HHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO: Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Ted DiBiase, Buzz Sawyer (Mid-South, 1982-1986)

Hey yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

It has been far too long since my last blog post and way too much badass stuff has been going on. The brand new product I have been working on for a year and half just went through the first stage of Validation. I had absolutely raucous time in Ireland with my co-workers and then my buddy from Niagara Falls came to visit me and we had a whirlwind tour of Maine, New Hampshire and ending in the TD Garden to see my main man, John Cena and the FUCKING Rock! Now for Independence Day, I am rocking it at Rockhaven BABY!!!

U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! ALL THE WAY!

The best way to celebrate Independence Day is to of course watch copious amounts of everyone's favorite patriot, Hacksaw Jim Duggan! HHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! One of my favorite moments from high school was in woodshop, the seniors hollering "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan HOOOOOOOOOO everytime someone used a hacksaw or was using a 2x4. Growing up, he was a fun dopey babyface coming out to circus music with Old Glory and 2x4. His ridiculous grin and thumbs up and HOOOOOOOOOOOO was awesome for me as a kid and other children. However, behind this fun-loving goofball was a badass, blue collar hero famous for bloody brawls in Mid-South vanquishing heels like the "King Cheese" Ted DiBiase and "Mad Dog" Buzz Sawyer. He was not a perfect substitute for Junkyard Dog, but brought an odd Northern charm to a Southern promotion. He was endearing with his bellowing promos and his stomping around, but not effusively charisma like a Dusty or JYD. He was more gritty like a Northern blue collar worker than the Southern everyman babyfaces of the day. I thought I would have trouble taking Duggan seriously as the number one babyface of a promotion, but quite the contrary he was a natural fit for Mid-South as a rough and tumble brawler.

His feud with Ted DiBiase is the stuff of legend. Originally, members of the nefarious Rat Pack, Duggan saw DiBiase for what he truly was a power-hungry, inscrupulous megalomaniac when he joined with the evil Skandor Akbar. After exiling DiBiase the first time, DiBiase came back for more in a truly emphatic and violent return. The bloody Duggan promo cuts vowing vengeance against is something to behold and should be seen before seeing their epic 1985 series. In the Loser Leaves Town, Tuxedo, Coal Miner's Glove on a Pole, Steel Cage match (all is explained in the review below), Duggan & DiBiase put together an epic blowoff match that is truly for the ages and as of right now my choice for the best match I have seen so far. Not to be outdone, Duggan kept the momentum going in one of the most chaotic brawls against Buzz Sawyer that is truly an violent spectacle. The Dog Collar did not quite live up to the brawl, but was still a classic. That's two ***** matches and a ****1/2 match for the underrated powerhouse Jim Duggan. Watching this Mid-South work, Duggan has quickly become one of my favorite brawlers and power wrestlers and the matches above are only a taste of his greatness with more included in this blog.

Let out a big HOOOOOOOOOOOO! U-S-A chant this Independence Day!

Mid-South Tag Team Champions Junkyard Dog & Mr. Olympia vs Ted DiBiase & Matt Bourne Mid-South 10/27/82, No DQ, Loser Leaves Town

While Bill Watts may be obsessed with bench presses, he was incredible at getting over the angle and motivations of each wrestler. DiBiase's lust for the North American Championship caused his turn to the dark side. He wants to remove JYD from his competition by defeating him in this Loser Leaves Town match and take his tag team championship. DiBiase had used Hacksaw Jim Duggan as a partner to relieve JYD of the championships in August, but came up unsuccessful. In this match, he invited Matt Bourne from Atlanta to help him in his quest of ridding Mid-South of their beloved Dog by injuring him with the Bombs Away, top rope seat drop. Also, he could use Bourne as a sacrificial lamb if the going gets rough in this high stakes match. On the flip side, everyone's hero the Junkyard Dog has not been able to get a fair shake at the North American title since DiBiase became champion thus by pinning him DiBiase would be forced to vacate the title making the path easier for the Dog. I love the beginning of the match it is filled with JYD going for quick pins. This is not a blood feud in the sense he wants to dish out pain. He just wants DiBiase gone so he going to try to win the match early and often. It seems Dog had recently learned the back heel trip in wrestling school. DiBiase is great at selling being in there with Dog and his fear of being forced to leave Mid-South. I like the term Four Sisters On Thumb Street to describe a fist drop from the Dog. Mr. Olympia is caught by a DiBiase back suplex. A quick tag to Bourne and a follow up knee drop consolidates the advantage. It is a strong heat segment with all the trademark cheating and riling up the Dog. It climaxes with the Bombs Away, which looked fucking awesome. DiBiase, a gloryhound, looks for a powerslam, but it being No DQ, Dog comes in and saves. He waylays Bourne and drags Olympia to their corner. Dog is a house afire. DiBiase, desperate, looks to load his glove and the crowd voices their displeasure. Dog stops him and goes for the foreign object. All of sudden, a man in a Gorilla suit from the State Fair, bodyslams Mr. Olympia. What the hell! He reveals himself to be Hacksaw Jim Duggan! After a couple false starts, he hits a wedge buster on JYD and DiBiase nails him with loaded glove to sen JYD packing for 90 days! The post-match promo to establish the Rat Pack (DIBiase, Duggan & Bourne) as the premiere heel force was a thing of beauty. This is a very good, fundamentals tag team match that is bolstered by the storysurrounding it, the strong characters in it (JYD & DiBiase) and a wicked hot angle to finish it up. Next time, we look at how the Rat Pack splinters and leads a Loser Leaves Town match of their own. ****

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“Hacksaw” Jim Duggan vs Ted DiBiase – Mid-South, Houston 7/29/83, Street Fight

In order to maintain his rule over Mid-South, Ted DiBiase turned to the evil Skandor Akbar and his menagerie of wildmen to destroy his foes. This upset his friend Hacksaw Duggan, who while not a nice guy did not care for Akbar’s brand of evil. He told DiBiase he was going to wage war with Akbar, but they did not necessarily have to come to blows. Duggan tore Akbar’s clothes off to humiliate him and Akbar swore revenge and wanted DiBiase to exact, but he seemed reluctant to attack his former friend. However, in a Duggan match against Kendo Nagaski, he attacked Duggan setting off a red hot feud throughout the territory. Culminating in a loser leaves town match that would send DiBiase to Georgia for a year. I am not sure if this was that Loser Leaves Town, but it sure as hell was a great barnburner. It is a street fight so shirts and blue jeans are in order and don’t expect much in the way of wrestling moves. This was an awesome, intense fight. These were two bitter enemies looking to knock each other the fuck out. Duggan had a series of punches early and DiBiase could not get much started. Duggan tore DiBiase’s shirt and choked him with hit. Only to rip off his own and choke him with that. DiBiase responded with his belt lashing Duggan and punching him in the head with it. Duggan stormed back and the crowd was whipped into a frenzy. Duggan returned the favor with belt lashes and punches of his own. He sent DiBiase to outside and looked to take his head off with the chair. They battled over the chair with Duggan winning and hitting some of the best chair shots for the 80s on DiBiase. Akbar distracted Duggan long enough for DiBiase to sneak attack him and hit a fist drop. He invited Akbar in to wallop him with the chair, but he got walloped! Duggan choked Akbar and as DiBiase came behind Hacksaw; Hacksaw moved and DiBiase hit a chair shot on Akbar. Duggan nailed him with a tremendous right and then nailed him in the head with the chair. Awesome, awesome street fight. I am not a huge proponent of blood, but if there was one missing ingredient it was that. It was nasty, gritty brawl between two wrestlers that hated each other. Just slightly under the awesome DiBiase/Magnum matches a year later, but an excellent start for Hacksaw Duggan! ****1/4

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Hacksaw Duggan & Rock N Roll Express vs Ernie Ladd & Midnight Express - Mid-South 6/8/84

Jump plays the Rock n Roll Express down to the ring and Ernie Ladd is introduced as a new member of Midnight Express. What an awesome time to be alive!

