Back to the fifties by "G" GLfm@aol.com Another as told to tag match. For Tom they were his idea Responses welcome Once you get him started you better have hours to listen. I had already been on the phone for over an hour with Gordon Solie the greatest wrestling commentator in history. This was our second talk together. " SO ANYWAY "G" WERE WAS I"? I tell him " WELL GORDON YOU HAD JUST FINISHED TELLING ME ABOUT MULL and STEWART VS NEILSON and MCKENZIE". "OH YEA" he says VERY TOUGH MATCH. MULL and STEWART BEAT THE HELL OUT OF THOSES TWO GUYS". "WANT TO HEAR ABOUT ANOTHER ONE". I can't believe he even asks me that. I want to hear every thing he has to say about any wrestling match. "YEA GORDON I'D LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT ANY THING YOU WANT TO TELL ME". " WELL ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER I'M IN LITTLE ROCK DOING A CARD AND THIS PROMOTER HAS HEARD ABOUT THE TWO OTHER MATCHES AND HE DECIDES TO TRY IT. THERE'S MAYBE FIVE / SIX THOUSAND FANS IN AN ARENA BUILT TO HOLD FOUR THOUSAND. ALL OF THEM WANTING TO SEE THE MIXED TAG MATCH. AS THE ANOUNCER CLIMBS INTO THE RING THE PLACE IS AS QUITE AS A TOMB". "Ladies and Gentlemen this match is for the vacant Arkansas Tag Team Championship. In this corner at a combined weight of 361 pounds wearing white trunks the team of Antonina Rocca and his tag team partner Argentina Apollo." A huge cheer comes from the crowd as the two male wrestlers are introduced. These are to very good looking and athletic guys, very popular. " And making their way to the ring in the black tights at a combined weight of 289 pounds their opponents Mildred Burke and June Buyers." Several boos great the female wrestlers in this match. The four wrestlers are called to the center of the ring for the referee's instructions. Rocca and Apollo turn to go back to their corner they take two steps and are attacked by Burke and Buyers. Before they can even unzip their white satin ring jackets forearms smash into the back of their necks. Rocca falls to his knees and is stomped repeatedly by Burke. Apollo is driven face first into the turnbuckle were knees, forearms and elbows are smashed into his back. The ladies pummel both male wrestlers. The referee is unable to pull the two she-cats of their dazed opponents. Leaving Antonina Rocca face down on the mat in his corner, the women double-team the handsome athletic Argentina Apollo. Each taking an arm and twisting it they whip him face first into the opposite turnbuckle. They punch, kick, knee and smash his back over and over. Apollo is draped over the ropes crying out with every blow. Back in the other corner the ref is trying to get Rocca out of the ring and is not aware of the beating Apollo is taking from the two women wrestlers. Pulling him from the corner Mildred scopes him up off the mat. With June Buyers kneeling in front of her Burke slams his back onto Buyers knee and thigh. Apollo is rolling from side to side arching his back clutching at his spine. The ref turns just in time to see both Burke and Buyers double suplex Apollo over on his already injured back. Pointing at Mildred and telling her to get out of the ring, he does not see June Buyers drag Argentina Apollo to the middle of the mat. Arguing with Burke he fails to see Buyers hook Apollo's legs and turn him over. With his back to the action the ref cannot see or hear Argentina Apollo. Still wearing his satin ring jacket Apollo is trapped in June Buyers Boston Crab. A stunned and dazed Argentina Apollo slaps the mat in pain. He claws at the canvas in an effort to get to his corner for the tag. His efforts are hopeless, his tag team partner Antonina Rocca is in only slightly better condition than he and cannot make the tag. With his legs and back throbbing in pain Argentina Apollo cries out to the distracted referee. " REF - REF - OVER HEAR - HELP ME PLEASE". Hearing his cries the ref turns back to the action and comes toward the two wrestlers. Buyers shouts to the referee as he returns " ASK HIM - GO ON ASK HIM - HAS HE HAD ENOUGH". The ref kneels beside the trapped male wrestler and asks him " IS THAT IT APOLLO - HAVE YOU HAD ENOUGH - DO YOU WANT TO SUBMIT". The first fall ends with a defeated Argentina Apollo crying out his submission " YES - YES - I'VE HAD ENOUGH - I SUBMIT - TELL HER TO LET ME