Author: John Moorehouse

Freelance writer and editor based out of Kingsport, TN.

Review the Kraken: Episodes 19-22

Review the Kraken: Episodes 19-22

As WWE heads into WrestleMania weekend, the question is, is it possible for a casual fan to remain engaged? The biggest wrestling event of the year has swollen to become a two-night show with 14 to 15 matches, spanning seven to eight hours for the matches (and entrances) themselves, and several more hours for the pre-show gab-fest and post-show press conferences. The two-night concept is growing; SummerSlam will be split over two days this year as well and the Royal Rumble might be next in 2027.

My point is this. Casual fans can carve out one night every few months to get together and watch a three- or four-hour wrestling show. Two nights in the same weekend is a much bigger ask.

Meanwhile, I can fire up an episode of Kraken Pro Wrestling with my morning coffee and protein bar and be done by the time it’s time to walk my incredibly needy Shepherd mix.

Just saying.

I’m shaking up the format this time and looking at each episode individually. Kraken definitely appeared to turn a corner with the previous set of episodes — this set of matches is filmed in a former venue but with a significantly larger and more engaged crowd. Good growth but with higher quality come higher expectations.

Episode 19

Kody Madden and Donnie Harris return on commentary and they jell much better in this set of episodes. Harris is also now the interim general manager, as Robert Vien apparently returned to his home planet. There’s a short segment backstage where Harris establishes that aspiring challengers for the Kraken Title now have to beat Dominic Stuckey, the newest member of The Business, to earn a three-minute match with Business manager and current champion Justin Kayse. Stuckey appears to have jumped right to the top of the pecking order in The Business.

With Harris now the on-screen authority figure but still on commentary, I immediately wondered how this would work with rule breaking right in front of the boss, having been in a similar storyline conundrum myself many years ago for a promotion here in East Tennessee. Harris covers this beautifully after the very first match when ERC scores a crooked victory over Josh Breezyy by explaining that, while he is the general manager, the assigned referee has total and final authority inside the ropes during any match. Meanwhile, I liked the throwback structure that focused ERC’s attack on the knee of Breezyy, who also deserves an atta boy for some very fine selling. An extra tip of the cap to Donnie for using the word “fulcrum” on commentary.

Brother Azriel and Kevin Kantrell headline this episode and produce one of my favorite Kraken matches to this point. Kantrell actually isn’t undefeated — he lost in the second episode of Kraken TV in a forgettable match — but he is on a solid winning streak that continues against the super heavyweight Azriel, who has yet to score that breakthrough victory in a Kraken ring. Kantrell’s offense works well against opponents of any size — especially the leaping double stomp to the shoulder of a seated opponent — and he finishes yet another foe with his cross face hold.

Moving on!

Episode 20

The Cash In Cash Out Scramble returns and no winner in the past few scrambles means the pot continues to grow. The participants include Jak Myles, who has been a fixture in these matches since the concept was first introduced and has yet to win the pot; and Lamar Diggs and Jay 2 Strong from The Business. The match itself is pretty skippable but the finish and post-match are a fine piece of wrestling storytelling. Jak finally scores a win in the scramble, but The Business attacks him after the bell and steals the envelope of cash. The bait and switch reminded me, in a good way, of an angle they did in the Memphis territory way back in 1980 when a very young Koko Ware, a bottom-of-the-card wrestler at the time, won a battle royal to win a TV set and Jimmy Valiant smashed it.

After losing to Stuckey in the last taping in what stands as the best match I’ve seen yet in Kraken, Trever Aeon picks up a win against the debuting (on TV, at least) Brandon Whatley. I’ve seen Whatley before a few times and I like his martial-arts based style and how he uses it in a unique way in his matches. This is a good back-and-forth contest until Whatley, for some reason, grabs his nunchuks out of the corner right in front of the referee and eats Aeon’s finisher.

Episode 21

Rose Gold gets a second straight win. Her opponent this time is CT Entertainment and I especiallyed enjoy him yanking on her long hair as the turning point to take control. Rose is an interesting case because she’s equal to or even bigger than some of the male wrestlers on the roster. I definitely see her becoming a potential draw as time passes.

The main event is a tag match pitting All Star Special against Noir in their second head-to-head match in Kraken. The match goes to a time-limit draw, which is fine in concept but really telegraphed here. Time limits have barely been discussed previously in the entire Kraken history.; then the commentary team keeps talking about the time limit throughout the match.

Episode 22

Let me call your attention to the best episode yet of Kraken’s YouTube TV program.

The H-Town Hittas are back and win yet another squash match but this one has some extra spice courtesy of one of the opponents, Travis Ray, who shows some significant fight and knocks one of the Hittas down — something thus far unprecedented in Kraken. The Hittas proceed to win the match fairly quickly after that but I liked this twist to their usual match formula.

The main events of Kraken tapings have been consistent highlights and this bout between Dominic Stuckey and Trey Shaw continues the trend. This is just Stuckey’s second match in Kraken but he impresses me greatly and might be my favorite guy to watch on the entire roster. He’s definitely in the running for that. I especially like how much of what he does has a feeling of authenticity to it. We’ve all seen matches with early chain wrestling that feels more like cooperation than competition, with wrestlers standing there and waiting to have their opponent make a reversal and grab a hold. Stuckey’s first two Kraken matches have none of that. Little moments like when he scrubs his elbow across Shaw’s ear to escape then reverse a hold just enhance what’s happening inside the ropes. Stuckey knows how to work as a heel as well, stalling early and at one point ordering his manager Kayse to silence the crowd. It helps that the Kraken audience appears fully bought in and minimally jaded. The fans go dead silent when Stuckey counters Shaw and hits an Ushigaroshi and there’s a fantastic near-finish at the end when Stuckey’s hand grabs the bottom rope at the very last millisecond, and only after a distraction by Kayse — who is evolving as a troublesome mouthpiece — delayed the pin count by Shaw.

Let’s not diminish the contributions of Shaw in this match either. He’s probably one of the more popular wrestlers in Kraken at this juncture and brings his own convincing, authentic style to matches. His finisher is established as one of the most definitive in Kraken — status helped along greatly by the commentators on this match — and he has a couple of fantastic transitions in this match: catching Stuckey coming off the corner ropes and flattening him with a power slam, then getting his knees up on an attempted top-rope elbow by Stuckey that looked altogether gruesome for both competitors.

The match itself breaks down when Aeon, seeking revenge for what happened in his match with Stuckey, storms the ring and attacks. The locker room eventually empties for a brawl involving the entire roster of wrestlers on the taping, a trope that is always good for some entertaining chaos as long as it isn’t overdone, and this is the first time it happens in Kraken. We also get our first clffhangar finish, as Harris suspends both Aeon (for ruining the end of the match) and Myles (for attacking The Business with his janitor broom) for their actions during the brawl.

