shoe

This is my favorite thing in wrestling. Their have been so many great matches loaded up. Tons of really fun matches. Good promos. Every day is fun to see what's uploaded.

Midnight Express vs Porkchops Cash/Bill Dundee 4/6/84 This was a good southern tag. The MX did a good job of trying to get the faces over. They gave them a real long shine. Which makes sense since they needed to establish them as a contender. Cash has a lot of charisma. When the MX get the heat they really get the crowd going. The hard work and good story telling gets the crowd really into the match. Cornette was good at picking his spots. I liked the finish, except was surprised Dundee didn't eat the fall since he was the sub. 3 1/2*

This was a good southern tag. The MX did a good job of trying to get the faces over. They gave them a real long shine. Which makes sense since they needed to establish them as a contender. Cash has a lot of charisma. When the MX get the heat they really get the crowd going. The hard work and good story telling gets the crowd really into the match. Cornette was good at picking his spots. I liked the finish, except was surprised Dundee didn't eat the fall since he was the sub. 3 1/2*

Mr. Wrestling 2 vs Magnum TA This is for the North American Title. I've been on record as saying I like 2 as a babyface more, but here his heel work was incredible. It's start out with a quick burst of offense by TA. 2 starts his game plan and it's to take TA down to the mat so they're the same height. 2 knows TA has the strength and size advantage. Everytime 2 would take down TA, Magnum had a counter. Magnum would gain control with a headlock, and eventually a head scissors. This is working the neck. 2 would play a game of cat and mouse. TA would chase him into the ring and 2 caught him with his million dollar knee lift. That was a nasty shot. 2 starts to work on top just wrecking TA's arm and shoulder. He'd even use the Million Dollar Kneelift on the arm. 2 was constantly rubbing his forearm into Ta's arm. He uses the ropes for leverage. 2 was just a surly SOB here. Wrestling 2 was destroying the arm to eliminate the Belly to Belly. Finally TA makes a comeback. 2 loads the mask and is about to pin him, until the foreign object falls out of the mask for a DQ. What a great match. 4*

This is for the North American Title. I've been on record as saying I like 2 as a babyface more, but here his heel work was incredible. It's start out with a quick burst of offense by TA. 2 starts his game plan and it's to take TA down to the mat so they're the same height. 2 knows TA has the strength and size advantage. Everytime 2 would take down TA, Magnum had a counter. Magnum would gain control with a headlock, and eventually a head scissors. This is working the neck. 2 would play a game of cat and mouse. TA would chase him into the ring and 2 caught him with his million dollar knee lift. That was a nasty shot. 2 starts to work on top just wrecking TA's arm and shoulder. He'd even use the Million Dollar Kneelift on the arm. 2 was constantly rubbing his forearm into Ta's arm. He uses the ropes for leverage. TA was just a surly SOB here. Wrestling 2 was destroying the arm to eliminate the Belly to Belly. Finally TA makes a comeback. 2 loads the mask and is about to pin him, until the foreign object falls out of the mask for a DQ. What a great match. 4*

I ordered mine.

That's an interesting take. I still think Watts end game was to get Gordy and Doc over as main even players. Thus putting them on top on this show as step 1.

