-R-Truth rehired.
-The summer tradition continues with COJWS Annual #5!
-Today we look at Star Cage '85 from the AWA.
-Star Cage '85 took place on April 2, 1985 from the St. Paul Civic Center in St. Paul, MN and shown on local cable. There were 12,000 in attendance.
-Verne Gagne tells Ken Resnick about his family learning he is going to wrestle. Resnick then runs down some of what we are going to see.
-The Alaskans Dave Wagner and Rick Renslow vs. Steve Olsonoski and Tom Zenk: The Alaskans are heavily booed. Ken Resnick and Doug Mcleod call the action. Olsonoski and Alaskan 1 start. Alaskans hit each other trying to double team Olsonoski. Alaskan 1 and Olsonoski tie up in the corner. Olsonoski with the early advantage. Alaskan 2 and Zenk tagged in. Zenk tags Alaskan 2 with some slaps. Zenk with a side headlock. The faces are quick tagging. Heels double team Zenk. Olsonoski tagged in. He gets Alaskan 2 down. Alaskans double team Olsonoski. Alaskan 2 with a bear hug. Alaskan 1 chokes Olsonoski in the corner, and then Alaskan 2 with the bear hug again. Olsonoski is trying to get out. He does, but gets double teamed again. Olsonoski gets a sunset flip for a two count. Back and forth. Alaskan 2 with a rear chin lock. Alaskan 2 with a slam for a two count. Alaskan 2 gets his knee up on a corner charge. Olsonoski then moves on a corner charge and Zenk tagged in. He slams Alaskan 2 and hits a dropkick. All four men in and the Alaskans run into each other. The faces get the pin after a double dropkick. Resnick interviews Olsonoski and Zenk. They are happy with the victory.
-Baron Von Raschke and Buck Zumhofe vs. Jimmy Garvin and Steve Regal with Precious: Zumhofe, ugh! He starts with Regal and gets the early advantage. They lock up and break. Zumhofe with a corner whip. Garvin asks for a time out. He tags in. Von Raschke tagged in. He beats Garvin down. He runs him into all the turnbuckles. All faces so far. Von Raschke with a back elbow. He misses an elbow drop. Regal tagged in and attacked Von Raschke. He runs him face first across the ropes. Heels double teaming Von Raschke. Regal with a front face lock. The referee didn't see Zumhofe tag in. Garvin is choking Von Raschke. He keeps Von Raschke down. Von Rashke comes back. He stomps Garvin in the corner. Regal tagged in. He gets Von Raschke down for a two count. Zumhofe tagged in. Regal ran into a couple of turnbuckles. Back and forth. Garvin tagged in. He gets a two count. Garvin with a chin lock. Zumhofe gets out and comes back with a crossbody. Von Raschke tagged in. He ties Garvin up in the ropes and attacks Garvin. He puts the Claw on Garvin. All four men in. Heels ran together. Zumhofe and Regal tagged in. Heels get Zumhofe down. All four back in the ring. Garvin accidentally hits Regal and Zumhofe gets the pin. Resnick talks to the winners, who promise there is more to come. No thanks, I'm full.
-Brad Rheingans and Bob Backlund vs. Butch Reed and Larry Zbyszko: Butch and Brad start. They lock up and break. They do some chain wrestling. Butch with a side headlock. Brad pushes off. Butch with a shoulder block. Brad with a dropkick and a wrist lock. Faces quick tagging. Zbyszko tags in. Brad with a side headlock. Backlund tagged in. Back and forth. Backlund doesn't stay in long when he tags in. Heels get Brad in their corner. Bob tagged in. He attacks Butch's arm. Zbyszko in and hits a neck breaker for a two count. Butch tagged in. He chokes Backlund. He gets a rear chin lock on. He pulls Backlund back to the center of the ring. Zbyszko tagged in and hits a shoulder breaker. Heels double teaming Backlund. Backlund gets a small package for a two count. Butch tagged in and got a bear hug. Backlund reverses it. Heels run Backlund into their corner and Butch clotheslines Backlund. He gets Backlund down with a chin lock. Zbyszko tagged in and gets an abdominal stretch on Backlund. Backlund gets out. Butch in and gets the bear hug again. Backlund gets out, but they collide and both men are down. Brad and Zbyszko tagged in. Brad cleans house. Brad with a power slam to Zbyszko. Backlund tagged back in for no good reason. He backdrops out of a piledriver attempt to get the pin. Ken Resnick interviews Zbyszko and Reed. They say they were robbed. He then interviews the winners. This went on way too long.
