Rise of a Star

[Old School Fan]

NWA All-Star Wrestling @ PNE Forum

October 16, 1967 - Vancouver, British Columbia

Attendance - 5,500

 

 

 

Roy & Don McClarty defeated Bad Boy Shields & Jack Bence when Don McClarty pinned Bence.

 

 

Big Ku defeated Jose Quintero by submission with a figure-four leglock.

 

 

Dr. Jerry Graham defeated Rick Renaldo via pinfall following a Swinging Neckbreaker.

 

 

United States Women's Television Championship*

Renée Martel defeated Margot Bouchard © by disqualification when Bouchard, after getting whipped to the ropes, pulled the referee into the way of a Martel flying forearm smash off the ropes. While Bouchard dominated much of the match with her usual roughhouse tactics, after Martel hit the comeback trail and put Bouchard on the defensive, Martel attempted to put the Alligator Clutch on the champion, but Bouchard acted quickly and scrambled to escape to ringside, leading her to pull her desperation move moments after she got back in the ring (Bouchard retains her title due to the DQ).

 

 

NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship

John & Chris Tolos © defeated Rocky Johnson & Don Leo Jonathan when John Tolos pinned Johnson.

 

 

NWA World Heavyweight Championship

Gene Kiniski © defeated Abdullah the Butcher via referee stoppage when Abdullah could not continue due to excessive blood loss.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

* This is actually the AGWA Television Championship, billed under a different name for appearances in NWA All-Star Wrestling.

[Old School Fan]

In the months following the Mildred Burke Invitational Tournament, Mildred Burke had set out to try to get TV exposure for her American Girls' Wrestling Association, initially by recording house show matches to shop around to promoters she had booking deals with while she also negotiated with local TV stations in Los Angeles to get a show of her own on the air (while also making sure to get the blessing of nearby Worldwide Wrestling Associates in exchange for continuing to supply female talent to that promotion). Eventually, Burke cut a deal with Los Angeles independent station KHJ-TV to produce a one-hour wrestling show for that station, which would also syndicate the program (which was titled AGWA Women's Pro Wrestling) to other stations regionally in California, Nevada and Arizona beginning in September 1967. The AGWA taped two shows at a time every two weeks with the Anaheim Convention Center Arena as its home base, following the standard formula of main event stars and upper midcarders taking on jobbers, with a TV main event match between top talents highlighting each episode along with a non-televised main event match following the taping session.

 

For the TV taping presented below, Burke contacted Johnny Rougeau in Montreal a few weeks in advance to send her some of his female talent, to which Rougeau agreed as he sent Renée Martel, Margot Bouchard and Claire Lepage over once again, this time joined by masked grappler Miss X.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

AGWA TV taping @ Anaheim Convention Center Arena

October 26, 1967 - Anaheim, California

Attendance - 6,720

 

 

 

Aired the weekend of October 28, 1967 on KHJ-TV Los Angeles and in regional syndication:

 

 

Dark match (not televised)

Patty O'Hara defeated Liz Connor* by pinfall following a clothesline.

 

 

Panama Franco defeated Serena Harris* by pinfall following a knee drop.

 

 

Claire Lepage defeated Kim Blanchard* by pinfall following a sunset flip.

 

 

In a non-title match, AGWA United States Tag Team Champions Shirley Hardman & Diane Syverson (with Mae Young) defeated Sandra Hale* & Jane Travis* when Syverson pinned Hale following an airplane spin.

 

 

Jan Vallow defeated Linda Terrell* by pinfall following a bodyslam and legdrop.

 

 

AGWA Television Championship

Judy Arnold defeated Margot Bouchard © (with Mae Young) to win the title when Arnold pinned Bouchard with a small package. Post-match, Young ran in and helped the incensed Bouchard double-team Arnold before Penny Banner ran in to make the save for Arnold.

 

 

Aired the weekend of November 4, 1967 on KHJ-TV and in regional syndication:

 

 

Dark match (not televised)

Miss X defeated Jackie Long* by pinfall following a powerslam.

 

 

Sally Vega defeated Janet Russ* by pinfall following a dropkick.

 

 

Georgia Hase (with Mae Young) defeated Margo Vincent* by pinfall following a kneelift.

 

 

Kathy Starr & Lita Marez defeated Lorna Dale* & Jen Scott* when Starr pinned Dale following a cradle suplex.

 

 

Renée Martel defeated Casey Andrews* by submission with the Alligator Clutch.

 

 

AGWA United States Championship

Penny Banner defeated Ann Calvello © (with Mae Young) by disqualification when Margot Bouchard ran in and struck Banner with a foreign object as Banner had Calvello caught in a stepover toehold (Calvello retained her title due to the DQ). Post-match, Calvello and Bouchard, then joined by Young, triple-teamed Banner for a moment before the heels were chased out by Judy Arnold and Renée Martel.

 

 

Post-taping dark match

NWA North American Women's Championship

Joan Weston © defeated Judy Sowinski by pinfall following a backbreaker.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

* All wrestlers so indicated were created for this diary, basically serving as "enhancement talent" for the AGWA stars.

