Found Footage Friday: '86 CROCKETT HANDHELD~! GARVIN~! FLAIR~! NIKITA~! ARN~! MAGNUM~! DUSTY~! RAGING BULL~! WAHOO~!

JCP Handheld Cincinnati 4/27/86

Wahoo McDaniel vs. Jimmy Garvin

MD: We just get five minutes clipped here. It's a real morality play though. Clear, clear lines. Garvin earns nothing. Whenever Wahoo gets the chants, he's smacking him around the ring. Garvin begs off and gets a cheapshot low. He uses Precious pulling the hair from the outside to distract so he can take over. He uses an eye rake. When he's in charge he's laying in stomps or tossing Wahoo into the rail. Wahoo has big definitive shots. Garvin is underhanded and peppers things in. Night and day. Wahoo comes back, does the war dance, hits the chops, but Garvin kicks out at one and runs away to the draw a count out and fight for another day. 

ER: I don't think I ever thought Cincinnati was a place Crockett even toured but I'm also old enough now that a lot of information sounds like new information. I know they ran Cleveland frequently but maybe I didn't ever think about Cincinnati as Crockett Country because we didn't have footage until some guy who loves awful chili that tastes like pumpkin pie brought a camera to document it. I'm glad he did. He wanted the match bad enough to record it as fully as he could while editing on the fly to save battery for the bigger matches. This man, who smelled of raw onion, knew Flair and Garvin had worked broadways in the Carolinas. He couldn't risk it. So we got this clipped, but it's house show perfection. The crowd is so entertained by professional house show Wahoo, not murdering Garvin but doing all his same painful strikes and Native Stooges chops. Wahoo hits Garvin hard and forces Garvin to work up to him. Garvin had excellent worked stomps and the way Wahoo sold being punched in the corner could teach every wrestler today. Watch Wahoo flinch away from a shot under the ribs, reflexively rear back for a punch, before taking another. The best punches and strikers are almost always the best at selling punches. 

Baron von Raschke/Ivan Koloff vs. Manny Fernandez/Hector Guerrero

MD: This was probably a rough 20 minute draw that turned into a good 13 minute clipped draw. Though there was nothing we saw in those 13 minutes to really make me think the full 20 would have been that much of a slog. They went with a double heat structure with a long shine that consisted of Raschke being a pole in the center of the ring that Hector got to roll around and Ivan's arm getting worked over as he bumped, stooged, and fed more. First heat was on Manny and had some good assisted holds that drew in Hector and got heat. Then Hector got to make a big house of fire entrance with rapid punches until he got swept under. The idea was that once he got the hot tag (again rolling all over the place) there just wasn't enough time for Manny to get the win, though he came real close. I don't remember too many draws being worked quite this and it's a solid structure on paper. 

Most fascinating thing to me is just watching the Baron. He lost the offense once by goose stepping and setting up the claw. He had a way of both hitting offense (even stomps) and bumping that he'd move his waist but not his abdomen. He's like an old action figure without enough points of articulation. You can make him sit up in the middle, but then you can't bend his knees or waist. And he still takes bumps and hits offense, but it's amazingly stilted. I've seen plenty of Baron matches but maybe it was just worse by 86? Anyway, maybe this was helped by the clipping, maybe not, but it worked for me.

ER: We love guys who move weird and nobody moves around a ring weirder than 1986 Baron, who is my exact age but he moves like someone re-animated a 75 year old monster from memory. His bumps are terrible, taken only one way, rolling back to his seat waving his arms like he's Accredited Giant Gonzalez. I like how Manny works like Chavo when he teams with Hector. I wonder how he worked when he teamed with Chavo. Probably like an asskicker. Manny hits like a rock and pulls off a flying headscissors, Hector brings energy and the crowd loves his evasive tumbling. Koloff works like the best Haruka Eigen. He did an All Japan tour in 1990 when he was in his late 50s and I need to see every match we have from that tour. I loved how he bumped for Hector's late match hot tag, Korakuen would have gone wild for the ways he ran into the turnbuckles and bounced his way halfway back across the ring. While I'm curious how Baron worked his bearhug, I respect the camera's choice to edit. 

Dusty Rhodes vs. Arn Anderson + Magnum TA vs. Nikita Koloff [Cage]

MD: This is still a bit clipped but you get the sense of what's going on and I loved the Dusty vs Arn portion until the finish. This being a house show, there was such freedom for Dusty to absolutely demolish Arn. Arn sold the cage at first, not the danger of it but the fact he couldn't get away. Then he managed to run himself knee first into the cage. Dusty took over on it with such one-of-a-kind timing on seizing the foot, taking him down, holding it, looking to the crowd, stomping, stomping again. If a conductor of an orchestra is primarily worried about controlling the time and volume, Dusty was the best conductor of a crowd I've ever seen. Just a virtuoso. 

After smashing and rubbing Arn's head against the cage a bit, Arn actually came back with these beautiful low kicks from the ground, just sweeping his leg against Dusty's as if he was dance fighting. He honed in and then, once he had a real advantage, the Russains came out with the chain. I would have probably liked it more if Dusty mounted a comeback and then they came in? But there was also the sense that this was the plan all along if Arn got even the smallest bit of advantage. 

I suppose it worked either way as Magnum rushed in to break it up and start his match with Nikita. This had a totally different feel. Magnum did control early including a goofy atomic drop that sent Nikita in (and justified the blading) and using the cage to help himself bound up to the top turnbuckle for a double axe handle.Nikita lawn darted himself head first into Magnum's gut to take over and Magnum worked well from underneath. At one point he ate a backbreaker and crawled on his knees across the ring and it really worked for me.

Great transition, maybe even an all time one honestly, as Nikita went for the sickle, Magnum moved, and he went arm first into the cage. Things opened up from there with Magnum throwing all sorts of punches and a great sweeping dropkick. I loved the finish too, as Magnum went to toss Nikita head first into the cage, but Nikita grabbed Magnum's head at the last second and they both went in at equal speed. Just a real symbolic sense of them being equals/rivals/fated. That led to a ten count where it seemed like Nikita might beat it but he collapsed and Magnum shot up at the last second to a huge pop. Lots to love here.

ER: I appreciate that we got a little handheld ambiance before the match, our documentarian filming the people at the Cincinnati Gardens, reminding us that Miller Lite tastes great and is less filling, giving us a too brief glimpse of the ringside guardrails getting moved around before the cage goes up. As Dusty goes after Arn's ankle, I appreciate that everything you hear yelled by the crowd sounds like create-a-crowd ADR. "Do it again, Dusty!" "Give it to him!" "Stomp that ankle, Dusty!" It's clipped up, but I'm glad we get Arn's killer missed knee strike into the cage, Dusty seated on the middle rope but dodging, Arn's knee going into the cage, Arn throwing the knee to actually connect with Dusty and thus hitting the cage just as his knee would have connected with Dusty's stomach. After getting his face ground into the cage, Arn misses a wild swing and takes perhaps the fastest faceplant I've seen from a miss, a reaction to a Dusty elbow that swings him into the mat faster than anything Dusty could have done to him. 

TA vs. Nikita portion is a real hot fight. Koloff was great at taking punches and Magnum was great at throwing them. Koloff took an axe handle better than most I've seen, really selling the impact in how he let it drive him spinning to the mat. Koloff is great at taking Magnum's punches, none better than in the aftermath of him missing the sickle into the cage. Magnum lands a jab to Koloff's nose and Nikita winces up like he's prematurely stopping a gush of blood. Wahoo hit this great swinging axe handle to Garvin's chest in the opener, and I thought that was the coolest strike of the night, until Magnum threw the same swinging axe handle at Nikita's face. It's funny that the "first man to his feet, Wins" finish came after both ran each other into the cage, which was treated much more seriously than Magnum straight up murdering Nikita with a piledriver moments before. I still loved the drama around both men getting to their feet. 

Ric Flair vs. Ron Garvin

MD: Opening few minutes of this were great. Flair would press Garvin into the corner, try to take a liberty, smack him, immediately get smacked back, sell it with shock. It was a lovely bit of vaudeville. I'm torn on parts of this one overall. Flair's narratives just don't come together how I'd like. What happens in minute 17 doesn't necessarily stem logically from what happens in minute 6 like with other greatest-of-all-time wrestlers. But that doesn't necessarily mean that what happens in minute 17 isn't good and that it doesn't fit the moment or the characters. But it leaves me wondering if something was left on the table sometimes. But maybe I'm wrong and this is better and more organic somehow. 

Here, when Flair did take over, it felt clear like he was fed up from all the shots he took from Garvin and that he just wanted to lay shots in, not worried about winning or any sort of strategy. It was raw and human and effective, and I think the issue isn't it necessarily, but when he went into the finish and started to target the leg. I preferred him punching Garvin in the face to being just as mean about the leg, but then when things had to slip into some sort of finishing sequence, it wasn't one that matched the rest of the contest. My favorite shot he did was when he had Garvin draped over the top rope like Sheamus (or like he was setting him up for Eigen's spit spot) and instead of just whacking him in the chest, he punched him in the cheek. 

Maybe I'm wrong though. Maybe the narrative is that Flair was angry and he was mean and cruel but in the face of Garvin constantly firing back, maybe he was a coward and maybe he blinked first, and he went to the knee out of desperation and then tried to cover it with bluster like it was his plan all along. Maybe it's my fault for just not having enough faith in Flair. Maybe I'm not fair to Flair. Regardless, the finish did hit, with Garvin, leg torn up, eating a second shinbreaker anyway to punch Flair in the face. Both guys went sprawling to the floor and got counted out. You can't say the fans didn't get their money here at least.

ER: Love the guy in the crowd who, as Tommy Young is holding up Flair's title, keeps saying, "Garvin's leaving with it! Garvin's leaving with it!" Super physical match, which I greatly respect, and if we had it in full I'd say it's one of my favorite Flair matches of the era. We don't know how long the actual match may have gone, but we have 21+ minutes of it here and it's easy to think they went past 30, and they were fighting the whole time. Garvin unsurprisingly throws the hardest punches of the night while Flair takes the hardest bumps, but it's so much more than that. Unless edited out entirely, they don't hit the mat at all. No long builds out of headscissors, no wear down holds, just pure physicality in every exchange. Even though it had several staples of Every Town Paid to See My Shit Flair, this feels paced differently from a lot of Flair touring champ matches. The schtick blended into the fight a lot better than I've seen it in many highly acclaimed Flair matches, and his cumulative selling felt like a guy who really had been battered and beaten for 30 minutes. There were no moments where he was taking bigger bumps for Tommy Young or running ropes after selling fatigue, this was always fought like two men getting progressively worn down and hurt from their fight. 

