Matt D

And I think that if you go back as far as you can, not only is a lot of the oldest stuff fun and enjoyable (as much so as almost anything you'll see), but you'll witness a richer, more drawn out narrative. You can watch Flair in 1977 feuding with Steamboat. You can watch Flair close the house down in 2001.

I bet they all know who Hulk Hogan is though.

I really like the torture rack (and the pop that always went along with it) and actually, I'm a bit annoyed it's not a move that's been used a lot in WWE Main event style matches more, because I think it'd be fun to see different reversals out of it and into other things and what not.

I was born in 81 and anecdotally, I think most people I went to high school/college with would know what The Breakfast Club or Ferris Bueller was, but not necessarily who John Hughes was. Actually, I'll ask my wife later, but my stepson is named, in part, after a Ferris Bueller character and she can quote parts of the movie, and she probably doesn't know who John Hughes is. She knows who Molly Ringwald is, but she just doesn't care all that much who wrote or produced something.

I love it when people start posts with "Matt, you are gonna love" I'm looking forward to seeing that match as much as anything in wrestling right now.

I'm not watching this stuff unless it's for a zany Crossfire podcast with Johnny.

Alright, so with the gaps we have here I'm trying to make sense of things. The feud with Youngblood lasts at least into May here. Buddy threw the belt into the river and was fined $2500 which was used to make a new belt (apparently he also put up $2500 of his money saying Oliver could beat Youngblood. I don't think it was the same $2500). He blindsided Youngblood when Owen told him to personally hand over the belt and he was suspended (and thus went to Hawaii for a couple of weeks). Andre comes in for a few shots and feuds with Buddy (and a battle royal). The highlight from what I've been able to see are two pretty good Strap matches (one vs Oliver and one vs Destroyer) where Jay wins. Then the Destroyer beats Jay for the belt for a week. So, the Destroyer: I actually thought it was Beyer at first. There was just something old and gritty about the guy in his ring work and interviews and he was working in Canada at this point, so far as I can tell. It wasn't that out there, really. Apparently, though, it's David "Fidel" Sierra (the Cuban Assassin) and man, that's a confusing proposition considering "The Cuban/Fidel Cortez" was in the area. Sierra would have been around 20-21 and you have to think Cortez was a big influence on his later character. He's pretty good this early into his career regardless. Anyway, our next bit of Buddy footage takes us all the way to May 1: this means we miss out on Jan 10: Jay Youngblood, Joe Lightfoot & Ricky Romero defeat Buddy Rose, Rip Oliver & The Destroyer... Jan 17: n/a Jan 24: Buddy Rose defeats Jay Youngblood... Jan 31: Jay Youngblood & Ricky Romero defeat Buddy Rose & Rip Oliver by DQ Feb 7: Buddy Rose & The Destroyer vs. Buzz Sawyer & Matt Borne - Draw Feb 14: Buddy Rose vs. Buzz Sawyer - Draw Feb 21: Buddy Rose defeats Siva Afi Feb 28: Andre The Giant defeats Buddy Rose March 7: Buddy Rose & Rip Oliver vs. Buzz Sawyer & Matt Borne - Draw March 14: Buddy Rose vs. Johnny Boyd - Draw March 21: ? March 28: ? April 4: ? April 11: ? April 18: ? April 25: ? After a certain point, Cagematch starts to fail me here. But here's what I do see from wiki: Title history: The Destroyer March 14, 1981 Jay Youngblood March 21, 1981 Buddy Rose April 9, 1981 Jay Youngblood April 11, 1981 Buddy Rose April 21, 1981 Matt Borne April 29, 1981 Buddy Rose April 30, 1981 It feels like Memphis style hotshotting of the belt here. The Borne one night run is interesting. Anyway, Buddy Rose © vs Jay Youngblood - 2/3 Falls - Title Match - May 1, 1981 Buddy finally has music. I think it's I'm Coming Out by Diana Ross. Bonnema complains that the acoustics in the arena are not that good. Owen's out to announce that Buddy had just won the title in Salem on Thursday so this is now for the title (originally when booked it actually had Buddy CHALLENGING so that's the irony, I guess). Buddy's wearing the ceremonial Indian headdress and who knows