You’ll get more out of it with the context from prior episodes, but this 22nd installment of Kraken TV is 30-minute chunk of wrestling TV that is well worth your time. It’s also a fine introduction to the Kraken promotion if you’ve not been watching along with me so far.

f you would like to check in other entries in the Review The Kraken series, here is a master index.

Looking for something more retro? I’m also working on Mat Quest, a chronological viewing guide to the WWE archive on Peacock.

You can watch all four episodes here:

Review the Kraken: Episodes 15-18

Review the Kraken: Episodes 15-18

I’ve always had a preference for watching full wrestling events, as opposed to a match here and there from different places. I’m of the belief that, while each match tells a story on its own, that match is also part of the greater story of the entire card. And, like any narrative, there needs to be peaks and valleys, all culminating with the final match on the card. A well-booked card should build to the main event.

Kraken Pro Wrestling does a very good job of following this philosophy. In fact, the main event has been the best of the bunch at each of the last two tapings. That trend continued here with “ThunderSlam.” Not only is the main event between Trever Aeon and Dominic Stuckey the standout of this set of episodes, but it’s also the best match yet in the brief history of Kraken.

From the opening bell, matters take a unique path. The two wrestlers lock up in a collar and elbow, and there’s a real sense of intensity and struggle to a hold that often looks routine or mundane. The intensity builds from there. Kraken gave a first glimpse of Stuckey in a promo filmed in the locker room (captured in the featured image above). Stuckey was a smooth talker there and shows similar fluidity inside the ropes. He focuses his offense on the lower back of Aeon in a nice bit of psychology.

The finish comes with a twist when The Business run out ostensibly to interfere. Earlier in this set of episodes, Stuckey and Aeon join forces and run out to stop Lamar Diggs and Jay 2 Strong from continuing a post-match attack on All Star Special. Now, as Diggs and Jay appear again, Stuckey and Aeon again go back to back, only for Stuckey to waylay a distracted Aeon and set up the tainted victory. Stuckey then joins The Business, fortifying the ranks of the top heel stable in Kraken.

The Aeon-Stuckey match certainly is not the only highlight. We’re also treated to a Kevin Kantrell vs. Trey Shaw match on Episode 15. Shaw hasn’t been seen since the Kraken Classic and takes on Kantrell, who’s been established through past matches as a rugged submission expert. These two put on a good, solid, hard-hitting match. The crowd (more on them in a bit) is extremely into Shaw, and what seems like a victory for “The Ripper” turns on a dime when Kantrell ensnares Shaw in a cross face and secures yet another submission victory. The best finishers can be applied to anyone of any size and Kantrell’s cross face hold has been established as a hold that can end any match at any time.

One other act that jumped out from this set of tapings? The Saturday Night Temptations, a new-to-Kraken tag team of CJ Shine and Karl Hager. They headline Episode 17 against Brother Azriel and Travis Ray. Shine and Hager have had previous Kraken matches but this is their first as a team and, full disclosure, a short promo by the duo earlier in the episode left me wanting to see them get obliterated. In front of the live crowd, however, the Temptations flourished. The ensuing tag match is heavy on schtick but ratchets up the athleticism late; there’s a very fine hot tag by Shine and the crowd loves them. Shine and Hager both came off rather anonymous in singles action but blend very well in a tag setting. As for the match itself, we get a little extra spice after the final bell when Azriel and Ray’s newfound team quickly ends in violence.

From top to bottom, this was the most enjoyable set of episodes yet produced by Kraken. A change in venue seemed to help. The live crowd for these four episodes is the largest yet and definitely the most raucous. That atmosphere elevates the entire taping.

Some other observations …

  • Episode 16 is headlined by a good, solid tag match pitting All Star Special against Diggs and Jay from The Business. I especially liked some of the double-team moves that The Business use.
  • That episode also includes the Kraken debut of Rose Gold, our first female competitor in the promotion. Gold is quite tall (with a billed height of 6-foot-2!) so she can hold her own physically against the males on the roster and does so with relative ease against Edward Draven.
  • After losing to Kantrell at the last Kraken taping, Charlie Kills scores a solid bounce back win against ERC, who seems to be positioned as an enhancement talent at this point.
  • Kody Madden is back on commentary and joined by Donnie Harris, who had the lead role at the prior taping. This pairing improves over the course of the taping — it can be tough not to step on one another when two commentators who are used to play by play have to share the microphone.
  • There’s a weird bit of booking in Episode 17, when Travis Ray steps up as the mystery opponent to face — and get flattened by — Ehren Black and then Ray teams with Azriel to face the Temptations in the same episode. Credit the management for filming a quick segment with Madden and Harris at the start of Episode 18 to close that potential plot hole.

f you would like to check in other entries in the Review The Kraken series, here is a master index.

Looking for something more retro? I’m also working on Mat Quest, a chronological viewing guide to the WWE archive on Peacock.

One note as this edition wraps up… Unfortunately, life these past few weeks has made it difficult to find time to watch wrestling, much less write about it. I am hoping for calmer times — and more opportunities to indulge in one of my favorite hobbies — going forward.

You can watch all four episodes here:

Mat Quest, Chapter 6: Late 1976

Mat Quest, Chapter 6: Late 1976

Mat Quest is a chronological viewing guide to the WWE archive on Peacock. Jump in and follow along with us! In this installment, we clear off another year of footage… with many more years and a mind-boggling amount of footage still to go. I continue to wonder about the future access of this archive. WWE has been rather active putting content on YouTube as of late, both through its pre-existing Vault channel and new channels for NXT and WCW. There’s also a healthy helping of back episodes of NXT now available through Tubi.

What does that mean for the future of the agreement with Peacock, which currently is set to expire about a year from now?

Not the foggiest idea.

No time to speculate, friends… we’ve got a lot of footage to get to still, so let’s get to it as we wrap up 1976. Before we dive into the Peacock content from the latter half of 1976, though, a quick detour is in order.

Get ready for the first “side quest” in the viewing guide.

Bruno Sammartino defends the WWWF Heavyweight Title vs. Stan Hansen, 4/26/76 – Standout

I dipped into the private cache for this one, first because it involved an all-time favorite in Hansen; and also because it sets up the main event for the August 1976 event at Madison Square Garden. A young Hansen, looking rather unlike himself with his shaggy mop of blond hair, challenges the beloved Sammartino for the title. The historic value here is high because Sammartino legitimately breaks his neck during the match, the first step in a series of events that eventually leads to him dropping the title because he can no longer maintain the required schedule. What available footage we have joins the match in progress and the crowd is pipin’ hot for the action. Hansen is using a “loaded” elbow pad during this WWWF run and uses said pad to lariat Bruno in the face. Sammartino bleeds buckets and the referee stops the match. This is pretty action-packed by the standards of the time and definitely worth watching if you can find it.