GO - I GIVE UP - NO MORE PLEASE - I GIVE UP". Releasing her beaten opponent Buyers and Burke raise their arms in victory, as Apollo crawls across the ring toward his corner. Two minuets is not a long time after you have taken a bad beating. Rocca and Apollo need all of it to regain what strength they can. Breathing deeply massaging injured areas the young male wrestlers recover much of their energy between falls. The second fall starts very different from the first. At the sound of the bell Argentina Apollo does two back flips leaps in the air and lands a powerful elbow smash on June Buyers upper chest. Buyers flies back against the turnbuckle and is shot back out of her corner. Apollo catches her in mid-air and belly-to-belly suplexes her to the mat. Leaping to the top rope and springing off like a cat the bare foot wrestler back flips on to the prone Buyers. Pulling Buyers to her feet he twists her arm into a wringer. Climbing to the top rope he holds her twisted arm as he walks around the ring on the rope like a high wire walker dragging Buyers with him. Back in his own corner he tags his partner. Antonina Rocca takes Buyers arm and climbs to the top rope himself. Walking mid way between the corners he springs off the top rope shooting June Buyers across the ring in a flying arm drag. Quickly on his feet he catches Buyers and Burke in mid tag. Pulling a stunned Burke over the top rope and into the ring on her back Rocca does a back flip to a cross body press on Mildred who is lucky to kick out of a pin. Pulling Millie to her feet he steps on her mid- section and quickly flings himself up and around ending up sitting on her shoulders. Locking his legs around Mildred's head he pitches forward taking her over in a front roll. Crashing to the mat a dazed Mildred Burke is rolled over and over around the ring. Finally free a dizzy Mildred gets slowly to her feet. Wobbling around trying to get her bearings she is sent crashing to the canvas by a flying drop kick from Rocca. Racing to his corner Rocca tags in Argentina Apollo who quickly continues the attack on Burke. With the moves of an acrobat Apollo flips and throws Burke all over the ring. Leaping high into the air his bare feet crash into her chest. Doing a leaping back summersault his elbow smashes into Mildred's chin. Using the ropes to launch himself into the air Argentina Apollo flies at Burke clotheslineing her to the mat. Grabbing her by her black wrestling boots he hooks her legs and sends her flying across the ring, landing face first on the canvas. Pulling the dazed and groggy lady wrestler to her feet Apollo leaps up planting both of his feet in her belly. Hooking the back of her head with both hands she is sent shooting up and across the ring in a flying monkey flip. Mildred makes no effort to get up off the mat. Unable to come close to tagging her partner Mildred cannot fight off or kick out of the rolling cradle put on her by Apollo. With her shoulders pinned firmly to the mat the ref slaps the canvas " ONE - TWO - THREE". The second fall is over Argentina Apollo has defeated Mildred Burke the match is even at one fall each. An angry and frustrated Mildred Burke is helped to her feet by June Buyers. Furious at being pinned she will show no mercy in the third fall. The bell starts the third and deciding fall. Mildred Burke and Argentina Apollo leave their corners and begin to circle each other. Slowly coming together they interlock fingers in a test of strength. Each wrestler is straining to gain the upper hand. In a flash that is all changed as Burke slams her boot between Apollo's legs. A stunned Apollo gasps as the air is driven out if his lungs. His eyes open wide in shock as he falls to his knees and topples over face first onto the mat. Cupping his hands over his injured manhood he rolls back and forth around the mat screaming in pain. Mildred is on him in a flash showing no mercy she stomps and kicks the fallen male wrestler over and over. Kicks crash into him both front and back as he rolls on the mat. Desperately trying to escape this punishment Apollo crawls on his belly toward his corner. Mildred continues to rain stomps and kicks on him as he inches his way to his corner and his only hope of escape. With a pleading look on his face Argentina Apollo stretches his arm as far as he can in an