This week Throwback Thursday takes a deep dive into the archives of the WWE Network as we revisit a classic edition of the WWWF’s All Star Wrestling, as seen on the WWE Network and Peacock, that aired 46 years ago this month!
The World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) was rolling in November 1977.
Behind “Superstar” Billy Graham, who was exceeding any and all expectations as the territory’s longest-ever reigning heel Heavyweight Champion, Andre the Giant (a top draw across the globe), and rising star Bob Backlund (Graham’s heir apparent) the WWWF was riding high while building for a bright future. The early winter of 1977 marked a time of philosophical evolution for the territory. The elevation of Billy Graham in April ’77 marked the turn from the largely ethnic booking of the prior decade towards a more inclusive, “national” booking philosophy that relied more on narrative over wrestler background.
1977 had been a notable year for the WWWF and its fans. On March 15, 1977, the iconic and beloved Antonino “Argentina” Rocco passed away at the age of just 49. April 30, 1977, marked the unceremonious end of the Bruno Sammartino era when the “Living Legend” lost the WWWF Heavyweight title to Billy Graham in Baltimore.
In Japan, meanwhile, with the help of the ever-popular Andre the Giant, Vincent J. McMahon strengthened the Federation’s relations with Antonio Inoki’s New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Then, in October 1977, Gorilla Monsoon and promoter Phil Zacko sold 50 of their 250 shares (once belonging to Toots Mondt) to Arnold Skaaland.
Capitol Wrestling Corporation’s ownership structure, with Vincent J. McMahon owning 50% of shares, Monsoon and Zacko owning 20%, and Skaaland holding the remaining 10%, would stay in place until Vincent K. McMahon began the process of buying the promotion from his father in June 1982.
The top story in the WWWF the week this edition of All Star Wrestling aired was WWWF Champion “Superstar” Billy Graham’s continued dominance and ongoing war with Dusty Rhodes. Other stories included the rapid rise of Bob Backlund and the new Tag Team Champions Mr. Fuji & Prof. Tanaka’s simmering feud with Larry Zbyszko & Tony Garea.
The top song in the nation the week this edition of All Star Wrestling aired was the Bee Gee’s iconic “How Deep Is Your Love” while the top album belonged to Linda Ronstadt’s Simple Dreams. On television ABC’s Laverne & Shirley was the ratings winner as Steven Spielberg’s landmark film Close Encounters of the Third Kind, starring Richard Dreyfus, Teri Garr, Melinda Dillon, Francois Truffaut, and Bob Balaban, was the top film in theaters.
Now let’s head on over to the WWE Network on Peacock and see how well this edition of WWWF All Star Wrestling holds up 46 years later!
Edits are not an issue for this edition of All Star Wrestling in the WWE Network and Peacock. Context, meanwhile, is abysmal. Only seven prior editions of All Star Wrestling (the WWWF’s B-show) have been uploaded to the WWE Network and Peacock as of this writing. Championship Wrestling (the WWWF A-show) doesn’t pick up until January 1980. Ten editions of WWE Old School, featuring cards from Madison Square Garden dating from November 1977 back to June 30, 1973, are currently available for you to enjoy right now on the WWE Network and Peacock.
WWWF All Star Wrestling (WATCH)
Date: December 31, 1977 (TAPED: Dec. 21, 1977) – Location: Hamburg Fieldhouse, Hamburg, Pennsylvania
Attendance: N/A – TV Ratings: N/A
Commentators: Vince McMahon – Interviews: Vince McMahon
CHAMPIONS AT THE TIME:
NWA World Heavyweight Champion: “Handsome” Harley Race (February 6, 1977, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, from Terry Funk)
WWWF Heavyweight Champion: “Superstar” Billy Graham (April 30, 1977, Baltimore, Maryland, from Bruno Sammartino)
WWWF Tag Team Champions: Mr. Fuji & Professor Toru Tanaka (October 1, 1977, WWWF Championship Wrestling, taped September 27, 1977, defeating Larry Zbyszko & Tony Garea in the finals of a tournament to fill a vacancy left after former Tag Team Champions Billy White Wolf & Chief Jay Strongbow were forced to relinquish the titles after Billy White Wolf (the late Adnan Al-Kaissie) sustained a neck injury in a bout with Ken Patera on the June 11, 1977, edition of Championship Wrestling; in reality the “injury” was to cover for Billy White Wolf needing legitimate neck surgery; when Wolf left the WWWF in the summer of ’77 Chief Jay Strongbow officially forfeited the titles on the August 20, 1977, edition of Championship Wrestling; despite this match being a “tournament final” there are no records of a tournament actually taking place during this time)
Following the standard WWWF All Star Wrestling open of the era we head inside the Hamburg Fieldhouse where Vince McMahon welcomes us to the show, giving us a rundown of the card to come before tossing to a PSA for juvenile diabetes.
