Welcome back, wrestling fanatics, to this month’s edition of All Star Wrestling.  This week’s edition is the next show in sequence from last month, roughly April, 1986.  Opening montage, standard fare.  All Star Wrestling used its closing tune and video as its opening and closing for years, but after Kerry Von Erich defeated Ric Flair for the NWA World title, the intro was changed, whilst the ending was kept the same.  The old intro featured what appeared to be LED’s over which the name “All Star Wrestling” was superimposed.  The next scene was of wrestlers in live action in outline, two wrestlers wrestling in each corner and two wrestlers wrestling in the center.  It was impossible to tell who the wrestlers were. 

On to the show.  Kevin Wall and Rick McCord are your hosts.  Artists rendition of the Central States NWA logo is once again the background, as these shows were shot two at a time at the Memorial Hall in Kansas City. 

Leading off the action, Marty Janetty will face Kevin the Magnificent (Nailz in the WWF).  Think Lex Luger with bleach blond hair, and every bit as stiff, in this incarnation of wrestler Kevin Kelly.  Stuart tells us that Janetty has a special place in heart for the fans of the Central States.  Soft as butter, I’m sure  :) .  Plus, Bruiser Brody versus Bulldog Bob Brown.  Rick Stuart will interview the Dream Team consisting of Art Crews and Diamond Timothy Flowers, managed by Slick.  We’ll see a Texas Death match, falls don’t count, the match continues until one wrestler can’t answer the bell.  This match-up will feature Sheik Abdullah Ali Hassan the Great against Brad Batten.  An interesting side note about Sheik Abdullah: after spending several years as a wrestler and manager in the Central States area, he joined the WWF as a jobber and was introduced as Jack Kruger.  That was somewhat difficult for me to reconcile at the time, since I was constantly trying to find a way to rationalize that professional wrestling was real.  Ah, a boy’s dreams, dashed once again by the World Wrestling Federation. 

Ad for a local match in Joplin, Missouri, on April 29^th.  Bob Brown and Slick stand by as Kevin Wall lists other matches across the area.  Bob Brown, out of the chute: “I really don’t have nothing to say in this interview about Harley Race.”  Race is going to tell lies about how he got beat.  “We’re the champions, you’re the challenger, that’s where it be when we leave,” chimes Slick.  Rick Stuart is standing by in “studio B” (most likely 6 feet away from where the current interview is taking place) with the seven time World Champion.  Race smirks, “Y’know, that’s, uh, one of the most weird combinations I’ve ever saw in my life, Rick.”  Brown is an old English bulldog, and Slick is a little black poodle, the same comparisons Harley used in the televised match the previous week.  We’re going to find out how tough they are in Joplin.  I am pretty confident that I attended that card.  I remember Race came out to interfere in a match earlier in the card, to the delight of the fans. 

A technical note here:  actually, Race was, at this time, and eight time NWA champion.  After Ric Flair won the title back from Race at Starrcade ’83, the two did a title swap that wasn’t recognized until the 1990’s.  Race beat Flair in Wellington, New Zealand on March 21, 1984, and Flair won the title back in Kallang, Singapore on March 23.  While no recognition was given to the switch at the time, a wrestling magazine called The Wrestling Eye did refer to it shortly after it happened.  The Wrestling Eye was a little ahead of its time, containing some stories which kept up kayfabe, and other stories that discussed actual behind the scenes occurrences. 

The first match is one fall with a 20 minute time limit.  Our referee is Sonny Myers.  Stuart introduces Kevin the Magnificent, who hails from Oakland, California.  A delay until the music is cued up.  Suddenly, “Give Me All Your Lovin’” by ZZ Top blares as Rick Stuart introduces Marty Janetty, hailing from Atlanta, Georgia.  Janetty is still clad in his Uptown Boys garb.  Think Robert Gibson, mullet, sweatbands, ripped Hobie tshirt (with the usual Japanese symbol on the front), leg warmers and headband.  Ah, the ‘80’s.  Sometimes, I embrace it, sometimes I’m embarrassed.  The Uptown Boys consisted of Janetty and Tommy Rogers, though not the Tommy Rogers of the Fantastics.  Janetty was clearly the best wrestler in the Central States at this time, though his outfit is quite disturbing watching it now.  Believe it or not, folks, women were actually attracted to this look at one time.  Honestly, here in Southwest Missouri, women are STILL attracted to that look, but that’s another subject for another day ; ) . More...