When Flair goes into his own personal Showstopper mode, many things can feel disconnected from everything else in the match. This never felt that way, every blur of fighting felt like a part of their larger war, and every exchange had such physical power that by the time we were 30 in and both men were limping around the ring after each other, artistry out the window, scrambling and crawling over each other for any advantage, it felt like a righteous culmination to their war. Some of my favorite moments include Garvin popping Flair right in the forehead for a nearfall and shaking out his fist while still lying across Flair's body, fanning his fingers while still pressing Flair to the mat. It's no secret that Garvin has amazing punches, but you could randomly step into any minute of this match and see a perfect example of some all timers. Garvin's punches all look sped up, like the punch is sped up at the point of impact to make them look harder than they are, but Garvin is just that good. When he throws three perfect punches before rolling smoothly into a jackknife pin, I thought it was an honest to god real finish. 

Flair getting pressed off the top actually served the match, wasn't just an excuse for Flair to take one of his bumps. It leads immediately to Garvin dropping an elbow for 2, and the punches he rains down on Flair after the kickout are incredible, standing over him punching down at Flair, Flair groggily trying to sit up but just getting punched over and over, like he's being punished for kicking out. Garvin also does this beautiful thing where he takes a knee breaker and fucking decks Flair upon landing, before falling in a heap himself. Wrestling needs more guys who lash out instinctively upon feeling pain, before the pain consumes them and they are forced to sell. Garvin definitely sold the damage of that knee breaker, but he reacted like someone who stubs their toe and foolishly lashes out and attacks the bed frame he stubbed it on. It makes much more sense to have that reaction to a man trying to hurt you, and once you see Garvin deck Flair you wonder why it's something we don't see more. This is the most boiled down raw version of Misawa popping up to hit an elbow and it's beautiful. Great match, great war. 

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Found Footage Friday: BASH 85~!

Great American Bash JCP 7/6/85

Buddy Landel vs. Ron Bass

MD: A twenty minute draw, only a bit cut (we lose some of Buddy's control). I always was partial to this feud so it's nice to get a bit more of it. It filled out the midcard well, just having Bass trying to get revenge on JJ basically for picking a city slicker instead of a country guy. 

This was going long and it had a lot of Buddy getting early stalling and comeuppance. Buddy's body language is almost generational, the way that he scoots through the ropes after taking a shot or gets fired into the corner. He tries to outwrestle Bass and fails, tries to outsneak him and fails, tries to outfight him and definitely fails. When he does take over, it's about grinding Bass down and letting JJ get shots in when he can. The comeback on the floor is fiery and the crowd loves it but it's a prelude to the bell ringing for the draw. Post match, Bass gets his hands on JJ and Buddy tries to intervene only for the two to end up crashing into one another. Satisfying stuff even despite the draw.

Ole Anderson/Arn Anderson vs. Buzz Sawyer/Dick Slater

MD: This was a blast. I love the Sawyer/Slater team, even as babyfaces. Huge energy. They came in hot firing away at the Andersons, with Buzz and his fuzzy boots swinging a title belt around over his head. It was stooging fiery chaos for the first half, with Slater's windmill punches and Buzz running about biting arms and interjecting at every point. He had one charge into the corner where he shot back at high speed with a forearm that was just nuts. 

Eventually the chaos was too much and the ref got distracted so that the Andersons could take over on Slater. Super hot crowd for this as Buzz stomped back and forth on the apron. Some great hope spots and last second cutoffs where an Anderson would lock up the legs. The hot tag was sufficiently hot but things ended pretty abruptly with an elbow drop cheapshot behind the ref's back. Could have used another rotation on the finish but this lived up to my expectations.

Manny Fernandez/Buzz Tyler/Sam Houston vs. Abdullah the Butcher/Superstar Billy Graham/Konga the Barbarian

MD: I haven't talked about what we had and didn't have here but we came in during the heat on the old footage of this one. That's all beatdown on Houston who survives and survives until he's able to get close enough to draw his own guys in and win in the ensuing chaos with a roll up.

All of that is in here and it's pretty good pro wrestling, but we get the front here as well. That was Graham and Konga stooging (as once Abby got in, it would be time for the heels to take over). And it was very good. This is some of the best I've seen 80s Graham look. He was flying around way more than usual and leaning hard into the goofing. Konga did his share as well honestly. And all of that was fine because it set the stage for Houston getting destroyed. The fans absolutely loved the finish. It really seemed at this point that they could make Houston into a big deal in the years to come.

Paul Jones vs. Jimmy Valiant (Dog Collar)

MD: Previously we just had the opening feint and the finish here. The feint was great, as Jones hemmed and hawed and refused to put the dog collar on before trying to slip it on Abby instead. That didn't work but it drew attention so Abby could stab Valiant in the forehead. Previously we had commentary over that but here we got to clearly hear a scream from the crowd and that's the sort of thing that makes all of this better. 

Jones controlled, smacking a bloody valiant with the chain wrapped around his hand. He made sure to bask in it and taunt the crowd. Said crowd went up huge for Valiant's comeback as he manipulated Jones with the length of the chain. He got the sleeper on. Abby tried to interfere. Valiant was too smart for it and he got the win before Abby unloaded on him. Pretty enjoyable piece of business overall.

Russians vs. Road Warriors

MD: This couldn't have been more heel-in-peril. Not only was it Krusher and Ivan, Nikita wasn't even there because he was prepping for the main event. Even though the Roadies were the AWA champions, only the JCP titles were on the line (which given the finish made no sense anyway).

And the Warriors took the brunt of this. Maybe Ivan would get an eye rake or Krusher would get a few body shots in, but then they'd miss an elbow drop and would get swept right back under again. Animal press slammed Krusher into the top rope, then pressed Ivan off the top. Hawk got in on the action. In no case did they really get them up but the struggle made it work nonetheless. It was a bit of diminishing returns though.

They had a sort of convoluted bit to let the Russians take over and they kept control with frantic, almost desperate quick tags. Even then, when the hot tag came, it was while the Roadies were taking shots. They just didn't matter. Things devolved quickly after that as both sides used chairs. It get having the Russians finally look vulnerable but a straight up Clash of the Titans might have been more palatable. 

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Found Footage Friday: MIL~! GORDMAN~! KOLOFF VS KOLOFF~! GRINGOS LOCOS~! PANTHER~!

Mil Mascaras vs. Black Gordman (Mexican Death Match) Los Angeles 80s

MD: This is from Richard Land's last upload as well. We'll probably have at least one more week of the German footage after this, but we might break it up so we can focus on some things that aren't behind paywalls (even if it's worth paying). I'd never seen it or seen it listed anywhere. Gordman is listed as a 13 time Americas tag champion and winner of the 1974 Battle Royal which makes him feel like a bigger deal than he usually does when he pops up elsewhere in the early 80s. This is a Mexican Death match. The ref can't stop it. There must be a winner after a pin and a ten count.

They go back and forth for the most part, with the transitions generally based around low blows. Mil's stuff looks really good here, including some really solid jabs I don't associate him with, plus a nice bodyslam into a suplex type move, and just keeping the crowd up by slamming Gordman's head into things. Gordman eventually brings a chair in, misses, and gets clocked by Mil. Mil goes one step further and nails who we think to be Pete Collins (the guy who created the Monster in an infamous shlock gimmick that I can't find much about). Collins bleeds big off of the errant shot, putting it over well by staring off in fury as the blood runs down his face (refusing to wipe it off). After Mil and Gordman gnaw on each other a bit, Collins slips Gordman a chain. Mil gets it, clocks Gordman for the pin, clocks Collins while the count is going, and the fans go up as high as they can get for it all. Pretty classic, iconic stuff.

ER: My dad used to mention Black Gordman as a guy he used to see at the Cow Palace when he was a young man, and I remember reading a Meltzer bio about him and Great Goliath probably two decades ago, about how unassuming a star Gordman was. I haven't seen much footage of him (because we didn't have much Los Angeles or San Francisco) and while I know this is late in his career, I do love how unassuming he is. He is a man of my size but shorter, has next to no offense, no real look, and yet clearly knows exactly what to do opposite Mil Mascaras's bright glowing star. Mascaras looks so cool here, like when Eddie came back somehow leaner than ever while also being more muscular than ever. Laugh all you want about the sucked in stomach but what the fuck do you know about Johnny Weissmuller? Gordman had this athletically unathletic way of taking Mil's offense, like how he would get rammed into a turnbuckle differently than anyone I've ever seen, not recoiling at all, just splatting his face into it like the victim of a pie gag. But then when it's finally time to separate from the buckles he takes this beautiful bouncing rolling backward bump and comedic pratfall. The man has no offense and when it's finally time for him to take over, the zeal he puts into biting Mil's fingers is hilarious. A wrestler who finally has their chance to take control who chooses to just bite is a concept that no longer exists in wrestling, in the same way that it would be impossible for a guy who looked like Gordman to be a star. Mil's chain wrapped fistdrop is a cool ass way to earn a 10 count, dropped right into the button of Gordman's jaw. 

Ivan Koloff vs. Nikita Koloff (Chain Match) Peach State Wrestling 10/90

MD: Obviously another great vein of footage comes from the work done by Ben/goc/KrisP/ArmstrongAlley, whatever you want to call him. We rarely focus on the stuff he puts together and organizes because it's more episodic territory work and we tend to hone in on single matches with FFF. This is definitely a single match from a recent batch of Peach State he's been putting together. It's more found than new but it's gotten very little attention over the years.

Yes, this is a touch the corners chain match with most of the blood and guts coming post match as a Sheik and his minion come out to attack (heel) Ivan so (face) Nikita can make the save and they can presumably set up tag matches to come. That said, these two absolutely know how to work one of these to the fullest. That means they go for the corners (and get three) after each knockdown, generally leading to an almost immediate transition and repeating the formula, but there's also escalation in the offense.

