Houston Wrestling Spectacular: Well They Got Close
Houston’s Wrestling Spectacular
Location: Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas
Commentator: Paul Boesch
This is a DVD released by Jim Cornette a few years ago and I have very little idea of what to expect. As you can probably guess, this is all from Paul Boesch’s Houston Wrestling and mostly from the late 70s/early 80s. I have no idea what to expect here but there are some very talented names on the lineup. Let’s get to it.
We open with what looks like the opening from Houston’s TV show in a nice touch.
From April 16, 1982. I’m not completely sure on the date as only the year is accurate but that seems to be the most likely option.
AWA World Title: Nick Bockwinkel vs. Dick Slater
Bockwinkel is defending and Slater’s Southwest Title isn’t on the line. Slater takes him down with a hammerlock to start and it’s time for some early cranking. Bockwinkel has to get up and go to the ropes for the escape and we reset things a bit. They go to the test of strength until Slater hits a headbutt, setting up a headscissors on the mat. Back up and Slater plants him down for two, followed by a small package for the same. Slater goes with the Indian Deathlock as Boesch talks about Bockwinkel’s father losing his ear in a match.
Bockwinkel grabs a forearm around the face for the break and hammers away at the chest. That’s fine with Slater, who headbutts his way out of trouble as Bockwinkel can’t get anything going here. We’re back in the front facelock for a bit until Bockwinkel gets up for some shoulders in the corner. One of them misses though and Bockwinkel hits the post to put Slater right back in control. Bockwinkel backdrops out of a piledriver attempt but Slater is right back with an armbar.
They get up but Bockwinkel hits him in the ribs, only for Slater to go back to the hammerlock as the arm cranking continues. The arm is tied up in Slater’s legs but Bockwinkel makes the ropes. Bockwinkel tries to hammer away but gets sent face first into the mat, which is enough to send him backing to the floor. Back in and they ram heads for a double down, giving Bockwinkel a much needed breather.
Slater slams him down but misses a middle rope knee drop to FINALLY give Bockwinkel an opening. The Figure Four goes on and Slater is in trouble but he’s able to roll over to the ropes. Bockwinkel wraps the bad knee around the post before snapping Slater’s throat across the top rope for the first fall at 15:18.
We get a one minute rest period between falls before Bockwinkel goes right after the leg again. Slater kicks him down though and sends Bockwinkel outside, followed by a bunch of kicks on the way back inside. A falling headbutt and a knee drop have Bockwinkel in trouble and Slater puts on his own Figure Four. The rope is reached again so Slater wraps the leg around the post (just as Bockwinkel did to him). A top rope elbow to the back of the head gives Slater the second fall to tie it up at 19:49.
We get another rest period before Slater starts fast with a piledriver to send Bockwinkel outside again. Back in and Slater hits a suplex for two but Bockwinkel slugs his way out of a spinning toehold. The referee gets bumped though and there’s no one to count as Slater gets an O’Connor Roll. The very delayed count gets two but Bockwinkel reverses into a rollup of his own and uses the tights for the pin to retain at 22:09.
Rating: B. This took some time to get going but eventually turned into Slater being good, but not quite good enough to win the whole thing in the end. That’s a nice story to tell and shows just how much better Bockwinkel was here. Bockwinkel absolutely takes some time to get used to, but when he’s showing what he can do, it absolutely works.
Post match Slater gets in a bonus shot to knock Bockwinkel off the apron.
From December 21, 1979.
Jimmy Snuka vs. Ken Patera
2/3 falls again and JJ Dillon is here with Patera. The fans rather approve as Patera gets his warmup pants off and commentary talks about how Snuka got his physique by doing the simple things in life. Such as climbing coconut trees. They lock up to start and Patera shoves him away before they go to a crisscross. Snuka leapfrogs him into a crossbody and Patera already wants a breather.
