MAPLE LEAF WRESTLING
LONDON ONTARIO CANADA
London Gardens
9-3-81

OPENING MATCH: STEVE WRIGHT vs. TERRY TAYLOR (referee: Terry Yorkston)

Both men battle back and forth in an excellent scientific match up. Wright uses his edge in experience to get several near falls in the middle stages, but Taylor is up to the task at hand. Taylor comes back to catch Wright off guard with his five-arm but the ref notices that Wright’s foot was hanging under the bottom rope during the cover and disallows the pin attempt. Taylor then goes on the offensive with a series of pinning combos that result in several near falls. Wright counters a clothesline attempt with a go behind waist lock into a German suplex to almost get a 3 count, but Taylor gets a shoulder up just in time. Wright attempts to run Taylor into the ropes but Taylor reverses with a go behind and runs Wright into the ropes and rolls him up for a 3 count. During the match, Ric Flair came to ring side. He seemed pleased with the young Taylor’s abilities.

RESULT: TERRY TAYLOR BY PINFALL WITH A ROLL UP AT 16:57

SECOND MATCH: KING KONG BUNDY vs. KENNY JAY (referee Fred Atkins)

Jay fairs only slightly better than Miller did last week. He uses his years of experience to avoid the much bigger Bundy for the opening minute or so of the match by ducking out of several lock up attempts. Bundy finally catches him however and takes over on the offense. Jay is tossed around the ring like a rag doll by the 400 plus pound Bundy. A shoulder block by the big man sends Jay out onto the ring apron. It looks like Jay is going to come back for a split second as he catches Bundy in his hefty gut with a shoulder and then executes a outside/in sunset flip. Bundy is too big, however, and sits down on Jay for the pin. Once again Bundy demands the 5 count from the referee.

RESULT: KING KONG BUNDY BY PINFALL AT 4:57

INTERVIEW: BOBBY DUNCUM w/Barry Orton

-Duncum and Orton come out to the ring in street clothes. Cowboy hats, belt buckles and boots.

DUNCUM: “I’ve got some bad news to inform all of the crowd in London here tonight. I was supposed to get a rematch with An-ge-LO Mos-ca for the Canadian Heavyweight Title, but it don’t look like your champion is going to be able to make it tonight after what I did to him back in Toronto. So what I’m going to do right now, is ask President Tunney to come on down here and hand that belt over to me and declare me your new Canadian champion, since that coward Mosca was afraid to face me in the ring like a man! (chuckles…)

-Frank Tunney makes his way to the ring…

TUNNEY: “Mr. Duncum, regardless of what you say Angelo Mosca will indeed be here tonight to defend his title. Further more, I would like to inform you that you will no long be his opponent.

-DUNCUM: “What? But that’s my match!”

TUNNEY: “I was in Toronto on Friday and I saw what happened. Things like that will not be stood for as long as I am the President of Maple Leaf Wrestling! Now I could fine you, or write you up to the main offices of the WCFL, but I’m not gonna do that…”

DUNCUM: (to Orton) “You see there Barry, I’ve got everything under control. “

TUNNEY: “What I am going to do is this though, earlier today, Mr. Mosca came to me and requested a match with Mr. Orton. I granted him that request, but not only that, I am making this match a NO DQ match!”

DUNCUM: “What? No DQ? But he’s not even ready to wrestle. He didn’t bring his gear or nothing!”

TUNNEY: “I don’t care! You two should have thought of that before you started interfering in matches. To be completely fair though, I will allow you some time to get some ring wear together, Mr. Orton, but the match WILL take place later tonight and that is final!”

-Duncum consoles Orton as Tunney leaves…

DUNCUM: “We’ll get him Tunney, yeah, we’ll get him just wait and see.”

