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. ****

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“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

----------------------------------------------------------------------

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

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

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....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

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! *****

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

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. ****

Macho Madness: The Macho Beginnings

Hey yo bromigoes and bromigas,

Goddamnit, Miami. Here I am preaching your Good Word and you make me look like a tool. Come on, Bron Bron and D-Wade, time to prove Love does conquer all, right? Right? RIGHT?

Bcuz we are just Too SWEEEEEET!

This one will be a bit shorter due to my other obligations as we hit the way-back machine all the way back to late 1985. Randy Savage is actually a second-generation wrestler as he is the son of Angelo Poffo, who has a brother, Lanny Poffo best known for his run as The Genius in the WWF. Poffo ran an outlaw territory in Tennessee that conflicted with the Lawler/Jarrett enterprise in Memphis. These promotions took bitter swipes at one another in what many believe to be a shoot. Savage, being the top dog in the ICW, actually would publically call out Jerry “The King Lawler (top star in the rival promotion) with some scathing remarks. In 1983, the Poffo promotion closed up shop and Savage was greeted with some unexpected good news, Lawler and Jarrett were willing to take him in and setup him as a top heel. Memphis Wrestling was one of the premiere promotions in the country at this point (this is before McMahon created the idea of the national promotion).

Savage was instantly programmed into a hot feud with top babyface, Jerry “the King” Lawler and the fans were out for his blood. The Macho Man and The King battled inside a steel cage in a match rated as highly as ****3/4, but I have only seen clipped version. Only in Memphis would a cage match end in DQ as another heel (Josh Le Duc) scaled this rickety cage to attack Lawler. Savage would team up with his brother Lanny to feud with the good ‘ol Southern boys, the Rock N Roll Express. Savage, apparently got nuclear heat when he piledrove the loveable Ricky Morton through a table. This was in 1984 and was among the first table spots and it was before people thought to pre-cut tables. Savage turned face at some point and feuded with likes of Rick Rude, before he was ravishing. By the time, summer of 1985 came around, Mr. McMahon came knocking at his doorstep to make him a top superstar in his great nationalization project for his WWF. Savage, again a heel, lost a Loser Leaves Town match against Lawler with a thrilling finish (they feigned a Savage victory and the place went nuclear).  Savage’s Wildman character-work was recognized quickly by McMahon as ground-breaking and within 6 months he was programmed to work with biggest superstar in the history of wrestling: Hulk Hogan.

Yes, explosion of the Mega-Powers and the love triangle with Elizabeth is the most memorable chapter of wrestling’s greatest frenemies, but 1985 marked the beginning. The Mecca of the WWF has always been Madison Square Garden (the WWF started off as the Northeast territory) and Hogan worked all the big names in the main event. For two years, McMahon plucked the greatest wrestlers across the world and fed them to his indestructible hero, The Immortal One. Savage proved an interesting threat to the reign of the Hulkster smaller than Big John Studd, King Kong Bundy, bigger than the incendiary “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, crazier than “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff, and more aerial than fellow crazy fucker Terry Funk. Plus he had someone in his corner that none of these competitors as he had the charming, lovely Miss Elizabeth. The incredible, volatile, yet productive relationship between these two revolutionized pro wrestling as Elizabeth essentially created a niche for women personalities in the product. So with that introduction we take a look at the first trilogy between the Macho Man and the Hulkster.

Look at those million dollar smiles

WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan vs Macho Man Randy Savage

December 1985 Madison Square Garden

Savage and Elizabeth are in matching blue and white sequins, but Savage throws it off with a pair of yellow shield sunglasses. I guess that foreshadows his wacky color combinations in the mid-90s. Gorilla Monsoon and Lord Alfred Hayes are on commentary. Real American hits and the crowd goes bananas. Hogan is the epitome of the 80s so cheesy, so shameless, just fun. This version of the WWF title looks like just another title, McMahon would a better job making his main title look unique on all iteration. Yes that is my nice way of complimenting the stupid-ass spinner belt. Savage jaws at Hogan because he is MACHO and FEARS NO MAN! Savage with an early posedown and Lord Alfred doesn’t get humor. Early establishment that Hogan is stronger than Savage. He blows a kiss at Liz. LOOK AT THOSE EYES AND SEE HOW THEY LUST!!!!

