You know, as much as I'm doing on wrestling right now, I'm thoroughly enjoying this MSG show from 1977.
Singles Match
Baron Mikel Scicluna vs.
SD Jones - Time Limit Draw (15:00)
Dark Match
Dominic DeNucci vs.
The Golden Terror - Double Count Out
Singles Match
Butcher Vachon defeats
Johnny Rivera (6:04)
Singles Match
Arnold Skaaland defeats
Captain Lou Albano by Count Out (4:35)
Singles Match
Bob Backlund defeats
Mr. Fuji (w/
Freddie Blassie) (11:40)
WWWF Heavyweight Title Match
Mil Mascaras (w/
Bob Backlund) defeats
Superstar Billy Graham (c) by Ringrichterentscheid (16:24)
Singles Match
Dusty Rhodes defeats
Stan Stasiak (11:22)
Singles Match
Chief Jay Strongbow defeats
Prof. Toru Tanaka by DQ (11:23)
Best Two Out Of Three Falls Tag Team Match
Larry Zbyszko &
Tony Garea defeat
Jack Evans &
Larry Sharpe [2:1] (20:24)
The DeNucci/Golden Terror match is cut out and in it's placed aired Harley Race vs Rick Martel for the NWA Championship, from the original WCW in Australia. There's something about the simplicity and basicness of matches that can be 15 minutes of chokes or arm ringers and get 18K in MSG fired up anyway. I'm also a big fan of Vince's laid back 70s sportscaster announcing style that he dropped in favor of cartoonish carnival barker once the company was actually his.
I also have no idea why they released so many 70s shows on 24/7, so presumably they are digitized, but they aren't on the Network. I also want anyone that ever complains about how poorly booked heel champs are in WWE today to watch Mil vs Superstar. Mil controls 80% of the match, outright dominating Superstar most of the time, including OVERPOWERING him multiple times, and Superstar only left with the belt because the ref stopped the match due to a bad cut. Superstar's whole thing was he was so jacked and so strong, yet this guy who is quite a bit smaller than him overpowered him frequently, to the point of Mil breaking the bearhug and applying his own bear hug, and Superstar's only offense came from cheap shots and cheating. All against a dude who was just a special attraction who had gone 4 years without making an appearance until a few months prior.
It also is a show where the face in the opening match is constantly cheating, another face attacks before the bell, and Bob Backlund was 2 months away from getting the title after having only been in the company for a year. And was undefeated at this point. So you know...all those things people bytch about today, that's just WWE. Always has been. Even when it was still Vince Sr.'s company. Faces being dikks, heels looking terrible, guys getting super pushes and titles with little build up.