Superstar Sleeze

"Hulk Hogan...I'm that N*****" - New Jack. I can't believe Hogan and New Jack worked us all. Real American vs Natural Born Killa. Balcony Dive vs Leg Drop. This is Awesome! This is Awesome!

Mil Muertes vs Fenix Deathmatch- These are the best part of Lucha Underground. Really nice violent brawls. I thought this was even better than previous match, which is surprisingly because I do love some good blood spitting. This one cut out the shit at the beginning. Just went right where it needed to go absolutely violent beating from Muertes. Katrina is so, so much better in heel role. Holy shit, was she hot and I mean double hot tonight! Maybe the hottest woman in wrestling right now (up there with Paige and Ms. Foxy for me). The big drawback was Fenix's hope spots where still too convoluted. I liked the double stomp that was a perfect use of taking what the match and environment was giving you. The rope running and the flippity do-da was a little much for a DEATHmatch. Rest assured, Mil Muertes knew what was up and delivered a savage beating and Fenix was selling like a champ. The finish was absolute HOLY SHIT spot! In an era where that gets thrown around, I marked out for that one. Muertes looking strong going into June. Muertes and Katrina is definitely my favorite act in Lucha Underground. ****

Having watched a handful episodes of Lucha Underground in February and March, I do really appreciate their commitment to episodic TV and angle advancement each week compared to WWE where nothing ever fucking happens in the plot (WWE wrestling is fine). I just have much time to watch full episodes and prefer WWE wrestlers and wrestling. I am doing a first half review and was looking at some LU matches using the VOW match of the month poll to guide me. Cage vs Mundo was the week before I started watching. Nothing special standard WWE Smackdown! 2009 match. Mundo talked a big game on Austin in terms of psychology and really emphasizing face/heel dynamics. He said all the right things, but man did not put anything into practice here. Cage is athletic and has the body. He has no idea how to be a heel and he was just throwing spots out. His facial expressions are not menacing. He would probably be better off as a face. Morrison still so his overly contrived kicks and his selling was awful pre-knee injury angle. I still cant believe he uses Starship Pain has his finisher. Has a split legged moonsault ever looked good? Fenix vs Mil Muertes - Grave Consequences was the peak of my short-lived LU fandom. Loved the match then and love it. My biggest quibble is for as hot as Katrina is, my God is she totally devoid of emotion? Just absolutely apathetic. I am actually enjoy Vampiro as the Canadian-Mexican stoner with his 90s way of talking. I did not like the opening as much this time around, but as soon as Muertes blasted Fenix with the turnbuckle AI was hooked. I loved the blood, gnawing and spitting. In an era where the WWE has totally forgotten how to do a blood feud brawl this was exactly what I needed. Fenix did not have the greatest hope spots, moonsault presses to standing opponents look shitty and the superkick is so overplayed unless you are the Young Bucks. Overall, I dug match a lot and it had a great finish. ***3/4 Trios Champions Son of Havoc/Angelico/Ivelisse vs The Crew - When I was watching, I remember the champions were feuding amongst themselves. It seems the Evil Dario teamed them together to mess with them in Trios titles tournament and their dysfunction bonded them. They won the titles only to have Dario sic the Crew on them on that night. I like The Crew a lot. They are faceless gangbangers that hit hard and dont fuck around. They know how to work heel and made these three misfits (none of which I care for) look great. Watch this for Angelico BATSHIT crazy dive! The awesome finish that has the crowd come unglued, but mostly for The Crew rocking it! *** LU Champion Prince Puma vs Drago - Drago is fucking awesome! He has the best flips & do-das, he has great strikes, submissions and better selling & facial expressions than majority of wrestlers today. Puma is probably the best of the indy style that pervades wrestling today in terms of just absolutely breath-taking athleticism. He does lack in selling and moving too quickly to the next spot. He is a great spot wrestler. This was a very entertaining match and very appealing to the eye. The commentary reinforced how important this match was for Drago as it was career vs title, but there is a lot that could have been done to the layout of the match proper to put that aspect over. It felt like they were just going out there to pop the crowd. Just to reiterate how much I like LU for using matches to advance angles. They have Hernandez who is clearly a bit shady come in and rough up Drago at the behest of Konnan, who is a total sleazebag leeching off Puma's winning ways. Puma has to make the tough decision to end Drago's career using Hernandez's help against his better judgement. Drago does not seem to broken up about losing his career. One of the better spotfests of 2015. ***1/2

