Fame, You Will Remember The Macho Man: Randy Savage, Jerry Lawler, Rock N Roll Express (Memphis 1983-1985)

Hey yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

Even though I was born in 1989, "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes is a huge part of my life and I was deeply devastated by his sudden, unexpected passing a few days prior. Within the past week, I was having a rather rough work week like we all have had in our lives. I was walking the trail outside my work in the evening to clear my head and get ready back to grind out another report. I called my buddy up and we started to chit chat. Subconsciously, I just started doing a Dusty impression to answer one of my friend's questions and as a non-wrestling fan she was like what the fuck. I just did that for the rest of the phone conversation for like half an hour to amuse myself. She could barely understand DaAmericanDreamDustyRhodes wax philosophic about "waffle-legging" and "repetenda" and was growing quite pissed , but I was laughing my ass off. It was the best I had felt in weeks and was ready to get back knock out some more work. Thank you for all the memories and all the inspiration, Big Dust! He is one of the few wrestlers that every single time I would see him on the TV screen, I would smile just because his mere presence was enjoyable. To honor Dusty Rhodes, I will continue to live my life just like he did, on the end of a lightning bolt! Rest in peace, Dusty and condolences to all his family and his friends. Even though he may have passed, the American Dream will live in the hearts of every wrestling fan. I love you, Big Dust & Gold Bless You!

Busty Dusty! :p

This wrestling death is the one that has hit me the hardest since the passing of my favorite wrestler, "Macho Man" Randy Savage. I have watched Macho Man's big time runs to death, but his ICW and Mempho runs remained unseen and it only furthered his cause to be ranked among the greatest wrestlers of all time. What this particular run really shed light on was Macho Man's irresistible charisma and how it was already present well before his WWF run. In a short year and half, he proved he could be the most hated villain against Jerry Lawler infuriating fans with cowardly antics, his incessant cheating and downright despicable behavior. With a flip of a switch, he could channel that effusive energy to being cheered rabidly by the Memphis faithful. You will be hard pressed to ever find a wrestler as over as Randy Savage was on September 10, 1984 at Mid-South Coliseum. It is something that should be seen to be truly appreciated. As literally every movement caused a raucous ovation for the Macho Man, who was even more over than his tag partner, The King, dare I say. Memphis is a very fun promotion, but rarely did they ever possess a true star of Randy Savage and it was just incredible watching someone with Hogan, Dusty like charisma just ignite the promotion. 

With all this praise for his Memphis, the best match I actually watched for this blog was for his father's outlaw International Championship Wrestling based out of Lexington, KY. The footage for the ICW is scant, but one match we do have is Randy Savage, the star of the promotion, defending his championship against Ronnie Garvin in a fabulously violent steel cage match that is a must see for all wrestling fans and one of the greatest American wrestling matches of the 80s and maybe Randy Savage's best match. That is high praise, but deserved praise for one roller coaster of a match. Definitely check that one out! 

ICW Heavyweight Champion Randy Savage vs Ronnie Garvin - ICW Steel Cage 1982/1983

Best babyface Savage performance of his career besides the Savage/Flair GAB '95 match. Savage is an all-time great as a heel by being a totally despicable human and someone who always makes the babyface look like a million bucks. As a babyface, he relies a lot on his selling (he is world-class), but there is not much in the way of offense. The selling keeps it from feeling like an exhibition, but still I wish there would be more struggle in his babyface matches. I think that this cage match with Garvin really shows babyface Savage in a violent war over the ICW Championship. This should go down as one of the all-time great cage matches and reminder how great the stipulation can be. From the outset, they let us know that this is going to be a street fight with the way they were tussling over a front facelock and how they were clawing and choking each other. There was nothing pretty about it, but it was incredibly compelling. Unlike so many cage matches, it never felt claustrophobic, they were still able to brawl and use the cage as a weapon. We get double juice as these two just hate each other. Of course, this match features Savage's amazing trademark selling as he is staggered and collapsing after each hope spot. I love how the piledriver is treated like such a kill shot and each is doing all they can to avoid the other's. So much talk about Savage, but Garvin was awesome on top using the cage at will and choking Savage. He was a true heel. The best part of the match is in the middle of the match, a boxing match breaks out and two of the best working punches going at it. Down goes Garvin! Savage scampers on his knees to pin, but only two. I love the urgency! They are looking to end it in a most violent way, piledriver, but neither can get it. Savage misses his top rope elbow. Ruh roh! Garvin throws him into the ref and gets the belt and blasts Savage. He is hanging Savage and this match just ventured into classic territory. Savage kicks him off as a survival tactic. Savage throws the belt at Garvin to stop the top rope knee drop. HE PILEDRIVES HIM OFF THE TOP ROPE! THAT IS HOW YOU PAY OFF TEASES, BITCHES! Savage vs Lawler, here we come! ****3/4

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AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion Jerry Lawler vs Randy Savage 

Memphis, Mid-South Coliesum 12/12/83, Steel Cage Match

"EVERYONE DIES!" Randy Savage's verbal ravings during the match.

I have seen this before, but never in full and honestly I have been underwhelmed by this match. Mostly because I was expecting OMG LAWLER VS SAVAGE~! and instead it was just a great match. I will say this match definitely features the two of the best working punches in history. I love Savage's windup right hand almost like how a pitcher in baseball wind ups before delivering a fastball. Savage is in full Memphis heel mode running away and stooging for Lawler's punches. Lawler starts the match off unusually red hot with furious punches. Savage spits on Lawler to get him so riled up that he makes a mistake and Savage applies a chinlock to quell his momentum. Lawler throws him into cage, which is set up to go to the floor and Savage is staggered and falls ass first to the outside in a great bump. Savage starts to fiddle with his tights so here comes the foreign object playing that is a hallmark of the Mempho territory. Savage rakes eyes maybe with the foreign object it is hard to see and now he just suffocates Lawler. Awesome working punches, the double axehandle to the floor and ramming him into the cage. Lawler is coming back with punches and wrestles the foreign object away from Savage and he drives into Savage's eye, naaaasty. Now, we get the problem with the match, if there was ever a Memphi/Lawler spotfest this is it. That sounds weird because Memphis is almost as anti-spotfest as you get, but here they are start just throwing out spots against each other. Savage misses an Elbow from the top of the Cage and that is just another spot in the middle of the match! Lawler thinks better of going to the top of the cage instead hits a flying bodypress for two. Savage is just up flying into the middle rope and then he is doing a tremendous airplane spin. The airplane spin would be so  over in today's hipster culture, but I guess the Giant Swing is that, but more athletically impressive. They are both come out staggered and Lawler tags with a right! Like most Memphis matches, it is all about piledriver teases which I love, Savage headbutts him in the balls to stop one. Savage throws him into the cage, but STRAP DOWN~! Lawler with furious punches only to Jos LeDuc trigger the DQ in the cage match. That was a super lame finish, but it is tough to start the first match of a series off with a cage match. They really had to though because this feud was already so hot from Savage's promos on ICW TV and the interpromotional feud. So you had to do the cage match, but you wanted to get more out of the feud so you needed the shitty ending. It is all action, but it is just all over the place. Savage missing the top of the cage elbow was crazy, but treated like just another spot. Still a great match that should be seen, but it was no Savage vs Garvin. ****

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AWA Southern Champion Jerry Lawler vs NWA Mid-American Champion Randy Savage Lexington, KY 4/9/84 

Lawler ventures to Savage's home turf, but crowd seems split as Jimmy Hart is in Savage's corner and Savage is in total heel mode. I loved the beginning with Savage using the hair only to have Lawler really whip him down by the hair and Savage throws a hissy fit. Savage is really into taking walks to break the rhythm of the King. Savage is such a great character. If this was 1997, he would have decked a camera man or ring announcer that was all that was missing. Definitely one of all time favorite stallers. I wish wrestling had more bullshit stalling in it today. There is a great moment where if you pay close attention to Savage's face you see how terrified he is of Lawler's closed fist so he quickly yanks him down by the hair. Fear is a powerful driver and I love how that pushes him to cheat to avoid the dangerous Lawler right. Lawler does some real nice technical mat wrestling with a back heel trip into a headscissors into a sort of mini-piledriver. Very cool. Savage crawls out of the ring while in the headscissors and he is takes advantage to cheapshot Lawler and sends him into the post. Everything is focused on the head of Lawler and Savage is just relentless hitting him in the head whenever. He would run himself ragged to set up different ways to stomp or punch him in the head. The double axehandle to the floor is such a perfect move of the character Savage had cultivated. There was literally no place you were safe from this wildman. Lawler has to resort to throwing a drink into Savage's eyes and blasts him with a right one after another. They trade misses, first Lawler misses a fist drop then Savage misses elbow drop and then Lawler misses his top rope fist drop. I really like that sequence. This time Lawler is ready for Savage as he is coming off the top rope and nails him in the midsection with a fist. The King looks for the countout victory, but Savage has too much pride in his hometown to go down like that. This time it is Lawler with the low bridge to stop the Savage piledriver. STRAP DOWN~! Levels the Macho Man! Fist drop, but no ref thanks to Angelo & Jimmy Hart, Savage nails a piledriver. Still no referee and Savage gets frustrated leading to a Lawler roll up for the win. That was a very modern WWE finish. Again, I just did not feel like Savage vs Lawler reached that next level. I have seen their loser leaves town match a couple years ago and really liked that. Early on, I liked this better than the cage match because it was Savage and Lawler just ripping it up as their characters, but they have not put together that next level finish stretch. Both of them are coming back at will and trading spots with out that level of struggle and consequence that makes a match a classic. Still, again there is enough action that this is a quick watch and super entertaining. Still waiting for Lawler vs Savage the classic, but next up they actually tag up against Rick Rude & King Kong Bundy. 1984 Memphis was stacked! ****

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Randy Savage & Lanny Poffo vs Rock N Roll Express - Mid-South Coliseum 6/25/84 

SAVAGE PILEDRIVES MORTON THROUGH THE TABLE! When I was a kid, we rented some video or found some TV show that had this angle on the tape. I literally remember nothing else on the video just Savage piledriving Ricky Morton through the table at ringside. Eat it, ECW! Talk about a hot and I mean double hot angle!

