AWA TV 10-5-93 WGN 9.

[1mississippifan]

The return show of the AWA (American Wrestling Association) to the NWA opens with a colleague of photos of former AWA Wrestling legends with Verne Gagne, The Vachons, Nick Bockwinkel, The High Flyers (Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell), Billy Robinson, Baron Von Raschke, Larry Hennig & Harley Race, Doctor X, Dick the Bruiser & The Crusher, The Road Warriors, Curt Hennig, Madusa, Scott Hall, Wendi Richter and Larry Zbyszko before going into the AWA Studio on WGN where we join the announcing team of 'Mean' Gene Okerlund and Jim Ross. Okerlund welcomes Ross to the AWA as well as ring announcer Mike McGuirk. Gene says it is good to be back after a brief hiatus and there is a lot to tells the fans on today's program.

They bring out the new owner/president of the AWA, the 4-time heavyweight champ and 3-time tag team champ, Nick Bockwinkel. Nick thanks the fans but stops the celebration with a statement of his own. Bockwinkel says, with the right backer, he accepted a deal to bring back the AWA and serve as its owner and president. Nick says he enjoyed the previous version of the AWA and wants to continue the excellence they started. So, Nick brings out the President of the NWA, Howard Brody who has some announcements to make.

Brody comes out waving to the fans and shaking hands with Bockwinkel, Okerlund and Ross before making a statement. The NWA President says he is happy to welcome the AWA back into the NWA. The AWA has always held the highest standard in the sport of professional wrestling and he knows under the direction of a wrestling great like Nick Bockwinkel that will continue. Brody says he has some special videos from the NWA World Heavyweight Champ Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat, the World Tag Team Champions Rick & Scott Steiner and the World's Junior Heavyweight Champ Dean Malenko. They follow up 1-minute taped comments with all the World Champs welcoming the AWA back to the NWA and saying they will be defending their titles there in the near future.

With that, Brody excuses himself and turns the proceedings back over to Bockwinkel, Okerlund and Ross. Gene tells the fans that the former heavyweight champ Paul Orndorff and tag team champs Powers of Pain were contact about returning to the AWA as current champs. However, Orndorff had already signed a contract in the USWA and the Powers of Pain have not decided on our offer.

Bockwinkle has decided that in two weeks, on Saturday, October 19 at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, the AWA will decided its heavyweight, tag team, junior heavyweight and women's championships. And we will have more today as the show progresses. Gene and Jim send us to the ring where Mike is waiting with the intro to our first match of the day. All tv matches are 1-fall with a 10-minute time limit. All ring officials are James Beard & Dave Hebner.

First Match. Can-Am Express (Doug Furnas & Dan Kroffat) debuted and knocked off the Rock N' Roll RPMs (Mike Davis & Tommy Lane) in a fast-pace match until Kroffat came off the top rope with a dropkick into Davis who was caught by Furnas for a backslide and the win. (8:01).

Following the match, Furnas & Kroffat talk with McGuirk ringside stating that they are here to content for the vacant AWA Tag Team Belts. They have heard of some of the teams coming in but they fell they can get the job done and win the belts.

Commercial break includes interviews for area matches

Before the start of the match, Backlund joins Gene & Jim to say hello to them and the fans. Bob says he is happy to be back here and is curious to hear Bockwinkel's announcement in a few minutes.
Second Match. Bob Backlund over Erik Watts with the Crossface Chickenwing. (7:43).

Commercial break includes interviews for area matches

Third Match. 'Superstar' Susan Sexton bent the rules against Misty Blue Simms and escaped with the win after using the Boston Crab. (6:43).

Back at the desk, Gene & Jim are joined by Madusa who is not in a good mood, jawing with Gene. She says she is here to reestablish the women's division and isn't too impressed with Sexton or Simms. Madusa says she wish Wendi Richter had the guts to come back to the AWA so she could kick her big butt one more time. Jim interrupts and says she is scheduled to be here today. Madusa just walks off.

Commercial break includes interviews for area matches

Fourth Match. 'Mr. Perfect' Curt Hennig rolled over talented Frankie Lancaster with the Perfect Plex. (8:22).

After the match, Curt is with McGuirk when Bockwinkel comes out and says he has an announcement that Curt and Bob will be interested in. Based on their win and loss records plus the number of titles they have held during their career, the AWA President is going to match Hennig against Backlund for the vacant heavyweight belt on Oct. 19 in Chicago. (The crowd applauds). Hennig says he is pleased to step in the ring with an accomplished wrestler of Bob's caliber. Backlund comes out and apologizes for interrupting and tells Curt he too is happy to be facing him on the 19th and is looking for ward to the competition. Hennig adds that he has the advantage for he is 'Mr. Perfect'.