Back in and Boesch says Snuka has “hit the highspots”. Ok so it’s in a different context entirely (he’s talking about going to big cities) but it sounds so strange anyway. A slam sends Patera bailing to the floor again, followed by a headlock from Snuka back inside. Patera powers out and poses, earning himself a quick dropkick in a funny bit. Snuka grinds away on the headlock again as Dillon is rather anxious on the floor.
Patera finally sends him into the ropes for the break but gets caught in another headlock. Back up again and Patera tries to squeeze the ribs to escape but settles for backing him into the ropes instead. Patera gets up and starts in with the clubbing forearms, plus a knee to the ribs to really stagger Snuka. The chinlock goes on and Patera, like a villain, pulls Snuka down to prevent the escape.
Snuka fights out but gets dropped with another knockdown. A top rope ax handle to the back and an elbow give Patera two, with Boesch sounding rather proud. Snuka gets in a shot to the head and starts the comeback, including a jumping…uh…something to the face. A big chop drops Patera again but he gets in a shot of his own for a breather. Snuka is back with a crossbody but Patera rolls through and his feet land on the rope for the pin and the first fall at 13:23.
We get a longer than usual rest period between the falls, which is at least partially so Dillon can say there was NO cheating. The second fall begins and Snuka is not exactly pleased. Some chops in the corner have Patera in more trouble and a slam makes it worse. The running diving headbutt has Patera rocked and a jumping headbutt gives Snuka two. Another headbutt gives Snuka two, with Patera having to get his foot on the ropes. A quick shot staggers Snuka and Patera gets his full nelson.
Snuka flips Patera forward for the escape (which you don’t see very often) and he makes another comeback with the classic technique of hitting someone in the face. That means it’s time to start doing a comeback dance but Patera gets his knees up on a splash. The rollup cover gets three, which doesn’t count as the referee sees Patera’s feet on the ropes. Instead Snuka gets an O’Connor roll to tie it up at 20:01.
The annoyed Patera forearms away in the corner to start the third fall but Snuka atomic drops him down. Back up and Patera gets a bearhug to slow things back down. That’s broken up as well and they crash out to the floor, where Dillon grabs Snuka. A headbutt cuts that off (the fans approve) and Snuka chases Dillon until it’s a double countout at 24:31 (the fans disapprove).
Rating: B. Again, it was a bit slow at times but I was wanting to see where this went. That’s a good sign as I don’t have any connection to the story or the wrestlers at this point but it worked anyway. If nothing else, it’s always interesting to see the pre-prison version of Patera, as he really was good as a power villain. It’s easy to see how he became such a big star in the WWF not long after this.
From July 27, 1979.
Jack Brisco vs. The Spoiler
2/3 falls again and Gary Hart is here with the Spoiler (a fairly tall masked man who has impressed me before). A headlock doesn’t get Spoiler very far to start so he tries it again to some better success. They fight into a top wristlock but Spoiler pulls him right back into the headlock. Brisco can’t get very far by grabbing the leg and Spoiler keeps grinding away, with Boesch talking about how Spoiler doesn’t like Hart cheating for him.
The referee catches the cheating though and makes Spoiler break it, which he does…with a facebuster in a smart move. We’re right back on the headlock and Brisco is in more trouble, even as he’s on top of Spoiler on the mat. Brisco starts kneeing away at the back to escape and we hit a reverse chinlock. Now it’s Brisco grabbing a headlock of his own, with Spoiler stacking him up to escape.
A big boot sends Brisco outside but Spoiler misses a dive off the top, which is what Boesch said made Brisco World Champion. That’s remarkably specific. Brisco punches him down again and grabs a chinlock, with Spoiler getting a foot into the ropes. Some knee drops have Brisco down again and a rollup with trunks gets two, as Brisco’s feet are in the ropes. The Claw hold goes on and Spoiler grinds away, with Brisco looking all wobbly.
