Welcome to another year of River City Wrestling. Our 6th year promises to be our best ever with an always expanding roster of the best pro wrestlers in the business.

Opening Bout:
The Hart Brothers defeated Ole Olson & Spike Sado by pinfall when Keith Hart pinned Sado’s shoulders while in the figure-four leglock at 6:18
-squash match

Review of the 1984 year end awards presented on the special awards episode last week.

Bout #2:
Billy Robinson defeated Richard Ryan by pinfall after a double underhook suplex at 4:21
-squash match

Post-Match Interview:
Robinson brings out Dynamite Kid and says that although they did not capture the RCW Heavyweight title at the 5th Anniversary Spectacular, they now had a new goal. They intend to win the tag team belts. Robinson says he has one more surprise in store, and it’s coming later in the show.

Bout #3:
Chris Lyon defeated Rick Sophsky by pinall after a slingshot suplex at 1:03
-squash match

Post-Match:
Ron Strong tried to interview Lyon after the match but the former RCW champ refused, and just walked briskly away.

Interview;
Marty Goldstein came down to the ring to fill in the interview time. He says he has an announcement regarding the tag team titles won at the 5th Anniversary show by King Tonga and Abdullah the Butcher. Goldstein says that it was obvious from Abby walking out that not all was good between the two. During the Christmas break Goldstein says that the two men were booked in separate matches on the same card in Puerto Rico. Unfortunately the two men met backstage and it ended in a pier 6 brawl. As a result a match was held a few days later between the two, and it was a savage affair.
Goldstein says that he has obtained from the PR promoters a couple minutes of that footage and that will be played in the second hour of the show. The RCW matchmaker goes on to say that next week the Hart Brothers will get their rematch against Tonga and Abdullah, and that if either one of them fails to show and wrestle then the tag titles will be stripped.

Bout #4:
Brad Rheinghans defeated The Tulip by pinfall after the Olympic suplex at 4:20
-squash match

Post-Match interview;
Rheinghans is not happy having to waste his time wrestling a guy like the Tulip who makes a mockery of his chosen trade, pro wrestling. Rheinghans says he is a pure wrestler and is looking for others of the same ilk to step forward and challenge him to a match.

Promo; Columbia pictures proudly releases to theatres this weekend "The New Kids" starring Shannon Presby, Lori Loughlin, and James Spader.
A brother and sister arrive in a small town to help their relatives run an amusement park, and they find the town is terrorized by a local street gang.
The kids learned three things about southern hospitality, blood, sweat and terror!

[end of first hour]

Interview:
Still the RCW Heavyweight champion, Jim Brunzell comes down to the ring to a large cheer. He accepts congratulations on his big win over Dynamite Kid with humility. Brunzell says he does not know who the #1 contender is and who he will face next. That he says is in the hands of the matchmaker Marty Goldstein. Brunzell says he doesn’t care if its one of his friends like the Crusher, Butch Reed, or Bad News Allen, or one of his enemies like Dynamite Kid, Billy Robinson, or Chris Lyon. He’s willing to defend the title against anyone the promotion chooses, and he will do so to the best of his ability, and will not hide from anyone.

Bout #5
Steve Olsonoski defeated Richard Charland by pinfall after a sunset flip at 8:31
-hard fought and very even match. Charland made a mistake of telegraphing a back body drop and the speedy and popular Steve O immediately made him pay for that mistake.

Promo: On tonight's Evening News
-Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms reported arresting suspects in abortion clinic bombings.
-Record cold across United States from abnormally severe winter weather
-Preparations for President Reagan's inauguration this weekend, include extensive security precautions
-Jesse Jackson's counterinaugural march reported; his criticism of Reagan administration policy toward South Africa noted
-Ethiopian government's claim that relocation of drought victims is vol. noted contradicted by refugees reaching Sudan

Footage:
About 3 minutes is shown of a wild brawl in and out of a wrestling ring in Puerto Rico between Abdullah the Butcher and King Tonga. The finish of the match is not shown, and there is no commentary. However, the picture is clear, these two men would rather hurt each other then help each other.

