AWA 1989: A Financial Savior Is (Badly) Needed

[Captain Kremmen]

<p><strong>AWA VIDEO OF THE WEEK!</strong></p><p> </p><p>

From Super Clash 1 in Sept. 1985 from old Comiskey Park in Chicago, Rick Martel defends the AWA World Championship against Stan Hansen.</p><p> </p><p>

Not long but good stuff!</p><p> </p><p>

 

</p><div class="ipsEmbeddedVideo"><div><iframe width="200" height="150" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/fpFFmhyiyik?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" title="Rick Martel vs Stan Hansen (09/28/1985)"></iframe></div></div><p> </p><p>

<strong>ENJOY!</strong></p><p> </p><p>

<span style="color:#0000FF;"><em>(This is not their '85 Christmas night match that I posted Christmas week of last year on here.)</em></span></p>

[joshbrady91]

AWA VIDEO OF THE WEEK!

 

Thank you for these, I love them. Rick Martel and Stan Hansen had some great match-ups!

[Captain Kremmen]

AWA VIDEO OF THE WEEK!

 

Thank you for these, I love them. Rick Martel and Stan Hansen had some great match-ups!

 

Thanks Josh.

 

Hansen and Martel did indeed have some good matches and both were believable World Champs.

 

I'll admit this isn't much of a match. But it is a real good old school brawl.

[Captain Kremmen]

<p><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;"><span style="font-size:12px;">SPRING 1989</span></span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;"><span style="font-size:12px;"> </span></span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;"><span style="font-size:12px;">

AWA HEADQUARTERS - ST. LOUIS PARK, MN</span></span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;"><span style="font-size:12px;">

</span></span></strong></p><p>

Later, that same evening...*</p><p> </p><p>

Verne Gagne was still sitting at the desk in his office wondering if he made the right decision to turn down Winnipeg Jets owner Barry Shankarow's bid to buy the AWA outright and turn it into an extreme cartoon/comedy promotion.</p><p> </p><p>

It was now almost 4pm CST and the AWA HQ was about to close for the day.</p><p> </p><p>

Then Jessica, Verne's secretary, buzzed Verne and told him over the intercom that he had a call on line 2. Jessica did not know who it was.</p><p> </p><p>

Verne picked up the phone and pressed the red lit '2' button.</p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Verne:</strong> <em>Hello.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Voice:</strong> <em>Verne?</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Verne:</strong> <em>This voice sounds familiar. Jerry?</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Voice:</strong> <em>Yes it is, Verne. Jerry Lawler.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Verne:</strong> <em>Good to hear from you, Jerry. You obviously got the check and letter I sent you.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Lawler:</strong> <em>I did. Thank you for paying me for the Super Clash match with Kerry (Von Erich).</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Verne:</strong> <em>I'm sorry the payment was so late, King. But now you've got your money from that show.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Lawler:</strong> <em>Your note said you wanted to do some business again.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Verne:</strong> <em>I do. I'd been wracking my brain trying to figure out what to do to try and turn things around. </em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em>

The best idea seems like having you come back with the AWA World Title belt that you have and claim to be the real AWA World Champion since no one ever defeated you for it and confront Sgt. Slaughter and tell him to claim the mantle as the true AWA Champion, he needed to beat you.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Lawler:</strong> <em>Sounds like it could be an intriguing program. Tell me more.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Verne:</strong> <em>We'd send the two of you out to work on several of the house shows with the match billed as determining who the real AWA World Champion is. The matches would all end with nothing decided and no clear-cut champion.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<em>This would all culminate in a big blow-off match at </em><em><span style="color:#FF0000;">Super Clash 4</span></em><em>.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Lawler:</strong> <em>Wait a minute. Are you gonna try your hand at another pay-per-view, Verne? Honestly, I don't know about that. Don't know if I'd be interested in working another AWA pay-per-view again since </em><em><span style="color:#0000FF;">Super Clash 3</span></em><em> wasn't a success and my payout was a long time in coming.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Verne:</strong> <em>Pay-per-view is only one avenue that's being explored at the moment. Trying to air the show on ESPN is another possible option. Another option would be taping the show and selling it on the home video market. And the last thing I thought of was trying to get the show aired on our syndicated affiliates in the territory.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Lawler:</strong> <em>The three latter ideas all sound better than another pay-per-view attempt, Verne. I think you'd have more people watching on ESPN or if the show aired all over the territory and also Memphis as well.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em>

