Rise of a Star

[Old School Fan]

On 11/24/2022 at 9:48 PM, The Blonde Bomber said:

Happy Thanksgiving, like that roster page to give a clear picture of who's on the roster right now. Also interesting that Calvello is on the heel side still, I thought after the fallout with Mae she'd have switched.

Wait'll you see what's coming with the upcoming TV tapings...  😉

[Old School Fan]

As promised...

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AGWA TV taping @ Anaheim Convention Center Arena
October 8, 1968 - Anaheim, California
Attendance - 7,380

Aired the weekend of October 12, 1968 on AGWA Women's Pro Wrestling:

Dark match

Lita Marez defeated Jen Scott by pinfall following a cross-bodyblock.

Panama Franco defeated Carrie Lloyd by pinfall following a knee drop.

Valerie Blackard used a snap suplex to defeat Jessie Willard by pinfall.

Following that match, show host Dick Lane had AGWA United States Tag Team Champions Renée Martel and Claire Lepage with him at ringside for an interview, where Martel and Lepage began talking about their upcoming match against former champions Shirley Hardman and Diane Syverson, when Georgia Hase and Margot Bouchard ran in and ambushed the champions from behind, then threw them into the ring and followed them in and began brawling with Martel and Lepage, who soon turned the tide in their favor and took the advantage.  The battle between archrivals Martel and Bouchard soon spilled out to ringside while the scrappy Lepage gave back what Hase had been giving her with some solid punches back in the ring, but moments later, Baby Rocco ran into the ring and Pearl Harbored Lepage, pummeling her down to the mat with several axhandle blows and a few well-aimed kicks.  Martel saw what happened and tried to get back in the ring to save her tag partner, but Bouchard prevented her from getting back in by restraining her at the apron while Hase dragged Lepage to the middle of the ring and held on to her ankles as the rotund Rocco signaled to the hostile crowd what she intended to do - then she rebounded off the ropes and big-splashed Lepage, then got back up and taunted the crowd for a moment before she bounced off the ropes to deliver a second big splash to Lepage.  Rocco got back up and sadistically taunted the fans again while mocking the fallen Lepage as she signaled her intent to deliver a third big splash while Martel continued to struggle to free herself from Bouchard's grip, but before Rocco could do so, the antics of the Queen's Court members soon came to a halt when the near-capacity crowd went ballistic with cheers as Joyce Fowler and big Earlene Brown ran out to the ring to chase Rocco and Hase out while Martel finally freed herself from Bouchard and scrambled into the ring to check on Lepage's condition while Fowler and Brown argued heatedly with the heel trio; soon after, as a result of the two big splashes inflicted by Rocco, Lepage had to be removed from the ring and taken back to the locker room area on a stretcher.

Sylvia Hackney & Kathy Starr defeated Addie Trent & Yolanda Ruiz when Hackney pinned Ruiz following a dropkick.

AGWA Television Championship

Georgia Hase (with "The Queen" Mae Young) defeated Joyce Fowler (C) to regain the title when Hase took advantage of Fowler being distracted by arguing with Young at ringside and rolled her up from behind into a schoolgirl pin while grabbing a handful of Fowler's tights for illegal leverage.  Post-match, as Hase was handed the TV title belt, she mocked Fowler and gloated to the booing fans while Young raised her client's arm in victory.

Aired the weekend of October 19, 1968 on AGWA Women's Pro Wrestling:

Dark Match

Tonette Kadrmas defeated Jill Gilbert* by pinfall following an overhead suplex.

Jan Vallow defeated the debuting Gwen Miller** by pinfall following a bodyslam and legdrop.

Handicap match

Margo Vincent & Samantha Sheridan scored what, on paper, could be considered an upset as they defeated Baby Rocco (with Mae Young) by disqualification when Rocco decided to get cocky and, after going for pin attempts on each of her opponents, pulled each of them up by their hair just before the referee reached three in his count just so she could inflict further punishment, leading the ref to deal Rocco the DQ for her unsportsmanlike conduct.  An angry Rocco responded by slapping the referee down to the canvas, then continued beating on Vincent and Sheridan at Young's urging until Earlene Brown again appeared and chased the heels out.

As Brown argued with Young and Rocco while the latter two were standing at ringside, Margot Bouchard ran into the ring next and attacked the ex-Olympian from behind, leading into their scheduled match.  With Rocco remaining at ringside with Young for distraction, they gave their Queen's Court stablemate Bouchard the opportunity to maintain the upper hand over the larger Brown with dirty tactics for several minutes until Brown, boosted to rally by the crowd's chants, battled back using her size and power, then whipped Bouchard to the ropes, hoisted her up on the rebound and gorilla-pressed her over her head while looking Young and Rocco's way, then sent Bouchard flying out of the ring onto her cohorts as the fans cheered, leading to Brown getting a countout win and a measure of revenge against Bouchard*** for her part in Rocco's attack on Brown on August 27.

