The Legends of Mid South Wrestling DVD is a compilation that I bought used a few years back. It seems like a good time to jump in and watch it. It's a WWE production so I'm not sure what to expect. I know that the DVDVR did a best of the Mid-South project a long time ago. That's going to be my guide. I'm fully aware that watching in this format might tarnish the match quality since I might be missing backstory, promos etc. I'm going to try to see what I do to give myself some background going into the highly recommended matches. 

Additionally, I'm going to greatly expand upon the WWE DVD like I did for my ECW project a few months back. The DVD is going to inform my choices... most notably what did the compilation get wrong & how can I supplement it through what's available online. Generally speaking, I'm going to organize according to years/era, wrestlers and singles/tag matches and notable feuds. From what I've seen at the time of writing this, Ted DiBiase is THE wrestler to watch and he will appear throughout this project. 

I thought that I'd start with a bang and feature the Ted DiBiase vs Hacksaw Jim Duggan feud. 

The background is that Duggan was part of a crew with DiBiase and Matt Borne. Eventually DiBiase signed up with Skandor Akbar and Duggan wasn't down with that since he's a patriotic guy. The 1985 tuxedo stuff starts because Duggan gets cufflinks for being Mid South athlete of the year for '84. DiBiase insults Duggan saying that he's classless. Duggan shows up on TV the next week in a white tux and roses for his girl/wife...well you can imagine how that goes...there's great stuff on Mid South TV like Ted smashing Duggans 's windshield with a bat etc. OK folks, let's get to the matches.

Hacksaw Jim Duggan vs Ted DiBiase (Texas Street Fight) - 07/29/83 - Fucking great stuff here. Two guys in jeans beating the shit out of each other for 10 minutes. Nothing cute happens or when it looks like it might people eat a steel chair. This match is in Houston but it's Mid South for my purposes.

Hacksaw Jim Duggan vs Ted Dibiase (08/26/83) - Cage match, another great violent brawl. Blood, punches, the rope breaks... this was a joy. Great finish too!

Hacksaw Jim Duggan vs. Ted Dibiase (11/09/84) - Under 10 minutes and no gimmicks but this is still great. They are so great at just punching and trying to hurt each other. It all comes across very natural looking.

Hacksaw Butch Reed & Hacksaw Jim Duggan vs. Ted DiBiase & Steve Williams (11/23/84) - This was off the hook! The physicality, the energy, the spots (they actually had spots including a tandem rope running spot)... this was awesome. Fantastic finish where the outcome was always in doubt. Classic match! (Houston btw)

Terry Taylor & Hacksaw Jim Duggan vs. Ted DiBiase & Steve Williams (01/31/85 Midsouth TV ep.#282) Impromptu match and it's quite a pairing for the middle of the episode! Anyhow they cut a helluva pace and this was even more chaotic as Buddy Landel came out...and the ending was pretty fun/wacky as long as your not a stickler for the rules Also this is pretty close the start of the "Best Dressed Man in Mid South" tuxedo stuff...which explains why they're in tuxes in their famous match!

Duggan vs DiBiase Taped Fist match (03/08/85) - The YouTube poster was kind enough to include the promos - great stuff! The match was pretty great as well. It's under 10 minutes of more blood-and-beat-the-shit-outta-each-other wrestling. If you've got a taste for that then this is yours to enjoy. 80's finish but it fuels the fire...I'm invested in this one, 40 years later.

*“Hacksaw” Jim Duggan vs. Ted DiBiase (Coal Miner’s Glove Steel Cage Tuxedo Loser Leaves Town Match - 03/22/85) - This was a great match and dammit, it's a classic when you take the history and everything else into account. This is how you end a feud. It definitely plays off the early matches, which you want. But it adds the cage, it adds the miners glove...this is death match from someone who watches death matches. Blood, drama, visuals, spectacle. Definitely watch all of their stuff but it isn't essential. This can stand on its own. This is one that WWE got right including on their DVD set. HIGHLY Recommended on it's own and a MUST SEE if you're going to watch the above matches.

This feud was voted the best by the DVDVR folks and I certainly loved it. For anyone who liked Duggan & DiBiase from WWF, like me, you need to see this. It will certainly put them in a new light. I absolutely recommend checking these matches out if you haven't. Since this is a puro centric blog: if you're a fan of what the Funks, Hansen, Brody, Tenryu, Riki Choshu, 1990 Onita were doing, you really need to check this feud out! 

Thanks for reading!