That means things start out with punches and kicks, and they slowly work in the chain for punches and whip shots and comedic crotchings, before building to Nikita hitting quasi sickles with it wrapped around his arm. Very effective pacing overall. Finish has the ref take an errant shot and Ivan winning even though he missed a corner before everything breaks down post-match. The save is pretty endearing overall though and while I would prefer a big mauling and a big comeback as opposed to the constant stop-start of going for the corners, they were so good at these matches that they made things feel fairly dramatic nonetheless.

 

Eddy Guerrero/Love Machine Art Barr vs. Blue Panther/El Magnate Monterrey 1993

MD: I don't know if this is the best match we've gotten out of this channel, but it feels almost like the most surprising. You figure you're not going to get another Gringos Locos match and here we are. The alignments were weird here as we were post mask match and Eddy and Barr were definitely going in very hot at times but the ref was stopping them at other times and Panther and Magnate were technically rudos. Barr cut an impassioned pro Monterrey speech at the end as well. But on some level it didn't matter because animosity is animosity and this had a ton of it. That meant lots of Barr going after Panther's match and Eddy running interference. It meant a comeback where they were beating Barr into the seats. It meant a wild dive or two. And maybe most of all, it meant an absolutely crazy finish where Barr went for a Martinete playing on the apuestas match and Panther snuck in an upside-down foul. Great finish. This was better to just take in and enjoy because who knows if anything else quite like it will pop up.

ER: 1997 Eddie goes harder than almost any wrestler I've loved; a blow away great year where he returns from an injury fully formed into the most charismatic heel in wrestling. It was incredible. And you see him here in '93 and he looks good, the movement and impact are getting there. But he's nowhere near 1997 Eddie just like that Eddie was nowhere near 2003 Eddie. And you see Art Barr in 1993 and you see him bringing 1997 Eddie energy with this wild eyed flipped lid intensity that gives an edge to him as a tecnico. Tecnico Eddie never had any edge. Heel Eddie was a more polished and higher end of Art Barr's Gringo Loco rudo. Eddie was more athletic and had better comedic timing and better ring timing and had more impressive body control. As brilliant as it is - and 1997 Eddie really, really is - it's a juiced up version of 1993 Art Barr. Art Barr had this intensity as a tecnico that can only be pulled off naturally. Every part of Barr going after Panther was constantly ramped up, punches building to harder punches to dramatically unlacing a mask to being whipped into a violent tope. Panther ends this with a full armed shot to Love Machine's balls to stop a martinete, a surprise new note in a truly great feud. 

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El Deporte de las Mil Emociones: Aniversario 89 (For Real This Time)

Week 11: Aniversario 1989 (For Real This Time)

EB: After a three week postponement due to Hurricane Hugo, it is finally time for Aniversario 1989. It is taking place on October 7th in Bayamon and broadcasted for the first time locally on PPV. We also have a second night of Aniversario on October 8th in Mayaguez, where we have the same match lineup albeit with slightly less stakes or stipulations. However, before talking about this weekend’s happenings, we should note that there have been some changes to the card (which are likely due to scheduling conflicts stemming from the three week postponement). We’ll discuss them as we go along but there are two things I’ll mention right now that have to do with the Universal title match. First, Gorilla Monsoon will not be appearing as the special referee for the Universal title match. Second, the match is now a barbed wire match.

Now we do have a bit of a footage issue with Aniversario 89. Despite the fact that the show was broadcast on PPV, it was never released on home video. The matches we have from Bayamon were uploaded years ago back when videos were limited to a 10 minute cutoff. So only a few matches from the PPV broadcast have surfaced, even though I hope that a copy of the full broadcast is floating around out there somewhere. We also have some matches that were broadcast in later airings on tv but these are mainly from the second day in Mayaguez. Since the match lineups for both days are practically the same (outside of some stipulations), we are taking the approach of reviewing the show by intertwining matches from both nights to go over as much of Aniversario as possible in our runthrough.

Let’s talk first about the matches for which we don’t have footage for (or for which we have a small clip as part of a broader video package) from either night. There are four such matches. Unfortunately we do not have the two tag title matches or the world junior title match available. Also, for two of those matches, the challengers changed from the announced card (again likely due to scheduling conflicts or unavailability due to the hurricane postponements).

Miguelito Perez and Huracan Castillo, hijo were set to defend the Caribbean tag titles originally against the Wild Samoans combination of Tama and Afa. However, after the postponement, it was announced that the challengers would be Doug Furnas and Dan Kroffat. Unfortunately for everyone looking forward to this match (including us), we not only do not have the match footage available but the Can-Am Express did not make the event. Stepping is as the challengers are the team of the Cuban Assassin (Angel Acevedo) and Jerry Morrow, known as Los Mercenarios. And this new set of challengers actually won the Caribbean tag titles from Perez and Castillo.

Jeff Jarrett was unable to make the show for the battle of the World Junior champions. In his place was El Gran Mendoza serving as the challenger to Super Medico’s WWC World Junior title. Medico retained his championship.

One match that did not experience changes but for which we unfortunately don’t have the footage for is the World tag title match between champions Rip Rogers and Abudda Dein and challengers Mark and Chris Youngblood. This tag title match also saw new champions crowned as the Younbloods scored the win.  

For those disappointed at the Can-Am Express and Jeff Jarrett not appearing, don’t despair because Paul Jones did make it for his match vs the Junkyard Dog. There is about a minute and half of the ending stretch of the Mayaguez version of this encounter and it's mainly Paul Jones choking JYD with a chain and hitting a flurry of punches before JYD makes a comeback with several headbutts and a Russian legsweep to get the win.

With those matches we don’t have out of the way, let’s talk about the ones for which we have at least one version from either Bayamon or Mayaguez. We originally had Kerry Von Erich scheduled to face Abdullah the Butcher but as we saw previously, Kevin Von Erich had stepped in to replace Kerry for the original Aniversario date.  Kevin is here for this new date and let’s see him in action vs Abdul… never mind, Abdullah wasn’t able to make it to Aniversario on the new date.  Well, let’s go to the match and see who Kevin Von Erich’s opponent is…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDA3xYmfIaQ

It’s Ron Bass, making what I believe is his CSP debut. Kevin also is making his first in-ring appearance for the territory since the late 70s if I’m not mistaken. The commentary team of Hugo, Carlos and Profe spend a lot of the match talking about the Von Erich legacy and talk about what a privilege it is to have wrestlers of this renown (referring to Kevin and Bass) competing in a WWC ring (“it adds prestige and signals to the rest of the world the caliber of competition we have”). Profe also complains about how someone with a German last name can claim to be Texan (“it’s like saying a Perez is English“) and hopes Bass comes out triumphant to show what a real Texan is. This match is a good showcase for the local crowd in seeing Kevin’s wrestling style. Kevin is in control for most of the match, although Bass gets a bit of a control segment in the middle due to some cheating and roughhouse tactics. Kevin tries to get the claw on Bass, and despite Bass initially holding him off, he manages to get a stomach claw on Bass. Ron Bass manages to fight out of the clawhold but an attempt to hit Kevin with his boot misses, which Kevin takes advantage of to roll up Bass for the pinfall win.

MD: This definitely wasn’t Kerry vs Abby. Bass is a guy who definitely drops off the radar early in 1989. He finished up with WWF in March and after this, works for Dusty in Florida and some Guam tours and who knows what else. He’s basically done by 91 when he was early into his 40s. He had a big frame and had put a bunch of wear and tear on it though. He wasn’t very mobile here even if he still had solid timing, decent presence, and a good punch off the ropes. Kevin was Kevin, bare-footed, aggressive, a tried and true babyface and the crowd got up for him winning with a roll-up, even if they weren’t into much else. This didn’t outwear its welcome but it would have been better five or six years earlier.

EB: We also have a match between semi regulars in the territory as Jimmy Valiant takes on Kareem Muhammad. This match is the one from the second night in Mayaguez.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXQdVk7FSnM

We have Hugo Savinovich, Carlos Colon and Chicky Starr on commentary for this match (suggesting this is from a Campeones airing). Hugo asks for their thoughts on who has the advantage here in a styles clash of opponents and Carlos makes the remark that if Jimmy Valiant manages to hold out for five to six minutes then he should have the advantage since Kareem gets tired due to his conditioning after about ten minutes. Valiant takes the initial advantage by choking Kareem (which Hugo makes note of) and maintains the attack for the initial moments of the match. Kareem rakes the eyes to take control of the match. As Kareem continues his attack, the camera cuts to El Profe who is posing and mugging for the cameraman (showing off that kilowatt smile). Chicky makes the comment that with the attack Kareem is doing on Valiant at the moment he’s probably forgotten how to dance by now. Valiant tries to gather himself on the outside and get the crowd into it but Kareem keeps knocking Valiant off the apron when he tries to get back in the ring. Jimmy does manage to get back inside and launch an offensive flurry but Kareem manages to counter with a clothesline and an elbow drop for the pin (although Valiant got his leg on the rope at two, Kareem pulled it away before the ref saw it). Kareem leaves with El Profe as the ref helps Valiant to the back.

MD: They were in and out under five minutes here. We came in with Valiant choking Muhammad with his bandana and poking at the eyes, but it’s not long before he’s overpowered and tossed out. The rest of the match is a king of the mountain sequence with Muhammad knocking Valiant off the apron and Valiant walking around ringside clapping and interacting with fans. He finally hits a shoulder to the gut to get back in and mounts a bit of a comeback before running into Muhammad’s outstretched arm and is squashed. He does make sure to get his foot on the ropes for a second to protect himself in defeat. There wasn’t a whole lot here. I imagine Valiant could have a pretty entertaining match against El Profe (alternatively, Paul Jones was right there and from the minute of footage we have, could still punch, stagger, and eat headbutts pretty well) and Muhammad could be a useful foil for Colon or Invader but this wasn’t either of those things. It was still nice to see Jimmy walking and clapping and hanging out with the crowd, I guess.

