Episode 131 – Supercards (Bonus)
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In this episode, I discuss two early supercards in 1911 and 1934. I also review Wrestlemania III, WWF’s biggest show of the national expansion.
Main Content
Labor Day Card on Labor Day, September 4, 1911 (34,000)
George Hackenschmidt posing around 1905 (Public Domain)
Charles Postl versus Young Sampson in the opening match. Postl won in two straight falls
Joe Rodgers wrestled Fred Erler in a one fall match won by Rodgers. The film of Hackenschmidt found in the last few years is Hackenschmidt wrestling Joe Rodgers.
Frank Gotch versus George (Georg) Hackenschmidt on Labor Day 1911
Combined Boxing-Wrestling Card for Charity at Wrigley Field on Thursday, September 20, 1934 (35,365)
Four boxing bouts with the biggest name being Kingfish Levinsky
Ed Don George drew with Jim McMillan
Jim Londos versus Ed “Strangler” Lewis at Wrigley Field in 1934
Review – Wrestlemania III (93,000, since revised to around 78,000)
Full event is available on YouTube at WWE Vault
Can-Am Connections defeated Don Muraco and “Cowboy” Bob Orton – Tito Santana is miles better than Tom Zenk. Martel pins Muraco with a flying bodypress as Muraco trips over Zenk, who is on all fours behind Muraco.
Billy Jack Haynes versus Hercules Hernandez – Vince had high hopes for Billy Jack Haynes but Haynes disappeared as usual before his push got heated up. Match ended with a double countout as Haynes applied the Full Nelson outside the ring. Good match between stars.
King Kong Bundy, Little Tokyo and Lord Littlebrook versus Hillbilly Jim, Little Beaver and the Haiti Kid – Horrible match even for a bathroom match. Bundy is DQed for bodyslamming Little Beaver and dropped the elbow. Shocking in 1987 but today the fans would demand Bundy body splash Little Beaver followed by “one more time” chants.
It Was Almost Real podcast art
Harley Race versus Junkyard Dog – Bobby Heenan distracted Dog but did not interfere leading to Harley pinning JYD with a belly-to-belly suplex. Would have loved to see this match in 1981 or 1982 in Mid-South. Not up to Harley’s standards but still better than most. Fans cared about outcome.
The Rougeu Brothers versus Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake – The Dream Team won after Dino Bravo hit Raymond, who was pinning Greg Valentine. Valentine and Dino Bravo left Beefcake in the ring to setup the next match. Rougeu Brothers could not get over with the fans, so they turned heel later that year.
Roddy Piper versus Adrian Adonis in a hair versus hair match for Piper’s Retirement Match – Roddy wins the match with sleeperhold. Brutus Beefcake, nicknamed the Barber, cuts Adonis’ hair. Fine for Roddy’s retirement but not up to either wrestler’s earlier standards.
Tito Santana and British Bulldogs versus Danny Davis and Hart Foundation – Jack Tunney suspends corrupt referee Danny Davis for life forcing Davis to wrestle to earn a living. Davis cost both Santana and the Bulldogs their titles, when Davis refereed their matches. Davis clocks Davey Boy Smith with megaphone to win the match.
“The Natural” Butch Reed versus “The Birdman” Koko B. Ware – McMahon screwed Reed over with the terrible bleach blonde gimmick. McMahon had the best African American wrestler of the 1980s and did not have a clue how to use him. Butch uses the tights to pin Koko.
“Macho Man” Randy Savage versus Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat – One of the best matches of the 1980s. A fifteen-minute classic, which is a lifetime for WWF in the 1980s. Steamboat wins after George Steele pushes Savage off the top rope, where Savage had the ring bell to land on Steamboat again.
Honky Tonk Man versus Jake “The Snake” Roberts – It wasn’t a bad match. Honky Tonk Man won by holding the ropes during the pinfall.
Killer Bees versus Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Shiek – Another filler match before the main event. Referee disqualifies Killer Bees after “Hacksaw” Duggan clobbers the Iron Shiek with a 2×4 board. Ho hum.
Andre the Giant versus Hulk Hogan – I wanted Andre to win this match and crush Hulkamania. If I had been a little smarter, I would have known that was not going to happen. Good big man match probably the best Hogan is capable of.
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