Absolutely tremendous! For what we got, this was on pace to be one of my favorite Memphis Wrestling matches of the 80s and on pace to be better than both Savage vs Lawler matches I have watched so far, but a premature DQ ending makes for a fun match rather than a classic. Wow, were these two teams made for each other! Savage and Poffo were perfect heel stooges for the Rock n Rolls and of course RnRs excel at giving the early crowd pleasing spots. I am such a mark for high-octane movement in the ring that ends with the heel either on his ass or falling on his face. There are plenty of those with Poffo and Savage trying to get one up on RnRs and failing spectacularly. My favorite spot was RnR did their normal spot of rolling through a banana split and decked Savage on the apron. They go to do it again, but Savage has learned his lesson so he jumps off the apron. He gets back on the apron and showboats only to be decked again. Popped huge for that! The transition to the heat segment was awesome with Gibson running into the top turnbuckle, but it was a fake out. In the ensuing fracas, Morton gets rammed into the post by Angelo and the short heat segment is worked perfectly. Savage and Poffo's control feels tenuous at best, which gives a really exciting feeling of when Gibson will make a tag, but Morton is out of it that it is hard for him to make a tag even when he gets a hope spot in. I know this is stating the obvious, but Morton sold perfectly in this match just enough to get sympathy, but was still active in trying to tag out. Great stuff! Savage is great at working a nasty heat segment with his wicked punches and full court press offense. Gibson finally gets in, but before he can do any really damage, Angelo pulls down the top rope and he goes tumbling out for the premature DQ. At a scant nine minutes of awesomeness, I am definitely left wanting more to the point where the finish is frustrating. I am of the opinion that I rather get twenty minutes with this finish than just ten with this finish leaving the match feel underdeveloped. A brawl develops at ringside and this is where Savage piledrives Ricky Morton through the table. These two teams absolutely rocked it and I look forward to the rematch.  ***3/4

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Randy Savage & Lanny Poffo vs Rock N Roll Express - Mid-South Coliseum 7/4/84

Savage vs Morton needed to happen! Just another one of those on paper classics that never happened. Plus instead of these shitty finishes, they could have put RnRs over in a tag setting, but with Savage going over clean one on one. Oh well, another great match from these two teams, but not quite on the level as the last match. The babyface shine featured what you expected with the RnRs getting the best of the Poffos, but there was not as many fun spots as the previous match and a lot of was just fun stalling. They gave more time for the heat segment in this go around and Randy Savage just looked huge here. Randy  Savage looked like a colossal star in this match. 1984 had to be when Memphis was the most loaded with talent. The mid-80s definitely feels like the highwater mark for pro wrestling in terms of starpower in every territory. Today feels downright shallow compared to the depth of the 80s. Savage was all over the place as Lance Russell said in this match. Off a blind tag, Savage was able to sneak a quick jab to Morton's ribs and then threw him out only to come crashing down with the double axehandle. I loved Savage sneaking around the ring and coming up from behind to blast Morton. The entire heat segment was just potshot after potshot on Morton from the entire Poffo family including Angelo. Morton would do his best to use his movement to create opportunities to tag, but the Poffos always grabbed him at the last second. The highwater mark of this heat segment was Savage going for the piledriver on the table only to be back body dropped onto the table! He's hardcore! He's hardcore! He's hardcore! Finally Gibson comes in and is a house of fire climaxing with a nice superplex, which I actually thought would be the finish, but Savage/Morton brawl on the outside distracted the ref meaning Angelo came in and hit with the boot. The ref called for the bell. Morton came in and wrestled the boot out of his hands. Then there was a quick Savage/Morton brawl before the video cut out that looked fantastic. Oh! To have lived in Mempho in 1984! I preferred the June match, but this was still tons of fun. I just wish we got the classic that was clearly present with these two teams. Frustrating, but still happy we got what we got. Looking forward to more Savage and more Morton throughout the 80s! ***1/2

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 Jerry Lawler & Randy Savage vs. King Kong Bundy & Rick Rude - Memphis 9/10/84

Randy Savage was over like all get out! He was more over than fucking Lawler! It was insane; literally every movement got a huge reaction from the crowd. He could have blown his nose in the middle of the ring and gotten a pop. He came over like a massive star in this match as time would tell he would go to be arguably the second biggest wrestling star of the 80s (Andre would be the only one in contention). It was just irresistible not to have fun while watching this match especially the awesome shine to start the match. Savage's wildman antics are hilarious and garnering a huge pop from the audience. The posedown with Rude gets tremendous heat. Did they ever lock up in WWF? That would have been one helluva combination. Against Bundy, when Bundy grabbed a chair, he grabbed the steel post that sectioned off the fans from the wrestlers. Gotta love Savage! The stall-o-rama here wears on me. Savage executes a crazy airplane spin, probably the more rotational speed I have ever seen. The shine finally ends with Bundy catching Lawler with size. It is shocking to see Lawler get outshined, but in this match Savage just had the extra je ne sais quoi that it was hard even for the King to compete with. Rude and Bundy actually make for a badass tag team combination. Rude gets a piledriver and is a heat machine. Bundy is very agile for his size and he should have been a bigger star. The crowd wants Savage in so bad. Bundy misses a kneedrop and Lawler fires up to tag out to the Macho Man. Savage nails the fucking ref in the fracas. There is a great post-match brawl between all four with Savage pinning Rude down with the steps and Lawler hitting Bundy with the chair. The beginning was the best part, but it was heated throughout and set up the No DQ match a week later really well. The big story here is that the Macho Man is ready for primetime and has a star power that only few like a Hogan or Flair possess. ****

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Jerry Lawler & Randy Savage vs. King Kong Bundy & Rick Rude - Memphis 9/17/84, No DQ

It is not often the place-setter match for the wild brawl outshines, but unfortunately that is the case here. I was all revved up for a raucous, bitchin time. Don't get me wrong the match was good, but it was not the classic brawl that I think that these four could have. It is Texas Tornado style. I love the name Texas Tornado whoever came up with that is a genius. Bundy gets a chair broken over his head in the first big spot of the match, while Rude is earning his money with his excellent stooging. Savage comes flying out of the sky to the floor with a double axehandle twice. Rude hits an atomic drop, which is not as cool as him taking one. Bundy and Rude are able to isolate Lawler and beat him down. In the sequence of the match, Rude bounces Savage's head off the table and THROWS a table at him! However, The Macho Man came prepared with a chain and is able to nail Rude with it. In the ring, Bundy lays a table on The King and just stands on it. OW! Savage saves with his handy, dandy chain. STRAP DOWN~! Lawler has the chain and nails Rude. Piledriver! Lawler fist drop onto Bundy with the chain, but that snake in the grass Jimmy Hart grabs the ref's hand as it is falling. Savage hits a back suplex on Rude, but pins himself!?!?!?!? WTF, MATE! That's a finish for a classic championship match or a TV title match nearing a draw not for a heated brawl. Very lame finish for the context of the match. There were some nice spots, but I did not think this had the intensity it needed to overcome such a lame finish. ***1/2

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AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion Randy Savage vs  Jerry Lawler   

Memphis, Mid-South Coliesum 6/3/85, Loser Leaves Town, No DQ

This is not your standard Loser Leaves Town, you see. Jerry Lawler has gone on record stating he will not wrestle anywhere but Memphis effectively meaning a  loss will put Lawler out of wrestling for a year.

This is the anti-workrate classic. It proves that you don't need flashy MOVEZ~! and action every second to deliver a highly entertaining bout for the ages. In the first five minutes, there are only three punches thrown, but that is all they need to tell their story. In interim, you have the lunacy of Savage taking center stage, jawing with the crowd, spitting and throwing chairs in the ring. Savage is such a despicable, cowardly human in the outset that he works everyone in Memphis into lather. When he does eventually lock up with The King, Lawler is smart enough to know he is not going to get a clean break in the ropes. He blocks the Savage right and nails him right in the nose. The crowd roars and Savage sells it beautifully. They work this sequence again and on the third time when Savage thinks he has it figured out, Lawler ducks and puts him on his ass with a right cross. It is electric. Savage gets up pissed, humiliated and discombobulated. He puts arms out like an X over his forearm to defend himself and looks ridiculous. When Savage does manage to get control, Lawler immediately low blows him. He is not taking any chances in a high stakes Loser Leaves Town match. At this point, there is a cut in the action and thanks to Lance Russell’s time calls, it seems we are missing 13 minutes of this match, which is about half the match. The best spot of the match is when The King is trying to recuperate on the apron and Savage comes crashing into him with a high knee, which sends him flying onto the table in a Holy Shit bump! Lance lets us know that he has a cut around his eye. Later on in the match, we get a feel of just how nasty this cut is. Savage is a damn animal working that cut and torturing Lawler, who is screaming and staggering. The drama is really building that Lawler may lose because there seems no way out. Then just when you think all hope is lost, Lawler seems to be absorbing the punches. You think you have seen this story before, but then Savage really rears back and unleashes a devastating barrage of punches onto the eye of Lawler and then gnawing it. Savage forced the hand of Jerry Calhoun, senior Memphis ref, to save Lawler’s vision and call the match off. The crowd was in shock and Lawler was appalled. He got on the house mic and said Savage would have to pin him to the mat 1-2-3, his eyesight be damned! Lawler was granted his wish and Savage pounced on his eye, but now The King’s dander had been raised and he was really fighting on adrenaline. He unleashes one helluva comeback. Having watched a good chunk of Lawler, his comeback is what makes him truly special. It is absolutely insanely great energy! It is onslaught of fist drops and then a fatal PILEDRIVER~! That sends Macho Man out of Mempho out the door to the Big Apple and The King continues his reign!

The first half of this match is an excellent exhibition of how you can work a compelling match without MOVEZ~! And focus on character work. The second half is one of the most dramatic and violent endings to any match. The big problem is we are missing 13 minutes of 28 minutes, if we had it this match may be  a candidate for the greatest match of all time. As is, I have a problem with deeming it a classic with really what is a disjointed because of the massive cut. What see is truly awesome and is a must see for any wrestling fan! ****1/4  

The Art of the Sell: Rick Martel, Nick Bockwinkel, Jumbo Tsuruta (AWA 1984-85)

Hey yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,


Don't act like I forgot! I am paying you what I owe ya. Like Bock! Bock! Bock. Bitch, I got your reviews!