EB: We finally get a match from the main night of Aniversario in Bayamon and it’s the long awaited revenge match featuring Invader #3 facing off against Manny Fernandez.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDt9YVFnxWk

Manny is in the ring with Chicky Starr as the music for Invader #3’s entrance begins playing. Invader #3 rushes out and runs to the ring holding a large stick. He jumps Manny from behind (Manny was posing on the turnbuckle looking towards the crowd) and proceeds to hit several blows with the stick on Manny (including one blow that hits Manny right in the mouth). The crowd goes crazy as Invader #3 continues his attack on Manny on the outside . Manny is chased back inside and, as Invader #3 gets back in, Chicky reaches out and manages to yank the stick away from the fired up Invader #3. This does not stop Invader #3, who continues his attack on Manny undeterred. Eventually, Manny manages to lift Invader #3 up in a desperation move and hotshots him on the top rope to stop the attack. On the PPV broadcast, Hector Moyano and El Profe are on commentary and talking about how Invader #3 is looking for revenge for the infamous attack and injury that Manny Fernandez had done to him. Manny checks his bleeding mouth and proceeds to focus his attack on Invader #3’s throat and neck area. Manny slows the pace down as he continues his focused attack, including a headscissor submission hold which Chicky reaches in to help with the leverage (and El Profe on commentary acting like he’s not seeing the cheating going on). As Chicky walks around at ringside, you’ll notice that the ring is on a raised platform here in Bayamon, so one misstep and someone could take a tumble. Manny continues working the submission hold as Moyano makes a comment about how Manny is bleeding from the mouth quite noticeably. Manny starts getting frustrated at not being able to put Invader #3 away and starts punching him around the throat area. Invader #3 manages to get some distance between him and Manny and, as the crowd starts ramping up, begins to land some hits on Manny from a kneeling position. They exchange a few blows but Manny manages to knock Invader # 3 down again and regain control. Manny works a chinlock but Invader #3 responds to the crowd cheering him on and fights out of it, ramming Manny’s head into the turnbuckle. Manny counters out of the corner with a charge and proceeds to adjust his kneepad. Manny then makes his way to the top turnbuckle as the crowd gets worried, remembering that this was how Invader #3 had been gruesomely injured. Invader #3 gets up though and catches Manny on the top turnbuckle, slamming him to the mat. Invader #3 goes on a punching spree but, when he attempts to monkey flip Manny out of the corner, Manny grabs on to the ropes and Invader #3 crashes onto the mat. An attempted dropkick off the ropes by Invader #3 is also countered by Manny holding onto the ropes. Manny proceeds to grab Invader #3 from behind and hold him so Chicky can get up on the ring apron with the stick. As Manny tries to shove Invader #3 into Chicky and the stick, Invader #3 ducks out of the way and it is Manny that takes the hit. Invader #3 dropkicks Chicky off the apron, sending the stick flying into the ring. Invader #3 makes the cover but Manny surprisingly kicks out at two. Invader #3, seeing that the ref is holding the stick, immediately runs toward him to try to grab the stick. As the ref and Invader #3 play tug of war with the stick, Manny attacks Invader #3 from behind and it looks like Invader #3 may have hit the stick on impact. Manny grabs Invader #3 and hits his flying burrito maneuver, which scores the pinfall win. Invader #3 got some satisfaction in attacking Manny for what had happened a year and a half ago but in the end Manny gets the win. Manny and Chicky celebrate as they leave the ring.

MD: One fun part about this entire project for me is that I have no idea what’s coming next. I’ll say this, though. I see the Chicky/Manny act and I just see money. There’s no reason why these two together couldn’t have drawn into 1990 or 1991. Invader #3 came in hot as you’d expect, with a baseball bat in hand. He wanted blood and he got it quickly, even after Chicky got the bat away, opening up Manny from the mouth. He was overexuberant though, which was the story of the match, and flew right into a hotshot on the top rope. That let Manny work the neck, most especially with headscissors (with Chicky assisting at first and then, after a hope spot, by grabbing the ropes himself). Invader would come back and even get a huge nearfall after ducking a bat shot from Chicky, only to lose sight of the goal by trying to get the bat from the ref instead of staying on Manny. That let Manny hit the flying forearm and steal the win. Lots of heat just like you’d want. I’m half surprised this didn’t cause a riot. Hopefully he sticks around.

EB: We unfortunately do not have the chain match for the Puerto Rico title between Ivan Koloff and Invader #1, but we do have their match from Mayaguez the next day. It’s a rematch for the Puerto Rico title that Invader #1 won in the chain match.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BTjhMS_Qio

This match is taken from a tv airing a year later, so the commentary is not focused on what was happening back in 1989. We start the match as Invader and Koloff face off and then lock up, exchanging holds. Tempers flare and soon they start exchanging punches and blows, but Invader uses an arm wringer and drop toehold to regain control of Koloff on the mat. So far this match is different from how I’m thinking the chain match went in terms of being a fight, this is more of a straight wrestling match between Koloff and Invader. As they continue exchanging holds, you can see in a zoom in on Koloff that he has a bandage on his head (again I’m guessing from the chain match). We go to commercial break as Koloff has Invader in a full nelson and come back to them fighting outside of the ring and Koloff using some bolted together chairs to attack Invader. The crowd also looks to have tried to get closer to the wrestlers on the outside, so I’m wondering what have we missed for the match to switch up from where we were before the break. Koloff gets back in the ring and taunts the crowd as Invader recovers on the outside. Invader gets back in the ring and both wrestlers proceed to exchange a flurry of chops, punches and kicks, Invader hits an eye rake on Koloff and rolls him up for two. Koloff attacks Invader and hits him with a back elbow, and for some reason also hits the ref with a back elbow which looks to be deemed inadvertent since there is no dq called. Hugo protests that should have been a disqualification. Koloff rolls up Invader and tries several pin attempts while holding Invader’s tights. Invader keeps barely getting a shoulder up on the different attempts as Koloff keeps trying to get the pin. Invader manages to kick Koloff off of him and takes control with a headbutt to Koloff’s midsection and a dropkick. Invader tries a pin attempt but Koloff gets his leg on the rope. The match continues as time starts winding down. An inside cradle gets a two count for Invader and the wrestlers continue fighting in the ring. A series of punches on the turnbuckle by Invader opens up Koloff’s cut on his forehead. A crossbody from Invader gets a near fall. A backslide attempt gets two. Invader manages to get a sleeper on Koloff but it’s just as the bell rings as the time limit expires. Invader gets the moral win by putting Koloff to sleep but the match ends in a draw.  

MD: I found a post from over ten years ago where our old pal Dylan was lamenting about the chain match not being available. I too shall lament about this. What we do have is this, with a hotter, angrier crowd than the one in Bayamon for Invader #3 vs Manny, and it’s this weird cross section of a riot scene and a title match with all the trappings of a title match. They start with chain wrestling, to a degree, with Invader controlling with a hammerlock. We come back from a break with Invader on the outside hurting and Ivan leans on him hard with the crowd throwing things into the ring to express their displeasure. Invader comes back, in part by using some sort of sharp, dangerous object that someone did throw in to rake at Ivan’s eyes and then they go into full Steamboat vs Savage mode with roll ups and near-falls. There’s an awesome back elbow cut off by Koloff here which might be the best back elbow in the history of wrestling (and one to the ref too for good measure). He does another one to the ref just for the hell of it too. The finish is a big Invader sleeper with the great visual of Koloff reaching desperately for the ref but Esteban let me know that the time ran out making it just a spiritual victory for Invader. So yeah, these two matched up really well. It was a title match though, even if it was a heated one, and it just whets the appetite for what that chain match could have been. Someone has to have it, right? If you’re reading this, help us out and do some digging.

EB: As mentioned earlier, the Universal title match is now a barbed wire match. Carlos Colon gets his first chance to avenge his shoulder injury against Sadistic Steve Strong and looks to regain the Universal title in the process. We go to Bayamon for the ring introductions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjWvgb7M4z4

You can tell it’s a big match as each competitor heads to the ring with an entourage. Sadistic Steve Strong is accompanied by his manager Chicky Starr and by Manny Fernandez carrying the U.S.A. flag. Garbage starts pelting them as they head to the ring. The Spanish version of My Way plays as the tecnicos come out. We have Invader #1 carrying the Puerto Rico flag, accompanied by TNT and the Youngbloods as the crowd grows loud with cheers and air horns go off. Carlos Colon follows the tecnicos out, accompanied by his trainer Barba Roja (looks like he did take Hugo up on the invitation to visit sometime) and also by our backstage interviewer Lysette Santiago. Strong has entered the ring and is waiting for Colon. Eliud Goznalez starts the ring introductions but stops because we haven’t yet played the national anthems. We first hear La Borinqueña (Puerto Rico’s national anthem), followed by The Star Spangled Banner. Strong remains in the ring throughout all of this. Carlos gets in the ring as the ring introductions are made. Carlos gets some final instructions from Barba Roja just before the match begins.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKm7Ha3fdyQ