Thanks Parv! Posts like this is why I am a Parv fan. #ParvManiac4Life

WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund vs Stan Hansen - MSG 3/16/81 Before the match, Pat Patterson challenges Sgt Slaughter to a match for next months Garden show. Now there's a series of matches I need to rewatch! I cant believe, I am going to say this, but Hansen felt subdued in this match. He was totally content with rhythm breaks and grounding Backlund. It was not his usual running around with reckless abandon. The match was fine and told a decent story. Backlund jumpstarted the match and he wanted to beat the shit out of Hansen. Hansen wanted no part of it. Hansen could never keep Backlund down who was throwing headbutts to mid section and fists to the head. So Hansen kept running, which is just very un-Hansen like. Eventually, Backlund gets fed up and starts chasing him to the outside. Hansen misses his lariat on two occasions and pays for it, but always makes it to the outside. The third time Bob follows him to the outside he caught coming back into the ring with the Lariat! It looked good, but not great and didn't feel like a climax. Backlund cant make it back in, which sets up a rematch in a cage. Backlund gets his heat back by sending Stan packing. Good match, but disappointing. Their NJPW match is way better. ***

WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund vs Greg Valentine - MSG 10/19/81 Huge kudos to the Titans especially Pete to get me to watch this in short order. This bad boy did not disappoint. "Anything you can do, I can do better." - Bob Backlund's motto. Whether it is out-brawling Patera, out-powering Hogan or in this match out-slugging Valentine, Backlund's game is to prove he is better than his opponent at their game. It is this attitude that truly makes him a world heavyweight champion (I acknowledged it was not recognized as a World title, but damnit Bob is my boy.). In this match, there a countless of examples of Valentine executing a move and Backlund absorbing the move and then dishing out the same move but with even more impact and ferocity. This is established early with Valentine getting three early takedowns. Backlund fires back in rapid fire those three same takedown. Anything you can do, Hammer, I can do better and don't you forget it, pal! The crux of the match centers around Valentine and his full court press to apply the figure-4 on Backlund. He begins by weakening the knees. There is a great spot where Backlund gets a monkey flip out of a half crab. Anytime, Backlund looks to turn the tide, Valentine comes crashing down with a thunderous blow. Valentine tries 8 million ways to apply the figure-4, but he can't wrangle the ever-scrappy Backlund. This is just perfect pro wrestling. You can feel Valentine's frustration about not being able to apply this hold and simultaneously you feel Backlund's desperation to avoid this hold at all costs. The figure-4 becomes everything and you are totally invested in this struggle between these two competitors. Valentine tries a different tact. He turns the match into a slugfest. Against pretty much anyone else, Valentine could bully his way to victory with his vicious forearms, but not against our hero. Backlund gives as good he gets with equally vicious elbows, fists and headbutts that must have inspired BattlArts, The dynamic switch between stand up and ground really feels like you are watching BatBat match take place in early 80s WWF in MSG. It is crazy. Valentine bullies him into the ropes and goes back to the legs. He applies the figure-4 and Backlund immediately flips to his stomach. GREATEST SPOT EVER! Bow down at the altar of Bob Backlund! Again Valentine stymied switches to slugfest and this ends with a BACKLUND PILEDRIVER~! Only two for Bob, who misses the leg drop and hurts the injured leg. BattlArts headbutts from the knees ensue and they just beating the shit outta each other. Then we get the finish. Valentine hoists Backlund up for the airplane spin, but hits the ref. Backlund ends up on top, a groggy ref counts to three, Valentine is up first and because they wearing the same trunks and have similar builds the ref hands the title incorrectly to the Hammer thus the title is held up. I get that they are setting up for a rematch and this is creative, but I didn't dig it. It is just kinda lame. I can't really explain it. It is just lame in my eyes. It knocks the match down just a peg. Still one of the all-time classics of the Backlund era, an absolute pleasure to watch and guide on how to sell the importance of a hold and a match. Terrific performance from both wrestlers. ****1/4 Rewatch: Really enjoyed the body for all the same reasons I mention above. I think one thing I didnt mention was how I liked the constant double knockouts. Whether it was from headbutts or a suplex, the double KO spots really made this feel symmetrical and like these two are equals. Backlund was great at selling the leg throughout. The finish is fucking terrible. It is one of the all time worst finishes and I cant believe I was so charitable before. This is the Seth/Bray of the 80s, so bad. Knocked the down the rating slightly.