Have you made up your mind as to who would come out of the program as the champion in the end?</em></p><p> </p><p>

Verne lied... (What do you want? He's a wrestling promoter!)</p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Verne:</strong> <em>I haven't decided on that yet. Might not do so until we get closer to the show.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Lawler (sighed):</strong> <em>Well, you know because of what went down with my payout for the pay-per-view that we're gonna need to talk money right up front.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Verne:</strong> <em>Can I ask what you're thinking along those lines?</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Lawler:</strong> <em>You know I talked to David Schultz...</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Verne:</strong> <em>I remember. He wanted a $25,000 dollar signing bonus to come back and work for me. There's no way I could do something like that. </em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Lawler:</strong> <em>Verne, I've thought about it and I will come back and work limited dates for you. But I need some kind of financial assuarance so I know I'm gonna get paid.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Verne:</strong> <em>Jerry, you'll be paid a percentage of the houses based on how well the shows draw</em>.</p><p> </p><p>

<em>What I'm banking on is you and Sarge generating enough fan interest that ticket sales go up considerably. It seems like the best plan right now.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em>

The AWA has nowhere to go but up.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em>

The entire angle, except for some promo work, would be shot in Vegas at the ESPN tapings. You would not have to work the syndicated tapings.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em>

You could also cut some promos from Memphis and we'll edit them into our ESPN and syndicated programming.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Lawler:</strong> <em>I like where this is headed. But I do have one question?</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Verne:</strong> <em>Shoot.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Lawler:</strong> <em><span style="color:#0000FF;">Super Clash 3</span></em><em> didn't draw well. It was less than 2,000 paid from what I understand. What makes you think this will do better?</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Verne:</strong> <em>I think what hurt the pay-per-view match was Kerry Von Erich not being the over superstar that he once was. By the time the show rolled around in Chicago, fans just weren't interested in seeing Von Erich like they were just a few short years ago.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Lawler:</strong> <em>And you're basing this on?</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Verne:</strong> <em>Just my personal belief about the matter. Call it a hunch. While the match was excellent, Kerry just doesn't have the ability to draw like he used to.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Lawler:</strong> <em>What cities are you considering for </em><em><span style="color:#FF0000;">Super Clash 4</span></em><em> if it goes down?</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Verne:</strong> <em>I've got a few in mind.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Lawler:</strong> <em>Hopefully not Chicago.</em> </p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Verne:</strong> <em>I think you and Sarge could do much better business in Chicago than you wrestling Kerry.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<em>You know this business is cyclical, Jerry. Just keep in mind that we drew over 20,000 fans to Comiskey Park for the first </em><em><span style="color:#008000;">Super Clash</span></em><em> in '85. That's just four short years ago. We can succeed there again.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em>

It only takes one hot wrestler or one hot program to start turning business around.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Lawler:</strong> <em>I agree, Verne. You never know what could bring back the fans.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em>

But, we need to have a serious discussion about money. I need that incentive.</em></p><p> </p><p>

Silent pause...</p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Verne:</strong> <em>Jerry, can I call you back this evening? Give me your number.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Lawler:</strong> <em>Sure. The number is (901) 555-1933.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Verne:</strong> (901) <em>555-1933. Got it.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Verne:</strong> <em>Give me a couple of hours.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Lawler:</strong> <em>Talk to you then, Verne.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Verne:</strong> <em>OK. Bye.</em></p><p> </p><p>

The call ended. And Verne Gagne started plotting his next move in this dance of financial gamesmanship.</p><p> </p><p>

<strong><span style="font-size:12px;">TO BE CONTINUED...</span></strong></p><p> </p><p>

(* <em>Later, that same evening</em> is also the name of a classic Jethro Tull song!</p><p> </p><p>

Here it is! Just for my diary readers! <img alt="" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/biggrin.png.929299b4c121f473b0026f3d6e74d189.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></p><div class="ipsEmbeddedVideo"><div><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/F9mnHXbrezM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" title="JETHRO TULL:"></iframe></div></div> )

[Theheel]

<p>Good story with the Lawler angle. While I know Verne would likely have Sarge come out on top, I'd go with Lawler. Then to find that babyface to chase him down if its not Slaughter. I still like Steamboat, just call good old Bonnie and set it up lol.</p><p> </p><p>

Great stuff I'm enjoying it.</p>