[Old School Fan]

Renée Martel Career Record - 1967 (103 documented matches)

 

American Girls' Wrestling Association - Promoter Mildred Burke:

01/12 Anaheim, CA - w/. Claire Lepage, beat Shirley Hardman & Diane Syverson by DQ

01/19 Anaheim, CA - beat Barbara Baker (Mildred Burke Invitational Tournament - first round)

02/02 Anaheim, CA - beat Georgia Hase (Mildred Burke Invitational Tournament - quarterfinals)

* The event this match took place at was postponed to February 2 due to the event, originally scheduled for January 26, being disrupted by protesters who blockaded the arena and prevented fans from entering

02/16 Los Angeles, CA - beat Ann Calvello (Mildred Burke Invitational Tournament - semifinals)

02/16 Los Angeles, CA - lost to Judy Arnold by countout (Mildred Burke Invitational Tournament - final)

 

All-Star Wrestling/Les As de la Lutte:

02/22 Quebec City, QC - w/. Claire Lepage, drew Kay Noble & Margot Bouchard

02/27 Montreal, QC - w/. Claire Lepage, drew Kay Noble & Margot Bouchard

 

NWA All-Star Wrestling:

02/28 Victoria, BC - w/. Claire Lepage, beat Kay Noble & Margot Bouchard

03/03 New Westminster, BC - lost to Margot Bouchard

03/04 Seattle, WA - w/. Claire Lepage, beat Kay Noble & Margot Bouchard by DQ

03/06 Vancouver, BC - drew Kay Noble (AWA World Champion)

03/07 Chilliwack, BC - w/. Claire Lepage, beat Kay Noble & Margot Bouchard

03/10 New Westminster, BC - w/. Claire Lepage, beat Kay Noble & Margot Bouchard

 

All-Star Wrestling/Les As de la Lutte:

03/15 Quebec City, QC - lost to Shirley Hardman

03/20 Montreal, QC - lost to Shirley Hardman

03/22 Quebec City, QC - beat Shirley Hardman by DQ

03/27 Montreal, QC - beat Shirley Hardman by DQ

03/29 Quebec City, QC - w/. Julie Patrick, beat Shirley Hardman & Miss X

04/03 Montreal, QC - w/. Julie Patrick, beat Shirley Hardman & Miss X

 

American Wrestling Association:

04/28 Winnipeg, MB - w/. Judy Arnold, drew Georgia Hase & Margot Bouchard

05/01 Moline, IL - beat Georgia Hase by DQ

05/03 Denver, CO - beat Margot Bouchard by DQ

05/05 Milwaukee, WI - w/. Judy Arnold, beat Georgia Hase & Margot Bouchard

 

All-Star Wrestling/Les As de la Lutte:

05/10 Quebec City, QC - w/. Claire Lepage, beat Miss X I & II

05/15 Montreal, QC - w/. Claire Lepage, beat Miss X I & II

 

AWA/All-Star Wrestling - Promoter Joe Dusek:

05/17 Lincoln, NE - beat Margot Bouchard by DQ

05/17 Lincoln, NE - w/. Rick Hunter & Judy Arnold, beat Stan Pulaski, Georgia Hase & Margot Bouchard (mixed six-person tag)

 

American Wrestling Association:

05/20 St. Paul, MN - w/. Judy Arnold, beat Georgia Hase & Margot Bouchard

05/26 Milwaukee, WI - lost to Georgia Hase

05/26 Milwaukee, WI - w/. Judy Arnold, beat Georgia Hase & Margot Bouchard

05/31 Denver, CO - w/. Judy Arnold, beat Georgia Hase & Margot Bouchard

06/02 Chicago, IL - w/. Judy Arnold, beat Georgia Hase & Margot Bouchard

06/05 Davenport, IA - w/. Judy Arnold, beat Georgia Hase & Margot Bouchard

06/08 Winnipeg, MB - w/. Judy Arnold, beat Georgia Hase & Margot Bouchard

 

NWA All-Star Wrestling:

06/14 Burnaby, BC - beat Toni Rose (TV taping)

06/17 Nanaimo, BC - w/. Donna Costello (Donna Christenello), beat Toni Rose & Margot Bouchard

06/19 Vancouver, BC - beat Margot Bouchard by DQ

06/26 Vancouver, BC - w/. Donna Costello, beat Toni Rose & Margot Bouchard

06/27 Chilliwack, BC - w/. Donna Costello, beat Toni Rose & Margot Bouchard

06/30 New Westminster, BC - w/. Donna Costello, vs. Toni Rose & Margot Bouchard

07/01 Burnaby, BC - drew Margot Bouchard (TV taping)

07/01 Seattle, WA - w/. Donna Costello, vs. Toni Rose & Margot Bouchard

07/03 Vancouver, BC - beat Toni Rose by DQ

07/04 Victoria, BC - w/. Donna Costello, vs. Toni Rose & Margot Bouchard

 

Stampede Wrestling:

07/10 Lethbridge, AB - w/. Julie Painchaud, beat Margot Bouchard & Miss X

07/11 Calgary, AB - beat Miss X

07/12 Calgary, AB - w/. Julie Painchaud, beat Margot Bouchard & Miss X

07/14 Saskatoon, SK - w/. Julie Painchaud, beat Margot Bouchard & Miss X

07/15 Edmonton, AB - w/. Julie Painchaud, beat Margot Bouchard & Miss X

 

All-Star Wrestling/Les As de la Lutte:

07/17 Montreal, QC - drew Judy Sowinski

07/21 Quebec City, QC - won a 14-woman battle royal

07/24 Montreal, QC - won a 14-woman battle royal

07/26 Chicoutimi, QC - beat Judy Sowinski by DQ (TV taping)

07/28 Quebec City, QC - beat Judy Sowinski by DQ

07/29 Montreal, QC - w/. Julie Painchaud & Claire Lepage, beat Margot Bouchard, Marianne Duchesne & Miss X (six-woman elimination match - Expo 67 show)

07/31 Montreal, QC - beat Judy Sowinski by DQ

08/02 Chicoutimi, QC - lost to Mae Young (TV taping)

08/04 Quebec City, QC - lost to Mae Young

08/07 Montreal, QC - lost to Mae Young

 

American Wrestling Association:

08/10 Winnipeg, MB - w/. Julie Painchaud, beat Mae Young & Miss X by DQ

08/11 Chicago, IL - w/. Julie Payne (Julie Painchaud), beat Mae Young & Miss X by DQ

08/14 Davenport, IA - w/. Julie Payne, beat Mae Young & Miss X by DQ

08/19 Minneapolis, MN - w/. Julie Payne, beat Mae Young & Miss X by DQ

08/24 Duluth, MN - w/. Julie Payne, beat Mae Young & Miss X by DQ

 

All-Star Wrestling/Les As de la Lutte:

08/28 Montreal, QC - w/. Julie Painchaud, drew Mae Young & Margot Bouchard

08/29 Chicoutimi, QC - w/. Julie Painchaud, drew Mae Young & Margot Bouchard (TV taping)

08/31 Trois-Rivières, QC - w/. Julie Painchaud, beat Mae Young & Margot Bouchard by DQ

09/01 Quebec City, QC - beat Mae Young by DQ

09/02 Chicoutimi, QC - beat Mae Young by DQ (TV taping)

09/03 Donnaconna, QC - beat Mae Young by DQ

09/04 Montreal, QC - w/. Julie Painchaud, beat Mae Young & Margot Bouchard by DQ

09/08 Quebec City, QC - w/. Julie Painchaud, beat Mae Young & Margot Bouchard by DQ

09/11 Montreal, QC - w/. Barbara LaMarche, beat Miss X I & II

09/12 Chicoutimi, QC - w/. Barbara LaMarche, beat Miss X I & II (TV taping)

09/17 La Prairie, QC - w/. Barbara LaMarche, beat Miss X I & II

09/25 Montreal, QC - w/. Judy Arnold, beat Georgia Hase & Margot Bouchard

09/29 Quebec City, QC - w/. Judy Arnold, beat Georgia Hase & Margot Bouchard

10/03 Chicoutimi, QC - w/. Judy Arnold, beat Georgia Hase & Margot Bouchard (TV taping)

 

NWA All-Star Wrestling:

10/06 New Westminster, BC - lost to Margot Bouchard

10/09 Vancouver, BC - lost to Margot Bouchard

10/10 Victoria, BC - lost to Margot Bouchard

10/11 Burnaby, BC - beat Margot Bouchard by DQ (TV taping)

10/16 Vancouver, BC - beat Margot Bouchard by DQ

 

American Wrestling Association:

10/20 Winnipeg, MB - beat Margot Bouchard by DQ

 

All-Star Wrestling/Les As de la Lutte:

10/23 Montreal, QC - double countout vs. Margot Bouchard

 

American Girls' Wrestling Association:

10/26 Anaheim, CA - beat Casey Andrews (TV taping)

 

All-Star Wrestling/Les As de la Lutte:

10/30 Montreal, QC - lost to Diane Syverson

10/31 Chicoutimi, QC - lost to Diane Syverson (TV taping)

11/01 Quebec City, QC - lost to Diane Syverson

11/06 Montreal, QC - drew Diane Syverson

11/07 Chicoutimi, QC - drew Diane Syverson (TV taping)

11/08 Quebec City, QC - drew Diane Syverson

 

American Wrestling Association:

11/10 Winnipeg, MB - drew Diane Syverson

 

All-Star Wrestling/Les As de la Lutte:

11/13 Montreal, QC - w/. Julie Patrick, beat Diane Syverson & Margot Bouchard by DQ

11/14 Chicoutimi, QC - w/. Julie Patrick, lost to Diane Syverson & Margot Bouchard (TV taping)

11/15 Quebec City, QC - w/. Julie Patrick, beat Diane Syverson & Margot Bouchard by DQ

11/20 Montreal, QC - beat Black Widow

11/21 Chicoutimi, QC - beat Black Widow (TV taping)

11/22 Quebec City, QC - beat Black Widow

12/11 Montreal, QC - w/. Julie Patrick & Terri Lynch, beat Shirley Hardman, Diane Syverson & Margot Bouchard (six-woman elimination match)

12/12 Chicoutimi, QC - w/. Julie Patrick & Terri Lynch, beat Shirley Hardman, Diane Syverson & Margot Bouchard (six-woman elimination match - TV taping)

12/13 Quebec City, QC - w/. Julie Patrick & Terri Lynch, beat Shirley Hardman, Diane Syverson & Margot Bouchard (six-woman elimination match)

12/18 Montreal, QC - w/. Barbara LaMarche, beat Miss X & Black Widow

[The Blonde Bomber]

So are you playing as all the promotions she’s working for?

[Lord Byron]

One of these days in this diary, this should happen to the Fabulous Moolah:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynY2begPzoM.

 

That joke came out 45 years ago, and it's somehow still relevant today...

 

Good diary, though, and I like the alternate development of women's wrestling here...

[Old School Fan]

While I'm working on the latest chapter, here's a pair of YouTube clips involving a couple of Pacific Northwest legends:

 

(from All-Star Wrestling taping in Burnaby, BC, December 1979)

 

(from the same All-Star Wrestling taping)

[Old School Fan]

January 1968

 

