| This
Saturday night super
spectacular card was
one that stands out
for several reasons.
It was unique in
that it was the
first "Super
Card" that
Richmond ever
hosted, a type of
card that would soon
become the norm in
professional
wrestling but seemed
very unique at the
time. This card
foretold changes in
the wrestling world
that were in their
infancy, but that
would in time
radically change
wrestling's
landscape. But in
April of 1983, all
it seemed to the
fans was that they
were seeing more
wrestling stars than
ever in events that
were hyped to
heretofore unseen
levels.
This event had a
number of new and
novel elements to
it. Nine matches
were on the card, at
least two more
matches than was the
norm. Admission
prices were hiked by
nearly a third, with
the best seats being
$15.00. A huge price
increase in terms of
what ticket prices
ran in that time
period. This was a
trend that never
reversed itself.
This card also had
intrigue with some
outside stars that
came in for this
event only, Angelo
Mosca and Mike
Graham. It was a
card that also had
seemingly nothing
but main event
matches on it, and
was promoted as
such. The cards of
many, many years
that featured a
hierarchy which
began with
underneath
versus underneath
matches, graduating
to mid-card matches
followed by main
events appeared to
begin to blur with
this "Super
Card" and in
the majority of
cards that would
follow it
thereafter. But
first and foremost,
this card will
always be remembered
for its main event,
a match that was
hyped with local
promos that made it
seem very unique and
special to Richmond.
In a match that had
a multitude of
stipulations, the
stipulation that
meant the most to
those in attendance
was that the loser
of the title match
between Ricky
Steamboat & Jay
Youngblood versus
Sergeant Slaughter
& Don Kernodle
could never wrestle
as a team in
Richmond or Virginia
again! And unlike
many stipulations in
today's wrestling
that have no
meaning, the losing
team in this match
in fact NEVER
wrestled in Richmond
together again after
this Saturday night
in April of 1983.
MAIN EVENT
- NWA World Tag
Team Champions Ricky
Steamboat & Jay
Youngblood defend
their titles against
former titleholders
Sergeant Slaughter
& Don Kernodle.
This bout would
be the climax of a
tremendous feud
between these four.
The bout was held
inside a steel cage
and was a no
disqualification
match with Sandy
Scott as the special
referee. There was
also a special, and
very unusual,
stipulation where if
the bout went to a
sixty-minute time
limit draw, there
were three judges at
ringside with
scorecards to
determine the
outcome on a point
system. One of those
Judges was Jerry
Brisco, whose
brother Jack had
just injured
Steamboat in a TV
match that would
signal the early
beginnings of the
infamous Brisco
brother's heel turn.
And of course the
most significant of
all the stipulations
was that the losing
team could never
wrestle in Richmond
or Virginia again.
The sellout crowd
was at a fever pitch
as the cage was
erected and the
combatants came to
the ring, knowing
that one team would
never make a ring
entrance together
again. Ricky
Steamboat came to
the ring noticeably
favoring the leg
that Jack Brisco had
injured in the match
days earlier.
Steamboat would
favor the leg
throughout the
match.
The Slaughter and
Kernodle team
dominated the early
part of the match
with quick tags,
keeping the injured
Steamboat in the
ring for an
interminable length
of time. By the time
Jay Youngblood made
a save and got into
the match himself,
momentum was clearly
with the Slaughter
and Kernodle tandem.
During the middle
of the match, blood
flowed freely as the
combatants were
slammed repeatedly
into the unforgiving
steel cage. It
became a back and
forth affair with
Steamboat and
Youngblood slowly
turning the tide in
their favor.
The end came
quickly at around
the forty-minute
mark, with Steamboat
and Youngblood
taking the fall that
ended the
Mid-Atlantic careers
of the Sergeant
Slaughter-Don
Kernodle duo that
had ruled the NWA
for the previous
eight months.
Steamboat and
Youngblood had
retained their
titles, and at the
same time eliminated
the team that had
caused them so much
grief. It was a wild
scene at the end of
that match, the fans
knowing that the
Slaughter-Kernodle
team was no more!
And what a
tremendous match
this was that
featured non-stop
action from
beginning to end,
with the only
downside being that
this great feud
would never again be
seen in the
Coliseum.
(Editor's
Note: Slaughter left
Crockett Promotions soon
after for his
memorable run in the
WWF, which was
preparing to go
national.)
SEMI-FINAL---Roddy
Piper defended his
United States
Heavyweight Title
against the former
champion, Greg
"The
Hammer"
Valentine.
