Tim Cooke

The WCCW MX/Fantastics series is complicated because of a lack of dates. 12/25/84 has the Fants retaining the American Tag Team Titles. I have this. 1/28/85 has the MX winning the American Tag Team Titles. I have this. I also have 2 matches from February - April 1985 because the MX are the champions. Barnett American Classics Volume (forget the volume right now) has a 2/3 falls match between the two teams. I don't have it but have seen it. I can't place a date because I forget the outcome. My guess is it was during the MX reign. The 5/5/85 match sucks as it is two rings and generally a mess with little heat. Tommy Rogers vs. Koko Ware from Memphis 1983 is an interesting match as they work it face vs. face and do lots of "technical" wrestling as opposed to the Memphis brawling. Koko busts out 5 different suplexes and bumps really well. On the other hand, Tommy Rogers vs. Bill Dundee from 1983 Memphis is disappointing. I think I have their whole Japan stint (TV, comms, and Handheld) somewhere. I'll look for it. Tim

Two categories: What ______ has What is available on tape but we don't have yet -------------------------------------------------------------- Tim Cooke MX vs. Fantastics (2/28/88 - NWA) * There are three versions of this. The first is the very JIP version that aired on 3/19 on WTBS. The second is the more complete version which aired on Pro on 3/12 and showed almost 25 minutes. The third is from the Wrestling Network in Florida which showed footage not shown in the NWA versions but only showed a total of 22 minutes. The best is the Pro version but the only person with a decent copy is Tabe and even his dubs of the match are rough. i have all 3. MX vs. Fantastics (3/27/88 - NWA) * I have it. MX vs. Fantastics (4/26/88 - NWA) * Two versions of this. The first aired 5/14 on Worldwide. I got it from Lynch who taped it right from TV. 23 minutes of 53 minutes in perfect quality. The WTBS version (5/22) is JIP and airs like 6 minutes. MX vs. Fantastics (6/10/88 - NWA - 2/3 Falls) * This aired on Fox 29 in Houston to promote the GAB stop that summer. I have a copy, which I got from Warburton, but it is VG- at best. Still fun though. MX vs. Fantastics (7/10/88 - NWA) * Great American Bash - PPV version is complete. MX/Cornette vs. Fantastics (8/27/88 - NWA) * Bunkhouse match from Pro. MX v Fantastics (10/15/88 - NWA) * Handheld which goes 9 1/2 minutes and is nothing to go out of your way for. That pretty much covers their 1988 run in the NWA or everything that is worth seeing. Tim

I have heard that 8/16/86 aired in full somewhere but I don't believe it. Stingmark, who is "the biggest MX fan ever" but is also a complete and utter idiot, swears to it. But it didn't air in full on TBS or Worldwide. I'm still waiting for that one RnR Express match that blows me away like I have got from Eaton/Lane, Fantastics, Tully/Arn, etc. If McMahon has any of the Feb. 1986 matches from those string of sold out houses in Charlotte, I would pay mad money to see them. Tim

Finally got to see this last night. I have always been disappointed with the 2/12/86 WTBS Special that had the MX/RNR title switch. Cornette has said this was the best of the COndrey/Eaton matches against the RnR so I had high hopes. To start, they cram a lot into 10 minutes. I didn't see a clip and they didn't go to commercial during the match, so I believe it is complete. Japanese TV muffles the crowd a little with their announcers but it isn't too bad. Brawl to start, followed by Gibson doing a segment with Condrey, which ends with Gibson running over to the ropes that are holding Cornette in the cage above the ring and shaking it. Crowd pops big. More RnR, working a mid 90's Joshi pace, including 4 flying headscissors by both (I have seen the RnR use 3 at the GAB 87 and the Fantastics used 3 in the US Tag Title switch in 1988) but 4 is new to me. The 4th has Morton going up on Eaton and Condrey punching him in the face. Eaton gets in a top rope leg drop and Condrey stun guns Morton over the top rope. Watching Mistico recently and then watching this match, Morton took some nice bumps in his day. They weren't DiBiase neck bumps but they looked high risk and got over the danger to the crowd. Morton kicks out of a rocket launcher and Eaton goes nuts on the referee. Before that, Eaton also did some great heeling on Morton, raking his eyes and punching him with total disdain. The finish comes without a hot tag but it was a good finish. Eaton gets Morton into a slingshot so COndrey can clothesline him. When Morton is slingshotted over, he sunset flips Condrey, Gibson dropkicks Eaton, and Morton gets the pin. Illegal guy is pinned but the RnR were never big on legalities. Good match and well worth being on a Best of NWA 1986 compilation that will be done sometime.

Was supposed to see this but had to bail at the last minute. I'm very interested in Eddy/Rey and the main event intrigues me but Cena is pretty shitty in general. The big reason Eddy/JBL worked was Eddy brought his A+ brawling game. JBL is a decent to great brawler when in with someone who can go. I haven't seen Cena throw a good punch ever. Angle/Booker is something I want to see. I think Booker in March of 2001 against Angle in March of 2001 could have been good but today, I don't know.

The No DQ match is easily the worst of the MX/Fantastics matches in this set of DVD's. Tim

Loss, I have a Lynch custom with those matches plus Aja/Satamura from 9/99 added on. Will send to Will for DVD transfer. Tim

He hasn't looked good at all. Still flashes of greatness but I have much more faith in Nicho/Psicosis in the WWE. But who knows what could happen if his head is on straight? But from the sounds of Mexico (he says he won't job on the way out and wants to be turned babyface because it was requested by the WWE which is false), it doesn't appear that way. Tim