The WWE Network dates this show as 6/28/92 and is the last GWF listed in the vault. It's been a mixed bag so far for the 1992 shows, but mostly leaning toward to the "pretty shitty" side of the meter. So let's get into this one, and close up this chapter of the Network vault.
We open with a ringside interview with Tom Pritchard, who once again, is giving us his Roddy Piper impression. They throw to a video of Pritchard vs. "Nightmare" Danny Davis from the Sportatorium from some unspecified time ago and it's joined in progress with Pritchard applying a rope-assisted abdominal stretch. Davis makes the comeback with a back bodydrop out of the corner, then hits a back elbow. Davis reverses a whip to the corner and hits a right hand that gets him a 2 count. Pritchard puts his head down on a whip and Davis gets a neckbreaker, but that only gets a 2 count as Pritchard finds the ropes. Pritchard whips out a chain and nails Davis with it and gets the pin. Jeff Jarrett, who was at ringside doing commentary, informs the referee of the heel shenanigans and the ref reverses the decision and allows Davis to retain the Light Heavyweight Championship. Pritchard goes after Jarrett and pummels him as they break for a commercial. This all sets up for a match between the two later on.
Match #1: Curtis Thompson vs. The Dog of War.
Thompson returns in his mailman uniform and acts like a male stripper, much to the delight of the ladies of Dallas. This is such a bad gimmick, even by early 90's standards. Pritchard is at ringisde for commentary, so yay for us. Thompson gets an armdrag into an armbar then slugs away on the arm. Thompson turns it into a fireman's carry takedown, then Jarrett comes own to ringside to brawl with Pritchard as they take it to the crowd. Meanwhile, in the ring, Thompson misses a corner splash as Dog takes over. Dog's shitty offense doesn't get him anywhere as Thompson gets a back bodydrop off the ropes. Thompson gets a powerslam off the ropes. Cover...1...2....3! 1/2*
WINNER: Curtis Thompson. Some distraction due to the Jarrett-Pritchard altercation, but there wasn't much to cover anyway. Thompson was green as turtle shit and Dog just sucked. Not much else to report on this one.
Match #2: Jeff Jarrett (c) vs. Awesome Kong (w/ J.C. Ice) - USWA Southern Heavyweight Championship.
Oh boy, another Awesome Kong match! We're told not to speak ill of the dead, but Awesome Kong has been terrible on these shows. Also, I hate J.C. Ice's white trash character. Kong shoves Jarrett to the corner on a lock up. Jarrett nails Kong with a right hand, to no effect. Kong backs Jarrett to the corner on another lock up, but Jarrett ducks under a right and hits one of his own....to no effect. Jarrett even tries shoulder blocks off the ropes, but Kong finally goes down to a right hand off the ropes. Kong takes it back to the corner for some knees to the gut, then some shoulderblocks. Kong hits a splash in the corner and then hits an elbow drop. Jarrett is trying to make Kong look somewhat credible in the ring, while on the last show Bill Dundee hit and ran and wouldn't sell anything. This is why I never liked Dundee. Kong pulls Jarrett up on a pin attempt and then slams him. Another elbow drop from Kong. Cover...1....2....kick out! Kong goes to a nerve hold now as the crowd starts to get into this one. Jarrett elbows his way out, but Ice trips him up coming off the ropes. Kong misses an elbow drop, and Jarrett gets mounted punches in the corner. Jarrett covers..1...2....big kick out! They take a commercial break, and when they come back, Kong is in control with another nerve hold. Jarrett elbows out and climbs on Kong's back with a sleeper. Kong goes down to a knee! Kong regains his feet and backs Jarrett hard into the corner to break. Kong slugs away with rights, but Jarrett comes back with rights of his own. He comes off the middle rope with a dropkick but whiffs as Kong sidesteps him. Kong misses a corner splash and Jarrett gets the middle rope dropkick for real this time! Cover...1...2....3! **
WINNER: And STILL USWA Southern Heavyweight Champion, Jeff Jarrett. Quite the carry job by Jarrett here. Kong has been near unwatchable on these shows and all Jarrett did was go out and sell Kong's shitty moves and make him look like a threat. It wasn't a good match, but at least it was watchable. After the match, Tom Pritchard hits the ring and we have a three-on-one beatdown. Bill Dundee tries to make the save but Steve Austin and Eric Embry come down to make it five-on-two. Here's Gary Young, who must have just turned face, because he makes the save for Jarrett and Dundee.
