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Morey Back rEyTRE——— SPRING 1988 “FOR TODAY’S WRESTLING FAN” VOLUME 6 NUMBER 1 The managers debate | 8 CROSSFIRE: KERRY VON ERICH “The Modern-Day Warrior” discusses his comeback from a near-fatal injury as he’s grilled by Wrestling 88 editors Bill Apter and Eddie Ellner 22 HEAD TO HEAD: WENDI RICHTER VS. SHERRI MARTEL Two of the greatest woman wrestlers of the decade. The former WWF women’s champ vs. the current champ. Who would win if they wrestled today? Four noted experts offer analyses 28 INTERVIEW 88: CURT HENNIG The AWA World heavyweight cham- pion talks about his father, his change of attitude, and the quality of his title reign in this exclusive Wrestling 88 interview 32 CORNETTE, ELLERING, & DILLON: A HEATED DEBATE ON THE FINE ART OF MANAGING Three of the sport's most notorious managers get together for a once-in-a- lifetime roundtable discussion 4 A j Hogan and Savage unite P Sting: The next five years a en THE HOGAN-SAVAGE ALLIANCE CAN DESTROY THE WWF! The balance of power in the World Wrestling Federation is being tilted in a dangerous direction. It’s only a mat- ter of time before this unusual tag team self-destructs! 36 A LOOK AHEAD: THE CAREER OF STING—1988-1993 This young star is on the verge of greatness. What form will that great- ness take? Wrestling 88 takes a look into the future 4O sanrrcacnc HEARTTHROBS: STRIKE FORCE IS AWESOME! Rick Martel and Tito Santana have gripped the imagination of the wres- tling world like few teams before them 4x PRIVATE SIDE: TULLY BLANCHARD Wrestling 88 joins this dangerous member of The Four Horsemen on a rare afternoon off vacationing with his wife in the Caribbean Tully: Caribbean vacation 4S. YOU DECIDE: SHOULD WRESTLING’S 30-DAY RULE BE ABOLISHED? Should champions defend their titles once every 30 days? More often? Less often? The issue has scandalized the NWA, and now it’s time for you to speak out. Read the arguments on both sides of the issue and cast your vote today DEPARTMENTS Opening Beil ............ Orc rpecrs 6 Feedback .. ero: Newsline... In This Corner.............000: Manager’s Forum. Scouting Report... Scoreboard. 0:2 s: ocT 87 = i ] MAY 79 OCT 81 NOV 83 NOV 85 NOV 87 ] I JULY79 DEC 81 DEC 83 DEC 8S pece7 | STATE ——__ ZIP) _ eee > JAN 88 I For allvorders except the United States and Canada you MUST ADD one dollat (U.S) for every back wssue ordered for boat Il Incase of a soliout, indicate substitute issue: mal and two dots (US) for every back sssue sent by air mall (SSS ee SS SS ee Se eee Se ee eee ee Se Do Not Onder Any Issue Not Listed. Do Not Send Goins, Do Not Use Old! Order Forms Be sure to fi in the gaps in your collection of INSIDE WRESTLING, ‘The magazine that rips the lid off pro wrestling.” Get all the information you need to keep up on the pro wrestling scene. Don’t be left out. Avoid sellouts—order today! July 1974/Stories include: zko, Heenan, Strongbow. September 1974/Stories include: Sam- Martino, Graham, Brooks, Bruiser November 1974/Stories include: Gar- vins, Mascaras, Sammartino, Graham. ‘August 1975/Stories include: Valentine, Garea, Rhodes, Sammartino, ‘September 1975/Siories include: Mas- caras, Funk, Valiants, Gagne. February 1976/Stories include! Andre, Strongbow, Lewin, Brazil March 1976/Stories include: Ladd, Funk, Sheik, Robinson, April 1976/Stories include: Mascaras, Albano, Flair, Brisco. August 1976/Stories include: Funks, Mascaras, Sammartino, Putski, September 1976/Stories include: An- dre, Funk, Hansen, Mascaras. October 1976/Stories include: Sammar- tino, Race, Johnson, Jones. November 1976/Sitories include: Mas- caras, Wrestling Il, Funk, Sammartino. December 1976/Stories include Stasiak, Rhodes, Bockwinkel, Orton, January 1977/Stories include; Sammar- lino, Brisco, Funk, Gagne, August 1977/Siories include: Backlund, Graham, Mascaras, Lawler September 1977/Stories include: Sam- martino, Andre, Mascaras, Brisco. October 1977/Stories include: Andre, Rhodes, Backlund, Mulligan, November 1977/Stories include: Gra- ham, Rhodes, Mascaras, Gagne December 197/Stories include: Andre, Mascaras, Johnson, Maivia March 1978/Stories include; Rhodes, Valentine, Backlund, Bockwinkel ‘April 1978/Stories include: Backlund, Graham, Steamboat, Bruiser August 1978/Stories include: Backlund, Rhodes, Andre, Hansen, October 1978/Stories include: Sammar- tino, Andre, Rhodes, McDaniel. November 1978/Stories include: Rhodes, Backlund, Flair, Sleamboat area, Zby: I INSIDE WRESTLING press WARES | Make Check Payable And Send To: ONLY (WULY74 CD Nov7a (septa: LAPRea \imayss | T.V. SPORTS SEPT 74 [DEC78 | JANG2 —( MAY.84 [JUNE 86 Poker owns Orbe leas [autves | BOX 48 $3.00 EACH | cauc7s © Fee7> cmare2 ( JuLyss “jauces | Rockville Centre, NY 11571 | SEPT75 [ APR79. | APR a2 AUG 84 ‘SEPT 86 FEB76 CMAY79 ['MAY62 SEPT84 (1 0CTS5 ’ jl tare Mere ete Sere None Please send me the back issues I've checked, Allow 3-4 weeks for delivery APR 76 | JULY79 [/JULY82 NOV (DEC AS jo miore, Alors Auge | Deeas «er Number of Magazines Ordered: Amount Enclosed: $. © SEPT 76 “ISEPT79 oSEPTE2 JANGS — [: FEBO7 | 9517 | FeBe0 —ocre2Fepas manor PRINT YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS CLEARLY NOV76 [APRBO _NOVE2 /MARSS | APRG7 | DEC 76 ‘MAY 80 DEC 82 APR8S =) MAY 87 NAME (WANT? JUNE 80 FEB 83 MAY 85 =) JUNE 87 — [oausy? luLyeo fomaRes "JUNE BSC JULYe7 SEPT77 | AUG 80 APR 83 JULY 85 () AUG B7 ADDRESS —_ APT. | cocr77 ( sepreo | waves AUG8S (> SEPTa7 NOV77 NOV 80 JUNE 83, ‘SEPT 85 Oct 87 city [i vec77 © Janet UuLyss "/OCTaS rm Nova7 —_—— — (MAR78 FEBS: AUGes 'NOV8S L DECA7 [oapr7s (apne: | sepres Ces Janes | STATE Zp ] (AUG 78 |MAY 81 = | OCT 83 JAN 86 mocr7e: YONES I ELNOV 83) ee For all orders except the United States and Canada you MUST ADD one dollar (U.S,) for every back issue ordaved for boat 1 incase ot setiout, indicate substitute issue: Ina and two dolar (US) for every back issue sot by ar ma December 1978/Stories include: Sar martino, Rhodes, Wrestling I, Bravo, January 1979/Stories include: Sammar- tino, Mulligan, Rhodes, Backlund. February 1979/Stories include: Race, Sammartino, Steamboat, Ladd April 1979/Stories include: Andre, Flair, Backlund, Jones. May 1979/Stories include: Steamboat, Rhodes, Backlund, Heenan. June 1979/Stories include: Rhodes, Su: perstar, Bockwinkel, Backlund July 1979/Stories include: Rhodes, Lada, Valiant, Brower. August 1979/Stories include: Flair, Gar- vin, Race, Sammartino, September 1979/Stories include: Steamboat, Mascaras, Strongbow, Garvin, February 1980/Stories include: Patera, ‘Snuka, Santana, Albano. April 1980/Stories include: Hogan, Rich, Backlund, Mascaras. May 1980/Stories include: Sammartino, Murdoch, Mulligan, Bockwinkel. June 1980/Stories include: Putski, An- dre, Hernandez, Keim. July 1980/Stories include: Rhodes, Von Erich, Superstar, Blassie. ‘August 1980/Stories include: Sammar- tino, Wrestling Il, Baker, Kolo September 1980/Stories include: Mas- aras, Rhodes, Ladd, Iron Sheik November 1980/Stories include: Rhodes, Putski, Bockwinkel, Koloff. January 1981/Storiesineglude: Snuka, Morales, Sialer February 1981/Stories include: Back- lund, DiBiase, Bravo, Anderson. April 1981/Stories include: Albano, Sammartino Jr,, Race, McGraw. May 1981/Stories include: Iron Sheik, Von Erich, Backlund, Santana June 1981/Stories include: Rhodes, Hansen, Piper, Gagne, September 1981/Stories include: Patera, Koloff, Khan, Junkyard Dog. January 1982/Stories include: Flair, Ho- gan, Race, Humperdink. === February 1982/Stoties include: Valen- tine, Flait, Steamboat, Rhodes. March 1982/Stories include: Rich, Back- jund, idol, Spoiler. April 1982/Stories include: Rhodes, An- dre, Von Erich, Piper. May 1982/Stories include: Backlund, Rhodes, Hogan, Von Erich, June 1982/Stories include: Valentine, Von Erich, Slaughter, Morales. July 1982/Stories include: Hogan, Rhodes, Steamboat, Adonis. ‘August 1982/Stories include: Andre, Bockwinkel, Steamboat, Backlund. ‘September 1982/Stories include: Atlas, Piper, Lawler, Brody. October 1982/Stories inolude: Rich, An- dre, Piper, Dillon November 1982/Stories include: Flair, Snuka, Von Erich, Slaughter. December 1982/Stories include: Mulli- gan, Rich, Lawler, Grand Wizard. February 1983/Stories include: Rhodes, Hogan, DiBiase, Race, March 1983/Siories include: Junkyard Dog, Graham, Johnson, Funk. April 1983/Stories include: Snuka, Patera, Kabuki, Rich May 1983/Stories include: Rich, Snuka, Sullivan, Steamboat, June 1983/Stories include: Studd, Gar- Vin, Rogers, Orton. July 1983/Stories include: Hogan, Free- birds, Rhodes, Youngblood, ‘August 1983/Stories include: Junkyard Dog, Garvin, Sullivan, Lawler September 1983/Stories include: Zbys- 2ko, Piper, Andre, Hayes. October 1983/Stories include: Wrestling Il, Backlund, Junkyard Dog, Rhodes, November 1983/Stories include: Ho- gan, Reed, Von Erich, Dillon. December 1989/Stories include; Von Erich, Samoans, Valiant, Road Warriors, March 1984/Stories include: Junkyard Dog, Rich, Rhodes, Garvin. April 1984/Stories include: Flair, Steam- boat, Superstar, Windham. May 1984/Stories include: Iron Sheik, Steamboat, Rotundo, Von Erich. June 1984/Stories include: Flair, Slaughter, Cornette, DiBiase. July 1984/Stories include: Valiant, Flair, Martel, Wrestling II, ‘August 1984/Stories include: Junkyard Dog, Magnum T.A., Idol, Spoiler September 1984/Stories include: Mar- te}, Brody, Von Erich, Iron Sheik, October 1984/Stories include: Bill Jack, Road Warriors, Steamboat, November 1984/Stories Include: Rhodes, Rich, Hernandez, Warriors: December 1984/Stories include: Ho- gan, Warriors, Sullivan, Magnum T:A, January 1985/Stories include: Magnum TA, Rhodes, Atlas, Von Erich February 1985/Stories include: Rich, ‘Adams, Valiant, Flair March 1985/Stories include: Backlund, Billy Jack, Kolofts, Von Erichs. per. April 1985/Stories include; Warriors, Al bano & Hogan, Steamboat, Gordy. May 1985/Stories include: Slaughter, Garvin, Albano, Koloffs. June 1985/Stories include: Warriors, Slaughter, Von Erichs, Studd & Patera. July 1985/Stories include: Hogan, Von Erich, Nikita, Warriors. August 1985/Stories include: Wrestle~ mania, Zbyszko vs, The Tonga Kid. September 1985/Stories include: Piper, Flair, Fantastics, Magnum T.A, October 1985/Stories include: Russian menace, Von Erichs, Rude & Barr, November 1985/Stories include: boat, Adams, Freebirds, Cornette. December 1985/Stories include: San- tana, Brody, Andersons, Murdoch, January 1986/Stories include: Steam- boat, Mike Von Erich, Warriors. February 1986/Stories include; A'n’R Express, Warriors, Mulligan & Windham, March 1986/Stories include; Windham & Rotundo, Warriors-Russians, Rude. April 1986/Stories include: Scott Hall, Rhodes, Flair, Andre, Bill Watts May 1986/Stories include; Randy Sav- age, Stan Hansen, Rock 'n’ Rolls. June 1986/Stories include: Bulldogs, Windham-Flair, Lance Von, Blanchard, July 1986/All-American Special Issue. Stories include: Hogan, Slaughter, T.A August 1986/Stories include: Wrestle~ Mania 2, Garvins, Martel, Fab Ones. September 1986/Stories include: AndreRhodes-T.A,, Adams, Windham. October 1986/Stories include: Flair-Lu+ gar, Savage, Fantastics, Warriors November 1986/Stories include: War- riors-Flair, Bulldogs, Watts, Adams. December 1986/Stories include: Ho- gan-Adonis, R&R Express, Baby Doll January 1987/Stories include: Rude- Flair, Piper, T.A., Taylor February 1987/Stories include: Hogan- Piper-Omdortt, Taylor, Flair, March 1987/Stories include: Flair, Missy, Luger, Bulldogs, Kolotfs, April 1987/Stories include; Windham, Steamboat, Ellering, Duggan. May 1987/Stories include: Windham & Luger, Steamboat, Hogan-Andre. June 1987/Stories include: Piper-Ado- niis, Horsemen, Adams, Hall, Brody. July 1987/Stories include: Danny Davis, DiBiase, Rockers, Rotundo, Andersons. ‘August 1987/Stories include: Dusty & Nikita, Hogan, Mike Von, Cornette. September 1987/Stories include: Ho- gar-Race, R&R Exp., Rich, Honky Tonk. October 1987/Stories include: R&F Ex- press, Hogan, Taylor-Adams, Lawler, November 1987/Stories include: War Games, Mr. T, Bulldogs, Rhodes December 1987/Stories include: Free- birds, Rhodes, Magnum, Savage, Perez. January 1988/Stories include: R&R- Horsemen, Hogan, Flair-Garvin. team ‘Do Not Order Any Issue Not Listed. Do Not Send Coins. Do Not Use Old Order Forms. CROSSFIRE BILL APTER: Kerry, despite mas- sive injuries incurred in a June 1986 motorcycle accident, you insist you will return to the ring on a fulltime basis, EDDIE ELLNER: Despite doctors’ reports to the contrary and his own obvious physical instability. BA: There you have it, Kerry. Can you come back, despite all the wide- spread pessimism about your condition? KERRY VON ERICH: As far as I’m concerned, I’m already back. I’ve wrestled several exhibition matches without any ill effects. EE: Yes, you sure did, You took the best Matt Borne had to offer for an entire minute and limped your way back to the dressing room. Very impressive, KVE: If you’re going to distort the truth, I don’t see much sense in sit- ting here and talking to you. BA: What actually happened last month in Texas, Eddie, was that Ker- ry wrestled three one-minute spar- ring sessions against Frank Lancaster, Matt Borne, and Killer Brooks. And it tumed out to be more than just a sparring session once Brooks stepped into the ring, didn’t it? KVE: The intention of the entire ex- ercise was to give me a chance to get back into the ring with real competition ... EE: You call Matt Borne real competition? BA: Will you let him finish? KVE: (visibly angered) ... so I could show the fans that I’m on my way back. It wasn’t intended to demonstrate anything beyond that. But Killer Brooks had other ideas. The unedited transcript follows } es _ = Kerry Von Erich (right) locks up with Frank Lan- caster during his sparring session at The Cotton Bowl in Dallas, He came out with the intention of injuring me. I had no choice but to put him away. When Adias at- tacked me, it was a reflex to throw the discus punch. I think that how I did against those two convinced all doubters about my abilities to come back. I wasn’t looking for a brawl. The sparring sessions shouldn’t have been anything spectacular. EE: As far as I'm concerned, you got your wish. The exhibition was any- thing but spectacular. BA: How can you say that? After al- most a year out of the ring Keny knocks out Killer Brooks and sends Brian Adias fleeing from the ring. If that's not spectacular, what is? KVE: No, he’s right, Bill. It wasn’t spectacular. It wasn’t anything I couldn’t do before my accident. That’s why the sparring session was important. It reconfirmed my abili- KERRY VON ERICH Almost everyone in the sport of wrestling has deep respect for Senior Editor Bill Apter. Associate Editor Eddie Ellner is an exception. He doesn’t care for Apter or his views on professional wrestling. Each issue, these two editors will grill a wrestler about hot issues in his career, catching the grappler in the CROSSFIRE! ties. For me, it provided a big dose of self-confidence. And that alone makes it important. EE: My problem with this whole sce- nario is your failure, Kerry, to learn from recent history. You'd have ev- eryone believe that you're complete- ly recovered from a devastating, near-fatal motorcycle accident. Your left ankle is fused at the joint, Your flexibility and mobility is obviously impaired. Yet, after five minutes in the ring—granted, a successful five minutes against opponents who ‘ probably underestimated your capa- bilities—you're acting like the six-mil- lion-dollar man. KVE: I know my limitations. I know my strengths. I know them better than anyone. Even better than my doctors. Ultimately, it is my decision to come back, mine and mine alone. You can make fun of the Von Erich magic all you want. I tell you it ex- ists. We recover from our wounds. We not only endure, but we thrive. And we will triumph. EE: I'm sorry, Kerry, but you sound like a preacher in a tent revival meet- ing. I appreciate your frustration in not being able to wrestle, but I can’t help thinking that the pressure you feel to return to the top is ... well, let's just say that anything less than the best is unacceptable for a Von Erich. Care to comment? KVE: (silence) BA: Kerry ... What do you think? Does he have a point? KVE: There is nothing to approxi- mate the pressure a Von Erich feels. Our family has always chosen the word responsibility. There is a tan- (Continued on page 58) 18 / Wrestling 88 | “| know my limitations. | know my strengths. | know them better than anyone. Even better than my doctors. Ultimately, it is my decision to come back, mine and mine alone.”” SHOW THE WORLD YOU’RE A TRUE WRESTLING FAN! 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THAT'S A $25.00 VALUE FOR THE SPECIAL LOW PRICE OF ONLY $19.95 (save ‘over $5.00!) THE PERFECT BIRTHDAY OR HOLIDAY GIFT FOR ANY WRESTLING FAN! ILLUSTRATED I Send To: MINIMUM ORDER $2.00 | | Byers | I PWIT-SHIRT ; Rockville Centre, NY 11571 ] | (Ey) Make checks payable to TV SPORTS, INC. I = I | NAME ] I PWIBUMPER STICKER | $2.00 ea. ADDRESS ai | I I | | PWIDELUXE PACKAGE | $19.95 ea. oes ee es I TOTAL AMOUNT eae Minimum order: $2.00. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. U.S. ] I SHIRT SIZE (Small (Medium OlLarge funds only. Do not send coins. Offer good in U.S. and Canada only. I OXLarge Foreign orders please add $3.00. SCOUTING REPORT Avid wrestling fans, like the wrestlers themselves, keep close tabs on the career progress of their favorite stars. The editors of Wrestling 88 invite you to clip this Page, save it, and compare this issue’s “‘Scouting Report’’ with those of future featured wrestlers LARRY ZBYSZKO SPEED: Not lightning fast by any means, Zbyszko isn’t slow, either. He'll never win a match with his speed, but he manages to get around the ring effectively. Zbyszko is similar to his former mentor Bruno Sam- martino in this way. “The Living Legend's” speed was never a factor, however, because there weren't fast men like Randy Savage and Rick Steamboat in the WWF in the 1960s and early ‘70s. But now Zbyszko is in the NWA, where fast wrestlers such as Rick Morton and Ric Flair are the rile, He's not going to get any faster, so he'll have to B- adapt. STRENGTH: Nick Bockwinkel, Curt Hennig, Greg Gagne: all fine wrestlers who rely on scientific skills rather than strength. Zbyszko fits right in. But what's going to happen in the NWA when he meets strong- men like Nikita Koloff or The Road Warriors? Zbyszko is not a powerful man. He does not spend a great deal of time in the gym bodybuilding. But the time has come. There are few men in the NWA that Zbyszko can. beat in a test of strength. As Zbyszko moves up the ladder (0 of title contenders, this will be detrimental. aE TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE: Zbyszko's martial arts knowledge and scientific wrestling skills were well documented in the AWA, where he almost ended Nick Bockwinkel’s career with a pair of nunchaku sticks. Zbyszko is a martial arts expert. And let's not forget: He leamed the basics of wrestling from Bruno Sammartino, one of the all-time greats. There is a problem, however: Zbyszko, a sadistic madman with no re- spect for his opponents, sometimes goes out of control and forgets his vast wrestling skills. When he tums into a brawler, Zbyszko B is usually out of his league. cn PHYSICAL CONDITION: Better than average, although he lacks muscle tone. Nobody's ever caught Zbyszko in the middle of jogging 10 miles or undergoing a strenuous workout, but he does pay attention to his physique. Zbyszko hasn't allowed himself to get fat and is actually at a perfect wrestling weight: just under 250 pounds. He’s also never suffered a career-threatening injury and has been careful not to wear himself down - with a heavy match schedule. Zbyszko paces himself well B during a match and can go the distance with almost anyone. RING INTELLIGENCE: Occasionally brilliant, Zbyszko's ability to psych out opponents is incredible. Zbyszko is not a big man, nor does he look threatening, but opponents know the treachery he's capable of, They know he'll stop at nothing to hurt them, giving Zbyszko a big edge before the bell rings, He always knows his opponent's wealmesses and usually comes up with the appropriate countermove. Strangely, however, Zbyszko lacks concentration. He's unable to maintain a single plan of attack for more than a few minutes. It's an unfortunate B problem for an otherwise brilliant man. ate OVERALL GRADE: Although Zbyszko takes great pride in maim- ing his enemies, he sometimes appears unaggressive before a match. He constantly stalls, perhaps hoping to further psych out his opponents. Even once the bell rings, he'll take needless strolls around the ring. Indeed, it often appears Zbyszko doesn’t want to wrestle. In his overall score, this factor is important. Last year in the AWA, Zbyszko seemed content to advise World champion Curt Hennig. Zbyszko is a talented wrestler. He has the ability to win a major title. But he doesn’t seem interested. Perhaps his association with Baby Doll will help in that B- respect. Wrestling 88 / 21 HEAD TO HEAD WENDI RICHTER Two years is an eternity in professional wrestling. The cover story in the April 1986 issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated asked, “Is Wendi Richter More Popular Than Hulk Hogan?” At that time, Richter was nearly as popular as the World heavyweight champion. Now the question seems ridiculous. Richter rose to fame in 1984 when rock singer Cyndi Lauper became involved in a feud with Capt. Lou Albano. At the height of their feud, Lauper recruited Richter to challenge Albano's friend, The Fabulous Moolah, for the WWF World women's title. The now-famous “Brawl To Settle It All,” won by Richter and broadcast live on MTV, drew unprecedented attention to women's wrestling. Richter lost the belt to Lelani Kai in February 1985 and a rematch was scheduled for the following month as part of WrestleMania I at Madison Square Garden. Hogan was on the card, but the Richter-Kai match was considered the main event by many people. Even Richter's archnivals couldn’t deny her popularity. “There's no love lost between Richter and myself,” said AWA women’s champion Sheri Martel at the time. “TI feel that she's ducking me. But I'd be lying if I didn’t say women wrestlers all over the country owe her a big debt vs. SHERRI MARTEL of gratitude. She’s put us on the map.” Things have changed since then. Richter became in- volved in a contract squabble and left the WWF at the height of her popularity. Although she's currently the World Wrestling. Council women's champion, Richter is no longer a national figure. On the other hand, Martel's career has taken off. This past summer Martel signed with the WWF. In her first match against Moolah, on July 24 in Houston, Martel won the title. The victory by the attractive, shapely, and very talented Martel was taken as a sign that women’s wres- tling was on the rise once again. The comparisons between Richter and Martel are obvi- ous. Both are attractive, both defeated Moolah for the World belt, and both were considered the saviors of women’s wrestling. Although she isn’t as popular as Rich- ter was, Martel is, in effect, the new Wendi Richter. The prospects for a Richter-Martel match, however, are not good; Richter is unlikely to return to the WWF, Mar- tel is unlikely to leave it. But what would happen if they did meet? We commissioned four well-informed panelists to give us their analysis of such a match and decide a Possible outcome. 