Savage in full Memphis heel mode looks to stall early on with lots of powdering out to the floor. Savage throws some furniture in the ring looking to psych out Hogan, but Lord Alfred doesn’t grasp this bit of psychology because he sucks. Savage gets his first bit of offense thanks to a thumb to the eye, but he misses a straddle on the ropes. Hogan pummels Savage with some power moves, an atomic drops catapults Savage out to the floor. Macho Man, living up to his name, hides behind Elizabeth and Hogan being the Paragon of Virtue he is returns to the ring. Hogan catches Savage off the top rop in mid-air and Lord Alfred is besides himself. Backbreaker and Savage goes back to the tried and true strategy of hiding behind Elizabeth. Savage gets caught jawing with a fan and Hogan attacks him from behind, but Savage gains control with a pair of double axe-handles, one onto the floor.  Savage now has total control using hit and run tactics. Savage, in Memphis heel form, plays a lot to the crowd. Hogan presses Savage off him and here comes the HULK-UP!!! HE FEELS NO PAIN!!! Big boot and Savage takes a powder, smart move. Hogan picks up Elizabeth and gently puts her down to get at the Macho Man. Hogan telegraphs the back body drop and Savage gets the adavantage to hit the big elbow. Macho Man is pissed because he got a close two. Hogan runs over the ref by accident and a high-knee to the back of Hogan’s head sends him crashing to the outside. So Savage gets the World Title and climbs to the top and smashes it over Hogan’s head. He revives the ref and helps him countout Hogan. The commentary team brow-beat the listener that Savage has not won the title because it a victory by countout. Savage decks the ref for trying to take belt from him. So he leaves the Garden with Hogan’s belt and Elizabeth over his shoulder like a true Macho Man.

This by the way is one of the ultra-rare Savage victories over the Hulkster as he would never beat Hogan by pinfall or submission. I liked this match a lot as an 80s match with lots of classic heap heel work by Savage. Hogan played his role well as the powerful champion trying to contend with Savage’s distractions and cheap-shots. Not enough action to make it a must-watch, but it is the first match between these two legends so I would give it a look-see. ***1/2

Classsic Picture of the Hulkster from 1986.

WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan vs “Macho Man” Randy Savage

January 1986 Madison Square Garden

We hit the ground running as soon as Hogan slides into the ring Savage is on the attack laying the boots on him. Hidden highlight, Savage keeps on his impressive, blue sequined robe so as not to telegraph it to the Hulkster. Little things, people. A much smarter start to the match for Savage than the cocky posedown start, O God he is learning.  Mean Gene believes that Savage is Hogan’s toughest opponent yet. O THANK THE COMMENTATING GODS!!! JESSE THE BODY VENTURA IS HERE! After listening to Lord Alfred’s vapid musings this will be like water to my ears having spent a night in the desert.

Savage clobbers Hogan with a double axe-handle. Hogan still has belt on and Savage still has his shades on. Savage chokes Hogan with his own shirt, and now has the belt and beating the living hell out of Hogan. Gorilla and I are amazed at the incompetence of the ref, while Ventura is wringing his hands at the prospect of Hogan losing. Liz thinks Savage is going overboard, which causes him to measure her with his hand on her chin. The crowd has been bonkers. Hogan gets his energy back and takes over on Savage with power moves and a “sucker-puncher” according to Jesse. Hogan is now wearing the Macho Man’s shades and mocking Savage’s crazy antics to the delight of the crowd.  After an oversell of the atomic drop onto the outside, Hogan rams Savage head-first into the steel ring post and Jesse demands a disqualification. Savage is busted wide open.  Gorilla points out the earlier leniency of the ref and now he should be fair. Gorilla and Jesse were so good together plus I love how Jesse says “Gorilla”. All Hulkster with punches on the outside to the Macho Man and throws him back in. Savage’s selling is a thing of beauty. His bumping for Hogan makes Hogan look like a Superman. We have a five-alarm bladejob as Savage’s blood is all over Hogan’s chest. Ventura is pissy about Hogan’s choking. Elizabeth distracts Hogan long enough for Savage to take control. He sends Hogan shoulder first into the ringpost and then comes off the top onto Hogan with a double axe-handle. Now another but inside the ring and follows it up with a big elbow. RUH ROH!!! HULK-UP!!!! HE FEELS NO PAIN!!!! Hogan clobbers Savage with a huge clothesline in the corner and Savage is on spaghetti legs. BIG BOOT! Ventura wants a ref stoppage and Gorilla notes that this ref blows because he has not insomuch as checked on Savage’s cut.