Political and social unrest on the world stage continued to pick up steam heading into 1968. In the Vietnam War, Communist Viet Cong guerrilas, under the direction of North Vietnam and its army, launched the Tet Offensive with attacks on various targets in South Vietnam before being routed by the South Vietnamese, American and allied armies, though a propaganda campaign instigated by North Vietnam targeting American media outlets quickly led to a decline in support for the war in the United States and led to then-President Lyndon B. Johnson's decision to not seek re-election in the 1968 Presidential election, and student protests against the war continued across the country. Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, triggering riots and civil unrest in Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago, Detroit, Baltimore and other major US cities while his killer, James Earl Ray, fled to Canada and then to the United Kingdom, where he was arrested in London and extradited back to the US. Robert F. Kennedy, who had announced his candidacy to become the Democrat Party's nominee for the 1968 election, was assassinated in Los Angeles by Sirhan Sirhan, who was immediately apprehended and taken into police custody. The Democrats' national convention in Chicago, which nominated Vice-President Hubert Humphrey to run for the presidency, saw clashes between Chicago police and anti-Vietnam War protesters and led to the arrests of hundreds of protesters. Radical feminists travelled to Atlantic City, New Jersey to protest and disrupt the 1969 Miss America Pageant under claims of it being "exploitive" and "oppressive" of women. Several Communist countries, led by the USSR, invaded and occupied Czechoslovakia to brutally suppress that country's Prague Spring reform movement. Andy Warhol was shot at his New York City studio by radical feminist Valerie Solanas but would survive the assassination attempt, while Solanas turned herself in to police and was charged with attempted murder. Richard Nixon, the Republican nominee for the US presidency, won the 1968 election, defeating Humphrey and former/future Alabama Democrat governor George Wallace (who ran as a third-party candidate in that election). Pierre Trudeau became the Prime Minister of Canada after winning a Liberal Party leadership convention following the resignation of previous Prime Minister Lester Pearson after he announced his retirement from politics.

 

In entertainment, Batman, Lost in Space, The Lucy Show, The Monkees, I Spy, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and The Andy Griffith Show all ended their runs on their respective networks, while Hawaii Five-O, Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Adam-12, Here's Lucy, 60 Minutes, The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour, Mayberry RFD and the syndicated version of What's My Line? made their debuts. On Star Trek, series stars William Shatner and Nichelle Nichols shared what would be the first interracial kiss on American television in the episode "Plato's Stepchildren". Elvis Presley's comeback special aired on NBC, the Beatles (whose Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band won a Grammy for Album of the Year) travelled to India to meet the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and later began recording The White Album, and The Who begin recording the rock opera Tommy. Following the breakup of the Yardbirds, group guitarist Jimmy Page founded the New Yardbirds, which soon evolved into the iconic Led Zeppelin with lead singer Robert Plant as frontman. 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Odd Couple and the original Planet of the Apes premiered in theatres and became box office hits, while the original Night of the Living Dead, the horror film that launched the modern zombie film genre, was released and entered the public domain immediately upon its premiere due to the film's distributor forgetting to include a copyright notice on prints of the film.

 

In sports, the Montreal Canadiens swept the St. Louis Blues in four games to capture their 15th Stanley Cup, NFL Champions the Green Bay Packers defeated AFL Champions the Oakland Raiders to win Super Bowl II, and the USC Trojans defeated the Indiana Hoosiers to win the Rose Bowl and become the college football national champions. The infamous "Heidi Bowl" football game, held between the Oakland Raiders and the New York Jets, was left in progress in the Eastern and Central time zones by NBC so the network could start the family-oriented TV movie Heidi as scheduled, leading to many angered fans on the East Coast when they were unable to watch as New York, leading Oakland 32-29 late in the 4th quarter, saw its lead decimated as the Raiders scored two consecutive touchdowns after NBC's cutaway in the East to win the game 43-32. The Detroit Tigers defeated the St. Louis Cardinals, four games to three, to win the World Series, while the Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, four games to two, to win the NBA Championship and the Pittsburgh Pipers defeated the New Orleans Buccaneers, four games to three, to become the first ABA Champions. At the 1968 Summer Olympics (which actually took place in the fall of that year) in Mexico City, the United States won both the most gold medals and the most medals overall, but this achievement was eclipsed when American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos, after winning gold and bronze medals respectively in the men's 200-metre dash final, raised black-gloved fists in a black power salute, done in protest of racial inequality, on the medal podium during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner", for which the athletes were later suspended from the US Olympic Team, expelled from the remainder of the games and criticized for making what was deemed at the time as a political statement at the apolitical Olympics.

 

In wrestling, Gene Kiniski (who, with Sandor Kovacs and Portland promoter Don Owen, took over NWA All-Star Wrestling in Vancouver at the start of the new year) celebrated two years as NWA World Heavyweight Champion in January and Bruno Sammartino celebrated his fifth year as WWWF World Heavyweight Champion in May. Verne Gagne lost his AWA World Heavyweight Championship to Dr. X (Dick Beyer, AKA The Destroyer) for two weeks in August, but regained the belt to start his ninth reign, which would also be his longest at seven-plus years. The third Madison Square Garden held its final wrestling event, headlined by Sammartino defeating Prof. Toru Tanaka to retain his WWWF title, before closing in February, and the current MSG opened the same month, with the first wrestling event at the new venue main evented by Sammartino defeating Bull Ramos. All Japan Women's Pro Wrestling was launched by the Matsunaga brothers as the successor to previous all-female promotions in Japan dating back to 1948; during the early part of the year, Fabulous Moolah travelled to Japan on tour and traded her NWA World Women's Championship with native star Yukiko Tomoe. San Francisco-based Big Time Wrestling joined the NWA in August, while Los Angeles-based Worldwide Wrestling Associates rejoined the NWA that same month and was renamed NWA Hollywood Wrestling. Future AWA World Champion Nick Bockwinkel appeared as a contestant on the NBC version of The Hollywood Squares and was that night's winner, earning a Pontiac Firebird convertible, kitchen appliances and $1,300 cash for his win. George Hackenschmidt, the first holder of the original World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship, died on February 19 in London, England at age 90, while Wladek Zbyszko, a former holder of the original version of the American Heavyweight Championship, died on June 10 in Savannah, Missouri at age 76, and Dick Shikat, who held the original World Heavyweight title and also held the National Wrestling Association and New York State Athletic Commission versions of the World Heavyweight title, died on December 3 at age 71.