MSG, 8/7/76

GREAT

Cage Match: Bruno Sammartino defends the WWWF Heavyweight Title vs. Stan Hansen

More than 22,000 fans packed the Garden for this event, headlined by Bruno getting his revenge against Hansen, who received storyline credit for breaking the neck of the champion. The fans are so eager for this one that a mere mention that the cage match is next sends a ripple of excitement through the crowd prior to the introductions for a real snoozer of a bout between Victor Rivera and Baron Mikel Scicluna.

This version of the cage match is where escape is the only way to win, and it was a pretty standard way for Bruno to blow off a feud during his salad days; the other was a Texas Death Match, like his battle with Spiros Arion from the prior year. Bruno is at his best when he is full of fire and throwing punches and kicks in bunches at his opponent, and this match has plenty of that. The packed crowd goes wild at his opening salvo and maintains that energy. Sammartino dominates this match, and Hansen’s strategy seems to be to try and run away and get out of the cage before Bruno can stop him. It’s the type of structure that, if it was used today, probably would provoke podcast hot takes and lengthy written diatribes about how Hansen got “buried.” Any changes to the way the match played out would have distracted from Bruno’s violent retribution, and the crowd’s shared schadenfreude in the pummeling of the burly challenger from Texas. After using Hansen’s own loaded elbow pad to beat him to a bloody pulp, Bruno tosses the gimmicked object to the mat with disdain and calmly walks out of the cage like a boss — after getting a couple extra shots in for good measure, of course. Once exited, Bruno casually heads right back up the aisle like he’s got somewhere better to be.

It’s also worth noting that Hansen emerges from his time in WWWF using the supposed loaded elbow pad by using an incredibly stiff lariat that knocked the dogshit out of hundreds of wrestlers in the ensuing quarter century or so he remained active.

Worth Watching

2/3 Falls: The Executioners defend the WWWF Tag Titles vs. Dominic DeNucci and Jose Gonzales

This card is basically built around that one match, as most of the other offerings are too short to be memorable (much less good) but this is a solid tag bout. As mentioned in our last installment, the Executioners are a towering duo of masked men and the rulebreaking champions du jour in the stable of Lou Albano, following in the footsteps of duos like the Valiant Brothers and the Blackjacks. Killer Kowalski and John Studd are underneath those hoods. The challengers include Gonzales, who gains greater fame in his native Puerto Rico as Invader #1 and then permanent notoriety for stabbing Bruiser Brody to death in a locker room in Puerto Rico in 1987.

This is pretty paint by numbers at times, but the crowd is engaged and elevates what’s happening in the ring. When DeNucci and Gonzales tie the match at one fall apiece, the fans erupt. Gonzales has a good showing of himself and I enjoyed some of the little touches; in the third fall, Kowalski sells the attrition of the rather lengthy match by being to fatigued to climb the ropes in his corner.

Kevin Sullivan vs. Bruiser Brody

The Madison Square Garden debut for Brody, who makes quick work of Sullivan in less than five minutes. This is noteworthy for the historic value, and if you just enjoy watching Sullivan continue to work his later established type as the blandest of fan favorites.

MSG, 10/25/76

Standout

Special Referee Gorilla Monsoon: Ivan Putski vs. Stan Hansen

Hansen definitely is a highlight of the available 1976 catalog from WWWF. He stands out through his appearance, his willingness to make things appear snug, and a general rugged offense that is quite different from the typical wrestler on this roster in this time. Here he takes on the beloved Putski, who usually produces pretty skippable matches. Not so here, as from the moment he steps through the ropes, Putski comes at Hansen with fists-a-flyin’ in a red hot start. These two don’t overstay their welcome and engage in a pretty high-energy brawl with a couple of holds worked into the mix. Bonus points for Gorilla Monsoon, who continues to show surprising spryness for a man of his heft and height, sliding into position to make three counts or check submissions like he’s the size of Mark Curtis and not a super heavyweight.

Good

3/5 Falls: Andre the Giant, Chief Jay Strongbow & Billy White Wolf vs. Bruiser Brody & The Executioners

Sit back, fire up your streaming device of choice and feast your eyes on what is believed to be the only existing footage of a match that pits Andre the Giant against Bruiser Brody. That alone would qualify this match for the Worth Watching tier, but the ensuing bout is pretty damn solid. With six wrestlers involved, there are enough moving pieces to keep things interesting. Highlights include a very fun hot tag by Andre in the first fall and cleaning house in the fourth and decisive fall. Watching a nimble Andre in his prime wreck shop is a treat and also a testament to his sad decline as age and his condition caught up to him. Meanwhile, all of the interactions between Andre and Brody feel solid, likely in part because these are the only ones we have to review. I definitely recommend seeking out this one.

Jose Gonzales vs. Tor Kamata

Gonzales eats a pretty quick loss in a match designed to position Kamata as the new dangerous rulebreaker in town. Vince McMahon touts Kamata as “undefeated and untested”. He provokes the crowd well with an exaggerated and prolonged pre-match salt ceremony. Once the bell rings, he has some good facial expressions and, despite lumbering at times, good explosion on strikes to both take control and win. I probably liked this more than most would.

Other Stuff

If you are a Bruno Sammartino completist, he defends against Nikolai Volkoff as part of this same card but the match is such a slog I cannot recommend it.

MSG, 11/22/76

Once again stepping into the set of compilations released on Peacock to pluck something from the archive, as Bobo Brazil faces Bruiser Brody. The biggest positive to this is that it provides more rare footage of Brody in the WWF. The match itself is downright boring and when the bell rings to signal a time-limit draw, I was honestly pretty glad it was over.