22 / Wrestling 88 HEAD TO HEAD CAPT. LOU ALBANO I'm going to try and be very analytical about this because we're discussing a very important part of my career. Wendi Richter is @ great wrestler, there’s no doubt about it, and back in 1984 and 1985 she was a great star in the WWF. She had a certain charisma that only certain people, such as myself, can Rave. Wendi and Cyndi helped me see the light and I'll never forget the night she beat Moo- “ lah in “The Braw! To Settle It All” Richter wrestled a perfect match against one of the great wrestlers of all time. I haven't seen Wendi too many times since then, but I doubt if she's lost any of the truly great abilities that made her a tily areat star She's still a great wrestler, and she still has great charisma. Now Sherri Martel is a beautiful woman, she’s got sex appeal, she’s got wrestling ability, she beat Fabulous Moolah, and she can wrestle for Capt. Lou any day. Let me tell you something, daddy, Sherri Martel against Wendi Richter would be a great match. It would be the great- est ladies’ match of all time. It would send the galaxies reeling and people running to their doors to jump into their cars and buy tickets. ‘We would have two beautiful women and two great wrestlers and people's bones would be shakin’, daddy. Now here's what would happen, and you can take this to the bank. It would be a great match, an unbelievable match, and Wendi would come out on top because she has the hunger in her eyes and she has the scientific ability to counter anything Shem would do. Wendi Rich- ter is a great one and the great ones always come out on top. Capt. Lou Albano managed 12 different duos to 16 WWF World tag team championships prior to his retirement last year. He is currently national fundraising chairman for the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. MISTY BLUE SIMIMES First of all, I'd just like to say that it's good to see “Head to Head” featuring a women’s match for once. Women’s wrestling deserves more respect and attention than it gets. You look at women like myself, Sherri Martel, and Wendi Richter, and you're looking at three of the greatest wrestlers in the world, male or female. Magazines rarely have stories about women, and I'm happy that Wrestling 88 is doing this, I'm glad to be a part of it I feel I owe a debt of gratitude to Wendi Besaee she made women’s wrestling so big for three years and she beat Moolah, who did more to hurt the sport than anybody else. Wendi brought excitement to women’s wrestling and she made people care about it. But the most important thing is that she’s such a good wrestler. People forget that she has incredible pure wrestling skills and that, combined with her amazing toughness, makes her pretty hard to beat. After all, she’s still a champion. As for Shei, well, I'm glad she won the title from Moolah and I'm glad to see she's defending it on a regular basis. Shen is also a very talented wrestler, although she sometimes stretches the niles too far, and she has a lot of charisma. Sher vs. Wendi would be very exciting because the two are so evenly matched. They're both in good shape and would have no trouble if the match lasted over an hour, which I think it would. One of two things would happen: Either Sherri would have to adapt to Wendi’s scientific style or Wendi would have to adapt to Shemi’s brawling style. Whoever forced the other to adapt would win. I think Wendi’s smart enough to be patient. She'd wear Sherri down. Misty Blue Simmes is one of the top-rated female wrestlers in the world. She currently holds the IWF and NWA U.S. women’s belts, DICK WOHERLE T’ve officiated matches involving both these young ladies and I've always been im- pressed by their incredible abilities. You know, many fans and wrestling promoters feel that women can't wrestle as well as men, but those people probably haven't seen Wendi Richter or Sherri Martel in action. Wendi, of course, was a great star, much greater than Sherri is right now. Referees je have a lot of pride and we always want 10 "= work the best matches. Back when Wendi was so popular in the WWE, every ref I knew wanted to work one of ‘her matches. It was an honor. Besides, Wendi represented, and still represents, everything that's good about wrestling. She's very fair, rare- ly breaks the niles, and wrestles her heart out every time. Shemi, of course, can get a little out of hand sometimes, but that doesn't take away from her incredible abilities. You see, she likes to hurt her opponents and she absolutely hates Moolah, so people only see the vicious side of her. It overshadows her marvelous wrestling skills and her dogged determination. Nobody wants to win more than Sheni. And, of course, she’s also a very attractive young lady. I think a match between Wendi Richter and Shem Martel would put women's wrestling back into the national headlines. It's a natural and they wouldn't need Cyndi Lauper or Lou Albano to get the feud going. When you pit two well-matched and extremely talented athletes against each other, it doesn't really matter what sex they are. Td rather not say who would win. I might have to referee that match one day. Dick Woherle has been a referee for every major wrestling federa- tion in North America and has worked matches involving both Mar- tel and Richter, LARRY NELSON Te had more than a few run-ins with Sheri Martel, so I might be a little biased about this. Sherri is a very volatile young lady, and when she was in the AWA she constantly: stuck her nose in where it didn't belong. You know, she was manager for Bud- _ dy Rose and Doug Somers, the former AWA World tag team champions, and she was the main reason why they held the belts for so . Jong. She constantly interfered in their matches. ‘As a wrestler, though, she was outstanding, although definitely a mulebreaker. Sher has the killer instinct—there’s no doubt about that— and she never backs down from anyone. That's what makes her such a fine wrestler. She also really had to work her way up to the top, so she knows what it takes to win. I can't say I particularly like Sherri, but I respect her abilities, Wendi Richter is also a fine wrestler, but I think she's dropped off ‘over the past few years. I mean, she's still a champion down in Puerto Rico, but the competition isn't very strong down there. It leads me to believe that Wendi might not be able to wrestle against the big girls anymore. Maybe that whole feud with Moolah and Lelani Kai drained her. You know, a person can get old awfully fast in this sport. I think Shen's at the peak of her career right now, while Wendi is. a few years past her prime. Wendi would give her a tough match, but in the end Marel would win out, She'd start resorting to her vicious tulebreaking and that would spell the end for Richter. She'd wouldn't be strong enough to counter Sheri. And if Wendi wanted to wrestle scientifically, I think Sherri could match her in that department, too. Larry Nelson is the voice of the AWA and can currently be seen weekly on ESPN’s AWA Championship Wrestling. Wrestling 88 / 23 You've heard about them... you’ve read about them . . . now you can see them for yourself! Japanese women wrestlers are among the most agile, athletic, acrobatic—and vicious—competitors in the entire mat world. Now, two sensational videotapes bring the dynamic action of Japanese women’s wrestling into your own home! Sample The Excitement! Jaguar Yokota, The Crush Girls, Devil Masami, The Jumping Bomb Angels, Dump Matsumoto—these are the legends of Japanese women’s wrestling. They're all here, and more—including American superstar Wendi Richter. These matches, direct from Japanese television, include the kind of action that, until now, only satellite dish Slant-Eyed Slaughter (running time: approximately 70 minutes) @ Wendi Richter & “Devil” Masami vs. Ayumi Jumbo” Hori & Okumura @ Nancy Kumi vs. Lucy Kayama © Monster Ripper & “Devil” Masami Riot Of The (running time: approxi @ Yukari Omori & Ayumi “Jumbo” Hori vs. Ayumi “Jumbo” Hori & Mimi Hagiwara @ “Jaguar” Rimi Yokota vs. Tarantula @ “Crush Girl’ Lioness Asuka vs. “Crush Girl” Chigusa Nagayo owners or Japanese fans could enjoy. These tapes are certain to become valued collectors’ items. They include complete matches, not match excerpts! Special Magazine Offer: In the past, you might have expected to spend upwards of $59.95, $69.95, or more for tapes of this quality. But now, for a limited time only, you can order Slant-Eyed Slaughter and Riot Of The Rising Sun for the special low price of only $29. handling). Witness all the excitement and thrills of Japanese women’s wrestling—in your own home. ‘SPECIAL NOTE: These tapes, distributed by Powersports Video in association with American Video, are being sold exclusively for a limited time only in the United States by T.V. Sports. Both tapes include English play-by-play commentary recorded alongside the original Japanese commentary and crowd noise. While the English commentary is poor, the action level and match quality of these bouts more than makes up for it. We're convinced you'll be completely satisfied by these programs. .95 each (plus $3.00 postage and Make check or money order payable and send to: TV SPORTS BOX 48 ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY 11571 1am enclosing $32.95 ($29.95 plus $3.00 postage and handling) for each tape | am ordering. vs. Noriyo Tateno & Itysuki Yamasaki— “The Jumping Bomb Angels” @ Masked You & Kaoru “Dump” Matsumoto vs. Lioness Asuka & Chigusa Nagayo—'‘The Crush Girls” “Jaguar” Rimi Yokota vs. Las Galactia @ “Jaguar” Rimi Yokota vs. “Devil” Masami PLEASE RUSH ME: ( Slant-Eyed Slaughter © Riot Of The Rising Sun (SORRY—VHS orders only) Address: City: State: ip: For all orders except U.S. and Canada, you must add $2,00 for each tape ordered for boat mail, and $3.00 for each tape ordered for air mail. U.S. funds only. Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery. I I i} | | I | Name: I I ! | I L a ee SCOREBOARD This is a feud Jim Comette desperately trying to avo sid. ognized what a potentially devas ing team The New Breed was and he wanted to diffuse the team be- fore it threatened The Midnic ight press’ U.S. tag team title reign he made a lucrative offer to C Champion and Sean Royal, and an- swer from this brave nev a forceful “No!” Insulted barrassed, Comette vowed to ‘stroy the men who claim t the year 2002. Nobody | Comette and gets away with so Comette believes. Six months ago, Comette had nothing to worry about from the Breed. A serious auto accident sidelined Champion and Royal or several months. Fortunately, juries were not as severe i suspected. Royal came back and wrestled in singles matches until Champion joined him a few months later, As a result of the ac ident, Champion sported a forearm cast adomed with space-age circuitry (“Advanced cybemetic technology from the year 2002,” Champion ‘said. “I will heal more quickly and team was be aton chinlocks Royal (left); Lane covers Champion (right) be stronger than before. Today's doctors are 20 years away from fully understanding how it works”). Comette scoffs at such futuristic remedies. “A few wires and lights on a plaster cast isn’t gonna fool anybody,” Comette said. “When my men get him in the ting, they'll y thing to pieces and 8 the head with it. No man says ‘no’ to me and gets away with it.” In venues throughout the NWA, thousands of fans are thrilling to this exciting feud. The New Breed is, in many respects, an even younger version of the still-young Midnight Express. Champion has the fear- lessness and aerial recklessness of Bobby Eaton. Royal has the cool and the ring smarts of Stan Lane. All four men possess a keen apprecia- tion of scientific wrestling, but also recognize the need to brawl their way out of tough spots. The differ- ence, as The New Breed has quick- ly discovered, is Comette. The Breed can match the Mid- nights move for move and punch for punch, but they cannot counter Comette (or Big Bubba Rogers) alone. The trouble is, they don’t want anyone at ringside helping them. But Comette’s interference, often earning his team disqualifica- tions and hence saving their US. title belts, will have to be overcome by the Breed if they are to succeed in their current war. When Comette stays out of the way, a Midnights-Breed match can be as technically superb as any Midnights-Rock ’n’ Roll Express en- counter. Both teams enjoy punish- ing each other with the difficult ae- tial maneuvers that are | simultaneously beautiful and fright- ening. It is a constant game of one- upmanship, the match within the match: Who can do the tough | moves better? It's hard to tell whether this feud will last as long as the Midnights- Rock ’n’ Rolls war, but it has all the earmarks of a long-lasting classic. For The New Breed, the US. tag team belts and their establishment as one of the best teams in the sport is at stake. At stake for Jim Comette and The Midnight Express is something even more important: survival. Wrestling 88 / 25 SCOREBOARD 26 / Wrestling 88 SCOREBOARD BAM BAM BIGELOW vs. HERCULES HERNANDEZ When Hercules Hemandez heard that Bam Bam Bigelow was coming to the WWF, he didn’t worry. He had heard about the exploits of this nim- ble giant, but his manager, Bobby Heenan, had assured him that Bigelow would soon be joining the Heenan family. That, of course, never happened. After five managers courted the big man for more than a month, Bigelow surprised nearly everyone by choos- ing Oliver Humperdink to guide his career. It was a bold move, consider- ing that Humperdink had never man- aged in the WWF. Neither he nor Bigelow were familiar with the tactics of Heenan and his henchmen. Bigelow slams Hercules It wasn’t long before Bigelow final- ly got his shots at Hernandez. De- spite being outweighed by more than 100 pounds, Hercules has been unfazed by the behemoth. A recent bout in Rochester saw the two men trading power moves such as slams and shouldersmashes. Hercules was certain that his physique would sup- ply him with the energy to overcome Bigelow, but Bam Bam, with Humper- dink’s help, had Hemandez figured out that night. He scored a decisive pin, giving Heenan a severe setback in his quest for WWF domination. Hart catches Yamada in an abdominal stretch Owen Hart’s accomplishments had been well-publicized long before he ever atived in Japan. The rookie who has dominated much of the ac- tion in Calgary's Stampede Wrestling was already widely respected for his combination of scientific and aerial skills. Outclassing much of his oppo- sition, Hart quickly rose to the top in Stampede and looked to expand his horizons. So when Japanese promoters came to Hart with a lucrative contract to tour the island nation, the young star eagerly accepted. Hart's first Japanese tour found him battling the top stars of the Orient, including Keichi Yamada, who looked forward to the opportunity to test his abilities against the highly OWEN HART vs. KEICHI YAMADA touted Canadian star. He was a wor- thy opponent, forcing Hart to brawl more than he wanted to. But al- though it was, for the most part, not his type of match, Hart proved he is able to wrestle any style he needs to win. Refreshed and enlightened by the experience, Hart says he’d like to wrestle in Japan on a regular basis. His willingness to experiment helps make Hart the great ring technician he is. His rivals in Stampede, like Ja- son the Terrible and Makian Singh, already know how dangerous Hart can be. It won’t be long before wres- tlers the world over start to familiar- ize themselves with the talents of Owen Hart. This future superstar is already a dangerous opponent. [J Wrestling 88 / 27 28 / Wrestling 88 INTERVIEW 88 CURT HENNIG As of this writing, two generations of wrestling greatness are giving new meaning to the term ‘‘family feud” in the American Wrestling Association. Current AWA World champion Curt Hennig, backed by his father Larry “The Ax” Hennig, is locked in a heated battle with Greg Gagne, son of legendary nine-time AWA titlist Verne Gagne. Both fathers have rallied to their sons’ support, but so far the Hennigs have been ahead in this war. In arecent title match in Minneapolis, Greg seemed well on his way to defeating Curt when Larry took it upon himself to interfere. After devastating Greg with a surprise ‘‘ax attack,” the elder Hennig rolled his semiconscious son onto the younger Gagne for the pin. The referee saw nothing. It was not the first time Curt has been involved in a controversial finish to a title match. From the May 2, 1987, match in which he won the title from Nick Bockwinkel to this most recent defense against Greg Gagne, Hennig has shown a tendency to resort to blatantly illegal tactics whenever his title appears to be in danger. What seemed a temporary disregard of the rules against Bockwinkel has now become a dangerous habit. Hennig’s transformation from impressive scientific wrestler to consummate rulebreaker is now complete. Anyone chronicling Hennig’s title reign will find the phrases “foreign objects’ and “‘outside interference" — inevitably followed by “the referee missed it"—recurring with shocking regularity. Hennig is as crafty as a fox when it comes to hiding his misdeeds; the AWA championship committee has never been able to prove a thing. No proof is necessary to Gagne, Wahoo McDaniel, D.J. Peterson, and Jerry Lawler. Each has found himself a victim of Hennig’s rulebreaking. All have sworn revenge, but Hennig