THIRD MATCH: RAYMOND ROUGEAU w/ Jacques Rougeau vs. JOHNNY VALIANT w/ Jerry Valiant (referee Terry Yorkston)

Johnny starts the match off stalling. When he finally locks up, he goes into a full arm drag and twist on Raymond. Raymond quickly reverses the hold sending Johnny to the ropes once again. They lock up again, Johnny suprises Raymond with an arm drag. Raymond collects himself and gets back to his feet. They lock up again. Johnny with a hip toss out of the lock up. Johnny gloats to his brother about how easy this is going to be. Another lock up, Johnny with a body slam. He then turns to the fans and shows off. Raymond hops to his feet while Jerry tells Johnny to turn around. Johnny turns around and walks into a sequence of an arm drag, a hip toss and a body slam. Johnny scoots back to his brothers corner on his backside and tags Jerry in! Jerry hops up on the apron and steps through the ropes. This prompts Raymond to tag Jaques in. The referee will have none of it and sends both men back to the floor.

Once the action gets back under way, Raymond dominates using his speed and scientific skill until Jerry pulls the ropes down behind the referee’s back and this sends Raymond sailing to the concrete floor below. Jaques argues the call with the ref and this allows the Valiants to double-team Raymond on the outside. Once back inside the ring, it’s all Johnny until Raymond catches him once again with a small package. Jerry starts to get up on the apron to enter the ring. This prompts Jacques get up on the ring apron in protest, The referee sees Jacques first and tries to get him down. This allows Jerry to come in, reverse the small package, and put Johnny on top. The ref turns around to find Jerry in the ring and runs him off. Then Jacques sneaks in the ring and rolls Raymond back on top as Jerry is retreating to the floor. The ref turns around and makes the three count. The Valiants have been upset again.

RESULT: RAYMOND BY PINFALL AT 10:34

INTERMISSION:

FOURTH MATCH: RIC FLAIR vs. “EXOTIC” ADRIAN STREET (Referee: Terry Yorkston)

Both men start slowly by feeling each other out. Both prove equal to one another on the mat with several even exchanges that usually end in a stalemate. Flair takes over and goes for a series of chops in the corner. This only angers Street, who returns the favor with a series of chops. The two chop back and forth along the ropes until Flair finally takes a header into the mat.

Street takes control of the match and decides to start brawling. This however, backfires when Street takes the match to the floor. Flair blocks a Street attempt to ram his head into the guard railing and returns the favor. Flair then unleashes a series of rights and lefts to Street’s mid section. Flair throws Street in the ring and goes for an elbow drop but Street moves out of the way. Street then begins to work over Flair’s arm by using a series of knee drops to it. Street then gets Flair in a top wristlock but Flair is able to power out of it, that is, until Street pulls the hair and takes Flair down into a reverse chin lock. Street works the chin lock for a few minutes, using the ropes for extra advantage until he is finally caught for the referee. He turns his attention back to Flair and lifts him up for a body slam, but Flair counters with a small package and gets a two count.

The pace of the match is really starting to pick up now. Street executes a bulldog headlock on Flair for a 2 and ¾ count. Flair’s getting back up slowly, Street hits a sun set flip and grabs the ropes for advantage. The ref starts to count, but sees Street in the ropes and kicks his hands away. This allows Flair to reverse into a pinning combo of his own for another near fall. Street takes a wild swing at Flair, but Flair ducks and counters with a back slide but Street counters it by flipping over and executing a double arm suplex for a near fall.

Street appears to have things well at hand. He whips Flair into the ropes and goes for a hip toss, but Flair blocks it and counters into an abdominal stretch into a pinning combo to get the 3 count. Adrian, stunned at first, then gets up to his feet as Flair offers his hand in sportsmanship. Street proceeds to slap Flair across the face. Flair is shocked by what Street has done and slowly starts to raise his voice saying “Now you listen here buddy…” Flair points a finger at Street’s chest. Street tries to slap him again, but Flair grabs Street’s hand and lets lose with a series of chops that send Street backwards over the top rope and heading for the locker room.