AND BOOBS~!

AWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Bockwinkel vs Jumbo Tsuruta 

AJPW Budokan 2/23/84 Special Guest Referee Terry Funk

It had been almost four years since Giant Baba had won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship from Harley Race. While Jumbo had been challenging for the NWA World Title since the mid-70s, the pressure must have been mounting for him to follow in Baba's foot steps and finally win the big one. All Japan, NWA and AWA were booked in a tough position where the American promotions did not want to a Japanese wrestler representing them, but All Japan needed to prove to their fan base their ace was a legitimate world class pro wrestler. In 1984, it was high time for Jumbo Tsuruta to avoid the choker label and he did just that by pinning Nick Bockwinkel to win the AWA World Heavyweight Championship. He did Baba one better by actually finishing the tour with his reign intact and actually defending the championship in America. You see Baba spent a ton of money to cement Jumbo's status as the man by buying him this reign. In return, Verne got actually what he needed a gaijin transitional champion to go from ace heel Nick Bockwinkel to his prospective new hot babyface act, Rick Martel. Baba would use a similar model of gaijin (Hansen, Doc and Gordy) to transition titles among the natives. It was a win-win for everyone involved and of course the big winners were the Japanese faithful that were able to see their hero win the World Heavyweight Championship from Bockwinkel after being thwarted repeatedly by cheap finishes.

The match starts with Bockwinkel trying to end the match early with a surprise cross body, but only gets two. Bockwinkel works an extensive arm work segment that is just awesome. Bockwinkel is wrenching Jumbo's arm in all directions, applying pressure with his head and knees (THAT IS A LEGAL KNEE TO THE HEAD, Terry Funk yells, which makes me chuckle). Jumbo is always struggling, teasing escapes, but Bock uses a multitude of nefarious tactics to keep him down. One of my favorite spots of the match was Bock's super slick double wristlock takedown into a rolling short arm scissors just really strong work there. Another fun spot was Jumbo trying to show Funk that he keeps getting pulled down by the hair only to be pulled down by the hair again. Jumbo finally is able to string some offense together in the form of an enziguiri into a high knee, but only gets one. Bock retreats and tries to go back to the arm, but Jumbo is rolling now with two piledrivers and a Thesz Press. The action is so hot and heavy that it spills to the outside. Bock unloads with heavy blows on the outside. Hey there is the 80s spot the head to head collision, but really does not lead anywhere in this match. I can't say I am a fan of that spot. Jumbo is throwing closed fists and ignoring Funk's admonishments. Jumbo will not be denied tonight and the crowd is pumped. Bockwinkel goes back to a top wristlock to get a nearfall, but Jumbo counters with a Russian Legsweep. Nice! It is bombs away from Jumbo with a variety of suplexes and he has the champion on the ropes literally as he has to use the ropes to break Jumbo's Boston Crab. The Japanese fans have seen this story before and usually it does not end well for their boy. Bockwinkel shoves Jumbo into Funk and if I was a fan I would be smelling screwjob and Bockwinkel hits two piledrivers and a bodyslam, but nothing doing. As usual, Bockwinkel chucks his opponent to the outside to buy himself some time. When it comes time to bring him in the hardway, Jumbo floats over and BACK DROP DRIVER! 1-2-3! Jumbo wins the World Title!

This was an interesting story as you get the sense that Bockwinkel clearly sees Jumbo as a massive threat to his title reign. He tries to win quickly with a  cross body from there he dictates the pace and tries to take Jumbo out via arm work. He is keeping Jumbo grounded and we find out why later in the match. Bockwinkel does not have a prayer in a bomb throwing match. Once Jumbo is able to break free of the arm work and establish himself, he just starts throwing everything at Bockwinkel to finally win the championship. The tease all the usual screwjob finishes (double countout, ref bump), but this time the fans get to home happy with Jumbo Tsuruta winning the AWA World Title. Jumbo's long term selling could have been better. Bockwinkel was awesome in this, cocky in control and desperate on defense. The feel good ending elevates the great work in this to a classic match in my eyes. ****1/2

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AWA World Heavyweight Champion Jumbo Tsuruta vs Nick Bockwinkel - AJPW Osaka 2/26/84

This is the oft-forgotten about rematch from the same tour that Jumbo initially won the title. There is a reason it is forgotten, it turns out. :) I had every intention of rewatching Jumbo's title victory, which I really liked, but I just selected the Jumbo vs Bock match from February 1984 without paying much heed. In retrospect, the fact the match was in Osaka and it did not begin with a Jumbo cross-body should have told me I was watching the wrong match. In my defense, Terry Funk was also the special guest ref in this match, which added to the confusion. If you ever wanted to see how Bockwinkel did in a spotfest well now we know because this was just all over place. Now understanding this was the rematch does at least explain Bockwinkel's aggression from the outset. He had a challenger's mentality. I love that about 80s matches. It is not married to the babyface/heel dynamic, but instead lets the circumstances dictate people's strategies. The majority of Bockwinkel's matches you will see are him as champion. He is calm looking to execute his strategy, but he is not the aggressor. He is waiting for the opponent to make the mistake. As the challenger, he can't afford the same luxury and he needs to take it to Jumbo. Bock is content in the early part to control the head and whenever Jumbo looks to break he grabs some hair. He rams Jumbo's head into the turnbuckle twice, but Jumbo gets wise on the third attempt and shoves him off. To preserve his advantage, Bock hits a quick piledriver, but too close to the ropes and Jumbo powders. At this point, they seemingly just trade moves willy-nilly. It is all action so it is entertaining don't get me wrong, but does not leave a lasting impression. Jumbo hits his high knee, his Thesz Press and gets revenge with a piledriver of his own.  Bock hits a sick drop toehold (Im such a mark for that move) and even puts Jumbo in his Boston Crab. We get a short King of the Mountain and Jumbo fires up  (take that Jumbo haters!) and the crowd is rocking now. Jumbo puts him in the Boston Crab! Bock gets a quick uppercut to the balls. At this point, the match actually gets really good and is of the caliber that I have come to expect of their matches together. Bock chucks him out and then hits a brainbuster. Bock is finally showing some emotion and he is incensed. Throws him out again, now into the post, he beats him down on the apron, but Jumbo's leg gets caught in the ropes and he relentlessly stomps it and Funk has to pull him off multiple times. Bockwinkel applies the figure-4; Jumbo is fighting and they tumble to the outside. Bock won't let go and gets an Indian Deathlock. Bock tries to make it back in the ring and Jumbo pulls him down for the double countout. Really weird finish. It makes total sense when they pull that shit with Flair or Bock as the champ forcing the double countout. Jumbo as the babyface pulling that shit is just weird. Did they really need to protect Bock? Bock had been champion for years in Japan, I don't think a couple clean jobs would hurt him. Plus, Bock did not even get the belt back so there was no rematch to protect. The stretch run was really, really good, but the rest of the match was all over the place with each one not really taking time to sell (Jumbo was selling better than Bock). I have seen plenty Jumbo vs Bock and this is the least of their matches to me. ***

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AWA World Heavyweight Champion Jumbo Tsuruta vs Rick Martel - AWA 5/13/84

Than God for the Japanese without them we would have such little footage. This is an AWA World Title defense taped for Japanese TV because Jumbo is the World Champion even though Jumbo will be dropping the belt in this bout. Basically, Jumbo was utilized like a gaijin would be in All Japan as a transitional champion to bridge between two major stars. Conventional American booking wisdom would have Martel take the title from the longstanding heel champion, Nick Bockwinkel,. but I liked the wrinkle of using Jumbo. I think it adds a little spice to the Bock/Martel series that Martel never beat Bock for the title and thus has to prove himself over the course of a series of matches. Of course, it helps Jumbo & All Japan shed the choker label in their home country where Flair and Bock kept coming in and escaping with the title.

As expected this wrestled mostly as a straight face vs face championship match with subtle heel actions from Jumbo Tsuruta to make sure the pro-Martel crowd is really hot for his coronation. The story in the match seemed to be dueling limb work, but I will admit this match was a bit all over the place. It was very entertaining from action standpoint because there was always something going on, but it did feel like a hodgepodge of spots rather than a clear narrative. We started with Martel working the arm out of the initial chain wrestling and Jumbo in turn working the leg with Jumbo getting the best of it early with spinning toe holds and his trademark Boston Crab. Martel is clearly the better seller so the match tends to be better when Jumbo is on offense and Jumbo is a great offensive wrestler so that helps too. There is some nice storytelling early like Martel using movement (leapfrog, dropkick) to create opportunities, but with his bum wheel he can't follow up and Jumbo is afforded the time to regroup on the outside. Martel is able to get a drop toehold and transitions back to the arm. We get out first high spot with Martel hitting a reverse crossbody for two. At this point, they depart from the original limb work behind. I don't think you necessarily have to stay on the same body part, but it felt pretty random and it did not play into finish so it just rendered it all moot. Martel misses an elbow and then Jumbo starts working on Martel's arm. I like the spot when a wrestler rolls up on an armstretcher and we see that from Martel. Jumbo hits a kneecrusher out of a side headlock and wicked high knee. Now they go all New Japan Juniors on us and go into bomb throwing. European uppercuts by Jumbo sets up his piledriver, which only gets two and now we get his abdominal stretch (I know it is a standard Jumbo spot, but it reeked of getting your shit in). Martel switches the ab stretch and works the back to set up for his dive, but he eats knees. They collide in the middle of the ring to reset the match. Jumbo dropkicks Martel into the ref and hits a Back Drop Driver, but no ref to get his highway robbery finish to protect him for the Japanese TV audience. Jumbo is ripshit. He is emotionally compromised when he goes for the Thesz Press, which ends with a hotshot and cross body for Martel to win the championship.

I feel like I was harsher than I should have been on that match, which I did enjoy. I thought the finish stretch was really excellent in a vacuum. The Jumbo falling prey to the hotshot is classic and Martel gets a really pure babyface win. I liked the dueling psychology early and don't understand why they deviated it in the middle only to go the bomb throwing route later. Both have better matches on their resume, but this is a fine Martel championship victory. ***3/4

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AWA World Heavyweight Champion Rick Martel vs Nick Bockwinkel - AWA 8/16/84

Martel versus Bockwinkel has all the makings of a classic championship series that has been overlooked due to AWA not being a sexy territory until a resurgence of interest from the AWA DVDVR project. I have watched a couple of their matches in the past, but I can't remember which ones so I am basically starting fresh. Six matches made the AWA set, but I will be starting with the three highest ranked ones and when I have more time, I will go back and watch the other three. The first match we see is the first match to make the set since Martel has won the title from Jumbo Tsuruta and is being contested in AWA hotbed, Winnipeg, which seems to be a popular place for where we get a lot of AWA footage from.

At first watch, I was a bit underwhelmed by this match, but upon watching the rematch the next month also from Winnipeg, I realized this was intended to be a first match in a series match and in that context this is excellent. It whets your appetite, but leaves you very hungry for more. That's why I was underwhlemed, because I was left hungry and did not realize they would feeding me a heaping helping of double bitchiness with a side of fantastic selling in the rematch. The most important thing about this match is that it established Bockwinkel's most effective counterpunching strategy: the quick jab to the midsection. He uses this to great effectiveness in the rematch and it serves him well here. They start the match off with a bang with a wicked double cross body collision that Martel wins. Martel decides to focus on Bock's arm and Bock tries to cheat as best he can to turn the tide, but Martel is relentless. During one of his tries, Bock rams the bad shoulder into the turnbuckles, OW! When Martel goes for a kneedrop to the arm, Bock gets a quick fist to the ribs and throws him out. They are just teasing king of the mountain as Martel fires up. I love how he gets back in the ring by rolling around to avoid Bock and then nailing him. I love how they treat getting back into the ring as a disadvantage and Martel has to use his speed and intelligence to avoid being attacked upon re-entering. Again, Bock gets that short jab, but can't consolidate with the piledriver instead Martel gets his own. Bockwinkel goes back to the short jab to the ribs and this time it sets up his sleeper. He takes a header into the top turnbuckle. Martel looks to set up for his dive by working the back, Heenan gets up on the apron, but Bockwinkel ends up running into him. Martel tries to take advantage to hit slingshot bodypress, but eats knees. Bock immediately tries a pin, but only gets two. I love the idea! Bock hooks on his patented sleeper, but the Survivor Series 1996 finish does him in.

As a standalone match this is very good, but as a place setter for the awesome rematch, this match is a great one. Martel looks awesome here using a combination of technique, speed and intelligence to get the best of Bockwinkel at every turn. Bockwinkel has to rely on cheating, experience and his short jab to set up his big bomb, the sleeper. It really made for a cool story that they really escalated to the next level in the September 1984 Winnipeg match.  ****

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AWA World Heavyweight Champion Rick Martel vs Nick Bockwinkel - AWA Winnipeg 9/20/84

WOW! Until the finish, I think this was the best match I have seen so far as part of my 80s watching and is definitely neck and neck with Flair vs Kerry from August of 1982. It featured some of the best selling I have ever witnessed in pro wrestling. It was not just from Martel. It was from both Martel and Bockwinkel. It felt like a war of attrition between the two best wrestlers in the world. It was a game of inches and they were both so good that it was just going to be the details the decided the winner. The small detail was Bockwinkel's nasty little short jab to the ribs. It was his great equalizer. Martel was so focused on his kneework that he would leave himself exposed to these quick punches and that eventually took their toll on Martel physically. The story really became who could overcome their injuries Bockwinkel with his knee and Martel with his midsection.
Bockwinkel wrestled most of the match on his knees and he proves why he is one of the all-time best by selling his pain and desperation throughout the match. In this match, Bockwinkel tries to start the match hot and heavy, but he gets overzealous and hits a high knee to the turnbuckle. Martel just pounces on this mistake like in the Lawler match with toeholds and strikes relentlessly. Bockwinkel sells the agony of the holds in such an engaging way that you never lose interest. Bock and Martel trade blows within the toehold and when that does not go well for Bock; he hits a quick jab to Martel's midsection, which forces him off his body. Bock with JYD heabutts to Martel's midsection. Oh shit, this is my kinda match! He pounds Martel's side as best he can with his good knee. This is just dripping with struggle and urgency. Bockwinkel collapses in the middle of the ring while Martel writhes in pain in the corner. Holy shit! Bock uses the wrong knee on a knee lift and can't capitalize soon enough. Martel hits a kneecrusher! Martel is back to work with seatdrops so Bockwinkel just grabs him by his hair and punches him in the head. He forces Martel out of the ring and is basically working a King of the Mountain from his ass and it is awesome! Martel picks the leg and wraps it around the post. Have I gone to Heaven? Bock saves his knee by trying to claw Martel's eyes out. This was no normal eye gouge, he was getting in there. He puts Martel in a stretch where he can constantly maneuver him to expose the ribs to his rabbit punches without the ref seeing. Martel punches to the knee to get out of it and kicks the leg out from under him. Yep, I died and have gone to Heaven.  Martel rides high and Bock applies a body scissors, but his leg is so fucked up he can't hold him. They knock heads in the middle of the ring and it is time to hit the finish. Martel goes for the kill first, but misses the reverse cross body from the middle rope. Martel fires through Bock's offense and it looks like he has more gas in his tank. Slingshot splash EATS KNEES! THOSE RIBS! OW! The selling is tres magnifique. They work through a barrage of nearfalls with neither having enough to put the other way. However, the ref gets bumped, Mr. Saito is able to throw salt in the eyes of Martel who has Bockwinkel dead to rites in the Boston Crab. 1-2-3!?!?!?!?!? Bock wins??? After much deliberation, the belt is returned to Martel. I fucking hate that finish. I don't care if it is babyface or heel, it is just stupid bullshit. It is definitely worse when a babyface wins, you get the pop and then rob people. Still even letting the people see Martel get pinned and not lose only hurts the moment when he will actually loses the title.

The finish is the only thing that keeps this from *****, but fuck if this is the tenth best match of the AWA in the 80s, I am in for quite treat! This was fucking tremendous. Small critique would be that they just had one or two more highspots down the stretch to take the drama level to the next level. I am thinking a Bockwinkel sleeper and maybe a piledriver or two. It does not have to be an AWA Jumbo match with a ton of highspots, but a couple more would have been enough to overcome my least favorite finish ever. Enough negativity because this is my favorite match so far. It is a master's class in selling and should be absolutely mandatory to be watched by all wrestlers young and old in the industry today. ****3/4

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AWA World Heavyweight Champion Rick Martel vs Nick Bockwinkel - AWA Winnipeg 3/28/85

This series of matches really speaks to the praise given to Bock about having a different match everytime he goes out. In the first match of this Winnipeg series, it felt like Martel really kicked some ass and established him as champion, which was critical in his nascent going up against The Man. In the second match, you get the classic. Martel starts on fire, but Bock works himself out of a jam and both men are left gasping for the finish line. Now in the third match, which must feel like Bockwinkel's last shot, Bock is fired up and extra no-nonsense. He starts the match on fire, there is really no shine and he immediately goes into King of the Mountain, which is an interesting tact. It establishes the tone of the match that Bock feels like his back is up against the wall and he is here to win. At this point, Martel is going on a year as champion so everyone buys into him so he does not need to start off red hot. In fact that change of pace really differentiates the match from the standard shine->heat->comeback->finish. Of course, Martel eventually does gets his licks in once he backdrops out of the piledriver and we get what looks like a shine with Bock falling prey to armdrags and Martel's quickness. Bock shows why he is a wrestling god by picking the ankle and turning it into this awesome 1/2 deathlock, 1/2 chinlock submission. When Martel powers out, Bock immediately finds a way to apply the figure-4. Again, it all plays into Bockwinkel will not denied tonight and Martel needs to elevate his game.  He does in the form of wicked punches to fight off the figure-4 and a piledriver to level the playing field. Bock just keeps coming now with back drops and knee lifts, but he can't keep Martel down. The finish is actually pretty anticlimatic as it is just a Martel back body drop, but Bock was in the ropes, but ref still counted. Bock blasts Martel and sends him over the top rope, weird finish and oddly protective of Bock. I liked this because we got to see Bockwinkel on offense for the majority of the match, which is different from the other Martel matches. However, I don't think it was as good as the others in the series. There was just no real strong hook that kept me invested throughout the match and then finish really did nothing for me. Most people would dream of having a match this good, but for two legends like Bock and Martel this just another day in the office. ***3/4

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AWA World Heavyweight Champion Rick Martel vs Mr. Saito - AWA Winnipeg 4/24/85

Oh how I have missed RICKY MARTEL TIME~! BABY! WOOOOOOOOOO! While this is indeed a great match, we do not get to see that classic Martel fired up comeback, but what we do see is top notch. Mr. Saito is somehow I greatly enjoyed when I was watching AWA footage randomly like two years ago especially his tag team with Bock. I remember really liking this match and nothing has changed. This is probably the best execution of a fundamental wrestling match you will ever see. The beauty is in how basic it is and how they are taking their time to really put over the moves. The story of the match is power vs speed and they stick to it from beginning to end. Martel establishes the speed game early with armdrags, but Mr. Torture wraps him in a side headlock and uses the hair at will to keep him locked in. Martel is trying to his best to create movement to gain advantage and with a monkey flip and armdrag he finds his opening working the arm.  They do two great things to keep us hooked in this match. Martel is constantly struggling and when he does get out of the headlock there is a ton of movement before Saito is able to wrap him back up in a headlock or Martel gets the armbar applied. Saito transitions to the middle of the match with an eyerake and looks for the sleeper. I believe Ron Trongard lets us know that Saito learned this from Bockwinkel, but has not perfected it yet giving Martel a chance. Way to protect the move, Mr. Announcer man! Martel sold the eye-rake great and he is awesome at the glassy eyed selling here in the sleeper. Martel finally forces Saito to take a header and it is partial Ricky Martel Time, but we do get a piledriver and when Saito is a pussy about it and puts his foot on the ropes Martel gives that knee a seat drop, which is my all-time favorite AWA spot. Martel hits a suplex and backbreaker to set up his slingshot splash (won him the World Championship), but he crashes and burns! Has his speed cost him the match? Saito is such a great offensive powerhouse rattling off the backdrop driver, Russian Legsweep and Scorpion Deathlock and just looks so fucking boss. In the moment of the match, Martel literally claws into the mat and pulls himself to the ropes. DAMN! That is commitment! Saito having beaten him down with power plays right into Martel's hand with a whip, which allows Martel to use his movement to quickly turn defense into offense with a springboard reverse cross body with the flash pin. I loved how that played into the power vs. speed dynamic with Martel turning the match at the snap of the fingers. It was a basic story, but everyone was totally 100% committed. Mr. Saito brought the badass offense, Martel crushed it in the selling department, they established a narrative early and followed it through to the end, great match! ****1/4