Ricky Morton is the fucking man in this. It is performances like this may edge him over Bobby Eaton in my book. He works a tremendous segment with an ancient Big Cat Ernie Ladd and it is just wicked entertaining. Morton is moving around a million miles an hour.  Ernie is wondering what he has gotten himself into because the Midnights had just been totally shown up by Morton and had to retreat twice and now he is discombobulated. The corssbody Morton hits on Ladd gets a massive pop. Ladd finally catches Morton and hits a double leg drop to give the MX their first advantage. Morton scrappy as ever tags out to Hacksaw who literally fights his way into the ring, which is a cool touch. Eaton rifles Duggan to no avail as Hacksaw comes back with a lariat. Eaton is in retreat mode and the MX can't get anything started. There is a fun spot where the both members of MX try to pin Duggan in rapid fire fashion only to be pressed and then they both pin him and both are sent flying. The crowd is just molten for this match especially Duggan! Ladd busts out the old foreign object to finally stymie the fiery Duggan. Duggan is able to tag out, but Ricky goes flying over the ropes and is nailed with a chair that busts him open. Duggan comes flying around with a chair of his own, but it is too late the damage is done. In the story as old as time, the MX beat the holy hell out of Ricky Morton. Morton is just in his element here working hope spots and selling like a million bucks. Eventually a fracas breaks out, Corny tries to use some sort of knockout spray, but instead he sprays Eaton! The babyfaces pick up the win, but do not win the war as the heels beat them down complete with choloroform.

Ricky Morton really gave an inspired performance here: getting the most out of Ladd I have ever seen and a typically great FIP. Duggan is king-sized in there and looks like a ready successor to JYD and the heels were typically awesome. It is a fun, fun match, but nothing that gets to that next level classic, missing that big hook. ****1/4

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Mid-South North American Champion Ted DiBiase vs Hacksaw Jim Duggan 

Mid-South 3/8/85 No DQ

Jim Duggan looks like Rihanna at the end of Bitch Better Have My Money. They beat the living fuck outta each other in this battle like they owe each other some cash money. DiBiase had returned to the territory from an extended stay in Georgia and All Japan. Hooking up with Dr. Death and Skandor Akbar to exact revenge against his former partner in crime and the man who banished him from Mid-South, Hacksaw Jim Duggan! DiBiase & Dr. Death had jumped Duggan to kickstart the feud on TV in the fall of 1984 and DiBiase defeated Brad Armstrong to win the North American Championship. It all came to a head in this No DQ Bloodbath. I loved the beginning with Ted making sure everything was legal only to immediately throw the powder in Hacksaw's face and once blinded he was easy pickins to busted open on the outside. The best part of this was Duggan's incredible performance throughout. He was always staggering and always swinging at DiBiase. DiBiase was kicking the shit out of him, but you always felt like Duggan had something left. When Duggan caught coming off the top (patented DiBiase somersault bump) and suplex, the crowd came unglued. You could feel DiBiase shit his pants as Duggan stomped around. The fists were flying and it looked awesome. Hacksaw got into this three point stance and hit his wedgebuster, which should have claimed his first North American title, but Skandor Akbar hit him with the cane. A shitty head collision followed which also wiped out the ref. Dr. Death handed Ted DiBiase the lethal loaded black glove and DiBiase had the presence of mind to sock Duggan. DiBiase was perfectly good on offense knowing how to work the cut and cheat his ass off, but this was Duggan through and through modulating his selling perfectly and really building to the match to crescendo. I have this under the first Buzz Sawyer brawl and the second Magnum/DiBiase bloodbath, but still a bitchin' match. ****1/4

Now if there was just some way Duggan got HIS hands on that coal miner glove and keep that infernal Skandor Akbar & Dr. Death out of the ring and come to think of it I just wished Duggan could banish DiBiase all over again and you know this fucking DiBiase thinks his shit don't stink, but if you are ugly on the inside like DiBiase then you are ugly on the outside so I know Duggan would look better in a tuxedo. If there was just a way to combine all these facets of the feud into one match....hmmmmmmmm....
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Ted DiBiase vs Hacksaw Jim Duggan – Mid-South, Houston 3/22/85 

Loser Leaves Town, Tuxedo Cage with Coal Miner's Glove On A Pole Match

Believe the hype! This is one of the best matches of 80s and a perfect culmination of their intense, bloody feud. Clearly, the cage was needed to keep DiBiase's running buddies out and so DiBiase would have nowhere to run. After all the blood that was spilled, Mid-South was just not big enough for the two of them thus loser leaves town. DiBiase was famous for his loaded glove so they upped the ante with a coal miner's glove hanging from a pole in the corner this would actually be DiBiase's downfall. The one odd stipulation is the fact they wrestled this match in tuxedos. Definitely seek out the video package they play before this match to get you up to speed and see how the Best Dressed in Mid-South becomes an essential part in this feud.

It is hard to come by definitive, feel-good blowoffs in the 80s and in wrestling in general, but on this night you not only get a great match you get a great ending to a historic rivalry. DiBiase really elevated his game in this match by upping the chickenshit factor and also getting even nastier. Duggan was wrestling at already high level, but now DiBiase was meeting him there and they were making magic together. DiBiase stalling at the beginning then trying a sneak attack only get caught by Duggan jabs and then the horror of realizing he was trapped inside the cage with this lunatic. I thought going into this that I was going to have trouble taking Duggan seriously as a number one face, but au contaire I am disappointed Duggan did not last longer in a lead face role because he is an excellent, bleeding, asskicking babyface brawler from Hell. DiBiase manages to pull Duggan into the cage head first and bust him open. Duggan's blood  flowing like a bloody Niagara Falls (thanks Steel Panther) on his pristine white tuxedo. This is where we see DiBiase strategy go awry. He is constantly angling for the Coal Miner's Glove, which puts his back to his opponent thus he is in a prone position for Duggan to yank him down. The first couple times DiBiase is able to work the cut and claw away to stymie Duggan. Duggan gains a head of steam and DiBiase is in tatters being slammed into the cage. Duggan retrieves the glove! DiBiase has one last trick and it is powder. DiBiase wins possession of the glove, but try as he might, he just can't hit Duggan with it. Duggan is able to slam DiBiase's hand into the post, gains possession of glove and SMOKES DIBIASE RIGHT IN THE HEAD! 1-2-3

Awesome, awesome brawl! The fact it had such a great finish puts it over matches like Flair/Kerry and Bock/Martel #2. It is tighter than Savage/Garvin. The only that comes close is Duggan/Sawyer, which is another bitchin' Mid-South brawl, but that lacks a finish. As of right now, this is the best match of the 80s, I have watched so far. Both wrestlers delivered all time great performances in their respective roles and have great chemistry with each other. Like I said earlier, in wrestling it is hard to come by awesome blowoffs and so when you see one it is extra special. *****

Hacksaw Duggan vs Buzz Sawyer - Mid-South 11/11/85

"Kiss my fucking ass!" - Hacksaw Jim Duggan to Buzz Sawyer in the post-match fracas from Hell.
Hacksaw Duggan is for real! His run in Mid-South should go down as one of the best "everyman" brawler types in the history of Mid-South. The DiBiase matches are exceptional, but you can point to them being propped up by the angle the matches with Mad Dog Buzz Sawyer are just unadulterated violence. At this time, Dicky Slater & Buzz Sawyer were the lead heels in the Mid-South territory soon to be Universal Wrestling Federation and Duggan and Butch Reed were among the lead faces. While Slater & Reed were feuding over the North American title, Duggan was left to face Dicky's gatekeeper, the crazed Mad Dog.