We then abruptly cut to a PSA for the “National Juvenile Diabetes Professional Wrestlers Foundation” that features Larry Zbyszko with a youngster named Mike. This is followed by our first Peacock ad-break.
Coming out of the break we head to the ring where legendary ring announcer Joe McHugh takes care of the typical promotional housekeeping before introducing our first contest.
—Singles Match (1:43)
Tony Garea vs. “Pretty Boy” Larry Sharpe
This is an even match to start, with both men showing off their wrestling ability as they exchange and escape various holds. Though Garea has a slight edge early on, working side headlocks, the bout is even before Garea misses a tackle in the corner, injuring his shoulder on the turnbuckle.
Sharpe maintains control with an arm bar as Sharpe cuts off a number of Garea hope spots. Soon enough, however, Garea fires up, dropping Sharpe with a dropkick before going back to the side headlock.
Garea cuts Sharpe off at nearly every pass as he batters Sharpe. Just as Sharpe sends Garea into the ropes, lifting Garea in a scoop body slam, the time limit expires and the match ends at 10:32.
WINNER is Tony Garea (Referee decision, 10:32)
After the bell referee Dick Woehrle separates Sharpe and Garea before conversing with Joe McHugh. Sharpe believes Woehrle will award him the match when McHugh announces Tony Garea the winner.
An irate Larry Sharpe waylays Tony Garea then, beating the bejabbers out of Garea. In a flash, though, Sharpe telegraphs a back body drop, eating a Garea boot and dropkick that sends Sharpe to the floor. Sharpe fumes on the floor, holding his arms up in victory, as we head to the next Peacock ad-break.
—Singles Match (15:48)
Terry York vs. Bob Backlund
This is a solid match for what it is and great opportunity to see a young Bob Backlund on the rise.
York may not be the most courageous of opponents but his age and experience give him a distinct edge over Backlund. Backlund tries to impose his will on York but York manages, at every turn, to either reach the ropes or cheat his way free.
Though Backlund is in control of the match from the start, the sneaky Terry York has his moments. In the end, after whipping York from pillar to post, Backlund lands a sloppy back body drop before deadlifting York into the atomic drop for the pinfall at 5:00.
WINNER is Bob Backlund (Pin, 5:00)
Following the match, as York struggles to get to his feet, Joe McHugh announces Backlund the winner before we head to the next Peacock ad-break.
Coming out of the break Vince McMahon, at ringside, interviews (22:21) WWWF Tag Team Champions Mr. Fuji & Professor Toru Tanaka and their manager Freddie Blassie.
McMahon and Blassie first chat about Blassie misleading Tanaka about the types of “pills” Blassie and Fuji are giving him, which leads to a discussion about Blassie “stretching the truth” in every facet of his wrestler’s lives, including finances.
Blassie shows off his diamonds and sequin jacket, saying his wrestlers like to him dressed in diamonds before claiming that Liberace wore simple tuxedos until he saw Freddie Blassie on TV in Hollywood. Liberace, Blassie says, doesn’t have the “class and finesse” of a Freddie Blassie. Liberace, we’re told, just “sits out there like a ding-a-ling”.
McMahon asks Mr. Fuji how he and Tanaka feel about Blassie wearing the spoils of their hard work? Mr. Fuji explains that he and Tanaka give their “manager of the year” everything while Blassie buys them both new cars and gives them his friendship.
McMahon then asks Prof. Tanaka if new cars and friendship make Tanaka happy to “be associated with” Blassie? Blassie is “number one”, Tanaka says. Blassie came all the way from Hollywood (where Blassie is very famous, Tanaka points out) to make Tanaka and Fuji very famous too.
Blassie says he’s made seventeen trips to the “Orient” where Blassie is welcome at the home of Tanaka’s uncle who, McMahon reminds us, has been indicted (for an unnamed charge). Blassie fumes that Tanaka’s uncle is not a thief but an “honorable man”.
