells Waldo they'll be back. Blassie raises Waldo's hand in victory but Woehrle tells them the match is NOT over. The faces return with ANDRE THE GIANT in tow. The heels clear out in record time as Vince Jr says the complexion of the match just changed. Andre was just 29 at the time and can still move pretty quick. Vince mistakenly says "Fritz" Von Erich as Parisi and him tie up again. Parisi misses a charge and falls to the ground but Waldo misses a second rope kneedrop. Andre teases getting in the ring as Albano hops up on the apron as Cerdan tags in. McGraw interferes and wants some fisticuffs with Cerdan. McGraw makes the legal tag as Albano and Apron are on the apron talking to Waldo. Talk about a Survivor Series match, imagine Blassie, Albano, Bugsy and Waldo against Andre, Cerdan and Parisi. Cerdan goes to work on Bugsy until McGraw gets the upperhand. He tags in Waldo and the managers go to attack Cerdan but Andre chases them away. Parisi does a three stooges eye poke to Waldo and hits an atomic drop. Parisi misses an elbow drop as McGraw tags in to inflict some damage. Blassie gets in a cheap shot but Andre chases him away. Its fun to see a younger Andre run across the ring as opposed to the older, lumbering Andre. Parisi tags in Cerdan and so does Waldo. Albano gets in the ring and Cerdan throws him out of the ring before dropkicking Blassie. Albano and Blassie get beat up by the faces as the crowd pops. Albano took bumps all the time but seeing Blassie take them by then is fun. The managers retreat as the crowd pops for Parisi and Cerdan. Parisi slams Von Erich and goes up stairs but McGraw pulls Waldo away. Albano and Blassie get in as Vince says they're running out of time. Andre gets in and its a pier six brawl. Andre rams the manager's heads together with the faces beating the crap out of the heels. The credits roll as there's no official decision when the show goes off air. Wow, that was a fun match. 

Time of match: 10:00

Winners: No one (time limit draw)

Too bad the TV time ran out which was still a relatively new thing. Nowadays Raw goes extra but back then you missed it. Imagine being a kid back then hopping up and down for Andre only for the show to stop suddenly. Either way that's how the entire show should have been but unfortunately we had the three squash matches in a row. For September 1975 standards, the last two matches were worth watching if you know what you're getting into. Bruno was still the champ but Graham's chase for the title had begun. The Blackjacks had won the tag straps 18 days earlier so they were due for a run and its always fun to see Blassie do his thing. Unfortunately there's not much footage available from 1975 so the next MSG show has been lost to time. As for this show, skip the first three matches but catch the Billy Graham promo, Flores vs Monte and the main event.

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 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 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 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

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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 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 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.