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.
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.
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.
In Moore House Wrestling 