Carlos immediately charges at Strong as the bell rings, attacking him and trying to drive Strong’s face into the barbed wire. Strong manages to hold Colon off, but Carlos goes back on offense including biting Strong in the face. Carlos keeps the pressure on and continues trying to rake Strong’s face in the barbed wire. Strong continues to fight Carlos off, managing an unsuccessful attempt to send Carlos face first into the barbed wire. The first hit of barbed wire occurs when Carlos shoves Strong backwards into the ropes and Strong briefly makes contact as the crowd cheers. Carlos is not letting up and continues on the offensive trying to again smash Strong’s face into the wire. However, Strong manages to gain control and starts fcusing his attacks on Colon’s left shoulder (the one that had been injured). Strong continues putting pressure on and attacking the shoulder as we can see Strong has some cuts on his back and Carlos is bleeding from his forehead. Strong grabs Colon’s left arm and wraps it around the rope (and the barbed wire) to inflict more damage. Strong continues to control the match despite some attempts by Carlos to counter and run Strong into the barbed wire. A choke lift is countered with an eye rake by Carlos and he goes on the offensive as the crowd cheers on. Strong manages to avoid a back bodydrop attempt and hits a DDT on Colon. Carlos ducks a clothesline attempt (remember that training session we saw where part of the strategy was ducking the clothesline?) and both men hit each other with a clothesline. Colon immediately falls down, followed by Strong after a delayed reaction. Colon hits a slam and tries a legdrop off the middle turnbuckle but Strong moves out of the way. Strong hits a slam and tries to come off the middle turnbuckle with an elbow, but this time it’s Carlos who gets out of the way. Carlos starts attacking Strong’s leg to set up the figure four leglock as the crowd cheers on. Strong manages to throw Colon off on his first attempt at the figure four, but Carlos immediately attacks Strong's legs again when he stands up. Strong falls and immediately starts crawling away so Carlos can’t get the figure four on him. Carlos keeps attacking the leg and Strong’s leg buckles on an irish whip attempt due to the damage done. Carlos is almost successful in getting the figure four on but Strong yanks Colon by the hair in order to push him away. Colon dodges a Strong tackle and finally gets the figure four on. It looks like Strong may give up but don’t forget Chicky is at ringside. As the ref is asking Strong if he will submit, Chicky reaches into his jacket and pulls out a spray can. He moves close to where Carlos is and sprays Colon right in the face. This causes Carlos to squirm in pain and the hold is broken. Barba Roja chases Chicky around the ring and catches up to him, trying to get the spray can Chicky had hid once more in his jacket. However, Chicky starts attacking Barba Roja! As Chicky is attacking Barba Roja, Strong adjusts ‘Damian’ on his arm and hits Carlos straight on with a clothesline. Strong gets the three count! Chicky is kicking Barba Roja at ringside when we see a chair fly out at the crowd and hit Chicky. TNT then shows up to go after Chicky and help Barba Roja. TNT grabs Chicky and holds him as Barba Roja finds the spray can in Chicky’s jacket.  As Barba Roja shows the referee the spray can, Chicky runs to the other side of the ring, grabbing a chair and using it to defend himself from other chairs that are being thrown at him. The ref restarts the match after seeing the spray can and, as the match restarts, if you look at the top right corner you’ll see security jumping on the ring platform and shielding Chicky from the crowd. They immediately take off running to get Chicky out of there before the situation gets worse. Back in the ring, Strong immediately had started punching Carlos as the match restarted. Strong throws Carlos on the ropes but Carlos ducks the clothesline and hits a back suplex (once again, remember the planning session we saw, one of the moves they worked on was ducking the clothesline and hitting a back suplex).  Carlos gets the three count and wins! The crowd goes wild (and we even see a chair get thrown in the ring) as Carlos has regained the Universal title. The tecnicos come out to celebrate but as Carlos tries to leave he gets blindsided and attacked by an angry Steve Strong. In a bit of an unintentionally funny visual, one of the Youngbloods is spraying champagne in celebration as Carlos is getting attacked by Strong. Carlos manages to leave the ring and is surrounded by El Ejercito de la Justicia to celebrate his win, as champagne is sprayed everywhere. Strong remains in the ring throughout the celebration as El Ejercito de la Justicia heads to the locker room.

Post match we get interviews with Steve Strong (wanting a rematch in whatever match Colon wants after feeling he was cheated out of the win) and Carlos Colon with Barba Roja (celebrating the win in a tough match thanks to the crowd and Barba Roja’s support). And as the interview with Carlos ends, Lysette says we’re headed back to the ring for our next match. Wait, we have another match to go?

MD: This was a massive spectacle, starting with the huge entrances with retinues. Manny was with Strong and Colon had the Youngbloods (I think) and Invader waving the flag. I’ve mentioned it before but the joy of barbed wire matches isn’t necessarily the blood but instead the constrained lack of space and the anticipation of the wire becoming part of the match. Sometimes that can play out as long minutes of people just pressing each other’s head towards it. Here it was more dynamic. Colon rushed in early and had an advantage until Strong started on the damaged shoulder. Using that as a wedge he bloodied Colon first. Carlos came back with some grisly headbutts. It’s striking to see him fight so violently considering how soft spoken he’s come off in the bio and other appearances, but that’s why he’s the national hero I suppose. Strong cuts him off only for Colon to come back hot, working on the leg and trying and trying for the figure four until he finally gets it. Chicky asserts himself then, spraying Colon in the face. That leads to a moment of true darkness where Barba Roja rushes around the ring only to get battered by Chicky, and Colon, blinded and despondent gets flattened by the loaded armguard of Strong and pinned for three.

We’ve seen before how matches in Puerto Rico often had finishes overturned against the heels in the moment. It’s a very Memphis thing to do. The times I can think of it happening in WWF and AEW were times that Lawler or Jarrett were involved, for instance. It ratchets up the heat, sweeps the rug out from under the crowd, and then gives them hope at the last second. It’s the sort of thing that can’t be done too much because it makes it harder to accept any time a heel does cheat to win later. Here, though, it put everyone in exactly the right state of crazed mania to create pure elation with the true finish. For instance, just when everything was at its worse, you could see a chair come flying in from off the side of the screen to clock Chicky. It wasn’t that flying chair that would save the day but another fan favorite: TNT came out to rescue Barba Roja and assault Chicky. The ref was informed of what happened and allowed the match to continue.And, with the light obscuring him as if he was some sort of celestial figure, Colon ducked a shot and hit a belly to back suplex for three. Strong, furious, stomped at Carlos but the champagne was already flowing. He may have had a point, as all good heels do, and may have been protected, but Carlitos had scored a legendary win nonetheless. A big match with a big match feel. I am left wondering how Gorilla Monsoon would have factored in however.

EB: To close out Aniversario here in Bayamon, we have a match for the rights to the TNT name and gimmick. It’s TNT taking on the Original TNT, the man Chicky Starr had brought in claiming to be the actual TNT and that our TNT was an impostor. But… we have our last no-show of Aniversario as the Original TNT did not appear. Luckily for CSP, we have Chicky Starr, the man who masterminded and was the driving force and instigator behind the Original TNT plot (including outing TNT’s real identity and constantly calling him an impostor). In a change that may have occurred that same day (and who knows if it was announced during the event itself), we now have TNT taking on Chicky Starr in a five minute challenge match. The stipulations are TNT’s name and paint (basically the rights to the TNT identity) vs Chicky Starr’s hair. And the key stipulation in the five minute challenge is that TNT has to defeat Chicky within the five minute time limit in order to win. However, if Chicky lasts the full five minutes without losing then Chicky wins and TNT loses his identity. It’s a ploy Chicky has tried twice before vs Invader #1, first as a 15 minute challenge and then in a rematch as a 10 minute challenge. You can probably guess why the third time is now with 5 minutes as the time limit. Back to Bayamon we go.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H7fGogrY18

After their altercation during the Universal title match, Chicky and TNT are going to face off once more this evening.  Chicky, after having to run for his life near the end of the Universal title match, is back out here in his crown and robe (and with Leper Messiah as his entrance music). The crowd wastes no time in throwing garbage at Chicky as he waits for his opponent. TNT’s music plays as he comes out in full TNT garb and with the TV title around his waist. TNT takes his gi off as Eliud Gonzalez does the introductions (mentioning it’s the TNT name and paint vs Chicky’s hair and TNT has to defeat Chicky in five minutes or less). The ref checks both combatants for foreign objects and we are underway. TNT has five minutes to win or else he loses his identity.  Moyano on commentary mentions that the clear disadvantage is for TNT since he has to win while Chicky just has to run out the clock. And this is apparent right off as Chicky just takes off, weaving in and out of the ring as TNT gives chase. Man, the ring mat is just full of garbage from earlier. Chicky continues running from TNT, including crawling under the ring with TNT giving chase (and the cameraman follows them too!). The only offensive maneuvers we see from Chicky so far are quick blows to get TNT to back off and Chicky immediately gets to running away again. Eliud Gonzale calls out that one minute has elapsed.

TNT and Chicky exchange strikes on the outside, but when it looks like TNT is going to take control Chicky bites TNT in the face and runs off again. Chicky maintains his distance from TNT outside of the ring while pointing at his wrist signaling the time ticking away. TNT finally manages to cut through the ring and grab Chicky, dragging him into the ring by his hair. They immediately exchange strikes, with Chicky surprisingly gaining the advantage and maintaining the offensive attack. We are past the two minute mark. TNT hits a bodyslam and immediately goes for the pin but Chicky kicks out immediately. An eye rake by Chicky gives him the advantage again. Chicky hits a DDT as Eliud Gonzalez calls out the time and reminds fans of the stipulations. Chicky again starts mockingly pointing at his wrist. Chicky continues on the attack as the fans start to make noise to encourage TNT. The commentators are talking about why someone would sign up for these stipulations (with Profe calling TNT an idiot) but, as we’ve seen from the build-up, Chicky had really been insulting TNT and put his safety at risk by revealing his real identity. Chicky goes for a pin but gets up at one and dismissively signals he doesn’t want to pin TNT. The attack by Chicky continues as the time keeps ticking away. We have reached the 4 minute mark as Chicky comes off the turnbuckle with an axe handle onto TNT. A pin attempt gets two as the count is at 55 seconds remaining. Chicky hits a body slam with 40 seconds left, covers but again quickly changes his mind and forgoes the pin attempt. Chicky punches TNT with 30 seconds left and hits a back body drop with 20 seconds left. TNT is in real trouble. Chicky points at his wrist as 15 seconds are left and he decides to go to the top again as TNT gets up. However, this axe handle attempt is met with a dynamite kick right to Chicky’s face. TNT quickly covers him as the countdown is at 6 and a quick three count later we have a winner. The crowd starts cheering as TNT has defeated Chicky with about three seconds remaining on the clock. Chicky now will lose his hair. Two refs and Super Medico hold Chicky down as TNT starts cutting some of Chicky’s hair with a pair of scissors. Profe starts having a meltdown on commentary over what is happening to Chicky. We end with Chicky fleeing the ring as security surrounds him while they run to the back, as fans pelt them with garbage. Outside of Manny Fernandez getting the win, not a good night for Chicky (or Profe for that matter having lost the World tag titles and the Puerto Rico title).