THIS IS A BLOODBATH! Duggan jumpstarts the match with fists of fury that sends Buzz packing. I love the Duggan Superman pose juxtaposed with his goofy ass face. Duggan obliterates Sawyer's face into the guardrail and busts him WIDE open. Buzz does his best Chris Webber is asking for a timeout, but there are NO TIMEOUTS in wrestling, you fool! Hacksaw continues the onslaught of punches to the head. The ref takes pity of the pathetic bloody heap that is Buzz Sawyer and tries to hold Hacksaw back. Ruh roh! Buzz tries to claw Duggan;s eye out and then kicks him in the balls. Hacksaw takes an equally wicked bump into the barricade and now he is busted WIDE open too. Buzz slams a table on him! I love this raucous mayhem. There is no real story other than two guys kicking the absolute shit out of one another. Hacksaw is trying to mount a comeback, but does not have much in the tank. When Hacksaw stops Sawyer from slamming his head into the turnbuckles, this feels like the most important thing in the world given the amount of effort both men are putting in. Hacksaw wins out and hits a back elbow. WEDGEBUSTER~! The Mad Dog heads for the hills and the crowd is on his case. Buzz ain't yellah; he races back into the ring and blasts Duggan. The ref throws this chaos out. Buzz wants to maim the hero of Mid-South with a piledriver , but Hacksaw reverses and kicks ass. The wrestlers come to break it up, but they are just getting started. Duggan breaks free and jumps Buzz in a crazy moment! Crowd is chanting bullshit. This is incredible! We see Buzz get dragged back to with his friends and he is moaning and groaning. Then Hacksaw is coming to the back and Buzz breaks free again. Holy shit an absolutely nuts brawl breaks out again! Hacksaw is screaming kiss my fucking ass as Buzz Sawyer is left wailing. The whole shebang is the epitome of pro wrestling. All the stars in the world for this! Hacksaw Duggan is my hero! HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! *****

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Hacksaw Duggan vs Buzz Sawyer - Mid-South 12/27/85 Dog Collar Match

Due to the out of control nature of the previous match and Buzz Sawyer's moniker of Mad Dog, it was only logical that they would have a Dog Collar match. I liked the dog collar posturing from Buzz Sawyer early only to have him running after Duggan balls up the chain and gives him a good thwacking and he realizes there is nowhere to run. Again, an argument with the ref is Duggan's downfall as Sawyer comes rushing in with the chain. He rakes the chain across the forehead as the crowd chants for Duggan. Sawyer is raking the chain across the open wound in a gnarly moment. Now Duggan cant get away from Sawyer and finally Duggan just lets out this bellow that is so primal and horrific wearing the crimson mask. He opens up a can of Lawler-esque whoop-ass. Duggan hits a clothesline and is so proud of himself gives the crowd the thumbs up! LOL! I love the 80s!  Buzz tries to run, but the chain restrains and Duggan is taking so much glee in tormenting the Mad Dog. Is he taking too much joy in this beating? Duggan looks to drag him back in from the outside where he is beating his ass, but Buzz in desperation clobbers him with a chair to win the match in a shocker. Duggan was absolutely dominating, but definitely needed to put Sawyer away earlier he lost sight in his bloodlust, which is a great story. Buzz Sawyer just looking to survive hits him with a chair wins and gets the hell out of Dodge. Neither here nor there in terms of rating the match,. but the commentator sounded like he was narrating a golf tournament and dude he was bringing me down! Excellent brawl not at the level of their crazy brawl, but still a definite Mid-South classic. ****1/2

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UWF Heavyweight Champion Terry Gordy vs Hacksaw Duggan - UWF TV 8/3/86

Watts looks to go national and has positioned Hacksaw Duggan as his lead babyface and the Fabulous Freebirds as his lead heels. I think of Duggan as a sort of Northern version of Dusty Rhodes. He is a tough everyman and more no nonsense than the Dusty. I was definitely looking forward to this hoss battle and it did not disappoint with Hayes & DiBiase (awwwwwww they made up!) sent to the back, it was mano y mano. There is a fucking MASSIVE shoulder tackle to start that sends Gordy flying through the ropes out to the floor and you just know this is going to be a straight up badass power match. Duggan is here to win the championship and he is gets a hot cross body for two. He just keeps pressing his advantage. He is overzealous and misses that three point stance wedgebuster into the turnbuckles and Gordy promptly applies the Oriental Sleeper, but Duggan rakes the eyes. Duggan misses a kneedrop and Gordy does not miss a beat working the leg in logical fashion: wrapping it around the post and then the figure-4. Duggan is selling like a champ including a one-legged sunset flip! Now Gordy misses a kneedrop and it is time to taste his own medicine. Gordy nails a piledriver and this is just a badass hoss spotfest. Gordy hits his Asiatic Spike into the Oriental Sleeper, but Duggan will not be denied. The TV time is winding down as they are about to go off the air and Duggan starts rallying with his big three point stance and the crowd is rabid for a Duggan championship victory as the screen goes to black. The next episode shows the finish with Buddy Roberts saving the match for his running buddy, Bam Bam and triggering the DQ. DiBiase in a mask saves the day. Besides the shitty finish, this was one helluva power struggle, basically, a bonafide hoss spotfest that just never let up. You could feel how bad both men wanted it and how much the crowd was behind Hacksaw. Wicked entertaining. ****

2 Out of 3 Falls: Ric Flair, Jumbo Tsuruta, Kerry Von Erich

Hey yo,

I like a Green Day song (O Love). I am starting to take stock in this Mayan Apocalypse.

Just as I have revolutionized the late night scene in Cambridge and Ann AhhhhBahhhhh, today I revolutionize the stagnant Wrestling Review paradigm with my BRAND NEW “2 Out Of 3 Falls” concept. For far too long wrestling reviews have been written as static pieces in a vacuum. Much like the episodic TV model wrestling follows, each blog will build on the foundation of the previous one. I intend this cumulative experience to be a living document that will re-evaluate its assessment of wrestlers, promotions and matches upon access to new information derived from watching matches and promos.  This truly dynamic approach will be undertaken by positing certain “universal truths” about wrestlers and testing if they hold up against the evidence. No more hear-say about the Flair Formula, Bob Backlund being boring, or Hulk Hogan can’t work. It is time for me to ascertain the truth for myself and I would love for you to come on the journey with me by watching the matches with me and asserting your own claims, but all opinions should be backed up with evidence.  Yeah, Martin, I know all the ladies in the club have been swooning as soon your describe this grandiose undertaking. Shut up, it is cool, goddamnit, my mother said so!

It has been dubbed “2 Out of 3 Falls” because I will begin by listing three wrestlers and the common assertions assumed about each wrestler. I will then set out to argue these assertions based on my primary source findings. These findings will be contained in my recap and analysis of the three matches, each pitting one against the other, I have selected. In the end, there will be some discussion over my ranking of each wrestler. However, the main focus will be returning to the original posit and a discussion of my findings. Since each blog will only contain 2 matches per wrestler, it will be hard to prove anything right away. To reiterate (Insert Moments ago WWE video package) this will be a dynamic document that will constantly re-evaluating its stance on wrestlers, promotions and matches. 

For example, I will be trying to answer the question: “What is the Ric Flair Formula and how closely did he adhere to it?”. Today, I will be writing about his matches with Jumbo Tsuruta and Kerry Von Erich and will analyze the question in the context of those matches. However, I have matches against Koko Ware and Butch Reed sitting on my hardrive (DREAM MATCHES~!; They are supposed to be very good, actually). I am sure when I watch these matches I will unearth new information that will force me to re-evaluate my earlier opinion. This dynamic re-evaluation is what will make this blog very unique and interesting. It will be a living document rather than many wrestling reviews that are written as static pieces done in a vacuum. Enough tooting of my own horn, but I sure do love it, this blowhard is finally ready to unveil the first line-up of “2 Out of 3 Falls”: “Nature Boy” Ric Flair, “Modern Day Warrior” Kerry Von Erich and Jumbo Tsuruta. To celebrate the inaugural 2 Out Of Three Falls, all the matches are 2 Out of 3 Falls matches. I don't sing it, I just bring it.

NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair

  

It was a testament to Flair’s ability in and out of the ring that he could venture to any territory in the world and draw as a credible main event act against a myriad of opponents including, but not limited to  the Von Erichs in Texas, Dusty and Windham in Florida, Jumbo and Tenryu in Japan, Brisco and Steamboat in Mid-Atlantic, DiBiasie and Reed in Mid-South, Lawler in Memphis, Sting and Luger in WCW. Ric Flair was the last of the touring National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Champions, a responsibility entrusted to a few men in history to draw large crowds no matter the region he entered. The National Wrestling Alliance was not a monolithic entity like today’s WWE rather it was comprised of promotions in United States, Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, Japan, and Australia. All these promotions recognized one World Heavyweight Champion, who they expected would come to their territory and pop a great attendance after building up a successful hometown challenger. In a very condensed form, this was the successful business model of pro wrestling in the 60s, 70s and early 80s. In the 80s, it was tasked to Ric Flair to execute this business model.    