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AWA World Heavyweight Champion Rick Martel vs Jumbo Tsuruta - AWA 9/29/85

"ABA - Erm AWA - ABA was something else at some other time" - Rodger Kent? (Maybe Trongard), I lol'd

BOMBS AWAY! Wow! Do these two cut one helluva pace! Neither man backs down and this is a fight from the opening bell to the final three count. This match would not feel out of place in today's wrestling scene in fact I say they blow most matches out of the water. There are a ton of highspots and MOVEZ~! in this match, but everything feels important because it bearing on the next spot. The most critical element is it feels like two guys who are willing to do whatever it takes to win the match not entertain the fans. The fan's enjoyment is a byproduct of their struggle not their direct objective, which separates it from today's scene even if it is highspot-oriented match. The tone of the match is established early Jumbo is pissed and he wants his belt back. He hits these tremendous kneelifts and European Uppercuts and what does Martel do he fights back from his knees twice. You feel how badly these two competitors want to win the world heavyweight championship. It is a total Jumbo full court press early on with the work on the midsection of Martel being the focus (punches there and ab stretch). In one of my favorite spots, Jumbo hoists Martel to hit a piledriver but takes the time revolve so that every section can see what he is about to do. Martel gets a backbreaker to finally break momentum. He just starts ramming his knee into Jumbo's back and does not even give him a ropebreak. Ricky Martel is in a fucking fight and he fucking knows it! He wants it just as bad as Jumbo. Martel applies a Boston Crab, wow, that's a Jumbo spot, ballsy! Jumbo powers out and throws him out to the floor. Martel is PISSED! He nails a dropkick! That's Jim Brunzell level baby! They just starts throwing bombs at each other with each one building on the other. Martel crashes and burns on his slingshot splash. Jumbo abandons bomb throwing for leg work, which may be a smart play with the spinning toe hold and figure-4. Martel sells so well and in what was a bombfest up until this point, this is very refreshing. Having dismantled his knee, Jumbo runs through his offense in the finish stretch, but gets caught with a reverse crossbody for three! Jumbo nails him with a wicked knee post-match. Martel can't catch a break in the post-match. They packed a shit ton of action in this match. I mean there was literally not one dull moment. I did not want to just make this a list of moves so I just highlighted the most critical, but there was a shit ton of high end offense from both wrestlers. This match is highly recommended for those who love action and a ton of bombs in their wrestling. I think both have better classics with other opponents, but as far as a kickass summer blockbuster type wrestling match this is really hard to beat. I will never fault two wrestlers that I truely believe are fighting as hard as they can to win this match. ****1/2

If You Want Blood You Got It: Magnum TA, Ted DiBiase, Midnight Express (Mid-South Wrestling, 1983-1984)

Hey yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

Having seen the wildly entertaining Sleeze Kingpins of the Sunset Strip, Steel Panther, four times previous, I knew I was in store for badass hair, hilariously raunchy jokes and beyond bitchin heavy metal. On this fifth occasion, I knew they would have some new comedic material and the same killer slabs of heavy metal, but I did not realize Steel Panther would realize their full X-Rated potential. As King Kong Bundy ran roughshod in the middle of the crowd treating us all like Lord Littlebrook and looking for that Little Beaver to munch upon and the dozen people that were dropped on the floor in failed bodysurfing attempts, you knew this Hampton Beach crowd was extra raucous. Without fail, Steel Panther brings up a bunch of women interested in showing of their tits and I don't care what you say boobs in the flesh are always better than boobs on the internet.  There was something different in the air that night and these girls were horny and I mean double horny. With a little coaxing from Steel Panther, they organized to have one girl eat out another chick's pussy right on stage! The funniest part was the one chick was wearing a belt and it was like Fort Knox to get it the fuck off, but once she did. She dropped trousers and her pussy was licked by a complete stranger. After four years, Steel Panther was still able to take the debauchery to the next level. Everybody Shout Heavy Metal Is Back!

SHOUT AT THE DEVIL!

Another bitchin heavy metal I will be seeing this year is AC/DC at Foxboro Stadium. One of my favorite AC/DC songs is "If You Want Blood You Got It". Now, I have never considered myself a vampire, but I have never said no to blood either. I think you can have great matches without blood, but it definitely does not hurt in the context of a blood feud or a brawl. Well vampires rejoice because Magnum bleeds for our pleasure. At this point in his career, Magnum TA was really good at two things: bleeding and selling and during his classic series of matches with Ted DiBiase in Mid-South we got both in spades.

Magnum TA was just a classic 1980s southern babyface through and through. He was rugged and tough looking. He personified a man's man and the adage "men want to be him and women want to be with him". That's exactly what you look for in a babyface. I have seen a smattering of Magnum from Crockett, of course, the wicked famous I Quit cage match against Tully Blanchard, which many call the greatest match of all time. I never really knew what to make of Magnum the pro wrestler in between the ropes. When I was deciding where to start with my Mid-South watching, I selected Magnum because I wanted to know more of his origins before his famous run in Crockett and the premature end of his career due to a car accident.

Magnum TA in Mid-South was not an asskicker between the ropes and he was not a superhero babyface. He had more in common with a Steamboat or a Martel than he did with Tito Santana or Hulk Hogan. Unlike Steamboat and Martel, he was nowhere near as smooth or athletic. In fact, his timing seemed off and you could find him out of position at least once a match, but what he lacked in ring awareness and coordination, he made up tenfold in heart and emotion. Pro wrestling is something that should hit you in the gut not in the head and Magnum was a wrestler that stuck with you in your gut.

His matches with lead heel of the territory, Ted DiBiase, were awesome bloody brawls that saw Magnum cry out in agony as Ted clawed at his cut and fight through the pain to retain his North American Championship. When Mags came to Mid-South in 1983, he was relative unknown from Florida, but Bill Watts saw something special in him. What was special was his ability to connect to a crowd through his amazing selling sucking them all into the match making them yearn for that comeback. When it came time for that comeback, he did not hold anything back. He would whip the crowd into frenzy waiting for the Belly to Belly defeat DiBiase or what ever heel he was facing.

I will say Bill Watts sure as hell knew how to get the most out of his talent. With limited wrestlers like Magnum and Junkyard Dog, he knew how to present them in the ring so as to never expose them. Magnum is not wrestling sixty minute championship bouts. He starts off with a veteran tag partner, Mr. Wrestling II, in fun, big spot Southern-style tag matches against Butch Reed and Midnight Express. Then after that he is in quick, bloody sprints of Ted DiBiase that are heated and violent. He accentuates Magnum's strengths being his selling and limits his time on offense.

I recommend all the matches below as a way to sample Magnum's Mid-South career, but definitely check out the three Ted DiBiase bloody brawls for the North American Championship.

If You Want Blood, You Got It

Mid-South Tag Team Champions Butch Reed & Jim Neidhart vs Mr. Wrestling II & Magnum TA -Mid-South 12/25/83 Steel Cage

Mid-South is probably the territory I know the least about in terms of the American Power 6 of the 1980s (WWF, Crockett, AWA, WCCW, Mempho, and Mid-South). I have understood that is generally considered one of the best booked territories and has among the best episodic TV ever produced in pro wrestling all under the helm of Bill Watts. Of course, this presents a problem watching a "Best Of" comp without much context, but hey that's what Kayfabe Memories is for. In 1983, it seems Mid-South had transitioned to having Butch Reed be the co-lead heel of the territory. While DiBiase and Duggan were having a blood feud that carried the territory in terms of sheer hatred. Reed and the ever-popular Junkyard Dog feuded over the North American Championship. Magnum TA was plucked from relative obscurity (Florida mid-card scene, I believe) and was immediately pushed as Duggan's tag partner and tag champion, but with the need to focus Duggan (co-lead face) elsewhere veteran Mr. Wrestling II and all his booty-shaking glory was introduced as TA's mentor. The angle that led to this tag match was two-fold. Mags & Duggan lost the tag titles to Reed & Neidhart (Neidhart was a heel du jour) and they ran a hot TV angle as an off shoot of the JYD and Reed feud. Reed was supposed to defend the title against the Dog, but balked and instead gave the title shot to the young up and comer, Magnum TA, which he thinks would easy pickins. However, when JYD was made special guest ref, it became anything but that and Magnum TA became the North American Champion! A meteoric rise for the newcomer! Due to some technicalities, the title change was reversed and now Magnum TA who had tasted the gold only to have it ripped away from him wanted to prove he could do it again against the arrogant asshole, Butch Reed. Instead of coming after his North American Title, he was going to share his glory with mentor, Mr. Wrestling II.

