WWF
CHAMPIONSHIP
WRESTLING
JANUARY 12, 1980
ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA
AGRICULTURAL HALL
From WWENetwork.com: Season 6 Episode 1, 45 minutes, TVPG-V, Hulk Hogan battles Angelo Gomez & Johnny Rivera in a Handicap Match.
The opening video for WWF Championship Wrestling airs.
Inside the Agricultural Hall in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Vince McMahon and “The Living Legend” Bruno Sammartino welcome us to this week’s episode of WWF Championship Wrestling. McMahon informs us that this week we’ll see “The Fabulous” Hulk Hogan, Larry Zbyszko, The Samoans and more! Our opening match will begin after this commercial break.
—COMMERCIAL BREAK—
After we return from the commercial break, we go up to the squared circle where the ring announcer has some announcements to make before our first match can officially begin. Today’s show is promoted by Phil Zatko under the control and supervision of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission. The officials at ringside are Dr. George Zahorian and the timekeeper Mike Mittman. The referees for today’s episode of Championship Wrestling are Gilberto Roman, John Stanley and Dick Krull. The ring announcer then tells us that his name is Joe McHugh.
MATCH #1: LARRY ZBYSZKO v/s JOJO ANDREWS
It’s now time for our first match of the evening. The following match is scheduled for one fall with a 10-minute time limit. Introducing first, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and weighing in at 240 pounds – LARRY ZBYSZKO! And his opponent hails from Indianapolis, Indiana and weighs in at 275 – JOJO ANDREWS! The bell rings to officially begin this match. During the match, McMahon asks Sammartino if he was able to figure out why Zbyszko did not grant him an interview last week? “The Living Legend” states he has had trouble sleeping because it bothered him so much. He tried to find him after the show ended but Zbyszko had already left the arena. He said Larry is always on the go so he’s always busy and must not have had time to return Bruno’s call. Vince says that whether Larry wins or loses, he hopes to conduct an interview with him after the match to find out why he declined to be interviewed by Bruno. The match ends when Andrews submits to the Boston Crab.
THE WINNER: LARRY ZBYSZKO via submission in 3:44
After the match, Vince McMahon makes his way to ringside to interview Larry Zbyszko. Vince says a couple of weeks ago, Zbyszko wrestled a match and after winning said match, the producers decided at the last minute to have Bruno Sammartino interview him and Vince is sure Larry didn’t know about the interview. Last week, Vince states that the producers asked Larry to be interviewed by Sammartino and Larry turned and walked away. He states that there’s some who think Larry’s throat was injured during the match and that’s why he walked away. He asks Larry to explain. Larry says there’s a lot he needs to clear up and it took a long time for him to clear it up in his head. Professional wrestling is his life. In the morning he works out, runs, and trains. He travels from one town to another in the afternoon before fighting in the evenings. He’s trained to be a pro-wrestler since the age of 13. He wants to be a professional wrestler for the rest of his life. He wants to be the best pro-wrestler but to do that he needs to get main event matches and has to get ahead. He was trained by “The Living Legend” Bruno Sammartino and Sammartino taught Zbyszko almost everything he knows. It was very hard for him not to talk to Bruno and he’ll tell everyone why. He wants to make it clear – he doesn’t hate or disrespect Bruno. But to survive in his chosen field he has to become Larry Zbyszko. For years he’s only been known as “Bruno’s protege”. Even his family will introduce him as, “…the wrestler – Bruno Sammartino trained him.” He has been very depressed and went over to Japan. He took 4 months off and had to figure out why he was depressed. He finally realized the man who helped him so much is now standing in his way. To become Larry Zbyszko, “the veteran”, he has to get out of Sammartino’s shadow. He deserves a chance to prove himself. He’s asked Bruno for many favors and he’s going to ask him one more. He wants to wrestle Sammartino to prove himself and to prove to the promoters that won’t give him the recognition he’s due. It’s his life now and he needs to prove that he’s better than Sammartino. McMahon asks where does he want to wrestle Bruno. Larry officially challenges Sammartino to a match and says it’s just a scientific match and repeats that he doesn’t hate Bruno. Bruno helped him when he was getting started but he doesn’t help him now when he wrestles. Now Larry has to help himself. He can’t help his career and have the kind of career Sammartino had as long as he’s in Sammartino’s shadow. Vince asks if he’s wanting to wrestle Bruno on TV or at Madison Square Garden? He says he’s not doing this for money. He wants to wrestle Bruno on TV. He’s doing this for self-satisfaction. He wants everyone to watch him on TV and see him beat Bruno. Vince closes the interview by thanking Zbyszko.