Another comeback has Brisco on his feet and he finally gets out with a shinbreaker. Brisco stays on the leg and puts on a half crab, with Spoiler tapping, albeit about 15 years before that meant anything in wrestling (with a useful graphic before the match reminding us that it doesn’t matter). Spoiler eventually manages to grab the claw again but Brisco goes back to the leg. The Figure Four goes on and Spoiler grabs the referee, who KICKS SPOILER for the break (that has to be cheating).
Hart’s distraction makes Brisco let go and he charges into a boot in the corner. Spoiler rolls him up but Hart gets caught helping on the pin and that’s a DQ for the first fall at 18:11. Hart and Spoiler both hammer away between falls so Brisco decks Hart and rolls Spoiler up for the pin at 19:13.
Rating: B-. They had a nice story here with Boesch telling us that Spoiler was getting sick of Hart’s cheating and then Hart cost him both falls. At the same time, Brisco is still one of the best of all time and can work well with anyone in there. I always get something out of his matches and this was no exception. The Spoiler continues to look like someone who should be just kind of there but does well every chance he gets.
Post match Brisco chases Spoiler off.
From November 30, 1979.
Dusty Rhodes vs. Ken Patera
2/3 falls again and James J. Dillon is with Patera again. Patera grinds away on the headlock to start and hammers away a bit before grabbing it for a second time. A snapmare makes Rhodes get funky like a monkey though and it’s time to work on a wristlock. An armbar has Patera down and Dillon is right there on the apron to accuse Rhodes of pulling the tights.
Dillon’s distraction lets Patera get out so Rhodes starts the flip, flop and fly (as only he could ever really do right). Patera fights back and gets a chinlock to slow Rhodes down a good bit. Rhodes gets up as well and starts firing off the elbows, including the Bionic Elbow for the first fall at 8:27.
After the required rest period, Rhodes wastes no time in knocking him out to the floor for another hard elbow. Back in and a snapmare sets up a missed Bionic Elbow and Patera goes up top, only to be slammed back down. Rhodes puts on a chinlock of his own, with Patera going to the ropes for the break in something you don’t see very often. Patera starts in on the leg and cranks away, with the fans wanting some elbows but commentary pointing out that it won’t make a difference.
Rhodes slips out but gets sent into the buckle to cut him off. The full nelson goes on, with Rhodes immediately running for the ropes in a smart counter. Instead Patera grabs the bearhug and cranks away until they go down for a two count. Rhodes finally gets up and slaps the ears for the escape, only to get bearhugged again, this time for a pin at 18:33. Rhodes gets up after the rest period and chases Patera outside, where he pulls Rhodes outside as well. They slug it out on the floor, where Dillon grabs the leg on the way back in, which is enough for the DQ to give Rhodes the win at 19:56.
Rating: B-. I’ve been overly harsh on Rhodes over the years but you can definitely see the charisma, which was more than enough to make him into such a big star. The action here wasn’t quite as good as the rest of the stuff so far but Rhodes’ charisma was carrying him here. Patera continues to be someone who can be a good villain, with the interference being a nice way to keep him safe in defeat.
From January 9, 1981.
Chavo Guerrero vs. Black Gordman
2/3 falls again and of course this is Chavo Sr. (Classic), whose International Junior Heavyweight Title isn’t on the line. They trade standing switches to start until a flying headscissors brings Gordman down. Back up and Gordman gets a full nelson, with Guerrero reversing into one of his own. That’s broken up and Gordman works on the arm for a big before getting taken down by the leg.
Guerrero cranks away before letting up, allowing Gordman to pull him into the same leglock. This one doesn’t last as long so Gordman goes with some shots to the face instead. Guerrero is sent into the corner and seems to slip off what looked to be a crossbody attempt, instead settling for a springboard version and the first fall at 7:04.