AGWA United States Tag Team Championship

Shirley Hardman & Diane Syverson (who were not accompanied by Mae Young, who was busy getting ready for the TV main event and was also shaking out the cobwebs from the earlier match) were declared the winners via forfeit over champions Renée Martel & Claire Lepage when Lepage was announced as having been injured due to Baby Rocco's earlier attack on her and was thus unable to appear for the match*** - but as the referee was about to hand over the title belts to Hardman and Syverson, Mildred Burke came to ringside and put a stop to that as she took the arena microphone and declared that she was not going to allow Hardman and Syverson to benefit from the forfeit win due to their Queen's Court stablemates' earlier attack on Lepage and Martel; as a result, Burke declared that the United States Tag Team title was hereby vacant and would be put up in a future tournament, then she dealt $100 fines to Rocco, Georgia Hase and Margot Bouchard for their part in the attack, as well as a $200 fine to Young herself for masterminding the attack.  Hardman and Syverson became irate upon hearing that they had been denied the title that night, making their manager's scheme to get the title back into the Queen's Court in vain, and they ripped verbally into Burke for her decision when moments later, Martel ran out to the ring to the fans' cheers and laced right into the heel duo with an attack.  Hardman and Syverson quickly overwhelmed Renée, however, and started beating her down when suddenly, Ann Calvello, who was brandishing a baseball bat, came charging out to the ring, bringing the fans to their feet with loud cheers as she cleared out her ex-Queen's Court stablemates with her bat-swinging antics as she ended up saving Martel, signaling a full-fledged babyface turn for the controversial Calvello.

NWA United States Women's Championship

Judy Arnold defeated Mae Young (C) to win the title in the TV main event when, as Young had Arnold caught in a single-leg Boston crab, Ann Calvello showed back up at ringside and started arguing with her ex-manager to distract her, giving Arnold the chance to recover and then catch Young from behind with a rollup while Arnold bridged up to get the pinfall and the title.  Young blew up at the referee after the match as she told him about Calvello showing up, but the ref pointed out that as Calvello did not physically interfere in the match, Arnold's pin and the title change would stand, getting the crowd cheering as Arnold was handed the title belt.

Post-taping dark match
NWA North American Women's Championship

Joan Weston (C) defeated Betty Niccoli by disqualification when Niccoli decked the referee as he tried to stop her from using her foot to choke Weston on the bottom rope.

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* Enhancement talent created for this diary.

** IRL, Gwen "Skinny Minnie" Miller was a roller derby skater, best remembered as one of the star skaters of the Los Angeles Thunderbirds during the 1970s and 1980s; she died on May 9, 2018.  ITTL, she was trained by Mildred Burke and became a wrestler.

*** This would be the last appearances of Margot Bouchard and Claire Lepage in the AGWA for a while due to their heading back to Montreal for that planned angle by Johnny Rougeau (which will be part of the buildup toward the eventual rematch between Renée Martel and Françoise Hardy).

[The Blonde Bomber]

13 hours ago, Old School Fan said:

As promised...

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AGWA TV taping @ Anaheim Convention Center Arena
October 8, 1968 - Anaheim, California
Attendance - 7,380

Aired the weekend of October 12, 1968 on AGWA Women's Pro Wrestling:

Dark match

Lita Marez defeated Jen Scott by pinfall following a cross-bodyblock.

Panama Franco defeated Carrie Lloyd by pinfall following a knee drop.

Valerie Blackard used a snap suplex to defeat Jessie Willard by pinfall.

Following that match, show host Dick Lane had AGWA United States Tag Team Champions Renée Martel and Claire Lepage with him at ringside for an interview, where Martel and Lepage began talking about their upcoming match against former champions Shirley Hardman and Diane Syverson, when Georgia Hase and Margot Bouchard ran in and ambushed the champions from behind, then threw them into the ring and followed them in and began brawling with Martel and Lepage, who soon turned the tide in their favor and took the advantage.  The battle between archrivals Martel and Bouchard soon spilled out to ringside while the scrappy Lepage gave back what Hase had been giving her with some solid punches back in the ring, but moments later, Baby Rocco ran into the ring and Pearl Harbored Lepage, pummeling her down to the mat with several axhandle blows and a few well-aimed kicks.  Martel saw what happened and tried to get back in the ring to save her tag partner, but Bouchard prevented her from getting back in by restraining her at the apron while Hase dragged Lepage to the middle of the ring and held on to her ankles as the rotund Rocco signaled to the hostile crowd what she intended to do - then she rebounded off the ropes and big-splashed Lepage, then got back up and taunted the crowd for a moment before she bounced off the ropes to deliver a second big splash to Lepage.  Rocco got back up and sadistically taunted the fans again while mocking the fallen Lepage as she signaled her intent to deliver a third big splash while Martel continued to struggle to free herself from Bouchard's grip, but before Rocco could do so, the antics of the Queen's Court members soon came to a halt when the near-capacity crowd went ballistic with cheers as Joyce Fowler and big Earlene Brown ran out to the ring to chase Rocco and Hase out while Martel finally freed herself from Bouchard and scrambled into the ring to check on Lepage's condition while Fowler and Brown argued heatedly with the heel trio; soon after, as a result of the two big splashes inflicted by Rocco, Lepage had to be removed from the ring and taken back to the locker room area on a stretcher.

Sylvia Hackney & Kathy Starr defeated Addie Trent & Yolanda Ruiz when Hackney pinned Ruiz following a dropkick.

AGWA Television Championship

Georgia Hase (with "The Queen" Mae Young) defeated Joyce Fowler (C) to regain the title when Hase took advantage of Fowler being distracted by arguing with Young at ringside and rolled her up from behind into a schoolgirl pin while grabbing a handful of Fowler's tights for illegal leverage.  Post-match, as Hase was handed the TV title belt, she mocked Fowler and gloated to the booing fans while Young raised her client's arm in victory.

Aired the weekend of October 19, 1968 on AGWA Women's Pro Wrestling:

Dark Match

Tonette Kadrmas defeated Jill Gilbert* by pinfall following an overhead suplex.

Jan Vallow defeated the debuting Gwen Miller** by pinfall following a bodyslam and legdrop.

Handicap match

Margo Vincent & Samantha Sheridan scored what, on paper, could be considered an upset as they defeated Baby Rocco (with Mae Young) by disqualification when Rocco decided to get cocky and, after going for pin attempts on each of her opponents, pulled each of them up by their hair just before the referee reached three in his count just so she could inflict further punishment, leading the ref to deal Rocco the DQ for her unsportsmanlike conduct.  An angry Rocco responded by slapping the referee down to the canvas, then continued beating on Vincent and Sheridan at Young's urging until Earlene Brown again appeared and chased the heels out.

As Brown argued with Young and Rocco while the latter two were standing at ringside, Margot Bouchard ran into the ring next and attacked the ex-Olympian from behind, leading into their scheduled match.  With Rocco remaining at ringside with Young for distraction, they gave their Queen's Court stablemate Bouchard the opportunity to maintain the upper hand over the larger Brown with dirty tactics for several minutes until Brown, boosted to rally by the crowd's chants, battled back using her size and power, then whipped Bouchard to the ropes, hoisted her up on the rebound and gorilla-pressed her over her head while looking Young and Rocco's way, then sent Bouchard flying out of the ring onto her cohorts as the fans cheered, leading to Brown getting a countout win and a measure of revenge against Bouchard*** for her part in Rocco's attack on Brown on August 27.

AGWA United States Tag Team Championship

Shirley Hardman & Diane Syverson (who were not accompanied by Mae Young, who was busy getting ready for the TV main event and was also shaking out the cobwebs from the earlier match) were declared the winners via forfeit over champions Renée Martel & Claire Lepage when Lepage was announced as having been injured due to Baby Rocco's earlier attack on her and was thus unable to appear for the match*** - but as the referee was about to hand over the title belts to Hardman and Syverson, Mildred Burke came to ringside and put a stop to that as she took the arena microphone and declared that she was not going to allow Hardman and Syverson to benefit from the forfeit win due to their Queen's Court stablemates' earlier attack on Lepage and Martel; as a result, Burke declared that the United States Tag Team title was hereby vacant and would be put up in a future tournament, then she dealt $100 fines to Rocco, Georgia Hase and Margot Bouchard for their part in the attack, as well as a $200 fine to Young herself for masterminding the attack.  Hardman and Syverson became irate upon hearing that they had been denied the title that night, making their manager's scheme to get the title back into the Queen's Court in vain, and they ripped verbally into Burke for her decision when moments later, Martel ran out to the ring to the fans' cheers and laced right into the heel duo with an attack.  Hardman and Syverson quickly overwhelmed Renée, however, and started beating her down when suddenly, Ann Calvello, who was brandishing a baseball bat, came charging out to the ring, bringing the fans to their feet with loud cheers as she cleared out her ex-Queen's Court stablemates with her bat-swinging antics as she ended up saving Martel, signaling a full-fledged babyface turn for the controversial Calvello.

NWA United States Women's Championship

Judy Arnold defeated Mae Young (C) to win the title in the TV main event when, as Young had Arnold caught in a single-leg Boston crab, Ann Calvello showed back up at ringside and started arguing with her ex-manager to distract her, giving Arnold the chance to recover and then catch Young from behind with a rollup while Arnold bridged up to get the pinfall and the title.  Young blew up at the referee after the match as she told him about Calvello showing up, but the ref pointed out that as Calvello did not physically interfere in the match, Arnold's pin and the title change would stand, getting the crowd cheering as Arnold was handed the title belt.

Post-taping dark match
NWA North American Women's Championship

Joan Weston (C) defeated Betty Niccoli by disqualification when Niccoli decked the referee as he tried to stop her from using her foot to choke Weston on the bottom rope.

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* Enhancement talent created for this diary.

** IRL, Gwen "Skinny Minnie" Miller was a roller derby skater, best remembered as one of the star skaters of the Los Angeles Thunderbirds during the 1970s and 1980s; she died on May 9, 2018.  ITTL, she was trained by Mildred Burke and became a wrestler.

*** This would be the last appearances of Margot Bouchard and Claire Lepage in the AGWA for a while due to their heading back to Montreal for that planned angle by Johnny Rougeau (which will be part of the buildup toward the eventual rematch between Renée Martel and Françoise Hardy).

This is what I've been waiting for my friend, hope you had a good thanksgiving weekend. Now it's back to classic wrestling!!! I'm excited to see what comes next as the French Canadians head back to their homeland.

[Old School Fan]

New ratings for the women are now out courtesy of Wrestling Revue magazine (note that champion listings in the ratings reflect who held which titles prior to the events of the September 24 AGWA TV tapings )

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Wrestling Revue
December 1968 (cover date; went on sale in October)

WOMEN

1 - Fabulous Moolah (NWA World Champion)
2 - Penny Banner
3 - Judy Arnold
4 - Joan Weston (NWA North American Champion)
5 - Ann Calvello (AGWA United States Champion)
6 - Françoise Hardy (Canadian Champion)
7 - Evelyn Stevens
8 - Renée Martel
9 - Toni Rose
10 - Sherri Lee
11 - Donna Christenello
12 - Margot Bouchard
13 - Barbara LaMarche
14 - Tammy Jones
15 - Kay Noble (AWA World Champion)
16 - Joyce Fowler (AGWA Television Champion)
17 - Judi McGuire*
18 - Mae Young (NWA United States Champion)
19 - Cora Combs
20 - Mae Weston
21 - Claire Lepage
22 - Shirley Hardman
23 - Lita Marez
24 - Barbara Galento
25 - Carmen Monge
26 - Bonnie Watson (NWA Southern Champion)
27 - Diane Syverson
28 - Georgia Hase
29 - Judy Sowinski
30 - Betty Niccoli (California Champion)

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* Roller derby skater IRL.

 

Edited December 1, 2022 by Old School Fan
Link added

[smartman]

And I'm sure Hardy won't mention this list at all in her promos as we're heading for Hardy vs Martel 2 all across Canada to warm the hearts of every Canadian during their horrendous winters.🙄 Also, Moolah is going to be crowing about being #1. Actually, she's probably going to be mad as hell about 2-5 (could she go after Hardy just to spite everyone?) and of course, #8 because she was a spiteful, hateful, awful person irl.

[Old School Fan]

The debacle that stemmed from the controversial ending to the women's tournament staged by the Fabulous Moolah in San Diego on the same night as the final night of the AGWA's Mildred Burke Invitational Tournament II in Los Angeles in February, along with the confusion caused when a number of fans who attended Moolah's event thought it was an AGWA event (as the AGWA had held events in San Diego prior to Moolah's event), ended up negatively impacting the AGWA in its immediate aftermath attendance-wise for its next few San Diego cards, forcing Mildred to try to rebuild goodwill with local fans there (even though what had happened that night was Moolah's fault, not Mildred's, due to Moolah staging her event in a deliberate sabotage attempt against Mildred's event).  Only in recent months has Mildred been able to rebuild respectable crowds for her events in San Diego in the wake of Moolah's chicanery, such as this recent card:

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American Girls' Wrestling Association @ San Diego International Sports Center
October 12, 1968 - San Diego, California
Attendance - 12,350

 

Panama Franco defeated Lita Marez by pinfall following a knee drop.

Valerie Blackard battled Tonette Kadrmas to a time-limit draw.

Shirley Hardman & Diane Syverson (with "The Queen" Mae Young) defeated Sylvia Hackney & Kathy Starr when Hardman pinned Hackney following a double-facebuster by Hardman and Syverson.

In an anticipated clash of the AGWA titans, 250-pound Earlene Brown defeated 220-pound Baby Rocco (with Mae Young) by countout when Rocco could not get back in the ring in time to beat the referee's count after she tumbled through the ropes to ringside when Brown clotheslined her out.

California Women's Championship

Betty Niccoli (C) defeated Sally Vega by pinfall following a powerslam.

AGWA Television Championship

Renée Martel defeated Georgia Hase (C) (with Mae Young) by disqualification when Young ran in and attacked Martel as she had Hase trapped in the Alligator Clutch (Hase retained her title due to the DQ).  Young and Hase continued attacking Martel after the bell until Earlene Brown ran out to make the save for Renée and chased out the heel duo.

 

Edited December 4, 2022 by Old School Fan
Links added

[Old School Fan]

On 12/3/2022 at 11:29 PM, smartman said:

And I'm sure Hardy won't mention this list at all in her promos as we're heading for Hardy vs Martel 2 all across Canada to warm the hearts of every Canadian during their horrendous winters.🙄 Also, Moolah is going to be crowing about being #1. Actually, she's probably going to be mad as hell about 2-5 (could she go after Hardy just to spite everyone?) and of course, #8 because she was a spiteful, hateful, awful person irl.

Yeah, I reckon Moolah isn't too thrilled knowing that Renée is in the ratings at all, let alone in the top ten.

[Old School Fan]

All-Star Wrestling @ Paul Sauvé Arena
October 14, 1968 - Montreal, Quebec

 

Marianne Duchesne used a leg lariat to floor France Gall and get the pinfall win.

Jos & Paul LeDuc defeated Larry Moquin & Eddie Auger when Jos LeDuc forced Auger to submit to the bearhug.

Buster Lloyd fought Carlos Colon to a double-countout as both wrestlers brawled outside the ring.

Canadian Women's Championship

Claire Lepage defeated Françoise Hardy (C) by disqualification in a closely-fought contest when, as Lepage had Hardy caught in a figure-four leglock, Margot Bouchard (making her first appearance back in Montreal since August 19) ran in and attacked Lepage (Hardy retained her title due to the DQ).  Hardy and Bouchard proceeded to double-team and batter Lepage when France Gall ran in and jumped Hardy in an attempt to even the odds, but Bouchard ran over and quickly grabbed Gall from behind by the hair and hammered her down to the mat with a forearm smash to her upper back; the heel duo continued their assault until, satisfied they had beaten down Lepage and Gall enough, they left the ring to the fans' loud boos, gloating as they made their way back down the aisle.

ASW Canadian Heavyweight Championship

Édouard Carpentier defeated Hans Schmidt (C) by disqualification when Schmidt threw Carpentier over the top rope (Schmidt retained his title due to the DQ).

ASW World Tag Team Championship

Baron Von Raschke & Waldo Von Erich (C) defeated Gino Brito & Antonio Baillargeon when Von Erich pinned Baillargeon after nailing him with his signature finisher the "Blitzkrieg" (a diving knee drop).

ASW World Heavyweight Championship - Two out of Three Falls

Ivan Koloff (C) battled Jacques Rougeau to a curfew draw after each wrestler had scored one fall when the 11 PM curfew ended the match during the third fall.

 

Edited December 6, 2022 by Old School Fan

[Old School Fan]

Following the events of October 14 at the Paul Sauvé Arena that saw Claire Lepage defeat Françoise Hardy by disqualification due to the interference of the returning Margot Bouchard (which also saw France Gall run in to try to help Lepage against the two-on-one attack by Hardy and Bouchard), Lepage and Gall made an interview appearance (translated here from the original French) on the October 19 edition of Sur le Matelas to discuss what they have planned in the wake of the attack:

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INTERVIEWER:  My next two interview guests right now had some tough dealings this past Monday night in Montreal against the recently-returned Margot Bouchard and her cohort, Canadian Women's Champion Françoise Hardy, and they're here now to talk about it - two of the grappling girls of All-Star Wrestling, Claire Lepage and France Gall.  Claire, you were facing off against Hardy that night for her Canadian title, but things didn't go quite as planned, did they?

CLAIRE LEPAGE:  No, they didn't, ______.  Hardy dominated the match with her technical skills and a bit of rough stuff, but I came back and had her backpedaling when I put the figure-four leglock on her, and I would've had the match won and become the Canadian Champion if Bouchard hadn't run in and attacked me.  I mean, is Hardy really that worried about losing the title to someone who can figure out her game that she needs to have someone run interference for her when she runs into trouble?  Because that's what happened when Bouchard stuck her nose where it didn't belong and helped Hardy gang up on me.

INTERVIEWER:  And France, when you were alerted to Hardy and Bouchard double-teaming on Claire, that's when you got involved?

FRANCE GALL:  That's right.  I've known Hardy as an opponent since we faced off against each other all over Europe over the past few years, and yes, she's a top talent in the ring - she wouldn't have been the European Women's Champion for over four years and counting if she weren't.  But ever since she allied herself with this Margot Bouchard character, she's begun using dirty tactics to help her win matches and hang on to her Canadian title, and she also relies more on outside help now when she runs into trouble, like she did when Bouchard ran in to help her double-team on Claire.  I wasn't having that, so I ran in to try and help her, but Bouchard backjumped me while I was dealing with Hardy and they got the upper hand in the end.

LEPAGE:  But now, Hardy and Bouchard, you're going to find out what happens when you push us around once too often!  France and I are challenging you two to a tag team match this coming Monday night!  You two may have the edge in experience, size and skills, but one thing we have over you - and which you better not underestimate - is our fighting spirit.  You're up against two determined girls now, and we're gonna make sure you pay for your sins in the ring on Monday night!

GALL:  And Hardy, Bouchard, remember this - you may think you have the upper hand over us, but you just might be in for a surprise when Monday comes.

INTERVIEWER:  Well, there you have it - Claire Lepage and France Gall have laid down the gauntlet to Françoise Hardy and Margot Bouchard to face them in a tag team match this Monday night, October 21 at the Paul Sauvé Arena in Montreal and it's going to promise plenty of action, so get your tickets to see this match.  We'll be right back after this with more wrestling action!

[Old School Fan]

In the latest edition of the All-Star Wrestling arena program, two big pieces of news make the front page - one of them revolving around rumors for an upcoming supercard event...

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[The Blonde Bomber]

4 hours ago, Old School Fan said:

In the latest edition of the All-Star Wrestling arena program, two big pieces of news make the front page - one of them revolving around rumors for an upcoming supercard event...

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Always a fan of these programs you make. The news of an all women's event makes me wonder if it'll be in conjunction with AGWA or just include some of their ladies? Also curious if the fans will come out for an all women's show like they do for other shows considering AGWA isn't viewable in their area, they're only used to their French/French Canadian Ladies.

[Old School Fan]

All-Star Wrestling @ Paul Sauvé Arena
October 21, 1968 - Montreal, Quebec

 

Tony Parisi & Larry Moquin fought Matt Gilmore & Doug Kent to a time-limit draw.

Claire Lepage & France Gall defeated Françoise Hardy & Margot Bouchard by disqualification for excessive double-teaming by the heels and for Bouchard throwing Gall over the top rope.  Hardy and Bouchard continued double-teaming on Lepage post-match when suddenly, the crowd got to their feet with loud cheers as Renée Martel, whose 60-day exile from All-Star Wrestling had recently ended, ran out from the locker room area and cleaned house in the ring, delivering several chops to Bouchard's chest, whipping her to the ropes and dropkicking her out of the ring, then attacking Hardy and flooring her with a clothesline to send her into retreat to ringside.  An irate Bouchard grabbed the arena microphone and started yelling at Renée, now joined by Lepage and Gall, and hurled threats at the babyface trio while Hardy glared at Martel for a moment before taking the mic and lobbing her own threats at Renée (who turned out to be the surprise Gall had promised in her earlier TV interview) before Hardy and Bouchard retreated backstage as they continued trading threats and insults with Renée, Lepage and Gall.

In a non-title match, ASW World Heavyweight Champion Ivan Koloff defeated Lou Klein when Klein submitted to Koloff's bearhug.

Two out of Three Falls

In a non-title match, Marcel Martel (making his return after recovering from the knee injury inflicted by Hans Schmidt in July) & Ti-Blanc Richard defeated ASW World Tag Team Champions Baron Von Raschke & Waldo Von Erich, two falls to one.

• First fall - Von Raschke used the Iron Claw to force Martel to submit.
• Second fall - Von Raschke was disqualified for throwing Martel over the top rope.
• Third fall - Richard made Von Erich submit to the bearhug.

[Old School Fan]

On 12/9/2022 at 11:21 AM, The Blonde Bomber said:

Always a fan of these programs you make. The news of an all women's event makes me wonder if it'll be in conjunction with AGWA or just include some of their ladies? Also curious if the fans will come out for an all women's show like they do for other shows considering AGWA isn't viewable in their area, they're only used to their French/French Canadian Ladies.

In fact, the next chapter coming will detail that...  😎

[Old School Fan]

Earlier that day before the card at the Paul Sauvé Arena...

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Johnny Rougeau was working at his desk in his training gym's office, waiting while he was on hold on his desk phone.  He waited for several minutes before the person he had been speaking to got back on the line.

"Yes, I'm still here," Johnny said to the other end of the line.  "So, what's the word?"  As he was listening, a knock came on his office door, which was partially open as he was expecting visitors anyway.  Renée Martel poked her head through the doorway, so Johnny gestured her in as he continued to listen on the phone, and she, Michèle Richard and Claire Lepage all filed in and took seats in front of his desk.

"That's right, I want to book her for an event in Montreal on November 11," Johnny continued.  "Is she available for then?"  He paused while listening to the reply.  "Well, I was planning to put her against one of my girls, Renée Martel."  He paused to listen again while Renée, Michèle and Claire listened in on the one-sided conversation with interest.  "Uh-huh, I see.  Okay, fair enough.  Alright then, goodbye."