-Ken Interviews Sgt. Slaughter. He says he and Crusher Blackwell have been training for the cage.
-Billy Robinson and Bobby Duncum vs. Jim Brunzell and The Tonga Kid: The introductions are made. The bell rings, and all four go at it. Heels knocked out of the ring. Robinson and Brunzell start. Back and forth. Robinson with a neck breaker. Duncum tagged in. Brunzell with a slam for a two count. Kid tagged in. He gets Duncum down with a headlock. He hits a pair of dropkicks. He takes over on the heels. Brunzell tagged in, and the heels double-teamed him. Robinson tagged in and hit another neck breaker. He gets Brunzell down, and Duncum tagged in. He gets Brunzell in a front face lock. Kid tagged in, but the referee didn't see it. Duncum in and hits a backbreaker, but Kid breaks up the pin attempt. Duncum hits the ring post when Brunzell moves on a charge. Kid tagged in and took Duncum down. He works on Duncum's leg. Brunzell tagged in. They do a leg split on Duncum. They then hit Robinson. Kid tagged in and hit a headbutt to Duncum's leg. Robinson tagged in. He hits a neck breaker on Kid. Duncum tagged in. He clotheslines Kid. Kid hits Duncum. Brunzell tagged in and got the dropkick for a two count. Robinson tagged in and hits a belly to back suplex, but Kid makes the save. Robinson with an atomic drop, but Brunzell makes the tag, and Kid comes off the ropes to headbutt Robinson and pin him.
-The Road Warriors talk about the Hennigs, followed by a Road Warriors music video. Another video is then shown set to We're not gonna take it.
-Verne and Greg Gagne vs. Nick Bockwinkel and Mr. Saito: Gagne's come to the ring and clear it of the heels. Greg and Saito start. They trade blows. Bockwinkel tagged in. He and Greg lock up. Bockwinkel ran into the Gagne's corner and Bockwinkel taking shots from both Gagne's. Bockwinkel gets Greg down. Saito tagged in, and the heels double team Greg. Saito with a front face lock. Bockwinkel tagged in and picks the hold up. A we want Verne chant goes out. Greg comes back with a suplex for a two count. Saito tagged in. He gets the front face lock on. Verne tagged in, but the referee didn't see it and won't allow it. Saito with a figure four. Greg reverses it. Bockwinkel tagged in. He hits Greg with a knee. Greg backdrops out of a piledriver attempt. They collide in the ring. Double count going. Greg gets a two count. Saito and Verne tagged in. Verne clean's house. He attacks both heels. Greg drops a knee on Saito. Vern with a backdrop and gets the sleeper on, but Bockwinkel breaks it up. Greg and Bockwinkel tagged in. Greg runs Bockwinkel into a turnbuckle. Greg with a backbreaker and another flying knee, but Bockwinkel gets his foot on the ropes. Greg then gets another two count. Verne tagged in. He gets a dropkick for a two count. Verne with another dropkick. Saito tagged in and attacked Verne with chops and shots. Bockwinkel tagged in and gets the sleeper on Verne. Verne breaks the hold and gets a sleeper on Bockwinkel. All four men are in, and Greg dropkicks Verne on Bockwinkel to get the pin. They brawl at ringside after the match. Bockwinkel piledrives Verne on the floor. Greg chases the heels off with a chair, and they call for a medic for Verne.