After the rest period, Guerrero forearms him into the ropes to start the second fall before winning a slugout. Gordman gets in a cheap shot to take over and grabs what looks to be a nerve hold but is really a choke. The referee holds Gordman back but he manages to get in a shot on Guerrero anyway, as the officiating here leaves something to be desired. A pair of DDTs (Boesch: “That bulldogging headlock.”) and a running backsplash tie it up at 10:48.
The rest period sees the referee yelling at Gordman, who starts the second fall with an STO (that’s a big move for this time). It works so well that Gordman does it again for two before choking with the tape. That wakes Guerrero up and he strikes away in the corner, setting up a monkey flip. Gordman sends him over the top rope though and that’s a DQ to give Guerrero the win at 13:55.
Rating: C+. Weakest match of the set so far and even then it was completely fine. The ending seems to be a way to set up a rematch for the title (which is exactly what happened) but there wasn’t much here that would make me want to see them fight again. Gordman had some stuff that would become more commonplace later, but for 1981, it was insane to see some of this stuff.
From October 24, 1980.
Dusty Rhodes vs. Ivan Koloff
This is an interesting match which happened a bunch around the territories. To spice this up a bit, this is a Texas Death Coffin match, meaning it’s a Texas Deathmatch, which means you have regular falls and rest periods after, but apparently you win by regular coffin/casket match rules. Rhodes and Koloff argue over whether the coffin is in the ring or on the floor, with Rhodes (inside) getting his way.
They take their time to start, with Rhodes promising to lay him in the coffin (which sounds like threatening murder). Koloff seems squeamish of the coffin (because, you know, coffin) and keeps yelling about it while Rhodes dances a bit. Some hard shots in the corner have Rhodes in some trouble but he throws Koloff over the coffin instead. Koloff steps away from the coffin and kicks him down to take over. A middle rope knee (the Sputnik Dive) connects but Rhodes gets a small package for the fall at 4:09.
Koloff is perfectly fine so this was little more than a breather for Rhodes, which makes sense. The USA chants start up and Koloff (a proud Canadian) isn’t happy. Rhodes slugs away with elbows but lowers his head and gets kicked in the face for a fall at 6:17. They’re both back up again and the USA chants are on again, because they went so well for Rhodes last time.
They go outside this time and Koloff gets sent into various things to bust him open. Koloff takes off a boot to knock Rhodes silly, followed by a chair to the head. That’s not enough to put Rhodes (also bleeding) in the coffin so he fights up, only to miss the elbow for two. A piledriver gives Rhodes the pin at 11:26 but he can’t get Koloff into the coffin.
That doesn’t count anyway as it’s during the rest period so once that is out of the way, we can start up again. Rhodes goes for the coffin again but Koloff still isn’t having that. Now it’s Rhodes who won’t go in, but Koloff does drop a knee on him for the fall at 12:28. The rest period ends and Koloff rams him into the side of the coffin, only to miss a knee drop. Rhodes knocks him into the coffin and that’s enough for the win at 14:12.
Rating: C+. This was a bit weird as it felt like they were trying to do two different matches at once. The coffin deal was fine enough but the Texas death match and the falls didn’t add anything, as they just served as ways to give the two of them a breather. It wasn’t a bad match, but it was a bit more complicated than it needed to be.
From June 16, 1978.
Dick Slater vs. Alberto Madril
Another 2/3 falls and Madril is usually known as Al (as he’s listed on the DVD case). Slater walks away from some threats of right hands in the corner and kicks Madril down. Madril’s armbar works a bit better, including taking Slater to the mat to crank away even more. Back up and Slater drives him into the corner, earning a rather big shove. An armdrag sets up another armbar, though this one doesn’t go as well for Madril. Back up and Madril gets two off an O’Connor roll, setting up another armbar. This time Slater stands up and climbs over the ropes, which works for a break.