LINEUP & SUMMARY 

MSG, 8/7/76

Johnny Rivera vs. Jose Cadiz
SD Jones vs. Johnny Rodz
WWWF Tag Titles-2/3 Falls: The Executioners (Ch) vs. Dominic DeNucci & Jose Gonzales – Worth Watching
Kevin Sullivan vs. Bruiser Brody (w/ The Grand Wizard) – Worth Watching
Chief Jay Strongbow & Billy White Wolf vs. Baron Mikel Scicluna & Rocky Tomayo
WWWF Hvwt Title-Cage Match: Bruno Sammartino defends vs. Stan Hansen – Great
Bobo Brazil vs. Gashouse Gilbert
Ivan Putski vs. Skandor Akbar

MSG, 10/25/76

Manuel Soto vs. Johnny Rodz
Bobo Brazil vs. Gashouse Doug Gilbert
Jose Gonzales vs. Tor Kamata – Good
Special Referee Gorilla Monsoon: Ivan Putski vs. Stan Hansen – Standout
WWWF Hvwt Title-Bruno Sammartino (w/ Arnold Skaaland) defends vs. Nikolai Volkoff (w/ Lou Albano)
Victor Rivera vs. Baron Mikel Scicluna
3/5 Falls: Andre the Giant, Chief Jay Strongbow & Billy White Wolf vs. Bruiser Brody & The Executioners – Good  

UP NEXT

We jump ahead to the summer of 1977, and a new Heavyweight Champion.

MISS AN ENTRY?

Here is the full index of entries in the Mat Quest viewer guide.

WANT SOMETHING MORE CURRENT?

Check out the “Review the Kraken” series.

Review the Kraken: Episodes 12-14

Review the Kraken: Episodes 12-14

Before diving into this installment, I want to take a moment to praise the camera shot in the featured image. The close-up of Lamar Diggs putting a hold on Will Huckaby is fine, but framing the shot to include the boy and his reactions from ringside takes it to the next level.

With that, let’s take a look at Episodes 12-14 of Kraken TV, which comprise the third taping by Kraken Pro Wrestling, an independent promotion in South Georgia.

Lamar Diggs was absent from the last set of episodes and he returns in a big way here. He shines as the MVP of the taping. He is the very first wrestler you see in Episode 12, laying waste to a couple of poor unfortunate souls who make the mistake of being in his path on the way into the building. In the next episode, he and his cohort Jay 2 Strong enthusiastically clubber all four participants in the Cash In, Cash Out Scramble (much more on this match and this attack later…)

And then Diggs headlines Episode 14, and the taping, going against Will Huckaby in a very good match. It might be the best match yet in all of the Kraken I have watched, and one of the longest as well. The Youtube description for the episode tabs this as a “hoss fight” and it definitely delivers on that end. Diggs and Huckaby brawl all around the ringside area as well, something else that has been otherwise unseen on Kraken. Back in the ring, there are some fine false finishes — a pleasant habit in Kraken main events — before Diggs heads to the top and attempts a swanton. The leap is impressive, although it ends in a nasty-looking landing. Things break down, culminating in interference by manager Justin Kayse and Jay, then Huck’s partner Hold My Beer Hanson to counter, before the H-Town Hittas get involved as well. It all adds up to a tasty dish of pro wrestling.

The positioning of Kayse is unusual. Here we have a manager who also is the Kraken Champion. Kayse has yet to take a punch or a bump, and the tension is building for that to happen. Hanson gets his hands on Kayse during the shenanigans at the end of the main event, only for Jay to make the save. When Kayse finally does get hit, the live crowd is going to love it. And, that moment can be separate for his inevitable comeuppance where he eventually loses the title. It’s a level of effective slow burn that is hard to pull off, but it’s working.

The Cash In, Cash Out Scramble continues to develop as a fun concept. Participating wrestlers put in their pay for the night in a six-minute winner-takes-all match. If there is no winner, that money rolls over to the next scramble. The matches have been better since they whittled down from six wrestlers to four. Production has improved, too. The six-minute countdown clock is easier to read and now includes the dollar total on the line. They’re building a solid story around Jak Myles who has been in every scramble so far and yet to win one. This scramble breaks down when The Business interfere and wipe out all four competitors. It’s a good bit of bad-guy business — no pun intended — but when Diggs and Jay begin their attack, Justin Kayse gets the attention of the referee while the beatdown happens behind the official’s back. Then, the referee turns around, sees what is happening and does nothing to stop it because… scramble rules don’t end matches on a DQ or countout? The extended distraction just makes the referee look clueless — not to mention hearing impaired.

A few other observations from these three episodes:

  • Myles was the referee for the main event for Episode 14, continuing a trend from the Jay 2 Strong vs. Brother Azriel match on Episode 11. After Myles falls short in the scramble, he picks up a refereeing assignment to replace the lost extra cash. He’s doing the wrestling ancestors proud as he comes out to officiate Diggs vs. Huckaby, still favoring his ribs after the attack at the end of the scramble.
  • There’s a new commentary team for these episodes. Donnie Harris, Jr., joins Diamond Duke at the table. Harris also handles the ring announcer duties. They work well for the most part but actually detracted, for me, from the Brother Azriel vs. CJ Shine match on Episode 13. Azriel and CJ have a solid if unspectacular match and Azriel gets a win back after nearly defeating Jay 2 Strong. However, the commentators — Diamond Duke in particular — keeps babbling about how great the match is. Having done that work, I understand hype is part of the deal when you’re on commentary, but there’s a difference between building up what’s happening on the ring and going so over the top that it contradicts what you can see with your eyes.
  • Mr. Wright and his wife — you guessed it, she is Mrs. Wright — is featured in two of the three episodes. He has a forgettable match with Eddie Honcho in Episode 12 but the interview segment with Diamond Duke on Episode 13 is much more effective in establishing him as a heel character.
  • The H-Town Hittas work fast and win another squash that, if you blink, you might miss it. What’s interesting here is that the opposing team includes ERC, who had a competitive match at the last taping but gets completely obliterated here.

The big takeaway is that Kraken is growing. Each taping has taken place in front of a crowd that is bigger than the last one, and more responsive as well. It’s been a fun ride so far.

If you would like to check in other entries in the Review The Kraken series, here is a master index.

Looking for something more retro? I’m also working on Mat Quest, a chronological viewing guide to the WWE archive on Peacock.

You can watch all three episodes here:

Review the Kraken: Full Index

Review the Kraken: Full Index

A full list of entries in the “Review the Kraken” series, which takes a look at the Kraken Pro Wrestling TV show on Youtube.

The Kraken Classic (Episodes 1 – 8)
Episodes 9 – 11
Episodes 12 – 14
Episodes 15 – 18
Episodes 19 – 22
Episodes 23 – 26, featuring comments from booker Will Huckaby
Episodes 27 – 30, and 2024 Review
Episodes 31 – 34
Episodes 35 – 38
Episodes 39 – 43
Episodes 44 – 47
Episodes 48-49 (first half of Kraken Classic)

Mat Quest, Chapter 5: Spring 1976

Mat Quest, Chapter 5: Spring 1976

Mat Quest is a chronological viewing guide to the WWE archive on Peacock. Jump in and follow along with us!

