20 YRS AGO – USWA Live Event Report: “Macho Warrior” Ric Hogan vs. Brian Christopher, plus Bill & Jamie Dundee, Jimmy Valiant

Twenty years ago in the Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter #414 (cover-dated Nov. 9, 1996), the following live event correspondent report was published. VIP members can read the entire newsletter HERE. If you aren’t a VIP member, you can unlock 30 years of archives of audio and newsletter chronicling the inner workings of the pro wrestling business since the late 1980s, plus ad-free access to the PWTorch Livecast, 50+ other VIP podcasts per month, a new PWTorch Newsletter each week covering today’s scene, a new 20 Years Ago Back Issue (PDF & TEXT versions) every Saturday morning, new retro radio shows from the 1990s every Thurdsay night, and ad-free access to the PWTorch.com website. VIP SIGN-UP INFO/

USWA LIVE EVENT
OCTOBER 28, 2016
MEMPHIS, TENN. AT BIG ONE EXPO CENTER
REPORT BY GEORGE WREN, CORRESPONDENT

Estimated attendance: 610

(1) Bart Sawyer & Super Mario beat Tony Falk & Denny Cooley at 5:49. A four way brawl broke out during which Sawyer rolled up Cooley, but Falk also had Mario pinned in the corner. Falk used the ropes, so Morell gave the match to the babyfaces.

(2) Flash Flanagan beat Trailer Park Trash at 7:00. The fans complained to ref Downtown Bruno that Trailer Park had his feet on the ropes while choking Flanagan. Trash went to the top rope, but Flanagan dropkicked him before he came off. Flanagan his a frankensteiner off the top rope for a huge pop and the win.

(3) Steven Dunn beat Brickhouse Brown at 7:09 to earn a USWA Title shot. Dunn slid under Brown’s legs and rolled him up for the win. After the match Brown and Dunn exchanged words, but ended up shaking hands indicating Brown may be turning heel again.

(4) Shawn Venom beat Mike Samples at 0:19. Samples advertised that his Pomeranian dog, Hercules, would be in his corner to rip apart Venom’s python to pieces, but there was no sign of him. Samples turned his dog cage upside down before the match but Hercules wasn’t in there. Samples accused ring announcer Corey Maclin of stealing his dog. Venom got his snake and put it around Samples’s neck and scored the pinfall. After the match Samples continued to accuse Maclin of stealing his dog.

(5) “Handsome” Jimmy Valiant beat Jamie Dundee via DQ. Before the match Jamie attacked Valiant before he could enter the ring. Valiant made a comeback and applied the sleeper. Dundee then came out for the DQ. The Dundees then double-teamed Valiant. Referee Frank Morell and Downtown Bruno helped Valiant to the dressing room which got a pop.

(6) Brian Christopher & Wolfie D beat The Devil Dogs (mgd. by Randy Hales) to retain the USWA Tag Team Titles. Before the match Randy Hales yelled at the fans. He said things are going to change around the USWA and that the Dogs would kill Wolfie D. Hales said Wolfie D caused him to go broke so he hates him. In the end Christopher and Wolfie double legdropped the Dogs for the win. Hales returned to the ring with a table.

(7) Bill & Jamie Dundee beat Sid Vicious & Johnny Rotten at 12:28. The fans chanted, “Go Sid Go” before the match. The Dundees tried to double-up on Sid during a test of strength, but Sid beat both of them at once. During the match Dundee reached under the ring and came up holding a wrench from a tool box. While Bruno was talking with Sid, Bill worked over Rotten with the wrench. By the time Bruno turned around, the wrench was gone. Jamie came off the top rope while Bill held Rotten. Dundee then pinned Rotten. Vicious powerbombed Jamie after the match for a pop.

(8) “Macho Warrior” Ric Hogan (w/Randy Hales) beat Brian Christopher at 8:20 to win the USWA Hvt. Title. Hogan imitated everyone whom he borrowed names from. Before the match Hales tried to attack Maclin. Hales took the mic from Maclin and said Hogan is from “Space Mountain, Charlotte, Venice Beach, and Parts Unknown.” During the match the fans chanted for a superkick and complained to ref Bruno that Hales was holding Christopher’s tights while Hogan was pummeling Christopher in the corner. As Hales and Hogan had a conference at ringside, Christopher slide-kicked them. Hogan returned to the ring, but Christopher crotched him. The fans continued to protest Hales’s interference. Hales tripped Christopher as he was coming off the ropes. Christopher chased Hales around the ring and hit him for a pop. Hales came back with a punch with the house mic in hand. Hogan came off the ropes with, what else, the Hogan legdrop for a two count. Christopher came back with a dropkick, knocking Bruno down in the process. In the end Hales KO’d Christopher with his briefcase leading to Hogan capturing the USWA Hvt. Title.