Hogan hoists Savage up onto his shoulder to attempt another head-first ram into the steel ring post. This time Elizabeth is there to stop him from doing. He turns around and Liz makes haste to the other post. Savage is able to slide down his back and send him into the post. Savage beats out the ref’s count and declares Macho Man the winner, which was confusing because this was the suckiest ref ever and no one heard or saw a count.

Hogan, a sore loser, attacks Savage after the match with a bear-hug slam. Ventura points out the hypocrisy of Hogan abusing Savage after the bell. While the wrestlers are separating the, Savage gets a cheap-shot in, which Ventura rightfully defends. Ventura points out this is two victories in a row for the Macho Man albeit by countout, which just demonstrates that Hogan has a yellow-streak a mile wide and was afraid of losing his title to Savage. Loved this match, a bit on the short side. Savage’s bladejob was brutal and his bumping made Hogan look like a million bucks No wonder Hogan preferred working with him rather than the immobile Bundy. Hogan had his working boots on tonight, too short to be truly spectacular. ***1/2.
Next up is the big blowoff match between the Hulkster and the Macho Man at Madison Square Garden for the WWF World Title in a lumberjack match. Hogan you will have nowhere to run and hide now. In the meantime, Savage has won the Intercontinental Championship from Tito Santana more on that later.

See always told everyone that animal-print is MACHO~! Haters bite me!

WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan vs “Macho Man” Randy Savage – Lumberjack Match

February 1986 Madison Square Garden
The quality sucks a bit on this one, but beggars cant be choosers. Savage and Liz are celebrating Halloween early with matching orange and black outfits. Fuck. Lord Alfred is on commentary. Gorilla mentions he stole the title from Tito. Hogan busts out his alternate blue/white uniform for this special blowoff match. The commenters mention that Bundy had injured his ribs the previous week. This time around, Hogan is the one who attack from behind. We get a slugfest to start and Hogan wins. Now he is cracking the belt over the Savage’s head blatantly in front of the ref, this time not drawing the ire of Gorilla. Hypocrite. Hogan goes for the usual atomic drop spot, but surprises me with a belly-to-back suplex. You are a sly bear, Hulkster. Hogan sends Savage to be among the lumberjacks.  Hogan goes out to beat on Savage running the point of the match. Now Hogan lifts him up by the throat choking him and now we hit the bearhug. He sends him crashing into the corner. It has been all Hogan and we get the atomic drop. A heel trips Hogan and he goes out there and gives them the business. The commentators puts over his guts going into the lion’s den.  This affords Savage the opportunity to recover and a double axe-handle onto the ribs garners Macho Man a two-count. Savage wisely sends Hogan to the wolves and they attack Hogan punctuated by Bundy crushing Hogan against the steel ring post. Savage is like fuck it, why don’t you guys just finish him. Bundy does it again for Savage with pleasure. Macho Man connects with another double axe-handle on the ribs and a sitout clothesline by Savage. However, Macho Man can only get two-counts. Now, Savage exposes the ribs and hits him with another double axe-handle and another two-count. The crowd is coming alive for Hogan as they sense his desperate situation. Yet another double axe-handle onto the exposed ribs and Savage cant control Hogan to gain the pinfall. THE BIG ELBOW~! HIUGE KICK-OUT!!! THE COCAINE IS KICKING IN NOW!!! HULK-UP!!! Hogan no-sells an eye-rake. A fucking douchebag babyface (that idiot George "The Animal" Steele) trips Savage into the leg drop and Hogan gets the win. Hogan was such a spaz.

