Written and Produced by Tony Richards
December 29th in the Time Tunnel:
Happy Birthday to those who have passed on and to those great wrestlers still with us:
In Memoriam:
Dr. Sam Sheppard 1923
Theobaud Bauer 1901
Happy Birthday:
Justin Roberts (46)
RIP Memorial: We stop & remember those who have passed on this day and gave themselves to the business for us, the fans. We salute you and thank you.
Dr. Death Steve Williams 12-29-2009 at the age of 49
Manuel Chaij, Jr\The Amazing Zuma 12-29-2021 at the age of 85
Killer Khan 12-29-2023 at the age of 77
40 Year Flashback 12-29-1985: Combined AWA\JCP\NWA Christmas Star Wars Show at the Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey
On December 29, 1985, just days after Christmas, the AWA, in collaboration with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and Pro Wrestling USA, presented a monumental event known alternately as Christmas Star Wars or Night of Champions 2. Held at the Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey—a venue synonymous with high-energy spectacles, from rock concerts to sports extravaganzas—this show drew an impressive crowd of 12,000 fans, generating a gate of approximately $205,000. The card was a cross-promotional extravaganza, featuring title defenses from multiple organizations, Cold War-inspired rivalries, and a shocking world title change that reverberated through the industry. This event encapsulated the era’s blend of athleticism, drama, and geopolitical theater, making it a landmark in wrestling history.
The backdrop to this holiday-season showdown was the fragile alliance between the AWA and NWA under the Pro Wrestling USA banner, an attempt to counter the WWF’s national dominance. AWA promoter Verne Gagne, a wrestling legend in his own right, sought to showcase top talent from various territories, including the World Wrestling Council (WWC) from Puerto Rico. The event’s name, “Star Wars,” evoked epic battles, fitting for a card loaded with star power: from the charismatic “Nature Boy” Ric Flair to the patriotic Sergeant Slaughter, and emerging monsters like the Road Warriors. Pre-show hype on syndicated television programs built anticipation, with interviews highlighting personal vendettas—such as Tully Blanchard’s grudge against Magnum T.A. and the Road Warriors’ disdain for their Soviet foes. The Cold War undertones were palpable, with American heroes facing “Russian” heels, tapping into the patriotic fervor of Reagan-era audiences. Host Tony Schiavone provided ringside commentary, adding polish to what would become a night of surprises and stellar performances.
The undercard set a solid foundation, blending quick squash matches with competitive bouts that highlighted diverse wrestling styles. Kicking off the action, “Cowboy” Ron Bass, a rugged Texan known for his claw hold, dispatched James J. Dillon—a scheming manager turned wrestler—in just 5:30 with a back elbow and his signature claw pin. This opener served as a palate cleanser, warming up the crowd. Next, in a rare midget division showcase for the NWA Midget Title, champion Little Tokyo retained against Cowboy Lang at 4:56, using a thrust kick and leveraging the ropes for an illicit pin. The match provided light-hearted entertainment, a staple of 1980s cards to appeal to families.
The women’s division shone brightly as Sensational Sherri Martel defended the AWA Women’s Title against Debbie Combs in a gritty 10:26 encounter. Martel, with her fiery persona and technical prowess, countered Combs’ airplane spin into a leverage pin while grabbing the tights, retaining her belt. Post-match, Martel clobbered Combs with the title, drawing heat and underscoring her heel dominance. Shifting to international flavor, WWC Universal Champion Carlos Colon battled the monstrous Barbarian, managed by Paul Jones. In 6:40, Colon overcame the powerhouse with a senton splash and dropkick, pinning him to retain amid cheers for the Puerto Rican star. Jones’ post-match vow for revenge added intrigue.
