Calgary, Alberta

 

The show opens with highlites from the 7th Anniversary Spectacular, mainly the title matches that saw Ben Bassarab, The Longriders, and Steve Disalvo all retain their belts, while Misty Blue Simmes lost hers to Orca.

Set to "Livin' On A Prayer" Bon Jovi, "Big Time" Peter Gabriel, "Stranger in a Strange Land" Iron Maiden, and "Orion" Metallica.

 

The Destroyer comes to the ring to talk about his loss to Ben Bassarab at the 7th. He says that Bassarab wrestled one heck of a match, was the better man that night, is a great TV champion, and may, MAY, one day be a great Heavyweight champion. Then Destroyer says he wants Bassarab to come out right now. After a short delay, Ben Bassarab comes out with the TV belt around his waist and a bad look on his face.

Destroyer congratulates Bassarab and offers a handshake. Bassarab draws some jeers as it looks for a minute like he might not actually accept the handshake. Finally he does so, looking reluctant. Destroyer says he was disapointed though in Bassarab, after Destroyer's injury to his ankle Bassarab laid off attacking that area. Bassarab replies, speaking for the first time, saying he felt sorry for Destroyer and thats why he laid off. Destroyer tells Bassarab he can't afford to have those kind of feelings, and if he ever wants to be the big champion, instead of the small one (that draws a sour look from the TV champ), then he has to go for the jugular. Bassarab looks like he could do just that at any moment now!

But both men hold back, and after staring at each other for a moment, Bassarab asks..."are you done now?". Destroyer says yes, and then Bassarab replies "good" and walks away.

 

Opening Bout:

-Boyscout Richard Ryan makes his debut, a young looking guy, about 240 lbs from Minnesota. He actually dresses like a boyscout, or Eagle Scout, including the short pants, socks, uniform shirt, and scarf. Inside the ring he wrestled clean and scientifically, effectively taking away the power game from Moe Malone who is better off against an opponent who wants to rough things up. Then suddenly Ryan decides to cheat with a handful of tights to win the match, and quickly ran from the ring before Malone could react.

 

Boris Zhukov and Chris Markoff come to the ring, with Zhukov pushing Markoff in a wheelchair. They boast about their victory against Malone and Cummings at the 7th, and refer to North Americans again as inferior and corrupt. Finally Ron Strong gets a word in edgewise, and asks why Markoff is in a wheelchair. Markoff says not to worry about it, its only temporary while he lets a nagging knee injury heel.

The Russians then call out the RCW Tag champions the Longriders, who like Bassarab earlier do not look pleased to be called out. They repeat the inferior and corrupt routine. Finally Wild Bill says "I guess we won't settle this tonight as your friend is a gimp", but Zhukov says he will go one on one with Irwin who accepts. That match is set for later tonight.

 

Paramount Pictures is proud to release to theatres this weekend "Critical Condition" starring Richard Pryor.

Eddie Lenahan (Richard Pryor) is sent to a hospital for a psychiatric review after being framed in a jewel smuggling scheme. But in a comediac turn Eddie is mistaken for a Doctor Slattery, and when the area is hit by a major storm Eddie takes over the duties of the doctor in charge.

 

-squash match. Ultra Vixen provides some nice eye candy, but unfortunately for the male viewers she spent most of the match with Orca on top of her.

 

"No One Like You" by the Scorpions plays.

The fans cheer as two familiar faces come to the ring dressed in Iron Maiden and Judas Priest 3/4 sleeve concert shirts and skin tight Jordache jeans; its the return of the England sisters, Tawney and Corrie.

They tell Ron Strong that its good to be back, and they have their sites set firmly on regaining what they established as the premiere title in women's wrestling, what started as the River City Wrestling Women's Title, and has now somehow morphed into the North American Women's Title. And they announce, that when they win that title back from Orca they intend to rename it back to the River City title. The fans cheer this sentiment.

Ron Strong informs the crowd that word has been received that Misty Blue Simmes back injury is deemed to be serious, and that she is going through some rehabilitation before she will be back. It could be months before she returns.

Strong then asks the girls, which one of them will be getting the title shot. They respond simultaneously "me", then "her". Strong reminds the girls that at one time they hated each other and were trying to rip each other's limbs off. They give an awkward laugh before assuring Strong that blood is thicker then water.

To answer his question, Tawney says that they will both compete in warm-up matches over the next couple of weeks, and leave it up to the RCW commissioner Marty Goldstein to determine who the #1 contender will be.

 

-Guay's power, poise, and experience were the difference in this one as Cummings made a couple of bad mistakes being too aggressive that cost him the match.

 

Neil Guay says that RCW is partial to western Canadian boys like Ben Bassarab and thats why he is champ. The Frenchman says Bassarab is too chicken to face some real competition. But just in case he will be here next week if Bassarab has the guts to face him.