The announcer finally gives us his name, Michael St. John! He throws to a video of a match between Danny Davis and El Grande Pistolero, a masked guy who is better known as Gypsy Joe, who made his mark in the Tennessee territory and also on the Japanese death match circuit in the 80s and 90s. The match between the two ends up as a brawl on the floor and then sees Pistolero hit Davis with a foreign object for the pin and the Light Heavyweight title. Pistolero was around 58 years old here but I'm not sure if that qualifies him to be a light heavyweight.
Match #3: Bill Dundee & Gary Young vs. Eric Embry & Steve Austin (w/ Tojo Yamamoto).
The faces jump the heels before the bell but it quickly tapers off into a regular tag match with Young and Austin starting it off. Austin twists the arm off a lock up but Young punches his way out of it and Austin retreats to a corner. They trade arm twists before Young hits Austin with a right hand. Austin tags in Embry, as he and Young face off. Embry gets in a few rights before Young comes back. Dundee tags in, and he and Young get into a miscommunication issue before they clear the ring of the heels and we go to a break. Back with Dundee and Embry in the ring, where Dundee gets a 1 count off a big right hand. Young clocks Embry from the apron and Dundee tags him in, where they get double team rights. Embry sends Young into the ropes where Austin gets a knee to the back, giving the heels the upper hand. Austin in now and he stomps a mudhole in Young, and then Embry gets in a shot from the floor. Austin gets a big clothesline on Young, but Young comes back with a sunset flip for a 2 count. Austin back in charge and has Young in the heel corner, where Embry joins in on the cheating behind the referee's back. Embry in and with the referee distracted, he hits Young in the head with Yamamoto's briefcase, but it only gets 2. Austin back in and he continues the beating in the heel corner. Austin puts his head down on a whip and Young gets a surprise backslide for a 2 count. Embry back in and he gets a kneelift on Young. Embry puts Dundee down with a right, and then continues to work Young on the ropes as they take another break. When we come back, Austin hits a powerslam off the ropes for a 2 count that is broken up by Dundee. Embry in with rights, and Young decides to Hulk up but Embry puts him down with a DDT. The faces gets the tag but the referee was distracted by an interfering Austin, and Dundee is sent back to the corner. Embry gets a piledriver on Young, but Dundee breaks the count at 2. Austin tags in and he pummels Young with rights, but then Young comes off the ropes with a flying clothesline to put Austin down. Hot tag Dundee! He cleans house on the heels and then all four guys are in the ring. Dundee comes out of the corner with a flying crossbody on Embry...1...2....3! ***
WINNERS: Bill Dundee & Gary Young. Solid tag match between these two teams. Young played the face-in-peril, we had the heels cheating, the false tag; the formula was there and it worked. After the match, Tojo Yamamoto brings in the handcuffs and the heels proceed to put the beatdown on the faces, with Tom Pritchard once again joining in from the commentary table. They take a break as this beatdown continues.
Match #4: Danny Davis vs. El Grande Pistolero - USWA Light Heavyweight Championship.
This is a rematch for the title that was set up by the recap video of the first match earlier. They lock up and Pistolero gets a head butt, but Davis comes back with a big chop. Pistolero gets a couple of rights on the ropes, but Davis returns the favor and then locks up Pistolero with a head scissors on the mat, which Pistolero kicks out of. In the corner, Pistolero slaps Davis but Davis comes back with some stiff forearms to the chest. They trade some stiff blows, then Davis takes Pistolero's head to the buckle. Pistolero rakes the back a few times then slaps on a hammerlock. Pistolero dumps Davis to the floor, follows him out, but Davis takes a chair to Pistolero's back. Pistolero's head is taken to the commentary table then he's brought back into the ring where Davis gets a backbreaker for a 2 count. Davis with a nice standing dropkick and then hits a few rights in the corner. Pistolero takes Davis down by the legs and then covers him with his feet on the ropes! 1...2....3! **1/2
WINNER:And STILL USWA Light Heavyweight Champion, El Grande Pistolero. I was actually surprised that this match was decent. Pistolero is over the hill and rather slow, but Davis was able to work with him. It was a little stiff at times, and Pistolero's moveset wasn't much, but I think Davis did all the heavy lifting here. After the match, the referee questions Pistolero about the feet on the ropes, but Pistolero takes his belt and leaves.
