Venture to Wrestlecrap Worthy Moments on WWE Network: AWA Team Challenge Series

When I heard AWA Team Challenge series going be on WWE Network it got me interested. The first time I heard of AWA Team Challenge series was induction on Wrestlecrap way back in 2000. I never seen much of AWA even though reruns were shown on ESPN Classic. Was it so bad in their final years?

According to WWE Network this was unaired pilot. I got introduce to cheesy intro video then to late Verne Gagne outside his lakeside residence introducing team challenge. Cut to the studio with Ralph Strangus (?) and Verne's son Greg sending us to a squash match. Already things were in dire straits for AWA as Tommy Jammer comes out to a green screen with audience on both sides. Look at the screenshoot.

He enters the ring with heavily dark background. My only guess it was hosted inside a studio/warehouse with no one except the wrestlers, referees, and the cameramen. The wrestlers wrestle in front of no one at the taping. They added crowd noise and they stuck clips of fans to say fans are attendance. They introduced suuuuppppperrrrr slooooooooow mooooottttiiiioooon replay. Jammer wins with a splash, but not without showing him executing it on overhead camera. This is already comical.

Why is so dark in the back?

Isn't that Geraldo Rivera on the left?

They cut to two of three team captains, Baron Von Raschke and Sgt. Slaughter cutting a promo on TCS. For over the top rope elimination gimmick match BVR picks Paul Diamond for his team while Slaughter picks Colonel DeBeers who is a heel. Wait aren't both bad guys during that time? Heel/face dynamic already dead.

We got Mike Enos and Wayne Bloom, Destruction Crew, as they come out to sledgehammers with former WWF manager Johnny Valiant taking the future "Whole F'N Show" Jerrry Lynn and Ricky Rice.

Before they became Beverly Brothers

Johnny V is last hold out of disco craze

A 50/50 match between both teams. Jerry Lynn really starting out as "Whole F'N Show" when he turned Mike Enos bodyslam into armbar. Destruction Crews takes victory after finishing Lynn off with a Doomsday Device. In another comedy of errors Johnny Valiant and DC cuts post match promo while Ralph and Greg continue to talk for 20 seconds. Hey looks it a young Eric Bischoff and he got a mullet.

Step one of becoming Whole F'N Show

Bischoff before he became VP of WCW within few years

Cuts Sgt. Slaughter promo why he picked Col. DeBeers follow with DeBeers promo about over the top rope elimination match. Back to studio where we get TCS is so random even enemies are on same team. I think I get it. Off to Beverly Hills Knockout match featuring two women, Slaughterhouse Shaun and Blonde Bomber, three-round boxing match at a "bar in Beverly Hills" with women in the background wearing bra and panties cheering it on. This is horribly with bad choreographed boxing then mix with interference,kicking and wrestling makes me wonder did they started the idea of infamous Brawl For All in WWF. Slaughterhouse Shaun wins despite both KO'ing each other before the bell.

horny fans

punching at the camera

Back to the studio about Team Challenge Series along with the standings. Wait a minute this already started? Isn't this new? Larry Zbyszko team already ahead.

Next is the "main event" Paul Diamond (BVR team) takes on Col. DeBeers (Slaughter's team) in over top rope elimination match. Lot of "crowd" shots with Diamond teasing elimination at times.  There was Botchamania moment where DeBeers sold a dropkick early as Ralph and Greg covered it up. Diamond wins after eliminating DeBeers with 6 minutes on errant piledriver try.

Drops him out and into the moon

Final match of the episode is Sgt. Slaughter, saluting to the green screen crowd, taking on Terminator

Salute to my fellow green screen Americans

They really mic'd up this ring hearing both men trash talk, flesh smacking, and sounds of slams in the ring. It's a hoss battle and its decent. There's a spot of Terminator whipping Slaughter in the corner that the spotlights around show a blue wall in the background pretty much giving away what I knew early on: the show was taped inside empty studio/warehouse.

Where was the "crowd" they were showing?

After a flying clothesline and cobra clutch Sgt. Slaughter takes victory, but not without showing slow motion replay of him hitting flying clothesline that the ref said "Ring the bell!"

The show ends with Ralph and Greg then a video clip that have the late Ox Baker and Yokozuna.

This was so bad. The editing puts it over the top. You green screen of the audience then inserting crowd noise and clips of the crowd during the matches to say its was taped live. Beverly Hills Knockouts match was a clusterfuck confusing mess. Then showing of Team Challenge Series standings after claim it was brand new. Maybe I should seek out the match Wrestlecrap on TCS article: Col. DeBeers vs Jake Milliman in turkey on a pole match.