Great match again, but instead of a violent bloody brawl, they did an excellent Hogan match where he had to overcome tremendous odd. However, Savage needed to vary his offense and do more interesting character work on his heat segment.  I am going with ***.

Sorry HonkyTonk Man, this guy was a greater I-C Champion. 

While Savage lost his big blowoff, he did win the Intercontinental title (the secondary title in the WWF, a sort of stepping stone to the World Title) from Tito Santana at the Boston Garden (hometown pop). Here we go:

WWF Intercontinental Champion Tito Santana vs “Macho Man” Randy Savage
February 1986 Boston Garden

DVD Quality and Jesse Ventura on commentary, I am halfway to Heaven. I love the old-school setup on the parquet floor with no paddings. Savage and Liz are met by catcalls and boos. Santana was pretty over with the Boston crowd. Tito, who had been pissed at Savage, throws his shirt at the Macho Man. Savage does have an amazing ability to get under someone’s skin. Ventura says he would pay to see this match. I have watched this many a time and I do love it. Away we go as Savage designates where Liz should stand.

Tito wins the first lock-up. The collar elbow tie-up is a stalemate. They do some standing amateur wrestling, Savage gets to the ropes and do some cheap heat tactics with the front row. Gorilla puts over Savage’s character as a jealous boyfriend. Savage gets the first strike in on Tito, Gorilla suspects a thumb to the eye. Savage jaws with some more fans and Chico (Jesse’s name for Tito) seeks out Savage. Big shot off the top for Santana, Savage turns it into a track meet, but as Chico gives chase, Savage has the opportunity to waffle him.  Big atomic drop for Tito, but Savage’s foot was in the ropes. Eye-rake gives Savage the advantage and Gorilla reminds us that Savage has to beat Tito. Sitout clothesline gets only a two-count and Savage is shocked and frustrated. Savage perched up high connects with a double axe-handle. Gorilla critiques Savage’s cover and the fans gets behind Santana with Tito chants.  Savage delivers a double axe-handle onto the floor onto Santana. Ventura is worried that Savage may turn to get himself intentionally disqualified to preserve his belt. Santana takes advantage with strikes and gets his a second-rope flying elbow to the head of Macho Man. Savage’s foot was on the rope. Ventura sends “Unbelievable”, which always makes me giggle. Seriously when he says “Unbelievable “ it is the coolest thing ever. I tweeted about it once.  No retweets. Bo. *tear*

Tito runs into a knee into the corner and Savage only gets a two-count, but he presses Savage onto the ref. Santana gets a small package on Savage, but the ref is groggy.  Savage wrecks his knee on a missed knee-drop. Chico is going after the leg like a shark says Jesse and Tito slaps on the figure 4 leglock in the center of the ring. Savage reverses the pressure and makes the ropes. Gorilla commends Savage on his intestinal fortitude. Savage looks for something in his tights, but Chico suplexes him back into the ring. Santana looks for the Figure 4, but Macho Man kicks him off. Savage back on the apron fishes in his tights for a foreign object. He swings and misses and as Chico belly-to-back suplexes into the ring, Savage WAFFLE-LEGS HIM!!! The pin is academic and Savage is your NEW INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION!!!

“You gotta call it brilliant, Gorilla” – Jesse. Great, athletic encounter from two of the workhorses of this era. I think more near falls for Tito would have helped the drama of this match, maybe more work on Savage’s leg. I never really popped out of my seat thinking “Oh damn, I thought for sure that was the finish.” Add some false finishes and a better heat segment and you have a classic. As it stands, ***1/2.

Next we look at the matches that made the Macho Man one of the greatest I-C Champions of all-time during his over one-year title reign. The climax will of course be against Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat at Wrestlemania III in front of 93,000 people in what some herald as the greatest match in history.