Match #5: Jeff Jarrett (c) vs. Tom Pritchard (w/ Tojo Yamamoto) - USWA Southern Heavyweight Championship.
They trade arm twists out of a lock up, and Jarrett takes Pritchard to the mat and wraps his head up in a scissors hold. Back to their feet, they trade hammerlocks until Jarrett takes Pritchard to the mat again and gets a scissors on the head again. Pritchard escapes the hold but Jarrett gets a hammerlock on the mat and knees the arm. The fans chant "Break it!" to Jarrett. That's a cold-ass chant. Jarrett whips Pritchard off the ropes, lands a monkey flip on Pritchard and then slaps on the side headlock on the mat. Pritchard shoves Jarrett off the ropes, leapfrogs over him, gets a drop toe hold, but Jarrett quickly reverses to a hammerlock, but Pritchard manages to bail to the floor. Back in the ring, Pritchard knees Jarrett in the corner and lands a big chop. Jarrett reverses a corner ship and gets a hiptoss and then grabs an armbar. Pritchard manages to shove Jarrett off the ropes, gets in position for a monkey flip, but Jarrett stomps his head and Pritchard bails to the floor again, where they take a break. When they come back, Tojo has hit Jarrett in the head with his briefcase, giving Pritchard control. Pritchard clotheslines Jarrett over the top rope and to the floor. Pritchard follows him out and slams Jarrett on the floor. Yamamoto again gets in a briefcase shot, but Jarrett sunset flips in and gets a 1 count on Pritchard. Pritchard immediately comes back with a slam and elbow drop. Cover...1...2...kick out! Pritchard goes to the reverse chinlock as the crowd gets behind Jarrett. Jarrett tries to power out into a wristlock but Pritchard pulls the hair to put him back down. Jarrett elbows out, hits a shoulder block off the ropes, hits a crossbody...1...2....kick out! Pritchard hits a nice suplex. Cover..1...2...kick out! Pritchard with a right hand to put Jarrett down the follows up with a couple of knee drops to the head. Cover...1....2....kick out! Pritchard whips Jarrett, who leapfrogs over and comes back with rights and a back elbow. Jarrett goes to the top and comes off with a flying bodypress...1...2....kick out! Jarrett ducks a clothesline and Pritchard hits the referee by accident, putting him down. Yamamoto gets on the apron while Pritchard loads up his boot with a foreign object, but accidentally hits Yamamoto and Jarrett dodges. Jarrett tears the object off Pritchard's boot and hits him with it. Cover but the referee is still down. Eric Embry jumps in the ring and hits Jarrett with a boot. Pritchard is on top now, the referee comes to...1....2.....3! Fans chant bullshit! ***1/2
WINNER: And NEW USWA Southern Heavyweight Champion, Tom Pritchard! Good old school-style match here marred a little by the screwy ending. Jarrett and Pritchard have always been solid hands in the ring. The heel uses cheating to take control and the babyface makes his comeback. The overbooked ending, with the weapon and the run-in took it down a notch in my book, but still the best match I've seen on these USWA shows.
Match #6: Danny Davis vs. The Dog of War.
They trade arm twists to start, with Davis being taken to the mat and then kicking out. Davis with a couple of shoulderblocks and then a side headlock on the mat. To their feet, a hammerlock by Davis is broken when Dog gets the ropes. Dog yanks the hair to put Davis on the mat and then gets an armbar. Davis returns the favor and then takes Dog to the corner head first. Dog puts his head down on a whip and Davis promptly nails the neckbreaker. Cover...1....2....3! *
WINNER: Danny Davis. Quick match as Dog looked better here than he did against Curtis Thompson earlier. I'm sure having Davis as an opponent was the difference. Nothing to this match, however, as it was really meant to be a squash win for Davis.
Match #7: Gary Young vs. Steve Austin - First Blood Match.