I'm gonna go ahead and disagree with you on this one, Shoe, for two reasons. One, we very rarely get non-title matches where the champ wins (that don't involve an outright jobber), which tends to telegraph the result. "Oh, it's non-title? Guess the champ is losing here." So having one on a PPV where the champ actually prevailed was a nice change-up. Also, because Cactus could be seen as not necessarily being deserving of a title shot but the two guys wanted to tear each other apart anyway, it gives a little value to the title itself. It's like the matchmakers are saying, "ok, we're gonna let these two go at it, but this is not a worthy challenger (at the moment) and this type of match is not representative of how we feel that title should be defended". Current day product has so badardized that concept of the stipulation match that we just take it for granted the title is always on the line, but in reality, most non-traditional matches shouldn't be for the title. They're meant to settle differences, not decide champions. It would actually be a useful tool for current WWE's style of booking rematches over multiple months. Heel challenges babyface in first match, but loses. He does something nefarious in the weeks that follow to really get under the babyface's skin, eventually leading to the babyface demaning the non-title stip match. Heel wins, giving him leverage to demand a second title match which the babyface then wins cleanly. You get the same three-match cycle you want, but you don't have to: A) burn through two stips to get there; schmoz up the end of the stip match with some contrived finish in order to justify the third. Plus you get the added bonus of every now and then having the heel goad the babyface into putting the title on the line in the stip match (against the promotions wishes, of course), thus allowing the heel to win the title in a "less than traditional" manner (again necessitating a rematch). Sadly we're at the point now where they just keep having rematches with different stips until the babyface finally wins in a satisfactory way, ending the feud and as a result making the heel look impotent because no matter how many wins he gets overall it's apparently only the last one that matters. The thing is the World Title match is non title, the Rude vs Steamboat match the title isn't on the line. So the top 2 single's titles are non title. It was a way for Watts to justify putting the Tag Title match on last. It was a title match so it needs to go on last. In 92 titles were still protected somewhat.

The booking of this show has always bothered me. The final match going 30 killed the Iron man stip. Why not make the Sting match a title match if Sting is winning. Surprised Vader didn't have a presence on this show getting him over as the new killer heel.

Ah, figure you must be close (in Louisville here). So howdy neighbor! Seriously though, would love to hear a review when you finish Ditto

One Man Gang vs Hacksaw Duggan 1/9/87 This is a chain match. So that means we're getting blood. The OMG is one of my favorite gimmicks of all time. When they turned him into Akeem it killed me. I guess it's kinda what they did to Rusev in a more modern way. They do a great job of getting the gimmick over by pounding each other with it. Eventually they are a bloody mess. Duggan's comebacks are timed really well, and they have a ferociousness about it. They did a good job milking some of touching of the posts. I loved that Gang hitting his finisher sets up his run of touching the posts. They kept everything full of hate. I also thought I saw Harry Knowles in the crowd. 3 1/2*

This is a chain match. So that means we're getting blood. The OMG is one of my favorite gimmicks of all time. When they turned him into Akeem it killed me. I guess it's kinda what they did to Rusev in a more modern way. They do a great job of getting the gimmick over by pounding each other with it. Eventually they are a bloody mess. Duggan's comebacks are timed really well, and they have a ferociousness about it. They did a good job milking some of touching of the posts. I loved that Gang hitting his finisher sets up his run of touching the posts. They kept everything full of hate. I also thought I saw Harry Knowles in the crowd. 3 1/2*

On the last big show I enjoyed it. Getting Ishii away from Makabe did wonders. Ishii and Homna had a great match. I also enjoyed Omega/Owens. They had an old school feel about them. The tag team Schlick from them was really well done . It also freshens up the JR. Tag team division.

Sting vs Savannah Jack 1/9/87 Seeing Eddie Gilbert out with Sting shows what a big oversight it was on the Sting DVD that he's not even mentioned. Savannah Jack was one of many attempts to replace the Dog. Sting is green here. So they start out with a brawl. Then Eddie and Missy provide smoke and mirrors on the outside. The crowd is going nuts at the cheating. Cheating backfires, and Jack is the winner. I loved the post match where Gilbert is conflicted on who to take care of Sting or Missy.

Seeing Eddie Gilbert out with Sting shows what a big oversight it was on the Sting DVD that he's not even mentioned. Savannah Jack was one of many attempts to replace the Dog. Sting is green here. So they start out with a brawl. Then Eddie and Missy provide smoke and mirrors on the outside. The crowd is going nuts at the cheating. Cheating backfires, and Jack is the winner. I loved the post match where Gilbert is conflicted on who to take care of Sting or Missy.

That's my guess.