—COMMERCIAL BREAK—
MATCH #2: CHARLIE BROWN & DOMINIC DENUCCI v/s THE SAMOANS (AFA & SIKA) [with: CAPTAIN LOU ALBANO]
We’re back and it’s time for a tag team match, which is scheduled for one fall with a 10-minute time limit. Introducing first, at a total combined weight of 496 pounds – CHARLIE BROWN & DOMINIC DENUCCI! Their opponents are accompanied to the ring by CAPTAIN LOU ALBANO! They hail from The Isle of Samoa and weighing in at a total combined weight of 614 pounds – AFA & SIKA – THE SAMOANS! The bell rings to officially begin this tag team match. It will be Dominic Denucci and Afa starting the match for their respective tag teams. During the match, McMahon asks Sammartino for his thoughts about Larry Zbyszko’s interview and Sammartino Bruno says he was so shocked that he can’t comment because he needs to think about it. He states there’s no way he can talk about it at this time. The match ends when Afa hits Brown with a Samoan Drop before pinning him for the three count.
THE WINNERS: THE SAMOANS via pinfall in 7:31
—COMMERCIAL BREAK—
MATCH #3: BEN ORTIZ v/s THE GREAT HUSSEIN ARAB [with: “THE FASHION PLATE OF PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING” FRED BLASSIE
We’re back with more wrestling action! Our next match is scheduled for one fall with a 10-minute time limit. Introducing first, he hails from Iran and weighs in at 250 pounds – THE GREAT HUSSEIN ARAB! He is accompanied to the ring by his manager “THE FASHION PLATE OF PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING” FRED BLASSIE. His opponent hails from Puerto Rico and weighs in at 225 pounds – BEN ORTIZ! The bell rings to officially begin this one-on-one match. The match ends when Arab suplexes Ortiz before pinning him to successfully win the match.
THE WINNER: THE GREAT HUSSEIN ARAB via pinfall in 2:27
After the match, The Great Hussein Arab takes the microphone from the ring announcer and tells Bruno Sammartino that he better get ready because sooner or later it will be his turn. He then addresses something to WWF Champion: Bob Backlund but speaks in his native language which angers the American crowd.
—COMMERCIAL BREAK—
MATCH #4: JOE MASCARA v/s BIG BOB DUNCUM [with: CAPTAIN LOU ALBANO]
When we return to WWF Championship Wrestling, our fourth match has already started. It’s an one-on-one match between JOE MASCARA and BIG BOB DUNCUM. In Duncum’s corner is his manager – CAPTAIN LOU ALBANO. Duncum nails Mascara with a bulldog before pinning him to win the match.
THE WINNER: BIG BOB DUNCUM via pinfall in 6:44
—COMMERCIAL BREAK—
MATCH #5: RON LEE v/s RENE GOULET
Our next match is already in progress when WWF Championship Wrestling returns. It’s a singles match between RON LEE and RENE GOULET. This match ends after Goulet nails Lee with an elbow drop.
THE WINNER: RENE GOULET via pinfall in 3:01
—COMMERCIAL BREAK—
MATCH #6: 2-ON-1 HANDICAP MATCH – ANGELO GOMEZ & JOHNNY RIVERA v/s “THE INCREDIBLE” HULK HOGAN [with: “THE FASHION PLATE OF PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING” FRED BLASSIE
WWF Championship Wrestling is back with the last match of this week’s episode. This is a 2-on-1 Handicap Match and is scheduled for one fall or to curfew, which means to the end of the show. Introducing first, at a total combined weight of 440 pounds – ANGELO GOMEZ & JOHNNY RIVERA! Their opponent is accompanied to the ring by his manager “THE FASHION PLATE OF PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING” FRED BLASSIE! He hails from Vince Beach, California and weighs in at 320 pounds – “THE INCREDIBLE” HULK HOGAN! The bell rings to officially begin this Handicap Match. This match ends when Hogan forces Gomez to submit to a bear hug.
THE WINNER: “THE INCREDIBLE” HULK HOGAN via submission in 2:13
After the match, Vince McMahon speaks to “The Living Legend” Bruno Sammartino regarding the challenge issued earlier in this episode by Bruno’s protege, Larry Zbyszko. Bruno says he’s still in a state of shock and feels bad about the whole situation. He says he loves Larry like he loves his brother and 3 sons. He’s just tried to help Larry in the best way he could. He never knew Larry felt the way that he does. Vince directly asks him about Larry’s challenge and Bruno says he doesn’t want to believe Larry did that and he won’t comment on the challenge.
This week’s episode ends with highlights of the 2-on-1 Handicap Match between Angelo Gomez & Johnny Rivera against “The Incredible” Hulk Hogan as the music and credits for WWF Championship Wrestling plays.
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