TWA Spring Spectacular (3.31.90) review 

 

Hello, and welcome to the beginning of a historic run of pro-wrestling in the great city of Philadelphia. In early 1990 Joel Goodhart, a local radio celebrity, decided he wanted to be a wrestling promoter, and he went ALL IN. For two years the Tri-State Wrestling Alliance produced shows in and around Philly before the money ran out and one of Goodhart’s financial backers took up the reigns instead. The backer? Tod Gordon. The rest, as they say, is history.  

 

I’ve been reviewing shows on the internet since 1998, which is longer than some of you have been alive. In that time, I’ve only ever seen individual matches reviewed from TWA shows. Most notably Cactus Jack vs. Eddie Gilbert, which made a slew of comp tapes for its violence and innovation. Entire shows? Unheard of. But they are out there, so it is time for me to once again break new ground and review a promotion no one else dares to. Much like when I did all of XPW’s shows or WEW. Come on, Joel Goodhart, bring me the good shit.  

 

We’re in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The venue is McGonigle Hall, owned by Temple University. If you’re thinking the building has no modern relevance, you’d be mostly right. It’s too small for any of the larger promotions to run. However, it is next door to the Liacouras Center, which AEW has run. If you’re thinking you might see some familiar names on this show, you would be correct too. However, maybe not the ones you’re thinking of. There’s no Sabu or Sandman on this show. But you will see some familiar names. 

 

The building is enormous (for a start up promotion), as it housed basketball games for Temple, and the bleachers seem to keep going forever. It’s brightly lit and most of the fans are packed in at the lower levels. 2000 came to this show. Which for Indies in 1990 is decent. There was a market here. 

 

Jules Strongbow vs. Randy Lewis 

Randy Lewis is this huge, jacked 6’+ guy with washboard abs. If he had any kind of ability, Vince McMahon would have snapped him up, but he wasn’t even a WWF jobber. Which should speak volumes. Jules Strongbow is the former WWF and NWA guy, who I never thought I’d see again, and I assumed was retired by 1990.  

Lewis stalls and argues with the fans, which draws an insane amount of heat. Within a few minutes fans are yelling “boring” at him. If you squint at the screen, it looks like Lex Luger is wrestling. Jules does a lot of hammerlocks, and the crowd are sick of this already. “BOOORING”. Normally, I would not agree with a “boring” chant as it’s about the most insulting thing you can chant at wrestling. Bar actual hate speech. But hey, these two fully deserve it and I’m sure Lewis is going after the chants.  

 

Lewis steps it up a bit by going to fight an old man in the crowd and the guy’s son is FUMING about it. Although he’s not on hard-cam side, I’m sure Hat Guy is in the crowd, looking to draw similar beef with Randy. Jules Strongbow is completely washed. He can’t do anything. That leaves Randy wrestling himself and he sucks. They start brawling and the crowd finally gets into it but Lewis hits Jules with a stick (it looks like wooden sword) and draws a DQ. 

 

This was quite awful. Lewis was bad and spent most of the match jawing with the front row, which at least got reactions. Jules did fuck all until the last 30 seconds and the crowd booed 90% of the time. Ultimately, if there’s one thing to learn about Philly, it’s that the crowd will hijack a show if they don’t care for what they’re being provided with. The ring announcer tells us Lewis has been fined $5000 by the state athletic commission and the brawl continues. The whole segment was a staggering 16:30.  

 

Rockin’ Rebel vs. CN Redd 

Rebel would be a mainstay of early ECW. The first three years, every card had Rockin’ Rebel on it. HE STINKS. Unfortunately, he’s also a regular for TWA and will probably be on every show I review. Rockin’ Rebel doesn’t get the same bad press as Chris Benoit but also killed his wife and then himself. At least he didn’t kill his 10-year-old son, but that’s who found the bodies.  

 

While Benoit has a catalogue of great matches behind him, Rockin’ Rebel can barely execute a clothesline. CN Redd doesn’t help matters. He looks like a trainee. He’s been wrestling for 11 years at this point. At least this has more of a tempo than the opener, but the execution is scattershot. Some of Rebel’s spots, like a knee lift, are so bad that you question how he ever got bookings.  

 

CN Redd twice fucks up the International, presumably because Rebel isn’t leapfrogging high enough, and Rebel twats him with a lariat. This is negative stars bad. It’s embarrassing. The spirited nature of the match at least engages the crowd. Rebel wins with a diving clothesline after Redd fucks up a hidden weapon spot. The manager comes in and fucks up a clothesline and they beat Rebel up.  