 

Meanwhile, two and a half years into her wrestling career, Renée Martel went into the new year continuing on her current development and pace, not knowing at the time that what was ahead for her in wrestling in 1968 would be bigger than what she had experienced the previous year...

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Back in Montreal at Renée's apartment during a few days off from the ring, Renée, Michèle Richard and Claire Lepage were watching TV in the living room, checking out an episode of Batman and getting wrapped up in the adventure and the tongue-in-cheek humorous moments involving the Dynamic Duo in their battle against crime, and had just finished watching a brawl pitting Batman and Robin against the Joker and his henchmen. "Wow, sometimes I wonder why I continue watching Batman when I get the chance," Michèle said with a laugh when the commercial break began. "I mean, the fights between Batman and Robin and the villains look so hokey and over the top."

 

"Well, the way the show's written and presented, it wasn't really meant to be taken too seriously by the audience," Renée pointed out, "even though Batman, Robin and the other characters take the situations seriously in-show."

 

"And the audience likes watching the show because it's entertaining, especially to the kids who watch," Claire added.

 

"Or because of the featured villain's 'moll of the week', who's really just there as eye candy for the guys," Michèle quipped, drawing laughter from all three girls.

 

"Now you're making me wish I could be the Riddler's eye candy," Claire then joked, eliciting more laughter from Renée and Michèle over her mention of the wacky and riddle-obsessed Batman villain played by Frank Gorshin.

 

"And speaking of eye candy, I can think of someone in this room right now who'd be perfect to play Catwoman," Renée remarked with a sly grin and a raised eyebrow as she looked at Michèle.

 

"Rrowrrr," Michèle replied in a playful manner while imitating Catwoman, complete with raising her right hand like a cat's paw with claws unsheathed, bringing a fresh round of laughter from the girls.

 

"Hey, the show's about to start again," Claire said, alerting Renée and Michèle while glancing at the screen of Renée's TV set.

 

"Good, I wanna see who next week's villain's gonna be," Renée said as the girls turned their attention back to the TV.

 

As Batman returned from the commercial break, however, Renée's phone began ringing. "It figures the phone would start ringing while the show's on," she said with a sigh as she got up from her sofa to answer the phone. "Hello? Oh, hi Johnny," she replied after picking up the handset, catching Michèle and Claire's attention as they figured Johnny Rougeau was on the other end. "Good, and yourself? Ah, good. Nope, it's just Batman night at my place and Michèle and Claire are here watching the show with me." Renée then paused to listen to Johnny for a moment. "Really? She did?" Her face then lit up as she continued to listen. A moment later, she let out a squeal of excitement over something she heard, then she said, "That's great, Johnny. Sure, I'll tell them the news. Alright, 'bye."

 

"Whatever that was, it sounds like good news," Michèle said as she and Claire both got up and walked over to Renée as the latter hung up her phone. "What's up?"

 

"Johnny just told me Mildred Burke called him up earlier," Renée explained with a hint of excitement.

 

"And?" Claire then asked.

 

"She's having her second annual invitational tournament later this month and she wants the three of us to head back to Anaheim to take part!" Renée revealed, causing all three girls to jump around squealing with excitement over the news.

 

"That's great news," Michèle said. "Did Johnny say anything else?"

 

"He said Mildred asked for four girls to be sent over, so he called Barbara first to let her know," Renée said, "and she'll be coming with us. The tournament starts on January 16, so we can get over there a day or two before."

 

"So if we go two days before the tournament, what'll we do with that extra time?" Claire wondered.

 

"What else? We're going to Disneyland!" Michèle remarked with a grin, which got Renée and Claire laughing again.

[Old School Fan]

In this year's second annual Mildred Burke Invitational Tournament, the prize for winning the tournament, in addition to the Mildred Burke Invitational Trophy, will be a match for the AGWA United States Championship, currently held by Ann Calvello. Here is the bracket for the tournament, starting January 16:

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Now it's prediction time:

 

Mildred Burke Invitational Tournament II

First round - West Division bracket

 

Kathy Starr vs. Jan Vallow

Claire Lepage vs. Panama Franco

Linda Klein* vs. Diane Syverson

Renée Martel vs. Jane Sherill**

 

Non-tournament matches:

 

Sally Vega & Lita Marez vs. Georgia Hase & Margot Bouchard

 

AGWA Television Championship

Judy Arnold © vs. Mary Jane Mull

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

* Linda Klein is the daughter of wrestler Lou Klein, who previously wrestled as Lou Bastien as part of the Bastien Brothers tag team with kayfabe "brother" Red Bastien, who were three-time holders of the Capitol Wrestling version of the NWA United States Tag Team Championship (later the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship).

 

** Jane Sherill previously wrestled as Hatfield Hattie, prior to starting using her own name upon turning heel.

[Lord Byron]

My picks:

 

First Round--West Division Bracket

Kathy Starr, Claire Lepage, Linda Klein, Renee Martel

 

Non-tournament matches

Georgia Hase and Margot Bouchard

Judy Arnold ©

[The Blonde Bomber]

Kathy Start vs. Jan Vallow

Claire Lepage vs. Panama Franco

Linda Klein* vs. Diane Syverson

Renée Martel vs. Jane Sherill**

 

Non-tournament matches:

 

Sally Vega & Lita Marez vs. Georgia Hase & Margot Bouchard

 

AGWA Television Championship

Judy Arnold © vs. Mary Jane Mull

[Herrbear]

Mildred Burke Invitational Tournament II

First round - West Division bracket

 

Kathy Starr vs. Jan Vallow

Claire Lepage vs. Panama Franco

Linda Klein* vs. Diane Syverson

Renée Martel vs. Jane Sherill**

 

Non-tournament matches:

 

Sally Vega & Lita Marez vs. Georgia Hase & Margot Bouchard

AGWA Television Championship

Judy Arnold © vs. Mary Jane Mull

[Old School Fan]

Mildred Burke Invitational Tournament II - Night One @ Anaheim Convention Center Arena

January 16, 1968 - Anaheim, California

Attendance - 6,120

 

 

 

NOTE: Highlights from these matches were taped to air on the syndicated AGWA Women's Pro Wrestling on the weekend of January 20.

