The Day Denny Brown Ran Into Lazer Tron
It was an early March night
Inside WTBS Studios
1987 was the year to be exact
March 7 was the day
Denny Brown was preparing to make another defense
Of his NWA Junior Heavyweight championship
You see
There was a bit of confusion of when Brown’s reign
Officially started in the eyes
Of Jim Crockett Promotions
And the National Wrestling Alliance
Some say 1984
The Night of Starrcade 1984
When he defeated Mike Davis
Others say
He was just awarded the belt
Due to the faltering relationship between New Japan and the NWA
Regardless of which
Ultimately the Board of Directors
Accepted Brown
As champion
And Brown was very successful
As Junior Heavyweight champion
Save for a month reign by Gary Royal
From 8/15/85 to 9/15/85
And a month by Steve Regal
No, not “Lord”
From 8/2/86 to 9/1/86
“Downtown” was absolutely
DOMINANT
As the king of the 80s version
Of Light Heavyweight wrestling
Born in Honolulu
Brown had grown leaps and bounds
Ever since being in the NWA
Worked incredibly hard
To be a three time champion
Master of the Oklahoma Roll
He had proven himself
To be a very talented individual
And raised prestige to a championship
That never really got much love
The NWA Junior Heavyweight championship
Has been around since May 1945
When the founder of the NWA
Pinkie George
Awarded Ken Fenelon
To be the first champion
Over the years
Men like LeRoy McGuirk
Verne Gagne
Angelo Savoldi
Dory Funk
Mike DiBiase
Hiro Matsuda
Danny Hodge
Les Thornton
Gerald Brisco
Chavo Guerrero, Sr
Tiger Mask
Are among the greats to hold that title
So when March 7, 1987 came around
“Downtown” Denny Brown was prepared to make
Another title defense
However
This time he had a very unique opponent
The one
The only
Lazer Tron
Lazer Tron
The Protector of the Children
Based off the hot game Lazer Tag
Was a true hero for the younger fan base
Wearing a lucha style mask
Which darkened his entire complexion
Red antennas on top of the cranium
A silver top with red trim
Matching trunks
And a lazer tag logo on the chest
Silver forearm length gloves as well
A far-out look
Especially in the world of JCP
But definitely a different demographic
Loved what Lazer Tron was about
The bell rang
After Scrappy McGowan’s signal
And the match began
Schiavone and Crockett on the call
And almost immediately
You get a different vibe
Inside of WTBS Studios
Two men had something to prove
Lazer Tron’s quick debut and into an opportunity
While Brown’s stranglehold
Over the NWA Junior Heavyweight strap
Hung in the balance
Both men employed
Holds and counter-holds
Definitely a different feel
Then what you see today
During light heavyweight style matches
Lazer Tron early worked on the left arm
Hammerlocks
Arm wringers
Wrenching the shoulder blade
Somehow in the middle of the arm wringer
He threw in a pair of back fists
Something new
Mixed in with an old school hold
During the call
Schiavone made mention
That the referee allowed Tron’s padded arm gloves
To be worn in the match
The match went into Brown’s favor
For a moment or two
After an Irish Whip in the buckle
Followed up with the back body drop
After a side headlock takeover
Tron worked his momentum into a headscissors
Somehow worked Brown up to his feet
And took him over again
After several moments
Brown had enough and rolled to the floor
Took a breather
And immediately picked up the pace
But Lazer Tron blocked it
And used European uppercuts
Padded gloves aided
And nailed a back body drop of his own
Brown had enough
And got more aggressive
More knees and clubs
He wanted to keep his championship
At any means necessary
After a back elbow
Brown got cocky
And went for a jumping knee drop
But missed
And Lazer Tron
Thinking with the mind of a champion
Locked on a figure four leglock
After 45 seconds
Brown was able to get to the ropes
Tron went right to the legs
Trying to go for the kill
After a few kicks
Tron locked on a double ankle lock
While “Downtown” was on his back
Brown tried kicking him off into a monkey flip
But Tron landed on his feet
And went right back to the double ankle lock
Just as Lazer Tron
Nearly locked on a Lion Tamer
Brown thought smart and punched his way out
From his back
And back to his feet
Brown side-headlocked Tron
And suddenly went into a criss-cross
Back and forth they went
Running opposite of one another
And then OUT OF NOWHERE
“Downtown” dug down deep
And nailed a Five-Arm
That should’ve been it
But Brown scooped him up
Seemingly looking for another move
Which in hindsight
Was a major miscue
After a vertical suplex
Tron kicked out at 2
And after a burst of energy
Landed on his feet after another back body drop attempt
This time
Brown was cooked
After the great balance
Tron utilized
The Protector of the Children
Bounced off the ropes
And nailed a Five-Arm of his own
Which was aided greatly
By the silver padded arm gloves
It knocked Brown out
And three pounds on the mat
By Scrappy McGowan
And Lazer Tron
Became NWA Junior Heavyweight champion
As a fan
I think Brown was cheated
The major question will always be
How much thorough checking
Did NWA referee Scrappy McGowan
Really do with Lazer Tron’s padded arm gloves?
Tron used them to his advantage
As Schiavone mentioned in further Tron title defenses
And was never fully investigated
I might call it a conspiracy theory
Denny Brown might as well
March 7, 1987
Was a day of infamy for “Downtown” Denny Brown
It was the last day he was ever held
The NWA Junior Heavyweight title
Lazer Tron was stripped of the belt
In October 1987
After he left Jim Crockett Promotions
Brown lost in the finals
Of a tournament
On October 16, 1987
To Nelson Royal
Who promptly took the title
To USA Championship Wrestling
In Knoxville, TN
After a few years of performing
In Florida
And as enhancement talent in WCW
He retired in 1997
His career was never the same
After receiving a Five-Arm aided with padded arm gloves
Although the greatest achievement of all
Is holding a championship
During the heyday of Jim Crockett Promotions
Denny Brown can always hold his hat on that
But the end of his reign
As Junior Heavyweight champion
Will always be mired in controversy
March 7, 1987
The Day Denny Brown Ran Into Lazer Tron
And changed everything forever.
Jon Harder
