Hey yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,
I don't think I can eat another bite of linguica (Portuguese cross between sausage and pepperoni)! No matter how good it is!
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| Sugartits, you would never get tired of my Linguica! |
The same goes for Freebirds vs Von Erichs. I have enjoyed their feud immensely, but I don't really want to write another word or watch another for a little bit. Kerry Von Erich vs Michael Hayes in a Steel Cage Loser Leaves Town paying off each facet of the angle was such a great bow tie on the feud I don't want to disturb for it a while. I am eagerly awaiting Kerry vs Gordy for the World Heavyweight Title and some Freebird/Von Erich brawls, but I think I need a little bit of a vacation from all this Von Erich/Freebird goodness.
Match Listing:
Six-Man Tag Team Champions Von Erichs vs Fabulous Freebirds - WCCW 8/12/83 ****1/4
Epitome of struggle in the early going. Awesome fuck finish. Buddy Roberts is the consummate heel.
Gorgeous Jimmy Garvin & Terry Gordy vs Kevin & David Von Erich ****1/2
Total war as Kevin seeks vengeance. Garvin is at his obnoxious best. One of Kevin's best performances.
Six-Man Tag Team Champions Fabulous Freebirds vs Von Erichs - 9/5/83 ****1/4
Best Freebird heat segment of the War of 1983. Action packed sprint
Fabulous Freebirds vs Von Erichs - WCCW 11/21/83 Elimination Match ***1/2
Got plenty of time, but doesnt feel like much happened. Too start/stop. Great finish run. David at his best.
Kerry Von Erich vs Michael Hayes - 11/24/83 Loser Leaves Town Steel Cage Match ****3/4
THIS IS HOW YOU BOOK A BLOWOFF!!! Violent and perfectly paid off! Watch This!
Six-Man Tag Team Champions Von Erichs vs Fabulous Freebirds - WCCW 8/12/83
The Fabulous Freebirds come out with a way to top themselves for this entrance for their TV rematch for the Six-Man Tag Team Titles. The elaborate entrance includes Confederate soldiers leading them to the ring as if this was Gone from the Wind. The crowds boos at the mere mention of Georgia in “Georgia on my Mind”. Huge Go Home Freebirds! Chant, like WOW! Massive heat.
Kevin Von Erich would like to remind us that his relatives also fought on the wrong side of the war just in case there are racist pricks in the audience cheering for the Freebirds. Love Kevin the wrestler, but Kevin the treasonous asshole, not so much.
The crowd is apolitical and is content to chant Baldie at Buddy. Hayes takes an atomic drop early and tags out immediately to rub his ass. Got a chuckle out of me. Buddy Roberts does what he does best, get beat up. Kerry misses an elbow and Gordy comes in tries to take advantage, but Kerry battles back. Double Irish Whip on Gordy and he does a Flair Flip. I like how the Birds press advantage then lose it constantly. There is a real sense of urgency to regain the titles, but the Von Erichs are just too much. Another good examples of this is when Hayes attacks David, but David gets to his corner and holds Hayes while Kevin comes in. Kevin dropkicks everyone. Kerry comes in and looks to be overmatched, but then works on Buddys arm and the Von Erichs follows suit until David eats kneelift from Buddy Roberts. This was a great EARNED shine.
Gordy goes a-clubberin’ and Hayes chinlocks. David makes it to Kevin! Kevin goes all out, but misses flying bodypress. Gordy hits a kneedrop on Kevin. Kerry comes in and has great fire. Gordy tries to salvage the situation, but David saves. Kerry hits a vertical suplex. Triple dropkick! Kerry applies the sleeper. Melee ensues. Kerry dropkicks Buddy out of ring. Hayes smashes David into the steel. Gordy detains Kevin. Kerry has Hayes in bearhug (shitty one) and Buddy leaps headlong into him with his protective helmet (loaded?!?!?) and Hayes wins to regain titles.
I loved the shine and the finish. I didn’t think the middle was as compelling. I would like to see what the Birds could do with a longer heat segment. Maybe it would be more chinlocks, but I would be interested. Definitely think it was good booking to put the belts back on the Birds to sustain their heat into the Fall. The ending was a great piece of cheating that puts even more heat on Buddy Roberts and his helmet. Hayes was the heat-seeker on promos, but in the match it was all Buddy. He was cruisin’ for a bruisin. I would love to know what match features his comeuppance! ****1/4
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Gorgeous Jimmy Garvin & Terry Gordy vs Kevin & David Von Erich
WCCW 8/15/83 2 out of 3 Falls
Kevin is PISSED at Garvin for parading the American Championship that he stole (I did not watch the rematch, but it is clear Garvin won the held up title). Ring jackets aren’t even off and he just pulverizes Jimmy Jam sending him packing. Then they send Gordy packing again and again. Red hot start! Garvin, Gordy and Sunshine regroup.