Hacksaw Duggan vs Skandar Akbar 9/13/85 This is a total spectacle. It would never work today with how wrestling is presented.It might have worked with Stone Cold and VKM.The key is having a walking tall babyface and a manager who has a shit ton of heat. El Cosario is tieing Duggan up to the corner. While Wendall Cooley is tieing up Akbar. They were alloted a minute to tie them up and the crowd was counting along. We see Duggan nawing and just really working the gimmick. He's about to untie himself, when Doc comes out and cuts Akbar free. Akbar has his riding crop, but at 1st Duggan is fighting him off with one arm. It's not enough though and Akbar whips him good. Duggan makes a comeback. Wrestlers are out brawling. Masked Superstar with a cattle prod cleaning house. This was tons of fun.

This is a total spectacle. It would never work today with how wrestling is presented.It might have worked with Stone Cold and VKM.The key is having a walking tall babyface and a manager who has a shit ton of heat. El Cosario is tieing Duggan up to the corner. While Wendall Cooley is tieing up Akbar. They were alloted a minute to tie them up and they were counting along. We see Duggan nawing and just really working the gimmick. He's about to untie himself, when Doc comes out and cuts Akbar free. Akbar has his riding crop, but at 1st Duggan is fighting him off with one arm. It's not enough though and Akbar whips him good. Duggan makes a comeback. Wrestlers are out brawling. Masked Superstar with a cattle prod cleaning house. This was tons of fun.

Doc vs Buddy Roberts 9/6/85 This is a cage match. This was worked just how it needed to work. The money is in Doc and Gordy. Robert's job is to take an ass kicking and put over Doc strong for the money match. This starts with Doc kicking Buddy's ass. He uses the cage as a weapon. Buddy gets a flurry in. Doc back in beast mode and he finishes with a Stampede . v

https://soundcloud.com/jerryvonkramer/this-week-in-wrestling-for-november-7-2015 In the first fall Johnny and Pete wish Steven good luck . They look at the Seth Rollins situation , they look at an interesting mid card match from NWA classics . Then we shift over and discuss ROH TV for the week In the second fall (52:03) Pete talks the NJPW tour of England for Rev Pro. In the third fall (1:00:25) we look at a strong NXT show. Compare the Joe turn to the Kevin Owens turn. Talk turns to breaking ground which the boys love. Then we look at Raw and see Johnny do some spin doctoring. The Undertaker losing his magic and a lot of good wrestling

-This is a cage match. This was worked just how it needed to work. The money is in Doc and Gordy. Robert's job is to take an ass kicking and put over Doc strong for the money match. This starts with Doc kicking Buddy's ass. He uses the cage as a weapon. Buddy gets a flurry in. Doc back in beast mode and he finishes with a Stampede . v

Reed/Neidhardt vs Steve Williams vs Mr. Wrestling 2. The Reed/Neidhardt team has always been a good one. Just not a lot of footage around. Their is the great cage match against TA and 2 which is better than any Hart Foundation match that I've seen. We open with a brawl. Reed eats a beautiful #2 knee. I loved the 2 football stance spots with Doc against both guys. Mr. Wrestling 2 as FIP was fantastic. The crowd just rallied behind him. Wrestling 2 is so much better as a face. Mr. Wrestling 2 just fought and fought as the FIP. 3 3/4*

The Reed/Neidhardt team has always been a good one. Just not a lot of footage around. Their is the great cage match against TA and 2 which is better than any Hart Foundation match that I've seen. We open with a brawl. Reed eats a beautiful #2 knee. I loved the 2 football stance spots with Doc against both guys. Mr. Wrestling 2 as FIP was fantastic. The crowd just rallied behind him. Wrestling 2 is so much better as a face. Mr. Wrestling 2 just fought and fought as the FIP. 3 3/4*

Dalton is a guy who I've seen live at least 15x and always is in the 2nd or best match on the show unless he's working an ROH dark match. Even then he gets over, and the crowd gets his character. He's one of ACH's best opponents. His size will never allow him to make it in WWE or NJPW.

Andy Dalton Match 1 you really get a feel for his character.