If you have been following along to this point and your familiarity with WWE is restricted to their current television, you probably have experienced some degree of culture shock. Today, the top stars in WWE make regular appearances on TV and nearly every episode of Raw and SmackDown features competitive, hard-hitting matches. Things were, as you can imagine, quite different in the 1970s, and not just because Vince McMahon, Sr., was still the promoter. Top stars appear rarely on TV and many of the matches are one-sided squashes. These two trends continue well into the 1980s; I can remember as a kid that it was a big deal anytime Hulk Hogan had a match on free TV.

But I digress…

Watching these episodes can be a slog at times but there are still some matches and segments that grab your attention. Here’s what stood out from the available offerings in the spring of 1976.

All Star Wrestling, 3/6/76

Stan Hansen vs. Bobby Schaeffer – Worth Watching 

Hansen is back and still on the warpath. His jobber victim this week, Schaeffer, sells everything that Hansen does to him like it was death itself. This also marks the debut of Hansen using the lariat in WWWF. Hansen is just 26 years old here but he already shows the hard hitting and rugged in-ring style that made him a top talent in two continents. Hansen has an intensity and a violence to him here that is noticeably absent from the typical WWWF wrestler at this time.

Billy White Wolf vs. Skandor Akbar – Take it or Leave it

You might know White Wolf better as General Adnan, an Arabic Sheik character that had runs in both the AWA and WWF, the latter during Sgt. Slaughter’s Iraqi turncoat phase. White Wolf is actually from Iraq originally where he went to school with Saddam Hussein. Yes, that Saddam Hussein. Akbar is better known for his runs as a manager in Mid-South and World Class. There isn’t much to this match but you may find it interesting to see two guys who earned more renown as managers facing off in the squared circle.

All Star Wrestling, 3/20/76

Kevin Sullivan vs. Crusher Blackwell – Good

Competitive matches were rare on All Star Wrestling but they did happen. Case in point: this match between Sullivan and Blackwell. Sullivan is still about as bland a babyface as you can find, and far afield from the heel character he would take on just a few years later in Florida. The finish here is strange; the time limit expires but the referee awards Sullivan the win anyway. Odd, but the crowd doesn’t care and Sullivan celebrates like he just achieved a milestone victory.

Bobo Brazil vs. Bugsy McGraw (w/ The Grand Wizard & Ernie Ladd) – Worth Watching

Ladd is in Bugsy’s corner for some reason, which suggests shenanigans are afoot. Bugsy has been one of the highlights of this 1970s WWWF run for me, but what ensues here is more angle than match as Ladd jumps in and attacks Bobo after just a couple of minutes of action. Ladd once again summons Redd Foxx with his exaggerated sells of every strike, this time from Bobo, and the babyface locker room empties to provide reinforcements.

The Executioners vs. Pat Barrett & Johnny Rivera – Take it or Leave it

In the March 6 episode, Captain Lou Albano does an interview and hypes bringing in a new team that will become his fourth to win the tag titles. Their actual debut, in the March 13 episode, is not available so this is the first look at The Executioners. Who are these masked men? Killer Kowalski and a very young, rather lean John Studd. One interesting note; Barrett was one half of the tag champs less than a year ago but he gets treated as glorified enhancement talent here.

Andre the Giant vs. Ernie Ladd, MSG, 4/26/76 – Worth Watching

This is the first match featured in the Andre the Giant episode of Best of WWE on Peacock. Emanating from Madison Square Garden on April 26, what ensues in this battle of the big men cannot be called a good match but it succeeds as a spectacle. The pace is about as ponderous as you would expect; nevertheless, this is Andre at arguably the peak of his physical prowess. Ladd spends most of the match either running from Andre or languishing from clubbering blows or whatever hold Andre chooses to apply. Ladd uses the taped thumb to gain control then, in a twist, Andre uses the thumb against The Big Cat to the delight of the Garden crowd. It’s not long after that that Ladd decides he has had enough and retreats to the dressing room.

LINEUP & SUMMARY 

All Star Wrestling, 3/6/76

Crusher Blackwell vs. Al Williams
Bobo Brazil vs. Johnny Rodz
Vince McMahon interviews Lou Albano & Freddie Blassie
Stan Hansen (w/ Freddie Blassie) vs. Bobby Schaeffer – Worth Watching
Pete Sanchez vs. Johnny Rivera
Billy White Wolf vs. Skandor Akbar (w/ Freddie Blassie) – Take it or Leave it

All Star Wrestling, 3/20/76

Pat Barrett & Johnny Rivera vs. The Executioners (w/ Lou Albano) – Take it or Leave it
Frank Williams vs. Johnny Rodz
Vince McMahon interviews Louis Cerdan & Tony Parisi
Pete Sanchez vs. Skandor Akbar (w/ Freddie Blassie)
Kevin Sullivan vs. Crusher Blackwell – Good
Bobo Brazil vs. Bugsy McGraw (w/ The Grand Wizard & Ernie Ladd) – Worth Watching

UP NEXT

A personal favorite feud of mine enters the spotlight as we wrap up 1976 with a pair of cards from Madison Square Garden.

MISS AN ENTRY?

Here is the full index of entries in the Mat Quest viewer guide.

Mat Quest, Chapter 4: February 1976

Mat Quest, Chapter 4: February 1976

Mat Quest is a chronological viewing guide to the WWE archive on Peacock. Jump in and follow along with us!

The WWE archive currently is on Peacock and speculation persists as to whether rights to the library will shift elsewhere (my guess is Netflix) once the current deal with Peacock expires in 2026. And then will that leave us? Watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Homicide: LIfe on the Street on loop?

Wait… That wouldn’t be bad…

Anyway there is lots of wrestling still to watch. Let’s get to it…

Gorilla Monsoon vs. Ernie Ladd, 1/12/76 – Worth Watching

We begin this installment by jumping back to January for a battle of the big men that slipped between the cracks. WWE has snuck in some older matches on compilation shows on Peacock that are not available anywhere else on streaming. This is one of them and can be found as part of the Black History Collection that debuted in 2024. What ensues feels like more of an angle than a match and serves to establish Ladd as a formidable foe willing to bend and break every rule there is. Ladd gets plenty of mileage out of his dreaded taped thumb and wins by stoppage after Gorilla is turned into a bloody mess.

Gorilla Monsoon gets plenty of red on himself in this battle with Ernie Ladd from January 12, 1976, at Madison Square Garden.