MD: Just so interesting that they finished with this. For one thing, I’m still boggled by what Action Jackson had to do that was more important than this match. I guess in part, they had to finish with this because otherwise you don’t have Chicky at ringside for the Strong match. Sending fans home happy with two major celebratory wins is a pretty good way to deal with a natural disaster. Chicky had to survive five minutes with TNT. If he did, TNT had to lose his name and take off the facepaint, to give the gimmick to the “Original TNT” basically. If Chicky lost in those five minutes, he’d lose his hair. Esteban likely will get into more detail past that, but it was a pretty transcendent heel performance by Chicky. He came out to Leper Messiah by Metallica and played defensive early, running around the ring, running under the ring (with the camera following TNT and Chicky, which is something I’m not sure I ever saw before). Eventually he got a cheapshot and took over for the brunt of the remainder of the match, refusing to even try to seriously pin TNT, just playing out the clock in control. The best defense was a good offense despite his hubris. The fans were throwing things in there but they weren’t near-riotous as time ticked down like you might expect. I think they had faith in TNT and faith in pro wrestling in general. Heels win, but not before the babyface at least tries to get a comeback in. It’s ritual and they knew it well. Chicky was poised to beat the clock, with an advantage, with fifteen seconds left. He could have hit the floor and ran it off. But instead he went up top and flew right into TNT’s kick. It was definitely a choice to give him all of it, but when you have only five minutes after a grueling war like Colon and Strong just went through and you have a heel charismatic and hated like Chicky to make it work, this wasn’t at all a bad choice at all.

EB: And that’s a wrap for Aniversario 89 from Bayamon. We’ve seen four titles change hands and TNT retain his identity. However, it remains to be seen if Steve Strong is truly done with Carlos Colon and if we'll see Chicky and Profe retaliate for the losses they’ve taken.

Next time on El Deporte de las Mil Emociones, we’ll see the fallout from Aniversario as we start heading toward the end of 1989.

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El Deporte de las Mil Emociones: The Road To Aniversario ‘89

Week 9: The Road  To Aniversario ‘89

EB: When we first started our journey with the Bronca Boricua, one of the videos we watched was one that had a Sports Shop segment, a rundown of that night’s card and, near the end of the video, a brief teaser for Aniversario 89 taking place from Estadio Juan Ramon Loubriel on September 16.  We have now arrived in September and that means anniversary time for Capitol Sports Promotions. Although the promotion’s first card was held on Three Kings Day in 1974, CSP was founded in September of 1973. When the company reached ten years since its founding, it was decided to hold a big ten-year anniversary card in celebration. Since then, Aniversario has been held every September, a supercard where you’ll find a mix of feuds coming to a head (although not necessarily ending) and wrestlers being brought in (both regular tourers and sometimes even names making their first foray to Puerto Rico) to face the local stars or each other. Throughout the years the event has grown, with changes in how long the event lasts. CSP would typically hold cards throughout Aniversario weekend with the wrestlers that were here for Aniversario, resulting in Aniversario being held across different days (although the main show was always the one held in the San Juan Metro area). Recent developments included running a Universal title tournament from Friday to Sunday in 1986 (truly an Aniversario weekend) and running Aniversario simultaneously in three different locations at the same time in 1987. In 1988, Aniversario was once again run from two different locations simultaneously, although unlike in 1987 where it was different cities, the event was held at two different sites within the same sports complex in Bayamon.

For 1989, the event would be held from one location only (the previously mentioned Estadio Juan Ramon Loubriel) but with a new wrinkle. For the first time ever, the event would be available locally live on pay-per-view. So fans had the option of going in person or watching the event from the comfort of their own home. This resulted in Hugo Savinovich, Carlos Colon and Chicky Starr to film some promos the week it was announced from in front of the cable TV company in San Juan in order to hype up that this was an option for the fans (while also telling the fans that if you can make it out to the stadium, you should do so).

Following the first teaser for Aniversario 89, every week a segment hosted by Hector Moyano would air updating fans about Aniversario 89, basically an event center update focused on Aniversario where new match announcements would occur.  Let’s go to one of these segments to see how the Aniversario 89 card is shaping up so far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAdNwXaSvn4

Hector Moyano welcomes the fans to the segment saying ‘Puerto Rico, esto es para ti’ (Puerto Rico, this is for you). More super matches have been confirmed, let’s run down what we have so far. The main event will be a rematch for the Universal title as Carlitos Colon takes on the reigning champ Steve Strong. The Puerto Rico title will be on the line as Ivan Koloff defends against Invader #1. Returning to the island and much loved by the fans are the Youngbloods who will be challenging the World tag champions Rip Rogers and Abudda Dein. A very interesting encounter will see Kerry von Erich take on Abullah the Butcher. Also, the World Class World Junior heavyweight champion Jeff Jarrett will be coming in to face the WWC World Junior heavyweight champion Super Medico. We will also see in action ‘El Toro Salvaje’ Manny Fernandez, the Junkyard Dog, and in a just confirmed bout, Boogie Man Jimmy Valiant will face Kareem Muhammad. Moyano then talks about there being good news for fans in the Caguas and Humacao regions, thanks to their calls the event will be available via their cable providers in those regions (thus the three different phone numbers to call on the screen depending on where you live). The price will be $25 and Moyano gives the relevant details about where the cable provider offices are located and what numbers to call. He also mentions that in San Juan you need the updated Sigma cable box in order to be able to watch the PPV. Please make sure you order ahead of time to make sure you don’t miss out. We’ll return next week with more new information.

After the segment, a promo for the Aniversario 89 card plays, narrated as always by Hugo Savinovich. This card rundown reveals one more match for the show, the one involving Manny Fernandez. In a vengeance match it will be Invader #3 vs. Manny Fernandez. Let’s take a look at these matches and talk about what has led up to them.

Our main event is a rematch for the Universal title where Carlitos Colon has returned from the shoulder injury Steve Strong inflicted on him and is looking to regain the Universal title.  We have seen the impact Sadistic Steve Strong has had throughout his run and we know how dangerous he can be. Carlos has returned with a win in the Bronca Boricua that took place on August 5 and is anxious to get his hands on Strong.

As Aniversario approaches, Chicky Starr is making sure that his Universal champ is ready. We go to a segment of La Esquina Caliente to see what Strong and Chicky are doing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjoXn9MCl00

Chicky says they have invaded one of the training bases of El Ejercito de la Justicia to show how much weight a real man lifts. Chicky calls this a psychological attack on Carlos since they are doing this at one of their training bases. None of them can lift this much. Next time any of the Ejercito de la Justicia shows up here, let them know that a real man showed up to lift. This is the man that will end Carlos Colon.

MD: I love the idea behind this. It’s as if the Justice Army was some sort of secret government task force fighting Cobra with a hidden headquarters underneath a barber shop. And then you have Chicky not being subtle at all but instead saying outright that this is a psychological assault. You can’t hurt someone’s feelings by telling them you’re doing something to hurt their feelings!

EB: But this wasn’t the only way Chicky had decided to get at Carlos before Aniversario. Carlos was actively wrestling to get back in ring shape for the big match at Aniversario, so Chicky saw this as his chance to potentially take him out. Carlos faced Kendo Nagasaki on August 12 and also, later that month, faced off against a wrestler brought in by Chicky with the sole purpose of taking care of Carlos Colon before Aniversario.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyIIf0p8Mzo

We open with Chicky and Nikolai Volkoff standing near the fans. Chicky is yelling for silence so that Volkoff can sing the Soviet national anthem. Nikolai sings as the crowd makes noise throughout. As the ring introductions are made, Hugo on commentary mentions that Chicky has promised that Carlos will not make it to Aniversario and has brought in the powerful Volkoff, a wrestler whose trajectory is well known. As Carlos and Nikolai square off, Hugo makes note of the size difference between the two of them. Volkoff gets the advantage early on due to his power and keeping the pressure on Colon. Carlos manages to briefly get control by blocking a kick, but Volkoff rakes the eyes and gets the advantage back. The match follows a pattern of Carlos starting a comeback but Volkoff cutting it off and using a cheap tactic to put Carlos down. Nikolai starts working Colon’s throat, trying to make sure Carlos does not make it to Aniversario. After another momentum change where Nikolai regains control, he hits a backbreaker on Carlos but does not go for the pin attempt in order to do more damage. But when Nikolai tries to pick Carlos back up for a move, Carlos surprises him with a roll up and gets the pin. Carlos leaves the ring as Volkoff and Chicky are upset at losing. Carlos decides to get back in the ring to fight with Volkoff a bit more and, after Volkoff briefly gets some blows and bites in, Carlos sends Volkoff over the top rope with a headbutt. Chicky’s plan has not worked and Carlos is still on the road to Aniversario.

MD: Volkoff has no WWF matches between March and the very end of September 1989. I didn’t know that. I tried to look through some 89 Observers to figure out what was going on there and decided quickly that was a mistake for my continued vision and sanity, especially after stopping off at the PR section once or twice. Volkoff doing the anthem gimmick in Puerto Rico with Chicky is wonderful. He’s an excellent opponent for Colon for a 5 minute tune-up match. He’s bulky and physically imposing like Strong, just pummeling Carlos against the ropes or in the corner. He targets the neck. Colon fires back against him multiple times but gets cut off, but then sneaks in a roll up out of nowhere and drives him off post-match. You got the sense that Carlos wasn’t quite ready for Strong yet, but that he was getting closer every day.

ER: Carlos prevails against Nikolai but Strong awaits. While getting ready for the match, Carlos also makes the rounds to promote Aniversario, including an appearance on the TV show Sunshine’s Cafe. This was a comedy variety show starring comedian/TV personality Sunshine Logroño which aired on channel 4. The show would feature comedy skits with different characters Sunshine played, interview segments with different guests and even music performances. One of the characters Sunshine developed for the show goes by the name of Vitin Alicea. The character (according to his Wikipedia entry) can be described as a “ hyper-macho misogynist who is likely a closet case, flaunts his masculinity to the point of self-parody, and is an extreme fan of professional wrestling, weightlifting and film.” Vitin owns a makeshift gymnasium in the backyard of his house, called "Musculus", which is merely a converted garage and filled with whatever cheap makeshift equipment he can find (such as cement filled tin cans for weights and a garden hose that serves as the gym’s ‘shower’).

