Hello fellow wrestling fans! We're back for the final installment of Mid South Wrestling for 1985. It's been a helluva project! Definitely check out the previous entries or my entries on G. Badger Puro + More for pre '85 Mid South. Without further ado, let's go!

November & December 1985

Ric Flair vs Butch Reed (11/07 ep.#322) Al Perez was a big deal in MS at the time...holding tag titles for a good deal of '85 with Wendell Cooley but I thought I would include this match as a nod to how hard MS was pushing Perez. But Reed takes his place. This is a great segment that ties in with the Slater confrontation last week. And we get a fun TV main event and wild post match - this is a helluva segment!!!

So now both Hacksaw Reed and Duggan are united against Dick Slater, Buzz Sawyer & Ric Flair.

Hacksaw Duggan vs. Buzz Sawyer (11/11) - WOW! This the is violence we've been missing. Blood soaked bedlam. These guys just beat the crap out of each other. There's not a difference between the match and the "post match." This is pay back for Buzz destroying Duggan's lady...and it seemed real. THIS is the Jim Duggan you've been wondering about. He drops 2-3 f-bombs, swearing, screaming and sweating. He's like a barbarian out there. Buzz is no push over but good gravy Duggan is looking for a homicide tonight. If you don't think so, they're fighting in the bowels of the auditorium like it's 1999 Raw is War but this shit feels real. Classic brawl...more of this please!

*Ric Flair vs. Ted DiBiase (11/14 ep. #323 (DVDVR #3)) - Tremendous, tremendous TV segment here. The match itself is a gutsy, bloody affair but this whole segment is classic. Before the match, Dick Murdoch complains to Flair (during an interview) that the shot at the belt should be his. It should be Butch's because of last week's match but Reed can't compete because Slater as Flair's henchman injured him. Murdoch who was right up there with Reed in the North American title pack thinks he's next in line not DiBiase. Now Dick brought Ted into wrestling appeals to him to step back and give up his spot. Ted knows this is his time and refuses Dick. That goes real well...and Ted bleeding more than that knight in Monty Python. They're going to call the match...DiBiase is in the back and he doesn't wanna forfeit. That's just the lead in to the match! And if you're following along Ted has been THE heel but dammit they turn him baby face on a dime! This is #3 in the DVDVR Best of Mid South. I don't think it's the best match but it might just be the best segment and if you watch the TV episode (instead of just the WWE dvd) you see they've got EMT's working him post match. This is Onita levels of wrestling theatre. 

Ric Flair vs. Jake Roberts (11/24/1985 (DVDVR #14))- Whoa! Mid South is on a roll! Obviously Flair is giving these guys great competition and they can show us their talent. A truly unique start to this match. Great heat and once Flair is ready to start, you know the end is one DDT away! I just thought this had great pacing and tons of nice little unexpected moments as well as moments you wish would happen coming true! You can tell that these two think about what they are doing in the ring. They tell micro stories each segment and weave them together to tell the larger tale of the match. The VQ of what I saw was pretty iffy but this would have been a no-brainer to include on the WWE DVD if they had the masters. DVDVR #14... I could go with that. Near classic match at the very least. Jake the Snake fans wanna see this one! RECOMMEND THIS ONE

Jake the Snake vs Lord Humongous (11/29/85 (#126)) - Cage match in Houston. Jake's got his own hockey mask! He's been complaining to have Humungus remove his so, he's gonna fight fire with fire. This is a great match & doesn't need a back story. These two are fighting in the cage. Jake eventually trades the hockey mask for the crimson mask. He looks in trouble. Humongous is going to use the Snake's cowboy boot against him but Jake ain't having that shit! He gets back in the fight! Things get wilder from there. Great finish that would work in wrestling for the next 15 years.

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Hacksaw Duggan vs. Buzz Sawyer (Dog Collar 12/27/85)- Really good fight especially once Jim starts bleeding. It doesn't hold a candle to the 11/11 battle though. In fact, watch this first then watch the 11/11 match...I think you will get more out of it that way.

Jim Duggan vs. Dick Slater (12/31) - Oh wow! They brought Duggan's chick back from the shadow realm...with super blown out 80's hair & leather pants! This was a fun match. Nothing too complicated, Duggan probably got in more offense than I would have liked but it's a good time 🙂 

Butch Reed vs Buzz Sawyer (Dog Collar 12/31/85 (#36)) - This is actually in the Mid South territory where the Duggan dog collar match is in Houston. That's my guess why they would run these less than a week apart. Still very good stuff that's not very long but is better than the Duggan one. It was more back & forth. There's more athleticism. Plus we get post match! So a great segment overall!

Ted Dibiase vs Dick Murdoch (12/31/85  (#15))
This is a follow-up to the events of the Flair match above essentially. A good punch, stomp & bleed match. They conveyed their animosity without going overboard. Nothing to go gaga over either in my opinion. Just good meat & potatoes brawling but I felt the pace was too deliberate as time went on. It got voted #15 in the DVDVR results but I can't endorse it that strongly. I think it was another very good match with a great finish. The 12/31 show had some exciting wrestling (if a bit similar).

This was a great project! I definitely got out of my puro watching here. I think it translates well especially if you're looking at All Japan or New Japan of the 1980's. I think that's my bridge into Mid South - Ted DiBiase, Buzz Sawyer, Dick Slater, The Fantastics and so on. They definitely brought a style here that translates well to Japan. I think I will check out Dr. Death vs Terry Gordy in '86 when it becomes UWF. That rivalry seems like a no-brainer for late 80's-early 90's All Japan fans like myself. One other thing to mention is that I didn't watch a lot of other quality stuff from Mid South TV. So if this wrestling is your thing then, you want to dig into those episodes online. I think you can purchase the DVDs as well.

We'll be moving back to New Japan, UWFI & RINGS and Zero One Wrestling in the next few weeks. Stick around! Thanks for reading 🙂