Slater punches him down and grabs a quickly broken front facelock, with Madril reversing into a hammerlock. That’s broken up as well and Slater hammers away, allowing him to use the hair and pull Madril into an armbar of his own. A knee onto the arm has Madril in more trouble and his comeback is cut off by a shot to the throat. Slater’s Russian legsweep gets two but Madril punches him down for two. Slater forearms him in the back for two more but the piledriver is countered with a backdrop. Madril gives him an atomic drop for a hilarious sell, only to get small packaged for the first fall at 11:32.
The second fall starts and Madril immediately chases him outside, with Slater coming back in and bailing right back to the floor. Back in again and Slater elbows him out to the floor so the beating can begin. The sleeper goes on back inside for two arm drops but Madril fights out and slugs away.
Slater gets tied in the ropes and punched a few times for two, with the fans not liking the speed of the count. Back up and Slater sends him to the floor, only for Madril to come back in for a rollup to tie it up at 18:50. We get what feels like an extended rest period as Madril’s shoulder seems to be hurt. It’s so hurt that the referee stops the match and awards it to Slater at 20:45.
Rating: B-. The ending didn’t help things but there is only so much that can be done if Madril is too banged up to continue. Slater continues to be someone who feels like he could be a star in just about any promotion. He works well and comes off like a heel you want to see lose. That’s a valuable thing to have and it worked here, even with a less than optimal ending.
From April 8, 1977.
Bruiser Brody vs. Dusty Rhodes
2/3 falls again and I believe that’s the right date, as it seems like this might be April 1, especially with a pre-match announcement that Brody will face Fritz Von Erich the following week. They circle each other to start, with Rhodes (who is SLIM here) chasing Brody out to the floor. Back in and Rhodes hammers away, which has Brody bailing to the floor again.
After a lengthy stay outside, Brody comes back in and gets his arm cranked. Brody fights out and takes over on the mat, only for Rhodes to take him into the corner. What looks like a low blow takes too long to set up though and Brody knocks him down again. Some running boots to the head and a knee drop finish Rhodes for the first fall at 6:08.
Rhodes rolls to the floor and sneaks back in to hammer Brody from behind. An elbow to the face sets up the big elbow to tie it up at 7:18. We pause for Brody to get up (those were some BIG elbows) as the rest period is far longer than after the first fall. Rhodes is right on him to hammer away as soon as the bell rings and Brody is sent outside. A dancing Rhodes follows him out but then goes back inside to chill in the corner.
Some elbows to the head rock Brody again but the big elbow misses. Brody knocks him down and claws away at Rhodes’ head on the mat, which is enough to fire up the comeback. That’s cut off again and Brody hammers him down in the corner, followed by some big boots for two. Rhodes is back up for a headbutt and they’re both down, with Rhodes calling on the fans to help him up (and that’s a big part of why Rhodes was a star). Rhodes, powered by the fans, gets up and hammers away, only to get backdropped over the top for the DQ to give Rhodes the third fall and the win at 14:34.
Rating: B-. This was starting to get somewhere with the fans getting behind Rhodes, as they’re supposed to do when a hero is fighting a monster like Brody. The thing that caught my attention here was how well Brody could sell. He was a big guy, but he made Rhodes’ offense look like a superhero by staggering around like that. You could see a lot of Brody in Undertaker’s selling later on and that’s because it works very well.
Post match Brody ties him in the ropes and keeps up the beating, including a bunch of kicks, both running and standing. Rhodes escapes and fires off some elbows to send Brody skedaddling.
From September 19, 1980. This is described as “Surviving Footage” so we’re likely not getting close to the full match.
Bruiser Brody vs. Ivan Koloff
2/3 falls again and we’re joined in progress with Koloff begging off in the corner and Brody hammering away. Brody sends him into the corner and starts kicking away as the fans are WAY behind Brody here. A slam plants Koloff again and they go outside where Koloff is posted rather quickly. Back in and the bleeding Koloff gets in a shot of his own for a knockdown, setting up the top rope knee drop for the second fall to tie it up at 3:07 shown. That would mean we missed about the first eight minutes, assuming the times I can find are accurate.
Koloff hammers away to start the third fall but Brody sends him face first into a boot in the corner to start the comeback. Commentary acknowledges that Koloff isn’t going to win a slugout here, which is exactly what happens. Brody blocks a kick to the ribs and spins him around, setting up a one armed slam.
The slow beating continues, including a neck snap to send Koloff sprawling. They head outside where Brody uses a chair (the referee doesn’t mind) and then get back inside for another slam to drop Koloff again. A fist drop gets two on Koloff but he avoids a charge into the buckle for the big crash. With nothing else working, Koloff grabs a shovel and comes off the top to knock Brody silly for the DQ and the third fall at 9:39 shown.
Rating: C. This was a slower paced brawl with the ending seemingly designed to keep the feud going. Koloff had something with the shovel/burying deal and this was about six weeks before the Coffin Match with Dusty Rhodes. It’s nice to see things tie together like this, as we’re waiting to see someone conquer the heel, which is what we got earlier in the set (which is some weird structuring but oh well).
From August 7, 1981.
Tony Atlas/Tiger Conway Jr. vs. Tank Patton/Colonel Buck Robley
2/3 falls again. Atlas signs a bunch of autographs before the match, only stopping for the introductions. That’s not something you see very often but it works rather well. There are also two referees here for a weird but logical visual. Atlas and Patton start things off but don’t do much of anything before it’s off to Robley. Conway ducks a right hand and fires away on Robley, who goes down in a hurry. Patton gets beaten up as well before Conway starts in on Robley’s arm.
Atlas comes in and Robley panics, apparently worried about getting beaten up even worse. A rather grinding headlock has Robley in more trouble and the dropkick has him down again. Patton comes back in and gets taken down by the dancing Atlas. Conway and Atlas take turns working on Patton’s arm until he manages to send Atlas into Robley’s knee in the corner. Atlas easily powers out of a cover so Robley goes with the bearhug to wear him down.
That’s broken up but Patton is there to cut off the tag attempt. Another bearhug goes on for a bit longer before Patton slams Atlas down. It’s back to Robley for another bearhug and Atlas ax handling his way to freedom still isn’t enough for the tag. Some shots out of the corner are enough to bring in Conway to quickly clean house. Everything breaks down and Patton drops Conway with a clothesline for the first fall at 10:53.
The second fall starts with Patton working over Conway before handing it off to Robley for a knockdown of his own. A piledriver attempt is blocked though and it’s back to Atlas to clean house. Headbutts abound and Atlas bearhugs Robley to even things up a bit from earlier. That’s broken up so it’s back to Conway to clean house again. A flying headbutt finishes Patton at 16:03 and we’re tied up.
Tiger Conway Sr. is at ringside cheering for his son, who takes Patton down by the arm. It’s back to Robley, who gets punched down with some big right hands. Robley comes back with a sleeper as Conway Sr. and Patton argue. It’s back to Patton to slug away, including a knee drop for two. Robley kicks him down again for one, with Conway’s foot getting on the rope. Back up and a kick to the face allows the tag to bring Atlas back in.
House is cleaned in a hurry, with some gorilla presses dropping Robley. Atlas misses a headbutt though and it’s back to Conway for a Boston crab. The kickout sends Conway into the referee though and the brawl goes outside. Robley grabs a chair but Conway takes it away and starts swinging. That’s enough for the referee to throw the third fall out and the match is a draw at 24:55.
Rating: C+. This took some time to get going but it was working well by the end. It was a match that should have been a bit shorter than it went, but the fans were going nuts for Conway and Atlas. You could see the star power in Atlas no matter what he was doing and I could imagine Robley and Patton being an annoying heel team. That makes for a good pairing, but it only worked out so well, mainly due to the match going long.
Conway and Atlas want to keep going but that’s not going to happen.
From 1966.