The reason I’m providing context on Vitin is because the character’s wrestling fandom will result in him getting involved at different points with the local wrestling scene (so might as well introduce him now). Vitin’s wrestling fandom also results in him basically being a Carlos Colon superfan, with the character talking about Carlos several times throughout the show’s run. The show was so popular that a parody song made in character as Vitin was released on an album. This song was called "Hombres en la Noche" ("Men In The Night"), and it’s one where Vitin longs for male company and pays homage to wrestling hero Carlitos Colon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nodCOuT_bM

All the talk of Carlos eventually resulted in him making an appearance on the show in a sketch where Vitin continued to talk about how he trained Carlos and taught him the figure four, and how he was taking too much of Vitin’s time that he couldn’t train his protege (a lie Vitin was saying to explain to his protege why he wasn't being put into matches). Carlos unexpectedly arrives at the bar, looking for a phone to call a tow truck because his car had broken down. Vitin’s protege confronts Carlos, saying that he was told Carlos is ducking him and is the reason he wasn’t getting matches but Carlos reveals he doesn’t know who Vitin is.  Vitin tries to make an exit when it looks like the truth is out, but before the situation becomes heated Carlos decides to play along to help Vitin out, saying that of course he knows him, that’s the man that taught him the figure four. Afterwards, a grateful Vitin thanks Carlos for bailing him out and tells Carlos he is his inspiration, as Carlos tells him it’s alright but to be careful with the tall tales next time. If you’re interested you can watch the entire sketch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ID2eNYy1ho

As mentioned earlier, with Aniversario approaching, Carlos went to Sunshine's Cafe to promote the upcoming event. How? By being interviewed by Vitin of course.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpZI-fLrBgc

Vitin makes the introduction of today’s guest. He asks for the VCRs to be set on record and introduces Carlos Colon by saying forget Danny Rivera (a Puerto rican singer), forget Rafael Hernandez Colon (the then governor of Puerto Rico), forget George Bush (the then US president), here is the leader of Puerto Rico, Carlitos Colon! Carlos comes out in his suit and is all smiles. As Carlos sits on the stool, Vitin goes ‘My God, what a buffet.’ Vitin sits down and as he starts his interview, reaches out and puts his hand on Colon’s shoulder, causing Vitin to go ‘Caritos… Dear God, it’s like a 4x4 what this man has for a shoulder.’ Vitin says it's an honor to have Carlos as a guest because he serves as an example to the youth of Puerto Rico and that he is one of the first Puerto Rican wrestlers to be known worldwide. Vitin mentions that Capitol is going to celebrate their Aniversario soon and wants to know what’s going to happen there. Carlos says they’re going to have all of the local stars  and international stars too. Vitin interjects saying ‘Don’t tell me Chicky Starr is going to be there!’ Upon hearing that yes Chicky will be there, Vitin scoffs and says that man infuriates him. At that, Carlos tells Vitin that you’re going too. A perplexed Vitin goes ‘Me?’, to which Carlos says they’ll put Vitin in the Bronca Boricua. Vitin accepts the invitation, he’ll be there but giving massages at ringside. Carlos says no, you’ll be right in there getting it on in the ring. Vitin upon hearing this goes, ‘Look at the hairs standing up on my arm.’ Vitin says he has to organize and see who he attacks first, but Carlos says he’ll be in there with Abdullah. ‘With Abdullah! If that mass of meat falls on me I’m dead.’ Vitin asks if Mr. Pogo will be there with his satanic nunchucks (if you listened to the song earlier, Vitin references Mr. Pogo in Hombres en la Noche which is likely why he asks Carlos about him). Vitin puts over Carlos’ discipline and brings up the shoulder injury and that he was injured by that satanic Steve Strong. When Vitin hears it was the left shoulder, he offers to give Colon a massage and a kiss to make it better but Colon declines (getting up from the stool in case he needs to fend Vitin off). Vitin produces a letter that was sent by a female fan where they write a fan letter to Steve Strong. Vitin takes offense at this, spits on the letter and says how can you root for that foreigner over our local guy. Vitin asks what Colon’s favorite wrestling move is and he responds the figure four. This leads to Carlos demonstrating the hold on Vitin to end the segment. Vitin ends it by saying ‘I thought the figure four was like this (assumes an all fours position)’.

MD: Yes, we live in a world where a 1989 parody song in Puerto Rico contains a Mr. Pogo reference. Truly the most wonderful timeline. What stands out to me from the initial sketch is how subdued Colon is. He’s also more like a prop or a politician guest starring than a wrestler. We’re used to wrestlers being naturals in these settings due to their need to improvise. He gets more into it during the promotional appearance though.

EB: But let’s not forget the huge obstacle Carlos faces in Steve Strong. Here is a music video showcasing Strong ahead of Aniversario 89.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIrgYtdobUk

The rivalry between Ivan Koloff and Invader #1 over the Puerto Rico title has been going on since Koloff’s arrival in mid-July. We go to a series of interviews from that first weekend of August in the early stages of the feud, where Koloff has recently won the Puerto Rico title and is defending against Invader that night.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBH9PnXlhps

In the interview Invader expresses that he thought Koloff was a tremendous wrestler, but he was disappointed that Koloff stooped to cheating in order to win the Puerto Rico title from him the way that he did. We haven’t really seen Ivan in action in Puerto Rico, so here is a match (joined in progress) he had around mid to late August against TNT.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Fhk5Fc2ti0

We join the match with Ivan working TNT over with a bearhug, a hold which he will continue to use for the first minutes. Eventually TNT fights out of the hold but Ivan dodges an elbow drop and decides to go to the top rope.  However, TNT manages to shake the ropes, causing Ivan to crotch himself on the top turnbuckle and shifting the momentum to TNT. Both men try for pins across different exchanges as the time limit starts winding down. The announcers put over how well TNT is doing in there against a very experienced wrestler such as Ivan Koloff. A missed attack by Koloff as time is running out gives TNT the chance to put on the Cobra Dinamita. Time counts down as Koloff struggles in the hold, but the time limit is reached before Koloff passes out completely. It’s a draw.

MD: It’s easy to discount Uncle Ivan after his JCP run, but he looked to be a pretty potent force here (as he did for his January 1990 AJPW tour), holding a title, very capable in the ring. We come in JIP with TNT in the bear hug. Ivan was smaller at this point but it seemed entirely believable. In the comebacks and cutoffs, he was happy to stooge and bump all over for TNT and he looked every bit a top guy, even though TNT gets the moral win as the Cobra was locked on as the time limit expired. There’s no reason to think he couldn’t be a perfect Invader opponent.

EB: Meanwhile, Invader #1 would face the challenge of another Real Academia member in Kendo Nagasaki.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qEgbhkb0Vs

This match is surprisingly more of a straight up wrestling match with Invader showing off his wrestling ability against Kendo. On commentary Carlos mentions that you have to be wary of Kendo because he has many tricks such as the mist and the kendo stick. Kendo eventually gets the momentum by turning it into more of a fight but Invader is right there with him. Near the end of the match, Invader manages to get Kendo in a sleeperhold (which is sort of Invader's semi finisher). El Profe jumps on the ring apron (causing Carlos to angrily complain about managers needing to be banned from ringside so they can’t pull these shenanigans), which allows Ivan Koloff to run in and knock Invader out with a chain in his fist. Kendo steals the win.

MD: Nagasaki is a pretty natural Invader opponent too. He’s good at eating up his opponents which is not always what you want, but against a guy who can sell and come back like Invader, it’s pretty spot on. That said, Koloff was going to come out at the end here while Invader has the sleeper on and clock him with the chain, so he’s losing this with a pinfall in the middle of the ring and therefore, he ended up taking a good chunk of it. That included a lot of headlock takeovers early. We cut during the break and lose the transition, coming back to a Nagasaki arm stretcher and general beatdown including a nice use of a big wooden guardrail. When Invader comes back (with the fans fully behind him and fire within him), he crashes Nagasaki through that guardrail. A good match to remind everyone that Invader was a threat to Koloff’s title while keeping the heat on Koloff (heat that was only going to get ramped up further with the subsequent angle) and everyone involved protected.

EB: Both Invader and Ivan are on a collision course at Aniversario, with the rivalry escalating due to an attack Koloff did on Invader in his hometown of San Lorenzo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELnaRAVsFhw

As a result of this attack, the match was made into a chain match.
The World tag team titles will be on the line as the returning Youngbloods take on Rip Rogers and Abudda Dein. We’ve seen a bit of Abudda and Rip in our 1989 journey, but to remind you of their exploits here is a music video highlighting them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClgP7vO_FMg

As for the Youngbloods, their story in CSP begins with Jay Youngblood. Jay would make a couple of appearances in the territory back when they were working with JCP, including an appearance at Aniversario 84 where he teamed with his brother Mark and Wahoo McDaniel to face the Super Medicos. Jay and Mark would continue making sporadic appearances into 1985, where they would face off against Los Pastores (as did pretty much any tecnico in 1985).  Due to Jay’s untimely passing, Chris Youngblood would step in to team with Mark against Los Pastores at their scheduled match for the October 85 ‘Batalla de los Gladiadores’ card. Mark and Chris would return as a team for the year end 1986 cards and would stick around for a year and half as regulars in the territory, a run that made them into loved fan favorites and very likely the most fondly remembered foreigner team from that time period.

After leaving at the end of July of  88, Mark and Chris would return at the beginning of March to the territory, not full-time but to make semi-regular appearances. Here are their return matches, first their TV return that aired on March 4 and then their return match at the event that night “El Regreso de los Grandes”. First their TV return from the March 4 of 89 tv episode.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePyXtJUlupk

El Exotico is a wrestler we’ll see some more of when we get to the 90s. Dr. Death is El Gran Mendoza under the mask. This match is all Youngbloods as they are showcased on their return to the fans’ delight.  We also have their return match at the big Regreso de los Grandes card from that night. Their opponents are the new Ninja Express and Mark and Chris are challenging for the Caribbean tag titles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VoDl_hgvw4

MD: I don’t have strong priors when it comes to the Youngbloods (other than Jay, of course). Cheat sheet here has Chris with the singlet and Mark bare-chested. For the squash, not much to say except for that they really beat Exotico up without quite enough consequence. I kind of wish we lived in the world where Scotty the Body brought that guy into 1990 Portland to be is Puerto Rican cousin. Anyway, on to the Ninja Express. Mark is older and Chris has great energy, especially working the apron, but gets lost once or twice too. It’s pure pro wrestling to be in Puerto Rico with two Japanese guys dressed like ninjas and two Native Americans in full garb. Sasaki and Pogo did a whole ceremony before the match and it’s nice to know Sasaki got the genuine excursion experience. He looked good getting out of a headscissors at one point, but hard to say too much about him. We missed the transition to heat again, but they used all the tricks, including drawing Chris away from the corner to miss the tag in order to ramp up the drama. The place went crazy for the hot tag and the Youngbloods destroyed the Ninja Express until the ref had to call it for being too chaotic.