The secret to Flair’s success purportedly was his well-crafted, universal formula that he could apply to any wrestler in any territory with a great deal of success. This formula exploited the lack of national TV exposure each territory received. As we will see in the upcoming match reviews, Flair had the challenging task of wrestling such diverse opponents as Jumbo Tsuruta in Japan and Kerry Von Erich in Texas. The assertion is that Flair was able to work in similar spots into his matches because he knew the people in Texas would not see his match in Japan and vice versa. Ric Flair was the last touring champion in wrestling history. In order to expedite his work, he developed basically a one-man match and all the other person had to do was execute the spots Flair told him to (creative license usually was allowed in the comeback/finish). I always thought it was a compliment that everyone said Ric Flair could wrestle a broom to a three star match, but it seems it may have been a subtle dig at the “Ric Flair Show”. My exploration over the next weeks or so is to see how strictly Flair adhered to any formula and what that formula is.

My own feelings going into this is that there is a loose formula he follows and some trademark spots, but it is wildly over-stated how closely he follows that formula. I have noticed in the past what Bret Hart has called “ Flair’s rampant non-psychology”, where Flair will shoehorn spots into a match that do really fit into the flow of the match. A good example of this is Rick Martel and Jerry “The King” Lawler doing press slam spots when they are clearly too short to do so. My hypothesis is that formula is the following:

Babyface Shine (Flair is repeatedly frustrated that face is getting the upper-hand on the mat) -> Flair in frustration starts to take short-cuts, but still cant get the upper-hand ->Transition to heat segment -> Heat segment (usually over the leg) -> Comeback (opponent dependent) -> Finish

ASIDE: If you asked me a couple months ago, who the greatest pro wrestler was of all-time. I would have said without reservation: Ric Flair. Now I have doubts, not because I have someone better (Nick Bockwinkel’s stock has gone way up in the past couple weeks) or that I think Flair is worse. It is just strange that I have anointed Flair the best when I have only watched his career from 1988-Now. Yet his peak was between 1981-1990. I was capturing just three years of his peak before. How can one make an affirmative statement of greatness based off post-peak years? It was clear to me that I was simply braying the wrestling axiom that ensnared so many wrestling minds: Ric Flair was the greatest because that’s what we are told to say. I aint no sheep, so it is time to put Flair to the test and evaluate his performance in as many scenarios as I can obtain. Also as a matter of opinion, I love formulas. It is beyond irritating when people trumpet experimentalism for the sake of experimentalism. If you are the Rolling Stones, more power to you, not many can pull off succeeding in a myriad of genres. If you are AC/DC, more power to you, not many can pull off that many hits playing basically the same song. Just give me what I like. When I say formula in a wrestling match, I am talking about the structure of his layout. I acknowledge that Flair is a versatile performer that could work a 10-mintue TV sprint, a technical Broadway masterpiece and a wild, bloody brawl. There is no doubt in my mind regarding that. My doubts stem from the accusations that formula merely plugged wrestlers interchangeably into spots. I do not like the idea that Lawler, Luger and Steamboat are interchangeable wrestlers.

Wrestling's Favorite Horseface (I kid, I kid)

Von Erich and Tsuruta could not be more different opponents. Kerry was cast in mold of Hogan and Luger with the body of Adonis, but who without a certain degree of structure could lose his way in a match. Plenty of people have sold Kerry short as a complete package wrestling citing he needed the hot Texas crowds to enhance his matches and his selling and bumping were sub-par. He was wildly popular in Texas, total freakin rock star package and it did not really matter what the fuck he did in the ring; it was probably going to get over. However, as a fan of wrestling (rather than a mark for Von Erich) Kerry definitely benefits from a set structure, which facilitates how and when he sells, his offensive psychology and his own pacing. Flair’s style affords him a means to elevate to a level of being an upper echelon performer. I seek to evaluate Kerry as a wrestler and see where and when he breaks down as a wrestler especially in matches from outside Japan. By watching him face Flair in Texas as a challenger and Tsuruta in Japan as the champion, I will be given a good comparative metric to evaluate how Kerry is as a worker in different environments and how he interacts in each. As the Von Erichs were the Rockstars of Texas, Tsuruta was the King of All-Japan Pro Wrestling. That is where the comparisons stop.   

Jumbo Tsuruta, AWA World Heavyweight Champion and All Japan Triple Crown Champion

Jumbo Tsuruta is the great unknown gem in this set of three. Before my exploration, I saw Jumbo as the veteran of the All-Japan Pro Wrestling Early 90s scene, who passed the torch to the vaunted Four Pillars of Heaven (Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada, Kenta Kobashi and Akira Taue). Yes, he had some terrific classics against Misawa in the early 90s but much like Flair that was his post-prime work. So I set out to discover if Jumbo Tsuruta could stake his claim to be the greatest Japanese pro wrestler in history. Before this exploration, I would say that Kawada, Misawa and Liger are really in a league all their own, but that conclusion is derived from watching 90s puroresu (Japanese for pro wrestling). So much like Flair, I am hoping from watching 80s puroresu that I will gain a new appreciation for Jumbo Tsuruta and his identity as a performer. Ultimately my goal with Jumbo Tsuruta is determine how he ranks against his successors: the Four Pillars of Heaven.  

NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Kerry Von Erich

August 18, 1982 Dallas, TX
2 Out Of Three Falls

Unlike the other two matches, I have viewed this match beforehand and I absolutely loved it upon first viewing. Each time, I discover new spots and elements that make it a better match. Such as during the abdominal stretch, Von Erich makes a point to exaggerate his gesture that he is looking to put on the Claw, which really whips the crowd into a frenzy. The crowd was nuclear for Kerry from the get-go and totally rabid at the prospect of him dethroning Ric Flair especially after defeating previous Champion Harley Race in a de facto No. 1 Contender’s match just months previous to this. Flair, as usual, is a cardio freak, but my favorite moment is how he slowly ramps up his heelishness. At first testing his strength and clearly being bested, he resorts to hair pulling to win an over the top wristlock. Another thing, I love is that when Kerry has Flair in a head scissors in the beginning, they do not just lie on the mat. Flair is very broadly attempting to escape the hold, but cant. This does two things, it puts over Kerry’s strength and most importantly, keeps the audience engaged. Flair does a lot of things really well, but he is exceptional at keeping the audience engaged even during perfunctory matwork.

The beginning is all about putting over Kerry’s strength. This is accomplished by holding multiple head-scissors, winning over the top wristlocks and a visually impressive arm wrench that Flair bumps wells, which the crowd pops loudly for.  Flair gets some offense in the corner, which is Flair’s domain. Besides Vader, I do not think there is a wrestler that is better in the corner than Flair. Flair takes over with a knee-lift and begins taking shortcuts like the aforementioned hair pull. Off a missed elbow, they do a well-executed tussle for the ab stretch I brought up earlier. I love how they made each other work for it with Kerry ultimately winning. An eye-rake (Flair shortcuts) breaks it up, but Kerry hits two pretty impressive dropkicks. Flair’s next shortcut is to hold the rope down as Kerry crashes to the floor, which leads to Flair’s big flurry of offensive: dropping Kerry across the top rope, knee drop and piledriver. Kerry catches Flair with back body drop, but Flair blocks the corner. Flair pushes the ref, but as Kerry winds up for the discus punch he catches the ref in the head. Kerry puts on the sleeper, BUT THERE IS NO REF, here he comes and now the bell is ringing. KERRY WINS THE FIRST FALL!!! Right!?!?! Right!?!?!?

THE CLAW~!

 The original referee disqualifies Kerry for the punch much to the dismay of the crowd and to relief of a visually exhausted and desperate Flair. I liked the finish to the first fall even if it was a clusterfuck because Kerry was clearly put over as more dominant than Flair. Flair’s escape with a DQ finish in the first fall allows for Kerry to once again be perceived as the underdog as he has the unenviable task to win two straight falls against The Man. Another great element is that all of Flair’s control segments were initiated by shortcuts thus always making Kerry look better in comparison.