keeps them at bay through a fine combination of ducking, cheating, and non-title matches. How long Hennig can retain his title in the face of such determined opposition is the principal question in the AWA. That, along with Hennig’s new-found professional relationship with his father, were the main themes of an extensive interview Hennig gave to Wrestling 88 Associate Editor Gian Trotta in Minneapolis. “ Hennig was at intervals arrogant, charming, flippant, and deaaly serious,” Trotta recounted. ‘A tough combination to figure out, and a tough man to pin down—no pun intended. But if one fact did emerge clearly, it was that he is a young man with no regrets over the path he has chosen in the sport.” WRESTLING 88: Well, Curt, I'd like to congratulate you on your most recent title defense against Greg Gagne, but somehow | just can’t bring myself to... HENNIG: ... admit what a thrilling sight it was to see two generations of wrestling excellence once again show their superiority over the Gagnes in every way? Go ahead, spit it out! WRESTLING 88: It was a sight, I'll grant you that. But you were clearly knocked out. Only your father’s “ax attack” on Greg saved your title. Your father had no business in the ting. He was just in your corner to provide moral support. HENNIG: Well, then, | guess my fa- ther just provided a little bit more moral support that Greggie’s dad. Hahaha! Come on, Trotta! In two years it'll be 1990 and you're still thinking ‘in my corner’ means not in the ring. | was proud to have my dad there to witness my victory. WRESTLING 88: Witness? He practically guaranteed it with his ri- diculous interference! HENNIG: Well, it’s true | wrestle better in his presence. | mean, didn’t you play better in Little League with your dad in the stands? WRESTLING 88: Of course | did, but my father never came out of the stands and elbowsmashed the op- posing pitcher! HENNIG: (laughs) Why not? | mean, my dad would have back then if | had asked him to, but | was too stupid. | might have ended up on the Minnesota Twins that way! But believe me, | wouldn't trade this belt for anything in the world! I’m glad my dad can enjoy it with me. WRESTLING 88: For a while, rela- tions between you two were tense. How would you describe your rela- tionship. with him now? HENNIG: Well, he didn't agree with my style at first, but now we get along just great. We do a lot of hunting and fishing together, and in the slow times we just talk about wrestling, past, present, and future. We love talking about the differ- ences between our early careers, styles, and all that. Wrestling’s defi- nitely changed in the last 20 years. You know, my dad was a great wrestler in his time. And while he's won the AWA World tag team championship with Harley Race, he never won the AWA World heavy- weight title. He did come real close ‘on several occasions, but it was the one honor in wrestling he really wanted that he never had the chance to enjoy. He didn’t want to see me make the same mistakes on the way to the title. But he said that helping me defend it against the Gagnes was almost as good as his having won it himself. Having Greggie’s dad watching helplessly in the other corner while | beat him only iced the cake. It was a sight for Wrestling 88 / 29 AWA World champion Curt Hennig tries to roll Greg Gagne into a Boston crab. The old Gagne-Hennig feud has resumed, with former champion Verne Gagne in his son's corner and Larry ‘The Ax” Hennig helping out Curt illegally. sore eyes, all right. WRESTLING 88: But you four have a rematch scheduled soon. | don’t think that your father will be able to interfere as easily this time. HENNIG: No, he'll just have the best seat in the house to see me win. Of course, if Greggie and his dad pull something crooked, then my dad has to get involved. You're also making a couple of hasty as- sumptions. One, that Greg is going to give me trouble; two, that his daddy will even show up. WRESTLING 88; What was your fa- ther’s reaction when you beat Bork- winkel for the title? HENNIG: He was eestatic! Not only berause | sucreeded in doing something that he'd always dreamed of, but also because of the way | did it. WRESTLING 88: Meaning? HENNIG: He said | had _ finally grown enough to forget the fans and be my own man. After a losing a whole bunch of matches against Bockwinkel, | finally realized that | had to take a different attitude if | was ever going to beat that slippery old Dutchman. The rest, as they say, is history. Of course, it would have been much easier if | had lis- tened to my dad’s advice from the start, but he figured that | would eventually come to my senses and learn what needs to be done to get ahead in this sport. And he thought that | would be better off, having learned from experience the right and wrong ways to win and hold a title. | now know the right way. WRESTLING 88: He told you that? A CHAMPIONSHIP RECORD TO BE PROUD OF? Controversy has hovered around Curt Hennig like bees to honey ever since he defeated Nick Bockwinkel in Las Vegas for the AWA World title on May 2, 1987. Bockwinkel claimed that Larry Zbyzsko came out and handed Hennig a foreign object; Hennig’s half-hearted denials were supported by the AWA championship committee, which reviewed tapes of the match and allowed the decision to stand. If anyone thought that the manner of Hennig’s victory would be a one-shot affair, they were dead wrong. Hennig’s record of outside interference and foreign ob- ject use rivals Ric Flair’s NWA record of self- disqualification. When Hennig traveled to Memphis to take on Jerry “The King” Lawler in his home court, the three-count that would have won Lawler the belt was interrupted by Lawler's enemy, Brickhouse Brown, who emerged from the audience to thwart “The King’s” coronation. Coinci- dence or complicity? Concrete evidence was lacking. 30 / Wrestling 88 A September 18 title match against Wahoo McDaniel in Las Vegas ended when Hennig pulled a roll of coins from his trunks and used it to practically scalp McDan- iel. In an almost unbelievable display of ineptitude, the referee failed to notice the loose coins flipping about the ting. The evidence this time was conclusive, but Mc- Daniel refused to file a protest, claiming that he did not want to start a precedent where titles would change hands in the board room. He also stated his preference to pay back Hennig in his way—with an Indian strap match. With the departure of Larry Zbyzsko to the National Wrestling Alliance, many observers felt that Hennig was left very vulnerable. But Hennig’s father, Larry, a notori- ous rulebreaker through most of his career, rallied to his son’s support. His interference in several recent title matches convinced many observers that, unless official action is taken soon, Hennig will remain unbeatable by conventional means. —Gian Trotta HENNIG: Not in so many words, but | got the drift. Dad’s not the talky type, he lets his actions speak louder than his words. WRESTLING 88: What exactly has he been hinting at? HENNIG: It was basically to adopt the strategy he used when he was on top. Forget the fans, trust only yourself, use your enemies to con- trol your enemies, and do every- thing that you have to in order to win! That last one was the most important. It's better to be a contro- versial winner than a good loser any day of the week. Let’s face it, you wouldn't be here interviewing me if | was just the number-one contender to the World belt, or the co-holder of the tag team title. There’s some- thing special about being champ. People recognize you. Their voices drop in respect when they say, “Look, that’s Curt Hennig.” WRESTLING 88: Are you sure that “respect” is the right word to use here? HENNIG: Sure. I’m not talking about the idiots that show up at the arena, but real, down-home people, the kind who appreciate a job well done. Those fans in the arenas, | sometimes think they come down from another planet just for the night and then zip back up. | never get reactions like theirs on the street. Wherever | go, I’m treated with respect and appreciation. That's because while | don’t care what the fans think during the match, I’m not out to make people deliberately mad. My goal is to stay champion, and to have a good time doing it. I'm a young guy, not bad looking, and | usually have plenty of energy left over to party after my matches. In the meantime, | foresee a long and illustrious title reign. WRESTLING 88: So far your reign has been characterized by a num- ber of controversies. | want to talk more about the topic of outside in- terference. In the match where you won the belt from Nick Bockwinkel, and immediately afterward, Larry Zbyzsko was constantly interfering ‘on your behalf. Down in Memphis a few months back, Jerry Lawler had you beat, but Brickhouse Brown ran in. Gagne almost had you beat when your father interfered. There are dozens of such stories. How do you reconcile these facts to your claim that you're now your “own man”? HENNIG: A lucky man, sure, but still my own man. Is it my fault that Hennig takes Gagne down with a clothesline (above) and smacks Nick Bockwinkel (below). Ever since he won the AWA title from Bockwinkel, Hennig has resorted to all sorts of underhanded tactics to keep the belt. His favorite seems to be hitting his oppo- nent with a roll of coins. I'm such a good wrestler that other wrestlers come out and watch me when | wrestle? They’re hoping to learn something, or maybe they're looking for weaknesses, but it’s al- ways useless because | never wres- tle the same way twice against the same opponent. But all this so- called “outside interference’ starts, like, okay, listen: Sometimes one wrestler in the stands or dressing room is itching to settle some scores with some guy who's wres- tling me at the time. What better time to settle the score than when these guys are occupied wrestling me, the toughest competition they'll probably ever face? So they're not interfering on my behalf, they're just settling scores that have nothing to do with me. But because | indirectly benefit by it, you reporters add two and two and get five. WRESTLING 88: So you're saying it all happens by chance? HENNIG: Well, aren’t you writers al- ways saying that truth is stranger than fiction? WRESTLING 88: Well, | can’t tell where one begins and ends here. So I'll just thank you and wish you luck. We're all wondering what your next surprise will be. HENNIG: Let my opponents worry about that. In the meantime, don’t believe everything you hear about me until you get my side of the story first. Oo Wrestling 88 / 31 (ROM THE BEGINNING, Associate Editor Eddie Ellner's desire to fly Jim Comette, J.J. Dillon, and Paul Ellering to New York, lock them in a room, and record their conversation was an idea laden with risk. Personality conflicts, plus the activities of each man’s stable, threatened to under- mine the enterprise. Timing was also a problem. It would re- quire extraordinary luck to squeeze a free day from their schedules. According to Cornette’s secretary, the fiery manager had commitments until 1991. Spokesmen for Ellering and Dillon revealed calendars equally hectic. Ellner persevered. He wrote to each manager, appealing to their egos and their sense of history: “You men are without parallel in the an- nals of wrestling. Despite your the great for- tunes, despite the fact none of you have to work another day in your lives, you continue to manage. Why? The answers are obvious. You could no sooner leave the ring than you could cut out your hearts. Imagine, gentle- men, if Napoleon, Alexander the Great, and General Patton had met. How fascinated and intrigued the world would have been! Now imagine Ellering, Cornette, and Dillon locked in strategic debate. Suspend the feuds, Forget the anger. Let's get together for a couple of hours and di: Like it was meant to be di The editors remained r i “They're too fixed in their hatred,” was the prevailing opinion. “The only hatchet want to bury is in each other's heaa had struck a chord. Four days later, Jim Cornette agreed to a meeting. After an hour-long phone conversation with Senior Editor Bill Apter, Ellering capitulat- ed. Only Dillon remained tentative. Al- though taken by the idea, the manager of The Four Horsemen suspected a trap. After repeated assurances about security—plus a promise to supply him with an ample supply of beluga caviar—he accepted our invitation. As if it had been simple all along, the managerial meeting of the century was set. “Where's the beer: “This roast beef isn’t rare enough.” « “Get me a Perrier!” They were assembled in splendor in a four-room suite, and three of wrestling's greatest minds were talking food. “If | don't get rare roast beef in two min- utes, I'm leaving.” “Can someone open up a window? That che suffocating me.” “Where's the beer?” It figured to take some time before Eller- ing, Cornette, and Dillon became comtort- able enough to relax. As Ellering said when he entered the room (after twice nearly tum- ing around for the airport and a flight back to Minneapolis), “I can't believe I'm here. I can't believe I'm going to talk with two men Thate so much.” The animosity stemmed more from differ- ences between the wrestlers they managed than from the managers themselves, At ear- lier points in their careers, the three men were actually quite fond of one anothi which we learn as we join the conversation in progress... JIM CORNETTE: Remember, we even in- corporated under, uh, what the hell was that Dillon, Ellering, & Comatte: ) A HEATED DEBATE ON THE FINE ART OF MANAGING What do you think the conversation was about when three of professional wrestling’s most successful—and controversial— managers found them- selves in the same room? Read this feature and find out! 32 / Wrestling 88 name? J.J. DILLON: Managers Anonymous. Jeez. Sounds like a bunch of drunks. What an asi- nine idea it was. PAUL ELLERING: Well, not really. The concept made sense back then. We were much younger. Rather than one manager creating a stable of wrestlers to which he couldn't possibly provide the necessary indi- vidual attention, our idea was to create a sta- ble of managers who could interchangeably manage a stable of wrestlers. DILLON: It was going to revolutionize the sport. CORNETTE: It may very well have. If we were different people. But none of us could work together. We needed autonomy. EDDIE ELLNER: It's interesting to note that none of you manage a “stable” of wres- tlers, as most people view it. Ellering has The Road Warriors. Dillon has The Four Horsemen. Cornette, you have The Mid- night Express . . CORNETTE: Don't forget Big Bubba. ELLERING: Hell, man, you should forget Big Bubba. I don’t know what you expect to do with that lug. CORNETTE: The same thing you did with Hawk and Animal. Mold and shape. Bend and mend. Train, train, train, and then train some more. Big Bubba will become a domi- nant force very quickly DILLON: Hawk and Animal are natural athletes, much like [Lex] Luger is. They're incredibly gifted and endowed. They take to instruction like a calf does her mother's milk. Big Bubba is no athlete. He's a dime- a-dozen stiff. There’s very little you can do with him. CORNETTE: You said the same thing about Bobby Eaton. ELLERING: I'm still trying to figure out how you made that bum into a wrestler. DILLON: Eaton takes the same tennis les- sons Jimmy does. (laughter) ELLNER: When you guys scout your wres- tlers, what characteristics are most impor- tant? ELLERING: Mental toughness. CORNETTE: Ring smarts. An ability to ab- sorb and execute my instructions. DILLON: Relentlessness. Toughness. Singlemindedness. ELLNER: You all agree, then, that mental attitude is more important than physical attributes? ELLERING: You assume a certain level of physical proficiency. But face it, not every- one can be The Road Wanors. DILLON: Or Lex Luger. Look at [Ric] Flair. Look at [Tully] Blanchard. These are average-sized men. They're often giving away 50, 60 pounds a match, yet they're proven winners. Because they're smart and tough. Muscles can’t replace ring savvy. Re- member, and few people do, this sport is at least 75 percent strategy. ELLERING: And it’s always 100 percent execution. CORNETTE: Absolutely. Never underesti- mate smarts. I'll take a midget with a brain over a big lug anyday. ELLNER: Or a Big Bubba? CORNETTE: Part of the thrill of being a manager is to do what others claim is impos- sible. When I said The Midnight Express would win the NWA World title, everyone— (Continued on page 56) Wrestling 88 / 33 When Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage joined hands and joined forces on Saturday Night’s Main Event, every wrestler in the WWF bolted upright and wondered where the ax would fall next—because that momentous handshake could alter the WWF beyond all recognition! By Gian Trotta HEN, AT THE behest of Miss Elizabeth, World Wrestling Fed- eration heavyweight champion Hulk Hogan rushed out of the dressing room to rescue Randy Savage from a brutal beating at the hands of The Honky Tonk Man and The Hart Foundation, the excitement level was such that few fans gave any thought to the long-term effects of Hogan’s action. The fallout from that September 23 explosion at the Hersheypark Arena— when the WWF World champion and his toughest challenger engaged in an impromptu brawl against the Intercon- tinental and then-tag team champi- ons—has yet to settle on the WWF. Since Honky Tonk and the Harts were chased from the ring, the Hogan-Sav- age tag team—appropriately dubbed The Megapowers—has kept a low profile. Yet the very fact that they exist has tulebreakers, fan favorites, officials, and fans wondering: In what direction will The Megapowers direct their con- siderable talents? WWF champion Hulk Hogan rips his shirt off (right) before battling One Man Gang (top). With Randy Savage, “The Hulkster” could win the WWF tag team title. 34/ Wrestling 88 On paper they look awesome. To say that The Megapowers can totally steamroll their opposition is hardly news. Indeed, they have the potential to totally upset the precarious balance of power in the WWF between both singles wrestlers and tag teams, fan fa- vorites and rulebreakers. Hogan and Savage could, in a mat- ter of just months, accomplish the kind of domination in the WWF that The Four Horsemen have achieved in the NWA. Hogan has defended his World heavyweight belt against some fear- some rulebreakers for the past four years; Savage outbrawled and outwres- tled the best fan favorites during his Intercontinental title reign. Together, Hogan and Savage know the styles, strengths, and weaknesses of just about every wrestler in the WWF. Where and how they will employ this combination of strength and sav- vy, however, remains an open question. Considering Hogan and Savage’s past records, current strengths, and fu- ture prospects, there are at several paths that The Megapowers may choose to travel over the next few months. On analysis, three paths ap- pear to be most likely, Let’s examine in greater detail these three possible scenarios. tek SCENARIO #1: In the wake of the Thanksgiving Survivors’ Series, Hogan continues his schedule of defenses of the WWE heavyweight title while Sav- age continues his pursuit of the Inter- continental title held by The Honky Tonk Man. Both men guard the other from outside interference. In addition, they team together whenever possible in a quest for the WWF World tag team belts. Though Strike Force has defeated The Hart Foundation for the title, by following this course The Megapowers could pull off the wrestling equivalent of a grand slam. Assuming that they emerge victorious, two men would hold all four WWF belts for the first time in its history. With no more worlds to conquer, the inevitable ques- tion would arise: ‘‘What if Savage met Hogan in a scientific match?” A title ys. title match would attract incredible attention. WrestleMania V’s main event, perhaps? ANALYSIS: While this scenario would please many fans and constitute an enduring high point in wrestling his- tory, two titles would have to change hands before The Megapowers could begin their quest. If The Hart Founda- tion (or any other rulebreaking tag team) wins the title from Strike Force (possible) and if Savage beats Honky Tonk (probable), then The Mega- powers could go for all four belts— and probably win them. But it may prove to be too costly a victory. Once before, a WWF heavy- weight champion simultaneously held the World tag team championship. That was back in 1980 when then- champion Bob Backlund teamed with Pedro Morales to defeat The Samoans. But Backlund, claiming a conflict of interest, chose to give up the tag team title and the belts were put up in a tournament. The conscientious Back- lund felt that he could not adequately defend both titles to the satisfaction of the fans—or himself. Modesty and a commitment to frequent title defenses have never been Savage or Hogan’s strong points, and one cannot picture either of them giving up a hard-earned title, even if a majority of fans were to call for it. (Continued on page 60) Savage shoves The Honky Tonk Man into the bot- tom tumbuckle (right) and is whipped into the ropes (top). Everyone is speculating as to how long a Savage-Hogan partnership will last. Wrestling 88 / 35 SE8 . ae _\, CAREER OF STING 1988-1993 By Dave Rosenbaum 6eé OU WANT TO know why so many young prospects with a world of ability never make it big?”” Bob Roop asked rhetorically from his office in Tampa, Florida. ‘Never even get a title shot? It’s eyestrain, plain and simple.”’ Roop, who with Hiro Matsuda helped train Lex Luger during the Horseman’s rookie year in Florida, wasn’t saying that blindness or an in- ability to see opponents from far away is the reason so many young wrestlers never make it big. “They read all those newspaper clip- pings saying how great they are,”’ said Roop, ‘‘and they start to believe them. Eyestrain. A young wrestler must learn to ignore favorable press clippings.”” The list of wrestlers who could’ve, should’ye, but didn’t make it to the top is virtually endless, and as 1987 turns to 1988, there are murmurs among wres- tling experts that Sting, unable to direct his career toward a major title and lack- ing in some fundamental skills, is about to join the list. Almost a year after leaving Eddie Gilbert’s ‘First Family,” Sting is still in- volved in a feud with Gilbert and Rick Steiner. Neither of these men have titles, but neither does Sting. He’s a top con- tender to Steve Williams’ UWF title, but has yet to get a title shot. He’s had only a few matches against U.S. champion Lex Luger. The NWA World title isn’t even a consideration right now. It’s clear that 1988 ust be Sting’s year. In 1986 he was an impressive rookie. In 1987 he got rid of Gilbert and improved dramatically as a singles wres- tler. In a way, Sting’s career begins for real in 1988. The pressure is on; the ex- perts expect Sting to win a major title before 1989. But it isn’t likely to turn out that way, simply because Sting isn’t skilled as a scientific wrestler. His strength, power, and determination can only take him so far. To fully realize his potential, Sting needs somebody to channel his energy, abilities, and athletic prowess toward developing a scientific repertoire. With this in mind, Sting must decide in 1988 to hire an adviser (perhaps Bob Roop or Hiro Matsuda) or a manager (maybe Paul Ellering or Capt. Lou Al- bano). Perhaps he can coerce a man who has seldom managed before to help him out, such as Lou Thesz (who ad- vised Magnum T.A. early in his career) or Buddy Rogers (who managed Jimmy Snuka), both of whom have extensive scientific knowledge. “By late 1988, I can definitely see Sting making the move [to hire a man- ager],”’ said Barry Windham. “The dif- ficulty with that is you don’t want to hire somebody like [Jim] Cornette or Gen. Skandor Akbar. That just takes you backward. But I would have to agree that Sting is going to have trouble getting over the top alone, and by Sep- tember or October he'll start getting frustrated. At that point, he’ll have two choices: either hire a manager or be- come a rulebreaker once again.’” And return to Gilbert’s camp? That doesn’t seem likely. ‘That phase of my life is over,” Sting said in late 1987. “T’m sure I’ll make some mistakes be- fore my career is over—everybody does—but that won’t be one of them.” Sting, however, has another choice. There is a place in wrestling where scien- tific ability doesn’t count for much and aman can get by on power alone. wie In 1989, Hulk Hogan will probably still be WWF World heavyweight cham- pion. There isn’t a man now in the WWF that can beat him. In all likeli- hood, Randy Savage will have finally regained the Intercontinental belt from The Honky Tonk Man. Once again, as for most of the past four years, the WWF will have as champions powerful, strong men who rarely use scientific ma- neuvers: bruising, punishing brawlers. Sting can find a home there. It’s no secret that Sting is a hotly sought-after commodity, and that Vince McMahon, head of the WWF, would like nothing better than to add Sting to his vast ros- ter of wrestlers. There isn’t a man in wrestling that can beat McMahon in an all-out bidding war, and such a battle between McMa- hon and Jim Crockett Promotions will land Sting in the WWF by early 1989. Sting headlocks his former manager, Eddie Gil- bert. By dumping Gilbert, Sting dramatically im- proved his career options. Those options include getting a different, more decent manager. Following an outstanding rookie year and a fine 1987, Sting is on the verge of wrestling greatness. But what course will his career take? In this special Wrestling 88 feature, we'll look ahead at the coming years of Sting’s career Wrestling 88 / 37 Sting powerslams Terry Taylor, the man who took his place in Gilbert's “First Family." Sting’s future may include a trip to the WWF, where he would quickly become a top contender to both the World and Intercontinental titles. Butch Reed night after night? Probably not. Sting’s main reason for coming to the WWF, besides money, would be the chance to become a big star and win a major title. He’s already wasted the first three years of his career. In 1989, Sting would be a veteran without a singles title to his credit. And there’s one other problem: The WWP’s two singles champions, Hogan and Savage, are fan favorites. The WWP’s policy is to not grant fan favor- ites matches against fan favorite cham- pions. Sting’s career could reach a cross- roads as the decade comes to an end, forcing him to make another decision. wk MeMahon’s gala end-of-the-decade New Year’s Eve bash—and you know there’s going to be one—is history. Sting has reached the point where he’s no longer wrestling middle-of-the card matches, but he isn’t in main events, ei- ther. His prospects for a title shot look bleak. Sting has reached the end of the road in the WWF and all he can do is wait for Hogan or Savage to get beaten by a rulebreaker. But Sting is too talented to wait. So, “Tf that doesn’t happen, I’d be very sur- prised,” said a wrestling insider with vast knowledge of wrestling’s power structure, “Sting is a natural for the WWE. He’s big, he’s strong, he has style, charisma, and he’s a brawler. Sting would fit perfectly into McMa- hon’s marketing strategies.”’ Sting dolls, Sting videos, even Sting ice cream bars—you’ll probably see them all by the end of 1989. But first guys wrestle in main events,” said the insider, ‘‘so Sting wouldn’t be getting much in the way of top opposition; at best, he might headline minor shows in smaller towns.”” There could be a problem if this hap- pens. Sting is used to being a star. Al- though he never won a singles title in the UWF, he held the tag belts with both Gilbert and Steiner. As a UWF singles wrestler, he consistently wrestled in with little choice, Sting will make the de- cision he put off in late 1988: hire a manager. His choice, however, will stun wrestling fans. A few months prior to WrestleMania VI, Sting will announce an alliance with Bobby ‘The Brain” Heenan. From a 1987 perspective, this move makes sense, Heenan is an expert at get- ting his men title shots and would wel- come Sting into his stable of strongmen. he’ll have to go through his trial period. “McMahon usually doesn’t let his new main events. Would Sting be happy Jing Bob Orton, Ron Bass, or By 1990, Sting should be at the peak of his abilities. He will have experience ING EVENTUALLY goes to the WWF, he’s likely to meet up with former tag team partner The Ultimate Warrior, Sting and Rock—as Warrior was known back in 1986—formed The Blade Runners and were top contenders to the UWF tag team belts. But Eddie Gilbert got in the way. Gilbert, who managed The Blade Runners and Kortsia Korchenko, was involved in a feud with then- UWF President Bill Watts. “Rock felt Gilbert’s feud with Watts made it impossible for us to get treated fairly,” said Sting. “I didn’t exactly agree with him—I thought we could get by on our own—but he wasn’t taking any chances and left Powerteam U.S.A. the area. Kortsia took off, too.” Prior to their arrival in the UWF, Sting and the Warrior ae | were in Powerteam U.S.A., a quartet of handsome, muscu- lar wrestlers formed by Rick Bassman in California. Two other members of Powerteam, Garland Donoho and Mark Miller, never continued in the sport, but the success of Sting and the Warrior proves that Bassman had a good eye for talent. After parting with Sting in the spring of 1986, Rock changed his wrestling name to Dingo Warrior and signed with World Class Championship Wrestling. Dingo and Lance Von Erich held the World Class tag team belts for a short time in 1986. On Feburary 2, 1987, Dingo won the World Class Texas title from Bob Bradley. This past June, Dingo left World Class to sign a contract with the WWF where he became known as The Ultimate Warrior. The Warrior is extremely popular and rapidly be- coming a contender for a major title. His good looks and outstanding physique make him a natural for the WWF. It’s a course Sting might someday follow. —Dave Rosenbaum 38 / Wrestling 88 against all types of wrestlers. Angry at Savage and Hogan for not granting him a title shot, he won’t think twice about become a rulebreaker, “The only real question,’ says veter- an wrestling columnist Matt Brock, ‘‘is will he wait until 1990? That seems like along time, especially for a talent like Sting. I think, however, that it’s a move he’ll have to make. Hogan is very hesi- tant to give matches to men he thinks he'll have trouble with, and Savage, for all of his ‘Macho Man’ image, tends to pick on opponents that can’t brawl with him.” Sting will finally get his long-awaited title shot at WrestleMania VI against ei- ther Hogan or Savage (which one he wrestles really doesn’t matter.) This match, and the ones that follow, will help him realize that he was, born to be a rulebreaker. Sting held both of his UWF tag team titles as a rulebreaker. And being a rulebreaker will not spoil his appeal to the female fans—after all, he’s still Sting. Sting will follow this path for the rest of his career, although he won’t always be in Heenan’s camp. He will eventually get disgusted by “The Brain’s’”’ greed and cowardliness (qualities that will nev- er change in Heenan). He'll realize that he can be a rulebreaker on his own, just like he was a fan favorite on his own. He'll also realize, once again, that he must develop his scientific skills to be- come a superstar. Sting won't win the Intercontinental Rick Steiner stops Sting from ramming his head into the ring apron. Together they were UWF tag team champions. or WWF titles at WrestleMania VI. Ho- gan and Savage will turn back his chal- lenges throughout the summer. Once again, Sting will realize that his power and strength is neutralized by the power and strength of Hogan and Savage. As 1990 comes to an end, Sting is the top contender to the Intercontinental belt, getting title shots on a weekly ba- sis. He occasionally wrestles Hogan for the World title. But he can’t get over the top. “J think,”’ says Bob Roop, ‘‘that would be a good time for him to call me or Hiro in.” toe Who knows what wrestling will be like in 1991? Some federations may no longer exist. There’s a possibility that only the NWA and WWF will still be in business. Television (particularly cable) may play an even stronger role than it does now. Hogan and Savage could be gone from the WWF. More talented newcomers like Sting will enter the sport, and many veterans will retire. Rulebreakers will become fan favorites; fan favorites will become rulebreakers. With this in mind, predicting the course of Sting’s career from 1991 to 1993 can only be based on what has happened to similar wrestlers with simi- lar abilities in similar situations. Based on Sting’s potential, ability, and what figures to happen to him from 1988 to 1990, however, some realistic conclu- sions can be drawn. @ Early in 1991, Sting will leave Heenan’s camp and hire a retired scien- tific wrestler as trainer and adviser. “The combination of scientific ability with his incredible power would be tre- mendously imposing,”’ said Lou Thesz. “There are already lots of brawlers in the sport. Those who can combine wres- tling and brawling are very rare.’ @ Sting’s incredible popularity and marketability will make other wrestlers jealous. Rulebreakers and fan favorites alike will gun for this hot star. Sneak-at- tacks will be commonplace and, at this point, Sting might have to‘overcome a major injury. And he’ll have to avoid getting embroiled in a useless feud that could sidetrack his title aspirations. @ He'll be tempted by Hollywood agents, filmmakers, and TV producers. Like many other WWF stars, Sting will start appearing in TV shows and mov- ies. And like Hogan, Andre the Giant, Roddy Piper, and Jesse Ventura, Sting will be forced into a decision: wrestling or Hollywood? @ In 1992, he will put off the move to Hollywood because he still hasn’t achieved his major goal: a world heavy- Displaying another facet of his repertoire—his power—Sting lifts up Taylor by his throat, If Sting lives up to his potential, he'll someday be a world champion. weight championship. More than five years have passed since Sting was a champion of any kind. Wrestling ana- lysts are starting to doubt that he will ever fulfill his potential. He’ll continue to work on improving his scientific skills while building up his physique, still looking for that perfect combination. @ Finally, in mid-1992, Jim Crockett Promotions will get involved in another bidding war with McMahon, The NWA will offer Sting a lucrative contract. Sting, wanting to go back home a star, will return to the NWA with the assur- ance that he’ll get a series of title shots against the NWA World champion. @ In early 1993, Sting will win the NWA World heavyweight champion- ship. ‘1993 seems like about the right time,”’ said veteran TV commentator Gordon Solie. “It takes a long time for a young wrestler to achieve champion- ship status—look how long it took Ron- nie Garvin—and really make it big. If Sting can win the NWA title by 1993, that’s pretty good; eight years in wres- tling is not a long time.”” There’s little doubt that Sting is capa- ble of achieving greatness. But his career will undoubtedly be filled with pitfalls and challenges; he’ll have to avoid ca- reer-threatening injuries and the influ- ence of shady individuals hoping to cap- italize on his ability. If he does, the world will one day be his. 1 Wrestling 88 / 39 The teaming of Rick Martel and Tito Santana, two veterans with a world of ability, is the best thing to happen in the WWF in a long time. They’re the new WWF World tag team champions—and the idols of millions of fans around the country! Hartbreaking Heartthrobs STRIKE FORCE IS AWESOME! By Stu Saks ICK MARTEL AND Tito San- tana started off on two different ends of the world and somehow ended up running into each other. Two more different men have seldom existed; two more similar men have seldom existed. Strike Force should never have hap- pened; Strike Force was a natural. Strike Force is a living, breathing, wrestling contradiction. Rick Martel, born 31 years ago in French-speaking Quebec City, was no different than any young Canadian boy. He played amateur hockey and at one time dreamed of playing in the National Hockey League. But hockey competition is tough in Canada and Martel decided instead to become a professional wrestler at the tender age of 16. Success in wrestling came slowly for young Martel. A thick French accent 40 / Wrestling 88 made him difficult to understand on interviews, but his natural ability even- tually shone through. An: outstanding athlete with a marvelous physique, Martel developed into a fine scientific and aerial wrestler. In 1980, he teamed with Tony Garea to defeat The Samo- ans for the WWF World tag team title. Martel and Garea lost the belts after four months, but won them again later in 1981. Martel left the WWF for the AWA and, in May 1984, scored his greatest victory by beating Jumbo Tsu- ruta for the AWA World heavyweight championship. A back injury contrib- uted to his loss of the title to Stan Hansen in December 1985, but Martel was finally established as a worldwide star. He also continued to be popular with the female fans, who loved his good looks and earlier had voted him “Wrestling’s Sexiest Superstar’ in a 1982 Wrestling Superstars magazine poll. Tito Santana, born 34 years ago in Mission, Texas, is of Mexican ancestry and never considered playing ice hock- ey. Down in Texas, football is king and Santana was an outstanding play- er. He was a tight end for the West Texas State team quarterbacked by Tully Blanchard. Santana signed as a free agent with the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League; cut by the Chiefs, he managed to secure a spot with the Canadian Football League. Santana retired from football and became a pro wrestler 12 years ago. His Mexican accent made him hard to understand on interviews, but, like Martel, Santana used his great speed (Continued on page 50) Rick Martel armbars Greg Valentine (right), When Martel and Tito Santana teamed to form Strike Force (below), they captured the fancy of the wrestling public, THE PRIVATE SIDE 'N THE RING, Tully Blanchard is cool, calculating, and uncom- promising. Blanchard will do anything to stay on top. He's maimed numerous opponents and doesn’t think twice about breaking the mules, Blanchard is considered by most opponents the most dangerous of the notorious Four Horsemen. Outside the ring, Blanchard occupies a position as the financial wizard of the Horsemen. He pays strict attention to the bottom line, and works closely with manager JJ. Dillon in keeping Tully Blanchard Enterprises well in the black during bleak financial times. To Blanchard, money and success mean everything; there's no place in this world for somebody of weak mind and soft heart. Blanchard is very demanding. But as Senior Editor Bill Apter found out, there's another side to Blanchard, a side Apter saw while spending a day on St. Maarten in the Virgin Islands with Tully and his lovely wife Rene. "Tully and Rene were on vacation and they invited me to spend a day with them,” explained Apter. “I've never seen Tully alone with his wife and I couldn't believe how different he was. Maybe Tully has a heart after all. Seeing them together, you'd never believe that Tully is a vicious rulebreaker.” i yest is TULLY BLANCHARD Their day on the beautiful Caribbean island began at the tourist information center, where Tully and Rene planned the day's activ- ities. They decided to go sightseeing later in the week, then went into town and shopped. “You're not going to believe this,” Apter said, “but Tully actual- ly picked out a dress for Rene and bought it for her, Imagine, Tully Blanchard shopping for dresses! Then they went to the perfume counter and he started smelling all the fragrances. He picked out a bottle for her and she didn’t like it, but he insisted a bought that for her, too, I guess you just don't say no to ly!" “Rene's a real clothing fanatic,” said Tully, “and I want her to have all the best things. She’s the wife of the greatest wrestler in the world and she should look that way. There’s nothing in the world that’s too expensive for Tully Blanchard, especially where Rene’s concemed.” After the Blanchards ate a light lunch, they decided to go golfing. The hectic life of a professional wrestler doesn’t allow much time for leisure, but Tully is a fine golfer, Tully and Rene played impressively (Rene scored 102, Tully shot an 86), then a > a Tully Blanchard stops at the St. Maarten tourist information center (top left) before he and his wife Rene begin a day of shopping and relaxation. Tully playfully entices Rene to try yet another brand of perfume at the gift shop (left). The Blanchards model St. Maarten caps (above). 