EB: Here is another match showcasing the Youngbloods about a month after their return, where their opponents are Tama the Islander and Jonathan Holiday (stepping in as a sub for the departing Dan Kroffat).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icuJjH-422s

MD: A lot to enjoy here, mainly due to the antics of Holiday and Tama. Holiday is a guy we have a bit of in late Stampede, here, in late Portland. Then he ends up embroiled in a legal case over the NWA rights which is interesting, but has no bearing on what we’re looking at here. You can see those Stampede roots in how big he bumps and how hard he feeds but it’s tempered with completely selfless stooging. Tama obviously had Heenan to lean on just a bit prior to this, but it surprised me how little he played up the goofiness here. This wasn’t a regular team but they meshed together well as an act and let the Youngbloods make fools out of them. The heat started probably two exchanges too late and didn’t last nearly as long as it should have, but that happens in a match like this. When I think of Puerto Rico, I think of bloody brawls and monsters and heroes of justice but there were always a bunch of these wildly entertaining stooging heels hanging around too and they really help round out the card and provide variety. As for the Youngbloods, they were poised and credible and fiery on the comeback, carrying themselves like stars (even as they took just a bit too much of it all as stars are want to do).

EB: We have a match at Aniversario 89 where name imports clash as Kerry von Erich takes on Abdullah the Butcher. We’ve learned all about Abdullah in Puerto Rico already and Kerry has made a couple of appearances throughout the summer. Here is a music special hyping Kerry that includes some clips of his match vs Rip Rogers on the Father’s Day card.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EI5mV8usT-g

However, this will be the last we will see of Kerry in CSP as there will be a change to the match just before Aniversario, with Kevin von Erich instead stepping in to face Abdullah.

MD: Kerry no-showing, even in a situation where his brother steps in is no surprise (nor would be the opposite). The hype video was rousing but basically all Kerry punching people. I’m not sure if that had to do with his mobility in 1989 or what.

EB: A match also featuring wrestlers that have been making semi-regular appearances throughout the summer in Puerto Rico will see Jimmy Valiant take on Kareem Muhammad. We also know that JYD will be on the card, but his opponent has not yet been announced. While we await confirmation on who JYD’s opponent will be, here’s a clip of him in tag action vs the Battens (really just an excuse to have the Battens show up one last time in our 89 run through).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ql6Xx7df6g

MD: Battens couldn’t catch a break here. They got hammered around the ring by JYD and Invader, two guys who probably didn’t need to be making smooth, quick tags but were anyway. Then when it looked like they’d take over off of a knee to Invader’s back by the Batten outside the ring as he was rope running, Invader just stopped in the middle of the ring and didn’t run into the knee. A Batten snuck in and leaped off the top with an axe handle on him anyway, but he wasn’t feeling it on this night and shut it all down quickly to tag JYD in who cleared house. It was fun to watch them bump around for Invader and JYD I guess.

EB: And then there’s that vengeance match between Invader #3 and Manny Fernandez. Why is it a vengeance match? Well…for that we need to go back to May of 1988. Chicky Starr had brought in Manny Fernandez as the newest member of his Club Deportivo. Manny’s been in the territory a bit over a month, wrestling squash matches on TV and appearing against some of the midcard tecnicos at the house shows. On the May 11 TV taping, Manny was facing Invader #3. We join that match in progress.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8a0jRhtWtU

This is from the Saturday May 14 Superestrellas de la Lucha Libre airing. We join the match with Invader #3 having Manny in a side headlock. Joaquin Padin, hijo and Hector Moyano are on commentary. We see Invader #3 work the headlock and actually maintain control on Manny through the first couple of minutes we are watching. Manny manages to turn the tide by diving out of the way of a crossbody block Invader #3 was trying to hit from the top turnbuckle. Manny hits a bodyslam and goes to the top turnbuckle. He comes of with a flying kneedrop onto the prone Invader #3, who starts rolling in distress on the mat. As Manny goes back up to hit another flying kneedrop, the camera cuts back to Invader #3 who is starting to spew a copious amount of blood from his mouth. Manny hits another kneedrop onto the injured Invader #3. The ref sees that Invader #3 is spewing a lot of blood from his mouth and frantically calls for the bell. Invader #3 is absolutely covered in blood as is part of the mat. Manny hits a third kneedrop as Padin is worried on commentary, saying he has never seen so much blood in a ring before. Invader #1, TNT, Castillo, Perez and the Youngbloods run out to run off Manny and check on the blood covered Invader #3.  Moyano says that Invader #3 is convulsing while Padin is saying he can't look at this, it’s making him queasy from how bad it is. The worried tecnicos do their best to carefully carry Invader #3 out of the ring to get medical help. The camera follows the group as they go outside the arena carrying Invader #3, all the way to a waiting stretcher.

We then see Manny with Chicky cutting a promo about a match he is going to have that night with Invader #1 after what had happened. Manny says everybody saw what he did to Invader #3 and he’s going to dish more of that tonight. ‘I am the king, and I am your daddy, so let’s see what you can do with this bull. I will leave you destroyed.’ Hugo then updates us on Invader #3, where he was taken to the ER and we’ll have updates later n the program on Invader #’3’s condition. We finish with a promo from Invader #1 talking about his match vs. Manny Fernandez tonight. He says Manny didn’t have to do that, that was over the line. Invader #3 is a family man and he didn’t deserve any of that. You may be the king elsewhere but not here. ‘What you did to Invader #3, you shouldn't have done it.  We’ll see who is who tonight’.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaUIgGy3CmM

Later on the same TV episode, Invader #1 had a match with Chicky Starr. Chicky immediately jumps Invader #1, taking advantage that he was somewhat distracted by what had happened earlier to Invader #3 (and knowing that Invader #1 would take it out on Chicky). Chicky manages to stay in control until Invader #1 just tees up and kicks Chicky in the groin. From there, it’s all Invader in control as he works over Chicky, trying to vent his frustrations about what happened earlier. After a couple of minutes of beating on Chicky (including hitting a Garvin stomp), Invader puts Chicky in a figure four. Manny Fernandez runs out and tries to hit Invader #1 with a flying kneedrop, but Invader gets out of the way. The ref called for the DQ  as soon as Manny went to the top. Invader hits Chicky and then goes after Manny. The two furiously go at it, fighting out of the ring and all the way to the exit. The tecnicos run out and, instead of breaking it up, form a circle around the fighting duo to ensure no one gets in to help Manny or allow Manny to get away. The camera follows the group of wrestlers to the sidewalk outside as the credits start to roll. They are fighting on the sidewalk and one of the last things we see is an umbrella from a food cart going down as Invader and Manny are brawling by it.

This has set up quite the feud between Invader #1 and Manny. They had their first match on May 14 and would continue the feud the following weekend.

However, something happened that changed plans in the longer term.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGTzMuwzZ4w

This video recap is from the May 28 airing of Superestrellas de la Lucha Libre. The words ‘They finished the Raging Bull Manny Fernandez’ flash on the screen as Hugo narrates what happened during the weekend of May 21st. Carlos Colon and Invader #1 were  facing Manny and Chicky in a tag match, looking for revenge for what happened to Invader #3. We see highlights of Carlos and Invader attacking Manny during that match. Hugo says they absolutely blistered Manny. We then go to the next day, May 22 in Aguadilla. This is Invader #1 facing Manny in a singles match. The words ‘The Invader ended him in Aguadilla’ flash on the screen. We see several highlights of Invader attacking Manny during the match, with the key moment coming near the end. Invader hit a back body drop on Manny on the arena floor. The video freezes just as Manny hits the floor and then cuts to Invader celebrating in front of the fans. What happened was that Manny legitimately got hurt on the landing and was now out of action. Thus, plans had to pivot and the feud could not continue with Manny involved. This video recap is to explain why Mann was gone and framed as the tecnicos getting their revenge. The feud would continue between the Invaders and Chicky Starr (accompanied by his returning cousin Ron Starr), but unfortunately we never saw how the feud with Manny would have continued.

But now, after a year and half, Manny Fernandez has returned. And for the first time since the terrible incident, Invader #3 is getting the opportunity to face the man who severely injured him in the ring.

MD: This is a pretty famous angle that Esteban can get into the details of better than I can; you’ll be as frustrated as I am at what we didn’t get because of Manny’s real injury! Some things worth noting: Invader #3 really had Manny’s number until he missed a body press back off the turnbuckles. Manny had that explosiveness all through the 80s and that served him well here for this angle. He cut what felt, to me, like a great post-match promo in Spanish too. The combo of Manny and Chicky was very natural. In the subsequent match (later that night) with an an out-for-blood Invader #1, it was a good example of how Chicky really was a threat in and of himself. Yes, he jumped Invader but he could still hold his own for a bit. I harp on it because it’s a correction to my own misconception (so it’s one you might share too), but this isn’t just Heenan. Still, Invader wasn’t going to let his vengeance be withheld for long and things become wild as Manny comes in to save Chicky’s neck. In the subsequent package with the Manny/Chicky vs Colon/Invader #1 tag match, the thing that stood out the most was just how well Manny and Invader #1 squared up in strike exchanges. Invader dodging his shots and getting his own in looked like an all-time example of that spot.

EB: As Aniversario nears, the card would begin to take its final form.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xre82NbHG9o

We can see the chain stipulation has been added to Koloff vs. Invader. We can also see, due to the events we saw occur between TNT and Original TNT (which we covered in a previous installment), that a match between them has been added to Aniversario, one that is stipulation heavy. It is for the TV title, but also for the rights to the identity of TNT. Whoever loses the match must take off the face paint and loses the right to call himself TNT.
JYD’s opponent has been confirmed, initially announced on TV as being Nikolai Volkoff but now as we near the event it is Paul Jones. And the Caribbean tag titles are on the line as Perez and Castillo defend against the Wild Samoans combination of Tama and Afa.

We are set for Aniversario on September 16. We leave you with a special music video made to help hype up Aniversario 89, featuring several of the wrestlers we have met so far in our journey through Puerto Rican wrestling.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAUq2AjMBJ4

Lucha libre! Lu-lu-lu-lu-lu lucha libre!

Next time on El Deporte de las Mil Emociones, it is time for Aniversario 89! The moment of truth has arriv… wait, what!?! (runs for cover)

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