effort to tag out. Stretching just as far Antonina Rocca makes the tag and enters the ring. Stepping carefully over his fallen partner Rocca is met by the soles of June Buyers wrestling boots crashing into his chin and neck. The women have made the tag. He is shot backward tripping over his downed partner smashing the back of his head on the turnbuckle as he falls. Both male wrestlers now lie in a heap in their corner. Buyers drags Rocca out of his corner pulling him to his feet she takes a handful of his white satin trunks hooks his head and suplexes him. The next five minuets see a dazed and shaken Rocca battered and beaten. He is slammed, suplexed, kicked, stomped and punched all around the ring. With his partner still lying on the canvas there is no escape Rocca has no one to tag and no way out. Hold after hold is applied to the young male wrestler, arms and legs are bent every joint is twisted and pulled. The fans in the arena are stunned by what they see. With each new hold Antonina Rocca cries out in pain but will not submit. Trapping him in a figure four-leg lock Buyers taunts her male opponent " GIVE UP - COME ON ROCCA - GIVE IT UP BEFORE I BREAK YOUR LEG". Refusing to submit to her, Buyers releases the leg hold. The pain and injury to his knees is evident as Rocca gets to his feet. Limping noticeable he cannot fight off his female opponent. Hooking his head and grabbing his white satin trunks June Buyers suplexes him sending Antonina crashing to the mat on his back. Lifting him by the legs she flips him face down on the canvas. Antonina Rocca is now trapped in a Boston Crab. Screaming in pain he is asked if he wants to submit. " NO - NO - I DON'T GIVE UP" is his answer each time he is asked. Burke continues to torture Rocca for several minuets all the wile screaming at him " COME ON ROCCA GIVE UP - I'VE BEATIN YOU - YOUR FINISHED - GO AHEAD AND SUBMIT". Time and again this proud male wrestler refuses to quit. Unable to make him submit Buyers drops his legs releasing him from the Boston Crab. Pulling a dazed and exhausted Rocca to his feet an angry and frustrated June Buyers twists his arm in a wringer. Whipping him to the ropes one last time Buyers waits for him to fly back at her. Wrapping her arm under his chin and around his head she traps him in a sleeper hold. Antonina Rocca claws at her arms and hands trying to get free. He twists from side to side in an effort to escape the hold. It is no use Buyers has him trapped tightly in her sleeper. Slowly his efforts become weaker and weaker. He is now just pawing at her as he slowly sinks to the mat. Buyers continues to apply the pressure to him as Rocca collapses. His legs spread and stretched out Antonina Rocca is in the last stages of consciousness. Unknown to him Mildred Burke has entered the ring and trapped his partner Argentina Apollo in the same hold. Apollo makes almost no effort to fight her off and slides quickly back down to the mat unconscious. The thousands watching the match stare in disbelief as both of these great male wrestlers succumb to their female opponents. The ref lifts the arm of Antonina Rocca three times only to see it fall uselessly to his side each time. He calls for the bell not even bothering to check Argentina Apollo who Mildred Burke has left spread eagle on the mat before returning to her corner. The fall and the match are over the two women wrestlers hug each other and raise their arms in victory. The two male wrestlers lie unconscious and defeated on the mat. The ring announcer bring this championship match to a close as he tell the fans " THE WINNRES OF THE THIRD FALL AND THE MATCH WITH A SLEEPER HOLD KNOCK-OUT, AND NEW ARKANSAS STATE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS MILDRED BURKE AND JUNE BUYERS". The new champions put on their title belts and wave to the cheering crowd. It takes almost five minutes for trainers and ring staff to revive the defeated male wrestlers. Getting them slowly to their feet they each need help to stand. Looking dazed and confused they ask what happened and is the match over. " YEA IT'S OVER - BOTH OF YOU WERE KNOCKED OUT BY SLEEPER HOLDS - YOU WERE BEATEN BY THOSE GIRLS". With help from the ring staff they carefully leave the ring. Being supported on each side Rocca and Apollo make the long walk back to their dressing room.