 

 

Mildred Burke Invitational Tournament, West Division - First Round

Jan Vallow defeated Kathy Starr by pinfall following a powerslam and legdrop.

 

 

Mildred Burke Invitational Tournament, West Division - First Round

Claire Lepage defeated Panama Franco by pinfall with a crucifix cradle.

 

 

Georgia Hase & Margot Bouchard (with Mae Young) defeated Sally Vega & Lita Marez when Bouchard pinned Marez following an elbow drop.

 

 

Mildred Burke Invitational Tournament, West Division - First Round

Diane Syverson (with Mae Young) defeated Linda Klein by pinfall following an airplane spin.

 

 

Mildred Burke Invitational Tournament, West Division - First Round

Renée Martel defeated Jane Sherill by pinfall following a flying forearm smash off the ropes.

 

 

AGWA Television Championship

Judy Arnold © defeated Mary Jane Mull to retain her title when Arnold pinned Mull with a small package.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Prediction results: (Thanks to all who made their predictions for this card)

 

The Blonde Bomber - 5/6

Herrbear - 4/6

Lord Byron - 4/6

 

All-time prediction results:

 

Herrbear - 56/81

Lord Byron - 16/27

Hitman74 - 10/12

Theheel - 7/10

Dalton - 6/6

The Blonde Bomber - 5/6

auto45 - 5/6

Sco_xY2Jx - 2/6

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

 

[The Blonde Bomber]

Mae Young is the manager of winners!!

[Old School Fan]

Mae Young is the manager of winners!!

 

One of the reasons why she's proving ITTL why two of her nicknames in her wrestling prime IRL were "The Queen" and "The Great".

[Old School Fan]

In between the first and second nights of the Mildred Burke Invitational Tournament, the AGWA crew hit the road for a couple of house show events over in Nevada. To sum up the location of the first house show - VEGAS, BABY!

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

American Girls' Wrestling Association @ Las Vegas Convention Center

January 19, 1968 - Las Vegas, Nevada

Attendance - 6,853

 

 

 

Barbara Walker* and Lucille Dupree fought to a time-limit draw.

 

 

Handicap Match

Earlene Brown** defeated Jane Sherill & Patty O'Hara when Brown pinned Sherill following a big splash.

 

 

Georgia Hase & Margot Bouchard (with Mae Young) defeated Kathy Starr & Linda Klein when Hase pinned Klein following a knee lift.

 

 

AGWA United States Tag Team Championship - Two out of Three Falls

Shirley Hardman & Diane Syverson © (with Mae Young) defeated Renée Martel & Claire Lepage, two falls to one.

• First fall - Syverson pinned Lepage following a fallaway slam.
  
• Second fall - Martel pinned Syverson following a flying forearm smash off the ropes.
  
• Third fall - Hardman pinned Lepage, but Hardman received an illegal assist in the pin from manager Young, who tripped Lepage near the ropes as she had Hardman up in preparation for a bodyslam and then held down Lepage's feet near the ropes (while out of sight of the referee) to prevent her from kicking out of the pin. Martel and Lepage, along with the fans, protested the controversial pin post-match, but to no avail as the referee explained that he cannot call what he does not see, while Hardman and Syverson mocked their defeated opponents as they took their belts with them and headed back with Young to the locker room area.

 

 

AGWA United States Championship

Judy Arnold defeated Ann Calvello © (with Mae Young) by disqualification when Shirley Hardman and Diane Syverson ran in and attacked Arnold as she had Calvello locked in a sleeperhold (Calvello retained her title due to the DQ). Post-match, Young joined Hardman and Syverson to triple-team Arnold until Renée Martel and Claire Lepage ran in for the save and helped Arnold chase Young and her charges out of the ring.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

* Ring name used by Barbara LaMarche when wrestling in the United States (Walker, in fact, is the Anglicized form of her last name, LaMarche).

 

** IRL, Earlene Brown was an Olympic athlete who competed in the Olympics in 1956, 1960 and 1964, then became a roller derby skater, nicknamed "747" for her size and weight (5'9", 250 lbs.), from 1965 to 1975; she died on May 1, 1983. ITTL, she was also an Olympic athlete, but became a professional wrestler following her Olympic career.

[Old School Fan]

American Girls' Wrestling Association @ Centennial Coliseum*

January 20, 1968 - Reno, Nevada

Attendance - 4,625

 

 

 

Georgia Hase (with Mae Young) defeated Barbara Walker when Hase pinned Walker following a knee lift.

 

 

Earlene Brown & Sally Vega defeated Jane Sherill & Patty O'Hara when Vega pinned O'Hara following a cross-bodyblock while Brown came in to prevent Sherill from interfering with the pinfall.

 

 

Margot Bouchard (with Mae Young) defeated Kathy Starr by pinfall with a spinebuster slam.

 

 

Six-woman elimination match

Judy Arnold, Renée Martel & Claire Lepage defeated Ann Calvello, Shirley Hardman & Diane Syverson (with Mae Young).

• First fall - Syverson pinned Lepage following an airplane spin.
  
• Second fall - Martel pinned Syverson following a flying clothesline off the ropes.
  
