Back in 1986, the most hated
villain in the AWA wrestling federation was Colonel DeBeers from South Africa.
Don't forget, you can now watch this great AWA action on ESPN Classic.
Check local listings or put it in your TIVO if you have one.
The Colonel's jobber -- I
mean opponent -- for this bout is announced as "Reverend Willie Pappas."
Is this guy some sort of priest or preacher? You don't often
see a "Reverend" in the wrestling ring.
This was during Apartheid in
South Africa and the ref knows that DeBeers supports those racist, unfair
policies. He reminds the Colonel to obey the rules. Clearly,
no political system of special treatment is tolerated in the AWA!
As usual, the Colonel wrestles
bare-chested in his military pants, while Reverend Pappas is sporting a
bright red speedo. I wonder if he wears that speedo under his robes
when he is saying mass.
The 411
Mania website provides analysis of these classic AWA shows. Here
is how 411 Mania described the start of this match:
"DeBeers gets a big hip toss to start and moves to an
arm-wringer, taking Pappas over then grating the sole of his boot on Pappas'
head."
The camera zooms in for a
close-up of Col. DeBeers punishing and twisting the good Reverend's wrist.
Isn't it a sin to inflict pain like this on a man of the cloth?? DeBeers
clearly doesn't care!
Scooping up the jobber, DeBeers
slams him hard onto his spine. As the 411 website accurately describes
it: "Methings
that Pappas had better start calling in some favors with the man upstairs
sooner rather then later. THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS HIM!!!"
The cruel Colonel drives a
boot into that soft belly. Poor Rev. Pappas is in trouble. Meanwhile,
the fan in the front row wearing the white dress shirt looks ready to jump
in the ring and rescue Pappas. Maybe he goes to his church.
Why, oh why, did this Reverend
try to start a career in Pro Wrestling? Hasn't he been getting enough
money in the collection plate?
From 411 Mania: "I'm noticing that for a man of the cloth, Pappas
has an ASSLOAD of tattoos. I wonder if he's born-again."
I'm sure Reverend Pappas drops
to his knees all the time to worship. But this time, he's kneeling
before cruel Colonel DeBeers, who is an angry, ruthless master.
The referee -- Joe LeDuc --
cautions DeBeers to be more gentle with the good Reverend. Clearly,
this racist Colonel has no respect for religion either.
"Pappas tries a reversal and gets a punch in the face and some
knees to the gut before DeBeers drobs an elbow on the top of his head and
hits a BIG slam."
The Bible says to "Turn the
other cheek" if an enemy strikes. Maybe Rev. Pappas is teaching the
congregation to be more forgiving, by allowing DeBeers to whomp on him
without mercy.
"How
much must it suck to be a servant of the Lord, and STILL Be forced by Him
to take that kind of beating. I mean, if anyone knows how to take a
beating it'd be HIM if that Passion movie is correct, but still."
I wonder if this Col. DeBeers
is related to the "DeBeers" company that mines and sells diamonds in Africa??
Maybe that's why he acts so arrogant and superior to everyone else,
because of all his diamonds.
Grabbing the waist-band of
the Reverend's red speedo, DeBeers holds him up in Suplex position. He
shows off his strength, suspending the victim with just one hand, then slams
him hard onto the mat.
His pale, chubby body has become the Colonel's play-thing. The
Reverend needs to spend less time studying the Bible and eating dinner with
his congregation, and more time at the gym if he wants to survive in the
pro wrestling ring!
The dude in the white shirt
watches in disgust as DeBeers covers the exhausted preacher to put him out
of his misery. Pappas doesn't even try to kick out. He has had enough.
Hey, what's going on! As
the ref counts to "Two", Colonel DeBeers yanks his opponent up by the hair.
He doesn't want to pin the man yet!
This is
so vicious and cocky. DeBeers has no compassion! He slams
a six-pack of fists into Reverend Willie's face.
The ref warns this South African
racist to stop being so vicious. Is this match to show the fans that
DeBeers has no respect for religion? Is nothing sacred in Pro Wrestling?
Again DeBeers lays on the helpless
Reverend in a dominant pose. He'd better pin Pappas this time, or that
angry fan in the front row may rip off his white shirt and storm into the
ring to protect his priest.
"One!...TWO!!..."
Again DeBeers yanks Pappas up by the hair! Isn't he even a little
bit concerned that the Reverend might come back and win the match?? He
better pin the man when he has a chance!
The sadistic punishment continues as helpless Reverend Pappas
submits to whatever degrading tactics the Colonel feels like using on him.
I don't even want to comment on what is apparently happening in these
photos! Come on Pappas, fight like a man already.
Colonel DeBeers has not allowed
the Reverend to apply even one hold. This is a pure, 100% old-fashioned
ass-whipping, one of the most one-sided beatings I've ever seen.
Maybe Colonel DeBeers can get
away with abusing and oppressing the poor natives in South Africa, but he's
in America now! We do not tolerate this level of arrogance and cruelty
by the privileged class (or do we?)