Garvin is antagonizing the crowd and Von Erichs. Even getting his ass kicked, he won’t let up. Gordy wants him to calm down figuring otherwise he was going to have clean up his mess. Gordy whipped into buckles and dropkicked out. Garvin is only making things worse with his attitude. Kevin takes a swipe at Garvin and then headscissors on Gordy. Garvin wont shut up. Easy to talk when you ain’t in the ring, Jimmy Jam. David lays one in on him try speaking with a knuckle sandwhich in your mouth. Kevin in the headscissors still clawing towards Garvin and shooting daggers at him. Awesome! Kevin is the man; he is a constant state of pissed off. He is the Tito Santana of World Class. Gordy makes the tag and holds him down while Garvin repeatedly knees him. Kevin headscissors on Garvin and the girls in the front row lose their shit for a headscissor. Imagine that today! Again, Kevin gets in wrong corner and they stomp away on him prone. Kevin makes it to David in and bombs away. Garvin sells well for David. David kneedrop for two, but misses next one and Garvin tags out and lets Gordy take care of him. Garvin single leg pick up and Gordy presses advantage. Gordy gets knees up in corner and flying kneedrop takes the first fall! Birds 1-0. Relatively clean win for the Birds. Garvin and Sunshine are such a great heel act. Gordy was at his best being the muscle, but also realizing he cant fight the Von Erichs two on one so shut up, Jimmy! The Von Erichs rage was very entertaining. Surprised how clean the fall was. Gordy & Garvin celebrate.
Garvin picks up where Gordy left off and kneedrops on David. David tags but ref doesn’t see it. Garvin hits the chinlock. Gordy goes a clubberin’ with David fighting back. Kevin blasts in and Kevin is the man! Gordy overwhelms dumps him to outside with trunks. Kevin keeps comin’. Hot shot by Gordy. Gordy Tags Garvin. Kevin keeps comin’! Love how chippy this is. Fighting in corner. Criss cross and Kevin tags in David hits a high knee and wins second fall. 1-1 Tied. Kevin constantly fighting back is what pro wrestling is all about. I love exasperated the heels were they just could not keep this fucker down. Great stuff!
Wild start to the third fall. David thinks piledriver then Gordy is inspired and thinks the same thing. Neither can wrangle it on the other. David applies the claw and Garvin saves and Kevin obliterates Garvin. Fight over suplex and David wins. David applies Claw and Garvin rakes eyes. Kevin attacks Garvin again. Double sleeper and ref rings the bell. Von Erichs win?!!?!? Double dropkick on Gordy after bell. Double DQ! Booooooooooooooo.
Shitty finish aside, this was a fucking war. The second best tag match of the Von Erich vs Freebird war after the Independence Day match. What an incredible fucking year and feud for these seven men! Watch as much Freebirds/Garvin vs Von Erichs in ’83 as you can. Cant wait for ’84 and beyond! ****1/2
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Six-Man Tag Team Champions Fabulous Freebirds vs Von Erichs - WCCW 9/5/83
Buddy Jack Roberts is cocky because the Von Erichs cant put the Claw on his head due to his headgear, the very loaded headgear that won the Birds back their titles. So David puts it on his stomach. Great set up and payoff! Love Buddy Jack! Hayes drives Kerry into the allegedly loaded helmet. Again it is through Buddy the heat segment starts. They work a strong heat segment on Kerry, who is the best seller of his brothers. Gordy hits a really cool somersault splash. Kerry fires back, but misses a Tenryu elbow. Again, he is driven back into Roberts’ helmet. He picks the ankle and tags out to Kevin, who comes flying off the top with a kneedrop, then headscissors and finally TRIPLE DROPKICK! Great face offensive sequence! Kevin is headbutted by the loaded helmet and writhes in pain. Gordy comes crashing down on him and then the big boot. Freebirds getting in a lot more offense and I am really liking what they are doing. Head collision and they both tag out, poor choice for a transition given Buddy’s helmet. Kerry hot tag with a wicked sweet dropkick and slams heads together.
The ending is a total fun clusterfuck of raucous mayhem. Explosive Double dropkick on Buddy Roberts! Claw on Hayes! Von Erichs throw Gordy out. Kevin & Kerry try to get the headgear off Buddy Roberts. Gordy Oriental Spike on Kerry while Hayes is in the Claw! In the fracas, Hayes ends up on top of Kerry for the win. Too short to be an absolute classic, but this was my second favorite of their six man tags so far. I loved that Freebirds got more time on offense. Gordy looked great and Buddy is such an asshole I am really hoping that this is comeuppance comes in the elimination tag team match I am about to watch. They have really been piling the heat on him. ****1/4
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Fabulous Freebirds vs Von Erichs - WCCW 11/21/83 Elimination Match
This match is three days before the big Kerry Von Erich vs Michael Hayes Cage Loser Leaves Town match so this serves as the tag team blowoff to the 1983 war between Georgia vs. Texas.
JIP. We see Gordy and Kerry in the midst of an awesome stand up slugfest. I am really looking forward to their Championship match. Gordy wins the battle and here becomes Buddy Jack. Kevin and David have enough and attack. Assholes! ;) Kevin is incensed tries to pull Kerry to his corner, but loses battle. Hayes in and Kerry no sells perfectly. He bashes Hayes head into turnbuckles and Hayes is busted and they brawl, Ref loses controls DQs both of them perfect way to save them for their big blowoff in a few nights. Kerry is pissed and takes it out on Hayes so runs to the back. It is down to 2 v2, Kevin & David vs Gordy & Buddy Jack.
Kevin and David beat up on Buddy. Buddy turns the tide with the loaded Headbutt on Kevin. Gordy bodyslam, but Kevin pops up to press slam him. This is a common Gordy spot and cant say I like it. Kevin applies the claw on Gordys midsection. Broken up when everyone comes in and they both tag out. David hits a high knee on Buddy, which is probably his best move. Buddy kicks David and Gordy with a big heabutt dazes himself. David reaches Kevin with fingertips and Kevin is a house of fire from time call missed first four minutes of action. Melee and Gordy presses Kevin onto Buddy Jacks knee for a gutbuster and elimination! David is down 2 versus against the Freebirds. Based on the typical Texas booking pattern, it does seem likely David was in line for shots against Flair.
David employs an interesting strategy try to use Buddys helmet to his advantage by repeatedly slamming Gordys Head into it, but only gets two! Sleeper! Buddy in and saves. Buddy comes crashing down on Gordy by accident. Still two! Oriental Sleeper! David gets the claw at the same time. Thats awesome, just a really cool moment. Buddy interferes. High knee by David sends Buddy over top top rope and eliminating him according to the ring announcer. Gordy grabs a high vertical suplex. Gordy goes spike, but David intercepts with the claw and throws him over the top rope.
It was a bit too stop-start with all the eliminations. They never really got into a good flow. It was a disappointing blowoff for this chapter of the war. The finish stretch with David was pitch perfect and really did set him up for big things in 1984 before tragedy struck. ***1/2
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Kerry Von Erich vs Michael Hayes - 11/24/83 Loser Leaves Town Steel Cage Match
Off the top of my head, I can't think of a better sub-ten minute match! Absolutely electric match that pays off the entire angle in one incredibly climax! They met in the very structure that caused this blood feud a steel cage and after a year it is time for the ultimate blowoff, a Loser Leaves Town match. Kerry and Michael play their roles to perfection and cut a terrific pace. Michael never once backs down from Kerry and this makes for one helluva fight, Those fists were flying early and love the early attempt at the Claw. Hayes throwing Kerry into cage and choking him with the bandage was perfect heel wrestling, Even better was Kerry using these tactics against Hayes and Hayes is busted wide open. I love the Sleeper in the 80s it is such a BIG move in the sense of a titanic struggle. Hayes applies it first to break Kerry's momentum only to see Kerry power up and apply his own. I love this tit for tat, taste of your own medicine wrestling. Here comes the big Hayes push for victory, suplex, bulldog and piledriver in succession, but Kerry gets foot on ropes. I think thats lame in a cage match. It is Loser Leaves Town just hotshot everything BABY and kick out of the piledriver BABY! Kerry nails a suplex out of a suplex struggle. Here comes BAM BAM! The very man that slammed the door into Kerry's head in shot heard round the world. Head collision and both are out. Buddy Roberts scales the cage and tosses in knux. Hayes catches them, but Kerry nails a discus punch and the knux go flying. Fritz slams Gordy into the table. Kerry obliterates Michael Hayes. Buddy climbs to the top to save Michael, but crotches himself on the cage and falls pathetically to the ring. Love it! Kerry 1-2-3! Banishing Michael from Texas! Fritz slams the door on Gordy to tie up that loose end and finally Von Erich vengeance is achieved!
The match is a little too short and there are a couple details I did not like that keep this from being absolutely perfect like DiBiase/Duggan. In terms of blowoffs and paying off multiple elements of a blood feud, this is hard to beat and it is like the DiBiase/Duggan of World Class! Really fucking awesome and not talked about enough! ****3/4
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