The second fall rules all and by itself would probably be one of my favorite matches of all time. Flair is still coughing from the sleeper hold and begs off immediately. Kerry and the crowd smell blood. Kerry slaps on the sleeper, but Flair makes use of the Bret leverage move to send Kerry crashing to the floor. Flair capitalizes this by wrenching Kerry’s leg across the apron. NOW WE GO TO SCHOOL!!! Flair is absolutely crazed during this control segment as he clearly a desperate champ doing anything to take down the physically superior Kerry Von Erich. Flair hits the shinbreaker to a physically diminished Von Erich side-headlock. After Flair works over the leg, it is time for the Figure-4 Leglock whipping the crowd into frenzy. Just minutes ago, they thought their hero had the first fall in the bag and now it looks he is about to lose two straight falls. WAIT!!! Kerry had reversed the pressure and now Flair scrambles for the ropes. Flair tries to go back to the knee, but Keryr blocks with the vaunted Von Erich Claw. Flair blades like a champ off the claw and eventually is pinned. Flair’s control segment was fuckin awesome and Kerry sold his knee like champ. Then when it came to the hit finish everyone erupted when the claw was slapped on just when it seemed like Flair had this one in the bag.

Flair is drenched in sweat and blood and looking for a fight with the universal sign of “Put up your dukes”. A spirited two-minute intense brawl breaks out and the ref loses control of the match. At first, I was disappointed by the finish, but in retrospect it is a really good to put over the intense nature of the match and it would ultimately setup the Huge Christmas Day 1982 Cage match.

The basic idea of the Flair formula was executed, which is to make your opponent look like a million bucks and keep the audience engaged. However, Flair was not always a chickenshit heel as he vacillated among begging off, desperation and crazed. There was an urgency to each fall. Kerry felt like he NEEDED to win the first one and came out hot, but was robbed. Kerry NEEDED to win the second one or he lost, but by the same token Flair felt he NEEDED to win based off Kerry’s stellar performance in the first fall. Kerry played his part well and definitely added more than just his Texas star power. He sold well and worked hard to keep up with Flair and sell the importance of the match. I LOVE this match because there is never a dull moment and the match builds perfectly on itself until the wild brawl at the end.

NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Jumbo Tsuruta
June 8, 1983 Tokyo, Japan
2 Out Of Three Falls

I have no idea why I did not think to look up more of Flair in Japan before this because this shit rocks. It was like finding wrestling nirvana. Flair in Japan is just BITCHIN~! I have only watched this match twice, but both times I was impressed by that pace they cut (SPOILER ALERT: 60 Minute Draw) and by the interesting, yet peculiar match progression. It struck me how both matches contained a desperation Flair control segment and I think that is an overlooked element of the Flair Formula. Not only does the formula make the opponent look good, but Flair busts out plenty of big moves for when he kicks into high-gear and tries to win the match at all costs.

The beginning match see Jumbo work over the back of Flair (most announcers would say here that Flair broke his back in a plane crash in 1975, which is true. However, the commentary is in Japanese so I don’t know if they added that bit in) which begins with most BEAUTIFULLY seamless hiptoss block into an abdominal stretch you will ever see. Another note is how well Jumbo sells Flair’s punches. In Japan, the no punching rule is taken very seriously and when one wrestler punches another wrestler they make sure to sell it like death and the crowd always Oooooos and Aaaahhhhs. First unusual Flair spot is that he POWERS out of a camel clutch. O so you think you’re Hogan now. Flair takes over in the corner and kind of botches a short arm scissor. I just watched Bockwinkel/Hennig work an awesome short arm scissor sequence and this one came off a bit lackluster. Flair transitions into a hammerlock as we reach the 15th minute mark.

Jumbo counters with a sweet drop toehold into a leg scissors and then immediately returns to the back with one his signature moves: the Boston Crab. After Flair makes the ropes, Jumbo hits an atomic drop (which pops the crowd thinking he would go for the back drop driver) and Flair’s butterfly suplex (have not watched enough Jumbo to know if that is a Jumbo move). I will say the atomic drop seemed out of place because from a storyline point of view he should have just hit his finisher that being said the atomic drop may be a Jumbo move. Flair uses Jumbo’s own momentum to send him crashing to the floor. Flair kicks out of a Jumbo sunset flip only to hit Jumbo with Jumbo’s own finisher: the back drop driver. They do a random arm stretch/standing surfboard sequence, which kind of harkens back to  Flair’s arm psychology and allows Flair to do a test of strength spot. Flair transitions into his own abdominal stretch where he actually grapevines his leg around Jumbo’s leg. GORILLA WOULD BE PUMPED!!!! Jumbo hiptosses out of it and gets a two off a cross-body block. A slugfest erupts while they are on their knees and Flair’s verbal selling becomes a real highlight. Another thing where I think Flair has no peer is verbal selling. Flair and Jumbo are chopping back and forth until Jumbo says “FUCK IT” and belts Flair with an enziguri. Flair ends up outside and goads Jumbo over only to catch his leg and wrench it across the apron. You will see this is a great tactic because the audience will think they are entering the Flair control segment only for their hero is pull it right out. Flair picks up a single leg only to get belted again with an enziguri. Jumbo wastes no time and MURDERS Flair with a high-knee and then polishes him off with his Back Drop Driver at the 30^th minute mark. If the match ended there, it would have been a great match with some weird Flair-ism spots, but still a great match. However, there is more, much, much more!

DANGEROUS~!

Flair is visibly rattled as they start the next fall and Jumbo immediately goes in for the kill with uncharacteristic stiff strikes. Up until that point, Jumbo had been using only wrestling holds and throws unless provoked. Flair goads him into the corner and takes over with a well-executed suplex and piledriver sequence. Then Flair enters the front face-lock control segment attempting to get pinfalls off of it. Flair hits a second piledriver and then drops Jumbo throat-first across the ropes (another unusual Flair spot as that is a strength spot). Flair hits a pair of standing elbow drops for a  2 count. Flair, frustrated throws him to the outside, but on the suplex attempt back in Flair is the one who ends up on the outside. The newly vicious Jumbo sends Flair head first into the post and consequently Flair blades off that. Jumbo gets a ten punch count in the corner  and Flair is putting over his exhaustion by whiffing on a couple of punches. A series of wick hot near-falls occur as Jumbo gets two off a high-knee and vertical suplex. Whoever said Japanese crowds are quiet and respectful have never listened to this raucous crowd as they cheered on their hero, Jumbo Tsuruta. Jumbo whips Flair into the corner and does his Flair Flip only this time he gets caught in the Tree of Woe. Jumbo pounces and Flair is in deep trouble. So what does the Dirtiest Player in the Game do, well he hits him below the belt of course. They do the Flair bridge into a backslide sequence, which was another hot false finish as that ends 45 minutes of the match.

Jumbo misses a move off the top as Flair connects with a punch to the gut, but Flair is too exhausted to capitalize, which allows Tsuruta to hit the missile dropkick on Flair, which gets two. Now Flair is up and bodyslams him only to be slammed off the top by Jumbo. Why, Flair, why?!!?!?  Huge Tsuruta chant rings out through the arena. Flair ducks out of the way of a Jumbo high-knee which sends him careening to the floor. Immediately, Flair FINALLY begins his leg work in earnest and the crowd grows worried. Flair grabs the first figure-4, but Jumbo reverses the pressure. Flair wraps Jumbo’s leg around the steel ring post then follows that up with a delayed vertical suplex, standing elbow drop and a trademark WOOOOO for two. Figure 4 another two more times, but Jumbo refuses to give in before the time limit draw.

 I thought for sure given the context of this match Jumbo would be the one with the hot string of near falls at the end before falling just short due to the time limit draw. This ending seemed more appropriate if Flair was the challenger as the fans would be rooting for Jumbo to hang on. Instead as the viewer, I felt like well whether Flair wins this fall or it goes to a draw it doesn’t really matter because Flair retains either way. The only thing you could root for as a Jumbo fan would be the fact that since Jumbo never lost a fall and indeed gained a fall on the champion that he would be due a rematch, but overall I think the ending hurt it. I think if you swap the final 15 minutes with the 30-45 minute portion the match becomes a ***** classic even with the bits of Flair non-psychology. As it stands it is incredible fun, well-worked, brisk one hour draw that had a shit ton of action. I think it is below the Flair vs Kerry match. However, Jumbo has another chance to top Flair as his match with Kerry Von Erich is next.