Madison Square Garden, 2/2/76

Kevin Sullivan vs. Spiros Arion – Take It or Leave It

Arion went from challenging Bruno for most of 1975 to, a year later, facing the young upstart Sullivan in an otherwise unannounced match. Sullivan as a clean cut babyface is still jarring but not quite as jarring as busting out a monkey flip! The finish comes abruptly and just as the match appears to be hitting its next gear. Check it out if you want to see Sullivan working very against what he is known for in wrestling.

Dominic DeNucci vs. Ernie Ladd – Worth Watching

Wrestling is like all art forms, in that what is old eventually becomes new again. These Ladd bouts from the mid 1970s serve as a master class for current wrestlers who want to learn heel tactics. He has a tour de force of rulebreaking here: complaining to the referee about his lack of preparation time, then selling every strike from DeNucci in exaggerated anguish. Later he begs off, calls timeout, flashes a peace sign and extends a handshake to his opponent. After using that dreaded taped thumb to gain control, he caps off a masterful performance by blowing kisses to the fans as his hand gets raised.

Ivan Putski vs. Ivan Koloff – Worth Watching 

As far as I have found, this is the only matchup between the two Ivans where the footage has survived here nearly 50 years later. Nothing to write home about in the action but the novelty is there and Putski is remarkably over with the Garden crowd.

WWWF Heavyweight Title-Bruno Sammartino defends vs. Superstar Billy Graham – Great

Lo and behold, the first truly great match yet in our chronological viewer guide has appeared. This is a rematch from a battle between these two from the prior month in the Garden. That bout is available elsewhere online and sees Graham score a controversial countout victory. I have watched that match and the intensity in this rematch is much higher, both between the wrestlers and among the crowd. Bruno and Superstar Graham have fantastic chemistry and it shows here. Bruno also gives Graham much more offense than the other challengers we have watched to date. Even when the champion bloodies Superstar and the match eventually is stopped, Graham is still ready and wants to keep fighting. The entire thing is a spectacle that leaves you wanting to see more.

2/3 Falls: Bobo Brazil & Tony Parisi vs. Crusher Blackwell & Bugsy McGraw – Take It or Leave It 

Bobo was one of the first Black stars in pro wrestling. He fills in here with Parisi when the other half of the tag champs, Louis Cerdan, got held up due to travel issues. Bobo has about a quarter-century of experience in the ring by 1976 and the miles are showing in most of his matches I have seen. You might want to check this out for the novelty of the pairings, and the finish isn’t too shabby, either. However, if you are trying to watch quickly this one can easily be skipped. I leave the choice up to you.

All Star Wrestling, 2/28/76

Bobo Brazil vs. Hans Schroeder – Watch the Post-Match

Bobo is the WWWF U.S. Champ but the title is not on the line for this middling encounter. Things get interesting right after the bell as Captain Lou Albano jumps in from ringside and attacks Bobo in concert with Hans. Midcard heels come in from the locker room and also get involved. It all culminates when Bobo gets his hands on Albano and delivers his Cocoa Butt headbutt, which Captain Lou sells as if he has been electrocuted to the delight of the live audience

Vince McMahon interviews The Grand Wizard & Bugsy McGraw – Good

I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of this. The Wizard goes first and does a fine job building up his man. Bugsy gets a turn to talk and brings it home with some delightfully creepy observations about pain and pleasure. I think I prefer this incarnation of Bugsy to the silly babyface midcarder in World Class several years later.

Stan Hansen (w/ Freddie Blassie) vs. Johnny Rivera – Worth Watching

Hansen makes his debut for the company here and makes short work of Rivera. He needs less than two minutes — one minute and 47 seconds to be precise — to finish off his foe. This is where the build starts for Hansen to challenge Bruno Sammartino, which is a story I am eager to see unfold.

LINEUP & SUMMARY 

Madison Square Garden, 2/2/76

Pete Sanchez vs. Frank Monte
Francisco Flores vs. Louis Cyr
Kevin Sullivan vs. Spiros Arion – Take it or Leave it
Dominic DeNucci vs. Ernie Ladd – Worth Watching
Ivan Putski vs. Ivan Koloff – Worth Watching
2/3 Falls: Little Louie & The Coco Kid vs. Billy the Kid & Little Johnny
WWWF Hvwt Title-Bruno Sammartino defends vs. Superstar Billy Graham – Great
Pat Barrett vs. Baron Mikel Scicluna
2/3 Falls: Bobo Brazil & Tony Parisi vs. Bugsy McGraw & Crusher Blackwell – Take it or Leave it

All Star Wrestling, 2/28/76

Non Title: Louis Cerdan & Tony Parisi (WWWF Tag Champs) vs. Baron Mikel Scicluna & Cowboy Bob
Non Title: Bobo Brazil (WWWF U.S. Champ) vs. Hans Schroeder – Watch the Post-Match
Vince McMahon interviews The Grand Wizard & Bugsy McGraw – Good
Stan Hansen (w/ Freddie Blassie) vs. Johnny Rivera – Worth Watching
Kevin Sullivan & Pat Barrett vs. Billy Coleman & Frank Monte
Dominic DeNucci vs. Louis Cyr

UP NEXT

We march ahead to, well, March of 1976, and more episodes of All Star Wrestling.

MISS AN ENTRY?

Here is the full index of entries in the Mat Quest viewer guide.

Review the Kraken: Episodes 9-11

Review the Kraken: Episodes 9-11

Welcome back to Review The Kraken. This article will review the second TV taping for Kraken Pro Wrestling, which covers Episodes 9-11 of their show on Youtube.

Still about five months behind the current Kraken product and trying to catch up … Kraken places an emphasis on building long-term stories and these three episodes are more about building that narrative than any major developments. I think the episodes also suffered somewhat from some of my favorite Kraken talents being absent: Trever Aeon, Michael Walker, Lamar Diggs, and Trey Shaw all are nowhere to be seen.

Here are some general observations on these three episodes…

Probably the biggest development for the overall story in Kraken is the reveal of a new general manager, Robert Vien. On-screen authority figures are pretty played out but Vien plays things right down the middle (so far), which is as close as you can come to a fresh take on this trope in the 2020s.

These episodes also include the third edition of the Cash In, Cash Out Scramble. This is a fun concept where wrestlers put money into the pot and the winner takes all. One unique addition is revealed here; the match goes to the time limit, the pot rolls over to the next scramble. This scramble involves Will Huckaby, Jak Myles, and two newcomers to Kraken: Edward Draven and CJ Shine. The previous scrambles had six wrestlers, not four, and the match was much more cohesive with the lesser number. They also timed the finish perfectly with the three count right after time expired.