42 / Wrestling 88 THE PRIVATE SIDE Wrestling 88 / 43 Ronnie Garvin executes “The Garvin Stomp" against Ric Flair. Shortly after defeating Flair for the NWA World title, Garvin took a 40-day hiatus from title matches. Should this have been allowed? YOU DECIDE SHOULD WRESTLING’'S 30-DAY RULE BE ABOLISHED? 'N WRESTLING PARLANCE, perhaps no greater compliment can be paid to a titlist than to call him “a fighting champion.” It's a type of praise that’s often harder to earn than a belt itself. Winning a title is one thing; to defend it night after night against top con- tenders for any length of time is an entirely different matter. It is the tue test of a champion. Not all fighters are champions, and not all champions are fighters. Some are content to rest on their laurels and expend minimum ef- fort toward defending their belts. For them, defenses are few and far between, often against substan- dard opposition. Others try to hedge their bets by scheduling a large number of non-title matches. To avoid such situations, each wrestling federation has adopted plied with the 30-day rule. 7\\ 4 WWF World champion Hulk Hogan struggles to escape from One Man Gang’s bearhug. Hogan has forthrightly com- And sometimes the rules them- selves aren't even followed—by the federations that make them. Recently, a dangerous precedent was set in the NWA. The 30-day mule was overuled in favor of champion Ron Garvin being al- lowed to indulge in “special train- ing” and a suspension of title matches for 40 days prior to his . Starrcade match with Flair. Gar- vin’s request for the mle suspen- sion took much of the luster off his September victory over Flair. The NWA’s selective enforce- ment of the mule is a shameful ex- ample of fence-straddling; either the mule is in effect or it is not. With this incident in mind, we appeal to our readers to answer the question: “Should the 30-day mule be abolished?” The pros and cons are presented below. Read variations of what has come to be known as the “30-day me.” As the name implies, it requires champions to face ranked (the qualification var- ies with the federation) contenders at least once a month. Some champions rise to the challenge. Ric Flair’s NWA World title reigns have been characterized by almost nightly defenses. WWF World champion Hulk Hogan sometimes wrestles as rarely as once every 10 days. AWA World champion Curt Hennig wrestles more often than Hogan, but an inordinate number of non-title match- es tarnish his reputation. “There are two ways a champion is judged by the fans, and by history,” Flair has said. “One is the frequency of title defenses, and the other is the quality of the oppo- nents faced. Love me or hate me, you've got to admit that my title reigns have always been characterized by frequent defenses against the top names in the sport. That, very simply, is why Ric Flair will go down in history as the best ever.” “Hey, it makes no sense to me that people criticize me for not defending my belt more often,” Hennig said. “I’m just going by the mules, and the rules say once every month. Any more than that is just gravy, buddy, and the fans ought to drop to their knees and thank me for defending the belt more than once a month. I don't have to, you know. I do it because I feel like it. But I don't have to. I’m just following the rules.” and consider them, then send in the ballot on page 59. The results of your vote will ap- pear in the Summer 1988 edition of Wrestling 88. THE 30-DAY RULE SHOULD BE ABOLISHED Preparation. Thirty days may seem like a long time, but in a sport in which a champion has to concern him- self with as many as five top contenders at the same time, it is not. By way of comparison, the various boxing feder- ations only decree a mandatory defense against the rec- ognized number-one contender as often as from once every six months to once per year (they encourage “vol- untary defenses” against other contenders during this interval). The 30-day mule favors the challenger, who is allowed as much time as he feels necessary to prepare himself for his title match. © Risk of injury. Title matches are generally the longest and most grueling in the sport, with the winner often emerging as weak as the loser—thus becoming easy prey for the next challenger. The 30-day rule has been accused of increasing reputations at the cost of shorten- ing careers. A longer interval between title matches would give champions more time to recover physically, thus making the athletes stronger and more able to de- fend themselves. As a result, injuries in the sport would decrease across the board. @ Overexposure. There is a fine line between protecting (Continued on page 59) Wrestling 88 / 45 THE WRESTLING MONTHLY DIFFERENT STARRCADE THE BEST YET! bscribe ( m Um 30 SPORTS REVIEW WRESTLING Think of it: The convenience of walking no further than to your mailbox to pick up the latest issue of SPORTS REVIEW WRESTLING can now be yours. The 12 issues of SPORTS REVIEW WRESTLING will be sent to your doorstep, postpaid, for only $17. SPORTS REVIEW WRESTLING contains stories and features found in no other wrestling magazine. It's breath-taking photos and superb coverage of MAKE CHECK PAYABLE AND SEND TO: T.V. SPORTS, INC. Box 48 Rockville Centre, NY 11571 Please enter my subscription to SPORTS REVIEW WRESTLING monthly. | will recieve a total of twelve (12) issues. | am enclosing $17.00 as payment the entire wrestling scene is second to none. Many consider SPORTS REVIEW WRESTLING the most exciting wrestling magazine on the market today. And remember, subscribers NEVER miss a single issue. Plus the convenience of home delivery. PLUS the excitement that only SPORTS REVIEW WRESTLING brings to you issue after thrilling is- sue. Fill out the coupon today. You won't be sorry. in full. NAME 1 New Subscription ADDRESS On new subscriptions, please allow CITY STATE ZIP up to eight weeks before you receive your first issue I | I I ! O Renewal I | I } l (Otter good only in U.S. and Canada. All other countries $22. U.S. FUNDS ONLY.) BEST BET ther Rick. He’s ny iikireatsin this sport, and to do as well.” Wrestling 88 / 47 WRESTLING'S BEST Three Great Magazines Bring You 36 Issues Of Wrestling Action And Excitement Every Year! PRO WRESTLING ILLUSTRATED usished nonny The acknowledged leader in wrestling journalism, Pro Wrestling Illustrated is packed with exciting stories and action photos. Each issue brings you all the latest news of the wrestling world, and the annual ‘Year-End Awards Issue” provides a unique and incisive view of the past 12 months, plus a chance for you to voice your opinions on the year’s top wrestlers and achievements in our special fan poll. Special Features In PWI: Each issue contains a spectacular FULL-COLOR centerfold, plus career biography, of one of wrestling’s biggest stars .. . Each issue's ‘Press Conference” brings you a probing interview with one of wrestling’s top names . . . ‘Scouting Report” provides a no- holds-barred analysis of six top stars’ strengths and weaknesses ... "Wrestling Enquirer” brings you the up-to-the-minute news as. of presstime . . . “Arena Report” brings you match results from around the wrestling world . . . Award-winning columns from wrestling's most respected staff of independent journalists . . . Comprehensive ratings, plus a special page of ‘‘Ratings Analysis” .. All this and more—every month! THE LEADER IN WRESTLING JOURNALISM On Sale The Last Tuesday Of Every Month INSIDE WRESTLING eeurishea montny) “The magazine that rips the lid off pro wrestling” works hard and digs deep to uncover the behind- the-scenes stories you want to read. Each month, Inside Wrestling brings you exciusive coverage of the most volatile topics and issues in professional wrestling today. Special Features In Inside Wrestling: The famous ‘‘Hotseat’’ interview, an exclusive discussion with one of wrestling’s top stars . . . “One on One,” in which two archrivals meet to voice their hatred . . . Exclusive Top 15 ratings in seven important categories . . . 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It’s like getting three | l subscriptions for the price of two! | I Please enter my combination subscription for 12 issues of Pro Wresting Mlustrated, 12 issues of Inside Wrestling, and 12 issues of The Wrestier— | | @ total of 36 big magazines. | am enclosing $42 as payment in full. i | make cHeoK pavAaBLie AND SEND TO NEW cr 4 r ly $42 I TV SPORTS Magazines For On! 3 Wee RENEWAL g LAs H | Rockville Centre, NY 11571 I | Name - ] | Address I lL cy = State Zip | i} GOLDEN MOMENT OOKING AT THEM today, it’s hard to believe that Greg Valentine and Dino Bravo were ever at odds. The Dream Team, leading contenders to the WWF World tag team champi- onship currently held by Strike Force, seems to be a match made in heaven. Bravo and Valentine are constantly supporting and encouraging each other, each man a perfect complement to the other's vicious, sadistic, rulebreaking style. But it wasn’t always that way. In the late 1970s, Bravo was one of the most popular wrestlers in the WWF. He won the tag team title with Dominic DeNucci and was a top championship con- tender with longtime partner Gino Brito. Bravo also wrestled occasionally in singles matches and, in 1979, engaged in a brutal war with the man who would become his future tag team part- ner, Greg Valentine. At the time, Valentine was the swom enemy of virtually every upstanding fan favorite in the WWF. A cool, calculating mad- man, Valentine was afraid of no one and had already left several battered wrestlers lying in his wake. He broke Chief Jay Strong- bow’s leg with a figure-four leglock. WWF World champion Bob Backlund nearly had his title reign and his life ended by Valen- tine. DeNucci, Ivan Putski, and Dusty Rhodes all fell victim to “The Hammer.” Like those before him, Bravo was also unable to stop Valen- tine’s reign of terror. His first mistake was using scientific wres- tling to counter Valentine's nefarious tactics. Valentine actually tried to draw Bravo into a bloody slugfest, but Dino refused and tried to outwrestle his fiendish rival. As it tumed out, Bravo's boasts that “Valentine can be had” were never backed up. Part of Bravo's problem was Valentine’s unpredictabilty. Valen- tine was a madman in every way and didn’t react like a normal wrestler. “Everything I did had an expected countermove,” said Bravo. “It's kind of like chess. But Valentine doesn’t wrestle cleanly.” On the other hand, Valentine never fulfilled his prom- ise to run Bravo out of wrestling. Years later, close friends of both wrestlers will tell you that those early matches were largely responsible for the formation of The Dream Team. The battles with Valentine helped convince Bravo to change his style; he realized his scientific knowledge was useless against such a man. And Valentine gladly wel- comed Bravo to his nightmare. Oo Wrestling 88 / 49 Strike Force (Continued from page 41) Martel flips his way out of a double-team by Terry Gibbs and Barry Horowitz, Both Martel and Santana possess similar flexibility and the ability to react quickly when caught in a tight spot. It almost seems as though their teaming was inevitable. and athletic ability to break through. In 1979, Santana teamed with Ivan Putski to win the WWF World tag team title. They lost the belts in April 1980 to The Samoans, who subse- quently lost them to Martel and Garea. Santana’s greatest victory also oc- curred in 1984, On February 11—three months before Martel won the AWA championship—Santana defeated Mag- nificent Muraco in Boston for the WWF Intercontinental title. His reign lasted seven months, but in July 1985 Santana won the belt again by defeat- ing Greg Valentine Santana, though slowed by a knee injury, remained in the WWF after losing the belt to Randy Savage. Mar- tel, after a brief stint in Canada, re- turned to the WWF in early 1987 with partner Tom Zenk as The Can-Am Connection. Santana wrestled mostly in singles matches and occasionally teamed with Davey Boy Smith of The British Bulldogs while Dynamite Kid was recovering from a back injury. The Can-Ams, most observers be- lieved, were heirs apparent to the WWF tag team throne. The turning point came last summer when Zenk walked out on Martel. Stunned by Zenk’s sudden departure, Martel tried several new partners, in- cluding Junkyard Dog, Jake Roberts, and George Steele, but none of these combinations clicked. The Martel-Steele partnership was particularly ludicrous. In a tournament for a shot at the Harts’ title in late 50 / Wrestling 88 July 1987, Martel and Steele beat Ka- mala and Samoan Sika in the opening round when Steele pinned Sika after knocking him out with a weapon. But in the second round, Dino Bravo and Greg Valentine eliminated them when Valentine used Steele’s weapon to score the pin. Weapons are not part of Martel’s repertoire. Steele was dumped. Finally, Martel teamed with San- tana, and from that very first night it < & make a serious run at the tag team title. was apparent that the two were made for each other. “The thing that struck me the first time I saw them team,” said veteran reporter Matt Brock, “‘is that I always had to look twice to see which one was in the ring. Santana and Martel have very similar styles and physiques and they complement each other superbly. It’s almost as if there are two Santanas or two Martels instead of one of each. They never stop coming at you. That has to be very confusing for opponents.”” So it was that two men with totally different backgrounds, but comparable wrestling styles and similar appeals to the fans, came together. Fresh, exuber- ant, high-flying, exciting, and—in the words of one young female fan at a recent Madison Square Garden show— “absolutely gorgeous,” Martel and Santana have made an impact on wres- tling like few teams before them. “Tito makes you forget Tom Zenk ever existed,” said Belinda Brady of Brooklyn, New York. “I always thought Tito was gorgeous, but put him next to Martel and all his good features come out so much more. I was a big Can-Am fan, but it always seemed to me Zenk was holding them back. He was too inexperienced and Martel was just too good for him. With Strike Force, there’s no real stronger man. They’re both great!”” She has a point. Although seemingly a ie —— Santana and Martel prepare to whip Islander Tama across the ring. Although Martel and Tom Zenk’s Can-Am Connection was very good, Martel realized he'd need an experienced partner like Santana to more talented than The Hart Founda- tion, the Can-Ams never went over the top to win the World championship. In retrospect, Zenk was in a learning stage and wasn’t ready to win a World title. The Zenk-Martel duo worked be- cause of their similar styles and unlim- ited energy. They could outlast almost any pair of opponents. But when the Harts resorted to rulebreaking and brawling tactics, Zenk wasn’t experi- enced enough to hold off the assault. And Martel could only help so much. The reason for Zenk’s departure has never been verified. Zenk left without an explanation. Martel only said that Zenk walked out on him. The WWF had no comment on the situation. In- siders say Zenk felt frustrated by his inability to help Martel win the belts; he realized he was the weak link in the team and didn’t want to bear the bur- den. Martel was dismayed when Zenk walked out on him—justifiably feeling that he had wasted six months teaching the youngster—but now admits it’s the best thing that ever happened to him. “Rick isn’t the kind of guy to bad- mouth a former partner, especially when they broke up on pretty good terms,” said a WWF insider. “I think Rick was concerned about never find- ing another good partner—he and Tom were pretty good, after all. Rick realizes, however, that he and Zenk were never going to win anything. San- tana, of course, had already won quite a bit.” Martel and Santana formed an elec- trifying combination. Their early matches against The Islanders were thrilling, certainly the best tag team matches of the year in the WWF. At first The Islanders held their own, but as Martel and Santana improved their timing and teamwork, Strike Force dominated. Finally, after a few months together, they were ready to take on The Hart Foundation for the World title. In boxing, the classic matches are those pitting a pure boxer against a puncher. The three Muhammad Ali- Joe Frazier fights of the early 1970s and the two Sugar Ray Leonard-Ro- berto Duran fights of 1980 are perfect examples. In hockey, in the 1987 Stan- ley Cup playoffs, the fast-skating, high-scoring Edmonton Oilers took on the hard-checking, defensive-minded Philadelphia Flyers in a thrilling seven- game series. Opposites attract fans. Strike Force and The Hart Founda- tion couldn’t be more different. Brett (Continued on page 52) CFIRST CLASS )|ONLY| | $3.00 'BACK ISSUES i EACH WRESTLING SUPERSTARS | WRESTLING 84-87 Each issue features a spectacular full-color centerfold Printed on slick paper, each issue is jam- Action Gallery of one of wrestling's hottest stars. packed with 16 pages of full-color photos passant ieaings SUMMERI8S- a. we eel =I ‘SPRING/86, —— — Ba, BOX 48 ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY 11571 Please send me the back issues I've checked. | enclose $. in full. PRINT YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS CLEARLY as payment In case of a sellout, indicate substitute choice: Name Address Apt. State Zip. for boat mail, and two dollars for every back issue ordered for airmail. U.S. funds only. Please allow 46 weeks for delivery | | | | | | | | | oy | | | | | | | | WRESTLING SUPERSTARS Fall/83. O Fall/e4 O) Summer/85 1 Winter/86 0 Fall/87 5) Winter/83. ) Winter/aa Ol Spring/a6 Spring/87 1 Winter/87 Spring/e4 Spring/@s 0 Falves " Summer/87 Spring/87 T Summer/s7 Wintev@a = Falves =| Fall/e7 ©) Summer/85 OO Winter/85 1) Winter/87 | | | | | I | | | For all orders except the U.S. and Canada, you must add one dollar for every back issue ordered | { | | | | | | Wrestling 88 / 51 | BOX 48 For the past two years, the September cover-dated “SuperCards” editions of Pro Wrestling Ilustrated have set new standards for wrestling journalism. Bonus pages, special 12-page color sections, and peerless analysis of the annual spring “SuperCards"” hake the September editions of PW/true collectors’ items. We have limited supplies of these newsstand sellouts, and they're sure to go fast. Only $5.00 each. ‘Order today! Make check or money order payable and send to: = ee) SUPERCARDS ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY 11571 Please rush me the magazines | have checked below. | enclose $5.00 for each one I | am ordering. (0 PWI September 1986 (‘SuperCards ’86”) (1 PWI September 1987 (“SuperCards ’87”) ‘Address City State Zip U.S. funds only. All other countries. $7.00. Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery. 52 / Wrestling 88 Strike Force (Continued from page 51) Hart and Jim Neidhart look like bar- room bouncers with their huge arms and fearsome appearances. They rely on brawling, stretching the rules, and the devious tactics of their hated man- ager Jimmy Hart. The Harts have been accused of paying off referees; they won the title in January 1987 from The British Bull- dogs when referee Danny Davis spent most of the match standing over an injured Dynamite Kid. Davis was sub- sequently fired by the WWF as a refer- ee and hired by the Harts, who trained him to wrestle. Strike Force doesn’t have a manag- er. With their combined 25-plus years of experience in the sport, Martel and Santana don’t need one. And they don’t need somebody to synchronize their styles, either. Martel and Santana are perfectly in sync. More important, Martel and Santana detest teams who break the rules. To them, a tainted victory is no victory at all. The differences between the two teams was plainly spelled out by WWF commentator Jesse Ventura prior to their October 27 title bout at Syra- cuse’s War Memorial Auditorium. “This is a classic match of the speed of Strike Force against the deceit and strength of The Hart Foundation,” said Ventura. As it turned out, Strike Force used a combination of speed and strength to win the belts. The Hart Foundation took control from the start with Hart pounding on Martel’s midsection. Martel turned things around with a flying dropkick and an armdrag, then Santana came in to double-team Hart. Santana contin- ued to work on “The Hitman’s’”’ arm, but Neidhart managed to tag in. At that point, Santana made a criti- cal error. Instead of using his speed to wear down Neidhart, he elected to en- gage in a slugfest with his bigger, stronger opponent. Neidhart got the best of this duel and whipped Santana into the ropes, where he was kneed in the kidney by Hart. Santana was in pain and tried to hold off a double- teaming effort by the Harts. Martel tried to help out several times, but only distracted the referee long enough for the Harts to further double-team San- tana. Tito managed to escape from several near-pins but was obviously in pain and exhausted from fighting off the Harts. Neidhart mauled Santana and re- peatedly smashed his face into the mat. Santana tried to get out of the ring but was too tired to make the pin. Finally, Santana summoned up enough energy to reverse Hart into the turnbuckle. Tito tagged Martel just as Hart tagged off to Neidhart. By this time, Martel was well-rested and ready for battle. Fired-up by the frenzied sellout crowd, Martel slugged it out with Neidhart and, incredibly, came out on top. Neidhart whipped Martel into the turnbuckle, but Rick jumped to the second rope, twisted his body, and executed a perfect flying bodypress. Martel covered Neidhart and hooked the leg for the pin, but Hart ran in to make the save. Santana armbars Tama. Martel feels that he has a better chance for quick success with Tito than he did with Tom Zenk, Then Santana rushed into the ring and pounded on Hart. He whipped him into the ropes and out of the ring, then joined with Santana to double- bodyslam Neidhart. The Hart Founda- tion was at the end of the line. Martel went in for the pin, but at the last moment elected to finish things off with a submission hold. He applied a Boston crab and Neidhart immediately submitted. It was a shocking moment. The Boston crab, after all, usually isn’t overpowering, and Neidhart was in it for less than three seconds. Perhaps Neidhart realized losing was inevitable. The Harts had done everything they (Continued on page 54) ILLUSTRATED BACK ISSUES 0 y= Complete your collection of PRO WRESTLING ILLUSTRATED. Don’t miss out on the excellence that has made PWithe leader in wrestling journalism. PLUS—Each issue contains a giant FULL-COLOR poster of one of your favorite wrestling stars. Quantities limited—order today! [NOTE: Cover stories noted in BOLDFACE.] June 1982/COLOR PINUP: Nick Bock- winkel. Adonis & Ventura, Snuka, Patera, Flair. ‘August 1982/COLOR PINUP: Dino Bra- vo. Steamboat & Rich, Andre, Martel, Piper, Blassie, October 1982/COLOR PINUP: Jerry Lawler. Ric Flair, Rhodes, Graham, Race, Funk Jr January 1983/COLOR PINUP: Ken Patera. Rick Steamboat, Rich, Brody, Sullivan, Backlund. February 1983/COLOR PINUP: Ivan Putski. Rhodes vs. Garvin, Snuka, Su- per Destroyer, Bockwinkel, Funk. April 1983/COLOR PINUP: Superstar Graham. Mil Mascaras, Valentine, Om- dorif, Hart June 1983/COLOR PINUP: Cowboy Bob Orton. Rick Martel, Von Erich, ‘Slaughter, Muraco. July 1983/COLOR PINUP: Ivan Koloff Tommy Rich, Patera, Von Erich, Snuka. ‘August 1983/COLOR PINUP: Larry Zbyszko. Roddy Piper, Sullivan, Zbys- 2ko, Von Erich, Wrestling I October 1983/COLOR PINUP: Junk- yard Dog. Tommy Rich, Johnson, Ado- niis, Rhodes, Piper November 1983/COLOR PINUP: Roddy Piper. Harley Race, Santana, Mascaras, Ellering, Valiant, Race. December 1983/COLOR PINUP: Wa- hoo McDaniel. Dusty Rhodes, Hayes, Steamboat, Hansen, DiBiase. January 1984/COLOR PINUP: Harley Race. Rick Martel, Snuka, Freebirds, Dillon, Sawyer. February 1984/COLOR PINUP: Jim Garvin & Sunshine. Greg Valentine, Su- er Destroyer, Race, Sawyer, Abdullah. May 1984/COLOR PINUP: Hacksaw Butch Reed. Hulk Hogan, Road War- riors, Fabulous Ones, Flair, Rotundo. June 1984/COLOR PINUP: Dick Slater. Ted DiBiase, Wrestling lI, Magnum T.A., Patera, Hogan. July 1984/COLOR PINUP: Paul Eller- ing. Jimmy Valiant, JYD, Fab Ones, Gagne, Windham. August 1984/COLOR PINUP: Stan Hansen. Jerry Lawler, Sullivan, Slaugh- ter, Blackwell & Patera, Flair H ——— — — October 1984/COLOR PINUP: Billy Jack. Kerry Von Erich, Martel, Blan- chard, Fabulous Blonds, Armstrong. November 1984/COLOR PINUP: Rick Martel, Sgt. Slaughter, Von Erich, Road Warriors, Windham, Rotundo, January 1985/COLOR PINUP: Tito Santana. Road Warriors, Billy Jack, Hayes, 1984 fan ballot. February 1985/COLOR PINUP: Mag- num T.A. Rick Martel, Hogan, Backlund, Ellering. April 1985/COLOR PINUP: Ronnie Gar- vin, Jimmy Snuka, Warriors, Gordy, Flair, Rhodes. June 1985/COLOR PINUP: Barry Wind- ham. Dusty Rhodes, Slaughter, Hogan, Von Erich, T.A. See es a © LLUSTRATED rescowmbencrwem ‘Sears content on Biwnces mae ens oe JULY 1985 July 1985/COLOR PINUP: Sgt. Siaugh- ter. Hogan vs. Piper, Warriors, One Man Gang, T.A., Martel ‘September 1985/COLOR PINUP: Junk- yard Dog. Magnum T.A, Von Erich, Ho- ‘gan, AWA scouting reports. October 1985/COLOR PINUP: Chris Adams. Rick Steamboat, Warriors, Nikita, WWF scouting reports. November 1985/COLOR PINUP: Ran- dy Savage. Ric Flair, Slaughter, Steam- boat, World Class scouting reports. DECEMBER 1985 December 1985/COLOR PINUP: Jesse Ventura. Great American Bash, Von Erich, Omdorff, Wiliams & DiBiase. January 1986/COLOR PINUP: Hack- ‘saw Duggan. Hulk Hogan, T.A., Brody, February 1986/COLOR PINUP: Nikita Koloff. Mike Von Erich, Warriors, San- tana, Taylor, Barbarian, Race. April 1986/COLOR PINUP: Ric Flair: Wendi Richter, Adams & Hernandez, Dusty & Warriors vs. Flair & Andersons. May 1986/COLOR PINUP: Rick Steam- boat. Road Warriors, Humongous, Bull dogs, Hansen vs. Martel June 1986/COLOR PINUP: Kevin Von Erich. Hulk Hogan, Adams, Duggan, ‘Scott Hall. July 1986/COLOR PINUP: King Kong Bundy. R & R Express, Hall and Hennig, Ventura, Warriors August 1986/COLOR PINUP: Dusty Bhodes. Randy Savage. Lugar vs Race, Blanchard vs. Flair, Rude. October 1986/COLOR PINUP: John Studd. Nikita Koloff, Savage vs. Bundy, Landell, Flair vs. Lugar, Simpson. November 1986/COLOR PINUP: Baby Doll. British Bulldogs, Von Erich, Han- sen, Gordy, Flair-Tully-Arn-Ole. December 1986/COLOR PINUP: Great American Bash. Great American Bash, {Midnight Rockers, Von Erich, Windham. = January 1987/COLOR PINUP: Fabu- lous Freebirds. Roddy Piper, Nikita vs, T.A., Snuka, Simpson. February 1987/COLOR PINUP: Savage & Elizabeth, UWF Tournament, T.A., Baby Doll, Hogan vs. Omdorft April 1987/COLOR PINUP: Lex Luger. Dusty & Nikita, DiBiase, DeBeers, Din- 90, WF Housecleaning, May 1987/COLOR PINUP: Steve Wil- liams. Andre-Hogan, UWF Tourny, Al- bano, Cornette, Dynamite Kid, Kerry, June 1987/COLOR PINUP: Hulk Ho- gan. Magnum T.A., Can-Ams, Warriors, Freebirds, Hall: July 1987/COLOR PINUP: Midnight Rockers. Steamboat-Savage, Luger, Duggan, Garvins, Sting August 1987/COLOR PINUP: Jim Gar- vin & Precious. Hogan-Andre, Warriors, Windham-Fiair, Gordy, Bigelow. October 1987/COLOR PINUP: Ted Di- Biase. Ric Flair, Williams, Rockers, Ho- gan vs. Steamboat, NWA & WWF. November 1987/COLOR PINUP: George Steele. Nikita Koloff, Warriors, Harts, Hogan, Windham. January 1988/COLOR PINUP: The Road Warriors. Ted DiBiase, Flair-Gar- vins, Hogan & Ventura, Zbyszko, February 1988/COLOR PINUP: Ronnie Garvin. Randy Savage, Garvin-Flair, Von Erichs, Freebirds, t aorta eed - « lake Check Payable And Send To: | PRO WRESTLING ILLUSTRATED | 7 y sports { | o Pynidune 1982) Pwiktune 1985 Pwvoct967 | Box 48 I PWwi/aAug 1962 PWiduly 1985 PWUNov 1987 4 | Pwiocrise2 Pwuseptis85 wien ise8 | Rockville Centre, NY 11571 I PWiidan 1983, PWYOct 1985 PWiFeb 1988 [© ewes 1s63— PunNov 1985 Please send me the back issues I've checked. 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All of these magazines contain a color section, and many were news- stand sellouts. They are priced at only $3,00 each, so don’t delay, order today. tas | S| | [9 WINTERVe4 [) SPRING/85S (1) SUMMERVES O) FALUS7 WINTER/87 MAKE CHECK PAYABLE AND MAIL TO: | PRO WRESTLING ILLUSTRATED ANNUAL Each collection includes a spectacular four page full-color section. ite] © SPRING/87 [ 54 / Wrestling 88 For all orders except the U.S. and Canada, you must add one doliar for every back issue ordered for boat mail, and two dollars for every back issue ordered for airmail. U.S. funds oniy. Please allow 46 weeks for delivery Baer patie | ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY 11571 $3.00 Please send me the back issues I've checked. | enclose $. as payment in full, | print YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS CLEARLY | in case of a sellout, indicate substitute choice: | | Name Address Apt. | city State Zip. | | Strike Force (Continued from page 52) could to defeat Strike Force, but couldn’t even outbraw! them late in the match. Martel probably could have kept the Boston crab on all night with Hart preoccupied outside the ring. And with his men not there to protect him, Jimmy Hart didn’t dare venture into the ring. He didn’t dare stop what was meant to be. Strike Force’s emergence as the WWF World tag team champions is the best thing to happen to the WWF since the actual teaming of Martel and Santana. The WWF is often criticized as being a haven for musclebound monsters with little pure wrestling abili- ty. World champion Hulk Hogan is nothing more than a brawler—albeit a great one. Intercontinental champion The Honky Tonk Man is not consid- ered worthy of his title. Even Randy Savage, a brilliant athlete with fantastic aerial skills, depends on punishing his opponents rather than wrestling them. And when was the last time any WWF title changed hands on a submission? Strike Force gives the WWE credi- bility as a federation with real wres- tlers. Wrestling is nor bodybuilding. It is not a test of strength. In wrestling, a small man with good knowledge of wrestling moves should be able to beat a big man who relies solely on power. Wrestling is a test of skills, and in that regard Strike Force has few peers in the entire world. They are what wres- tling should be, not what the WWF often professes it to be. And they figure to stay on top for a long time. The Hart Foundation prob- ably never would have won the belts without Davis’ biased officiating. The Islanders have already been tossed aside by Strike Force. Nikolai Volkoff and Boris Zukhov, The Bolsheviks, are a one-dimensional tag team; they are not main event stars. Greg Valentine and Dino Bravo will give Strike Force a run for their money, but don’t have enough speed to beat them. The fans, of course, wouldn’t mind if Martel and Santana retained the belts forever. ‘‘They make me proud to be a WWF fan,” said Tracey Jones of Baltimore. “Tito and Rick are my heroes,” said George Spalletta of San Francisco, “They’re the best tag team I’ve seen in a long time,” said Mike D’Arpino of Miami. Strike Force is awesome! oO nee BACK ISSUES OF EE Now is the time to complete your ‘SPORTS REVIEW, i September 1979/Flair- McDaniel, Gar- vin, Ladd, Rhodes February 1980/Rhodes-Funk, Race, Spoiler, Brisco. May 1980/Koloff-Anderson, Brody- Spoiler, Graham, Andre. June 1980/Graham, Patera, Rhodes, Lawler, Zbyszko. July 1980/Bruno-Graham, Samoans, Star Wars 1980. October 1980/Hogan, Flair, Wrestling !I, Super D. January 1981/Morales-Fuji, Zbyszko, Thornton, Keirn. April 1981/Atlas, Flair, Moondogs, restling I. June 1981/Morales-Khan, Lawler, Slater, Piper. September 1981/Backlund-Mosca, Freebirds, Flair, Rich, Junkyard Dog, October 1981/Rich-Race, Hogan-Han- sen, Moondogs, Freebirds, Putski-Koloft, November 1981/Rhodes-DiBiase, Steamboat, Mulligan, McDaniel, Spoiler. December 1981/Muraco-Morales, Patera, Steele, Andre, March 1982/Valentine, Brisco-Funk, Steele, Flair, Hayes. April 1982/Spoller, Idol-Hayes, Mo- rales, Super D, Ladd. May 1982/Rich-Flair, Backlund, Super- star, Dillon, Wrestling I June 1982/Tommy Rich, Jimmy Snuka, Wrestlers rate each other, July 1982/Steamboat-Idol, Albano, Rhodes, Patera. August 1982/Piper-Rich, Flair-Slater, Rhodes, Valentine, Bockwinkel October 1982/Funk-Abdullah, Orton, Kabuki, Von Erich, November 1982/Piper, Abdullah, Saito, Von Erich, Mascaras. December 1982/Backlund-Rose, Rhodes-Flair, Albano, Humperdink January 1983/Rich, McDaniel-Valen- tine, Patera, Brisco, Bockwinkel. February 1983/Flair-Race, Morales- Rose, Patera, Bravo, Spoiler March 1983/Flair-Bass, Snuka, Sulli- van, Steamboat, Patera. | SPORTS REVIEW WRESTLING CSEPT 1979 [1 JUNE 1983 ! FEB 1980 [| JULY 1983 Box 48 ! CIMAY 1980 [| OCT 1983 x [JUNE 1980 FINOV1e63 [1 FEB 1986 Rockville Centre, NY 11571 $3.00 EACH fj | EivULY 1950" E1DEC 1863° nies, Please send me the back issues I've checked ! (JAN 1981 (FEB 1984 «= L) MAY 1986 Allow 3-4 weeks for delivery. G/APR1981 CIMAR‘ig¢4 [JUNE 1986 tn case of sellout, indicate substiut Issue: i] OJUNE 1981 OAPR1984 = (-] JULY 1986 ‘ | GSeerteer SMariees © AUG 1886 Number of Magazines Ordered: ‘Amount Enclosed: $ ! OcT 1981 (JUNE 1984 ©) SEPT 1986 I | NOV 1981 JULY 1984 ©] OCT 1986 PRINT YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS CLEARLY (CDEC 1981 [iAUG1984 [1 NOV 1986 i} | Gmaniss2 CsePTi9ea (1 DEC 1986 | APR 1982 CiocTi9s4 1 JAN 1987 Name (MAY 1982 C) NOV 1984 a ay I COJUNE 1982 0 DEC 1984 COVULY 1982 C1JAN1985 1 APR 1987 Address Apt. I | (AUG 1982 (MAY 1987 (oct 1982 OMARi985 (1 JUNE 1987 City I | GNoviss2 GAPRi9s5 CI JULY 1987 CDEC 1982 OMAY1985 «) AUG 1987 ] ] GyaNi9e3 OJUNE1985 SEPT 1987 State Zip OFEB 1983 [i JULY 1985 © OCT 1987 | [| Gmariees Gaueiss 5 eee For all owers except the United States and Canada you MUST ADD one dollar (U'S) Yor every back issue ordered for APR 1983 CiSEPT 1985 [1 DEC 198; boat mail, and two dollars (U.S) for every back issue sent by air mail | Gmayises Soctises JAN 1988 J WE SHING il 1983/Backlund-Graham, Briscos, Rhodes, Hogan, Samoans. May 1983/Muraco, Dillon, Sulivan, Reed, Brisco, Von Erich. June 1983/Piper, Bockwinkel-Patter- son, Brody, Sullivan, Baba July 1983/Valiant-Humperdink, Martel, Hernandez, Murdoch, Armstrong, October 1983/Martel-Valentine, Mulli- gan, Lawler, Von Erichs, Bruno. November 1983/Andre-Mulligan, Ka- mala-Brody, Slater, Backlund. December 1983/Windham-LeDuc, Santana, Sullivan, Garvin, January 1984/Andre-Abdullah, Bock- winkel, Gilbert, Windham, Flair, Mosca. February 1984/Rich-Sawyer, Idol-Han- sen, Martel, Parsons, Von Erich. March 1984/Starrcade "83, Closeups on Atlanta and Dallas cards. April 1984/Von Erich-Gordy, Dillon & Nagasaki, Graham, DiBiase, Omdortt May 1984/LeDuc-Sawyer, Assassins, ‘The Men Who Make Wrestling Fly! dune 1984/Windham-Fiair, Gilbert, ‘Sawyer, Bockwinkel, Tsuruta. July 1984/Flair-Gordy, Duggan, Blan- chard, Brisco, AWA tag tourny. T.V. SPORTS BOLDFACE.] August 1984/Rich & Gilbert, Adams- Hayes, Von Erich, Faces Of Wrestling ‘September 1984/Fiair-Steamboat, Freebirds-Von Erichs—Special cover- age of two big cards. October 1984/Sullivan-Rhodes, Free- birds video, Atlas, Orange Bow card. November 1984/Von Erich & Billy Jack, Andre, Fab Ones, Summer Wars! December 1984/Rich-Gilbert, Martel, Mascaras, Youngblood, World Class. 1985/Flair-McDaniel, Missing Link, Backlund, Fabulous Ones, Pro Wrestling USA, Valentine. February 1985/Sullivan-Graham, Her- nandez & Nicola Roberts, Bruno ur. Steamboat, Warriors. March 1985/Starrcade '84 featuring Flair, Rhodes, Steamboat, Koloffs, 1985 Datebook, Hayes, wrestling school. April 1985/Von Erich-Blackwell, Haynes-Barr, Hart, inwins, 1984 in Pic- tures, Blair May 1985/Albano, Freebirds-Flair, Steamboat, Hernandez, Las Vegas. June 1985/Pro Wrestling U.S.A, Von Erich, Richter, Windham, Taylor. August 1985/Flair-Nikita, Omdortt, Slaughter, Parade of Champions I ‘September 1985/Adams-Von Erich, ‘Omdortf, Sawyer, Kamala, Barr October 1985/Martel-Hayes, Richter, ‘Savage, Adams, T.A., Warriors, November 1985/Freebirds-Warriors, Mid-South, Haynes, Rhodes, Savage. December 1985/Hogan, Zbyszko-Mar- tel, Murdoch, Dillon, fiendish faces. collection of SPORTS REVIEW WRESTLING, the magazine jam-packed with action photography and in-depth stories. Don’t miss out on an issue. Quantities are limited, so order today! [NOTE: Cover stories noted in June 1986/Hogan-Muraco, Midnight Express, Freebird, Battle of Belts I, July 1986/Omdorft-Piper, Blanchard- T.A., Matches of '80s, Sheepherders, Bockwinkel, Bulldogs. August 1986/Crockett Cup Tourny, Jake Roberts, Midnight Rockers, Von Erichs, Wrestling Il ‘September 1986/Bulldogs, Blanchard- Gibson, Lugar, Dundee, UWF tourny. October 1986/Omdortf, Rude-Brody, Bash, Bockwinkel, Gordy, Adams. November 1986/Andersons-R&R Ex- press, Machine, Gordy, Managers. December 1986/Machines, Fantastics, Warriors, WWF Muchnick Toury. January 1987/Russians, Hyatt-Dark Journey, WWF Top 50, Fab Ones. February 1987/Road Warriors, Savage, Windham & Lugar, 1987 Datebook. March 1987/Kamala-Hogan, Starrcade 86, Allas, Williams, Tatum. April 1987/1986 In Pictures, Kevin Von, Flair, Rich, Hennig-Bockwinkel, May 1987/Nikita-Flair, Bulldogs, Alba- ‘no's career, Snuka-DeBeers, Taylor, June 1987/Hogan-Andre, Hall, Par- sons, Garvin, WWF title history. July 1987/Midnight Express, Savage- Steamboat, Adams, NWA in Boston. just 1987/Nord-Kevin, Armstrong- Flair, Hogan & Patera, Crockett Cup. September 1987/Hogan, Akbar, Luger- Nikita, Summer Feuds, charity shows. October 1987/Windham, Bigelow, Bockwinkel, Western States tourny. November 1987/Bash, Honky Tonk, Hart, Sheepherders, Condrey. December 1987/Grappling Ghouls, January 1986/Savage-Santana, Abdul- lah, Humongous, Von Raschke, Comiskey Park, Taylor, February 1986/Junkyard Dog, Rude, Patrick, Garvin, Reed, Datebook March 1986/Starrcade ’85, Ventura, Windham, Sunshine, Slaughter. April 1986/Savage-Hogan, Martel-Han- ‘sen, 1985 in Pictures, Warnors, DiBiase. May 1986/Sammartino, R&R Express, ‘Sunshine-Hyatt, Slater, Devastating Holds, Hall & Hennig. Make Check Payable And Send To: Hogan-Andre, Luger-Nikita, Boesch card January 1988/Honky Tonk, Garvin, TA. career, Arcidi, Hogan. SSS er ONLY ‘Do Not Order Any Issue Not Listed. Do Not Send Coins. ‘Do Not Use Old Order Forms restling KOO Ok kkk kk {you missed out on the excitement of VICTORY SPORTS WRESTLING. When it was on sale on the newsstand, have no fear:A limited ‘number of copies are available through the mail. Each issue is jam-packed with profiles of the biggest superstars in wrestling. And, as a special bonus, each issue of VICTORY SPORTS WRESTLING contains a fabulous full-color pinup! Quantities are limited, so order yours today, ONLY $3.00 EACH Fall 1984 Color centefald. U.S.A. Honor Guard (Slaughter, Martel, Hogan, Rhodes, Valiant, JYD & Steamboat) Winter 1984 Fall 1985 Winter 1985 Spring 1986 Color centerfold Color centertold Color centerfold: Color centerfold Billy Jack The Fabulous Ones Barry Windham The Road Warriors ‘ rg Wiresiling Sc ee F ll Summer 1986 ‘Spring 1987 sed Erie Color centerfold: Color centerfold (n’ xpress Savac with Magnum T.A, ae ee Make check payable and send to: I |! Tv sports I BOX 48 ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY 11571 I , ONLY $3.00EACH | I Fall 1984 Fall 1985 Spring 1986 Fall 1986 ‘Summer 1987 | | Winter 1984 Winter 1985 ‘Summer 1986 Winter 1986 Fall 1987 1 H ‘Spring 1987 Winter 1987 \ | incase of sellout, indicate substitue choice I Please send me the back issues I've checked. | enclose $3.00 for each issue I’ve ordered. | | Print your name and adress clearly I | NAME ! | ADDRESS APTH. | I city STATE iP I [| Fer etordermenceps US ened Canada, you must acki 1.00 for each leas cuered tor boat mal and $2000 4 each issue ordered for air mail. U.S. funds only. Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery. | 56 / Wrestling 88 Managers (Continued from page 33) including everyone in this room—laughed. But I made it happen. Big Bubba might end up a bum, but I don’t think so. Right now let's call him a reclamation project. ELLNER: What have been your greatest career achievements thus far? DILLON: Forming The Four Horsemen. Assuaging the egos of four of the greatest wrestlers in the world and tuming them into a well-oiled, loyal machine. Few people un- derstand the breadth of that accomplishment. ELLERING: | agree. It's hard to keep Hawk and Animal focused sometimes. They insist on doing their own thing, As a manager, you must remain levelheaded. Only through your patience and consistency can your wrestlers learn the same. What Dillon's done with his Horsemen is pretty remarkable. I don’t know how you keep Flair, Luger, Blanchard, and Anderson in line. Those are four reckless boys. CORNETT! xryone thinks Blanchard’s US. title victory over Magnum TT.A. [in July 1985] was your greatest managerial coup. I time | hear that. DILLON: Hey, it’s not my fault Magnum. was so overrated. I knew Tully would win that match, Tully knew he'd win the match. It was no problem. Fans look at faces and personalities. They don’t know what the hell is going on. ELLERING: But they cause problems. They almost cost me the Warriors. ELLNER: How so? ELLERING: They start cheering for you, and the next thing you know you start listen ing and stop paying attention to what's go- ing on in the ring, No one realizes what the Waniors recently went through. No one re- alizes how close the team came to breaking up. My greatest achievement was in keeping them together. CORNETTE: | think Animal has improved a lot in the past year. DILLON: Yeah, now he can move to the left. L used to tell my guys, just go at Animal to the left, he moves like a snail. Now, no more. ‘Bout time you picked up on that, Paul. ELLERING: Screw you, too. I've been beg- ging Animal for years to work on that. You know as well as I do that these guys don’t listen all the time. DILLON: At least it’s not as bad as it used to be. Now our wrestlers respect us. When we first started out, then there was trouble. CORNETTE: Even now you have prob- lems. For an entire year I wanted Dennis Condrey to pick up the sleeperhold. DILLON: That would have surprised the hell out of everyone. ELLNER: Why? DILLON: Hell, everyone knows that when Condrey was barely a rookie he was hospi- talized by a sleeperhold. Ever since, he’s been scared to death of it CORNETTE: Precisely, | begged him to pick it up. I spent thousands of dollars on psychiatrists and hypnotists to cure him of his phobia, but he wouldn’t hear of it. Final- ly, Thad no choice but to let him go. He brought Eaton down. The Express was go- ing nowhere. DILLON: Did Condrey know you were talk- ing to [Stan] Lane? CORNETTE: Never talk to the monkey when the organ grinder is in the room. I wanted Condrey out of there. And I wanted the transition to be smooth, ELLERING: Lane was quite an acquisition. Tremember cursing you when I heard about it CORNETTE: It worked out well. The phone rings. Ric Flair wants to speak to J.J, Dillon. The mood in the room subtly changes. “He's probably can't find a cork- screw,” Ellering whispers to Comette. Corn- ette chuckles. Dillon hangs up the phone and demands to know what Ellering said. ELLERING: What was the matter? Flair’s dry cleaning didn’t come out right? DILLON: Any discussion of fashion, class, and style could not benefit by anything you might add. Why don’t you go to the slums and meet the Warriors? They're probably hard at work beating up teenagers. CORNETTE: (laughs) ELLERING: What the hell are you laughing about? Couldn't be about the upcoming Ex- press-Waniors match—you're too scared to sign that contract. CORNETTE: Last time we wrestled, the Warriors didn’t put up much of a fight. 1 hate to embarrass a colleague. Paul, do yourself a favor: Stay in Japan. Keep wres- tling those human eggrolls. You don’t want to come back to America. Mess with the Ex- press or the Horsemen and you're asking for trouble. DILLON: Don't mention The Midnight Ex- press in the same breath as The Four Horsemen. You guys are right out of Disneyland. Your’re practically as bad as Morton and Gibson. ELLNER: That's low. Maybe you should re- consider that last remark. Dillon reconsidered. Rather than retract his statement, he grabbed an apple from a bowl of fruit on the table and hurled it at Com- ette. Ellering whipped off his smoking jacket and, armed with a wooden spoon, prepared himself for battle. Fortunately, Wrestling 88 security guards separated the combat- ants and escorted them to their separate limousines. Three legendary managers talking wres- tling. At least for a while they did, 1) WRESTLING USA WRESTLING USA, our biggest magazine (more than 80 pages, in- cluding a FULL-COLOR section) is now available to collectors and fans. Quantities are limited, so order yours today. The All-American Back Issue Offer! x x %& ONLY $3.00 EACH * * * a) AL Ss SPRING 1984 ‘SUMMER 1984 FALL 1984 SUMMER 1985 FALL 1985 ? i pi SUMMER 1986 ‘SPRING 1986 FALL 1986 WINTER 1986 Make check payable and send to: TV SPORTS ONLY $3.00 EACH BOX 48 ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY 11571 WRESTLING USA ‘SPRING 1984 ‘SUMMER 1984 ‘SPRING 1985 WINTER 1985, FALL 1986 ‘SUMMER 1987 FALL 1984 ‘SUMMER 1985 ‘SPRING 1986. WINTER 1986 (COFALL 1987 WINTER 1984 FALL 1985 ‘SUMMER 1986, ‘SPRING 1987 WINTER 1987 eae Please send me the back issues I’ve checked. | enclose $3.00 for each issue I've ordered. ‘Amount Enclosed $ In case of a substitute choice: sellout, please _ indicate NAME PRINT YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS CLEARLY ADDRESS CITY STATE IP For all orders except U.S. and Canada, you must add $1.00 for each issue ordered for boat mail, and $2.00 for each issue ordered for air mail, U.S. funds only. Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery. Wrestling 88 / 57 ONLY °5 EACH All the back issues of the ORIGINAL WRES- TLING REVUE listed for sale in this advertise- ment were edited and published by Stanley Weston, who founded Wrestling Revue in 1959 and sold his interests in the magazine in 1964. These extremely rare back issues have not been available to the public for more than 15 years, although many have been sold by private collectors for as much as 75 dollars per copy. This is a rare opportunity for those of you who collect and treasure truly fine wrestling magazines of great historic importance, at a price you can afford. Most of these issues contain magnificent, full color pin up portraits of the world’s greatest wrestlers, some of whom are still active. The supply of these collector's treasures is very limited, so order today and avoid disappointment. ALL SALES FINAL. NO EXCHANGES OR REFUNDS WILL BE MADE. SPRING 1961 SUMMER 1961 FALL 1961 DECEMBER 1961 FEBRUARY 1962 APRIL 1962 JUNE 1962 DECEMBER 1962 FEBRUARY 1963 DECEMBER 1963 FEBRUARY 1964 o a ao a a a a o ia] oO is) MAKE CHECK PAYABLE AND SEND TO: T.V. SPORTS BOX 48 ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY 11571 Please rush the issues of WRESTLING REVUE checked. | am enclosing $5 for EACH copy. PRINT YOUR NAME AND ADORESS CLEARLY $5 EACH STATE ZF For all orders except the United States and Canada you ‘must add one dollar (US) for every back issue ordered for boat mail, and two dollars (US) for every back issue ordered airmail, U.S. FUNDS ONLY. Allow 3-4 weeks for delivery 58 / Wrestling 88 Crossfire (Continued from page 18) gible give and take between us the public. The feeling is so strong you can almost grab hold of it. Lots of wrestlers have been unable to han- dle it. Chris Adams, Brian Adias, Al Madril . . . heck, we’ve lost some of our best friends because of how in- timidating the Von Erich mystique is. Funny thing is, there is no mys- tique. Our family has been greatly blessed with tremendous physical ability. The public took to us and we took to them. If there’s some- thing mystical about that, so be it. We like to consider ourselves role models in a day and age when good role models are sorely lacking. There’s nothing wrong in serving as a positive role model, is there? EE: No, but you're not superheroes, and in portraying yourselves as such, you're doing your public—and your- selves—an injustice. KVE: I don’t think Kevin or I think of ourselves as ‘‘superheroes.” In fact, that’s a myth propagated by the media. They love to create he- roes out of men. Like I said, the Von Erichs are flesh and blood, just like everyone else. We just don’t recognize any limitations. Insofar as wanting to return to my old form, I don’t think that’s a problem peculiar to the Von Erich family. Show me a professional athlete in any sport who doesn’t hope against hope that he'll come back to 100 percent fol- lowing a serious injury. Look at Magnum T.A.! Heck, it’s the nature of being an athlete. Believe me when I tell you you’d react the same way. BA: Some people believe one rea- son your father is more active around ringside lately is because he is fright- ened. He’s scared something may happen to you and Kevin. KVE: That’s the craziest thing I ever heard. EE: Then how do you explain his interference in Kevin's title match against Al Perez? In addition to your own interference, I might add. KVE: No one just wrestles Al Perez. Both Gary Hart and Brian Adias were at ringside with foreign ob- jects. Before my father and I got involved, they had already tried several times to interfere. BA: A review of the match by World Class officials reversed Kevin's vic- tory and gave the decision—and the belt—back to Perez. That would vin- dicate his actions somewhat. Kerry (bodystamming Ted Arcidi) says he never had any doubts that he would retum from his leg injury. KVE: Don’t be naive, Bill. Commis- sions inevitably make mistakes. And as soon as a Von Erich is seen doing anything slightly illegal, they’re pounced upon. EE: C’mon! You guys have been get- ting away with murder for years! There are enough reasons to cry for the Von Erichs without having to make any up. KVE: When you reach our level, the truth—for good or bad—always seems to get lost in the shuffle. All we want is to go about our busi- ness—which is to wrestle and win, establish a loving rapport with those who support us, and a simple un- derstanding with those who dislike us. We’re not gods, but we are spe- cial. The Von Erichs have weath- ered many storms. We can help people. And as long as we have a breath in us, we'll do our best to do ‘SO. oO You Decide (Continued from page 45) Curt Hennig leglocks Jeff Jarrett. As AWA World champion, Hennig has been having more nontitle matches than most world titleholders, but he is well within his rights as long as he defends the belt at least once every 30 days. The NWA’s decision to let Ronnie Garvin take a 40-day hiatus between defenses raised new questions about the feasibility of the rule. r THE PRESS SHOULD REPORT WRESTLERS’ PERSONAL PROBLEMS One of the toughest questions facing wrestling journalists today is whether or not—and to what extent—we should cover the private lives of wrestlers, and our Winter 1987 poll showed fans supporting the press’ right to report these doings by a three-to-one margin. Jeanette Hyer of Stockton, Missouri, spoke for the 25.2 percent minority when she wrote: “I think a wrestler's personal problems should stay personal, unless he wants to talk about it. Then and only then should they be printed. A wrestling reporter's job is to report on what happens in the ring, the wrestler’s public life, and that’s all. Wrestlers, like everyone else, deserve privacy.” But the vast majority of fans (74.8 percent), while acknowledging wrestlers’ rights to privacy, thought that the press should pull no punches. “To best understand the stars we love and hate, like Chris Adams, Gino Hemandez, Hacksaw Duggan, Mike Von Erich, Hulk Hogan, and so on, we must know all the behind-the-scenes facts,” wrote Clinton Freeman of New York City. Lynn Marei Seim of Westland, Missouri, added, “I think we should know some of the facts, like causes of death and brushes with the law. They're celebrities . . . if they can’t handle the press, then they should find another line of work.” Lynn Jenkins of Philadelphia attempted to balance both sides when she wrote: “I feel that the press should report some, but not all, personal problems. If a wrestler is arrested for doing drugs or physically assaulting an innocent bystander, the press should report it. But at all other times the press should give them privacy.” tht to know. The debate will no doubt continue, but the fans have reaffirmed their I Box 48, Rockville Centre, NY 11571 | | () Yes, the 30-day rule should be abolished | () No, the 30-day mile should not be abolished I a championship's value and overex- posing the champion. Frequent title defenses are fine—up to a point. Too many can foster an ambivalent attitude among the fans. Perhaps less-frequent defenses against top contenders would attract greater interest in the ti- tle matches that do occur. THE 30-DAY RULE SHOULD NOT BE ABOLISHED Credibility. The more frequently a title is defended the more prestigious it becomes. It’s that simple. To simply place the title on the shelf and not defend it is ludicrous; you might as well not have the title at all. One title defense every 30 days provides at least a miriimum level of credibility to a champion and his championship. Precedent. The mule, in fact, is fine as it is. Defending a title once every 30 days is flexibility enough for the sport’s champions. The problem is not the mule, but the enforcement of that mile. The nile has served the sport well over past decades, but if federa- tions choose to ignore the mle (as in the recent NWA decision), then there is serious trouble. Accountability. A few champions have shown that they value their titles over the respect of the fans and the financial health of the promotion. The 30-day mule is the court of last resort for promoters to get these so-called “champions” to shape up. The cham- pion is faced with a decision: defend the title or be stripped of it. Given that choice, even the most unconscientious of champions would choose to defend his belt. oO Wrestling 88 / 59 The 100th issue of Pro Wrestling Iilustrated was a remarkable publishing event. Cover-dated December 1987, this 100-page super spectacular was jam-packed with stunning color and special features, including: @The 10 Most Influential Wrestlers Of The PW1I Years @ The 10 Greatest Events Of The PwiYears @ The PW/ Achievement Awards: A Retrospective @ The First 100 Issues: A Special Fan Poll @ Behind The Scenes At PW/ All this and much, much more was included in this magnificent anniversary edition. We have limited supplies of this newsstand sellout. If you missed it the first time around, order now—the 100th issue comes around only once ina lifetime! Only $5.00. [and send to: |v SPORTS BOX 48 [ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY 11571 I please rush me ———— copies of the 400th edition of Pro Wrestling Milustrated. | enclose $5.00 for each copy | am ordering. I I _ | Name tis Address = | cay ay J I = Istate _ Zip lus. funds only. All other countries $7.00. | Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery. 60 / Wrestling 88 i Make phe or money order payable ONLY $5 EACH | Hogan stops Savage with a boot to the head (top) and sneaks up on him (above). They could easily become foes again. SCENARIO #2: Like Marley’s ghost, the shadow of Paul Orndorff looms over The Megapowers, recalling “Mr. Wonderful’s’? conversion, aver- sion, and reversion to Hulkamania. The similarities between Orndorff’s as- sociation with Hogan and Savage’s are many. So many, in fact, that a 25-cent phone call to Orndorff might be the buy of Savage’s lifetime. During a live ‘‘Piper’s Pit” at the Nassau Coliseum back in May 1985, Roddy Piper was verbally shredding tag team partner Orndorff for being pinned at WrestleMania I. Fisticuffs erupted, and ‘Mr. Wonderful’? was being sorely bested by Piper and Bob Orton—until Hogan emerged from the dressing room to make another cele- brated save and gain another partner. Yet Hogan and Orndorff did not challenge either Nikolai Volkoff and The Iron Sheik or, later, Greg Valen- tine and Brutus Beefcake for the tag team title that year. Orndorff couldn’t challenge Ricky Steamboat for the I-C Megapowers (Continued from page 35) ES. Tae title, nor Hogan himself. He finally tired of playing second fiddle in the WWF band and turned against Hogan. Their August 1986 grudge match in Toronto’s Exhibition Stadium drew 70,000 fans, a record that was eclipsed only by WrestleMania III. Orndorff lost, and one year later, after a falling out with manager Bobby Heenan, once again turned fan favorite—to a decid- edly lukewarm response. Scenario number two is complete when you take the above two para- graphs and substitute “‘Randy Savage” for ‘Paul Orndorff.”” ANALYSIS: Though praised at first for rescuing Orndorff, Hogan was soon accused of using “Mr. Wonder- ful’ solely for his own ends. If the I-C and tag titles elude the ‘Macho Man,” then he might consider Hogan’s friend- ship too big a burden, jettison it, and once again go for the heavyweight title. Or Savage might take the more di- rect Orndorffian approach of Pearl Harboring the champ while they were still friends in order to gain a physical and mental advantage for any subse- quent title clash. Elizabeth’s role in The Megapowers has yet to be defined, but she will continue to exert much influence on the ‘Macho Man.” Whether Hogan will accept advice from a woman—no matter how smart and savvy—is an- other story. Although she brought them together, she could just as easily be the cause of their falling out by virtue of her great popularity which, coupled with Savage’s, would allow them to outstrip Hogan’s. This could be the catalyst for our third and final scenario .. . ee SCENARIO #3: The Megapowers enjoy a successful partnership, over- coming all foes except one: jealousy. Hogan finds himself unable to accept Savage’s (and Elizabeth’s) increased fame, as ‘‘Machomania’’ continues to eclipse “‘Hulkamania.’’ Crowds, liber- ally sprinkled with fans dressed in full “Macho Man’’ regalia, flock to the matches. Savage and Elizabeth make a workout video that sets sales records before going on to give critically ac- claimed performances in Rocky VI at the special request of Sly Stallone. The last straw comes when Hogan is introduced as ‘‘Macho Man’s tag team partner.’’ Purple with jealousy, “The Hulkster’? goes berserk, trashes the ring announcer, slaps Elizabeth, and legdrops Savage into unconsciousness. At a press conference the next day, Hogan announces that he’ll return to the rulebreaking tactics of his early ca- reer: ‘I got sick of these little kids bothering me for autographs,’ he says. “And how dare Savage commit the unpardonable crime of becoming more popular than me and asking for a title shot! The title gets defended only when I feel like it!”’ WWF officials, however, force Ho- gan to defend his title against Savage in WrestleMania V. After 45 minutes of non-stop action, Savage hits Hogan with five consecutive flying elbows to become the new WWF _ heavyweight champion. ANALYSIS; Though a bit extreme, this scenario does conform to prece- dent and personalities. The Hogan- Savage alliance is, at its roots, as im- permanent as Hogan-Orndorff before it, and for the same reason: Each party wants to dominate the sport entirely. Within a year, the two men will clash in the wrestling equivalent of World War III. And the WWF, which gained its power with a heroic Hulk Hogan on top, would never be the same. Out of the question? Not at all. Think about it. oi WAREHOUSE CLEARANCE OF RARE BACK ISSUES Here is @ once in a lifetime opportunity to complete your collections of the finest wrestling magazines ever published. Many of the rare back issues listed below have not been offered for sale in years and we can offer them to you now only because a very limited number of each issue were recently uncovered during the move to our new warehouse. Some of the copies are not in perfect condition. But all are readable and intact. All sales are final and no refunds or exchanges will be made. Roo on EE . MAKE CHECK PAYABLE AND SEND TO: | T.V. SPORTS Tver $5.00 each ] ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY 11571 Please send me the rare back issues | have checked. | am enclosing $5.00 for EACH copy | | am ordering, which includes all shipping and postage charges. | Name | ADDRESS | city STATE ZIP | BE SURE TO LIST SUBSTITUTE CHOICES | In case you are sold out of the issues | have checked, | will accept any of the following rare back issues I as substitutes. I substitute #1 Substitute #3 H | : SPECIAL BACK ISSUE ORDER FORM | | THE WRESTLER I | (0) FEBRUARY/74 | JULYI75 JUNE/76 (> MAYI78 ] © APRILI74 ( SEPTEMBER/75 || SEPTEMBER/76 | AUGUST/78 I ] () MAYI74 (|) NOVEMBER/75 [| AUGUSTI/76 (> MARCHI79 | JUNEI74 () JANUARY/76 (\ SEPTEMBERI/77 (|) JUNE/79 | | DECEMBER/74 MARCHI76 FEBRUARY/78 APRIL/81 | | ( APRIV/75 | MAYI76 APRIL/78 | | | INSIDE WRESTLING I I (| FEBRUARY/74 MAY/76 (©) MAYI77 () SEPTEMBERI/78 1 () JUNE/74 () JULYI76 © JULYI77 () MARCHI79 | | () FEBRUARY/75§ [ FEBRUARY/77 | FEBRUARY/78 || OCTOBER/79 | DECEMBER/75 MARCHI77 MAY/78 DECEMBER/79 | I JANUARY/76 APRIL77 JULY/78. () OCTOBER/80 i] | sports REVIEW | I ( AUGUST 81 NOVEMBER/76 (|) SEPTEMBER/78 [| APRIL/80 | | ( DECEMBER/73 JANUARY/78 ( JANUARY/79 ( SEPTEMBER/80 | C JULYI75 APRIL/78 APRIL79 () DECEMBER/80 i] JANUARY/76 JUNE/78 DECEMBER/79 AUGUST/81 | | JULYI76 JULY/78 JANUARY/80 AUGUST/83 | | SPORTS REVIEW ANNUALS | | ( SPRING/78 () WINTER/78 WINTER/80 | I (| SUMMER/78 SPRINGI79 | | vicTORY SPORTS SPECIALS | ] BIG BOOK 1968 SUPERSTARS APRI78 BEST OF WRESTLER SUMI78 if PICTURE BOOK WINTER/75 SUPERSTARS JUNE/78 BEST OF WRESTLER SPRI79 i] PICTURE BOOK SPRING/76 (C SUPERSTARS FALLI78 BEST OF WRESTLER FEB/80. ] | PICTURE BOOK FALLI76 (© SUPERSTARS APRIT9 BEST OF WRESTLER SPR/80 { PICTURE BOOK FALLI78 BEST OF WRESTLER SUMI77 BEST OF WRESTLER WIN/80. | SUPERSTARS AUGI77 BEST OF WRESTLER FALU77 BEST OF WRESTLER SPR/82 | SUPERSTARS FEB/78 BEST OF WRESTLER WIN/77 WRESTLING ALBUM #4 | | | I | Substitute #2 Substitute #4 W ror tases delivery payment should be made by money order. Allon an additional 2 weeks for delivery when payment is | made by personal check While we will accept cash payments, it must be understood that we are not responsible for cash | sent through the mail. Do not send coins! Prices effective in U.S. and Canada. U.S. funds only. I eS = Se ee See eee Wrestling 88 / 61 The Official Pro Wrestling Illustrated and KO Magazine canvas tote bags are just right for carrying gym equipment and school books. They are also perfect as a lightweight overnight bag for those short business trips or when you sleep over at a friend’s house. These large, 10” x 20” 12-ounce bags are made of sturdy cotton canvas with web handles and a self-repairing zipper. Whatever your bag is, these tote bags are made for you. MAKE CHECK PAYABLE AND SEND TO: T.V. SPORTS - Box 48 ONLY $14.95 EACH Rockville Centre, NY 11571 Please send me the Official Canvas Tote Bags I’ve ordered below. | enclose $14.95 for each bag I’ve ordered. (Prices are for shipment within the U.S. All other countries add $3.00 per order to cover additional handling and shipping costs.) (| PRO WRESTLING ILLUSTRATED TOTE BAG (Red with white logo) $14.95 each (] KO TOTE BAG (Royal Blue with white logo) $14.95 each NAME ___ ADDRESS ____ 2 Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. U.S. funds only. Do not send coins. 