Interview:
Miss Hartel comes down to the ring in a micro mini-skirt and leather jacket (with no shirt on underneath). She assures all her sophisticated fans that everything will be all right. She is “how you say” the beauty, and they are the beasts; and the beauty always tames the beasts. The fans boo her. She asks the fans what the difference is between Winnipeg and yogurt. She answers her own question by saying that yogurt has culture.

Bout #6
Bad News Allen v Bobby Duncum (/w Corrie England)

Allen has some unfinished business with the good ol’ boys, having beaten Chris Lyon at the 5th Anniversary show he now wants another kick at Duncum. Things start off strong for Allen but Duncum uses a distraction to level Allen with a lowblow. He then bulldogs him for a quick victory.

Bobby Duncum defeated Bad News Allen by pinfall after a bulldog at 7:38

Post-Match Interview:
After Duncum says a few choice words about Allen coming over on the boat he turns things over to Corrie England who is wearing her newly won Canadian Women’s Title. Corrie says winning that title was the greatest day in her professional life. At least it was until her own sister Tawney refused to come out and celebrate with her or congratulate her, out of jealousy and spite. Corrie extends the olive branch once more by saying they could put it all behind them and start again. Nobody knows what Tawney thinks of this as she does not appear, but its obvious the fans aren’t buying it as they chant down “boot” at Corrie.

Pre-Match:
After Butch Reed is introduced and then his opponent, the new TV champion Ben Bassarab (who draws jeers from the crowd), Billy Robinson comes down to the ring. He announces that he has just signed a new client, Ben Bassarab! And that starting tonight he would be in Ben’s corner.

Main Event:
Re-Match
RCW Television Title Match

Ben Bassarab (champion) (/w Billy Robinson) v Butch Reed

Reed starts as a house of fire. He catches Bassarab with a series of running clotheslines, and would have got the belt back about 3 minutes into the match but Robinson dragged Bassarab out of the ring by his feet. He then shielded his man from Reed’s attempts to get at him outside the ring. Bassarab fled back into the ring while Robinson tripped Reed as he walked by. Reed turned and slugged Robinson but then Bassarab flew over the top rope and collided with Reed, sending him to the mat.
Back inside Bassarab worked a front chancery, a swinging neckbreaker, and a pair of snap suplexes but could not get the victory. Reed came roaring back when Bassarab made the mistake of turning it into a fistfight. But then Reed ended up making a mistake too by going after Robinson when he popped up on the apron. Robinson is a tough enough character on his own, never mind with Bassarab watching his back. Robinson managed to subdue Reed’s attacks, which allowed the champ to attack the back of Reed. Back inside Bassarab tried again to finish Reed with a snap suplex, a German suplex, and a top rope dropkick, but each time Reed managed to kick out. The champ then tried to finish it with his cross body block finisher, but Reed held his ground and caught Bassarab, and then drilled him to the mat. He made the pin and got 1, 2, Robinson jumped up on the apron as Bassarab managed to get a shoulder up. Reed went to knock Robinson off the ring apron but the Brit caught Reed with a right cross, sending him staggering into the clutches of Bassarab who nailed him with a German suplex. Bassarab was not disqualified because Robinson was deemed to have defended himself, but referee George Gadasky also did not make the count after the German because he was busy getting Robinson to leave the ring apron and lecturing him on interference.
So Bassarab waited, and finally Reed kicked out. Ben tried to land a kick to the gut of Reed but the ex-champion caught the foot and rocked him with a clothesline. He made the cover but Robinson still had Gadasky distracted as the two exchanged heated words and pointed fingers. Suddenly Dynamite Kid appeared from the back and attacked Reed from behind. He then picked him up in the air, showing great strength, and dropped him with a brainbuster, which had been outlawed last year. The fans boo’d as DK slipped out of the ring and Robinson “released” Gadasky.

Ben Bassarab defeated Butch Reed by pinfall after outside interference at 12:55
[Ben Bassarab retains the RCW Television Title]

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

See ya next week!!