"What was that all about?" a curious Renée wondered.

"That was the Fabulous Moolah's secretary I just got off the phone with," Johnny said, not sounding too pleased.  "I was trying to book her for that all-girls' card I'm putting together for the 11th at the Forum."

"And what did the secretary say?" Claire asked.

"She had a look through Moolah's schedule - or at least she said she did," Johnny said.  "I think she might've just been going through the motions after I said I wanted to match her against Renée for that card.  Anyway, she said after she came back on that Moolah was 'booked solid' through this month - including the 11th - and into at least January."

"That figures," Michèle remarked, scoffing and rolling her eyes as she spoke.

"Funny thing, while she was doing her 'schedule check', I could swear I heard someone else talking with the secretary at the other end," Johnny said.  "I think whoever it was might've been coaching her to say what she told me."

"And whoever that was doing the coaching was Moolah herself, maybe?" Renée guessed.

"I can't say for sure, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was Moolah with her secretary," Johnny said.

"Well, I know what I can say about that," Michèle said, at which she then started subtly clucking like a chicken - her way of jabbing at Moolah, which made Renée and Claire laugh.

"Sounds like you're saying Moolah doesn't have the guts to go up against Renée," Claire then said with a grin.

"That's what the chicken sounds implied," a smirking Michèle replied.

"Well anyway, since getting Moolah for the 11th is out now," Johnny said, "that means I can go with what I had planned for the main event before I tried to get Moolah - put Renée against Françoise for the Canadian Women's title, get the big rematch set up."

"Really?" Renée said, sounding hopeful.

"I'd heard you'd been main-eventing on some of the AGWA events while you were down that way," Johnny said.  "So I figured it's time to pull the trigger on having you main-event a show here."  On hearing that news, Renée squealed with delight.

"Now, Michèle, I've got you booked for another big match for the show because I'm setting the card up to have a triple main event," Johnny continued.  "When I contacted Mildred Burke down in Los Angeles while the three of you were still there and I told her about my plans, she said she was more than glad to offer a number of her girls to come up to Montreal for the show and she'll also be sending up tapes of some of the matches featuring them for me to show on TV ahead of the event, to get the fans here familiar with them.  In fact, Judy Arnold was the first to sign up to come back up here and she recently became the United States Women's Champion by beating Mae Young, so Michèle, I'm matching you two up for the United States title for the show as the second main event."

"Liking that plan already," Michèle said with a grin as she rubbed her hands together in anticipation.

"And Claire, I've got you booked for the third main event," Johnny then said.  "I talked to Barbara over the phone in Quebec City earlier and she'll be teaming with you for that match..."

[smartman]

Moolah would never agree to lose the match, and she'd probably turn it into a shoot really quickly so Renee is a lot healthier for the match not happening.

[The Blonde Bomber]

I wonder the NWA feels about having the two camps of lady wrestlers warring. Especially with the NWA World Champ from booking girls from her camp. 

[Old School Fan]

11 hours ago, smartman said:

Moolah would never agree to lose the match, and she'd probably turn it into a shoot really quickly so Renee is a lot healthier for the match not happening.

At this point, that's pretty much a given, but as this diary eventually advances into the 1970s and Renée gains more experience (combined with the NWA putting more pressure on Moolah to defend her title against other wrestlers outside her own camp), the tide may well end up turning...  🤔

10 hours ago, The Blonde Bomber said:

I wonder the NWA feels about having the two camps of lady wrestlers warring. Especially with the NWA World Champ from booking girls from her camp. 

Moolah's current reluctance to face anyone beyond her own students (basically picking and choosing who she faces) is something we've already seen the NWA frown upon, but as long as she faces someone not from her camp only when necessary (like, say, once every couple of weeks against someone not named Renée Martel, Joan Weston, Judy Arnold or Ann Calvello) to appease the Board of Directors, the NWA is pretty much fit to be tied at the moment.  Sooner or later, though...  😏

[Old School Fan]

All-Star Wrestling @ Paul Sauvé Arena
October 28, 1968 - Montreal, Quebec

 

Dutch Brink & Larry Moquin fought Ron & Terry Garvin to a time-limit draw.

Brute Martin defeated Gino Brito by countout when Brito did not get back in the ring in time to beat the referee's count when Martin beat Brito back into the ring after the two had been brawling around ringside.

Matt Gilmore & Doug Kent defeated Antonio Baillargeon & Dale Roberts when Kent pinned Roberts following a powerslam.

Jos & Paul LeDuc defeated Buster Lloyd & Chin Lee when Lee submitted to Jos LeDuc's bearhug.