These two former
partners were in the
process of building
quite a heated feud.
Piper had won the
U.S. Title a couple
of weeks prior to
this match, and
already Valentine
was ominously
promising to win the
title back and
"hurt"
Piper in the
process.
The match was a
rugged encounter
with Valentine
maintaining the
upper hand for the
majority of the
contest. Piper would
have short intense
periods where he
would control the
bout, but Valentine
dominated for the
most part and
appeared to be
headed for victory
and another reign as
U.S. Champion.
The bout ended
unexpectedly with a
Piper victory when
Roddy caught
Valentine coming off
the ropes and
captured Greg in a
backslide for the
win. But Roddy's
good fortune would
be short lived, as
the next night in
Greensboro, NC
Valentine would
defeat Piper for the
U.S. Title, and in
the process severely
injure Piper's ear
by continually
pounding on it. The
feud between these
two would wage on
until the end of
1983 at the first
Starrcade, when
Piper would beat
Valentine in a dog
collar match.
Jimmy Valiant
vs. Kabuki in a New
York Street Fight---This
bout was a brutal
New York Street
fight with both
wrestlers bringing
in all kinds of
weapons to the ring
to try to give
themselves the
advantage. With the
aid of manager Gary
Hart, the Great
Kabuki was able to
use his kendo sticks
with great
effectiveness
against the
"Boogie Woogie
Man."
However, Hart
interfered one time
too many, and was
sprayed in the face
with Kabuki'
mysterious green
mist. Almost
simultaneously,
Valiant got behind a
distracted Kabuki
and was able to roll
him up for a quick
three count and the
victory.
This Valiant
victory clearly did
not end this feud,
as these two would
battle each other
many times during
the remainder of the
year 1983.
Joe LeDuc vs.
Dick Slater in
Lumberjack Match for
NWA TV Title---In
the night's only
title change, the
Canadian Lumberjack
surprised
"Dirty"
Dick Slater to
become the new NWA
TV Champion! The
time limit for this
match was extended
to 60 minutes, and
LeDuc pounded his
way to victory in a
hard-hitting match
up.
LeDuc was able to
overcome a
tremendous amount of
punishment from the
lumberjacks
stationed outside
the ring, and
emerged with a hard
fought victory. Much
like the main event,
this match was
bloody and hotly
contested
throughout.
LeDuc would have
an undistinguished
reign as TV
Champion, but that
should not diminish
his surprising title
victory on this
night. Both LeDuc
and Slater put on a
memorable match for
the sellout crowd to
witness.
Other
Matches---
Jake Roberts took
the measure of Mike
Graham, who was
flown in from
Florida to compete
on this card.
Roberts used several
of his patented knee
lifts to immobilize
Graham, setting him
up for the kill.
Graham showed a good
deal of scientific
skill and speed, but
ultimately succumbed
to the dirty tactics
and chicanery of the
wily Roberts.
Bugsy McGraw
defeated the massive
One Man Gang in a
slow, methodical
match. Neither man
exhibited much
finesse or wrestling
ability, but this
was an entertaining
bout with the result
having to be
classified as an
upset.
A very
interesting bout saw
the brother
combination of Jack
and Jerry Brisco
down the makeshift
team of Gene
Anderson and the
massive Angelo Mosca.
The Brisco's ran
circles around their
two opponents,
particularly the
aging Anderson who
looked like he was
moving in slow
motion. Mosca, who
was brought in from
Canada for this
match, also looked
slow and plodding.
In the end, the
speed and experience
of the Brisco's
prevailed. The match
was completely
scientific from the
Brisco's
perspective, and
there was no hint
that this duo was
turning heel in the
next few weeks.
The second match
from the bottom
turned out to be
very entertaining
and surprisingly
competitive. The
flamboyant Rufus R.
"Freight
Train" Jones
edged by the rugged
Texan Ricky Harris.
Harris became better
known to fans in the
Mid-Atlantic area as
Black Bart when he
returned to the area
in 1984. Harris very
much held his own
with Rufus, only
succumbing after
putting up quite a
fight.
The curtain
raiser saw the up
and coming star from
the University of
Syracuse, Mike
Rotundo, have no
problem disposing of
long time
Mid-Atlantic
veteran, Bill White.
Rotundo caught White
in the airplane spin
after only several
minutes of action,
and made short work
of one of the area's
all-time most
recognized
enhancement talents.
Next Up: Number 9
(December 13, 1974)
|