 

On Tonight's Evening News:

-Tentative settlement in steelworkers' strike against USX, longest in industry's history

-Ku Klux Klan violence against marchers near Cumming, Georgia, observing Martin Luther King Junior's death

-President Reagan, in weekly radio address, reported asking Congress to approve his defense budget

-Jalalabad, Afghanistan:Atmosphere here as USSR cease-fire, not recognized by guerrillas, continues. Alexander the Great's occupation of Afghanistan in 327 B.C. said last by foreign power until USSR 's.

-Stars and Stripes skipper Dennis Conner's effort to win finals slot in America's Cup against Australia

 

[end of first hour]

 

-Zhukov attacked Irwin before the opening bell and beat on him for the first couple minutes of the match. He managed to hit his headbutt finisher at one point but it sent Irwin right out of the ring giving him a temporary reprieve. The tag champion fought back and finally turned the momentum his way. This brought out Chris Markoff pushing himself in his wheelchair down to ringside. When Irwin climbed onto the top to finish Zhukov off with his superplex, Irwin was perhaps the only person in the arena who was surprised when Markoff left the confines of his wheelchair, entered the ring and attacked Wild Bill from behind.

 

Post-Match:

It was a short 2 on 1 beatdown, until seconds later Scott Hogg Irwin arrived on the scene to send the evil Russians heading for the hills.

 

 

-kind of a follow-up match to the 7th where Vendetta beat Gallahad easy, and Navarre beat Lyon but by DQ. Navarre got a measure of revenge in this match getting the duke, but looks like hostilites between these 4 men is not over. Vendetta acquitted himself well and has become VERY popular with the fans in his short stint so far in RCW.

 

Vendetta & Navarre are interviewed and Navarre says that while the victory was nice, he still wants Lyon next week one on one.

 

-Silva tried to play up to Backlund's naive side and offer a handshake at the start of the match. Backlund accepted but was on his guard, and sure enough when Silva went for a kick to the gut the former WWWF and RCW champion managed to grab the leg and walk Silva back to the ropes. Backlund controlled early, grounding Silva, working a side headlock and then headscissors. Silva though roared back with fists, bodyslam, backbreaker, and then a suplex off the 2nd buckle, for a 2 count. He tried for his wheelbarrow suplex but Backlund managed to block it. Backlund made a short lived comeback, until Silva whipped him into referee Buddy Lane, knocking the ref and Backlund out. Silva then left the ring and when he came back he had a steel chair from ringside. He stood poised to hit Backlund with it but suddenly the Destroyer slid into the ring and grabbed the chair on the backswing. He feigned hitting Silva with the chair, but left the ring instead. By the time Silva turned around he walked right into a forearm uppercut from Backlund. The Minnesota native whipped the Hawiian into the buckle, delivered a huge back body drop and then followed up with a running knee strike. By now Buddy Lane was back on his feet. Backlund hit his finisher and is once again the #1 contender for Steve Disalvo's title.

 

That's it for the first edition of River City Wrestling in 1987.

 

See ya next week!!

 

Lethbridge Alberta

 

-squash match

 

Steve Disalvo and Lisa Caress get more cocky each and every week. Today they boast about sending Bob Backlund packing last week from RCW.

 

Marty Goldstein makes a video statement. First off he says its sad to see Bob Backlund leaving RCW, but that he has decided to go ahead with a request by Bob to speak to the fans one more time later tonight, to say goodbye.

Also, later tonight in the semi-main event we will have a unique match to determine the #1 contender for Disalvo's title. Four men will step into the ring, only two can be legal at any time, and whichever one can get a pinfall first in this 4 corners match will become the top contender for Disalvo's belt.

The four men competing will be Phillip Navarre, Vendetta, Manny Silva, and Chris Lyon.

 

-what looked like it might be a squash match turned into a pretty even and hard fought contest. In the end though the superior athleticism of the young and fit Gallahad came through as he was able to dictate a fast paced match that the older Russian could not match.

 

Ron Strong is openly surprised when he interviews a humbled Kid Gallahad. The formerly brash kid with the strong Scottish brogue talks about his string of recent loses including the humiliation of losing to Vendetta in a minute at the 7th. He says its time to get back to basics and become a better wrestler. As he walks off Ron Strong wonders out loud if we are not seeing Gallahad turn over a new leaf?

 

Excerpts from an inverview held with Sylvestor Stallone and Terry Funk on their upcoming movie "Over the Top" to be released on Feb 13th. They also talk about their last project together which was "Paradise Alley" in 1978.

 

-squash match just like last week when sister Corrie defeated Vixen.

 

Tawney & Corrie England  say that maybe they still haven't proved that they have what it takes to beat a behemoth like the Russian champ Orca. So they throw out a challenge for Orca to find herself a partner and wrestle against them in a tag team match next week.

 

Golden Globe Awards tonight. Nominees for Best Picture - Drama are Children of a Lesser God, The Mission, Mona Lisa, Platoon, Room With a View, and Stand By Me.

Nominees for Best Picture - Comedy/Musical are Crimes of the Heart, Crocodile Dundee, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Hannah and her Sisters, Little Shop of Horrors, and Peggy Sue Got Married.