NWA World Heavyweight Champion Kerry Von Erich vs Jumbo Tsuruta
05/22/1984 Tokyo, Japan

2 Out Of Three Falls

Earlier in the month, Tsuruta dropped the AWA World Heavyweight Championship to Rick Martel. Therefore the Japanese crowd is extra hot to see their hero regain a World Heavyweight championship and there is some more credence to their cheers because of his AWA title victory over Nick Bockwinkel in February of 1984. Von Erich, FINALLY, dethroned the “Diriest Player In The Game” Ric Flair on May 6, 1984 at the David Von Erich Memorial down in Texas. Kerry went on tour immediately having great matches with arch-rivals Terry Gordy and Ric Flair. As was customary, Kerry ventured across the Pacific to defend against the top Japanese challenger: Jumbo Tsuruta.

Whoever made the up the fact about quiet Japanese crowds is dead wrong after watching these past two matches. The first fall is about respect with non-clean breaks teased. Both wrestlers sit the other on top the top turnbuckle as to say I am just toying with you. Besides a claw attempt, this is all Jumbo, who eventually finishes with his super hot combo of two high knees -> Enziguri -> Back Drop Driver to take the first fall.

A bloody Kerry takin a lickin from Jumbo Tsuruta

Jumbo starts the second fall much like the second fall against Flair with lots of stiff, hot strikes. Kerry actually blades off these punches and the Japanese crowd thinks another World Heavyweight Championship is coming home to them. Kerry has a pretty good dropkick that no one ever talks about and he is very much on the defensive. Jumbo follows up a big slap with a piledriver. However, it seems Jumbo has punched himself out. Kerry capitalizes on this opening with a discus punch followed by THE CLAW~! Jumbo bridges out of THE CLAW~! In an impressive feat of strength. However, he ultimately succumbs to the undeniable force of THE CLAW~!

There is a great visual during the respite between the second and third falls as Jumbo is being attended to by all the Japanese ringboys and the crowd is exhorts him. A bloody Kerry Von Erich is a man alone, isolated and visibly pissed that he is in a middle of this war with no help. It is just a great juxtaposition. Now it is Kerry’s turn to start hot, but the claw attempt is blocked only for Jumbo to take that claw hand and dismantle it. I mean if it was metal, Jumbo was throwing that hand into it. Von Erich connects with a punch, but is immediately sent back reeling in pain because of how brutally Jumbo has attacked it. Von Erich makes a comeback with a flurry of back suplex, an elbow, piledriver, but misses the Tenryu elbow drop from the top. Jumbo connects with the high-knee and employs his favorite hold: the Boston Crab. Kerry powers out of it and after a couple of roll-up exchanges they end up on the outside. Kerry puts the CLAW~! On, but Jumbo executes the Back Drop Driver on the floor only for the referee to count out both men. In a double countout, Kerry Von Erich retains the title, but hometown hero Jumbo Tsuruta gets the moral victory of being the last man standing.

I still do not feel like I have good grasp of what a Kerry Von Erich match looks like and what his offensive arsenal is. Everything seems to revolve around THE CLAW~! In addition, towards the end of the match he started to use his hand again to punch taking away from the whole hook of the match. It was a spirited, intense title match that I liked a lot mainly due to the well-executed hand psychology and Jumbo’s large repertoire of moves.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

1. Ric Flair – So I will say that picking a Jumbo match was not probably the best way to gauge a Flair Formula match because Japan is much different than Mid-Atlantic or Mid-South.  What it did prove is that under extreme circumstances Flair could and would adapt to different situations. He wrestled way “bigger” against Jumbo than any of his other opponents. He matched Jumbo bomb for bomb in an excellent one hour bomb-throwing contest. Against Kerry, Flair vacillated between showing ass for Kerry, being desperate and being violently crazy. He showed a range of emotions that were created by what was going on in the match in an organic fashion. It is truly one of the most superb Flair performances. I would say there is a Flair Formula, but it is no different than the verse-chorus-verse formula. It is what you do with that formula that matters. Nobody is going to get the Ramones confused with Judas Priest. Nobody would get Flair vs Jumbo and Flair vs Kerry Von Erich confused as they great variations on a tried and true formula.

2. Jumbo Tsuruta – I need to watch more Jumbo matches to really understand if he is more in the mold of working holds to target a certain body part (Kerry’s hand) or if he is a bomb thrower (Flair’s match). Jumbo reminds me very much of Kobashi with his very expressive face especially during Kerry’s match as opposed to the more stoic approach of Misawa. Of course, Kobashi was inspired by Jumbo, not the other way around. I just happen to be more familiar with Kobashi. There are very few people that cannot be upstaged by Ric Flair. Unfortunately for Jumbo, he was upstaged by Ric Flair. I do know this is that he was excellent in both these matches, which are two of the greatest matches of all time. I have watched his encounters against Bockwinkel and Martel, which will be reviewed at some point and are very good. I think the new question to ask about Jumbo is whether he is a bomb-thrower or a limb psychologist. 

3. Kerry Von Erich - There is no shame in taking third place behind Flair and Jumbo when both are candidates for the greatest of all time. It feels as if Kerry is a one trick pony that his matches revolve around the Claw. I think that is root cause of what will be a repetitive formula. Flair and Jumbo have enough tricks and gimmicks to ensure their matches are not the same. However, with just the CLAW, Kerry will be at a disadvantage to have unique matches. I do not have a good sense of what Kerry spots are. In the Flair match, he was clearly working Flair spots that were built around his Claw. The Jumbo match was built around his hand and the claw, which was really cool. I have watched a couple Kerry matches and have never seen this psychology employed before so it may be an isolated Jumbo employment.  He sold well in both his encounters besides the punches towards the end of the Jumbo match, which I thought took away from the hook of the match. As an 80s heavyweight babyface, I accept the fact he will not be bumping like a pinball for the heels and will let that slide.  The Japan match proved that Kerry could work really well in an environment outside of Texas. In addition, Kerry was athletic and demonstrated good psychology. I look forward to watching more Kerry Von Erich and evaluating him further.

The next 2 Out of 3 Falls will definitely include Hulk Hogan. If anybody who reads this happens to have an opinion they can say whether they want the pairing of Terry Funk & Stan Hansen or Harley Race & Bob Backlund they can let me know.  

     

   

Long Live The King

Hey yo,

One of the unique facets of weekly pro wrestling is that you grow up with the wrestlers in a way that is not true about athletes and actors. Besides soap opera actors, what actor plays the same character for 40+ years? Nobody, but yet men such as Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan (yeah, there was obvious character development, but at their core they remained the same people) have played their characters for 40+ years. In the case of Ric Flair, that is not a character, the Ric Flair you watch on TV is pretty much the one you get in real life based off all accounts I have read. Athletes have a special connection with their fans, but at the same time how personal does one get with an athlete. Sure we know all the talking points: they want to win the championship, they respect their opponent and they take it one game at a time. Occasionally, a couple of athletes will be more playful, but they only being beamed into your household during the season. I am not trying to diminish the admiration fans have for their favorite idols. I just want to point out the strong connection I have with some men of TV land because they have been a part of my life on a weekly basis for the past 15 years. One man, who has entered my house each and every Monday, was Jerry “The King” Lawler, the color commentator for Monday Night Raw. Last night, Lawler, 62, suffered a heart attack on air and had to be stretchered out of the building and rushed to the hospital. It is one of those moments that separates wrestling so vividly from entertainment. Aside from Broadway (where this event would be very unlikely of happening), no other media of entertainment would this occur as I would hope they promptly stop filming and get this person medical attention. I literally watched a man, who has been a part of my life for 15 years, have a heart attack (the WWE of course tastefully directed the cameras away from him, save for just a brief second). It is one of the most surreal, shocking and hurtful things to undergo.  In the grand scheme of things, I barely know the guy, but it is that odd bond that so many fans have with their wrestlers that have me constantly thinking of Lawler. The show did go on, but without commentary, this eerie silence was coupled with a genuine concern from the Montreal audience with multiple “Jerry” chants breaking out. At the end of the night, Michael Cole, the broadcast colleague, told us Lawler had stabilized, but was still in serious condition, but his heart was beating on its own and he was breathing on his own. I wish for nothing but the speediest recovery for Jerry Lawler.