No comments, for shame! This one of the best Titans episodes ever! Everything was gelling. Johnny did an excellent job as host. Really facilitated damn well. Pete knocked it out of the park on Backlund/Valentine. I think his work on the first match is his best bit ever. Perfect blend of passion and critical thinking. Kelly killed it with Mr. Snooze. Muraco is terribly boring. Parv brought the funny with the encyclopedia quips. Really tight, wicked bitchin. Got to say I think Parv should remain as host. #Parvmaniac. I think it worked this one time because Johnny had not watched the footage. When Johnny watches the footage, you got have Johnny kicking it on the panel, plus part of Titans' charm is Parv and his crazy theories! Loved this one.

I was just watching this on the Network. The kid is an USO! He sounds exactly the same lol. I'll admit eight year old me was a little disappointed Sable didn't come out.

WCW World Heavyweight Champion Lex Luger vs Ron Simmons - WCW Halloween Havoc 1991 2 Out of 3 Falls As big of a Luger fan as I am, I have not seen this match, which represent his only successful PPV World title defense for his reign. It is the Hurricanes vs. Seminoles in the Squared Circle BABY! For some reason, JR does not sound as excited as I thought he would be for such a marquee college football match up probably because it was not Big 8 football. Wow, that was an unexpected Dusty sighting and the first time I have seen him in video since his death. Damn. Luger has Harley Race in his corner. The first fall is tentative. Luger takes over on a missed dropkick, but does not do much. SImmons shows off some nifty power moves that wakes up the crowd climaxing with a spinebuster that earns him the first fall. Dusty was awesome in the break between falls preaching the virtues of offense. Dusty is just one of those people that got it. As awesome as Dusty is, Luger crushed it in the second fall. Luger was channeling his best inner Flair. From the begging off in the corner and ropes, big back bumps and constant underhanded cheating, he was putting on a marvelous heel champion performance. Two things to key in, one that I was impressed he stole from Flair and the other he did better than a typical Flair performance. An integral part of what makes Flair work is that he is always trying to get the upper hand. He is perpetual motion throwing things and seeing what sticks. This allows the babyface to look awesome because they best Flair at every turn. It is the not bumps that make Flair it is this psychology that underpins his every action that makes him a genius. Luger is smart enough (from having wrestled Flair a gazillion times) to incorporate that in this match when this lost on many Flair wannabes. Secondly, Luger sells the back better than I think Flair would in these circumstances. He is selling right out the gate and making it obvious for Simmons to target it. Once he is on offense, he sells for a good time into his offensive attack. The sell of the back after the powerslam is such a nice, nice touch. Mucho respecto, Mr. Luger! I do wish Luger did vary it up on offense a bit more. The transition was perfect side-stepping Simmons sending him crashing to the outside. From there, he used typical heel tactics, which is fine, but he is such a great power wrestler it would have been refreshing to seen some more power in addition to that aforementioned powerslam. The finish was some serious weak sauce. With Luger going for the cross body with Simmons up against the ropes and Harley holding onto Simmons meaning Luger went over the top. Clearly, Luger's own momentum caused him to go over the top. This is an easy no call. Ref calls for the DQ. I think he is on the take? What do you guys think? Luger may have won the second fall, but he is definitely worse for wear needing the ropes to hold him up. Luger uses the ref as a screen to hit a cheapshot. Gotta love Luger's urgency. Simmons' no selling and comeback was perfect. Clothesline and superplex were great false finishes, the should block not so much. Simmons ramming the post with shoulder and then Luger hitting the real Attittude Adjustment for the win was a perfectly acceptable finish. It was weird seeing Luger execute a broomstick match, but hell he was pretty damn good ring general. Simmons was serviceable, but Luger really made him shine in this one. The execution was clunky as all hell in this one, but they had good intentions. The execution and second fall finish mean I can't go higher than ***1/2, but awesome Luger performance!