Blassie then puts over Mr. Fuji’s ancestry, including a claim that Fuji’s ancestors made Hawaii famous before returning to Japan, and explains Fuji and Tanaka’s ties to banking, which (we’re told) somehow prop up the stock market. McMahon then wraps the interview as we head to the next Peacock ad-break.
After the break, as ring announcer Joe McHugh begins introducing the competitors for our next bout (Mil Mascaras and Frankie Williams), Freddie Blassie and Capt. Lou Albano arrive at ringside to shout at Mil Mascaras before walking off.
—Singles Match (27:24)
Frankie Williams vs. Mil Mascaras
Though this isn’t much of a match, it’s always fun to see Mil Mascaras in action. Williams tries a number of tactics to get something going against Mascaras to no avail.
Mascaras, meanwhile, takes what Williams gives him, working a variety of holds on a variety of body parts to score a slew of near-falls. For those unfamiliar with his many abilities, this is a fine chance to see Mascaras out-wrestle his foe, employing his unique psychology and timing.
In the end, after catching Williams with a hard body slam out of the corner, Mascaras leaps to the top rope and lands the reverse crossbody for the three-count at 5:23.
WINNER is Mil Mascaras (Pin, 5:23)
After the match, and the ring announcement, we see a replay of the Mascaras reverse crossbody before heading to the next Peacock ad-break.
—Singles Match (34:33)
Pete Austin vs. Ken Patera w/Capt. Lou Albano
Typical squash match here. Patera easily dominates and controls Pete Austin, beating the snort out of Austin, before cinching in a tight bear hug for the submission victory at 2:30.
WINNER is Ken Patera w/Capt. Lou Albano (Submission, 2:30)
Following the match, after Capt. Lou taunts the fallen Pete Austin, as we get the ring announcements from Joe McHugh, we head to the next Peacock ad-break we see a replay still of Patera polishing Austin off.
—Singles Match (39:04)
Dominic DeNucci vs. “Dynamite” Jack Evans
“Dynamite” Jack Evans is one-half of the Hollywood Blondes with “Pretty Boy” Larry Sharpe, whom we saw open the show against Tony Garea.
Jack Evans jumpstarts the match, going right after DeNucci. In a flash, though, DeNucci turns the tide and sends Evans powdering to the floor. Fans of Adrian Adonis will no doubt see the influence Evans style had on Adonis as the resemblance is startling.
Jack Evans’ arrogance gets the better of him early on. The wily DeNucci uses side headlocks and sneaky punches to keep Evans on the ropes. Soon enough, however, Evans catches DeNucci in a back body drop before working a nerve hold on DeNucci.
Before long DeNucci, with the help of some well placed punches and chops, fights out of the nerve hold. With Evans reeling, DeNucci moves in for the kill.
But when DeNucci attempts to ram Evans with a second shoulder block Evans pushes referee Dick Woehrle into DeNucci to end the match in a DQ at 5:45.
WINNER is Dominic DeNucci (Disqualification, 5:45)
Referee Dick Woehrle discusses his decision with Joe McHugh before DeNucci is awarded the match via disqualification.
Evans goes after DeNucci but DeNucci quickly sends Evans scurrying to the floor. An excited DeNucci then sweeps Dick Woehrle into his arms for a bear hug that leaves both men, and Vince McMahon, laughing.
Evans teases a return to the ring but nothing comes of it. As we see a replay of the finish McMahon wraps this week’s show, hypes next week’s card, and signs off, bringing another exciting edition of WWWF All Star Wrestling to a close!
Final Thoughts
As we’ve come to expect we get another fun, action-packed edition of WWWF All Star Wrestling this week!
We got a chance to see a young Ken Patera, a spry DeNucci, two of the best heels of the era in Jack Evans & Larry Sharpe, and an excellent showcase for the iconic Mil Mascaras, not to mention an incredible interview with “Classy” Freddie Blassie.
So, if you haven’t seen this edition of WWWF All Star Wrestling, or it’s been a while, you should go out of your way to hunt this one down. Who knows, you might actually like it, and that’s never a bad thing!
Already subscribed to the WWE Network on Peacock? Then you can relive this classic edition of WWWF All Star Wrestling right now or experience it for the very first time! As always, let us know what you think in the comments section below!
For pre-WNN editions of Throwback Thursday, click here!