I have taken Jerry Lawler for granted most these years. Every wrestling fan has taken potshots at Lawler’s commentary. However, just this summer, I stumbled upon an interesting consensus from a certain segment of internet wrestling fans: Jerry Lawler was one of the greatest wrestlers of the 80s and they were saying Ric Flair-great. I was stunned. I knew Lawler ruled Memphis with an iron-fist and was a huge draw there and is to this day. On Sunday, he wrestled in Aruba and keeps a very regular wrestling schedule every weekend even at 62 years old. However, as Hogan has proved, being a great draw and a great wrestler is not mutually inclusive. Yet, there were all these men touting Lawler in the class of Flair, Bockwinkel, Funk and Steamboat as a wrestler of the 80s. I have not explored Lawler nearly as in depth as necessary to make that assertion, but I do know this: in the 1980s, he was really fuckin good. Just two weeks ago, Lawler and WWE Champion CM Punk had one of the best main event angles of RAW inside a steel cage. Just 30 minutes before this tragic event, my brother and I were marveling at the height of his dropkick in his RAW tag team match.

Before there was the Attitude, before there was an ECW, there was Memphis Wrestling. Did you think the first time someone got piledrove through a table was in late 90s WWF? ECW? Maybe you know Terry Funk did to Ric Flair in the NWA 1989? But guess what you would still be wrong. Randy Savage piledrove Ricky Morton through a table in 1984 in Memphis.  Did you think Rock/Foley had the first Empty Arena match in 1999? Nope that honor goes to Jerry Lawler vs Terry Funk in 1981 in Memphis. Did you think the first barbed wire match was between Terry Funk and Sabu in ECW 1997? Nope, Lawler and Dutch Mantell had one in 1982 in where else but Memphis. Memphis was doing Crash TV before Vince Russo even walked into a WWF office. Crash TV, Memphis-style, was using TV studio angles to quickly set up matches for the big shows that weekend at a rapid-fire pace. In most other territories, TV had squash matches, which allowed the stars to beat jobbers in relatively short-order. Then over the weekend the stars would clash and people would pay money to see the better matches. In Memphis, they did things differently, they would often set up an angle to get a huge main event on TV, but then give you only a taste of it. Im going to cover the Ric Flair/ Jerry Lawler angle in my next blog. I am going to cover the Lawler/Mantell angle later in this blog. My point is that in 1982, Memphis was produced like WCW/WWF 1997, a full 15 years ahead of its time. It almost pains me to see Lawler mentioned as a Hall of Fame broadcaster, when he is not just that. He is a Hall of Fame Wrestler. I know from watching interviews with him that is what he always wants to be remembered for.

So I can only yammer about this so much. It is time to produce some evidence. Thanks to good people at Death Valley Driver Video Review, who have been running a project to cull together all the footage of the 80s of each territory and these faithful have it watched and reviewed. This facilitated my ability to at least start with best Lawler feuds and matches. Going into this, save for the much televised Andy Kaufman feud, I really did not know who Lawler faced and who were his major opponents. In case you were wondering, his matches with Bill Dundee were voted the best by this committee of 58. However, I have chosen to watch his matches with Dutch Mantell (2 of 3 matches voted into the top 5) because I have heard of that name. I was very interested in seeing a barbed wire match in 1982. Plus, I will admit I was very intrigued given that Dutch looks like Yosemite Sam come to life. However, first we begin with there No Disqualification

match for the Southern Heavyweight Championship in 1982.

Thanks to the following blog for clearing up why these two men were feuding. Lawler was entangled in his interminable feud with Jimmy Hart and his First Family. He had recruited the Dirty Dutchman to help him wrestle these men in tag team matches. Then one night, the Mantell walks out on Lawler as he is being battered by the First Family. Next week on TV, Lawler calls Dutch yellow and wants to know why he walked out. Dutch noted that it was Lawler’s mouth that got him in trouble and he was tired of fighting Lawler’s battles. Dutch also feels as though Lawler disrespected him by not acknowledging his prowess in the ring. All in all, it is not most unreasonable thing someone has said. Lawler, is pissed because someone he trusted to have his back left him to the jackals. This is when wrestling is at its best, two men who in their own mind have merit to their grounds, but at the same time it is a very contentious issue. The crowd of course sides with Lawler as he instigates the first brawl. So after a month or so of matches, Lawler and Mantell were contracted to square off in Memphis, TN for the Southern Heavyweight Title in a No Disqualification Match.  

Those boots are why I love wrestling.

Southern Heavyweight Champion Jerry “The King” Lawler vs “Dirty” Dutch Mantell
March 22, 1982 Mid-South Coliseum Memphis, TN
No Disqualification

Lawler starts off hot with some beautiful punches and has Mantell rocking. Lawler has some of the prettiest, worked punches ever thrown.  They even work in a spot where Dutch whiffs on a kick when Lawler telepgraphs the back body drop, which is a neat little spot I have never seen before. Lance Russell, the Voice of Memphis, even notes how peculiar this fast start is for Lawler given that he is normally slow-starter. He reasons out that it must due to the nature of this heated feud that Lawler just wants to beat the ever-lovin piss out of Dutch and there is no time like the present. I paraphrased that, but you get the gist. Lawler even busts out an enziguri much to the delight of the crowd. Dutch takes a powder as he attempts to adjust his strategy. Well when in a No DQ, might as well as grab a steel chair. Lawler ends up with the chair and throws outside the ring and hits Dutch in the shoulder. I am a total sucker for chair throws because they always look so damn violent. Then Dutch totally ups him with the Mother of All Chair Throws: hurling the chair across the ring into the King’s knee with pinpoint accuracy and brutality.

Mantell takes over and surprisingly does not attack the knee with as much vim and vigor as I would like instead focusing opening Lawler above the eye. He makes up for his lack of creative offense by keeping Lawler on the outside and busting him over the eye. Lawler’s selling is elicits sympathy from the raucous crowd that try to urge him. A great spot is Lawler whiffing on the desperation right and you feel the end is near for our hero. Dutch gets a two off a vertical suplex and there is all like “Lets quit fuckin around” and pulverizes Lalwer with a chair, BUT Lawler gets his foot on the ropes. Mantell is really hot after Jerry breaks pinfalls off of a knee drop, a PILEDRIVER (Memphis Death Move), and a splash. Lawler Up and Strap Down and Full Steam Ahead. Rights and lefts leave the Dirty Dutchman reeling and then he sends him into the post for retribution. The crowd is feeling it, but Lawler gets greedy and Dutch catches him with knees on his second splash attempt.

Into the finish, we go as they are trading rights and lefts. Their heads collide off a Irish whip spot sending Mantell out onto the floor. Lawler has Dutch at his mercy as he punches repeatedly with Mantell using the ropes to hold him from crashing off the apron. Lawler gets greedy again, playing to the crowd for one more punch, Dutch capitalizes with a  gut shot and then slingshots over for a sunset flip and the victory. Your Winner and New Southern Heavyweight Champion “Dirty” Dutch Mantell

I have to say my biggest hindrance was the poor video quality. Don’t get me wrong I could clearly see who was doing the moves and what was going on. However, I was missing those nuances that really takes a very good match and elevate it to that rarified air of a classic. For instances, I would have known that Lawler had bladed unless Russell informed me. I didn’t see either facial expressions or hear their verbal selling. I think it is a very good match, but I did not think it was an excellent one. I liked that they didn’t run the ropes at all sticking to that real-fight feel that these are two guys that just want to fuck each other up. I like that it was Lawler’s desire to inflict more punishment on Dutch that cost him the match, whereas Dutch was more concerned about winning and thus proving he was the better wrestler. Lawler’s selling was really well done, theatric enough for the live audience to see it, but not so cheesy that it takes you out of the competition. His comeback was well-done. Lawler’s punches at the end are just a thing of beauty. I think the heat segment is where they lost me. Outside the ring, I couldn’t see Jerry blade and hear him yell. Then inside the ring, it seemed like a collection of spots, yes to win the match, but Dutch could have conveyed his frustration better. I would like a better transition from the heat segment to the comeback. All in all, you show me the same match, but with some floor cameras, better lighting and better ring mic’ing Im sure I see why it one of the all-time best. Without that, it still stands the test of time as a damn fine match.