That women's segment on RAW is the definition of ham-fisted. I missed that awesome angle when Jim Crockett gave Dusty friends to fight the Four Horsemen OR when Eric Bischoff set up the New World Order in the middle of the ring talking about how we need to revolutionize wrestling. Fuck how stupid does that sound in the context of a wrestling show? It is like feuding over who is more entertaining. How hard would it be to shoot an angle with Paige going down to NXT for a couple weeks befriending Charlotte and Becky. Sasha is pissed she isn't asked to join and starts her own stable. Guess how long it took me to come up with that? Two minutes! How the fuck do I get a job with these Numbnuts that run this place? Yes like everyone else I concede having the NXT girls is a huge boom for the main show. That has to go down as some of the laziest booking in history.

What better way to celebrate the Fourth of July then to watch awesome bloody brawls with HACKSAW JIM DUGGAN! HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! In addition, to Hacksaw Duggan, there is also a blog chronicling the history of Magnum TA in Mid-South. If You Want Blood, You've Got It: Magnum TA in Mid-South Mid-South Tag Team Champions Butch Reed & Jim Neidhart vs Mr. Wrestling II & Magnum TA -Mid-South 12/25/83 Steel Cage **** Mid-South Tag Team Champions Mr. Wrestling II & Magnum TA vs Midnight Express - Mid-South 2/10/84 **** North American Heavyweight Champion Magnum TA vs Ted DiBiase - Mid-South OKC 5/27/84 ****1/4 North American Heavyweight Champion Magnum TA vs Ted DiBiase - Mid-South Tulsa 5/27/84 ****1/2 North American Heavyweight Champion Magnum TA vs Ted DiBiase - Mid-South 7/6/84 **** http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2015/05/if-you-want-blood-youve-got-it-magnum.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO: Hacksaw Jim Duggan in Mid-South Mid-South Tag Team Champions Junkyard Dog & Mr. Olympia vs Ted DiBiase & Matt Bourne Mid-South 10/27/82, No DQ, Loser Leaves Town **** “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan vs Ted DiBiase – Mid-South, Houston 7/29/83, Street Fight ****1/4 Hacksaw Duggan & Rock N Roll Express vs Ernie Ladd & Midnight Express - Mid-South 6/8/84 ****1/4 Mid-South North American Champion Ted DiBiase vs Hacksaw Jim Duggan - Mid-South 3/8/85 No DQ ****1/4 Hacksaw Duggan vs Buzz Sawyer - Mid-South 11/11/85 ***** Hacksaw Duggan vs Buzz Sawyer - Mid-South 12/27/85 Dog Collar Match ****1/2 UWF Heavyweight Champion Terry Gordy vs Hacksaw Duggan - UWF TV 8/3/86 **** http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2015/07/hhhhooooooooooooooooo-hacksaw-jim.html

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

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! *****

Midnight Rockers vs Buddy Rose & Doug Somers - AWA Wrestlerock '86 4/20/86 I love fun bullshit matches like this. Especially after all those hot n heavy Mid-South brawls, this was a perfect respite before jumping into another bloodbath. This is definitely a prototype for the polarizing Rockers/Rougeaus London match, which I love and I think is even better than this one. This match is a appetite whetter, but leaves you wanting more. They establish the Playboy & Pretty Boy as the new tag team on the block and Buddy Rose & Sherri dynamic is great. Buddy Rose is a tremendous athlete. Wrestling has proven to me that fat guys can be super athletic and I wish that non-fans could believe me. Buddy Rose is a perfect example of someone that can do one-arm pushups, cartwheels and run the ropes at a million miles per hour. Is there a better rope runner than Buddy Rose? The Rockers do their standard heel in peril arm work to control, but they are so energetic and Rose is so great at stooging that it is never dull for one moment. You gotta love all the heel chicanery from Rose & Somers just cheating and strutting at every turn. The heel transition is a catapult into a forearm. Why the hell did Shawn ever switch from those sick right hands to those lame left hand jabs! He had a great punch as a Rocker. The Rockers had the match won, but Sherri put Somers foot on the ropes leading to a fracas. It was a perfect ending to protect the up and coming Rockers and put over the soon to be new heel tag champs with Rose pushing Jannetty off the top and Somers picking up the win. It was a bit stupid that Shawn flew over the pinfall and attacked Buddy rather than breaking it up. Shawn executes a bodyslam on the Playboy on the outside to save some face. Super fun match and definitely excites me for the matches to come! ****

Thanks Pete! Goc, Yes! I loved how each little gimmick was established and paid off in this match. That is the key thing that pushed this into ***** territory for me.