• Third fall - Calvello was disqualified for piledriving Martel.
  
• Fourth fall - Hardman pinned Martel (who was still stunned from the piledriver) with a fisherman suplex.
  
• Fifth fall - Arnold got the win for her team by pinning Hardman with a sunset flip.
  

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

* The Centennial Coliseum was the original name for what is now the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.

[The Blonde Bomber]

Like these house shows. Wish TEW could better simulate territory wrestling. Speaking of wishes, I wish Martel and le page got their hands on that chest Mae young. One of these days she’s gonna get hers!!

[Old School Fan]

The updated tournament bracket for Night Two of the Mildred Burke Invitational Tournament II on January 23:

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Time again to see who wins and who loses:

 

Mildred Burke Invitational Tournament II

First round - East Division bracket

 

Lita Marez vs. Margot Bouchard

Sally Vega vs. Lucille Dupree

Earlene Brown vs. Patty O'Hara

Barbara Walker vs. Mary Jane Mull

 

Non-tournament matches:

 

AGWA United States Tag Team Championship

Shirley Hardman & Diane Syverson © vs. Renée Martel & Claire Lepage

 

NWA North American Women's Championship

Joan Weston © vs. Georgia Hase

[Herrbear]

Mildred Burke Invitational Tournament II

First round - East Division bracket

 

Lita Marez vs. Margot Bouchard

Sally Vega vs. Lucille Dupree

Earlene Brown vs. Patty O'Hara

Barbara Walker vs. Mary Jane Mull

 

Non-tournament matches:

 

AGWA United States Tag Team Championship

Shirley Hardman & Diane Syverson © vs. Renée Martel & Claire Lepage

 

NWA North American Women's Championship

Joan Weston © vs. Georgia Hase

[The Blonde Bomber]

Lita Marez vs. Margot Bouchard

Sally Vega vs. Lucille Dupree

Earlene Brown vs. Patty O'Hara

Barbara Walker vs. Mary Jane Mull

 

Non-tournament matches:

 

AGWA United States Tag Team Championship

Shirley Hardman & Diane Syverson © vs. Renée Martel & Claire Lepage

by DQ

 

NWA North American Women's Championship

Joan Weston © vs. Georgia Hase

[Lord Byron]

Mildred Burke Invitational Tournament II

 

First Round-East Divisional Bracket

Margot Bouchard, Lucille Dupree, Earlene Browne, Barbara Walker

 

Non-tournament matches:

Renee Martel and Claire Lepage, Joan Weston ©

[Old School Fan]

Mildred Burke Invitational Tournament II - Night Two @ Anaheim Convention Center Arena

January 23, 1968 - Anaheim, California

Attendance - 6,748

 

 

 

NOTE: Highlights from these matches were taped to air on the syndicated AGWA Women's Pro Wrestling on the weekend of January 27.

 

 

Mildred Burke Invitational Tournament, East Division - First Round

Margot Bouchard (with Mae Young) defeated Lita Marez by pinfall follwing an elbow drop.

 

 

Mildred Burke Invitational Tournament, East Division - First Round

Sally Vega defeated Lucille Dupree by pinfall following a flying dropkick off the second turnbuckle.

 

 

AGWA United States Tag Team Championship - Two out of Three Falls

Renée Martel & Claire Lepage defeated Shirley Hardman & Diane Syverson © (with Mae Young), two falls to one, when Hardman and Syverson were disqualified in the third fall when Young pulled the referee out of the ring to interfere with his pin count as Martel had Hardman pinned following a flying clothesline off the ropes (Hardman & Syverson retain their title due to the DQ).

 

 

Mildred Burke Invitational Tournament, East Division - First Round

Earlene Brown defeated Patty O'Hara by pinfall with a big splash.

 

 

Mildred Burke Invitational Tournament, East Division - First Round

Mary Jane Mull defeated Barbara Walker by pinfall following a belly-to-back suplex.

 

 

NWA North American Women's Championship - Two out of Three Falls

Joan Weston © defeated Georgia Hase (with Mae Young) to retain her title in two straight falls.

• First fall - Weston pinned Hase following a shoulderbreaker.
  
• Second fall - Hase was disqualified when Margot Bouchard ran in and attacked Weston as she had Hase tied up in a figure-four leglock.
  

Post-match, Hase and Bouchard continued their attack against Weston, but Renée Martel and Claire Lepage soon ran in to make the save and helped Weston chase the heels out.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Prediction results: (Thanks to all who made their predictions for this card)

 

The Blonde Bomber - 6/6

Herrbear - 5/6

Lord Byron - 5/6

 

All-time prediction results:

 

Herrbear - 61/87

Lord Byron - 21/33

The Blonde Bomber - 11/12

Hitman74 - 10/12

Theheel - 7/10

Dalton - 6/6

auto45 - 5/6

Sco_xY2Jx - 2/6

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

 

[Old School Fan]

 

At a WWWF event in Philadelphia four days after the second night of the Mildred Burke Invitational Tournament, Fabulous Moolah, who was booked to defend her NWA World Women's title on the card at the Philadelphia Arena, was reading over an overnighted letter, sent by her Los Angeles contact, with two accompanying newspaper clips from the Los Angeles Times, delivered to her by Vince McMahon Sr. from his New York City office, and did not look happy about what she was reading. As Moolah continued going over the letter and articles, Vince walked by in the backstage hallway and took notice. "Should I even ask what it is you don't look happy about?" the WWWF head then asked.

 

"You might as well look, you brought it to me," Moolah said as she handed the letter and clippings to Vince, who then began reading them and noticed it was about the first two nights of Mildred's tournament in Anaheim. Vince began getting a feeling of deja vu as he read the articles when, as he did last year, he noticed mentions in the articles about the attendance figures for the first two nights, followed by mentions in both articles about Renée Martel and her progress at the event, both in the tournament itself and in the non-tourney tag team match she wrestled in. What particularly caught Vince's attention was that in both clippings, Renée's name was circled in red ink - which had been done by Moolah herself when she first read the articles.

