February 13, 1983
Our winter and spring calendar:
We have a lot of shows.
We’re in the Fleisher Center in Newark, New Jersey this week for TV tapings. As I get in, and have no idea what I’m doing for tonight, Vince Jr. sidles me for his weekly conversation.
“So, I’d like to provide you with an update on our television program goals.”
“Of course.”
“Networks don’t think we have enough money and firepower to run three television shows per week, so I’m close to finishing a little … switcheroo.”
“What does that mean?”
“We’ll be taking one of the B shows off the air, probably Championship … nixing the contract completely. Syndication is willing to sever ties without penalty. That’s good. And so the next step is quickly sign a new deal for the A show.”
“With whom?”
“It may be syndication again, but it’ll be short term. I’m not locking us in for three years when the business is shifting so much.”
“Sounds right to me.”
“You’re damn right it’s right.”
I clear my throat.
“But listen, our plan to ratchet up TV events … continue. I want to put out a weekly television product that outclasses everyone in the NWA, Turner, Bill Watts, all of them.”
“You got it.”
Fleisher Center
Newark, NJ
Capacity 1,500
Attendance: 1,500
Championship Wrestling - Airing Feb. 14, 1983
Tony Atlas, Rocky Johnson d. Mac Rivera, Tiger Conway Jr. in 5:04
Rating: C- / 54. Johnson 60, Atlas 60, Rivera 43, Conway Jr. 38.
In-Ring: Mr. Fuji introduces his co-executive, Mr. Saito.
Rating: D / 46
Mr. Fuji, Mr. Saito d. Paco Rameriz, Tommy Siegler in 4:12
Rating: D / 45. Mr. Fuji 54, Mr. Saito 64, Rameriz 24, Siegler 30.
Don Muraco d. Frankie Williams in 2:37
Rating: C- / 54. Muraco 72, Williams 38.
Buddy Rogers’ Corner: Dino Bravo gets mad at Rogers questioning his greatness, nearly shakes up Buddy trying to intimidate him!
Rating: B- / 74
Tito Santana d. Iron Mike Sharpe in 4:32
Rating: C / 64. Santana 68, Sharpe 49.
Vignette: Larry Zbyszko calls himself the King of Wrestling and challenges any dork in the back to execute better than he.
Rating: B+ / 87
Larry Zbyszko d. Brian Blair in 1:45
Rating: C- / 55. Zbyszko 86, Blair 41.
Buddy Rose, Afa d. Jimmy Snuka, Chief Jay Strongbow in 6:08
Rating: B- / 74. Snuka 89, Afa 72, Rose 59, Strongbow 52.
Post-Match: Billy Graham joins the heel team to intimidate, but Andre The Giant appears and the faces run!
Rating: B / 82
Overall: B- / 76
All-Star Wrestling - Airing February 17, 1983
Eddie Gilbert d. Invader #3 in 6:15
Rating: D / 45. Gilbert 42, Invader #3, 43.
Pedro Morales d. Rocco Rock in 4:30
Rating: C- / 54. Morales 70, Rock 28.
Vignette: Don Muraco has last words for S.D. Jones ahead of their MSG bout
Rating: C / 61
S.D. Jones d. Rick Link in 3:05
Rating: D+ / 49. Jones 53, Link 37.
The Lord’s Throne: A look at the ultra-hip Brothers Punk
Rating: C / 59
Jules Strongbow d. Shotgun Willie in 3:12
Rating: D+ / 48. Strongbow 56, Willie 24.
In-Ring: Yet another victim to Big John Studd’s Body Slam Challenge! (Pot: $400)
Rating: C+ / 66
Big John Studd d. Frankie Lancaster in 1:49
Rating: C- / 54. Studd 63, Lancaster 30.
The Masked Superstar d. Ivan Putski in 5:43
Rating: B- / 74. Masked Superstar 79, Putski 60.
Post-Match: Masked Superstar, Grand Wizard call Bob Backlund a paper champion; the champ gets in the ring and gets in Superstar’s face!
Rating: B / 82
Overall: B- / 71
Tapings Post-Mortem
A pretty hot Championship Wrestling as we book a good tag match to hype the MSG show. And Andre was available, so I convinced Vince Jr. to pay him to show up for the go-home crowd.
But the big story is Larry Zbyszko. After a good debut at the Spectrum, he hands in our top vignette of the year, then delivers a crisp, superb squash against Brian Blair. I’m thrilled with the early returns.
Speaking of Blair, he might be my favorite jobber and at 27 has promise. But I don’t want to keep using the same local talent all the time; I’m going to ask Vince Jr. to give me a budget to bring in about a half-dozen regular jobbers. These guys need to work weekly, be good hands, and put our top talent over. That’s it.
Along with that, a couple guys on the roster are fatigued, chief among them Curt Hennig. I gave him the night off, which made me book against the razor’s edge. That’s another reason we need full-time jobbers.
Cards!
WWF at Madison Square Garden - Feb. 19
I’m eager to see how Masked Superstar fares in this first match with Backlund. He’s been a good worker. Not excited about Muraco vs Jones at MSG, as the latter doesn’t seem to be a great match for the IC champ. Studd vs Putski could be a surprise, but I want one more sure thing on the card. I have an idea.
- Tito Santana vs Mr. Saito