In the TV Studio with one of the greatest announcers, Lance Russel

Southern Heavyweight Champion “Dirty” Dutch Mantell vs Jerry “The King” Lawler
March 27, 1982 TV Studio Memphis, TN
Loser Leaves Town

Recalling what I said earlier, wrestling in the 80s were crafted differently. TV was filled with squashes and promos that were used to set up the big house shows later in the week. Memphis liked to fuck with this mold every once in a while to whet the appetite of the fans. The newly crowned Southern Heavyweight Champion is out with Lance Russel to conduct an interview. He is still hot under collar about Lawler’s disrespectful last week. He has beaten David Price a 100x and if Lawler thinks Dutch is not in his league then he will  have no problem accepting a Loser Leaves Town match for the title right now. Russel display indignation to the statement that Dutch’s emotions are out of control and that a match of that caliber should not happen on TV. Cut to commercial. Here comes Lawler, he tells Dutch he is on and Russel is just flustered. Great, great segment resulting in the following match. Russel was rightfully flustered that his program schedule was being messed with and the inmates were running the asylum. Dutch wanted to use his leverage with the belt to exact the ultimate revenge force the King of Memphis to leave for good. Lawler, who is pissed off a Dutch, was chomping at the bit to get a piece of Dutch and send him out of the territory for good.

Lawler storms the ring and it is on. They tussle for control in very heated fashion. Mantell grabs a couple wrist control holds to slow down Lawler, but Jerry is able to use the jab to force the Dirty Dutchman out of the ring. Russell informs us that Lawler gets retribution for Mantell running a fist into him while he was prone on the apron by doing the same thing to Mantell. The overzealous Lawler finally makes that critical mistake as he charges Mantell, who is able to back body drop him to the outside.

Mantell, promptly, sends him head first into the post and smacks him across the back with a steel chair whipping the studio audience into a frenzy. They do a countout false finish as the crowd urges him on. I know when I am in a blood feud and just want to whip someone’s ass I always grab an abdominal stretch. Pilderiver attempt on the floor now that’s more like it, Mantell. Lawler blocks it with a back body drop. I smell a comeback.

Lawler hits Dutch with  a chair in the back. Lawler’s beautiful punches have Dutch reeling. He gives it one last ditch charge and eats a boot. More punches and Dutch runs for the hills and grabs the mic.

He says this is all stupid because they are beatin the piss out of each other and for what. He starts preachin Mutually Assured Destruction and this is stupid because the First Family and Midnight Express are laughing all the way to the bank as Dutch and Lawler are killing each other. Dutch is willing to concede the belt and team up with Lawler against those teams. Lawler is easily convinced by Dutch’s argument and the crowd is popping like mad for thought of that super team. Just as Lawler turns around, BANG~! Dutch pops him from behind and now wraps a steel chair around his head. He adds a PILEDRIVER and a elbow good for measure. He counts his own pin and then grabs his belt. Hahahahahahah SUCKA!!! THIS ANGLE WAS FUCKIN BITCHIN!!!!

One of the best 15 minute angles I have ever seen. The build-up promos were excellent. The wrestling was hot and intense with great transitions. The one misfire was the ab stretch, but other than that Lawler and Mantell he really sold this as a fight. The post-match promo had the crowd whipped into frenzy with the thought of that super team. The other shoe drops and Mantell pulverizes Lawler. Money, money angle that was brilliant. I have watched that three times and each time, I immediately want to watch the Barbed Wire Match that takes place just two days later in the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, TN.

Southern Heavyweight Champion “Dirty” Dutch Mantell vs Jerry “The King” Lawler
March 29, 1982 Mid-South Coliseum Memphis, TN
Barbed Wire Match

Interesting reaction at the beginning as there are clearly Mantell fans in the audience and they are vocal. I had been reading that Mantell was not treated as a true heel and many fans agreed with his stance even though he did employ nefarious tactics. Heels fans in 1982??? Shades of gray booking??? Just more proof that Memphis was way ahead of its time.

The barbed wire is not around he ropes ala Funk/Sabu, but rather around the outside the ring in order to keep Dutch in the ring and prevent him from getting chairs or taking it to the outside. The idea at the beginning is to really put over how he barbed wire has changed the complexion of the match. Both men are trying their damnest to avoid the barbed wire and there are a lot of barbed wire teases. This has led to a match that has a more cautious beginning with even some wrestling. I liked that a lot because you can only do a brawl so many ways. Thus by adding a stipulation they forced them to layout a new match. This what so many bookers/wrestlers don’t understand about stipulations they should exist for a reason and then be treated differently. Also, Lance Russell articulates these statements so well for the home viewer facilitating their understanding. They do a nice even-stevens should block sequence, which Dutch surprisingly wins with a Thesz press, which gets two, but gives Mantell control.

Of course, Mantell is able to use the barbed wire to slice Lawler wide open on the forehead in particularly gruesome fashion. Russell informs me that he is wearing the crimson mask. Lawler misses on a desperation, wild right due to his vision being blurred by the blood, good spot. A desperation right boot finds it mark in the corner and Lawler IS UP! He immediately exacts retribution by slicing Mantell open on the barbed wire and then attacks the cuts with a series of right leaving Dutch to beg off. Crowd is going wild for Lawler until Dutch clips him south of the border and the Dutch fans start cheering. Lawler blocks a suplex attempt only to hit one of his own. They trade missed elbow drops. LAWLER SCORES WITH A PILEDRIVER!!! However, the tape clips after the pinfall to Mantell back in control. BOOOOOOO

Lawler comes charging out of the corner and spears Dutch. It sounds like a simple spot, but you have to see the power and velocity that Lawler got this late into the match that really made that spot look so cool. Lawler misses a fist drop and Dutch takes over with lefts and rights. Wait, what is this, Russell notes that Mantell is losing steam on his punches. Has Dutch punched himself out? Lawler pulls the strap down. O, it is one like Donkey Kong. Slugfest erupts and Lawler has a little more behind his punches than Dutch and wins that battle. This fuckin feels like the 12^th round of a heavyweight boxing match, some real good shit right now. Dutch does a less comical Flair Flop. Mantell cant even stand, but still kicks out. Lawler punches Mantell while he is on the ground, but he loses steam and yes Lawler has now punched himself out. They run off the ropes and collide both ending up worst for wear. THIS IS A FIGHT!!! Both punch each other simultaneously sending Dutch down and Lawler on Jell-O legs finally collapses. Both men are selling exhaustion like champs. Dutch tries to bodyslam Lawler, but he is too fatigued to execute it and his legs give way with Lawler on top giving Lawler a 2 count. That was an excellent false finish as I thought it would have been a great ending to this slobberknocker. They tussle over an Irish Whip and they both collide off the ropes. Lawler falls on top of Mantell for the pinfall and the three count.  

This is the definition of slobberknocker. If you are looking for thousands of wrestling moves, this match aint going to scratch that itch. If you are looking for a heated, intense, dramatic fight between two wrestlers then it will be hard to top this. My compliant was similar if there was better video quality then I would have been able to see the bladejobs and hear verbal selling. But even without it, holy fuck, this was such a BITCHIN match with an excellent story and even more excellent performances.

Jerry Lawler has had an amazing career, which has been lost to time due to a myriad of reasons. It matches like these against Dutch Mantell that Lawler had plenty to take pride in. Now Lawler had to focus on recovering. CAT scans show that Lawler has no brain damage from the heart attack, but is not out of the woods yet. Lance Russell always said “We should know better than to count King out of it so soon.”

Long Live The King!