Young rushes Austin before the bell and gets a back bodydrop off the ropes. Knee drop to the head for Young. Young with a kneelift and then punches him out through the ropes and to the floor. Young comes off the apron with a forearm and then slams Austin's head to the commentary table. Young grabs a cane from a fan and nails Austin with it. Austin's head is rammed into the post and is then taken out to the (empty) bleachers. Now the referee is counting Austin out here, which confuses the "first blood" rules. Austin comes back and, from the apron, slingshots Young from the ring to the floor. He follows up with a double axhandle to the back. They brawl around ringside, where Austin rams Young's head to the commentary table. Austin rolls Young back into the ring and slugs away on him. Young reverses a whip and gets a right hand to put Austin down, then bites him on the forehead. Austin comes back with rights and then gets a clothesline off the ropes. Austin sends Young back to the floor and comes off the apron with another double axhandle. Austin uses a ringside trash can on Young's head and then tosses Young back into the ring. Young blocks a shot to the buckle and gets one of his own. Young with a dropkick to put Austin down, but Austin comes back with an eye rake. Austin with a body slam and then he goes to the top but jumps off into Young's right hand. Young with a whip and a clothesline. Young mounts him on the mat and hits him with rights. Austin comes back with a kneelift and goes up again. This time, Young catches him and tosses him to the mat. Young takes Austin to the corner and repeatedly rams his head to the buckle. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, The Texas Hangmen hit the ring and attack young and we have a DQ....in a First Blood Match....because USWA. **
WINNER: Via disqualification, Gary Young. Energetic affair that featured a little bit of brawling, a lot of punching and a poorly booked finish. You have a First Blood match but you don't give the paying audience any blood? Also, you book it to end in a DQ? The match was okay, but these guys are capable of better. After the match, Billy Travis runs in to make the save.
Match #8: Bill Dundee, Billy Travis & Jeff Jarrett vs. Tojo Yamamoto, Eric Embry & Tom Pritchard.
We're told that Dundee and Embry are unable to participate in this match due to some bloodbath of a taped fist match they had the night before at the Sportatorium, so this will be a tag team match with Travis an Jarrett taking on Yamamoto and Pritchard. Yamamoto is around 65 years old here and about a year later he would take himself out of this world via shotgun. A sad ending to a decent career, as Yamamoto was a pretty big draw in Tennessee for Nick Gulas back in the day. You know how those Southerners take to furreners. Jarrett and Pritchard start us off proper as Jarrett gets a back bodydrop. Pritchard bails to the floor but Jarrett follows him out and tosses him back in. Travis tagged in and they get a double team back elbow. Pritchard takes over with rights but Travis reverses a corner whip and gets a clotheslines. Body slam for Travis and then a knee drop to the chest, which gets a 1 count. Jarrett back in and he gets an armbar but Pritchard gets out, hits a body slam but misses an elbow drop. Jarrett follows that up with an armbar and a tag out to Travis. Pritchard backs Travis to the ropes, tags in Yamamoto, who then proceeds to play "hide the foreign object". Pritchard back in and takes down a blinded Travis with a right. Pritchard draws in Jarrett which, of course, allows for some heel double-teaming in the corner. Travis tries a comeback attempt, but the faces make the false tag with the ref distracted, and Yamamoto is in for more cheating with the foreign object. Pritchard in and he snapmares Travis and we take a break. When we come back, Travis blocks a suplex and gets one of his own. Hot tag to Jarrett! He cleans house on the heels and gets a sunset flip on Pritchard...1...2....3! *1/2
WINNERS: Billly Travis and Jeff Jarrett. This match was weighed down by Yamamoto and his inability to do anything other than use a foreign object. At 65 years old, he could have easily been replaced with a much younger heel. This particular collection of USWA matches has made me appreciate the work of Tom Pritchard, even if he does an annoying Roddy Piper impression.
FINAL PARTING SHOT: A much better show to sit through than Vol. 2, that's for sure. Both Jeff Jarrett and Tom Pritchard were impressive, especially in their one-on-one match. "Nightmare" Danny Davis also had an impressive showing, especially when he was carrying a 58 year old to a decent match. Definitely check this show out.
UP NEXT: WCW GREAT AMERICAN BASH '92!
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