Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Again we go into the WWE vault to see what they have in store for us in July. I’ll give you a hint- he calls everyone “Tough Guy”

In July we celebrate “Superstars and Stripes Forever” month. This week I am punishing myself for some reason and watching the old Coliseum Video release of “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan.

- It opens with a riff on Patton as Duggan storms to the camera and screams about what makes us America. Already I regret this decision.

- We are in the control center with our host Sean Mooney. I guess it needs to get worse before it gets better.

- A video package look now at his first major feud with Nikolai Volkoff.

Duggan comes out on Superstars and interrupts Volkoff singing the Russian National Anthem. Then we go to Wrestlemania 3 where the led the Pontiac crowd in chanting “U-S-A”. I don’t care what the exact number is of people that were there- it’s still damn impressive looking.

- Our first match is a flag match pitting Duggan versus Boris Zukhov from Saturday Night’s Main Event. I wish I could say this match was interresting- it wasn’t. Ol’ Glory gets raised to the rafters and Duggan sings the National Anthem.

- Onto his feud with Harley Race now. Race is walking around ringside while Duggan comes out for his match. They jaw, Race pushes Duggan, and then Duggan hits him with the 2×4. Now to his originally scheduled match. Duggan versus Tiger Cheung Lee.

Duggan makes quick work of Lee and then Race charges back to the ring. He grabs a chair, but Duggan’s 2×4 overpowers him. He puts the robe and crown on.

- Interview time as some unknown guy inerviews Duggan. He yells about Race while seemingly drunk or high. He is crosseyed most of the time as well. Heenan comes out to disrupt the interview and Race attacks from behind. He jams the 2×4 into he midsection of Duggan then tries to choke him with it.

- Time to go back to The Slammy Awards. Duggan is wearing a tuxedo shirt and announcing the nominees for Best Ring Apparel. Demolition is wearing their normal outfits with tux shirts under them. Savage gets a round of applause. Honly Tonk Man gets a round of boos and so does Harley Race. The British Bulldogs get a round of applause. Duggan opens the envelope but refuses to read the name.

Heenan comes up and says Duggan must show proper respect for Race to accept. Duggan flips off Race’s crown and then Race pushes him backstage. Gorilla Monoon goes running backstage and it cuts to the backstage area where they are fighting in the make-up area. Heenan gets thrown into a donkey. They fight with chicken crates and then fight into the electrical area. Race throws Duggan onto a table and then tries to splash him through it but Duggan moves. A llama then randomly walks through the backstage area. Duggan gets locked in the caged area but pushes over a bunch of boxes onto Race and Heenan. The two brawl into the costume area and into the women’s locker room as we have women running in bra and panties. None are even close to Diva-level hot. They battle into the Christmas Party area and destroy the catering tables, as a Three Stooges style food fight breaks out. Duggan and Race brawl back out to the stage area and break through the Slammys poster. Race runs and Gorilla cuts off Duggan from giving chase. The whole fight was way over-produced and obviously pre-taped.

Jesse Ventura and Gene Okerlund present the nominees for “Hit of the Year.” Duggan wins the award for pushing Race over. Duggan yells, “HOOOOOO!!”

- Off to MSG as we have Duggan versus Harley Race. This should be interesting because at this point Race was no longer able of doing much and Duggan was past his Mid South days.

Duggan whips Race into the buckle and he goes over the top in the spot that Triple H has stolen for himself. At least Triple H is stealing from the greats like Flair and Race. It’s not like he’s dancing with ugly women like “Boogie Woogie Man” Jimmy Valiant.

Duggan and Race bump heads which leads to the convoluted looking spot where one wrestler headbutts the other in the crotch. Duggan punches Race with a straight right hand as I’m reminded of when WCW said Duggan was from a Taped Fist champion bloodline.

Race is really rough to watch here becasue everything he does looks real slow. Flair today at least looks capable most of the time. Race here is walking around like Terry Funk.

Duggan gets kicked in the leg by Race as McMahon says “It’s no secret Duggan has had knee problems for years.” This despite him only being there for about 8 months at this point. Race throws him outside and then goes for a headbutt on he floor. Duggan rolls him back in as Lord Alfred Hayes hits us with this gem, “He doesn’t want to pin him on the floor.” Obviously because it wouldn’t count.

Hacksaw crawls under the ring and comes out the other side outsmarting Race. Getting outsmarted by Duggan is very embarassing.

Race goes up top and hits a crossbody but Duggan rolls through and covers for the 3 count.

- Back to Wrestlemania IV where Andre the Giant cost Duggan his match against Ted Dibiase. This sets up the next feud with Andre.

Andre is wrestling some jobber when Duggan comes out with his 2×4. He challenges Andre who just laughs at him. He then begins choking Duggan and bloodies his lip. Andre hits a couple headbutts but on the last one Duggan hits him with the board.

- Boston Garden now as we have Duggan versus Andre. Anytime Hacksaw is being asked to be the wrestling portion of the match is kind of bad. Although that match he had with Vader at Starrcade in 94 was carried completely by him. Go figure.

Duggan gets the crowd to yell “USA” which causes Andre to walk out. He eventually comes back and starts pushing cops. Duggan hits the clothesline and we get the Andre tied in the ropes spot.

For those that don’t know. The old Boston Garden, MSG, and Spectrum shows (to name a few) used to get shown on local cable networks. It really made the house shows look like a big deal.

The main announcer (no clue) made the mistake of saying some people would pronounce Duggan’s last name Do-Gen because of the Irish heritage. It was a mistake becasue that’s how “Superstar” Billy Graham keeps referring to him now. While the main guy is pronouncing it the way everyone else does.

Getting hit by Andre is apparently like getting hit by a 12 pound ham. Duggan goes for the 3 point stance but Andre gets the boot up then pins Duggan with his feet on the ropes.

- Back to Sean Mooney as he sends us to Hacksaw Duggan to talk about Brother Love and Dino Bravo. He apparently consulted with Roddy Piper on this interview becasue he works in a gay reference. Then he calls everyone “tough guy” including the cameraman I believe.

- Brother Love show time from Summerslam 88. He challenges Duggan’s patriotism and then gets run off.

- Now Brother Love on Superstars with Duggan. Saying the same stuff as the previous one. Dino Bravo and Frenchy Martin come out and they get in Duggan’s face. Duggan eventually cases everyone off.

- MSG time as we have Dino Bravo versus Duggan. Thankfully there is only 15 minutes left in this abortion of a tape.

Duggan brings out the flag and sings to it. Great first move of the match.

This match is horrendously boring. Bravo is moving in slo-mo but not because of age but because he is all punped up. The only highlight is Hayes and the old AWA announcer babbling throughout this thing.

Miscommunication between Martin and Bravo leads to Duggan gettgin teh pin. He then storms around the ring while the crew tries, key word tries, to raise the American Flag. They eventually get it up and play the National Anthem.

-Mercifully then Mooney wraps this tape up and we are done.

Horrible and I can’t see why anyone bought this thing. I wonder if they had planned on giving Duggan a huge push because they basically gave 15 minutes to Duggan and Race having a terribly produced brawl around the Slammys. That was the hihglight of this tape. Everything else was garbage