I forgot that Ric Flair and Lex Luger faced Jones and Reed and . . . oh, wait, wrong Dream Team.  This Dream Team is Arthur W. Crews and Diamond Timothy Flowers, managed by Slick.  Yes, THE Art Crews who contributes to this website, and the late Flowers. 

First Match, one fall with a 15 minute time limit.  Akio Sato, the TV champ, vs. Tampa, Florida’s Tommy Wright.  Your referee is former NWA World Champion Sonny Myers (11/3/47 to 1/5/48).  Pretty even match from the beginning, quite a lot of action actually for this opening match, unlike many on All Star Wrestling, which often featured long rest holds.  Oh, here we go.  Wright holds Sato in a side headlock for 1+ minute.  Sato misses the knee in the corner and Wright goes to work on left leg, applying a toehold with a twist.  A couple of kneedrops as Sato tries to use the hair to get the upper hand.  Finally, a claw of the eyes by Sato but Wright maintains the upper hand.  A graphic superimposed (in case you’ve forgotten) on the screen states: TV TITLE MATCH.  Way to grab those impulse channel flippers.  Sato was actually a pretty good wrestler, but was too small for the times to become a big name.  Superkick by Sato on Wright knocks Wright back into Myers, and then Sato lifts Wright over the top rope, which in the NWA was an automatic DQ.  Of course, Myers is 1) out of position, 2) selling like he was shot with an elephant tranquilizer.  Sato on the second rope as Wright stumbles back into the ring, and a kneedrop to the back of the head.  Myers counts, Wright places his leg on the bottom ring rope, but again, Sonny Myers is oblivious.  Your winner in 7:41, Akio Sato. 

At ringside, Stuart and Wall plug the feud between Bulldog Bob Brown and Bruiser Brody as a lead in to footage of Kamala from Mid South.  Announcing the participants, Good Ol’ JR, Jim Ross.  His opponent will be Steve Miller.  Kamala is complete with General Skandor Akbar and his handler, Friday.  Boyd Pierce will provide the play by play.  Pierce announced that Kamala is from “Ugandia,” wherever that is.  One fall, ten minute time limit.  Ron West is your referee.  All Kamala from Jump Street.  Cowboy Bill Watts provides color commentary.  Typical Kamala squash with chops, chokes, and BIG SPLASH, but Kamala doesn’t go for the win.  Now he goes to the top rope, which, of course in the NWA, is an automatic DQ.  Kamala goes to the top again, but we cut away. 

Next match is one fall, 60 minute time limit for the Central States Heavyweight title.  Slick and Bulldog are in the corner as Rick Stuart begins ring announcements.  However, the offices of the National Wrestling Alliance has received a telegram addressed to Bob Geigel, president of the National Wrestling Alliance, from Stanley Blackburn, president of the American Wrestling Association (yes, friends, the two wrestling promotions acknowledged one another).  Because of injuries inflicted by Bob Brown on Crusher Blackwell, Blackwell will be unable to wrestle.  Brown starts hollering “Well then, the match is over, the match is over.”  BUT WAIT!!! Blackburn has confirmed the services of seven time World Heavyweight champion Harley Race!  Brown tries to attack referee Myers, but Myers doubles up his fists, then Brown chases Stuart from the ring in a way that must be seen to get the comedy, and the spindly Slick jumps up and down in a rage.  Brown his highly animated, running in circles around the ring.  Race hits the ring, and the crowd goes nuts!  Dropkick by Race into Brown and that knocks Slick out of the ring.  Now Brown is hollering at Stuart and Kevin Wall that he wants to speak with Bob Geigel. 

A little background is in order.  Brown and Race had been “friends” for years, and several months earlier, Brown selected the Bulldog as the special referee in a title match with World Champion Ric Flair.  As Race locked Flair in a Native American (read: Indian) Deathlock, Brown proceeded to mount the top rope and drop a knee on Brown.  As Flair scurried away, Bulldog undid his belt and began whipping Race.  A backstage camera caught Flair throwing a wad of cash in Brown’s hand and yelling “You did it!” 

Now Race grabs the mic, and says to Brown “Bob Brown, ya nasty ugly dog.  You went out and found yourself a little black poodle to lug along with ya, huh?”  Slick hits the top rope with his cane.  Yes, friends, old school wrestling used the racial stereotypes to get the crowd over, much like Latino Heat today.  However, to be fair to Mr. Race, the play was more on the “Dog” name than any denigrating slur.  Besides, it is hardly the filthy single or double entendre pervasive in today’s WWE.  The Bulldog finally climbs into the ring whilst still protesting the match.  Brown runs out of the ring and Race follow, where the Bulldog gets the upper hand and grabs a chair to pummel Race on the floor. 