Butch Reed is really fucking good. I have heard it bandied around that he is the greatest black wrestler of all time and having watched a Flair match, I knew he was good, but seeing him here makes me excited to see more Butch Reed. He was a fantastic big bumper for the faces in the beginning. He did a nice Flair Flip and bumped huge for Mr. Wrestling II's famous kneelift. A couple things about presentation in this match, in my smattering of Mid-South watching, it seems most of the footage we have is shot from one hard camera in the corner and sans commentary. I ain't complaining as long as we get to see the action, I'm cool. The steel cage does not rest on the apron, but actually goes to the floor thus there is an area to powder and it makes taking cage bumps a little more difficult. Neidhart tries to slow TA down with an eyerake, but does not consolidate the advantage and TA overwhelms the heels. Reed finally stymies Mags by throwing him into the cage, which I said before is complicated as he goes over the top rope into the cage and then falls the floor in a nasty bump. Mags blades and the heels are content to send him into the cage, The camera zooms in and I think this is going to be the opposite of WCW where they zoom in on the blood, but instead we get a  long close up of Mr. Wrestling II. TA uses shoulderblocks and rolls around to avoid Neidhart and tags out to II. II is a great hot tag and as a knee lift mark I think we are going to get along well. Neidhart trips him up. Pretty good heat segment ensues with some impressive power spots from the heels like a Neidhart Samoan Drop and Reed flying shoulderblock. II shows some good underneath fire. The heels get cocky and keep pulling up II. The Anvil goes after the mask and he yanks it off! He is very proud of himself, but II was wearing another mask. Reed is frantic trying to get Neidhart to turn around. II, unphased, tags in Mags, who unloads on the heels. Belly to Belly on the Anvil, cover, II leaps over the cover to hit Reed with a kneelift. WOW! Great finish.

There were some parts where they were kind of out of sync and it seems Magnum's strong suit at this time is selling. It is ok because II makes up for it in spades with great offensive fire. Neidhart was a perfectly servicable heel and Reed was badass. I love the cage spots and thought the finish was fantastic. Still needed some more heat or a more interesting hook to take it to an all-time classic level, still a great match! ****

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Mid-South Tag Team Champions Mr. Wrestling II & Magnum TA vs Midnight Express 

 Mid-South 2/10/84

After exacting some revenge from Butch Reed by taking his tag team titles, fans and Magnum TA thought it would be a sweet honeymoon for the beloved teacher/student partnership. However, as Magnum star grew, the fans clamored for him to get a North American Championship shot and jealousy reared its ugly head. Let me say, green is not a good color on Mr. Wrestling II. In the meantime, a new heel tag team from Memphis burst on the scene and would go down as perhaps the greatest tag team in the history of wrestling, Jim Cornette's Midnight Express and this version is "Loverboy" Dennis Condrey and "Beautiful" Bobby Eaton.

Midnight Express matches should be played for those with clinical depression because if you don't smile after one of these then I don't know what could make  you happy. The MX is just so awesome at stooging, bumping and generally making the babyfaces look like a million bucks. I think my favorite part of the early match was how every sequence ended with Mr. Wrestling II giving a knee lift to a Midnight Express membrane and then selling it dramatically and fantastically. This is where Mr. Wrestling II has a little Dusty in him with his booty shaking as the heels keep scurrying. After ten minutes of getting their asses kicked, Condrey is rightfully terrified of II's kneelift and backs up in the corner. Condrey is able to lure him into the corner and force II to make a tag, but he prematurely tags out to Eaton. Mags goes after Eaton's injured shoulder (rammed into the post earlier). Mags gets caught running as Eaton ducks and Condrey chops him in the neck. At this early point in his short career, TA is clearly better at selling and the MX go to town with  a great revolving door attack on his arm even Corny gets his licks in with his racquet. Mags powers out and desperately gets to Mr. Wrestling II, who fights out of his corner to earn his way into the ring. II's Eaton-seeking knee lift is on target, but the ref is distracted and Condrey throws powder in his face. The ref throws out the match, but MX kicks the ever loving shit of Mr. Wrestling II and Magnum TA especially with a belt. There is some mega heat on MX and Watts is out to lay down the law as MX finally exits.

This is a really fun match where MX were just on point working their match with ton of popcorn, fun spots early to feed to the babyfaces. Mr. Wrestling II looked huge in there. Magnum really does not have much in the way of offense and again he was out of place on multiple spots. He is really good at selling, but not much else. It will be interesting to see how he fares in singles matches with Ted DiBiase shortly. The match was mostly a backdrop for the hot angle to set up a tag team title match with the stip of belt lashes for the losers. Mr. Wrestling II completed his heel turn by walking out on Magnum costing them the tag titles and forcing Magnum to take all the belt lashes. Mr. Wrestling II would go to win the North American Championship to set up Magnum TA to get his revenge by beating him for the title. Setting up the major title match between the rising star Magnum TA and lead heel, Ted DiBiase. The match was a really fun Midnight Express match that got to show off their stuff and get in an excellent beatdown. ****

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North American Heavyweight Champion Magnum TA vs Ted DiBiase - Mid-South OKC 5/27/84

Nice, fist throwing bloody sprint as I get my first look at Ted in Mid-South. Watching prime Ted DiBiase for the first time in Mid South is something that really intrigues me. Bockwinkel, Lawler and Von Erichs are known commodities to me, I know what to expect because I have watched a decent amount of footage going in for those wrestlers. DiBiase is someone who is well-known for excellent character work as the Million Dollar Man, but leaves me cold in the ring. In Mid-South, he has a blank slate to really impress me. This match was an excellent start. I thought he was vicious, focused and relentless. There was no jawing and no wasted time. He was in there to win and press his advantage to win that title. From the opening bell, when the wrestlers looked to return to their corners, he jumped Magnum from behind. It established his tone for the match and that was to attack, attack, attack. His strikes looked great as he took to the outside.The ref's admonishing distracted enough that Mags was able to bounce his head off the table. Holy shit, look at Magnum go with those awesome right punches that has DiBiase reeling. I love DiBiase begging off and taking some big bumps. Mags looks way better on offense here by sticking to strikes and brawling with Ted. DiBiase feeling like the match was slipping away and being overwhelmed loads up his glove and blasts Magnum busting him wide open. Around this, Jim Ross magically joins us on commentary and they mute the crowd. JR just calls the moves and does not add much in terms of story so I wish they kept the crowd noise. I loved the crowd visibly expressing to the ref that DiBiase loaded the glove. DiBiase was awesome in his heat segment. Every move was designed to hurt Magnum and take advantage of the cut, fist drops, ring post shots, and strikes. DiBiase hits a nice powerslam to set up the spinning toehold, but Magnums kicks him off. DiBiase goes up top and I have seen enough WWF DiBiase to know how this story ends. He eats the punch to the midsection and somersault flip to a nice visible reaction. Magnum roars and I wish I could hear the crowd. He hits his Belly to Belly to retain the title. It clocks in under 10 minutes, but this is a sprint. It is a just an action-packed brawl between two pros. Magnum is greta at selling and really has gotten firing up down now in a very short time since I last saw him. DiBiase really checks a lot of the boxes as a heel. Definitely looking forward to more! ****1/4

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North American Heavyweight Champion Magnum TA vs Ted DiBiase - Mid-South Tulsa 5/27/84  

I have to say I was a bit skeptical that on the exact same day albeit different arena they would be able to even match the awesomeness of the earlier OKC match, but boy was I wrong. Not only did they match it, they topped it with an even better blood-soaked brawl. The first match was a great bloody sprint, but this was a dramatic spectacle. They played to Magnum's greatest strength, his selling and it just ensnared you and never let you go. I got to say, I loved the beginning of this, where DiBiase went to pearl harbor Mags, but Magnum was wise to his games and beat him to the punch. Since they were working a different arena, I did not expect them to actually learn from match to match. So I was very impressed. Did they show these matches on TV and thus they needed to show inter-match progression?

The early portion of the match is all Magnum, but DiBiase is making him earn it. The match really busts open (pun fully intended) when DiBiase sends Magnum crashing to the floor reopening the cut. DiBiase working the cut on the floor with Magnum's screams of agony and the fans enraged was a perfect confluence of pro wrestling. DiBiase clawing at the cut and Magnum just making you believe this is most painful thing is the difference between the last match being great and this being a classic. In the ring, Ted is on point it is all fist and elbow drops to the head. Magnum is peppering in hope spots, but can string anything together as Ted stymies him immediately. DiBiase applies the sleeper and just when it looks like we will have a new champion, Magnum in a last ditch effort sends DiBiase flying over the ropes. DiBiase tries to rebound with a piledriver, but Mags back drops out of it. He pulls himself by the ropes. I love it, Ted is modulating the strength of his punches with them getting progressively weaker as he is more exhausted! Magnum is coming alive! He sees the blood. Run Ted Run! The collide in the center of the ring. I have this to be a way more common spot in the 80s than in anytime since and it was definitely a clue the finish is coming. DiBiase wants to get this over with and loads the glove. Wild swing and Mags hits the atomic drop and Ted bounces off the ropes into a Belly 2 Belly! I loved that setup for the Belly 2 Belly. Best Mid-South match yet and just everything you want from bloody brawl. Ted was vicious during the heat segment and backpedaling on Magnum's offense. Magnum is a really, really good seller and knows how to connect with audience during a comeback. ****1/2

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North American Heavyweight Champion Magnum TA vs Ted DiBiase - Mid-South 7/6/84  

You know you are over when the crowd is doing the sound effects for your punches. Magnum TA, you are over, brutha. Magnum had 80s babyface down pat. He had all the mannerisms with him shaking his fists, hands over head, raring to go. He is a way better seller than I was expecting. You hear he was going to Hulk Hogan of the NWA and I see where that comes from in terms of look and cool factor. While Hogan sold a lot especially in the late 80s, it was the over the top, comic book style selling as opposed to Magnum's gritty, bloody screams and his anguished countenance.