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. *****

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....

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. ****

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

“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

AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion Randy Savage vs Jerry Lawler Memphis, Mid-South Coliesum 6/3/85, Loser Leaves Town, No DQ This is not your standard Loser Leaves Town, you see. Jerry Lawler has gone on record stating he will not wrestle anywhere but Memphis effectively meaning a loss will put Lawler out of wrestling for a year. This is the anti-workrate classic. It proves that you don't need flashy MOVEZ~! and action every second to deliver a highly entertaining bout for the ages. In the first five minutes, there are only three punches thrown, but that is all they need to tell their story. In interim, you have the lunacy of Savage taking center stage, jawing with the crowd, spitting and throwing chairs in the ring. Savage is such a despicable, cowardly human in the outset that he works everyone in Memphis into lather. When he does eventually lock up with The King, Lawler is smart enough to know he is not going to get a clean break in the ropes. He blocks the Savage right and nails him right in the nose. The crowd roars and Savage sells it beautifully. They work this sequence again and on the third time when Savage thinks he has it figured out, Lawler ducks and puts him on his ass with a right cross. It is electric. Savage gets up pissed, humiliated and discombobulated. He puts arms out like an X over his forearm to defend himself and looks ridiculous. When Savage does manage to get control, Lawler immediately low blows him. He is not taking any chances in a high stakes Loser Leaves Town match. At this point, there is a cut in the action and thanks to Lance Russell’s time calls, it seems we are missing 13 minutes of this match, which is about half the match. The best spot of the match is when The King is trying to recuperate on the apron and Savage comes crashing into him with a high knee, which sends him flying onto the table in a Holy Shit bump! Lance lets us know that he has a cut around his eye. Later on in the match, we get a feel of just how nasty this cut is. Savage is a damn animal working that cut and torturing Lawler, who is screaming and staggering. The drama is really building that Lawler may lose because there seems no way out. Then just when you think all hope is lost, Lawler seems to be absorbing the punches. You think you have seen this story before, but then Savage really rears back and unleashes a devastating barrage of punches onto the eye of Lawler and then gnawing it. Savage forced the hand of Jerry Calhoun, senior Memphis ref, to save Lawler’s vision and call the match off. The crowd was in shock and Lawler was appalled. He got on the house mic and said Savage would have to pin him to the mat 1-2-3, his eyesight be damned! Lawler was granted his wish and Savage pounced on his eye, but now The King’s dander had been raised and he was really fighting on adrenaline. He unleashes one helluva comeback. Having watched a good chunk of Lawler, his comeback is what makes him truly special. It is absolutely insanely great energy! It is onslaught of fist drops and then a fatal PILEDRIVER~! That sends Macho Man out of Mempho out the door to the Big Apple and The King continues his reign! The first half of this match is an excellent exhibition of how you can work a compelling match without MOVEZ~! And focus on character work. The second half is one of the most dramatic and violent endings to any match. The big problem is we are missing 13 minutes of 28 minutes, if we had it this match may be a candidate for the greatest match of all time. As is, I have a problem with deeming it a classic with really what is a disjointed because of the massive cut. What see is truly awesome and is a must see for any wrestling fan! ****1/4

Five Brainbusters and Tag Teams Back Again Hosts have claimed ALL five crowns. Making us not only the most entertaining podcast, but also the most knowledgeable. They say The Chase is the better than The Catch, well to all the potential contestants, you better hope that is true because you ain't never gonna catch US! Scooping up that heat.

Why the fuck can't anyone in .Mid-South say DUG-GAN correctly? The fucking syllable break is clearly right there between the two g's. It is more bothersome than I expected that this cannot be pronounced properly.

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. ****