Back into the ring is the Bulldog, and Race tries to make it back in.  After a series of slaps, eyepokes, and punches, Harley hulks up and is impervious.  Race grabs the upper hand with a sleeper.  Myers is distracted by Slick and Brown rakes Race’s face to escape.  Race back in control and the action spills to the arena floor and back into the crowd.  Uh oh, Race picks Brown up and carries him back to the ring.  It’s all Harley Race now as he positions Brown for a pile driver and wedgies Brown to deliver the maneuver.  Now Brown sticks his finger in Race’s eye.  However, Harley back in control and Race goes to the top but Brown tosses him off.  Brown, however, misses a legdrop.  Brown delivers a kick to the face from his back, and then proceeds to bite Race’s nose.  All brown until a headbutt by Harley Race, then Race chops Brown down.  Two count and now both men are outside the ring.  Brown gets posted, then grabs a chair and attempts to hit Brown, but Harley ducks and it (lamely) springs off the turnbuckle and hits Brown in the head instead.  Race with a sunset flip and WE HAVE A NEW CENTRAL STATES HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION!!!  Slick and Brown are furious, as the crowd chants “HARLEY, HARLEY, HARLEY!!!”  We go to break. 

Rick Stuart interviews the new champ, but Bob Geigel joins the two.  Whoops, Harley, your name was not on the contract.  Geigel has no choice but to return the belt to Brown.  “Come on Bob, we’re business partners in this deal, I’m half owner of this company!!!  You can overlook this.  In fact, since you’re NWA president, you can declare me NWA World Champion again, since Flair is spending all his time in Jim Crockett Promotions.  C’mon, Bob, whaddya say???”  No, actually, Race didn’t say that.  However, Geigel orders a rematch with Race and Brown in which the title will be on the line.  Stuart states there is precedence for this (selective application, I’d say.  With this line of thinking, wouldn’t Hulk Hogan’s first 4 year WWF title reign be void, as the Iron Sheik was scheduled to face Bob Backlund?  However, I digress).  Harley starts to say something, but the interview cuts to commercial.  That’s always the best way to avoid explaining a ridiculous situation. 

We join the tag team match, Rufus R. Jones and Butch Reed vs. Diamond Timothy Flowers and Arthur W. Crews, in progress.  The announcers state that Rufus knew he needed a big and brawny tag team partner.  Kevin Wall states that Jones is the “brains behind it all.”  Uh, I’ll leave that one alone.  They refer back to the last match and Rick Stuart makes reference to such a situation involving the World championship and Dusty Rhodes.  Kevin Wall states he saw the contract and indeed, Race’s name was not on the contract.  Well, thanks a bunch, Kevin.  You shoulda stepped up earlier and told us all that the match was NOT for the Central States title. 

Stuart plugs using Central States wrestling as a fund raiser.  Can you imagine the Ladies Auxiliary bringing these boys to town to raise money?  The Dream Team with the upper hand via diabolical methods.  This is the early days of the teaming of Flowers and Crews, as Crews doesn’t have bleach blond hair yet.  Crews incidentally was a former TV champion.  Whoa!  Hot tag to the stiff Reed and he’s a house of fire.  Double noggin knocker that elicits Wall’s trademark call, “A meeting of the minds!”  Reed goes to the ropes and Slick holds the ropes open so Reed falls through.  Flowers with a body slam, Crews to the top rope but Reed tosses him off.  All four men in now.  Rufus with the Freight Train on Flowers.  Pandemonium.  Low blow on Reed from Crews that the camera misses.  All four men on the floor and Slick gets into the ring and gets out on the other side.  Reed and Crews, according to Stuart, are the legal men, he thinks.  Credits are rolling, Gorilla slam by Reed on Crews and “That’s gonna do it!  Join us next week on All Star Wrestling.”  And thus is born the use of the teaser. 

Ad for the matches in Joplin again.  Kevin Wall interviews Slick and Bulldog Bob Brown with reference to Brown’s match against Harley Race.  “There’s more important things than professional wrestling in {your}lifetime.”  Really Bob?  Harley Race needs to consider this profound philosophical decree before coming to Joplin, Missouri.  Race needs to take stock of this for the sake of his wife and kids.  Good stuff here people.  Bulldog has a scabbed over cut on his forehead.  Slick says Race is in for a rude awakening.  You mean The Ravishing One is going to be in Joplin, Slick?  Oh, no, my bad, he means that’s what Race faces against Bulldog.  Whatever. 

Another interview with Slick and the Dream Team regarding their match against Butch Reed and Rufus in Joplin.  Kevin Wall states we’ve heard all the ethnic slurs regarding the contestants.  Really?  I don’t think we’ve heard anything yet.  Rick Stuart is standing by with Rufus.  “We gonna do it to ‘em, and do it to ‘em the right way, Baby!”  Yes, folks, this is the same Rufus that Kevin Wall called the “brains” of the tag team.  I loved Rufus, and actually heard him speak clearly and distinctly among fans when I went to the matches, but he really played up the Ebonics during his career. 

NEXT MONTH: 

Marty Janetty vs. Kevin the Magnificent (aka, Nailz in the WWF), a Texas Death match involving Brad Batten and Sheik Abdullah Ali Hassan the Great, and the main event, a Central States title match with Bulldog Bob Brown and Bruiser Brody!!!  See you next time!