 

This had far more going on than the last match but way more botches. They were both so bad that if I was Joel Goodhart I would not have booked either of them again. Although, Rebel was over so I guess that’s what you have to go with. -** 

 

Taped Fist First Blood Match  

Johnny Hotbody vs. Tony Stetson 

These should be two familiar names from early ECW. They embody that early ECW style, which involves brawling around on the floor and plunder. Unlike the opener, the constant noice during this match is positive and approving. This crowd is bloodthirsty and the plunder suggests someone should be bleeding soon. This is a crowd that wants Johnny Hotbody’s head split open like a ripe melon. 

 

They do this stupid spot on the floor where they fight over control of each other’s heads and it looks like someone is going into the ring post and then they both fall over. The crowd is on it’s feet. This feels like someone is going to blade. The referee rings the bell. Huh? When they finally reappear into view, they’re both bleeding so it’s a no contest. They both got busted open at the same time. That’s not the dumbest finish I’ve ever heard of. 

I can’t get a decent screenshot because the video quality is abysmal, but you get the idea. A double gusher. This would lead to a hair vs hair match later in the year. This match had the energy you’d expect from two guys fighting in t-shirts in Philly in 1990. It was over though.  

 

Tom Pritchard vs. Cheetah Kid 

Dr Tom Pritchard is pretty well known in wrestling. You may also know him as Zip from the Bodydonnas. Cheetah Kid is “Flyboy” Rocco Rock in his original gimmick. He’s just come off a tour of New Japan where his final match was tagging with Scott Hall against Pegasus Kid (Benoit) and Punisher Dice Morgan (Undertaker). I will have to see if I can find that match for my amusement.  

The stars don’t stop there as Pritchard’s manager is none-other than Paul E. Dangerously, on a break from the NWA. The crowd actually do the sing-along to his name introduction. They soon resort to chanting that he sucks. It’s a funny moment because they’re happy he’s there, and let him know that, and then give him shit because he’s the heel. The smart mark mind virus. 

 

It’s nice to have two guys working each other who can actually wrestle. Pritchard pulls a lot of the same cheap stuff that Lewis was doing in the opener, but he just does it better. They don’t do much, but the execution is good. In particular the chops. The referee positioning, Heyman interjecting himself and so on. They take what they have and use it well. They scatter some excellent spots in there too. Cheetah Kid hits a backdrop suplex into a bridge and it looks perfect.  

 

Not everything lands and sometimes both guys are in motion and it’s tough to land the spot. However, Cheetah Kid also hits an Asai moonsault block for a near fall, which is a country mile ahead of everything else on the show, in terms of difficulty. Might this be perceived as ‘spotty’ if it was done in the WWF or NWA at the time? Perhaps, but I could also see it happening in New Japan and being fine. 

 

I also appreciate Dr Tom doing way less as the heel. Almost all the flashy spots are Cheetah Kid. Pritchard is going out of his way to make Cheetah Kid look ace. Cheetah Kid also does stuff that looks cool by himself, like missing a crossbody and going over the ropes. They do some wacky stuff around the ropes and then WHAM huuuuge dive from Cheetah Kid, which merits a slow-motion replay.  

 

The referee does his best to try and ruin it, twice half-bumping a ‘ref bump’ to the point where they have to re-do it. Paul E jumps in there, whacks Cheetah Kid with his phone and Dr Tom gets the win. If the referee hadn’t fucked this up, we could have had some serious snowflakes. As it stands, it’s a really good match, showcasing two of the best available guys on the Indies. ***½ 

 

I Quit Match 

DC Drake vs. Larry Winters 

Winters was one of the guys involved in setting up ECW. He had something like 1% of the company.  

DC Drake with his emo eyeliner is the heel, who comes out here and barks at fans for a while before we even start. These two had a stretcher match at the last TWA show. Winters comes in with a heavily taped elbow, giving DC a target. Normally, in normal promotions, this would be armbars and such. Here it means brawling all over the building and occasionally smacking his arm off a wall.  

We get a great camera shot as the roaming cameraman follows them up to the balcony, which is at a height even New Jack would not consider jumping off. If Larry takes a tumble off there his broken elbow will be the least of his concerns. It’ll be debating his life choices with St Peter. “Oh, you were a professional wrestler? I’m afraid it’s hell for you my boy”. 