Six-woman elimination match

Renée Martel, Claire Lepage & France Gall defeated Françoise Hardy, Margot Bouchard & Marianne Duchesne.

• First fall - Hardy pinned Gall using a crossface cradle pinning combination.
• Second fall - Lepage and Bouchard were both counted out while fighting outside the ring.
• Third fall - Martel pinned Duchesne following a flying forearm smash off the ropes.
• Fourth fall - Martel electrified the crowd when she finally got her first pinfall win over Hardy, using a reverse rollup into a bridge pin to take down Hardy.  By virtue of that pinfall win, Renée was granted her long-awaited rematch against Hardy for the Canadian Women's title, to take place on November 11 at the Montreal Forum.

Édouard Carpentier defeated Abdullah the Butcher when Abdullah was disqualified for excessive violence (including attacking the referee, for which Abdullah was fined $200 post-match).

 

[The Blonde Bomber]

Let's go Renee finally showing Francoise can get pinned!!

[Old School Fan]

6 hours ago, The Blonde Bomber said:

Let's go Renee finally showing Francoise can get pinned!!

That's been proven for sure.  What happens after that remains to be seen...  😎

[Old School Fan]

November 1968

The moment this diary has built toward at this point in the early part of Renée Martel's career (at least since the start of 1968 in the diary) has arrived as the poster for the upcoming all-female All-Star Wrestling supercard (the first all-female event in Montreal/Quebec/Canadian wrestling history) on November 11 is now up:

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

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

The full lineup for the event - now it's prediction time:  😁

Carmen Thompson & Linda Moody vs. Miss X I & II

France Létourneau vs. Mary Jane Mull

Julie Painchaud vs. Annette Dupuis

Sabrina Lafleur & Rosalie Paiement vs. Georgia Hase & Judy Sowinski

Penny Banner vs. Marianne Duchesne

France Gall vs. Mae Young

Earlene Brown vs. Baby Rocco

Canadian Women's Tag Team Championship (to determine first champions)
Barbara LaMarche & Claire Lepage vs. Shirley Hardman & Diane Syverson

NWA United States Women's Championship
Judy Arnold (C) vs. Margot Bouchard

Canadian Women's Championship
Françoise Hardy (C) vs. Renée Martel

 

 

Edited December 12, 2022 by Old School Fan
Info added

[The Blonde Bomber]

Carmen Thompson & Linda Moody vs. Miss X I & II

France Létourneau vs. Mary Jane Mull

Julie Painchaud vs. Annette Dupuis

Sabrina Lafleur & Rosalie Paiement vs. Georgia Hase & Judy Sowinski

Penny Banner vs. Marianne Duchesne

France Gall vs. Mae Young

Earlene Brown vs. Baby Rocco

Canadian Women's Tag Team Championship (to determine first champions)
Barbara LaMarche & Claire Lepage vs. Shirley Hardman & Diane Syverson

NWA United States Women's Championship
Judy Arnold (C) vs. Margot Bouchard

Canadian Women's Championship
Françoise Hardy (C) vs. Renée Martel

[smartman]

Oh no. Who invited Mae Young to the event??? Renee is screwed for sure! Also, wasn't the Women's title basically a joke at this point? Wasn't that the view of Moolah's legendary in length reign with it? Maybe in this universe the title will be important since they have their own promotion in the US that has major TV coverage, only in the west for now, to market the NWA.

 

Now...who does Moolah know in Canada?

[Old School Fan]

On 12/12/2022 at 9:15 PM, smartman said:

Oh no. Who invited Mae Young to the event??? Renee is screwed for sure!

Well, at this point both IRL and ITTL, Mae Young was still part of the Mildred Burke camp (and earlier in the diary, had threatened Moolah's Los Angeles contact and former Burke trainee Yvonne with a thrashing for her attempts at sabotaging both the AGWA in general, and Renée in particular, on Moolah's behalf), so I don't think that'll be an issue.

 

On 12/12/2022 at 9:15 PM, smartman said:

Also, wasn't the Women's title basically a joke at this point? Wasn't that the view of Moolah's legendary in length reign with it?

IRL, definitely.

 

On 12/12/2022 at 9:15 PM, smartman said:

Now...who does Moolah know in Canada?

No one so far, but should she find out that the event Johnny Rougeau tried to book her for (which she turned down with an excuse after finding out she'd be pitted against Renée) is that upcoming women's supercard in Montreal, that could change (especially if the event turns out to be successful)...

[Old School Fan]

While waiting for further match predictions on the all-female supercard coming up, here's a YouTube clip that's sure to make the day of a lot of the anti-Moolah crowd:

 

Wendi Richter vs. Fabulous Moolah (from MSG, July 23, 1984 - the match where Richter ended Moolah's WWF Women's title reign)  (Note - based on the description accompanying the video itself, the YouTube account that posted the video is evidently a Moolah fan)