 

 

-Cummings gains a measure of revenge against Ryan, while his regular partner Moe Malone is still getting over an injury. Ryan had some early success in this match with Pepper, but as the match began to get away from him Ryan became disinterested and in the end walked away from the ring seconds before the final dropkick and pinfall.

 

[end of first hour]

 

[Ben Bassarab retained the RCW TV Title]

-not the most difficult title defense Bassarab ever had, but one he felt necessary after being attacked by Funk and branded after his victory last week against Neil Guay. Funk had his moments in this match but was outclassed by the champion who seems ready to move up that next level.

 

Last week it was Funk attacking Bassarab after he beat Guay, this week it was Guay's chance to return the favor. But Neil Guay did not come alone, he brought two friends with him identified as Armand Rougeau, and "Mr. Perpetual Motion" Richard Charland. They were joined by Funk in a 4 on 1 beat down of the champ that left him busted open.

RCW officials did their best to arrive on the scene and break up the attack, but it was really some chair swinging by Kid Gallahad making a surprise save for his former nemesis Bassarab.

 

Richard Charland says that Les Quebecois are back to take over River City Wrestling. He says they have the Hangman Neil Guay, they have Armand Rougeau the greatest scientific wrestler in the world today, and himself, mister perpetual motion, the man that makes things happen in this country.

He then switches over to French and says some derogatory things about Alberta, but just the use of French alone draws jeers from the Albertan crowd.

Then suddenly everyone seems to realize that J.J. Funk is still in the ring hanging around. Charland says "your not French". J.J. replies, "No I'm a Texan, and since I've been here in Alberta I have found that it is pretty close to Texas in style...". Charland says "full of inbred hicks". Guay and Rougeau try and grab J.J. but he's too quick for them, diving out of the ring and heading for the backstage area to cheers from the crowd.

 

-random selection started Vendetta and Silva, and these two went intense right from the start, the top one on one battle of the match. Vendetta tagged out to Navarre but Silva refused to tag out at all, seemingly willing to take the loss rather then risk not being a participant at all in the decision. This gave Navarre and Vendetta a huge advantage as neither seemed to hesitate tagging the other in. This left a frustrated Chris Lyon on the outside looking in for the first 6 minutes. When things got serious and pin attempts were made Lyon got in to break them up. This led to our first 4 man brawl of the match. Somehow in that brujah Lyon managed to make a tag off the back of Silva and enter the match legally for the first time, with over 8 minutes gone. He grabbed an immediate advantage over Vendetta and tried for a couple of pinfalls but it was too early and Vendetta had too much gas in the tank. The Haitian managed to tag in Navarre who went to work on his recent nemesis Lyon. He pounded him for the 10 count perched on the turnbuckle, then suplexed him into the middle of the ring. He tagged out to Vendetta who hit a clothesline from the top rope and would have got the pin but Manny Silva entered the ring to break things up. Vendetta tagged out to Navarre who wore out Lyon a bit more with a release German suplex, a swinging neckbreaker, and a shoulderbreaker, went for the pin and got a 2 count. He went for the coup de grace but Lyon blocked it, and for 30 fleeting seconds the two did some chain wrestling with counters and blocks, before Navarre won the exchange with a DDT. He then followed up with his coup de grace, for 1, 2, Manny Silva entered the ring to break up the pin, but Vendetta dove over Navarre and Lyon to take Silva out with a clothesline, 3 !!

 

As Navarre celebrated in the ring, and Lyon shook out the cobwebs, Vendetta made his way up the aisle to the back. He was attacked from behind by a deranged looking Manny Silva. He rammed Vendetta from behind with a double axhandle, then did it again to drive him to the ground. He then lifted the guardrail and placed it across the chest of Vendetta and bounced up and down on it. By this time Navarre saw what was happening and ran to the scene chasing Silva away. Navarre checked on his friend and called for medical help.

 

The WWF returns to the Winnipeg Arena on February 28th as the Immortal Hulk Hogan takes on Jake the Snake Roberts for the WWF World Title.

 

Bob Backlund comes out to a huge ovation. He thanks the fans and officials of River City Wrestling for the respect and the class they showed during his stay here. He says never say never, and one day he may have the opportunity to come back. Turning his attention briefly to Steve Disalvo he tells him to be careful about getting himself too hyped up. The bigger they are the harder they fall, the higher up the further the fall. Backlund says Disalvo may not survive the impact of a fall based on those criteria. He waves goodbye to his fans.

 

[The Longriders retain the RCW Tag Team Titles]

-a disapointing match that never seemed to get going full speed, more to set up the next encounter. The 'riders once again showed their dominance as a tag team, but the Russians managed to cheat enough to keep in the game. Finally when they could not survive just by cheating anymore they took the easy way out, with Markoff entering the ring carrying the Russian flag and nailing Wild Bill in the back with the flag pole to get the intentional DQ. A four man brawkl ensued with the Russians getting the advantage only to be beaten to retreat by the tag champs.

 

That's it for another edition of River City Wrestling.

 

See ya next week!!!