This is much tamer version of their bloody brawls in late May (even though it did get bloody). It almost seemed like the matches were booked backwards chronologically. Though they seem to be in a different town so maybe they were starting the story fresh here. The beginning of the match was pretty common 80s beginning with Magnum besting DiBiase at every turn and DiBiase powdering to break his rhythm while Mags was energized. It was a fun beginning. Really hated the transition to the heel heat segment with DiBiase just hitting some shoulder tackles in the corner and then he just throws TA's back into the apron and post. I would have liked something more devious or a Magnum mistake to transition to the heat segment. It was just way too routine and not a real hook for the match. While the transition sucked, the heat segment proper was awesome because Mags' forte was selling and DiBiase seems like a strong offensive presence. It could have used more Magnum hope spots, but his selling was very good. TA bucked him off to the floor and then DiBiase takes his somersault bump in the follow-up. The crowd is red hot for the Magnum comeback until a collision (80s really liked that spot). DiBiase, out of desperation, sends Magnum head first into the post and busts him open. I liked DiBiase going from the back to the head because he was feeling the match slipped away from him. Mags feels blood on his face and just loses it. He whips DiBiase so hard into the ropes the turnbuckle breaks! ;) I don't think it was a work, but maybe it was. Ted grabs hold of the turnbuckle and cracks him him, but it is only two. Mags bounces off the bottom two ropes with a ref drop down (hmmmmmmm maybe this was planned) and it is a hot shot by Teddy. DiBiase loads the glove, but misses the fist drop into the Belly to Belly! The finish stretch took this from a good match to a great match, but I didn't think it was as good as the bloody brawls from late May. These two are definitely made for each with DiBiase's offense and Mags' selling. The finish was memorable with the turnbuckle breaking and it was a feel good finish. ****

When The AWA Comes To Mempho: Jerry Lawler, Nick Bockwinkel, Ric Flair (Memphis, 1981-1987)

Hey yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

I got to go pick up my former co-host for Vivid Technicolor Radio, "Wicked" Nick Adams to go get some delectable frozen custard. So I will keep it short and sweet for now. Check out the latest episode of my current podcast, Tag Teams Back Again (Whoomp There It Is), with Indomitable Three-Time BrainBuster Champion Kelly "Chief Jay Historian" Nelson covering 1986 tag team wrestling specifically the awesome Dream Team vs British Bulldogs title feud, the bitchin debut of the Islanders and great action from Hart Foundation and Killer Bees.

PUPPIES!

http://placetobenation.com/tag-teams-back-again-episode-4/

Jerry Lawler vs Crusher Blackwell - Mid-South Coliseum 5/4/81

Literally the first thing you see is Crusher Blackwell hit a pitch perfect dropkick. This really is the perfect first match to watch Blackwell in if you are unfamiliar with him because you get to see him at his offensive best and seeing all the classic spots (weeble wobbke, taking a back drop). He moves phenomenally in this match. His huge splash in the corner, the big elbow and suplexes look tremendous. It is performances like this that put him in the Vader category of elite big men wrestlers. Of course, he is the perfect foil for our hero Lawler, who has no problem letting Blackwell introduce himself with an extended  showcase for him to show off to Memphis how unique he is. When it comes time for Lawler to get come rocking back there are not much better. Lawler's rights and Blackwell webble wobble selling are a match made in heaven. In addition, it should be mentioned Blackwell is not slouch in the punching department and actually has some great right jabs. The match featured a lot of rope breaks instead of kick outs, while I think there needs to be balance I think the rope break is an underutilized tool to protect moves.  I love the the tit for tat symmetry of this match. Blackwell hits a back suplex. Lawler proves his mettle by doing it to Blackwell and it totally looks credible. This plays into the finish with Lawler missing his signature fist drop, but instead of covering Lawler he goes his signature big splash and misses. Lawler does not make the same mistake instead he covers to win the match.

Great little showcase match on why both men are two of the all-time greats. Blackwell at his size is an athletic marvel for his agility and quickness. He knows when to get his and he still knows how to shine up a babyface without losing his size. I can't wait for Blackwell in the AWA. Lawler is at his fighting from underneath with his punches and making comebacks. Awesome big man vs little man match! ***1/2

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NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Jerry Lawler - Memphis Wrestling 8/14/82

"You are not trying to put on any country jive on me" - Ric Flair, one of my favorite lines from the classic promos surrounding this match.

Flair takes some time out of his busy schedule (Orlando the previous night against Dusty, Ohio for GCW against Dicky Slater that night, and the classic Kerry Von Erich match in Dallas the next night) to show this podunk, redneck town what big time pro wrestling looks like. Jerry Lawler, the master of persuasion, sees the champion's hubris as opportunity to exploit to wrangle a championship match on TV when Flair was scheduled to wrestle a jabroni. Flair actually does agree to a 10 minute TV match with the NWA World Championship on the line. This is an all-time great TV angle and everybody should watch it. I actually mentioned the schedule on purpose because it explains the match to a degree.

When in seven days, you have to wrestle wrestlers as different as big bumping Harley Race, charismatic Dusty Rhodes, power wrestling Kerry Von Erich and technical wrestler Jack Brisco, party all night long with pretty women across the country, do 500 free squats a day, you don't have much time to come up with a totally unique match for every wrestler, brutha, Unfortunately, Lawler did get the short end of the stick in terms of match layout. It is clear when it came for the big time championship defenses against the Von Erichs, Flair made each match unique, but he simply did not have the time to do this for everyone. Instead what he did was bring one helluva template and 110% effort to every match. The big Flair vs Lawler match did not materialize, but if I was watching that on TV I would be hooked. Now having seen a ton of Flair especially recently, I could call the spots ahead of time, but we have to be cognizant that people in Mempho were not getting Dallas TV so this was not a real issue. This is one who is working smart not unnecessarily hard and taking a template that works. Now if I am Lawler, I would be disappointed that I was the proverbial broomstick in this match. He was stuck doing the hammerlock switches, working a headlock, and doing the sleeper reversal out of the suplex. I think his lack of effort showed selling for Flair, I may be reading too much in this, but I would imagine it was either because it was TV thus did not want to give too much away or he was not happy with Flair, which I swear I read. I have noticed this in some other matches, Lawler does deadfish on people. He just lets the moves happen to him rather than struggling. When Flair is on against Von Erichs, Flair is always struggling and forcing the Von Erichs to overcome his shortcuts. It is not too bad with Lawler because he does sell well, but in this match he was just taking moves and doing none. He barely flinched when the figure-4 was slapped on. The cool thing was we got to see a Ric Flair offense showcase, which seems rare, so we get the delayed vertical and the gutwrench. The ten minute time limit expires while Flair has him in the figure-4 and since he could submit him, Flair wants him for 5 more minutes to really show this punk up. Flair has not watch many Lawler matches and here comes that comeback. Flair tucks tail and takes the championship with him and is counted out to set up the Mid-South Coliseum match that was never to be.

The match layout is basic Flair: babyface shine with babyface besting Flair on the mat, Flair kicking some ass and then guitar solo portion of the match where Flair lets you hit your 2-3 big spots before the finish. Your mileage will vary based on how much you like the layout. I love it and Flair's offense so I enjoyed the match even if it was not OMFG FLAIR VS LAWLER!!!! The post-match angle is straight cash money with Flair putting out a bounty on Lawler's head and delegating it to Jimmy Hart. Between this and Kerry Von Erich, Flair, you deserved what was coming to you pal in 1983 with Harley Race. Watch it for the angle and promos, the match is still pretty good. ***

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AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion Nick Bockwinkel vs Jerry Lawler 

Mid-South Coliseum 10/18/82 

Let's see if this Jerry Lawler is all he is cracked up to be. I have seen a handful of Lawler matches from the 80s and they have been very good to great and am looking forward to watching him in detail. I figure much like how I started the Von Erichs off against the best. I should start Lawler off against the best, Nick Bockwinkel. Bockwinkel is master chessman in the ring and understands the use of strategy in pro wrestler probably better than any pro wrestler in history. Everything he did in that ring was internally consistent with what happened previously and what he wanted to happen that was to ensure him retaining his belt. The previous week at the Mid-South Coliseum, Bockwinkel challenged for Lawler's Southern Title and won it! In the interim, he defeated Otto Wanz for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, quite a week for Bock. However, this match is just a rematch for the Southern Championship.

Lance Russell informs us early that the piledriver is legal in this match because Bockwinkel being a world traveller is more accustomed to the piledriver being legal and he used one last week to win the Southern Title. He claimed he had forgotten it was illegal. So in this rematch, the piledriver is legal. Lawler teases the piledriver early sending Bock scurrying. Bock also had a trouble with Lawler's famous stinging right. I loved Bock's selling of it and Lawler does have one of the best punches in history. Bock grinds the match to a halt with various holds to try contain the fists of fury of Lawler. Lawler lets us know he ain't just a pretty punch. He had some neat reversals for Ol' Tricky Nick including reversing a bodyscissors into a Boston Crab. I will admit the beginning of the match was slow and surprisingly unheated. I was used to Texas where literally every Von Erich spot was cheered. Lawler is shoved into the ref and this gives Bock the opening he needs to hit a piledriver and finally mount some offense against Lawler. Lawler is a mighty foe and he pulls the strap down to the roar of the crowd and fires off some wicked punches that staggers Bock. The guy in the front row signals for the piledriver or for the old lady next to give him head it is hard to tell which. Lawler is happy to oblige on the former, but Bock tucks tail and crawls away. Bock gets an uppercut that sends Lawler tumbling over the top. KING OF THE MOUNTAIN! Bock ain't letting him back in and is finally kicking some ass. Bockwinkel preps for the piledriver, but Lawler backdrops and hits a PILEDRIVER of his own! Lawler can't capitalize. Bockwinkel is convulsing looking for the bottom rope and pulls himself out. They now do reverse king of the mountain where Bock is always trying to get out so Lawler comes up with some really inventive ways to keep him like a bodyslam from the apron and a running fist to the side of Bock's head on the outside. We of course get the patented Lawler fist drop. Just as Lawler looks to have this one sewn up, Bock headbutts him in the midsection, double legs and uses the ropes to pin Lawler! HIGHWAY ROBBERY I TELLS YA! The match started slow, but they built to a fever pitch. I loved Bock's strategy of keeping Lawler on the outside and then it reversing once Lawler was in charge. Great use of the piledriver to be the transition between those two segments, ****

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AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion Nick Bockwinkel vs Jerry Lawler 

 Mid-South Coliseum 11/8/82 Title vs Hair No DQ match

Nick Bockwinkel is at his sadistic best in this No Disqualification bout where Lawler has put his hair on the line against Nick Bockwinkel's Southern Heavyweight Championship. Lance Russell always lets us know that Lawler is a slow starter, but he picked one helluva night to have an ultra slow start. Bockwinkel absolutely creamed him in the first five minutes. It all began with Bock using the hair to maneuver Lawler into the and hitting him with a huge forearm sledge. After that, he just teed off at will and was getting in some great shots. One palm strike really messed up Lawler's vision and had him rolling to the outside. Bockwinkel was so relentless the ref had to pull him off. It is No DQ, but within reason and the ref needs to ensure the safety of both men. Just when you think, Lawler is going to lose his hair, he comes back with a headbutt that may have been a bit south of the border. Lawler does what he does best punch himself out of trouble. When he goes for some more testicular violence, the ref won't allow it. Lawler has to settle for the piledriver, but Bock puts his foot on the rope. Bockwinkel retaliates with his own punch to the netheregions. Bockwinkel works one helluva heat segment. He busts Lawler open underneath the eye according to Lance and his punches look great. He throws Lawler to the outside and bounces his head off the table and punches him so hard it sends him back into the third row. Everybody deserves a front row seat. Bock is the man! He tosses Lawler over the top rope on the other side. He sends Lawler face first into the metal post, which draws an audible gasp. It has to be mentioned Lawler is giving one of helluva selling performance. Bock wants the piledriver now that would be something. Lawler reverses and sends Bock into the ref. That weasel, Jimmy Hart, blasts Lawler with a foreign object, but no ref. Lawler kicks out at two. Lawler is absorbing Bock's punches and Lawler pulls the strap down. The crowd goes wild as Lawler starts rocking. Bock takes some huge bumps and Lawler looks great. It takes three flying fist drops for Lawler to get his first pinfall victory over the World Champion in five attempts! A little abrupt on the finish, but this an awesome fight. Bockwinkel checks the holds at the door and matches Lawler blow for blow. Lawler is a great seller and when it comes time to make that comeback, I am thinking there may be few better. ****1/2

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AWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Bockwinkel vs Jerry Lawler 

Mid-South Coliseum 1/1/84

Watch this match for Lawler comeback! Like right now! Fast forward past the nine minute top wristlock! Watch Lawler unload a feverish can of whoop ass like I have never seen before! I was infected with his energy and was cheering as wildly as if I was in Mempho on New Year's Day 1984. Unfortunately, a 30 second spurt of unadulterated awesomeness is not enough to make a match excellent. The one knock you hear murmured about Bock is he will sit in a hold. It is hard to describe his nine minute top wristlock as him sitting idly, but it was not exactly exciting either. You can only do so many test of strengths and failed armdrag escapes in nine minutes before even the most old school fan will become bored. Thank God for Lance Russell! Who was just stupendous on this.

Let me just digress into the modern product and apply lessons of the past on the modern product. Bockwinkel trash talks Lawler in the top wristlock saying he can't wrestle. Russell says that is a lie that Lawler is a perfectly fine scientific wrestler, maybe not at the level, but he does not possess in technical acumen he makes up for in determination, heart and one helluva right. Where the hell is this presentation with Cena?!!?!?!? Lawler is literally on commentary! Why does he not extol Cena's virtues stronger? When HHH was cutting his knees out from under him and encouraging the fans to chant "You cant wrestle" at the top babyface. Where was the entire company to say this is a boldface lie and even if it is true, Cena makes up for it with hustle and fight! Jesus! It did not have to be this way, WWE!

Eventually, Lawler uses quick repeated armdrag attempts to escape the interminable top wristlock. Of course they cut to commercial and we miss Lawler kicking Bock's ass. In total, we get about 20 minutes of a 32 minute and 9 minutes of it was top wristlock. Who the hell produced this match? Bockwinkel and Lawler are giving a master class of selling in the last 10 minutes of this match. Bock is staggering using the ref to recover and finally crowds Lawler to get a kneelift. Bock is hitting these kneelifts just to keep Lawler at bay. Lawler hits a cross body and Bock presses him out to the floor. Bock is dazed and just tosses Lawler into every hard object and now both men are worse for wear. Lawler is about ready to make his comeback, but it is just a tease he knocks Bock on his ass, but he is so out of it that he falls on his. Damnit, all this selling is making up for that top wristlock. Bock sends Lawler into the ref hard. Jerry Calhoun took some serious punishment in this match and throughout his career. Bock gets a wicked eye gouge and looks to capitalize, but Lawler is pissed! What ensues is just one of the most awesome punch combinations in the history of the pro wrestling! Watch it! Bock punches the ref in a daze. Lawler floors Bock and counts his own pin. The ref calls for the bell and raises The King's hand and it is a massive pop. I hated that finish in Kevin Von Erich and hate it here! What is worst they don't reverse it immediately! Watch it for the comeback and the selling, but this is not a great match. ***1/2

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AWA World Heavyweight Champion Rick Martel vs Jerry Lawler - Nashville 10/12/85

Ornery Rick Martel is awesome! He seems totally pissed that he is even in this match in a really good way. He is just pissed off from the start. it is a really cool dynamic for the usual white meat babyface to play a heel. It is not like he is bad person. He is just having a shitty day and it shines through in the match. So he is more prickly than usual, it allows the fans to be decidedly pro-Lawler without Martel compromising his character. Lance Russell and his partner really play up his unwonted behavior. In addition, it makes for an excellent match and really Rick Martel best match as a heel I have ever seen. This is a very good Lawler performance, but I think Martel carried the day in this one. After failing at achieving the world championship in past efforts, you see Lawler has really put a lot of pressure on himself to win this match. Right from the outset, you see Lawler going for three different types of pinning combinations to keep the champ off balances and when Martel does give Lawler a clean break, Lawler punches him right in the mouth and goes for the pin. Lawler is here to win the title and nothing else. I love that focus. Martel is on edge and the fans chants for Lawler really gets under his skin. Martel tries to fire up and Lawler just makes him look foolish. So Martel kicks The King's leg out from under him. Martel works a masterful match around attacking Lawler's leg, which the announcers note that he had a severe injury that caused Jerry to miss most of 1980. Lawler does a great job of selling Martel's torture of the leg, which includes a variety of stomps, strikes, toeholds and a figure-4. Lawler is kicking him off, but Martel is using closed fists and the hair to relentlessly attack the leg. When Martel misses a seat drop, Lawler fires up, but he has to fire up on one leg. While the punches are finding their mark, he is hesitating because of the bum wheel, which makes him miss a fist drop and Martel pounces on the leg again. Love it! Martel misses on an elbow drop. Lawler is up and it is now or never! HE PULLS THE STRAP DOWN! Martel is great at rocking back for The King's huge punches in the corner. Lawler goes for a running fist, but runs into the ref. Martel wants the spinning toehold, but comes away with Jerry's boot. He wallops him! Lawler kicks out. Now he has the boot and clocks the champ. The ref sees that and DQs Lawler. THWARTED! BULLSHIT! I did not love the finish for quickly Lawler was able to recover and hit Martel with the boot. They were better off having Lawler duck Martel, get the boot and clock Martel. Lawler sends the crowd home happy by hitting a charging Martel with a boot. Besides the finish, this is a hellacious championship match. One of my favorite championship matches, I have seen in a long time. Lawler wants to win so bad early, but Martel takes advantage of a weakness and Lawler has to mount a classic comeback, but a series of unfortunate circumstances means the World Championship is just outside his grasp again. Martel's performance here is awesome! Just great character work conveying himself as a frustrated wrestler that just wants to get this over with, but has a tough time early on and then is just relentless on Lawler's leg. I have the No DQ match with Bock over this, but just by a hair, great, great stuff! ****1/2

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AWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Bockwinkel vs Jeff Jarrett 

Mid-South Coliseum 5/4/87 

One of my favorite genre of matches is the veteran champion up against the overmatched, but zealous young lion. It is a match when done correctly that everyone wins. The young lion will look strong in a competitive loss and the champion reminds us why he is indeed the champion. I can't think two better people to really excel in this match type. Due to footage limitations, Bockwinkel is the veteran champion. That's the lens we see Bockwinkel through. Yes, we have 70s footage with him & Ray Stevens as the tag champions, but the majority comes from his excellent 80s run in the AWA as the elder champion wrestling youngsters like Martel and Hennig. Now for the modern fan, it may seem a little strange why Jeff Jarrett would be perfect in the role of plucky, young babyface. Early on his career, Jarrett actually had a shit load of babyface charisma. Where it all went, I have not a clue. At 1987, we are very early on in his career. If we got 1987 Bockwinkel against 1991 Jarrett, we could have got something really special, but as is it is a really good match in this genre. Jarrett is a late substitute for Lawler and Lance sells this as a huge opportunity for the young Jarrett. They both play their roles excellently. Bockwinkel gets his way early and seems like this will be a blowout, but Jarrett starts getting that movement going. Bockwinkel, ever-calm, breaks Jarrett's momentum by going outside of the ring. Bockwinkel is always ensuring he is dictating the pace. In the turning point of the match, Bockwinkel rams his shoulder into the turnbuckle. I loved how Bockwinkel subtly sells it. He uses the ref to buy some time and stands so that the bad shoulder is away from Jarrett, but Jarrett is here to win and he quickly gets a top wristlock. Bock tries to buck him off three times, but it is no use. Jarrett is tenacious. They work some fun reverse hope spots for Bockwinkel getting out of a hold, but being flustered making an uncharacteristic mistakes that allows Jarrett to go back to holds on the arm. Lance starts selling the idea of a massive upset unfolding before our eyes. Bockwinkel and Jarrett trade blows in the middle of the ring. Watching this footage, you would think that Jarrett would have been one of the best babyfaces of the 90s or at least a great star for the 90s, just a great fired up wrestler. Jarrett goes up top for the missile dropkick, crashing and burning and Bock rolls up him up for the win. Bockwinkel was at a point that he did not need that strong of a win and he really gave a strong performance in terms of elevating Jarrett. Jarrett kept it basic, but he told a strong story from his move selection and body language. He tried to press his advantage, high risk means the rewards may be big, but more often than the house wins. ***3/4