RESULT: FLAIR BY PINFALL AT 21:40

FIFTH MATCH: CANADIAN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP/NO DQ ANGELO MOSCA © vs. BARRY ORTON (referee Fred Atkins)

Orton arrives wearing a mixed assortment of gear borrowed from various wrestlers in the back. He looks ridiculous as nothing matches. Duncum, trying hard not to laugh, consoles his man on the way to the ring by telling him that he looks fine. Mosca shows up the young Orton in both wrestling and strength in the early going. Each attempt by Orton to make any kind of progress backfires and sends Orton scurrying back to his corner to ask Duncum, who is ringside, for advice. The tide turns in Orton’s favor when Barry whips Mosca into the ropes and Duncum pulls the rope down causing Mosca to fall to the concrete floor below. Duncum takes some cheap shots at Mosca while Orton has the ref tied up. (Not that it would matter since its NO DQ) Duncum then throws Mosca back in and Orton takes control for several minutes gaining a near fall after a butterfly suplex.

Mosca comes back and looks to have things at hand when Duncum hops up on the apron. Mosca diverts his attention from Orton and goes over to Duncum. This allows Orton to attack Mosca from behind. Orton then grabs Mosca while Duncum pulls off his boot. Duncum swings at Mosca, who ducks out of the way. The boot makes contact with Orton knocking him cold. Mosca then decks Duncum, knocking him to the arena floor and then turns and covers Orton. The ref counts Orton’s shoulders down for three. Mosca, catching the approaching Duncum out of the corner of his eye, turns to catch Duncum in the mid section with a big left hand. Duncum drops the boot and Mosca grabs it and starts swinging it wildly. Duncum pouters out over the top rope. He then tries to pull the unconscious Orton from the ring but Mosca fends him off a couple of times. Duncum is finally able to drag Orton from the ring and carries his limp body to the back.

RESULT: MOSCA BY PINFALL AT 8:10, STILL CANADIAN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION ANGELO MOSCA…

MAIN EVENT: HARLEY RACE vs. GREG VALENTINE (MID-ATLANTIC TV TITLE NOT ON THE LINE) (referee: Terry Yorkston)

A hard-hitting match from bell to bell as anyone might expect with these two. Both men fought tooth and nail both inside and outside the ring with the ref having a hard time keeping control from the outset. Valentine used his hammer-like elbow to do much of the damage and also worked over Race’s leg in an attempt to set up his figure four finisher. Race countered with dirty tactics and some hard right hands and head butts. Race was heavily favoring his leg when Valentine attempted the figure four:

Valentine goes for the figure four leg lock on Race, but Race counters by grabbing Valentine’s trunks by the waistband and pulling forwards. Valentine goes flying out of the ring. After he sails between the top and middle ropes, Valentine lands awkwardly on the concrete floor and appears to be in tremendous pain. As Valentine clutches at his leg the referee begins to count him out, but Race breaks the count every time. Valentine finally hobbles to his feet and slides into the ring where he is a sitting duck for Race. Race batters Valentine’s body, but Valentine is in no condition to fight back. The ref stops the bout and awards the match to Race, but he isn’t content with that. Race shoves the referee out of the way and then pulls Valentine to the center of the ring by his injured leg where he clamps on a figure four of his own.

The ref desperately tries to get Race to break the hold but has no success. He then reverses the decision and awards the match to Valentine by DQ. This still isn’t making Race let go of the figure four though. Finally, Ric Flair storms the ring and Race lets go of the hold and pouters out. Flair tries to help Valentine to his feet but Valentine shoves him away. Valentine scoots himself over to the ropes and pulls himself up. He exchanges a long look with Flair. Valentine quickly touches hands with Flair in a display of sportsmanship, but the glare never lessens between the two competitors. Flair backs out of the ring never once taking his eyes off Valentine.

RESULT: WINNER BY DQ ON A REVERSE DECISION AT 24:13, GREG VALENTINE