Kevin Kantrell stood out during the Kraken Classic set of episodes. He returns here to face Charlie Kills, who was called Charlie Anarchy during the initial set of tapings. Kantrell is a top-tier talent on the Kraken roster for me and scores an impressive win, making Charlie — who seems an unstoppable monster at times — tap out in the middle of the ring, clean as a sheet.

With some of the aforementioned names absent from this taping, several new faces make their debuts in Kraken. Two of the newcomers jumped out: the H-Town Hittas, a power tag team consisting of two twin brothers. They win an absolutely one-sided squash match and their opponents, Tyreke Robinson and Luke Stone, deserve credit for making the Hittas look so dominant.

The big highlight from these three episodes is the main event of Episode 11, with Jay 2 Strong facing Brother Azriel for the Kraken Title. Justin Kayse, Jay’s attorney and manager in the The Business stable, technically holds the title and Jay is defending it on his behalf. Azriel steps in after Aeon, the originally scheduled challenger, is mysteriously absent with The Business highly implied as the culprits behind his vanishing act.

Jay has stood out as, arguably, the best wrestler on the Kraken roster at this early stage of the promotion. His Kraken Classic final with Michael Walker remains the best match yet on Kraken TV, but this one comes close to overtaking it. Azriel has a unique look and a fine power game, also displaying much more agility than you would expect from just looking at him. Jay makes Azriel look especially strong in defeat and the home stretch is very good with a bait-and-switch finish that hearkens back to the heyday of territorial wrestling. If the goal is to inspire the fan base to want to see Kayse dethroned as champion, mission accomplished.

You can check out all three episodes here:

Mat Quest, Chapter 3: All Star Wrestling (1975 and January 1976)

Mat Quest, Chapter 3: All Star Wrestling (1975 and January 1976)

Mat Quest is a chronological viewing guide to the WWE archive on Peacock. Jump in and follow along with us!

Of that portion of the WWE archive available on Peacock, the earliest episodes of teleivision are not from Raw or even Superstars, but from All Star Wrestling, one of two regular weekly programs for the promotion — then known as the WWWF — alongside Championship Wrestling. Both shows began in 1972 and ended in 1986, when they were replaced by Superstars and Wrestling Challenge.

It will be a couple more years before Championship Wrestling episodes start appearing on Peacock, but the oldest All Star installment is from five decades ago — September 13, 1975, to be precise. Televised wrestling certainly has changed by leaps and bounds since then, as has the entire revenue model. Back then, you used the TV wrestling to entice people to buy tickets to the live events. Today, the TV itself is the cash cow, as evidenced by the massive media rights deals signed by both WWE and All Elite Wrestling.

It also should come as no surprise that these episodes of TV wrestling are structured and produced very differently. To that point, we take a look at three All Star episodes in this entry and, when judged by modern standards, they are a pretty rough watch. Now for the good news; this guide has filtered out all the drudgery and filler leaving you with a selection of what has value.

Not quite all killer, no filler, but a good start.

SEPTEMBER 13, 1975 Episode

VERY GOOD

Superstar Billy Graham interview

The eventual world champ makes one of his first TV appearances for the promotion here. He wrestles in the opener, a forgettable squash, but comes back later in the episode for this ringside interview that is not to be missed. After his manager, The Grand Wizard, speaks, Superstar Graham gets a turn and what follows encapsulates his character while also showing how to establish yourself in a new place in a relatively short amount of time. Graham really jumps off the page, both through his charismatic words and his look — bleached blond, tanned, well-muscled, and unlike anything else in the promotion at that time.

GOOD

Louis Cerdan & Tony Parisi (w/ Andre the Giant) vs. Bugsy McGraw & Waldo Von Erich (w/ Lou Albano & Freddie Blassie)

An interesting mix of heels here. Bugsy is massive compared to his size when he wrestles for World Class in the 1980s. Waldo and Fritz Von Erich were billed as brothers but any relation did not extend beyond the gimmick. Cerdan and Parisi dislike their odds with two managers in the opposing corner so they head to the locker room and bring out Andre to watch their backs. This does not dissuade either manager from interfering, and each time the interloper(s) get stalked and chased around by Andre. Eventually, things break down into a massive brawl in the ring involving all parties, as Andre finally gets his massive mitts on the two managers, to the delight of the live crowd. Albano and Blassie deserve as much credit as the wrestlers for their contributions to the highly entertaining chaos.

FRESH SQUASH

Non Title: The Blackjacks (WWWF Tag Champs) (w/ Lou Albano) vs. Buddy Porter & Buzz Sawyer

A new category to shout out those matches that excel at making one side look good at the total expense of the opposition. The Blackjacks, Mulligan and Lanza, just won the tag titles but they are a highlight for WWWF throughout the latter half of 1975 — you just cannot see much of it via the Peacock archive. There are some great little moments in this; at one point Albano is choking jobber Buddy Porter on the outside and a quick camera close-up shows Porter almost frothing at the mouth. By the way, this Sawyer is a different wrestler from Mad Dog Buzz Sawyer.

JANUARY 10, 1976 episode

WORTH WATCHING

Kevin Sullivan & Francisco Flores vs. Crusher Blackwell & Bugsy McGraw (w/ Freddie Blassie & The Grand Wizard)

This episode is pretty dull but the main event is a unique collection of wrestlers. We also see a very young Kevin Sullivan as, given his eventual legacy in wrestling, the most unlikely of bland lower-card babyfaces. Blackwell and Bugsy give Sullivan a significant portion of offense before momentum shifts. Overall, the action is decent although the finish is wonky.

TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT

Ernie Ladd promo and handicap match

This part of 1976 seems to be all about building up new strong challengers for Bruno Sammartino. Graham is one and The Big Cat is another. The former NFL star was known for his bombastic heel interviews. This one loses some of its steam and runs a bit long, but if you are not familiar with Ladd’s work, you might want to check it out. The Big Cat then wrestles a handicap match that is totally forgettable unless you want to see some of the most awkward ring exits I have ever seen from jobber Tito Torres.

JANUARY 17, 1976 episode

WORTH WATCHING

Pete Sanchez vs. Ernie Ladd

The featured bout on this episode is also the only thing that salvages it from being victim to getting skipped altogether. Ladd puts on a textbook example of being a heel. It starts from his entrance where he bullies the poor guy gathering his hat and vest. Ladd almost oversells for Sanchez early, but the live crowd loves it. And, as a proper heel should, Ladd uses his dreaded taped thumb to cheat and gain the advantage, before using more underhanded tactics to eventually win by countout.

TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT

Vince McMahon interviews Louis Cerdan & Tony Parisi

Cerdan and Parisi are the tag champs at this time and this segment is incredibly awkward. Today, you would never see a wrestler on the microphone left to stumble and bumble through an interview like this. Are we better off, or worse off, now? You watch and decide.