"A stiff punch to the face
and another, and Pappas goes down like a bland, bland communion wafer."
DeBeers is slaughtering the
good Reverend without mercy. That's what was great about wrestling
in the 1980s: the bad guys were pure evil and totally ruthless, you
had to hate and fear and admire them!
More painful Elbow Smashes
in the corner while Reverend Pappas fails to defend himself even one percent.
Do you think maybe the good Reverend is a masochist, welcoming the endless
punishment from cruel Colonel DeBeers??
Finally LeDuc can't watch this
disgusting punishment on the helpless preacher, and orders the Colonel to
back off. But the damage is done, the chubby Reverend doesn't have
a prayer now.
Oh damn, not the Pile Driver!
Not on this weakened, exhausted victim!! BOOM!! DeBeers drives
the man's skull into the mat.
He again covers the beefy jobber chest-to-chest. He will
pin the man this time for sure. Nobody can get up after the dreaded
Pile-Driver!
Oh. My. GOD!
DeBeers grips the suffering Reverend by the hair, to again pull him up.
I guess it's legal in Pro Wrestling to NOT pin your opponent, so there
is nothing the ref can do.
Reverend Pappas needs to go
study the Bible story of Jacob wrestling an Angel in a No Time Limit grudge
match. Jacob was no helpless jobber. He fought all night long, refusing
to submit even after getting his hip-bone dislocated from the Angel's dreaded
Figure 4 Leglock.
OOF! DeBeers continues to rain stomps and fists down on
the exhausted Reverend Pappas. This match has gone from a sport competition
to a form of torture. Is Pappas man enough to endure this cruelty,
and are you man enough to sit and watch it??
OK, the fourth time is hopefully
the charm for poor Rev. Pappas. DeBeers covers him with a cocky grin
as LeDuc starts counting.
YOINK! Again he stops
the count at "Two." Many heels pull their opponent up for more abuse,
but I don't think I've ever seen it four times in one match! This
may be a new record.
The ref again shakes his finger
angrily in the Colonel's face, warning him to stop punishing the helpless
jobber. The commentators are outraged by these tactics, the fans are
ready to riot. DeBeers has surely done his job tonight!
DeBeers delivers one of those
face-busting Pancake Piledrivers, smashing the Rev's face and belly onto the
mat. Count it: that was the second Pile Driver.
The poor Reverend Pappas is
cringing in pain and kind of twitching. DeBeers lays on his chest for
the fifth time.
You guessed it. DeBeers
pulls him up yet again. He refuses to leave Pappas with any shred of
dignity. Maybe the referee should stop this humiliating beating.
Oh sweet Jesus. DeBeers
delivers a third, count it, third Pile Driver on the exhausted victim. The
announcers are concerned now about the limp jobber's health and safety.
Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff also loved to finish off his opponents with
the dreaded Pile Driver, but even he didn't deliver three in a row!
YOINK!
Git up sissy, I ain't done hurting you yet.
This is absolutely out of control. That is the sixth
time DeBeers breaks up the three count to continue this degrading ass-whippin.
The vicious bastard further
punishes the injured man with a knee to the neck. You gotta love Colonel
DeBeers (and Reverend Pappas) for performing this ruthless, endless jobber-squash
for the fans to enjoy. You gotta love the AWA promoters first who brought
it to us, and ESPN Classic for digging up this awesome footage and broadcasting
it.
Reverend Pappas offers the
camera a nice view of his red speedo as DeBeers lays across his thick body
for the seventh time.
DeBeers has gone insane I
think. That's seven covers, and seven lift-ups. Poor Joe LeDuc
is getting tired of kneeling down and slapping the mat. He looks a
bit miffed by the Colonel's sadistic little game.
Are you
kidding me?? DeBeers grips the Reverend's head between his thighs yet again,
and Pile Drives him for the fourth time. Pappas is totally out cold.
Finally, after nearly driving
the victim's spine out through the top of his head, DeBeers pins his dazed
victim, one arm draped between his thighs, and allows the ref to count to
Three. Victory at last!
"That was just an unmitigated
squash and I'd have to wonder just why DeBeers was so stiff on the guy and
didn't let him get in a single offensive move."
The ref asks DeBeers why he has to be such a dick in the ring,
as they flash his name on-screen as the winner. Somehow the director
must have guessed which wrestler would win the match, to prepare the caption
to appear on screen immediately after the match ended.
Joe LeDuc is suddenly very
concerned about Rev. Pappas as he administers First Aid. (He should've
thought about that before allowing DeBeers to Pile Drive the man four times!)
Is that really necessary??
DeBeers stops the ref's attempts to administer CPR by brutally stepping
directly on Reverend Willie's throat.
"A weird match, bordering on
almost uncomfortable to watch, hence all the jokes to lighten the mood a bit.
Poor Pappas. Poor little Pappas."
If you want to watch the humiliating
destruction of Rev. Willie Pappas, click play below:
