Wrestling Gold #5: Beat Me If You Can
Commentators: Dave Meltzer, Jim Cornette

It’s the last volume of this set and I think you get the concept at this point. If for some reason you’re reading this out of order, it’s a bunch of territory matches with Jim Cornette and Dave Meltzer doing commentary to provide history and stories. The match quality isn’t exactly the point but some of it has been effective before. Let’s get to it.

As usual, I’m giving my best guess to some of the locations and dates.

From San Antonio, Texas, 1981/1982.

Terry Allen vs. Nick Bockwinkel

Bockwinkel’s AWA World Title isn’t on the line….at least I don’t think. Allen is of course better known as Magnum TA and is very new here. They go to the mat to start and Allen keeps escaping, which has Bockwinkel somewhere between surprised and frustrated. Bockwinkel sends him into the corner though and grabs a short armscissors to keep Allen down. Back up and Allen slams him down a few times before grabbing a headlock as Cornette explains the story of Allen’s car crash. Allen grinds away before missing a dropkick in the corner. Bockwinkel is right back up with a knee and the piledriver finishes Allen at 5:24.

Rating: C+. This was a case of trying to get Allen in the ring with a veteran who could teach him on the job and there were few better for that role than Bockwinkel. Of course the result was never in doubt but that’s not the point of a match like this. It went fairly well as Allen did what he could, but Bockwinkel being there to walk him through it probably helped a lot.

From San Antonio, Texas at some date not listed and I only know the location because of the referee’s shirt.

Ivan Putski vs. Eddie Mansfield

Oh boy Eddie Mansfield. Basically he wasn’t very good and blamed everyone else for his lack of success and then exposed the business, which made him as popular as you would expect. Putski jumps him to start and is quickly knocked to the floor without much effort. Mansfield gets in a few ax handles and a middle rope elbow to the back. The choking doesn’t work very well for Mansfield, who is knocked out to the floor. This lets Cornette bury Mansfield for about the fourth time in a few minutes. Putski pounds him down but shoves the referee out of the way for the DQ at 4:16.

Rating: D+. I can see why Mansfield wasn’t exactly a household name until his 20/20 interview, as he was an incredibly generic wrestler who had nothing that made him stand out. Putski was a good enough power guy and his physique was more than enough to get him by. The size issue eventually got to him but he was quite the star for awhile. Unlike Mansfield you see.

From San Antonio, Texas, likely in the very early 1980s.

Tito Santana vs. Kelly Kiniski

Santana takes him down by the arm to start and works on the armbar. That’s enough to send Kiniski over to the rope so Santana is right back to the arm. A dropkick lets Santana grab a third armbar before a quick headknocker gets two. Back up and Kiniski powers him into the corner but Santana hits a flying forearm for two. The running crossbody finishes for Santana at 4:51.

Rating: C. Yeah you can kind of see why Kiniski was never a big star. He’s someone who was technically sound and that’s about it, as there just wasn’t much else to make him stand out. Santana was far from what he would become, but you could see the fire in there and that is always a good starting point.

From…..well it could be Detroit, Toronto, or Cincinnati, which is the only place I can find these two facing each other. If it’s Cincinnati, it’s January 28, 1967, but that could be totally off.

The Sheik vs. Tom Jones

Sheik has the referee check Jones for a foreign object and then jumps him anyway (customary for the Sheik) but hold on as we have to pause for his prayer. We actually get going and Jones jumps him in the corner, only for Sheik to grab quite the nasty flipping hammerlock. It’s nasty enough to make Jones give up at 1:40.

Post match Whipper Billy Watson comes in to make the save and is quickly beaten down. The fans go NUTS and throw trash into the ring (at Sheikh’s manager Abdullah Farouk, as Sheik is already gone) but unfortunately we cut away.

From Detroit, Michigan, probably in the mid 70s.

Bobo Brazil vs. Michael Angelo

I would have laughed so hard if it was a wrestling turtle. Anyway Angelo jumps him to start fast and sends Brazil into the buckle, which just makes him mad. Brazil (who is towering over Angelo) works on the wristlock but gets knocked into the corner. A running elbow wakes Brazil up again and he raises his leg to kick Angelo on top of the head. The Coco Butt (jumping headbutt) finishes Angelo off at 3:53.

Rating: C. The match had a comeback and Angelo tried but there was no way around Brazil when he was rolling like this. Brazil was an absolute star and one of the most important wrestlers ever when it came to race issues so it’s nice to see him doing something here. Granted this wasn’t exactly some classic, but that’s not the point of this thing.

From San Antonio, Texas, probably in 1980.

Tully Blanchard vs. Wahoo McDaniel

Blanchard jumps him to start and McDaniel chops him into a frenzy. A quick shot lets Blanchard knock him down, earning even more chops in the corner. McDaniel flips him out of the corner and the chinlock goes on. Blanchard has to flip out of an abdominal stretch and is quickly suplexed back down.

Back up and Blanchard knocks him down, which means it’s time for McDaniel to go back to the chops. The chops have Blanchard looking mostly dead, with a butterfly suplex giving McDaniel two. Blanchard is chopped out to the floor so he pulls McDaniel out with him, because getting into a brawl with WAHOO MCDANIEL is a good idea. Anyway McDaniel throws the referee down and we’re cut off with presumably a DQ at about 6:15.

Rating: C+. It was fun to see McDaniel just beat the fire out of Blanchard, who was selling them like he was dying out there. McDaniel is another person who was incredibly underrated, as he was one of the most athletically gifted stars ever in wrestling. You don’t hear much but praise of him, and yet he still seems better than advertised whenever I see him. Not bad.

From Memphis, Tennessee, likely in the early 1980s (I’m sure Cornette will know).

Jerry Lawler vs. Eddie Gilbert

Gilbert slams him to start but Lawler is right back up with a slam of his own, sending Gilbert bailing to the floor. And yes Cornette confirms that this is from 1984 because of course he knows that stuff. The stalling begins until Gilbert backs him into the corner for a shot to the face and Lawler is a bit surprised.

We even hit the crisscross but Gilbert bails out to the floor, where he gets to signal his intelligence (he might be faking). Back in and Lawler drops him with a single right hand, sending Gilbert bailing to the floor again. Gilbert gets inside again and hammers away to take over but Lawler pulls the strap down and unloads with even more right hands. Cue Rick Rude and Jimmy Hart to go after Lawler for the DQ at 6:43.

Rating: C+. Yep this was certainly Memphis, with Gilbert doing all kinds of over the top selling for his idol and likely loving getting punched in the face. This was a studio match as well so the shorter run time is hardly a surprise. Gilbert is someone who had all kinds of talent and love for wrestling but it never quite clicked, though wrestling so much like Lawler in Memphis probably didn’t help that much.

Post match Lawler grabs a chair to clear the ring.

From Toronto, Canada, likely around 1978.

Tiger Jeet Singh vs. The Sheik

This is a Mud Match and it’s exactly what you would expect. The ring is full of mud and Singh knocks him down and chokes a lot before throwing Sheikh’s manager down as well. Singh chokes but the referee gets knocked down and covered in mud as well. The claw goes on but Singh lets go to beat up the manager again, all while Cornette talks about the various ridiculous gimmicks that promoters used in the Great Depression and World War II to draw crowds (ice cream matches are discussed).

Singh grabs the claw again and then knocks Sheik outside, where he throws a chair inside. That’s fine as Singh beats on him with the chair and hammers away before driving Sheikh’s face into the mud. The manager offers another distraction and this time Sheik chokes Singh down with….something for the pin at 7:15.

Rating: C. This was barely a match as there is only so much you can do with that much slippery mud around. That was the problem here but it was certainly different and I’ll take that over doing the same stuff so many times. The idea was the fans wanted to see the Sheik lose but since he pretty much never did….well there’s a reason Detroit went out of business.

Post match Hank James (Bobo Brazil’s brother) comes in to go after the Sheik and chokes him down in the back with mud everywhere.

From Memphis, Tennessee, June 16, 1984.

AWA International Title: Masao Ito vs. Austin Idol

Idol is defending and gets pounded down to start. The slow forearms have Idol in trouble so he comes back with some slams. The Las Vegas Leglock is loaded up but Ito’s manager goes for a distraction, allowing Ito to kick him to the floor. Said manager knocks Idol cold with some nunchucks and that’s a countout at 2:56. It’s also apparently a title change.

Post match Dutch Mantel and Jerry Lawler come out to check on the out cold Idol.

From San Antonio, Texas, some time in the early 80s.

Scott Casey/Terry Allen vs. Tully Blanchard/Gino Hernandez

Casey headlocks Hernandez down to start so it’s off to Allen to work on Blanchard’s arm. Blanchard gets in a cheap shot so it’s back to Casey to hit him in the face. Everything breaks down and we get a collision so Allen drags Blanchard into the corner. Casey gets in a few right hands before it’s back to Allen for a bearhug, which is quite the visual given Allen’s rather small trunks at this point. Hernandez makes the save and drops a backwards top rope elbow on Allen for the pin at 4:42.

Rating: C+. This was just a little taste of Blanchard and Hernandez, who were rather one of the more underrated teams of their era. They worked well together and it was fun to see them getting together and doing their thing by being sneaky and underhanded. Casey continues to be a nice hand in the ring and I’ve gotten more into him during this series, as he was good at what he did.

Blanchard and Hernandez have a big celebration in a funny bit.

From Memphis, Tennessee in late 1981/early 1982.

Terry Taylor vs. Sabu

Not that Sabu, as this one is better known as Coco Samoa. Sabu flips around to start and sends him into the corner as we get an early standoff. A hammerlock with a pull of the hair brings Taylor down and Sabu rakes the bare foot over Taylor’s face. The right hands don’t work for Taylor as Sabu knocks him right back down, meaning we can hit the chinlock.

Sabu’s legdrop misses though and Taylor gets two off a backbreaker. Another backbreaker gets another two but Sabu knocks him back down. Some choking on the apron sends Taylor outside so he comes back inside to slug away. With nothing else working, Sabu throws him over the top for the DQ at 10:06.

Rating: C+. Sabu felt like someone who could have been a thing if he was a bit bigger (he was barely 5’2 and that wasn’t going to be enough), as he had the look and enough in-ring abilities. Taylor was as white meat of a wrestler as you could have wanted and he made a nice fired up comeback here. The match went a bit long and the ending came out of nowhere, but the pieces were there.

From somewhere in the Central States territory (possible Decatur, Illinois on August 10, 1984).

Wahoo McDaniel/Tommy Rogers/Marty Jannetty vs. Ted Oates/The Grapplers

This isn’t the Fantastics’ Tommy Rogers and the Grapplers are Len Denton/Tony Anthony. Jannetty dropkicks Oates (his trainer) down to start and it’s off to Denton, who gets armdragged into an armbar. The good guys take turns on Denton’s arm but Denton slams him back down. The middle rope elbow misses though and it’s off to Anthony, who gets taken down by the arm as well.

Jannetty’s dropkick means it’s time to work on the arm, only for Anthony to grab a powerslam. A double back elbow drops Rogers and Oates hits a knee, followed by a suplex for two. Jannetty’s attempted save doesn’t work so we hit the chinlock before Rogers is sent into Denton’s boot in the corner. Everything breaks down and Denton misses a flying clothesline, allowing Jannetty to hit a Thesz press for the pin at 10:17.

Rating: B-. This was a fast enough paced match with Jannetty feeling like a young star who could have become a much bigger deal if hew as given the chance. That is more or less what happened and it was fun to see what he would become. I could have gone for more McDaniel here, but that is the case pretty much all the time, whether he is in the match or not.

Post match Oates jumps Jannetty and piledrives him on the chair. That’s a big angle for back then.

Overall Rating: C+. You could tell they were running out of material by this point as there’s nothing on this disc that I must see and it’s also a bit shorter than the previous two. The concept remains exactly the same and you could easily swap most of the matches around without losing anything. It’s still fun, though I wouldn’t recommend doing a bunch of them in a row as some of the charm goes away upon all of the viewings. Still though, not bad and for an hour and a half, it could have been a lot worse.

 

 

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Wrestling Gold #3: We Like To Hurt People
Commentators: Dave Meltzer, Jim Cornette

So for those of you who have forgotten, this is a DVD set released back in 2001, featuring a bunch of territory matches from around the country. The big draw though is special commentary by Jim Cornette and Dave Meltzer, which is often a lot more interesting than the matches themselves. Let’s get to it.

As usual, I’m hoping for the best on the dates/promotions for these matches.

From Memphis, Tennessee, June 25, 1984.

Phil Hickerson/The Spoiler vs. Tommy Rich/Eddie Gilbert

Street fight so naturally it’s a big brawl to start as commentary buries the idea of Rich and Gilbert as the new Fabulous Ones. Spoiler chokes Gilbert on the floor and then goes back inside as Rich is kicked down. Gilbert comes back in to clean house with a boot and they split off again as commentary talks about Gilbert skipping high school graduation because he was in a match. Cornette: “Who’s going to go to your high school graduation when you’re booked?”

Gilbert unloads on Spoiler inside as Hickerson is sent into the post and atomic dropped on the floor. A backdrop gets Gilbert out of a piledriver attempt and Gilbert gets to hammer away as the rather bloody Rich comes back inside. Spoiler gets in a boot shot to Rich but Gilbert backdrops him to the floor. Commentary realizes they’re sounding “like a WCW announce crew” as Rich has stolen Spoiler’s (loaded) mask. A middle rope headbutt knocks Hickerson cold for the pin at 6:35.

Rating: B-. This was indeed a bloody, violent match and that’s exactly what you would have expected in the Mid-South Coliseum when a street fight was advertised. Memphis could get violent with the best of them and it helps that Hickerson, one of the more underrated stars of the territory era, was there to help make it work. The ending was a unique one as well and I could have gone for a lot more of this.

From Memphis, Tennessee, sometime in the summer of 1984.

Lanny Poffo/Randy Savage vs. Rock N Roll Express

Yeah this should work and Angelo Poffo is with the non Rock N Roll. Savage and Morton lock up to start with Morton knocking him down without much trouble. Savage slams him down and goes up but gets punched out of the air, allowing Gibson to come in for a change. It’s off to Lanny, who is knocked outside and we’re clipped to Savage sending Morton outside for a top rope ax handle.

Morton is sent into the apron and Lanny knees him in the back as commentary basically ignores the match to talk about the greatness of Randy Savage (fair enough). Gibson gets drawn in, allowing Morton to get kneed right back down. An elbow to the face isn’t enough for Morton to get over to Gibson and we’re firmly in Ricky Morton Selling period, with the fans getting all the more into it.

Gibson is distracted to the floor so Morton has no one to tag, leaving Angelo to send Morton onto the announcers’ table. Morton backdrops Savage onto the table and it’s back to Gibson to clean house (with Cornette giving a great explanation behind the psychology of the hot tag and how Morton set up that turn of the story). Angelo comes in with a boot though and that’s a DQ at 8:30 (13:06 according to commentary, which could make this July 16, 1984) shown.

Rating: B. Believe it or not, this was rather good stuff with both teams knowing how to work together so well. Morton getting the hot tag to Gibson is one of the classic spots in wrestling and it works so well because Morton could sell like no one else. Savage and Poffo didn’t team much (if at all) on the big stage and it’s a shame as they’re rather good together.

Post match the brawl stays on and the fans go absolutely nuts.

From San Antonio, Texas, possibly in September 1981.

Dory Funk Jr. vs. Dick Slater

Slater slams him down to start as commentary talks about how similar Slater was to Terry Funk, which would be an understatement. Funk takes him down and grabs a headlock as you can see just how smooth Funk can be out there. An atomic drop gets Slater out of trouble, only for Funk to grab the headlock again.

Back up and Funk’s atomic drop sends Slater to the apron, with commentary pointing out how much Slater looks like Terry again. Back in and Slater takes him down for a knee drop as commentary explains how the Funk Brothers had to get out of their father’s shadow, which worked everywhere but Amarillo. Funk snapmares him down into an elbow drop and it’s time for the forearms. A collision sends Slater outside though and Tully Blanchard runs in to jump Funk for the DQ at 6:17.

Rating: B-. This felt more like a preview of something even bigger but I’ll take that for an old TV show. The more I see of Funk, the more impressive he is and it was fascinating to see Dory against someone so close to Terry. The Funks only wrestled once so you don’t get to see it very often, making this all the more interesting. It could have been more, but this worked well enough.

Post match the beatdown stays on with Scott Casey running in for the save.

From….I have no idea actually. Toronto seems to be the most likely place but there’s no official listing.  Likely the late 70s.

US Title: The Sheik vs. Tiger Jeet Singh

Sheik is defending in a cage and Singh jumps him to start for a ram into the cage. Commentary immediately buries Singh as being terrible in the ring but he wound up being rich anyway because he’s a good businessman. Sheik sends him into the cage and gets in some pencil shots, only for Singh to take it away and stab him in the head.

Singh is rammed into the cage again but keeps Sheik from escaping with a pull of the trunks. More choking and brawling in the corner doesn’t go anywhere as Cornette places this match in the early 80s. Singh can’t get out of the cage either so he knocks Sheik down…and right through the door to retain the title at 7:46.

Rating: C-. This was all about the brawling and violence and, well, what else were you expecting? The match was just kind of dull and neither of them were going to be able to do much here but the fans were into it. That’s about as good as it gets for these two and thankfully they kept it short, which is often a positive move.

From San Antonio, Texas, April 9, 1984.

Southwest Championship Wrestling Tag Team Titles: Fabulous Blonds vs. Manny Fernandez/Al Perez

The Blonds (Eric Embry/Ken Timbs) are defending with Fernandez taking Timbs down with a headscissors to start as Cornette talks about how Embry could have been a star if he was taller, stronger or more tanned. Timbs takes over with an armbar and a backdrop into another armbar as commentary talks about how Perez could have been a star if he developed the muscles between his ears a bit more.

Fernandez is back up with a dropkick into an armdrag and of course commentary praises him a bit more, mainly because Fernandez was that much better. Perez comes in for a middle rope shot to the arm and the armbar goes on again. Some big knees to the arm keep Timbs in trouble as commentary goes into quite the discussion of cosmetic appeal in wrestling. Back up and Timbs misses an elbow and it’s right back to an armdrag into an armbar.

It works so well that he does it again but Timbs gets up and brings in Embry for the running forearm. There’s the double backdrop to put Perez down again and Timbs’ elbow gets two. An atomic and knee drop combine for two on Perez but he gets in a shot of his own. The tag is cut off though and Fernandez is drawn in, meaning the referee has to send him back.

Perez backdrops out of Embry’s piledriver attempt and Fernandez comes back in to clean house. Everything breaks down and the champions are sent into each other. Back up and Embry tries another piledriver but Fernandez drops him with a clothesline to give Perez the pin and the titles at 10:58.

Rating: C+. Things got better at the end and you could see the match building along the way, with Fernandez waiting to come in and run through everyone. Perez was indeed someone who could have been a star if he could put it all together but that never really happened. Fernandez was a star who could have been a lot bigger but almost always did well when he was given the chance, especially in a smaller place like this one. Good enough stuff here, with the ending boosting it up.

Post match the Blondes jump them again and the Sheepherders run in to beat on Perez and Fernandez. Bobby Jaggers and more run in for the save.

From Toronto, Ontario, Canada, February 6, 1977.

NWA World Title: Terry Funk vs. Harley Race

Funk is defending and we’re joined in progress with Funk getting two off a backbreaker. A piledriver gets the same and Funk drops a knee as it is so strange to see Funk wrestling such a basic style. Race is back up with a snapmare for two and a good backbreaker gets the same.

Funk gets in a flying headscissors of all thing to take Race down, only to be sent outside. Back in and Race goes up top but gets slammed down, setting up the spinning toehold. That’s broken up so Race tries a suplex, with Funk falling down on top of him for another near fall. Funk goes back to the spinning toehold but Race escapes again and hits a shinbreaker (on Funk’s bad knee). An Indian Deathlock, eventually, makes Funk give up at 7:14.

Rating: B-. You didn’t get to see much from the two of them, but of course it was technically sound and logical, because you shouldn’t expect anything else from these two. Race was about 33 here and a staggering 17 year veteran already as he wins his second title. That man was an incredibly rare case and it was always a treat to watch him in the ring. Funk on the other hand is a legend is in his own right and it’s still bizarre to see him doing something like this, as he was so good at this style in addition to the stuff that made him famous to more modern audiences.

Post match Race jumps up and down in celebration, which makes sense but dang it feels weird to see from him.

From Indianapolis, Indiana, probably around 1977.

Pepper Gomez vs. The Bounty Hunter

Gomez knocks him into the corner to start and grabs an armdrag for another knockdown. A right hand drops Hunter again as commentary talks about Gomez having a very strong stomach. Gomez works on an armbar and the referee kicks Hunter’s feet off the ropes, which doesn’t seem overly fair. Hunter fights back but gets taken down for a seated senton, setting up a jackknife rollup to give Gomez the pin at 4:21.

Rating: C. Not much to this one but Gomez was a massive name from his time so having him in here was a cool moment. That’s all you can ask for in a situation like this as a lot of his stuff has been lost to time. Hunter was nothing to see but he was basically just there to be a warm body anyway.

From Memphis, Tennessee, May/June 1984.

Austin Idol vs. Jim Neidhart

Neidhart runs him over with a shoulder to start but Idol’s manager Jimmy Hart trips Neidhart down. That means a lot of yelling ensues and Neidhart gets back inside, where we’re clipped to Idol grabbing a backdrop. Neidhart chokes him down into a chinlock and the comeback is cut off.

None of that matters though as Cornette is talking about Memphis history, reaching a level where even Meltzer is just left sitting there listening to him. Neidhart’s bearhug goes on and he even gets a near fall until we’re clipped again to Idol hammering away. Idol grabs a sleeper and here is the Spoiler to jump Idol with a cane. Neidhart covers so Hart comes in for the DQ at 4:53.

Rating: C. This seemed to be a much better match if you could see the whole thing, which is often the case with matches like these. Idol is someone who always felt like he could have been a bigger deal if he was ever on a bigger stage but that wasn’t going to be the case for him, as he just wasn’t going to do something he didn’t want. The draw here was Cornette getting to talk Memphis though, as he excels at it like nothing else.

Post match Neidhart and Spoiler beat Hart down but Idol makes the save. Hart even gets in a few shots of his own and rips off his jacket in a visual you don’t see very often.

From Memphis, Tennessee, May 21, 1984.

Butch Reed vs. Junkyard Dog

Dog knocks him down to start and drops a right hand, with Reed bailing out to the floor. Reed is pulled back in and the all fours headbutts send Dog outside, with commentary pointing out that Dog stole the move from Terry Funk. Back in again and Reed is choked down in the corner but gets in a cheap shot as Cornette gets to sing Bill Watts’ praises. A double clothesline leaves both of them down, allowing Cornette to tell more stories about Dog’s incredible popularity.

Reed grabs a chinlock into a front facelock, which goes on for a good while so it’s more Cornette Storytime (which granted is the big appeal of this whole set). Dog fights up with an atomic drop and a clothesline as you can feel the energy picking up. Said energy is capped off when Dog hits the Thump for the pin at 7:42.

Rating: C+. This wasn’t so much a good match as much as it was a match where you could see how great they could have been if Dog was at his best. The problem with Dog is he got out of shape fast and there wasn’t much that could be done to stop it. When he was at this peak though, it was something special and this wasn’t quite that, but it was still good enough stuff.

From Memphis, Tennessee, sometime in 1984ish.

Rick Rude/Jim Neidhart/Ox Baker/Japanese Assassin vs. Robert Reed/Tiger Mask/Keith Eric/Mad Dog

The Assassin kicks away at Eric and Rude, in a dress because of a Memphis stipulation, and it’s off to Neidhart to throw him around. Dog comes in and gets taken into the wrong corner for a beating from Baker. Mask (no not that one, as this is Ken Wayne) comes in and gets pummeled just as quickly and Reed gets beaten up as well. I guess Baker didn’t care for The Brady Bunch In The White House. Anyway Neidhart powerslams Eric and Rude adds a swinging neckbreaker for the pin at 3:17.

Rating: C. This wasn’t so much of a squash as much as it was a total and complete destruction, which was normal for a match on Memphis TV. Rude was ticked off because of the dress and Baker was ticked off because of who he was in general. It was fun to see this kind of a beating as it always looked good to see someone get decimated like that.

From Memphis, Tennessee, 1984.

Jerry Lawler vs. King Kong Bundy

Bundy, with Jimmy Hart, splashes Lawler in the corner to start and stomps the crown, with Cornette saying that’s going to come out of Bundy’s paycheck. Lawler gets elbowed down again and the ecstatic Hart is already cheering on the apron. Bundy sends him into the corner for a right hand and Lawler, tired of being squashed, rolls out to the floor. That just earns him a posting and an elbow drop for two back inside. The chinlock goes on and Bundy switches it to a bearhug, with Lawler finally breaking out. Lawler goes outside again and the chase is on, with Bundy getting tired rather quickly.

More stalling ensues, with the story of the match being that Hart is paying Bundy by the minute and Lawler wants to cost Hart money. As commentary points out, that means they can they can just run around and keep the story going without getting physical. Lawler finally gets caught by Hart though and Bundy takes over with some big right hands. Bundy drops an elbow but misses a splash and the strap comes down so it’s time for the comeback. Cue Rick Rude to distract Lawler though and Bundy gets in a chain shot, followed by the splash for the pin at 7:05.

Rating: C+. This was a great illustration of doing something with nothing, because people wanted to see Lawler cost Hart money and it worked like a charm. In other words, the company got creative with an idea and ran with it, which was what you had to do when you were running so often. It worked here and Bundy’s limitations were hidden at the same time. Not too bad.

From Detroit, Michigan, October 8, 1978.

Terry Funk vs. Mark Lewin

Lewin actually takes him to the mat by the arm to start and shrugs off some headbutts, with Funk hurting himself by mistake. An armdrag into another armbar has Funk in trouble and the fans rather pleased. The wristlock goes on as they head outside and then back inside as commentary talks about Paradise Alley.

Lewin switches off to a hammerlock but gets sent crashing out to the floor. Funk stomps away and grabs a chair, with Lewin bashing Funk in the head. Somehow that’s not a DQ so Lewin grabs a sleeper….and a rather large football player named Walter Johnson (of the Cleveland Browns) comes in to jump Lewin for the DQ at 5:55.

Rating: C+. The armbar was a bit repetitive but you could tell that the two of them had the energy and the crowd were way behind Lewin. The end was a big moment with the interference from an NFL player and the match certainly felt important. I was expecting more violence, but they did at least use a piece of a chair so we got something.

Post match Funk (bleeding) and Johnson beat on Lewin with a piece of the chair. That’s more like it.

From Memphis, Tennessee, July 9, 1984.

AWA International Title: Tommy Rich vs. Masao Ito

Ito is defending. The match listing gets Ito’s name wrong (“Massao”) but I doubt it was printed very often. We’re joined in progress with Rich grabbing a headlock takeover and a snapmare takes Ito down again. Ito shrugs that off and chops away before blocking an O’Connor roll. Rich knocks him down but gets chopped into the required nerve hold but Rich is up again to strike away.

That earns him another nerve hold but Rich gets up to lose a slugout. Ito’s middle rope splash misses so Rich hits an ax handle and the Thesz press (his finisher) but Ito’s goons make the save. Some powder to the eyes gives Ito two but Tojo Yamamoto gives Rich some salt to blind Ito right back. A crossbody gives Rich the pin and the title at 8:04.

Rating: B. This really got going and it was one of the best matches on the set thus far. Rich could do a fired up comeback like few others and the title change felt like a big deal. The fans were into Rich and it was cool to see this kind of thing happen, as it was quite the ordeal, showing you what can happen with a well told story.

From Memphis, Tennessee, June 4, 1984.

AWA Southern Title: Jerry Lawler vs. Kamala

Lawler is defending and Kamala rushes him into the corner for a fast start. Kamala chokes him down and sends him outside before Lawler’s right hand has no effect. More right hands just make Kamala jump into the air and grab the always lame pectoral claw. That’s only good for two so Kamala chops him on the mat and gets two off the splash. Lawler isn’t having this and fights up, with the strap coming down and the big right hand rocking Kamala for a change.

Kamala goes for the throat though and Lawler is right back down, which isn’t something you saw too often around here. The beating continues, with Lawler being knocked onto the announcers’ table as Jimmy Hart is thrilled at ringside. Lawler almost gets back inside so Kamala beats him down again, then does the same thing again. Hart gets the referee’s attention though and Lawler blasts Kamala with a chair. That leaves Kamala convulsing on the floor as Lawler wins by countout at 10:28.

Rating: B-. Kamala was a heck of a monster and it was easy to get behind anything Lawler was doing, especially in Memphis. The fans loved him no matter what and that was even more true when he was fighting a monster. That was a perfect spot for someone like Kamala and it worked rather well here. Good stuff, with Lawler looking like a hero by taking him out in the end.

From Indianapolis, Indiana, early 1970s.

Blackjack Mulligan/Ray Stevens/Baron Von Raschke vs. The Crusher/Dick The Bruiser/Sailor Art Thomas

Crusher and Stevens start things off with Stevens hammering away, earning himself a lifting choke. Raschke comes in and gets chased away as we’re clipped to Crusher taking over on Mulligan. Stevens goes up top and everything breaks down but we’re clipped again to Crusher working on Mulligan’s arm.

Mulligan powers him into the corner for some triple teaming and everything breaks down again. Stevens rakes Bruiser’s eyes so Bruiser goes nuts on him, even sending him outside. A young Bobby Heenan helps Stevens back in and everything breaks down again, with Raschke being rammed into Mulligan. Raschke gets double backdropped for the pin at 7:00.

Rating: B-. This was a big star studded match to wrap up the set and it was cool to see something from such a bygone era. The Bruiser and the Crusher were incredibly popular stars of their day and Stevens is one of the best in-ring performers of all time. It worked well and it felt like a big deal when everyone was in the ring. Fun match.

Overall Rating: B-. As has been the case with the previous two discs, and as will be the case with the other two discs, there wasn’t much to be said for a lot of the wrestling. Most of it was ok (and some of it was rather good) but the real draw here was all of the history lessons. You might not be into it if you’re not a fan of wrestling history, but there is some incredibly interesting stuff in there, with some of Cornette’s stories being a mixture of fascinating and hilarious. More good stuff here, and I’m sure I’ll have a good time with the other two.

 

 

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Canadian Big Time Wrestling
Date: 1975
Location: London Arena, London, Ontario, Canada
Commentator: Lord Layton

This is something that was released on the Maple Leaf Wrestling Youtube channel and is called Dave McKigney’s unaired pilot for the show. I have absolutely no idea what to expect from this and it could go absolutely anywhere. If nothing else, it’s interesting that the show was not picked up, as it might not bode well for what we’re seeing. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence, featuring a montage of people throwing fireballs for some reason.

Layton runs down the card, which seems to feature a lot of midwestern American talent.

We get O Canada.

Gene Dubois vs. Waldo Von Erich

According to the description on Youtube, Dubois is the McKigney who produced the show. Von Erich jumps him to start and fires off some knees in the corner, with Dubois not even getting his jacket off. A backdrop doesn’t work for Von Erich as Dubois lands on his feet and gets the jacket off to start the comeback (apparently it’s his Kryptonite). Von Erich gets knocked to the floor but the chase lets him hammer Dubois down and choke away.

Dubois fights up and hits him in the “midriff” before stomping Von Erich in the “knee”. The referee holds him back for a bit, with the distraction letting Von Erich fight back. A thumb to the throat has Dubois down but he slugs away and hits a running boot in the corner. The beating goes outside and they both have to beat the count. Von Erich kicks him back out to the floor and then kicks him again, which is enough for a DQ at 6:33. Well that’s enforcing the rules.

Rating: C. The ending left a bit to be desired but then again it’s 1975 so things were more than a bit different. Von Erich is one of the lesser known members of the family but he was good enough for a spot like this. Dubois being the one putting the show together and getting a spot makes sense, though he was nothing special in the ring.

The Patriot vs. Jay York

The Patriot is a masked man (not Del Wilkes of course) and York is an Alaskan. York takes him down by the arm to start and pulls from the mat with Patriot not being able to get out. Patriot finally reverses into the same pulling, setting off a string of counters on the mat. Patriot’s headscissors slows things down but gets reversed into a leg crank as this is more technical than I was expecting.

A hammerlock has Patriot in more trouble and they take turns exchanging leglocks. Patriot pulls away again as Layton explains that any titles are sanctioned by the NWA, including President Sam Muchnick. Back up and…well never mind as York pulls him back down into a chinlock which is described as “unusual”. York is back up with a clothesline for the win at 6:32.