LINEUP & SUMMARY 

All Star Wrestling, 9/13/75

Superstar Billy Graham (w/ The Grand Wizard) vs. Tom Stanton
Non Title: The Blackjacks (WWWF Tag Champs) (w/ Lou Albano) vs. Buddy Porter & Buzz Sawyer [Jobber] – FRESH SQUASH
Vince McMahon interviews The Grand Wizard & Superstar Billy Graham – VERY GOOD
Baron Mikel Scicluna vs. Manuel Miranda
Francisco Flores vs. Frank Monte
Louis Cerdan & Tony Parisi vs. Bugsy McGraw & Waldo Von Erich (w/ Lou Albano & Freddie Blassie) – GOOD 

All Star Wrestling, 1/10/76

Non Title: Bobo Brazil (WWWF U.S. Champ) vs. Davey O’Hannon
Louis Cyr (w/ Freddie Blassie) vs. Pete McKay
Vince McMahon interviews Ernie Ladd ringside – TAKE OR LEAVE
Handicap: Ernie Ladd vs. Tito Torres & Sylvano Sousa
Non Title: Louis Cerdan & Tony Parisi (WWWF Champs) vs. Baron Mikel Scicluna & Vincente Pometti
Kevin Sullivan & Francisco Flores vs. Crusher Blackwell & Bugsy McGraw (w/ Freddie Blassie & The Grand Wizard) – WORTH WATCHING

All Star Wrestling, 1/17/76

Superstar Billy Graham (w/ The Grand Wizard) vs. Sylvano Sousa
Ivan Putski vs. Bugsy McGraw (w/ Lou Albano, The Grand Wizard & Ivan Koloff)
Vince McMahon interviews Louis Cerdan & Tony Parisi  – TAKE OR LEAVE
Johnny Rivera vs. Louis Cyr (w/ Freddie Blassie)
Ivan Koloff (w/ Lou Albano) vs. Pete McKay 
Pete Sanchez vs. Ernie Ladd – WORTH WATCHING

UP NEXT

We continue our journey through 1976 with another Madison Square Garden event and more All Star Wrestling.

MISS AN ENTRY?

Here is the full index of entries in the Mat Quest viewer guide.

Mat Quest, Chapter 2: 1975, The Garden

Mat Quest, Chapter 2: 1975, The Garden

Mat Quest is a chronological viewing guide to the WWE archive on Peacock. Jump in and follow along with us!

We started our journey with a Madison Square Garden card from 1973 and continue that journey, from the same venue, while jumping ahead to 1975.

So, what happened in the WWWF during the interim? The big news is that the world title has changed hands a couple of times. Pedro Morales. who held the title on that 1973 card, dropped it to Stan Stasiak, who quickly lost the belt to the returning Bruno Sammartino in December of that year.

And title defenses by Sammartino serve as the centerpiece, and the biggest highlight, of these two 1975 events from Madison Square Garden.

Let’s get to it…

MARCH 17, 1975

Very Good

Bruno Sammartino defends the WWWF Heavyweight Title against Spiros Arion in a Texas Death Match

Four matches from this card made the cut for Peacock and three of them range in watch quality from skippable to watching paint dry, although the last match features a bearded, barrel-chested Ivan Putski that is quite the contrast from the chiseled bodybuilder look he sported for this same promotion in the 1980s. And he chugs a beer in the ring after his match, so there’s that.

Ivan Putski chugs a beer after beating The Wolfman at Madison Square Garden.

The highlight of this March 17 card is the battle between Sammartino and Arion for the title. These two met the prior month (sadly not available on Peacock) and most of the match played out as a sportsmanlike affair until Arion started bending the rules late when he could not fairly get the better of Sammartino. Eventually Bruno snaps, unloading on Arion in fury and eventually getting disqualified.

So, they ran it back for this Texas Death Match, often used as a blowoff match for Sammartino and his challenger du jour. No standing 10 count here… the WWWF Texas Death Match just means that anything goes. The crowd is fully invested and lives in dies with each punch and kick thrown by the champion. Sammartino scores the pin, but Arion gets a foot in the ropes and the referee does not see it. That sets the stage for another match between these two next month.

APRIL 14, 1975

Borderline Great

Bruno Sammartino defends the WWWF Heavyweight Title against Spiros Arion in a Greek Death Match

The aforementioned rematch… this time the only way to win is by submission. Where the match between these two in March was more even, this one sees Sammartino dominate. Modern wrestling fans have come to expect, even in the most heated grudge match, for the flow of the match to go back and forth. Sometimes, though, you just want to see the bad guy get clobbered and that is what the Garden crowd got here. Bruno gets 75-80% of the match before submitting Arion after he whiffs on a knee drop off the top rope. The atmosphere and the tremendous fire that Bruno shows are both top notch.

Good

Edouard Carpentier vs. Joe Nova

Carpentier is quite the story — fighting for the Resistance in France during World War II before embarking on a career in the squared circle. He is a spry 48 years old here and uses his gymnast background to use Nova as his own personal pommel horse. His style would fit right in modern wrestling, and serves as a reminder for the current curmudgeons who decry “flippy shit” as ruining their beloved business.

Victor Rivera vs. Bobby Duncum

You might remember Bobby’s son, the late Bobby Duncum, Jr., from the West Texas Rednecks in WCW. These two put on their working shoes for this one and turn in a high-energy battle, especially by the often-plodding standards of mid-1970s WWWF.

Worth Watching

El Olympico vs. Greg Valentine

This is the Madison Square Garden debut for Valentine, who is 23 years old and looks about the same that he does for the next 10 or 15 years.

LINEUP & SUMMARY

March 17, 1975 (Madison Square Garden)

Chief Jay Strongbow vs. Butcher Vachon
WWWF World Title-Texas Death Match: Bruno Sammartino defends vs. Spiros Arion – VERY GOOD
Victor Rivera vs. Killer Kowalski
Ivan Putski vs. The Wolfman

April 14, 1975 (Madison Square Garden)

Mike Paidousis vs. Tony Altimore
El Olympico vs. Greg Valentine – WORTH WATCHING
Non Title, 2/3 Falls: Little Boy Louie & Sonny Boy Hayes vs. Little Tokyo & Lord Littlebrook
WWWF World Title-Greek Death Match: Bruno Sammartino defends vs. Spiros Arion – BORDERLINE GREAT
Edouard Carpentier vs. Joe Nova – GOOD
Victor Rivera vs. Bobby Duncum – GOOD

UP NEXT

We wrap up 1975 and dive into 1976 with a few episodes of All Star Wrestling.