Johnny Valentine vs. Bull Curry
2/3 falls and no time limit. Valentine was a huge star and Greg’s father. He’s also the United States Champion but the title isn’t on the line here. Assuming the 1966 date is right, this would put the match at some point from June to August, though that’s assuming quite a few things. Valentine goes after the arm to start but Curry (the crowd favorite) slugs away to bang up Valentine’s ear. Commentary mentions Curry wanting revenge about Valentine hurting Curry’s son so there’s something personal here too.
They go with some grappling and Valentine grabs a front facelock, which is switched into a chinlock to keep up the grinding. Curry fights up and slugs away as the crowd gets back into things. Back up and Curry backs him into the corner, where Valentine manages a shot to send Curry out to the floor. They go back to the apron and Curry is knocked right back down again. Curry tries another slugout, earning a third trip to the floor. Yet another slugout actually goes to Curry, who is quickly rolled up for the pin at 9:46.
After the rest period, Curry wastes no time in punching him into the corner and then doing it again for good measure. The slugout is on again and Valentine is in trouble, mainly due to being busted open. More right hands have Valentine rocked, with maybe the best “no one is home” look I’ve ever seen. Valentine is knocked down and collapses, which is enough for a countout at 13:17. Curry is right there to start slugging away after the rest period and Valentine is in BIG trouble. The referee gets knocked down and the fight goes to the floor where it is thrown/counted out at 15:47.
Rating: B. This was a fight rather than a match and that’s a good way to go. The idea of Curry (known as Wild Bull) being someone who can’t be controlled, especially when someone has done something to his family, fits perfectly and it was working here. The beating that Curry gave him made Valentine look like he was dead on his feet and it was quite the sight to behold. I might have enjoyed this as much as anything on the set so far, which is a nice bar to clear.
Post match Curry keeps up the beating and has to be held back. Curry gets back in the ring and the fans go NUTS.
From November 30, 1979.
American Title: Bruiser Brody vs. The Spoiler
Spoiler is defending in another 2/3 falls match. They fight over a lockup to start and Spoiler’s knees in the corner don’t seem to do much. Brody shrugs that off and knocks Spoiler down before ripping at the face in the corner. The brawl heads outside with Brody hammering away and they grab a chair each. One of the chairs is brought in and Brody cracks him, which is fine with the referee. A slam and the big knee drop give Brody the first fall at 3:20.
Brody wastes no time in going right after him (the rest period is cut out here for some reason) but has to block the Claw attempt. Spoiler snapmares him down but still can’t get the Claw. Eventually it goes on, only for Spoiler to let it go and hit an elbow to the head. Another Claw attempt is blocked so Brody kicks his way out of the corner. Brody misses a charge into the corner though and the Claw goes on again and Brody is pinned to tie it up at 7:14.
After another missing rest period, Spoiler knocks him into the corner and goes up top for an elbow. They go outside and Brody gets posted, only to come back with some big microphone shots to the head. Brody tries to rip the mask off but Spoilers gets in a top rope forearm. A Claw attempt misses though and Brody goes simple with straight choking. Back up and Brody hammers away but Spoiler goes to the throat to take him down. Some elbows to the head set up the Claw for two, even with Spoiler grabbing the rope. Brody finally slams his way to freedom and another knee drop is good for the pin and the title at 14:38.
Rating: B-. It’s nice to save the title change for the end and they were beating each other up rather well. Spoiler continues to be someone worth a look, while you can definitely see Brody’s influence on a lot of modern brawling. Good enough stuff here, even with things going a bit slowly at times.
We get what appears to be the TV closing to wrap things up.
Overall Rating: B. I had a really good time with this as you could tell that there was a lot going on with the Houston territory. Boesch was one of the better received promoters of his day and it makes sense given how good some of the stars were around here. There is nothing close to bad and the better action featured some very high quality stars. Pretty awesome set here and I could go for seeing a lot more stuff like this, both from Houston and beyond.
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