Video: Sherri Martel vs Debbie Combs 12/29/1985 East Rutherford, New Jersey
Mid-card drama escalated with Buddy “Jack” Roberts of the Fabulous Freebirds facing “Precious” Paul Ellering, manager of the Road Warriors. Roberts secured a disqualification victory at 4:54 when the Road Warriors interfered, delivering a double shoulder block and tossing Roberts over the top rope—a chaotic spot that electrified the arena. The NWA World Tag Team Titles were on the line next, as champions the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) defended against the Long Riders (Black Bart and Bill Irwin) in an 11:02 thriller. The Express retained when Morton pinned Bill after a sunset flip, fending off illegal switches and guillotine maneuvers, much to the delight of the young fans idolizing their babyface energy.
The event’s patriotic pulse quickened in a “Russian Death” handicap match, where Sergeant Slaughter dismantled Boris Zhukov and Chris Markoff in 12:52. Slaughter, embodying American grit, whipped his foes with his belt amid “U-S-A” chants, pinning Markoff after exploiting their miscommunication. This bout epitomized the era’s anti-Soviet sentiment, with Slaughter chasing the heels from the ring. Intensity peaked in the NWA United States Title defense, where Magnum T.A. retained against Tully Blanchard (accompanied by Baby Doll) in a bloody 11:12 brawl. Magnum’s belly-to-belly suplex sealed the win, but not before railing shots and “I Quit” taunts referenced their prior feuds, leaving both men crimson.
The semi-main events delivered pay-per-view caliber drama. NWA World Champion Ric Flair defended against “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes in a 14:52 classic marred by controversy. Rhodes appeared to win with a pin after a backdrop over the top rope, but referee Dick Woehrle disqualified him for the illegal move—echoing infamous “Dusty finishes” like the prior year’s Bockwinkel-Hogan bout. Flair retained amid boos, the crowd’s frustration boiling over as the title was awarded back to him. Following this, the Road Warriors (Hawk and Animal, with Ellering) clashed with Ivan Koloff and Krusher Khruschev (with Nikita Koloff) in a 10:43 tag team war, winning by disqualification after Soviet interference. Post-match, Khruschev chained Ellering, but the Warriors retaliated, snaring the chain and scattering their rivals.
The night culminated in a seismic shift for the AWA World Heavyweight Title, as challenger Stan “The Lariat” Hansen dethroned champion Rick Martel in 14:01. Hansen, a bruising gaijin from Japan, targeted Martel’s back relentlessly, using the turnbuckle for leverage to force a submission. This title change was historic, marking Hansen’s first AWA reign and signaling instability in the promotion, as Martel’s technical style gave way to Hansen’s hardcore brawling.
One Thing I Learned About Stan Hansen
His notoriously stiff and hard-hitting wrestling style was partly unintentional, stemming from his extremely poor eyesight—he refused to wear contact lenses and couldn’t use glasses in the ring, which sometimes caused him to misjudge distances and accidentally strike opponents much harder than planned.
*Time Tunnel Programming note: Our regular OTD Cards Analysis feature was bumped from this issue for the coverage of the AWA Star Wars Card. I wanted to keep the daily newsletter at a comfortable reading length. The thing I try to keep in mind is that we have a daily newsletter and we dont have to load it up with too much stuff in one issue, there’s always another issue the next day. I thought the AWA World Title Change was important enough to give it proper space and move our feature to another day. The OTD Cards Analysis for this week will feature the cards for 1985. Keep watching for more clarity on which issue will contain the OTD Feature this week.
Thank you!
Tony
Thank You for Reading
I’m Tony Richards, Pro Wrestling Historian, Author and Storyteller. I share pro wrestling historical items in each issue of the Time Tunnel Pro Wrestling History Newsletter. Thanks for reading! If you enjoy my information on select events, matches and insights, please share it with folks you think might like to be a subscriber!
Remember, premium investors get access to exclusive and special content such as some special issues including a multi-part deep dives on wrestling territories, wrestler bios and championship title histories, special audio and video interviews on territory pro wrestling and more available in the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel for Premium Investors.