Rating: C+. Very technical match here and it was fairly entertaining, with York being someone who has impressed me enough over the years. It was a good display of talented people getting on the mat and working out there, which is something you can always use on a show. Patriot could have been just about anyone but he was fine enough in the ring.

United States Title: Tiger Jeet Singh vs. The Sheik

The Sheik is defending in a cage and you have to escape through the door, with over the top not counting for some reason. They go right at it to start with Sheik being sent into the cage over and over. Singh goes for the door so Sheik chokes away to cut him off. Sheik isn’t getting out either though and it’s time to stab Singh in the head with something.

Singh fights back up so Sheik goes over the top, which is cut off almost immediately. The now bleeding Sheik can’t get out of the door in a few attempts so Singh pulls him back in. The beating is on but Sheik grabs the foot before he can escape. Singh chokes a lot and throws him down but it’s still not enough to escape. Some right hands rock Sheik…who falls out of the door to retain at 7:47.

Rating: C. Gah I can’t stand that finish but you know the Sheik isn’t going to lose almost any time. The Sheik had a near strangle hold on that title and he wasn’t about to lose it on something like this. Singh was a star in his day so this was a big time match, but it was only going to get so far with the kind of strange rules and the lame ending.

North American Title: Stan Stasiak vs. Ron Doner

Stasiak is defending (apparently the NWF version of the title) and Doner strikes away a few times to start, much to Stasiak’s annoyance. Doner pulls him down with an armdrag into an armbar but Stasiak fights up. A big shot in the corner misses though and Stasiak bangs up his hand, meaning it’s time for a trip to the floor. Back in and Stasiak works on the arm but gets reversed into a top wristlock. That’s broken up so Doner ties him up in the ropes and hammers away again. Stasiak gets out and hits a quick Heart Punch to retain at 4:19.

Rating: C+. Stasiak has never done much for me but he felt like a big deal here. He felt like a monster that Doner was trying to slay but couldn’t get very far. Granted they only had so much time so there was only so much you could get out of the thing. It’s probably the best I’ve seen from Stasiak though and he did well enough as the evil champion.

Tag Team Titles: Mickey Doyle/Billy Red Lyons vs. Lanny Poffo/Angelo Poffo

The Poffos, with Saul Weingroff, are defending the Detroit versions of the titles. Doyle and Angelo start things off with Doyle armdragging him out to the apron. Back in and Angelo works on the arm before hitting him in the face a few times. With Doyle on the floor, Lanny comes in for some flips, followed by a dropkick to put Doyle outside again. Doyle gets back in and knocks Lanny into the ropes, allowing the diving tag off to Lyons.

House is quickly cleaned so Lanny quickly dives (they like doing that in this match) over to Angelo, who begs off rather quickly. Lyons takes over without much trouble and it’s back to Lanny as we take a break. Back with Lyons holding Lanny so Doyle can forearm him in the chest. Doyle dropkicks him down and it’s back to Angelo, who begs off again. Some slams get two on Angelo and Lyons adds some more before getting taken into the wrong corner.

A jumping forearm to the back of the head gives Lanny two but Lyons backdrops him to the floor. The Poffos have a breather on the floor and Lanny is back in with a missile dropkick (that’s a BIG spot for 1975). Doyle’s comeback is quickly cut off but he slams Angelo a few more times.

Everything breaks down and the Poffos are knocked outside again for a meeting with Weingroff. Angelo comes back in and punches Lyons into the corner but Lyons suplexes his way to freedom. Doyle and Lanny come in for a crisscross until they ram heads and Lanny falls on top (with a push from Angelo) for the pin to retain at 15:35 (announced at 8:15, which is nuts even by wrestling timing).

Rating: C+. Well, the Midnights and the Rock N Roll can’t get here soon enough as it’s so bizarre to see tag matches just kind of coming and going without much structure. They were doing a bunch of stuff over and over until a kind of screwy finish. Lanny’s flips felt way ahead of their time and he stood out, while the fans were behind the challengers. Not a particularly great match, but it was nice to see something get that much time.

Post match, Layton says he doesn’t accept that and says Angelo shoved Lanny onto the cover. That’s actually enough for a DQ, with Layton and Weingroff arguing. The Poffos yells at Layton as the show goes off the air.

Overall Rating: C+. This is the definition of something that is of its time. The action was certainly fine enough and you could see some talent involved. At the same time, this really didn’t feel like a pilot, as much as “here’s a bunch of people, they’re having matches, you might like it”. I’ve seen far worse, but I’m not sure if I’d want to watch this on a regular basis. It’s VERY Detroit based (also known as Big Time Wrestling and only about two hours from London, Ontario) so there’s a good chance it was an offshoot or at least connected to the other promotion. This wasn’t bad, but it needed some adjustments to make it better.

 

 

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