 

While both these guys are not good workers, the match explores the building and wrestling as a concept in ways that makes it stand out. The style would eventually become normal during the 1990s and the likes of Bret Hart would end up doing arena covering brawls. Winters makes a comeback with a chair, and you can hear a fan yelling “you can hit him harder than that”. The soft chair shot is not popular in Philly. You’ve got to swing that sumbitch.  

DC blades from one of those lame ass chair shots. Sure, the spot looks bad, but at least he won’t get CTE. It feels like the match is about to reach a conclusion and then they brawl all over the building again. This match is 37 minutes long. It’s so long DC switches from the arm to the leg. It also has the screwiest finish of an “I Quit” match you’ll ever see. DC’s manager grabs the mic and shouts “I Quit” into it and then forces the microphone into Winters’ hand. The referee, who had been dealing DC, turns around and thinks it was Winters who quit.  

 

This is a fascinating match and a template for early ECW success stories. Brawl around the entire building and allow the fans to get close to the action. Add in blood and carnage and a huge post-match brawl involving a bunch of people from the locker room. Contrast this to everything that the WWF or NWA was doing, and you can see how it got over. I thought I’d be bored out of my mind watching this, but it really worked. **½ 

 

E-C-FUCKIN-W!  

 

Misty Blue Simmes vs. Kat LeRoux 

Both these gals previously worked for the NWA. Misty Blue was on AWA’s Wrestlerock ‘86 in the battle royal. Misty has an All-American gimmick. Despite this being the home of the Liberty Bell, I wouldn’t say this was a patriotic crowd. This is reflected in the crowd support, which is indifferent. Until Misty borrows the support of a ringside fan to abuse Kat’s groin.  

 

The match is pretty basic and a demonstration why no big American promotion was pushing women’s wrestling in 1990. The late 80s saw a big jump in the athleticism and entertainment value in men’s wrestling. This feels like a throwback to 1984. Misty wins with a running splash, which also feels outdated even though the ‘soon to be’ WWF champion was using it as a finish. Nothing to see here. 

 

Austin Idol vs. Paul Orndorff 

Idol, a 70s and 80s territory star who was mad over in Memphis, is joined by Paul E Dangerously and enters to “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns n Roses. It’s pretty crazy seeing Paul Orndorff here as he’d basically gone into retirement after Survivor Series 1987. Paul would be in WCW before the year was out, but this is before that. He gets a huge pop.  

Orndorff’s mobility and the way he moves around the ring is light years ahead of everyone on this show. Even guys like Rocco Rock and Pritchard. They didn’t have this kind of self-assurance and natural movement. This is what a pro-wrestler looks like. Idol does a lot of Memphis stuff, like hiding cheap shots and bailing to stall. When done right, and against the right fiery babyface, it’s effective. 

 

It’s also funny that the referee is out here chastising them for closed fists when there have been chair shots and shenanigans all night. Idol then grabs the microphone and demands an arm-wrestling contest. If this is all designed to cover for Orndorff’s lack of conditioning it doesn’t feel necessary. Idol then kills the match dead with chinlocks. Orndorff was clearly paying attention to what was over in this territory as he takes the fight to the floor and uses a chair. Adapt or die, baby.  

 

Speaking of which, Paul E comes off the top rope for the finish (NO, REALLY). He accidentally bashes Idol and Orndorff pins him. The match was over 20:00 and it feels like a test of Orndorff’s fitness to do that. They didn’t have 20 minutes worth of stuff, that’s for sure. Orndorff handily looked like the best worker on the show, but the match wasn’t designed to be good.  

 

I know I’m going to catch some flak for that comment, but wrestling hasn’t always been designed to be good. Matches often served other purposes. To get someone specifically over. Or to get a story over. Or to test someone’s fitness. Or to cool the crowd down between two particularly spicy matches. Or to experiment with different gimmicks, moves and styles. It’s only been in recent years that wrestling has felt the need to have matches designed to be good, regardless of their main purpose. I blame Meltzer. And myself, to be honest. It’s taken all matches having a bunch of ‘stuff’ happen in them for me to realise wrestling is a variety show at its core and for that you need different approaches. Anyway, this was fine, and served the purpose of re-introducing Mr Wonderful to an audience he’d not been in front of for two years. 

 

Post Match: Paul E tries to announce Idol as the winner and Idol is hot about Paul E’s misjudged trip to the top turnbuckle. Speaking of misjudgement; Paul E even goes to sucker punch Idol after that, and Austin beats him up for the amusement of the fans. Idol’s assault doesn’t last long as Jerry Lawler comes out to jump him. Thus, setting up a match at the next TWA show.  

 

Oh yeah, you didn’t know? Jerry Lawler who constantly said he “didn’t get ECW” and just thought it sucked, was here from day one. Hell, they cribbed a bunch of their ideas from Memphis anyway.  

 

USWA Unified Heavyweight Championship 

Jerry Lawler (c) vs. Kerry von Erich 

Kerry looks like a golden god compared to almost every other worker on the show. Lawler comes out to “Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World” by Neil Young (1989), which isn’t very kingly. The USWA belt is one of Lawler’s vanity things out of Memphis. This is Lawler’s fifth reign. He went on to hold the belt 27 times before it was retired in 1997. He claims it’s the one “true world title”. It’s not even a world title. This is a rare occasion where the belt is being defended outside of Tennessee. 

Say, that’s a nice crown. It’d be a shame if someone shat in it. Kerry is about four months off debuting for the WWF and has been working with one foot for a couple of years. He had a great match with Lawler in 1988 for AWA (****) despite the foot loss. Lawler was always great as an irritating heel, but he backed that up by taking killer bumps. They do awesome work here around closed fists and ducked clotheslines. It’s so simple but the execution is perfect.  

 

Lawler manages to get into a verbal scrap with every loudmouth around ringside during the match. Everyone who’s mouthed off at a wrestler tonight gets both barrels from the King. I can’t hear what he’s saying but every single insult gets popped, so he’s doing good work. Jerry then does stellar work hiding a chain about his person, for a concealed international object shot spot. The finish here is out of this world. Lawler, trapped in the Iron Claw, decides his best escape from it is to LIGHT KERRY’S DICK ON FIRE.  

 

Yessum. They did the old ‘fireball to the crotch’ spot. The referee, who allowed Von Erich to waffle Lawler with a chain earlier in the match, decides setting someone’s genitals on fire is where he draws the line. It’s a DQ but Lawler retains. If I was Joel Goodhart, I’d be a wee bit disappointed in the match because it’s nowhere near as good as the AWA match, but it does have a better finish. Let’s call it *** 

 

Steel Cage Match 

Tully Blanchard vs. Bam Bam Bigelow 

No expenses spared here. I can’t imagine there’s many Indies guys at the time with a higher fee than Bigelow and Tully. The latter is greeted as a conquering hero, based on his killer time in the NWA and the Brainbusters run. It’s kinda nuts he’s even allowed on the Indies, given his ability and recent history. Bigelow, curiously, is working heel. 

This heel-face alignment seems designed to allow the smaller Tully to fight from underneath, but it just feels wrong. Blanchard has never been a good babyface and Bigelow is far better as a face. It doesn’t help that the entire night has had carnage and craziness, and this match is just two guys working mainstream style in a cage. It’s painfully sluggish and never gets going. 

 

They do a bizarre Tully switch in mid-match where he punches Bigelow in the nuts and starts working clear heel. Obviously fed up with the lack of reactions his babyface work was getting. A staple of ECW was a lack of faces and heels in the conventional sense and guys just were a personality and the crowd cheered who they liked. It’s a simplification, of course, and they still had faces and heels.  

 

We get another shitty ref bump in a night of them. Then another one. At least these looked borderline competent. Bigelow, the heel, gets a clear visual pin with the ref down. I’m fairly certain they pulled a double turn in mid-match. Otherwise, make it make sense? Tully then climbs out and wins. I did not enjoy this. Generally, cage matches need a) beef and b) blood. This had neither. It just wasn’t very good. **¼  

 

The 411: 

This was certainly an experience. The show starts with the kind of crap you’d routinely see on early ECW cards. Only it was lacking the kind of mayhem and carnage you’d normally associate with the promotion. Business picked up with the Pritchard-Cheetah Kid match, which was very good and ahead of its time and was only hampered by a dreadful referee bump. Technically four referee bumps. 

 

The DC Drake vs Larry Winters match is classic ECW. Taking two guys with limited abilities and having them do a crazy match with all kinds of wacky bullshit in it. It was good fun, and a clear difference between this and a mainstream show. The last three matches all had big star names in them, which isn’t always a winner at this level.  

 

Lawler-von Erich was the best match of the three, followed by Orndorff-Idol. The main event was particularly disappointing and disjointed. The heel-face alignment was simply wrong, and the match structure didn’t work. You can see Joel Goodhart went big on these shows and that clearly helped get them a buzz. You don’t draw 2000 people out of nowhere like this. I’m excited to see the promotion grow into ECW and witness as everything develops alongside the mainstream promotions, which go increasingly child friendly in the early 90s.