Commercial break includes interviews for area matches

Before the start of the next match, Gene & Jim bring out manager Woman who introduces her tag team Money Inc. which includes Ted Dibiase & Mike Rotounda. Woman says she is here for one thing, to win the tag team belts. She has seen Can-Am and has heard about the Heavenly Bodies and the Southern Boys who will be here soon. Ted says they will have no trouble winning those belts and Rotounda agrees. Woman tells Gene was good to see him again and wiggles off the set.

Fifth Match. Ultimate Warrior overcame the Motor City Madman with the running splash after a prematch attack ringside by the Madman. (4:13). After the match, the Warrior joins Okerlund & Ross at the desk to say hello to all the little warriors and let them know that he is here to beat the evil doers.

Commercial break includes interviews for area matches

Back at the desk, Bockwinkel is back and has some more announcements for the Oct. 19th card. Nick says the Can-Am Express will meet the Money Inc. (Ted Dibiase & Mike Rotounda) for the vacant tag team belts. For the vacant junior heavyweight belt, Steve Simpson faces Mitsuhara Misawa. And for the women's vacant title, Wendi Richter will meet Madusa for the title. Nick adds we have other matches on the card that will be announced next week. This brings out Richter along with Simpson who thank the AWA President for the opportunity to wrestle for the respective titles. Wendi says she looks forward to facing off against Madusa once again. Simpson acknowledges he is a newcomer to the AWA fans, he has the experience from working in World Class to win the junior heavyweight title.

Gene & Jim thanks the fans for tuning in and remind them to tune in next week to see 'Macho Man' Randy Savage, 'Hacksaw' Butch Reed and many more here on AWA Championship Wrestling right here on WGN.

[Grape Ape]

A second go round for the AWA here in the NWA-World. Good luck with it.

Solid intro show and some good hands to work with.

I think there is a little typo following Hennig's match with tje annoucement of heavyweight title match. It reads that Hennig will be facing Bockwinkel and not Backlund which I believe who you meant to write in.

From the looks of things, it is nice to see that you have plans to use the NWA World Champions who have not had lots of usage lately. Looking forward to that.

[Deleted]

Not a fan of '93 Misawa working as a Jr. not gonna lie.

[1mississippifan]

Thanks Grape and DIC. Corrected the Henning vs.Backlund matchup (instead of Bockwinkel). And I am going to adjust the jr. heavyweight matchup on next weeks program. I did not realize MM was working as a heavyweight in late 1990. I thought it was 92 so he wouldn't work as a junior.

[Deleted]

I will second Misawa as a junior here. Add to it what I think I said several months back, he is a great wrestler, but really needs the right opponents to maximize his value in a place like this. Hopefully you have something good lined up for him beyond Steve Simpson in 1993 because he should probably be towards the upper tier of the card here if he is believably staying in this area.

Was not touched on by others, but I really did not like the acknowledgement of Orndorff choosing to go elsewhere as a reason to vacate the title. It is what it is, had to be done in some form, I just felt like the wording made your place seem like everybody's second choice and made AWA seem second rate on their own show, instead of just asking to use Orndorff or have somebody else be champion rather than every belt start vacant which often leads to chaotic shows and booking early on. I do not know on the status of The Powers of Pain on the FA list, but if you do not have them and they are available, I would grab them ASAP, right the wrong and turn it into an angle somehow. You have the roster space, even if just to put over another team 1 time, it makes all the sense in the world to me after what you wrote there, over them having to consider an offer to return to a place where they would be champions vs nothing.

Hennig should make for a solid choice as your first champion, assuming that is where you are going with that match with Backlund. Lots of wrestlers here that should work and match up well with him. If Backlund does leave champion, which is also possible I guess, I am curious to see what you have planned with him.

Surprised to see you have Okerlund, and you are using Mike McGuirk for the interviews. I would have killed to have had somebody like Okerlund for interviews but felt I already had too many in the commentary department and had to resort to using Missy Hyatt for that. He is really second to none in that area.

All of the negatives aside like vacant titles which get erased pretty fast when things get moving, probably your best show from a booking and direction standpoint going forward in a while.

[1mississippifan]

Thanks jp1985. I'm going to do some adjusting here and there. I never meant to imply Paul went to a lesser territory. I lost him in the draft to USWA but felt he needed to be mentioned out of respect for the great previous writer who put the title on him. You are right about Powers of Pain and I'll see about making a drop or two to get them here.