62 / Wrestling 88 Feedback (Continued from page 9) Now I'm not saying Perez wasn’t al- ready a good wrestler; he is a very good one. I’m saying that Hart is a great manager. Perez can’t miss with Hart in his corner. It is unbelievable that Hart has never won the World Class championship until now. There must have been some sort of conspira- cy holding him back. Managers, as you know, are naturally very jealous of one another. They wouldn't think twice about selling out one of their own. Back to Perez. I think he'll be World Class champion for a long time. I think Kevin Von Erich is outstanding, but he seems to have too much on his mind, what with all the problems his family’s had lately. Sure, Kerry might come back, but he’s in the same boat as Kevin. The person who might come closest to beating Perez is Chris Ad- ams. He’s excellent. I'm glad he’s back, but I don’t think that even he could defeat Perez right now. Perez has that spark in his eyes that says, “Tm great and nobody's gonna beat me.” MICHAEL ELLIS Houston Ted DiBiase, a moral leper by Denise Jenkins’ ‘standards, clotheslines Hillbilly Jim. TOTALLY DISGUSTED I just finished reading your article on Ted DiBiase (‘Morally Bankrupt: The Sellout Of Million-Dollar Man Ted. DiBiase,” Winter 1987) and I find it dis- gusting for DiBiase to act the way he does. I thought DiBiase didn’t care about money. I thought that he only cared about being a wrestler. In the long mun, DiBiase will be the victim. His promising career will be tamished by greed and the almighty dollar. DENISE JENKINS Philadelphia 1 INFOCENTER Do you have a wrestling history question? A question about wrestling’s current events? How about a technical question regarding the rules of the sport? In each issue, Wrestling 88’s research department will provide the answers, Send your questions to: InfoCenter Box 48 Rockville Centre, NY 11571 a There seems to be a discrepancy mas to how fast a referee is sup- posed to make the three-count on a pin or the 10-count when a wrestler is outside the ring. A lot of times, the ref makes the count real fast, and other times it seems to take forever. Are there any mules gov- eming how long a three-count or a 10- count is supposed to take?—Ralph Baker, Chicago Avs” the miles couldn't be mclearer. According to the National Wrestling Alliance’s Official Rules of Pro- fessional Wrestling, “To be pinned, both of a contestant’s shoulders must be held to the mat for three consecutive seconds, as witnessed and counted off by the ref- eree in charge of the event ... In the event that a wrestler is thrown outside the ring, he shall have 10 seconds as counted off by the referee in which to reenter the ring. The count shall continue only while the remaining contestant is in a neutral comer, making no effort to impede his opponent's return to the ring.” The rules are the same for every federation. mJately, the AWA has been refer- mring to itself as the “original league of wrestling.” My grandfather tells me that the NWA started in 1908. Is this true? Also, who was the first NWA World heavyweight champion?—Steve Gentry, Cincinnati As™ NWA has the AWA beat by mmore than 50 years. According to George W. Morton and George M. O'Br- en's Wrestling To Rasslin’ (copyright 1985, Bowling Green State University Press), in 1904 Frank Gotch defeated Tom Jenkins for the United States wrestling champion- ship, “which prompted promoters from around the country to form the first loose organization for the sport, the National Wrestling Alliance ... By 1908, the pro- motional network of booking offices, the NWA, had moved from the old rural fair circuit into the cities to expand operations to yearround matches that would draw on the large metropolitan public.” The American Wrestling Association wasn't formed until August 16, 1960. Title recog- nition was given to Verne Gagne, who at the time was generally considered the uncrowned champion in wrestling. I understand that before the mid- ‘20s or so, masked wrestlers were not allowed to wrestle in New York. As- suming this is true, can you please tell me why?—Michael J.S. Durand, San Francisco For years, the New York State Ath- tic Commission forbade wres- tlers from competing under a mask. The mule, they reasoned, served as a safe- guard against one wrestler taking a physi- cal and then being replaced by another wrestler at match time. The commission, which came under a lot of pressure from fans, promoters, and the masked wres- tlers themselves for this rule, finally lifted the ban in December 1972 for a match between The Spoiler and Mil Mascaras. a What were the origins of the feud mbetween Pedro Morales and Bruno Sammartino back in 1972? I under- stand their match at Shea Stadium was a classic and that George “The Animal” Steele was somehow involved.—Teny Plycart, Reading, PA Morales and Sammartino were very close friends for many years. In fact, Bruno strapped the WWF World championship belt around Morales’ waist after Pedro defeated Ivan Koloff for the tile at Madison Square Garden. Bruno and Pedro were making a rare appear- ance as a tag team, on TV, against tag team champions Prof. Toru Tanaka and Mr. Fuji. Everything came apart when Fuji threw salt in Bruno's eyes. A blinded Bruno began to flail wildly and caught Morales with an accidental blow. Morales fell to the mat, and Tanaka threw salt in his eyes. Tanaka then grabbed Bruno and threw him on top of Morales. Blinded, the two began swinging at each other, and they didn’t stop—even when their vision cleared up. The two wrestled for Morales’ WWF title at Shea Stadium. The match ended in a curfew draw after 76 minutes. Afterward, the two men embraced out of respect and, a month later, challenged Tanaka and Fuji at Madison Square Gar- den the following month. Regarding Steele, “The Animal,” for some unex- plained reason, mshed the ring during the match. He was intercepted by securi- ty guards. No one knew which wrestler he was after. a A SECOND HANCE TO CATCH “THE BIG ONES” 4 eu rarneonsen = PWi The year-end issues of Pro Wrestling Illustrated are always the most anticipated wrestling magazines of the year. And the 1985 and 1986 issues were the best ones we ever published. Each is more than 90 pages, and contains the year-end features PW/ readers have come to expect. We have limited supplies of these newsstand sell- outs, so don't be disappointed twice. Order your copies today. Only $5.00 each. Tmake check or money order payable land send to: i “THE BIG ONES” ee | ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY 11571 | Please rush me the magazines | have | | checked below. | enclose $5.00 for each one am ordering. (] PWI March 1987 (1986 Year-End Special) State — U.S. funds only. All other countries $7.00. Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery. Wrestling 88 7 63 = ane ! ! | I See ———— I —_—_—— | I ! ! I ! RATINGS For period ended November 18, 1987 Ratings for the Top 10 and for Tag teams are based on won-lost records for the past month, quality of opposition, and the inherent skill of each wrestler. Most Hated and Most Popular ratings are based on nationwide surveys of wrestling fans and on mail that comes to our offices. Other categories are compiled with the assistance of wrestlers, promoters, and reporters, with the number one positions being awarded to the major champion in each regional category as of press time. TOP10 TAG TEAMS 1—THE ROAD WARRIORS No. 1 contenders to NWA tag team title 2—TULLY BLANCHARD & ARN ANDERSON NWA World tag team champions 3—RICK MARTEL & TITO SANTANA WWF World tag team champions 4—BOBBY EATON & STAN LANE USS. tag team champions 1—HULK HOGAN WWF World champion 2—RONNIE GARVIN NWA World champion 3—RIC FLAIR No. 1 contender: NWA title 4—LEX LUGER U.S. champion 5—STEVE WILLIAMS UWE champion 6—BARRY WINDHAM Western States champion 7—NIKITA KOLOFF NWA TV champion 8—RANDY SAVAGE No. 1 contender: WWF IC tite 9—CURT HENNIG AWA World champion 10—AL PEREZ World Class champion 5—THE HART FOUNDATION No. 1 contenders to WWF tag team title 6—THE ROCK 'N ROLL EXPRESS No. 2 contenders to NWA tag team title 7—THE ISLANDERS No. 3 contenders to WWF tag team title 8—THE BRITISH BULLDOGS No. 2 contenders to WWF tag team title 9—THE SHEEPHERDERS UWF tag team champions 10—DENNIS CONDREY & RANDY ROSE AWA World tag team champions 1—HULK HOGAN 302, Venice Beach, CA 2—RANDY SAVAGE 245, Sarasota, FL 3—DUSTY RHODES 302, Austin, TX 4—STEVE WILLIAMS 265, Norman, OK 5—RONNIE GARVIN 231, Montreal, Quebec MOST POPULAR 6—NIKITA KOLOFF 275, Moscow, Russia 7—BARRY WINDHAM 236, Sweetwater, TX 8—JAKE ROBERTS 246, Stone Mountain, GA 9—CHRIS ADAMS 228, Stratford on Avon, England 10—JERRY LAWLER 234, Memphis, TN es 1—LEX LUGER 268, Chicago, IL 2—RIC FLAIR 243, Minneapolis, MN 3—NIKITA KOLOFF 275, Moscow, Russia 4—DUSTY RHODES 302, Austin, TX 5—BARRY WINDHAM 236, Sweetwater, TX NWA World Champion: RONNIE GARVIN 210, Montreal, Quebec 6—TULLY BLANCHARD 235, San Antonio, TX 7—STING 270, parts unknown 8—MIKE ROTUNDO 245, Syracuse, NY 9—BUBBA ROGERS 348, Louisville, KY 10—TERRY TAYLOR 225, Vero Beach, FL MOST HATED 1—THE HONKY TONK MAN 255, Memphis. TN 2—RIC FLAIR 243, Minneapolis, MN 3—LEX LUGER 268, Chicago, IL 4—TULLY BLANCHARD 235, San Antonio, TX 5—TERRY TAYLOR 225, Vero Beach, FL 6—LARRY ZBYSZKO 248, Pittsburgh, PA 7—TED DiBIASE 247, Omaha, NB 8—CURT HENNIG 235, Minneapolis, MN 9—KING KONG BUNDY 446, Atlantic City, NU 10—AL PEREZ 238, Tampa, FL AWA World Champion: CURT HENNIG 235, Minneapolis, MN 1—WAHOO McDANIEL 260, Midland, TX 2—GREG GAGNE 220, Robbinsdale, MN 3—TOMMY RICH 242, Hendersonville, TN 4—JERRY BLACKWELL 474, Stone Mountain, GA 5—JERRY LAWLER 234, Memphis, TN 6—ADRIAN ADONIS 312, New York, NY 7—KEVIN KELLY 271, Oakland CA 8—DICK SLATER 235, Albany, NY 9—D.J. PETERSON 245, St. Joseph, MO 10—JEFF JARRETT 200, Hendersonville, TN 1—THE HONKY TONK MAN 255, Memphis, TN 2—RANDY SAVAGE 245, Sarasota, FL 3—ONE MAN GANG 468, Chicago, IL 4—BAM BAM BIGELOW 368, Mt. Laurel, NJ 5—TED DiBIASE 247, Omaha, NB World Champion: HULK HOGAN 302, Venice Beach, CA 6—KILLER KHAN 275, Mongolia 7—RICK RUDE 246, Robbinsdale, MN 8—JAKE ROBERTS 246, Stone Mountain, GA 9—HACKSAW DUGGAN 280, Glens Falls, NY 10—KING KONG BUNDY 446, Atlantic City, NJ UWF UWF Champion: STEVE WILLIAMS 265, Norman, OK 1—BARRY WINDHAM 236, Sweetwater, TX 2—TERRY TAYLOR 225, Vero Beach, FL 3—BLACK BART 261, Pampa, TX 4—STING 270, parts unknown 5—EDDIE GILBERT 222, Lexington, TN 6—BIG BUBBA ROGERS 348, Louisville, KY 7—LARRY ZBYSZKO 248, Pittsburgh, PA 8—RON SIMMONS 260, Perry, GA 9—RICK STEINER 248, Detroit, MI 10—SHANE DOUGLAS 223, Pittsburgh, PA 64/ Wrestling 88 RATINGS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP U.S. Champion: LEX LUGER 268, Chicago, IL 1—DUSTY RHODES 6—STING 302, Austin, TX 270, parts unknown 2—NIKITA KOLOFF 7—LARRY ZBYSZKO 275, Moscow, Russia 248, Pittsburgh, PA 3-RIC FLAIR 8—ARN ANDERSON 243, Minneapolis, MN 249, Minneapolis, MN 4—TULLY BLANCHARD © 9—KEVIN SULLIVAN 235, San Antonio, TX 252, Boston, MA 5—BARRY WINDHAM 10—JIM GARVIN 236, Sweetwater, TX 235, Tampa, FL WORLD CLASS World Class Champion: AL PEREZ 238, Tampa, FL 1—KEVIN VON ERICH 6—ERIC EMBRY 235, Denton, TX 225, Lexington, KY 2—MATT BORNE 7—THE IRON SHEIK 235, Portland, OR 262, Teheran, Iran 3—BRIAN ADIAS 8—SHAUN SIMPSON 238, Denton, TX 225, Johannesburg, S. Africa 4—TONY ATLAS 9—VIC STEAMBOAT 247, Roanoke, VA 235, Honolulu, HI 5—TED ARCIDI 10—THE THING 300, Boston, MA 230, parts unknown STAMPEDE North American Champion: OWEN HART 223, Calgary, Alberta 1—GAMA SINGH 6—STEVE DiSALVO 220, Karachi, Pakistan 298, Boston, MA 2—JASON THE TERRIBLE = 7—HIRO HASE 265, parts unknown 225, Ho Chi Minh City 3—CPL. KIRCHNER 8—PHIL LAFLEUR 240, Ft. Bragg, NC 245, Montreal, Quebec 4—MAKIAN SINGH 9—BRUCE HART 380, Saginaw, MI 211, Calgary, Alberta 5—BRIAN PILLMAN 10—ZODIAC 225, Cincinnati, OH 230, parts unknown MID-SOUTHERN AWA Souther Champion: BOBBY JAGGERS 275, Dunlap, KS 1—MANNY FERNANDEZ 6—STEVE KEIRN 245, El Paso, TX 238, Tampa, FL 2—JERRY LAWLER 7—CARL FERGIE 234, Memphis, TN 230, Memphis, TN 3—JEFF JARRETT 8—BILLY TRAVIS 200, Hendersonville, TN 218, Houston, TX 4—JIMMY JACK FUNK 9—HECTOR GUERRERO 243, Portland, OR 218, Mexico City, Mexico 5—BILL DUNDEE 10—DON BASS 214, Melbourne, Australia 230, Memphis, TN CONTINENTAL Continental Champion: DUTCH MANTELL 224, Oi Trough, TX 1—WENDELL COOLEY 6—SCOTT ARMSTRONG 220, Milton, FL 225, Marietta, GA 2—DOUG FURNAS 7—DAN DAVIS 265, Commerce, OK 238, Nashville, TN 3—TOM PRITCHARD 8—ROBERT FULLER 220, Houston, TX 238, Dyresburg, TN 4—THE BULLET 9—JONATHAN BOYD 234, parts unknown 240, New Zealand 5—TONY ANTHONY 10—JIMMY GOLDEN 235, Bucksnorth, TN 235, Montgomery, AL Goodbye, Florida—hello, Stampede! There's a major change on our ratings pages this issue. The Florida ratings are gone and have been replaced by a top 10 for Stampede Wrestling. This change came about for a very good reason: after nearly 40 years in the business, Champion- ship Wrestling From Florida no longer exists. CWF was associated with the NWA, and its various champions often received shots at the NWA World heavyweight and tag team champions. Despite its association with the NWA, CWF ran its own cards in Florida. In the past year, however, Jim Crockett Promotions took over CWF and began sending more NWA stars to Florida. Eventually, the difference between WCW and CWF became minute; finally, CWF of- fices were shut down. Owen Hart vs. Makian Singh The decision to boost Stampede Wres- tling into a permanent ratings spot was rather easy. Operating out of Calgary in the Canadian province of Alberta, Stam- pede is one of the fastest-growing promo- tions in the sport. Stampede North Ameri- can Champion Owen Hart, one several promising young wrestlers competing in WILD WEST 1—THE MISSING LINK 6—JACK VICTORY 273, parts unknown 230, Atlantic City, NJ 2—ICEMAN PARSONS 7—BILL IRWIN 245, St. Louis, MO 250, Duluth, MN 3—BUDDY ROBERTS 8—SOLOMON GRUNDY 247, Del City, OK 450, Louisville, KY 4—LANCE VON ERICH 9—JEFF RAITZ 260, Arlington, TX 235, Dallas, TX 5—JOHN TATUM 10—BOB BRADLEY 236, Hollywood, CA 240, Boston, MA Stampede, was named 1987 Rookie of the Year in the annual Pro Wrestling Illustrated fan poll. There are two other belts recognized by Stampede: the British Commonwealth championship, currently held by Gama Singh, and the International tag team title, which is presently vacant (but was most re- cently held by Bruce Hart and Brian Pillman), The British Commonwealth champion will receive an automatic num- ber-one rating behind the Stampede North American champion. In our revolving ratings category this is- sue, we feature the recently formed Wild West group that operates out of Texas. What's your opinion? We'd like to know! Send your comments and sugges- tions to: “Ratings Analysis” c/o Wrestling 88, Box 48, Rockville Centre, NY 11871. Wrestling 88 / 65 THIS JUSTIN... The Dream Team has split up| Greg Valentine and Dino Bravo, who formed one of the top-ranked teams in the WWF, have left manager Johnny V and signed contracts with separate managers. Valentine, who recently was rumored to be headed for the NWA, signed with Jimmy Hart; Bravo will be managed by Frenchy Martin, a new addition to the WWF managing corps. According to WWF insiders, Valentine was on the verge of going to the NWA when Hart offered him a lucrative contract. Hart is also the manager of Intercontinental champion The Honky Tonk Man and former WWF tag champs The Hart Foundation. Valentine, a former Intercontinental and World tag champion, and Bravo, also a tag champ, apparently made the move so they could pursue singles careers. Valentine is an outstanding singles wrestler and wants a shot at World champion Hulk Hogan. Bravo, who has spent most of his career in tag teams, is also hoping for a match against Hogan. "'Hart is the man to get it for Valentine,'' said a WWF source. ''But the jury's still out on Martin. It remains to be seen how much pull he'll have with WWF officials."' Stan Hansen and Terry Gordy are negotiating with World Class officials to begin wrestling in that area by late December or early January. A former AWA World heavyweight champion, Hansen has wrestled predominantly in Japan and minor federations since forfeiting the title to Nick Bockwinkel in mid-1986 and is hoping to make a strong U.S. comeback. Gordy was a member of The Freebirds, who broke up this past summer. The Freebirds were a top team in the World Class area for many years and were archrivals of the Von Erichs before signing with the UWF in 1986. Gordy is a former UWF heavyweight champion. '"It makes sense for me to come back here,'' said Gordy. ''The people down here are familiar with my style and I've already proven I can handle the competition.'' Hansen could not be reached for comment, but World Class officials are anxious to continue rebuilding their talent pool. Chris Adams returned to World Class this past November after spending over a year in the UWF. The 1988 Crockett Cup is tentatively scheduled for Las Vegas and negotiations are underway to hold the 1989 edition of the NWA's $1 million tag team tournament in Japan, according to Jim Crockett Promotions. "We're looking to hold this year's Crockett Cup in a city befitting its growing standing in the sports world,'' said Jim Crockett. "'Though it's not finalized yet, Las Vegas would be a great city to host the tournament. As for 1989, we like to think of the Crockett Cup as an international event, so it only makes sense that we hold it in Japan where wrestling is extremely popular.'' In only two years, The Crockett Cup has become one of the most prestigious events on the wrestling calendar. It was was held in Baltimore last year and in New Orleans in 1986. ae 66 / Wrestling 88 Now you can have Lifetime Security ina CASH business where you can easily make up to $200.00 per day and more Find out how... .« send NOW for your ‘fae FREE Lifetime Security Fact Kit Your FREE Lifetime Security Fact Kit tells you how to make $18.00 to $30.00 an hour in your own Foley-Belsaw Full-Service Saw and Tool Sharpening Business. Your FREE Fact Kit explains how you can: — be your own BOSS! — work full time or part time, right at home. — do work you enjoy and take pride in. — operate a CASH business where 90¢ of every dollar you take in is clear cash profit. And it is so easy to learn. 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