-AWA World Tag Team Championship Match. The Road Warriors Hawk and Animal with Paul Ellering vs. Curt and Larry Hennig: Rod Trongard announced this match, as I'm sure it was shown on ESPN. Larry and Animal start. They lock up and push off. Animal with a side headlock. Larry comes back. Hawk tagged in. Larry with a bear hug. Hawk with shots and a front face lock. Larry gets to the ropes. Larry with a back elbow. They trade wrist locks. Curt tagged in. He gets a side headlock. Animal tagged in. Animal with a slam. Back and forth. Curt goes back to the side headlock. Hawk tagged in. Hawk with a series of forearms. Curt comes back and tries a sunset flip, but Hawk punches him. Animal in with a front face lock. He power slams Curt, and Larry comes in. Hawk tagged in and lifted Curt up. He beats on Curt, who fights back. Hawk with a rear chin lock. Hawk with a back elbow. Animal in with a rear chin lock. Hawk in and presses Curt, who comes back with a roll up for a two count. Hawk with a knee lift. Animal tagged in. Curt with a corner whip. Animal with a clothesline for a two count. Hawk in with a flying elbow smash. He gets a rear chin lock on. Animal in and slams Curt, who gets his knees up on a splash attempt. Larry tagged in. He attacks Animal. Larry with a clothesline and an elbow smash. Curt tagged in and hit a missile dropkick for a two count, but Ellering grabbed the referee. Road Warriors double team Curt. Larry and Ellering in. They brawl all over. The bell rings and the Road Warriors win by DQ. Trongard is totally clueless about the finish. Ken Resnick talks to the Road Warriors. They said the Hennigs knew they were going to get beat and disqualified themselves.
-A video of wrestlers set to Let's go crazy by Prince.
-Main Event cage Match. Sgt. Slaughter and Crusher Blackwell vs. The Masked Superstar, King Tonga, and Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissey: Joined in progress. Blackwell takes on Superstar. He calls Akbar in. Blackwell with a side headlock. Tonga tagged in. They locked up. Tonga climbs the ropes, but Blackwell pulls him down and clotheslines Tonga. He splashes Tonga. Slaughter tagged in. He hits a back elbow. Back and forth. Superstar in, and Slaughter unloads on him. Blackwell enters and knocks Superstar down. Superstar runs Blackwell into the cage. Akbar tagged in. He stomps Blackwell. Blackwell is bleeding. Akbar hits Blackwell with his cast and bites Blackwell. Blackwell is still on his feet. Tonga enters and punishes Blackwell. He dropkicks Blackwell and hits a headbutt to get a two count. Tonga with a rear chin lock. Superstar in, and he bites Blackwell's bloody forehead. He is relentless. Blackwell knocks Superstar down. Blackwell avoids a headbutt. Tonga tagged in. The heels get Blackwell in their corner. Akbar is in, and Blackwell runs Akbar into the cage. Blackwell headbutts Akbar down. Akbar cuts off a tag attempt. Tonga tagged in, and Blackwell runs him into the cage. Tonga attacks Blackwell. Blackwell caught in the heels corner, and they punish him as the referee gets Slaughter out. Blackwell runs Superstar into the cage, and Slaughter tagged in. He attacks the heels. He runs the heels into the cage. Slaughter misses a top rope stomp. Superstar runs Slaughter into the cage. Tonga in, and attacks Slaughter's forehead. Slaughter is now bleeding. Tonga with a piledriver for a two count. Superstar in with a clothesline for a two count. Superstar with a headlock. Tonga tagged in, and then Akbar tagged in. He brutalizes Slaughter. Slaughter trying to come back. They trade shots. Akbar ran into the cage. Blackwell tagged in. He beats on Akbar. He splashes Akbar and slams him down. Superstar breaks up the count. Slaughter takes out Superstar, and Blackwell hits Akbar with a splash to get the pin. Resnick then interviews Blackwell and Slaughter. Blackwell asks Akbar what it feels like to be splashed from the top rope. Slaughter says this is what America is about. He says they trained for this and were ready. Blackwell says he didn't like the training. Slaughter says it wasn't supposed to be easy. They recap the night and sign off from St. Paul.
-Final Thoughts: A fun little show that is worth at least one watch.