Superstar Sleeze

UWF Western States Heritage Champion Barry Windham vs Dick Murdoch - UWF 7/11/87 (Aired on UWF TV 8/1/87) Crockett has already purchased the UWF at this point and this was during brief run where they tried to keep it as a separate entity sending over Windham to anchor the babyface side. I think they missed a big opportunity of having Windham in the Garvin slot. I love the Flair/Garvin series especially 87 and am a Garvin fan, but they could have really built to the future with a Windham victory there. I have seen this match a bunch of times and loved it. I saved it for last because I thought it had a legitimate shot as the best Mid-South match. To my surprise, I don't even have this in my top 5. There has been that much great shit in Mid-South. That's not indictment on this match, which is still fantastic just goes to show you how stacked Mid-South was. If you like punching, this match is for you. I think that's strength of this match and why it finished so high in the original poll. Flair matches can be polarizing. A good punch is a great unifier of all wrestling fans. These two are the best punchers in the business and so this match had that in spades. The first fifteen minutes are characterized by dueling arm work. Murdoch is the God King of arm work even moreso than the Andersons. He just tortures his opponent and he has so many holds at his disposal. On the flip side, he is so good at selling arm work with his face and his body. My complaint is that it was a little too easy for them to get in and out of arm holds here. I liked how Murdoch set up his arm holds with elbows to the face and yanking the arm against the apron and other nasty ways. Whereas Windham used speed and movement to set up his like a dropkick or a crossbody. The match picks up half way through when Murdoch backs him into the corner and pops him one. Watch Windham sell this. Perfect. Just simple perfection. Really gets this over as a big turning point in the match. Windham hits a spinning neckbreaker to even the playing field. Murdoch sells this a bit over the top, but I love over the top. I really enjoyed it and you all need to watch it. Windham has such a beautiful punch and he is looking to get his receipt. Murdoch ends up on the outside and Windham hits the atomic drop that sends him into the post. Murdoch rakes the eyes, but on the suplex back into the ring Windham falls on top. I love from his knees Murdoch pops Windhams in the face with a punch. Great shit! The slugfests that ensue should be legendary. They are just going blow for blow with incredible selling on each punch. They are holding each other up and punching each other. Murdoch's missed windmill punches is the classic spot I always remember (that and Terry Taylor dubbing himself Vero's Hero on commentary) with Windham cleaning his clock after that bit of fun . Murdoch tries to get up on the top rope, but he looks like a beached whale, lol. Windham press slams him off and figure-4 time. You can say Flair forced him to do that spot now! The finish stretch is Hot Stuff (Murdoch's manager) distracting the ref and Murdoch busting Windham open with the mic whilst in the figure-4. Murdoch tries to put Windham away, but Windham keeps attacking the leg all the while the time limit is about to expire. Belt shot by Murdoch! Kneecrusher by Windham! Spinning Toehold and Figure-4! He makes it to the ropes. BRAINBUSTAH~! But Gilbert has the ref distracted as the time limit expires. Well that is just poor managing right there. The middle portion of this is simply awesome. Great punches and selling. Exactly what you want from these two. Thought the beginning (too easy to get in and out of arm holds) and finish (shoehorning the leg stuff and manager stuff. It felt like a detour from something that was awesome to something I have seen before) just weren't there with the rest of the match. I wish we had every Dick Murdoch match ever. He is fucking incredible. ****1/2

Mid-South North American Champion Dick Murdoch vs Mid-South TV Champion Butch Reed - Mid-South 10/14/85 I watched this way back when with the September match, but never got around to writing a review for this. I remember liking this as much as the September match and I liked that a whole lot. First 15 minutes: Reed's TV title is only on the line for the first 15 minutes. I don't know why Watts insisted or who insisted Reed work holds. He is not as good as everyone else at it. He would be great as a power wrestler. They trade side headlocks early with good struggle. A battle over a top wristlock leads to Reed grabbing an armbar. This would be the hold du jour. Reed's arm work is good, but not great like Murdoch's in the previous encounter. I did like this way better than the headlock Flair match. Murdoch's facial expressions and struggle make this a lot better. He is looking for the ropes and really sells the pain once it is released. He is trying to combat Reed with big elbows to the top of the head. Everytime they lock up, Reed punches the bad arm and Capn Redneck is getting pissed! 5 minute time call and Murdoch avoids the punch and grabs a small package. I love that spot. Reed grabs the arm and this all makes sense. Reed is trying to wait out the 15 minute time period while setting himself up to win the North American Title later. Really smart strategy. Murdoch finally makes in roads with elbows to the top of the head, but Reed sits out of the front facelock to grab a hammerlock. Murdoch backs Reed into the corner and reigns down heavy blows while selling the bad arm. Reed is discombobulated. Atomic drop. Only one minute remains! Murdoch cant get the pin, big punch in the side headlock. He is whacking Reed in the back of the head. Feigns brainbuster for another small package. They standoff and Murdoch resigns himself to not winning the TV Title. If the match ended here as a draw, I would say this was easily great. Reed dominated with arm work, Murdoch sold and fought back and they worked to a strong finish. The match does not end here. Murdoch has a bad wing and it is not just his title on the line. Last 15 Minutes: Holy Shit! This was what I am talking about! World-Class Selling throughout. For limb psychology marks like myself, it does not get better than Murdoch working the leg in response to Reed working the arm. It is an absolute war of attrition. Before the dueling limb psychology there is a really fun tit for tat piece of psychology I got to point out. Murdoch had been really clobbering Reed and up until that point Reed had restrained himself. On a criss cross, Reed popped him one good. Murdoch's selling is I don't know I don't have words to describe it. Perfect. That what it is. It is perfect. Watch this match for that one moment. Mrudoch gets his receipt on the next criss cross and Reed sells great like a babyface should. Murdoch uses the bottom rope to stomp Reed before finally zeroing in on his target, Reed's leg to take away his power. Reed is incredible selling this. He is trying to fight back in the corner, but he looks helpless. Love this. Murdoch grabs a toehold and Reed starts to kick at the bad arm. Oh Fuck Yes! Reed starts yanking at the bad arm and Murdoch collapses in pain. Reed collapses with a knee on Murdoch's bad arm and then sells his own knee. Another time, he kneelifts Murdoch and Murdoch sells his face so well while Reed has to sell his knee. This is why I love pro wrestling! Reed attacking the arm and Murdoch is attacking the leg each trying their best to gain the advantage. Murdoch applies the figure-4 and I actually feel like this could be the finish because of the selling! Reed breaks it with raw power and uses the ropes to hold himself up to kick Murdoch away. Murdoch hits a knecrusher for two. Reed hoists him up for a powerslam, but bumps the ref. Murdoch gets an O'Connor Roll, but no ref, now Reed gets his own and wins the CHAMPIONSHIP! The crowd goes insane for this!!! Murdoch shows his respect for the new champ. The last 15 minutes were wrestled at a ***** level. I thought finish was just slightly weak and the first 15 minutes while they set up last 15 minutes well just weren't there. Easy top 5 Mid-South match and Top 50 US Match of the 80s. A definite must watch. Every aspiring wrestler NEEDS to watch the last 15 minutes of this. ****3/4

NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Mike Graham - Championship Wrestling from Florida 2/20/82 Ric Flair looks like a giant compared to Mike Graham. This open up a great opportunity for Flair to bully his opponent. It is glorious. Wicked fun! Something different. Flair and Graham have some really good slugfests early and Flair takes a big bump off a Graham right. He comes back in and just picks up the little man and drops him throat first. You don't see Flair manhandle someone, but he manhandled Graham here. He misses an elbow drop giving Graham an opportunity to grab a sleeper. Flair gets his foot on the ropes so Graham slams down on it. Graham works the leg until Flair kicks him in the face. They slug it out again. Flair goes crashing over the top rope. He gets back in and they go blow for blow and the video ends! WTF! Great Japanese video quality. Really good. Someone hook me up with the full version. This has the potential of being ****+.

My least favorite 80s Flair is definitely still Starrcade 83. That match almost soured me on the 1980s completely! Good thing like John Cena, I never give up.

NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Ricky Steamboat - MACW Night of Champions 5/29/84 Flair had just regained the World's Heavyweight Championship from Kerry Von Erich in Japan a week ago, but there is no rest for the wicked. He was in Meadowlands here defending against his arch-nemesis, Ricky Steamboat. I understand why people may hold up Garvin or a Windham as Flair's greatest opponent, but when it comes down to it, it has gotta be Steamboat. He may be the best all-around performer in wrestling history. In The First Twenty Minutes: You see power in the form of the press slam. Speed in the form of dropkicks. Physicality in the form of chops. Ability to work the mat & holds in the form amateur rides and side headlocks. Finally you get the most important piece his selling. In no other wrestler did Flair have the chance to exploit all these different attributes. The beginning is very similar to the Terry Taylor matches, but a bit more truncated. Flair gets shown up on the mat. LIGHTS OUT IN THE IMPACT ZONE! LOOK! IT IS STING UP IN THE RAFTERS! Sorry when they lost lights at the Meadowlands, I was having flashbacks. Steamboat hits a nice pair of dropkicks. Steamboat works a strong side headlock and front chancery. Flair tries all his usual tricks. When he tries to crowd in the corner, Steamboat shows he will not be bullied and unloads the heavy artillery. When Flair tries to create movement, he eats a press slam. Steamboat is on that head. Until Flair finally gets what he wants Steamboat on a criss cross overshoots and Flair hotshots him. Flair goes to school. Big Boy Suplex! Ab Stretch. It does not last long as Steamboat grabs a sleeper. Definitely interested to see if Flair can get some more offense. This does not feel as heated as the Taylor match or as fleshed out at the Boogie Jam match. Lets see what happens. Last Ten Minutes Or So: What separates Flair/Steamboat from any other Flair match is the pacing. It is absolutely electric without ever devolving into a spotfest. It is because they are constantly selling the exhaustion of keeping up with one any another, but they are pushing one another to be even better and go faster. Steamboat was on fire in this portion of the match with 8 million nearfalls coming from all angles small packages, sleepers, crossbody, figure-4s. There is no better at selling the discombobulation of all this than the Nature Boy. On top of that, what connected this all together was how they deliver heavy blows to one another and each man would have to overcome those blows to deliver their move. With five minutes, left Steamboat has Flair trapped in a figure-4 after he caught Flair in the knee drop. Steamboat wants to stay on the leg, but there is an incredible moment. Flair really yanks the hair and Steamboat is pissed and gets on top of him and reigns down blows. Steamer lets him up and Flair throws a wild chop and Steamer keeps kicking ass. It was just a fight! That's what I love about these two. Flair takes a shortcut low and in the criss cross Steamboat misses a dropkick. It is so fast-paced, but it all makes sense and never feels like my turn, your turn. Flair gets a backbreaker for two. He thinks this is a good time to go to the top, but he ends up going flying. Steamboat hits a big chop to the head and then another press slam. Flying bodypress, but Flair gets foot on the ropes and Steamboat is pissed! He takes it out on Flair's chest with stinging chops. O'Connor Roll, but Flair reverses and yanks the tights for the win. The first twenty minutes is pretty standard shine for a Flair opponent, but it is the last ten minutes that sets this match a part. The pace is insane and it is just so exciting. I love the fire when Steamboat was getting his hair pulled or when Flair gets his foot on the ropes on the bodypress. Steamoat put him through hell. You really believe in that finish. Steamboat lights up Flair. Flair cheating to win is always a classic. I think I would have Boogie Jam slightly ahead of this. This match just did not feel as fleshed out as the great Flair matches, more of a Greatest Hits, Summer Blockbuster. ****1/2

NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Harley Race - Central States 7/19/84 It is really cool to see Harley wrestle in front of his home territory in Kansas City. This has to be the best match from Central States we have. What else do we have? Some Sheikh has a bounty on Race's head and Missing Link is out to do a number on Race, who is bleeding before the match. The first about 9 minutes are clipped. We get the last eight minutes or so. It is clipped to Flair bleeding on the outside. Harley is kicking ass with uppercuts and grabs a sleeper just as Flair is about to go out his trick knee acts up and it is a ballshot. Nice little firefight breaks out. I like Harley the brawler way better than Harley the spot artist. Piledriver and is actually a pretty convincing nearfall. They crack heads and Harley takes a tumble over the top. I really like the spot with Flair charging hard at Harley on the apron, Harley blocks and clobbers Flair. They should do that more. Flair with the Ode to Harley bump off the kneelift makes me laugh. There is some miscommunication on the press slam from the top that makes them repeat the spot. Harley hits a suplex, but here is the Missing Link. Entertaining match. Didn't see enough to rank, but I don't see this getting over ****, but I would like to see it in full. The brawling was top notch. The finish was weak with press slam miscommunication and then a suplex draws out the Missing Link put the piledriver in that spot. You want people to feel robbed. Still it was an enjoyable 15 minutes with the Missing Link beatdown in the beginning.

NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Terry Taylor - Mid-South 6/1/85 My recollection is that this a contender for one of the best matches of the 1980s and is one of my all-time favorite Flair matches lets see how it holds up. First Twenty Minutes: Fuck yeah, this holds up. Incredible opening twenty minutes. I love how Flair always starts off clean against Taylor before working himself up into a lather. I think he underestimates Taylor and thinks he can take him by conventional means only to realize he is in for one helluva fight. I love Taylor's body language in this. He is confident and you believe in him to become the world champion. Taylor grabs a couple headscissors early out of a Flair headlock. Flair is bit annoyed, but he goes back to his strategy of taking it to the mat. Taylor rides a hammerlock. There a ton of little details to watch for in this match. Flair is selling the arm and pulls the ropes to try to loosen it up. Watch closely you will watch Taylor try to pick up that arm, but cant quite find an opening until Flair forces his hand by coming in with a collar elbow tie up trying a suplex attempt, but Taylor blocks twice before Flair gives up. Flair takes him down twice with drop toeholds, but both times cant hold Taylor. Taylor/Flair now work a side headlock sequence that blows the Reed one outta the water. Tons of interesting stuff. Taylor cranking to stop Flair from getting a knee crusher. Flair tries movement to gain an advantage, but on the second attempt Taylor does not even humor him and drops down into a headlock when Flair drops down. Smart, conservative wrestling. Taylor wrenches the front facelock and I love how Flair goes for a suplex and Taylor wrenches hard and the way Flair hollers and then falls it is just so perfect. These are the things that make him better than everyone else. Flair drives Taylor into the corner three times and finally forces a break. Now tempers flare and a fire fight breaks out. Taylor to his credit does not back down. He goes blow for blow with the heavy-handed Flair in just a great sequence. I love Flair feigning with the left only drop low into the midsection with the right. Just a great spot. He throws Taylor out and he rushes back in the ring. Vero's Hero is here to fight, muthafucka! They fire off into the corner, love how Flair bullies him in the crowd only for Taylor to rifle back. The ref interferes and hooks Taylor's arm and Flair nails that short knee to the family jewels of Vero's Hero. With that the twenty minute mark is reached and the Nature Boy is finally in control. I loved, loved how they built into this fight. You see Flair goads him into this. He knows that in the chaos there will be opportunities to sneak in a cheapshot. He got Taylor off his smart, conservative gameplan and he is reaping the benefits. I am so excited for the next twenty minutes! Final Twenty Minutes: They don't relent for one second in this match. Flair punches Taylor right in the face and I love Taylor grabs his face and sells it. Flair is incensed and is choking Taylor. He grabs an arm and they work a good armabr sequence. Flair uses the ropes and hair to control Taylor. Flair goes for chops in the corner, but loses control and is sent flying into the opposite the turnbuckle. Flair tries to get a suplex quickly, but Taylor drops down the back and it is a sleeper. Taylor actually gets a suplex in before eating knees. Taylor don't quit. He is up and rocking Flair with rights until the Flair Flop. This portion feels like an up and down the court basketball game as they start throwing out nearfalls until Flair thumbs him in the eye to finally stymie Taylor. Flair, who clearly realizes he is starting to get in over his head, applies the Figure-4 hoping to end the match. Taylor reverses the pressure. Flair is still nominally in control as Taylor is selling the leg, but misses the kneedrop and he ends up in the figure-4. Flair pushes Taylor off on the second attempt. He thinks now is the time, it is the time to fly. RUH ROH! He sure does go flying. Taylor is on fire with the punches and general intensity. Taylor rattles off nearfalls again, crossbody, backslide. Flair grabs a sleeper on a criss cross, but cant hold Taylor who drops down and kicks him off into the ref. So when Taylor gets another backslide there is no ref. Flair rakes the eyes and throws Taylor over the ropes. He needs to get the ref to count him out! Doesn't work out. Flair suplexes him back in and a big elbow to Taylor he is trying to get up only gets two. Taylor slugs it out with Flair just throwing bomb after bomb. Flair flops on his face. Taylor just needs that one big move. O'Connor Roll will this be it...Flair reverses he has the tights...1, 2, 3! Incredible match. I think what I like the most about is the intensity of both combatants. You really believed that this match was the most important thing in the world. The sense of urgency was very high throughout the match and never relented. Taylor was really awesome in this. He was firing off some great shots. The back half once Taylor made his initial comeback was Flair cheating like a muthafucka to win the match. Eye thumb sets up the first figure-4, but Taylor persevered through that. Then the rake of the eyes and throwing him over the top rope. Taylor survived and overcame. However, you could tell he just did not have much left in the tank and Flair yanked the tights to win. It was a war of attrition and they fought like hell. It is matches like this that are the reasons I love pro wrestling. *****

NWA World TV Champion Ronnie Garvin vs Ric Flair - Georgia Championship Wrestling 6/17/84 Ric Flair makes sure that we all know this for the TV Championship and asks Gordon to come up with a superlative to describe someone who holds the World Championship and TV Championship. Studio match, TV title time limit of ten minute, which means a barnburner sprint. Not as good as their incredible 12/85 World Championship Wrestling Studio match, but this is a good one. Technical wrestling to start Garvin escapes amateur takedowns and works a nice headscissors. This is Garvin vs Flair! You know what is going to happen. Hard-hitting brutal chops are exchanged neither man backs down. Flair is at his sadistic best here. I love the spot where he throws Garvin out and Garvin come right back in. It is on, muthafuckas! Just absolute war. Flair actually is able to take over on the outside and really kick some ass with hard shots, suplex back in and a butterfly suplex. As the time limit expires Garvin is just starting to kick some ass. When these two get together just go along for the ride because it is going to be kickass. Garvin sends Flair flying over the turnbuckles to end the segment. Great TV match! ***3/4

NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Harley Race - Georgia Championship Wrestling 2/28/82 Over the course of watching all this 80s footage, Harley Race has become my second least favorite wrestler (don't worry pretty little head, Don Muraco, you always be my number one). He is all bumps (they usually look atrocious) and highspots. People levy nonstop no-psychology at the feet of Flair when that is a boldface lie while Harley Race is screaming look at me, I am that wrestler! Shockingly, I actually wish we had this in full. I really dug it. I have seen '83 MACW match, Starrcade '83 and the Central States '84 match, gotta say this looked like the best Flair/Race match, but we only have 10 minutes of it. The beginning is the usual Race BS, but since he is face it is all offense, which is great because he is way better at that and it climaxes with a piledriver. Flair proves why he is the better world champion because watch how he sets everything he will fire off shots and then take the bump. He is not just some ragdoll, you have to overcome Flair. After the cut, the match gets really good. Flair is on the outside ramming Harley's head into very hard object that he cane find. Then he driving the point of his elbow into Harley's face and nice punches. Flair is way more sadistic than Harley ever was. Clip to a SICK Harley flying headbutt to a standing Ric Flair. Really cool move! Harley punches Flair in the nose and then selling is so damn good from Flair! Diving headbutt and Flair blades off that for double juice. Both men are bleeding like madmen. The match breaks down into a wild brawl that is super heated. The ref takes punches from both men. Harley smashes the ref into the post. The ref has to throw the whole thing out. What we saw was really good stuff. The finish stretch was good, Flair looked like he was on fire and Harley's offense was great. Looked like it would be at least **** if not higher. At ten minutes, just did not good enough flavor of the action. Still worth watching.

Non Title Match --- Ric Flair (c) vs Butch Reed - MId-South 11/8/85 Ric Flair is slated to face Al Perez on TV. But Butch Reed is pissed because Flair has put a bounty on his head using DIcky Slater as his hitman. Reed gives Flair his back and Flair charges. Reed punches him in the head. Great TV sprint ensues. Impromptu match means non-title. Flair seems way more energized in this. It feels like a real fight. Flair traps him in a test of strength where he kick in the midsection and then double stomp. Flair throws him to the outside and Reed comes back with O'Connor Roll and then the sleeper. Watts is great on commentary and makes the match feel more urgent. Flair suplexes out of the sleeper. Suplex struggle and Reed hits the suplex! I love a good contested suplex. Nice mini-battle. BIG SHOULDERTACKLE! 1-2-3! Huge Pop! Reed wins! Slater comes out and they do a number on Reed. Spike piledriver! Flair stands tall. Great TV Angle. Very fun match. Was there a rematch? ***1/2

NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Butch Reed - Mid-South 10/11/85 Better than their 60 minute extended squash, but I just this was a very good routine Ric Flair match. I don't think these two have much in the way of chemistry at all. The beginning told a much more interesting story with Flair facing Reed's power in the form of headlock and bearhug, he was trying to get other Reed's skin using the chop. We see Reed get frustrated and wanting to haul off and punch him. The ref reminds him it is illegal. So when he finally gets sick of these stinging chops and punches him in the face it means something. I thought this was a good use of the bearhug. Reed showed a lot more frustration at not being able to put Flair away. Flair was being more of a nuisance in this match like he normally is. Flair hits a kneecrusher and gets the figure-4 so he already feels more competitive in this match. Reed reverses the pressure and leaves Flair hobbling. I thought the finish stretch was a hodgepodge of Flair spots that did not make all that much sense. We get the sunset flip, bridge into the backslide and the sleeper. Yeah they are all hot nearfalls, but they feel forced. Ref gets bumped. Flair gets hit with Reed's shouldertackle, which is his big bomb and Flair just kinda shrugs it off so that he can get press slammed. Reed applies the figure-4 so that when the ref calls off the match you don't know if it for the ref bump or for Flair giving up, which is a neat finish. This was entertaining and the body of the match was much more competitive and interesting, but the finish was all over the place. ***1/2

NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Butch Reed - Mid-South 8/10/85 Long match, you know the drill. First twenty minutes: This is all Butch Reed! Ric Flair try as he might cant overcome the power & might of the awesome Hacksaw Butch Reed. Flair tries everything short of outright cheating in the first twenty minutes. There was crowding the in the corner. Vertical suplex. There was turning it into a track meet with rope running. Side headlock. The first 15 minutes was dominated by the cranking of the headlock by Reed and Flair's inability to counter it. Lots of escapes, movement and back into the headlock. It kept things fresh. Flair tried to turn into a battle of fisticuffs and that did not turn out well for him with the big meaty rights of Butch Reed led to the Flair Flop. Flair tried to break rhythm by going to the outside and having Reed chase and ended up in a backslide. Flair even is willing to try a test of strength. The holler he lets out is awesome. Flair actually does well after a kick until Reed fires back. We end this segment with a Flair Flop and back into the side headlock that defines this match. The big negatives of the first twenty is the headlock stuff was a little long. I know certain people like this and it was well-worked, just 15 minutes was a bit much and we are going to back to it. The other was the overreliance on begging off. I like the begging off, but he did like 5 times inside of twenty minutes. Way too much! Solid babyface shine, it looks like Reed is too much man for Flair to handle, but we shall see. Middle Thirty Minutes: Yeah lets clip out Flair's offense. This has reached extended squash territory. To the point where the match just is no longer credible. Flair got destroyed for 45 minutes and you want me to believe he has not lost yet. In fact, you wanted to make Reed long strong well now you have made him looks like a choke. Reed has done everything work the leg (figure-4), fists, choking in frustration and bombs (suplexes and piledriver). Flair keeps squirming out, but this is getting ridiculous. Flair is not even presenting that much of a mountain to climb like he would with the Von Erichs which would turn into fire fights. In the last two minutes, Flair drops Reed balls first on the top rope and surprisingly, Reed does not have balls of steel and Flair actually takes over in the corner. It would have been a great transition twenty minutes earlier. Butterfly suplex and as we hear the 50 minute time call Flair has begun work on the leg. Now, I am just going to finish out the match because there is only ten minutes left. Final Ten Minutes: The finish stretch is fine. It is about as good as the most Flair sixty minute draws. Flair figure-4->reverse the pressure. Slam Flair's head into the post to draw blood. HEY, FLAIR ACTUALLY WAKES UP! Flair shows some fire, but that is extinguished by a sleeper with three minutes to go. The Reed shoulder tackle from the top that should have been the finish as time expired. Press slams finish the match as it goes to a draw. Overhyped. Underdelivers. The match layout sucked, but even more surprising I thought Flair sucked in this match. His verbal selling was off the charts great, but that's about it. This was a Harley Race level performance in terms of just letting himself be ragdolled. Butch Reed was great on offense, but that's not enough. Give me Reed/Murdoch or Flair/Taylor over this any day. ***

Thanks! No commentary on either Flair/Kerry matches from Mid-South. Anyone got locations for these matches?

NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Kerry Von Erich - Mid-South 5/4/85 Another great thing about Flair matches is that they are all different. It is not like the WWF where they ran carbon copies of the same match for a month. Even though Flair/Kerry had wrestled in the same territory a week prior this match has a totally different feel. I don't think it is close to the greatness of the 4/28 match, but like all Flair/Kerry matches it is entertaining and great. Pretty standard Flair/Kerry shine with Kerry getting the best of Flair on the mat. Flair is great at the heel hope spots. Short knee and he immediately jumps onto get a suplex, but Kerry blocks twice and then does the Flair strut. It is little things like that that make Flair the best of all time. Flair goes for the short knee off a ref block, which was the transition in the 4/28 match and he throws him just like that match, but this time Kerry pops right back in for a big pop. It is actually Kerry ramming his shoulder into the post that it is the transition. Flair does work the arm well, wrenching it in, Kerry sells well, if you pay close attention you see Kerry forming the Claw, but is in too much pain to execute. We get some good Kerry hope spots fighting out of the corner, slamming Flair's head into turnbuckle to break free of the sleeper, sunset flip from the apron. Flair hits the kneecrusher. Figure-4 by Flair! WOOOOOOOOO! Kerry slides down the back from a vertical suplex attempt and gets the sleeper. Though he eats knees on the splash, that feels like a spot Flair created with Steamboat. Flair misses the kneedrop, Kerry does a great job being patient and waiting for the last second. Of course, this leads to a Kerry Figure-4. The finish run is the press slam, Flair Flip, catch him in the Iron Claw as he comes off the top, which is just fantastic. The actual finish is a lot weaker as Flair shoulder tackles Kerry, but I think it was supposed to be a head crack finish like St. Louis, but just looked like a routine shoulder tackle and he won the match, Kerry does get his foot on the ropes for protection. Weak finish, but other than that the usual very entertaining Flair/Kerry match. ****

NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Kerry Von Erich - St. Louis 1/25/85 Pretty standard Flair/Kerry, which a standard most wrestlers dream that could reach and it is pretty damn great. It is just in the Pantheon of Flair/Kerry this is their Greatest Hits. It is a ton of fun. Good Kerry shine with some fun headscissors takedowns and dropkicks. I liked the fake outs into Flair heat like the short knee and the thumb in the eye before we get the real one. We get the Claw, but Flair makes to the outside and Kerry maintains it only for Flair to smash him into the post. Standard Flair heat segment with cheating and working midsection. We get Kerry sleeper as the hope spot before the splash on the injured midsection and a missed dropkick. They play off the Texas Stadium finish then Flair says stop fucking around and hits a kneecrusher. Kerry kicks him off a couple times, but Flair stays on the leg. Some really good Flair leg work. Flair goes for the Figure-4 and its the CLAW~! I love the Claw as a counter to the Figure-4. Flair makes it to the ropes and attacks the leg, but he is press slammed off the top. Kerry Figure-4. Kerry is pouring it on, but takes a bad bump when they crack heads and Flair flops on top of Kerry for the lucky win. It was really fun and really well-worked, but there were no new wrinkles really. It is Flair/Kerry, I fucking love it and never ceases to entertain. ****

NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Kerry Von Erich - Mid-South 4/28/85 This match is just lean and mean. Flair is at his best when he goes long so he can flesh out his narrative. There are plenty of times even at 20-25 minutes where he feels rushed. However, that is not the case here. Here his spot calling was pitch perfect. This is stripped down Ric Flair at its finest. How stripped down are talking? At the five minute mark, Flair is already getting heat and there was barely any shine (Flair Flop off a Discus Punch, glorious). It is on! Ref hooks Kerry's arm and Flair hits his short knee. He throws Kerry to the outside. Kerry is such a great Flair opponent, combining the power of Luger, likeability of Sting and selling of Steamboat (on this night he was that damn good). If he had Windham's offense, Good Lord that just would have not been fair. Flair rips into him on the floor, Kerry's selling is Godly and then plays a little King of the Mountain. Love Kerry trying to pull himself up on ropes, missing the desperation dropkick and then selling the ribs. The Flair sleeper complete with arm drop is the climax of this segment before Kerry falls into turnbuckles ramming Flair's head. Love Flair grabbing his jaw after this. I love how lean Kerry's comeback is at this point. Discus punch->Comeback started. Press Slam->Highspot. Stomach claw->False finish. You just ride such a high during that segment. Kerry has Flair down, but cant get cover. He gives up to hit a splash, but eats knees to injured midsection. AWESOME! Flair tosses him out to get a breather. Now we get the sunset flip and backslide fun, which is a rush. Flair Flip to the outside. Flair looks discombobulated, but he grabs Kerry's ankle and wrenches it across the apron. He goes up top and I thought this would be the best set up ever for the press slam, but he actually hits a axehandle!!! Flair misses knee drop and it is into the figure-4! Great setup. They have done a great job generating excitement with neither man really in control, but everything feeling organic. Kerry is clearly coming from underneath, but is getting big time false finishes. Flair makes the ropes and Kerry stays on the leg. Kerry goes to elbow the leg, but Flair moves and he hurts his mid-section. WOW! Flair punches to midsection. BIG BOY CHOPS! Flair selling the leg, before an elbow drop for two. Butterfly suplex, love that move for two. Two great Flair heat segments, love it. Flair hits rapid fire punches in the corner and Kerry collapses in the corner. Knee to the injured midsection. It is the press slam off the top that is the transition to the comeback (Flair did take a long time). Flair Flip runs across apron off the top into IRON CLAW~! FUCKING AWESOME! I POPPED LIKE A MADMAN FOR THAT! Flair hiptosses Kerry outside the ring and that's a pretty big bump as Flair brings him in the hardway with a vertical suplex. Flair is in full desperation, don't fuck around mode and applies the figure-4. Kerry sells like a million bucks. Kerry powers out because he is ALL MAN! Flair big chop and it is a slugfest! Lots of movement leads to a Kerry sleeper. They stick with the sleeper and it is a pretty convincing finish with the armdrops, but Flair gets his foot on ropes. Kerry is incensed punching Flair on the ropes throwing the ref away. Flair using the ropes to hold him up throws a big chop. Flair sends Kerry into the ref, here we go. Kerry gets a cross body and sleeper, but no ref and Flair drops him balls first on the top rope. Kerry get his foot on the rope to protect him (very Mid-South Flair finish), but a very strong 80s finish. Call me a Flair mark. Call me a Kerry mark. I don't care the fact this was only #49 on Mid-South Set means Im calling YOU CRAZY!!! This was FANTASTIC! Ric Flair at his absolute best. Flair is pretty restrained in this by his standards. He works more on top than usual. Kerry killed it in the selling department. The spot calling was incredible. Just everything flowed perfectly. Flair ripped into Kerry when necessary. Kerry worked so well from underneath. When he was making his comeback, everything felt tenuous, but at the same time credible. Those claw attempts/figure-4 were home runs shots, but he didn't have enough to really chip into Flair's lead, he needed to a big bomb to close this out because his midsection was giving out on him. You see Flair really feel in control here when he usually does not. It is only a brief part in the middle does he feel frantic and the end when it does look like Kerry has him beat. I really liked that finish. Just did not feel like ***** when I was watching it, cant put my finger on it, but this is a classic right up there with Hawaii & Texas 8/82 matches. ****3/4.

WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund vs Don Muraco - WWF Philly 10/17/81 I have been both dreading this match and am intrigued by it. Doing it this the same way as the Valentine draw in twenty minute intervals. "They are really playing to the crowd" - Dick Graham as Backlund sits in his third hammerlock of the night "You cant doubt Don Muraco is a great athlete." - Dick Graham as Muraco sits in his third stomach claw "This feels like it has been going on for hours and hours." - Dick Graham finally getting it right " This is too much for even a masochist to handle" - Kal Rudman with the great line of the night First Twenty Minutes: It picked up in the last 3 minutes, but the first 17 were pretty damn boring. The lone highspot was a Bob Backlund monkey flip. Muraco headlock was transitioned into a Backlund hammerlock. There was some movement in and out of the hammerlock, but yeah they are clearly going long. Last three minutes Muraco picks it up with some great midsection work. Double stomp. Standing on him. Bob is great at selling this. Bearhug and as Backlund balls up the fist the ref admonishes him allowing Muraco knee him in the gut. Bob's look at the ref was hilarious. Muraco digs the Asiatic Spike in the midsection as twenty minutes in this contest goes by. Will Backlund make a comeback? Will Muraco break a sweat? Will I be able to stay awake? Second Twenty Minutes: Muraco is so fucking lazy he invents a new resthold. He literally hugs Backlund's leg for like two minutes. Christ. There was some decent movement in and out of the stomach claw with Backlund not able to capitalize until finally he punches out and boot rake and nice elbow. Then Backlund headscissors. This was brutally boring. Muraco gets out by prying the legs open and making a wish. Decent leg work until the hugging the leg bs. Backlund escapes but Muraco comes down with all his weight on the leg. Escape again, but Backlund cant hold him up and Muraco gets two. They tie each other up. Muraco had a leg hold and Backlund his arm. Can this match be any more boring? Will Muraco come up with any more new restholds? Will Dick Graham fall asleep before me? Last Fifteen Minutes: You know what this match needed? A fucking Indian Deathlock! Backlund escapes a toehold by smashing Muraco face with the heel of his boot. Muraco lunges for the leg and Backlund hammers Muraco's leg for revenge. Backlund sells leg well and at first the leg work looks good until the Indian Fucking Deathlock. Backlund leans too far back and Muraco rakes the face and gets some nice punches in. There is about ten minutes left, maybe this will heat up. Muraco is up favoring his left leg. Muraco drops him throat first on the top rope setting him up for the Asiatic Spike. He kisses the protected thumb. He nails up, but Backlund is unphased. He Hulks Up! Muraco hits the Asiatic Spike in the corner and Backlund is gasping for breath. So Muraco sticks the thumb in his throat. Yep we needed another hold! Backlund powers up and shoulder tackle. Backlund walks into a phantom Spike and he rolls to outside. Muraco gets him back in and nails a Tombstone to set up the Superfly, but eats knees! It is a draw as Backlud hammers away. NOW THEY BRAWL! This match sucks! The way they worked was grab a hold, two escapes each ending up back in the original hold and then third time is a charm the other takes over with a new hold. The times in each hold was way too long. Not enough movement. No real story. Just hold->escape->hold->escape->hold->successful escape. Worst Backlund match I have ever seen. Silver lining: it was just a 55 minute draw.

WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund vs Don Muraco - WWF MSG 9/21/81 Texas Death Match I can see why people do not really care for this match, but I did enjoy it for it was. Yes, this did not need the Texas Death stipulation as this was not the all-out, balls to the wall brawl of the Patera match. Backlund's arm work does get long in the tooth. However, I still think this was a solidly great body part psychology match with a hot finish. With the couple reviews I have read, I agree what this match needed more than anything was to be 10-15 minute shorter. Backlund and Muraco try to get this started hot with punches, but I just did not believe them. Muraco takes over on offense with a whiffed clothesline; I think Backlund fell a little too early. I actually thought Muraco was pretty damn good on top for ten minutes. That was the part I was dreading the most. He wrenched the chinlock he had. the front facelock was not egregiously long. The best part was the midsection work. He was a beast stomping Backlund, standing on him, double stomping, ab stretch. Backlund was great at selling this gasping for breath and doubling over. He was fightback and Muraco was just throw big time blows to the midsection. It was really good stuff. Muraco rams his shoulder hard into the post when he wanted charge into the midsection. Backlund goes to town with armbar, boot rakes the face and NASTY elbow to the bridge of the nose. Muraco pussies out of the piledriver. Backlund's arm work is great; it just goes on forever. There are ton of great spots he incorporates and it is really well worked. Muraco sells well and is fighting back too. It could have been about 5 minutes shorter. It never felt like it was going anywhere even if it was technically great and entertaining. The finish run is very dramatic and is what really the entire match should have been. Backlund hits his big Atomic Drop, but Muraco ends up on the outside and Backlund lunges at him from the ring with a headbutt. Muraco grabs a chair and jabs it in his throat. Backlund is coughing and has spit on his lips. One of the all time great I cant breath selling. Of course, this sets up for the Muraco Double Thumb Asiatic Spike, which he uses liberally. Things do not look good for the champ as he collapsed on the outside. Backlund is an underrated seller. Big Asiatic Spike on the apron sends Backlund flying over the railing! Muraco goes out after him and punches him in the crowd. Fantastic. Backlund falls into the ring out of instinct and Muraco looks to suck the life force out of him with the Asiatic Spike. Backlund is firing up and BIG BACKLUND SUPLEX!!! I would have popped huge if I was in the crowd for that. Backlund cant capitalize. Muraco covers Backlund! As Jesse would say that's just depressing as hell. MURACO TOMBSTONE! MURACO SUPERFLY SPLASH! VERTICAL SUPLEX! He is pouring it on. Im loving this. Muraco goes for the Butterfly Suplex and Backlund deadlifts him from this position backdrops him out to cover to win the match to a huge pop! WAIT! There is controversy as Muraco clearly had his foot on the rope, but cant leave it up to chances, bud, need to kick out. Nice way to protect the IC Champ. Awesome finish stretch, Muraco & Backlund control segments were entertaining and technically proficient just did not really go anywhere and Backlund armwork was way too long. Easily, a safely great match, but needed an editor. ****

WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund vs Stan Hansen - WWF MSG 2/16/81 Two of my favorites that just never managed to have that all time classic together. My favorite match of theirs is still the 1980 NJPW match, but this is the best of the New York matches. It starts off auspiciously with Hansen meeting Backlund at the gate and Backlund firing off rounds into Hansen's face and then a belt shot for good measure. Backlund actually pretty much straight up kicks ass. We know Hansen is an asskicker so I was like maybe I was just kinda out of it the first time I watched it, but then I realized what my issue was. Hansen was pretty content to just sit in holds. I thought Backlund did keep them interesting with his struggling and facial expressions. One classic Backlund moment is Hansen is trying wrangle Bob back into an armbar and most people would let him do it, but Backlund kicks him right in the face before he can get it on. It is those little touches that make Backlund one of the best to have ever lace them up. The match picks up once Backlund blasts Hansen with a high knee! Then runs through his bombs: butterfly suplex, vertical suplex and PILEDRIVER~! Backlund whiffs on a high knee and crashes to floor. Hansen busts Backlund open with fists. You can see Backlund concentrating on trying to pump blood through his forehead and his selling is great. Hansen beats him senseless with fists and gnaws at him. This is really good. Backlund fires up with rapid fire punches to the gut and then big time punches send Hansen reeling to outside where Backlund busts him open. They brawl in the ring and ref has lost control and it Is a No Contest due to excessive bleeding. The beginning and the finish stretch were pretty awesome and want you want from these two, but the middle was pretty boring. Wish we got that one kickass Backlund/Hansen brawl. ***3/4

Best Hogan match ever? I think so.

WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund vs Larry Zbyszko - WWF Philly 10/11/80 We have seen Backlund out-wrestle, out-brawl and out-power his opponents, but he will be able to do the impossible and out-stall Larry Z. The answer is of course no. Larry Z was tremendous in this as the trash talking, belly-aching scumbag heel. Backlund was all revved up but had no place to go because Larry Z wanted nothing to do with the champ. Larry was complaining of a bad knee and as Backlund was showing him up with a fireman's carry and monkey flips. He undid the turnbuckle pad. Backlund began to attack the bullseye on Larry's leg and Larry was able to bash Backlund's head into the exposed steel. This allowed him to apply a sleeper. When Backlund got frisky, it was back into the steel, but on a third time Backlund smashed Larry into the unforgiving steel. Backlund ferociously goes after Larry's bad knee. I love it! He is really good at it. So Larry does what any desperate coward bitch would do, he punches him in the balls. Awesome! Backlund sells it like a million bucks. Of course Backlund makes his comeback and it is back to the leg so Larry Z has a foreign object and takes it to the Backlund's midsection. This is great. When it comes time to make his comeback; Backlund does not fuck around delayed vertical suplex and a MONSTER PILEDRIVER! Backlund is spent from all the illegal moves from the Living Legend. Larry Z gets his feet on the ropes. Airplane spin wipes out the ref and Larry Z hits him with the foreign object sending him out of the ring for countout loss. Simple, elegant story: Backlund goes after the leg so Larry Z takes a cheapshot (turnbuckle, ballshot, foreign object) that stymies Backlund shortly before he goes back after the leg. The finish run was great with two big Backlund moves before the final cheapshot that gives Larry Z the win. It was the consummate babyface vs consummate heel match. Very entertaining. ****1/4

WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund vs Antonio Inoki - CWF 4/16/80 I had high hopes for this one, but I thought this was fairly disappointing. I consider their '78 NJPW match a classic, but it has been a while seen that. Both these guys are acquired tastes and are very unique. No one really wrestles like Inoki or Backlund. In fact, they are probably more similar than any other two wrestlers in history. Both have strong shoot credentials and wrestle really dominant and do not really wrestle the conventional shine-heat-comeback-finish formula. I am a mark for amateur stuff in matches, but I didn't think a lot of this was well-executed. It seemed really loose and far too easy to move in and out of holds. Inoki seemed more uncooperative and was imposing himself more even though there were a plenty of Backlund spots. Inoki gained the first advantage with the headscissors, but Backlund got himself out and then it was to the short arm scissors for the Backlund deadlift spot. I did not feel like we got the classic Backlund shine of showing up his opponent and what replaced was not that interesting. Inoki grabbed a double wristlock after the big deadlift spot. Stuff like that where he did not really sell the moment makes sense in a shoot, but it is no fun in a worked environment. Backlund bodyslam and elbow, but Backlund acts like this is the 30th minute does that cover reversal spot he is so fond of very strange. Then Inoki grabs a sleeper to set up the Backlund monkey flip. They are just throwing shit out there willy-nilly. Another example was Inoki grabbed an ab stretch and Backlund just burst out with a butterfly suplex. There was struggle at times and then there would be none. It was very strange and uneven. There was good stuff like Inoki enziguiri Backlund falls back on his ass and then a nice suplex by Inoki. That was a great exchange by Inoki, which sets up the classic Backlund move of hitting a delayed vertical suplex to show up Inoki. There were great moments they just were not stringing them together. Loved Backlund's piledriver in this! He goes for a second time about 5 minutes later only to get back dropped out. Inoki misses a kneedrop (weak looking) and Backlund goes to town! We needed this like a good ten-fifteen minutes earlier. Backlund was great working the leg, wicked energetic and convincing. Figure-4 is red hot in Florida with Dusty as their top star and being a big spot for NWA Champions of the past. Backlund teases the atomic drop, but falls back with it for two. Backlund comes off the ropes and Inoki throws him over the top rope for the DQ. Very uneven. Lots of really good stuff, but nothing to put it together. It was the best hits of Backlund in a mixed up order with an opponent that was not committed to making him look good. Hell, Inoki really did not do much to make himself look good. Backlund was great working the leg would have liked to seen more of that in this match and in his career. Good match, but nothing great. ***

WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund vs Hulk Hogan - WWF Philly 4/12/80 This might be my favorite Bob Backlund match. It is definitely the one I have seen the most. It is so much fun and really represents who Bob Backlund is at a professional wrestler. The core characteristic that defines Bob Backlund is the phrase "anything you can do I can do better". He will out-wrestle, out-brawl and out-power you. That's why I love Backlund. He is so versatile. He adapts the Bob Backlund match to his opponent. It is not just lets have the same match with Hulk Hogan as I do Adrian Adonis. Those are two very different wrestlers, but he never ever loses his identity either. It is still very much a Bob Backlund match. What makes this match so interesting is that it is Bob Backlund's core tenet of his identity "anything you can do I can do better" actually costs him the match. There is a little bit of hubris there that we don't see from the champion. Hogan is so cocky early on as he is taller, heavier and stronger than Backlund, but Backlund understands leverage and is crazy strong himself. We see Hogan throw Backlund off. Backlund does a great job putting Hogan over in these exchanges and they make the shine that much stronger. He is not scared of Hogan, but he is cautious and realizes that this a major test. The way he rubs his hands on the top ropes before the test of strength. He acknowledges he is at a disadvantage, but he wont back down from a challenge. Of course, we get the really fun Backlund shows up his opponent spots like his single pick ups. Backlund really cranks the headlock. Really good stuff before Hogan hits a Robinson backbreaker. The weakest part of the match is Hogan's arm work. There is no urgency and just no real wrenching. So Hogan had hoisted Backlund up to the top rope to embarrass Bob and Backlund was pissed took a swing at him. This all sets up the mother of all deadlifts as Backlund powerlifts the 300lbs, 6' 8'' Hulk Hogan from a short arm scissors. Always an incredible sight! Hogan goes to the bearhug, which is the move I think he should have controlled with. I think Hogan focusing on the back would have been for the best. In my second favorite spot of the match, Backlund transitions out of a bearhug into an awesome piledriver! Both guys are spent and Hogan hits a vertical suplex. Throughout the match we have seen Backlund do Hogan's offense right back to him. There is a big suplex struggle and Kal does a great job putting over that Backlund cant afford to take another suplex. When Backlund hoists Hogan up for the suplex and the crowd went apeshit! Finally Hogan gets Backlund up for the airplane spin. Of course, Backlund's natural instinct is to put Hogan in the airplane spin, but they tumble to the outside so he does another one out there, but as he is revolving he puts Hogan back into the ring and he is left dazed and confused on the outside to lose by countout. Just a pitch perfect finish to a great story. This was such a great consistent story. Everything Hogan did, Backlund would do right back to him and do it better. This built to that amazing deadlift and suplex. However, that hubris was Backlund's fall as he was so committed to out-powering Hogan that he lost due to the airplane spin. One of the best narrative-based matches you will ever see. ****1/2

WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund vs Pat Patterson - WWF MSG 7/30/79 I still of the opinion that Valentine brings out the best in Backlund, but Patterson is a really awesome Backlund opponent. He is really well-suited to make Bob look like a million bucks. His bumping in the first half of the match was out of this world good. Backlund has big offense and can be really fun with the right opponent. Valentine is not a fun opponent. He never is. Besides the TIMBAH bump, Valentine is bringing hate and severity to his matches. Patterson is a fun Backlund opponent. The out of control ramming of his shoulder into the post had every single person at MSG grinning like a Cheshire Cat. In my opinion, he was the best bumper Backlund ever faced and he really did everything he could to put Backlund over. Backlund was LAUNCHING him early with bodyslams. Some of the best bodyslams this side of Jumbo Tsuruta. Backlund was relentless on the arm and was really entertaining working it over, while Patterson provided the movement, bumps and stooging. Eventually Patterson gets behind Backlund and whacks him with a double axehandle sending him careening to the floor where Backlund hurts his leg. This is where the match goes from a fun Backlund match to a classic match. Patterson dissects that leg and Backlund sells it like a million bucks. I think Backlund was willing to be more vulnerable earlier on in his run as I am seeing way more conventional heat segments and selling from Backlund in these matches. Backlund pounds his way out of a leg lace with his pitbull tenacity and bullies Patterson to the apron where he smashes him into the turnbuckle. Backlund can barely pull himself up. Backlund is killing it in the selling department. Patterson grabs the ankle and Backlund kicks him off Patterson cracks his head on the railing. Backlund pounds away, but on a bodyslam attempt Backlund's leg gives out on him. Tremendous! Backlund misses a dropkick. It does not look good for the champ. Patterson hits a bodyslam to set him up for the Bombs Away Kneedrop and Backlund knocks him off his perch with a right. Patterson takes a crazy bump wrenching his leg in the top rope. Backlund is merciless kicking him in that precarious position. Backlund runs him across the apron for a third time into the post busting him wide open. Backlund wants to win it in the middle of the ring and stops the ref's count as assuredly Patterson would have been counted out. I love as Patterson tries to enter the ring; Backlund kisses his fist and punches him in the head. SLUGFEST! ATOMIC DROP~! BACKLUND SELLS THE LEG!!! AWESOME! Patterson puts a foot on the ropes. They knock heads and Patterson blows him away with knuckledusters. Arnie Skaaland is pissed and knocks him out with the belt leading to a double knockout situation. Pretty damn good bullshit finish in my opinion must have been a Patterson special. Incredible fun and entertaining match. Patterson got his ass kicked in really entertaining fashion. He got his heat for 5 minutes, which set up the finish wonderfully. Backlund had to overcome a bad wheel. Bob is at his best when he is a pitbull and determined making his comeback, but still selling his leg the whole way. Patterson still saved up some big spots for the finish run falling off the top on his kneedrop and blading. Honestly, I don't think I can find a single flaw with this. A perfect old school babyface/heel match which was unique to the way Backlund and Patterson wrestled, I think what this match did so well was even though Backlund got the majority of the offense in the finish run his dominating position was tenuous at best. You were praying for the countout or for him scamper over for the cover after the atomic drop because it seemed like he could lose at any minute. So even though Patterson executed almost no offense in the last 5 minutes, he actually felt like he was in control. It was really dramatic and very cool feel to the match. Without a doubt, if we had more Pat Patterson he would rank among the greatest of all time. Incredible. ****3/4

I have it on DVD, brutha. I don't think it is, but give Google a whirl. Good luck!