AWA SuperClash III

I recently was looking through the vault section of WWE Network in the AWA and found four of their supershows, including the only AWA PPV just listed in the TV section.  The shows are this one here, Super Sunday, WrestleRock 86 and Superclash II.

SuperClash III

December 3, 1988

Chicago, IL

UIC Pavilion

Commentators: Lee Marshall & Verne Gagne

Interviewer: Larry Nelson

Ring Announcer: Gary Michael Capetta

Duration: 2 hours 34 minutes

Attendance 1,672

Cactus Jack & The Rock n' Roll RPM's vs. The Guerrero Brothers: Mando, Chavo, & Hector

Guerrero's get the win after a moonsault press from Mando onto one of the RMP's.  Ok match basically a squash. - Ray Stevens on Color Commentary

WCCW Light Heavyweight Championship: Jeff Jarrett vs. Eric Embry 

Embry was a solid hand in the ring, but there is no way in hell he was a Light Heavyweight.  Very short match only 4 minutes really no time to get it going, Embry gets the win on a roll up to capture the title for the fourth time.

Incidentally, Cactus Jack would go on to defeat Embry for the title on 12/30/1988 for a five day reign if that tells you how much they watched the scale in this division. 

"Boogie Woogie Man" Jimmy Valiant vs. Wayne Bloom

Valiant wins in 24 seconds with a back elbow and an elbow drop. 

WCCW Texas Champions: Iceman King Parsons vs. Brickhouse Brown 
Another short match, nothing to write home about.  Parson's wins after hitting Brickhouse Brown with a foreign object.

Women's Champion: Wendi Richter & The Top Guns: Derrick Dukes & Ricky Rice defeated MAdusa Miceli & Tag Team Champions: Bad Company: Paul Diamond & Pat Tanaka w/ Diamond Dallas Page 
This was a ridiculous cluster of a match!  First off another short less than 6 minute match where they tried to get too much in.  This would have been better off with Madusa and Richter having a singles match.  Richter got the pin on Madusa after Tanaka accidentally superkicked Madusa.
After the match Top Guns were announced as the new tag team champions, but as Madusa was pinned the titles officially never changed hands.

Greg Gagne vs. "Rugged" Ronnie Garvin for the vacant International Television Championship
Garvin had defeated Gagne for the Championship in September and at some point the title was held up after a controversial match.  Another match under 6 minutes, not a bad match but it should have been given more time.  The finish was abysmal as Gagne defeated Garvin by count-out to claim the vacant title.  

P.O.W.W. Lingerie Street Fight Battle Royal

The Syrian Terrorist defeated Bambi, Peggy Lee Leather, Laurie Lynn, Brandi Mae, Malibu, Nina, Pocohantas & Luna Vachon last eliminating Brandi Mae.
Two ways to be eliminated, either having your clothes stripped down to your lingerie or being thrown over the top rope to the floor. This was garbage! 

Boot Camp Match: Sgt Slaughter vs. Colonel DeBeers w/ Diamond Dallas Page
This was a no rules, no referee in the ring come as you are.  Slaughter wore his combat helmet into the ring.  In the opening moments it sat edge up in the ring, DeBeers accidentally took a bump on it, looked very uncomfortable and it appears to slightly lacerate his back.  The action spilled to the floor and Slaughter went for a pin attempt, so I guess it's falls count anywhere.
In less than six minutes Slaughter won with the cobra clutch, of course the referee had to enter the ring to call the match.  Adnan Al Kaissie and The Iron Sheik attacked Slaughter after the match.  Ironic because in just over two years these three would be programmed together in the WWF.

WCCW Tag Team Champions: The Samoan Swat Team: Samu & Fatu w/ Buddy Roberts vs. Michael P.S. Hayes & Steve Cox
Decent match, almost 8 minutes!!! Hayes had a member of the SST pinned after a DDT when Buddy Roberts clocked him when the referee wasn't looking allowing the SST to retain.

Indian Strap Match: Wahoo McDaniel vs. Manny Fernandez
This was a great match, as expected between these two.  They really beat the tar out of each other, and bloodied each other well before Wahoo hit all four corners taking home the victory.

AWA World Champion: Jerry "The King" Lawler vs. WCCW World Champion: Kerry Von Erich
This is the famous match where Kerry was playing around with the blade in the locker room and cut himself on the arm before the start of the match. At the start of the match they had Lawler slam his arm on the "ring post" to explain the blood.

This match was ok, and being the only match to go longer than 9 minutes, it lasted 18, it probably shouldn't have.  Kerry was busted open and the finish came when Kerry had Lawler down in the Iron Claw and the referee stopped the match due to cuts.

The Rock 'n Roll Express: Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson vs. The Stud Stable: Robert Fuller & Jimmy Golden
So this is the last match on the card, it's a decent match until the finish where the match was thrown out for no real reason fora  double disqualification.  Great way to end the card AWA.

There are twelve matches on this card with only one breaking the nine minute mark and that was the Championship unification match.  In my opinion none of the other matches even had a chance to really get going as they were over just as the guys got warmed up. 

Of all the AWA super shows on the network this is the worst and sad that this is also AWA's only PPV and this is what they deliver.  It's no wonder they only drew 1600 fans to a 9500 seat venue.

The AWA would have Superclash IV April 8, 1990, by then they had fallen so far that they didn't even have television cameras at the show.  The AWA would officially close it's doors just over a year later.

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