This time, we continue our trek back to the UWF's Superdome Extravaganza on November 27, 1986. Starting in 1976, Bill Watts' wrestling promotion held super cards at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. Beginning in 1980 Mid-South would hold an annual card on or close to Thanksgiving Day. The first UWF Thanksgiving "Superdome Extravaganza" is the one we will look at again in this installment. The UWF had more cards at the 'Dome after this, but the show that night was the last truly big draw the company enjoyed at the stadium, with 13,000 in attendance for 13 matches… 

“Dog eat dog
Read the news
Someone win
Someone lose
Up's above and down's below 
And limbo's in between
Up you win, down you lose
It's anybody's game” 

“Dog Eat Dog”

After Iceman Parson dispatched Gustavo Mendoza, it was time for the evening’s sixth bout, pitting Chavo Guerrero against Sting. I listed a few of Chavo’s many accolades in an earlier installment which can be found here I had forgotten just how innovative Chavo was with his offense until I saw a UWF tape recently. It’s no wonder why he was such a success working in Japan with his mix of quickness, high flying maneuvers, and solid mat skills. Chavo Sr.’s style was definitely different from the mat-based method of most of the rest of the UWF’s roster, but he fit in just fine.

Guerrero had earlier runs with Bill Watts’ promotion during its Mid-South incarnation. He feuded with Ted DiBiase and Matt Borne when those two were members of the low down, dirty Rat Pack. Chavo and brother Hector also tagged up against Ted DiBiase and Steve “Dr. Death” Williams in a series of bouts which led to cage match, which then segued into a brief feud between Chavo and Al Madril. Chavo and Hector also had notable cage matches against the Rock and Roll Express and the Fabulous Ones. The brothers heeled it up with the Express as their opponents, while they were the good guys in their battle with the Fabulous Ones, a rare turn to the dark side for the Fabs. The Guerrero-Fabs cage match at the Sam Houston Coliseum was one of those bloody bouts that gave Mid South its hardcore edge. And if you ever get a chance to see the match between the Guerreros and the Sheepherders form the spring of 1986, do so. Wild, wild stuff… 

“If you want blood, you got it
If you want blood, you got it
Blood on the streets
Blood on the rocks
Blood in the gutter
Every last drop
You want blood, you got it” 

“If You Want Blood You Got It” 

Chavo Guerrero entered the UWF after Texas All-Star Wrestling folded, if I recall correctly (if I’m wrong, please e-mail me at the usual place CL11@swt.edu). He was promptly involved in an angle with the UWF World Television title. Inaugural TV champ Buzz Sawyer was “chosen” by the last Mid-South TV title champ Dick Slater to be his successor when Bill Watts changed the name of the promotion in March 1986. Guerrero was at ringside when Terry Taylor defeated the Mad Dog to gain the strap on May 25, 1986 in Tulsa. This was your typically wild UWF fare with Guerrero, acting as a second to Taylor, providing assistance in the victory over Sawyer, who was accompanied by fellow baddie Rick Steiner.  Sawyer, not exactly known as the most rational sort, turned his attention to Chavo. During an ensuing tag match pitting Guerrero and David Peterson against Sawyer and Rick Steiner, the heels stomped down Peterson and preceded to hang Chavo from the ring ropes with the Mad Dog’s chain until order was restored A feud resulted between the two veterans, beginning with a battle to a double disqualification in the first round of the UWF Title Tournament at the Sam Houston Coliseum n May 30, 1986… 

“And I've been up to my neck in pleasure
Up to my neck in pain
I've been up to my neck on the railroad track
Waitin' for the train” 

“Up to my Neck in You” 

Chavo Guerrero continued to enjoy success in the UWF, but titles eluded him. A recent thread on the KM UWF Message Board questions why Chavo wasn’t ever the promotion’s TV champion. I would have to side with those who believe that Chavo would have been a great choice as the titleholder. In addition, I would disagree with those who feel that Chavo didn’t possess mic skills. He and Hector cut some memorable bilingual promos on the old Houston Wrestling program. However, looking at the champions during 1986 may provide some explanation. Buzz Sawyer may have been unreliable at times, but he generated unquestioned heat from fans. As aforementioned, Terry Taylor was one of the best workers in the business, while his successor Buddy Roberts was a member of the fed’s leading heel stable, the Freebirds. Roberts lost the belt to Savannah Jack, who was enjoying a tremendous push as Bill Watts tried to find another black “super face” that could take the place of the departed Junkyard Dog and Butch Reed. Guerrero did get a match against Jack in October 1986, but was unable to wrest the belt from him… 

“[Here comes the Furor]
Kick the dust, wipe the crime from the main street
Await the coming of the lord
Hangin' round with them low down and dirty
Bringing order from the boss
What's the furor 'bout it all”        

“Furor” 

In November 1986, Chavo Guerrero had a terrific television match with Buddy Landel. It would have seemed that the two of them would have made for an excellent match up at the Extravaganza. Around this same late fall timeframe, Guerrero began tagging up with Iceman Parsons. They were able to defeat duos such as KM’s own Art Crews and Mike George but could not get a clean pin fall over reigning tag champs John Tatum Jack Victory. Chavo also had matches combining with Parsons, and in one instance, in tandem with Ted DiBiase against a team managed by Hotstuff Eddie Gilbert. The team? Rick Steiner and some guy who had won, with Gilbert, the tag titles twice in the summer of 1986. The guy’s name was, and is, Sting… 

“Got no heart, no - feel no pain
Take your soul and - leave a stain
Come choose your victim
Take him by surprise
Go in hard and get him
Right between the eyes and Inject the venom”

“Inject the Venom” 

What, you expected me to come up the words to that cheezoid spoken “passage” that Sting used during his Crow period in World Championship Wrestling? No way, Jose. That would violate the post ’89 rule and, with the exception of scholarly discussion of the dance moves of Alex Wright, there’s no way I’m going to do that… 

“Don't want to be shot down in flames”  

“Shot Down in Flames” 

Well, that’s it now. I hope you’ve been suitably dazzled by whatever I set out to write this time. Thanks for spending some of your time here. As usual, any comments, suggestions, corrections, complaints, compliments, etc. can be mailed to CL11@swt.edu.

By the time you read this, I hope that all have had a happy and healthy Easter and Passover. My prayers go out to our troops and their families. Please remember to cherish your families, your freedoms and all that we hold dear as Americans. Take care.  

“Tchaikovsky had the news
He said - 

‘Let there be light’, and there was light
‘Let there be sound’, and there was sound
‘Let there be drums’, and there was drums
‘Let there be guitar’, and there was guitar
‘Let there be rock!’” 

NEXT MONTH: 

More Extravaganza stuff…