 

"Lillian, didn't we go over this last year around this time?" Vince asked once he finished reading.

 

"Did you see the attendance numbers for the first two nights of Mildred Burke's tournament?" a displeased Moolah replied. "They're up even higher than they were for the first two nights last year!"

 

"Well, then I'd say Mildred's doing well to draw more fans because she's putting on a very good product," Vince said. "It shouldn't even bother you because you're here and her tournament's on the other side of the country."

 

"Well, it does!" Moolah fumed. "And besides my not being there to headline that event, did you see the other reason I'm not happy about it?"

 

Vince then glanced for a moment at where Moolah had Renée's name circled in the articles. "It's because of 'the one that got away', right?" he remarked. "Lillian, I'm not bothered that Renée Martel chose not to sign with us, so you shouldn't be bugged about it either - that's just how it goes. I think you're letting this obsession over that get to you and you really ought to let it go, for your sake. If she decides to join us later on, fine - if not, not a big deal."

 

"Not a big deal to you, Vince, but I still don't like it," a resentful Moolah griped. "But, I do wanna ask you a favor..."

 

"Wait, let me stop you right there," Vince then said, knowing what was on Moolah's mind. "About holding your own women's tournament to compete with Mildred's event, the wrestlers that I pulled from that card in Boston last year to make room for your tournament let me know in no uncertain terms that they weren't happy about it. Some of them even said they'd quit and go wrestle elsewhere if you tried something like that again to get your way to keep yourself in the spotlight - their words, not mine."

 

Moolah knew of her reputation for being demanding and for being manipulative to get what she wanted - to stay in the spotlight as the world's top woman wrestler - but she did not care what others thought. "You think I really give a damn what they think?" she retorted. "If they wanna quit, let 'em quit - it's no skin off my nose."

 

Vince let out an exasperated sigh while facepalming, looking almost like he was about to come down with a headache. "Alright, if you want to do another tournament, go ahead," he said. "But this time around, you're on your own - don't expect me to help."

 

"That's all I ask," Moolah said with a self-satisfied grin. "Mind if I use your office phone to make the arrangements?"

 

"Go ahead, but don't be too long," Vince said. "I have to round up the rest of the lineup for a locker room meeting in a few minutes," he added as he walked away.

 

Moolah then walked into Vince's office and picked up the desk phone's handset, then dialed the number to her Los Angeles contact. "Hi, ______, it's Moolah," she replied as the contact answered after three ringtones. "Good, darlin', and yourself? Good, good. I just got your overnighted letter earlier today, my boss brought it to me from New York to Philadelphia. Alright, good. Listen, you remember that tournament I staged in Boston last year, the same one I held to compete against the Mildred Burke tournament I had you sabotage with that staged protest with those Women's Studies students from Berkeley? No, we're not gonna set up another protest this time - I remember you said the Berkeley girls weren't happy about getting arrested by the police or about some of them getting beaten up by Burke's wrestlers and they may get hinky if we try to play that card a second time. No, I have a different idea this time - one that's gonna hit closer to home for Burke and her girls..."

[Old School Fan]

On the same night Fabulous Moolah set her new scheme to try to sabotage Mildred Burke Invitational Tournament II in motion, the AGWA crew were on the road again for a house show, and thanks to TV exposure and promotion (via Phoenix independent station KPHO-TV, which carried AGWA Women's Pro Wrestling), ended up drawing a bigger crowd than expected...

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

American Girls' Wrestling Association @ Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum

January 27, 1968 - Phoenix, Arizona

Attendance - 11,515

 

 

NOTE: This event was done in collaboration with the NWA's Arizona office, headed at the time by Phoenix promoter and former NWA All-Star Wrestling co-owner Rod Fenton.

 

Linda Klein defeated Panama Franco by pinfall with a belly-to-belly suplex.

 

 

Georgia Hase & Margot Bouchard (with Mae Young) defeated Sally Vega & Barbara Walker when Hase pinned Vega following a knee lift.

 

 

Renée Martel & Claire Lepage defeated Jane Sherill & Patty O'Hara when Martel used the Alligator Clutch on Sherill for the submission while Lepage ran in and dropkicked O'Hara to prevent her from interfering.

 

 

AGWA United States Tag Team Championship - Two out of Three Falls

Shirley Hardman & Diane Syverson © (with Mae Young) defeated Kathy Starr & Lita Marez, two falls to one.

• First fall - Syverson pinned Marez following an airplane spin.
  
• Second fall - Starr evened the match by pinning Hardman with a schoolgirl rollup.
  
• Third fall - Hardman pinned Starr following a double facebuster by Hardman and Syverson.

 

 

AGWA United States Championship

Earlene Brown defeated Ann Calvello © (with Mae Young) by disqualification when Georgia Hase and Margot Bouchard ran in and attacked Brown as she moved for the pin on Calvello following a big splash (Calvello retained her title due to the DQ). Post-match, Hase and Bouchard double-teamed on Brown but quickly got the tables turned on them by the big ex-Olympic athlete when she ducked an attempted double clothesline, rebounded off the ropes and floored Hase and Bouchard with a double clothesline of her own, sending the heels scurrying to ringside as they pulled their stablemate Calvello out of the ring while the fans cheered Brown's efforts in clearing the ring.

 

 

NWA North American Women's Championship

Joan Weston © defeated Jan Vallow by pinfall following a backbreaker.

[The Blonde Bomber]

Earlene Brown is the next big thing!