how he got that. I like the look of the new belt even if it's a little busy. The underlying story here is that Buddy is proclaiming that he's going to fly over Mount St. Helens (which, remember, erupted in 1980) and toss the belt into the volcano the next day (like he did over the Freemont Bridge with the old belt. Bonnema says he went along on the ride for that since he didn't think Buddy would actually do it). So basically, Youngblood is fighting to save the belt by winning it here. Jay gets on the mic and promises the fans to defend the honor of the belt and the promotion and whatever else. They're also building to an already signed Strap match, probably on the upcoming Tuesday. Rope running to start including a huge sunset flip by Jay that has the crowd going nuts. Buddy disengages and tries to calm them down. Jay hits a quick backslide for two and Buddy disengages again, huffing and visibly frustrated, trying to calm the crowd down. Buddy puts on a full nelson and quickly turns it into a backslide for only two. More frustration. Buddy goes for a grounded crucifix and Youngblood keeps rolling it into a pin attempt of his own and Buddy's putting on a great emotive performance here. I'm not sure I've seen a Buddy match START with a pin attempt sequence like this before (also remember we're in 1981 here). Jay locks on a full nelson of his own and unlike Buddy he tries to work it. Buddy drops down and tries to kick back but Youngblood turns it into another near fall. They disengage again. I like the way they're going in and out of these. Putting some space in the middle makes everything resonate more than some of the sprintier pin attempt wars I've seen. Another bit of solid rope running culminating with a Youngblood cross body and another pin attempt and, of course, more Buddy frustration and disengagement and stalling. Buddy goes for a headlock to slow things down but gets tossed off and they do a bit more rope running with Buddy hanging on to the rope to avoid the chop and jive walking around the ring in celebration. Buddy drives him to the ropes but actually makes a clean break and jive struts a bit more. Jay drives Rose back to the ropes and instead of breaking chops him right over the top rope. Buddy's irate outside as Jay celebrates inside the ring to the fans' elation. Buddy's back in and as Jay's sort of looking to the crowd, Buddy grabs Youngblood's legs and catapult's him into the corner. He goes for a dropkick but Jay gets his legs and catapults him right outside. Buddy comes back in and complains some more. Finish to the fall has Buddy sneaking around Youngblood and hitting an O'Connor Roll out of the corner. He rolls through twice though, which is kind of novel. I really liked the first fall. I know lots and lots of people who wouldn't. It was almost all pin attempts and schitck/stalling/character work but the thing breathed really well and the pin attempts were very competitive and they managed to stick enough other STUFF in there to be interesting. Very enjoyable if you like storytelling. Second fall starts with a headlock base. Bonnema plays up that Jay has to win two straight falls to regain the title. Buddy's great at working from underneath in a headlock so this is all really good with the highlight being Buddy almost hitting the Robinson backbreaker off the ropes but Jay taking him around in a huge headlock takeover and going back to the base. Bonnema's solid here explaining how the first fall was ultimately a failure for Youngblood so he's come out with another strategy. He's grinding away with the headlock as Buddy sells and stooges and tries to get out only to end up back in it. At one point Jay makes the fans count thirty times as he grinds down with the headlock. Buddy sells it like death to his neck, which leads to a great legrop by the ropes by Youngblood. They end up back in the headlock and he grinds AGAIN all the way to forty this time. It's a spectacle at this point and that's it for Buddy. He gets pinned after Jay lets him go. Pretty awesome stuff. Buddy's able to fight back with an ambush from the get go in the third fall. He does this great drop kick while Jay's on the apron and Youngblood goes sailing to the floor. Jay makes it back to the apron and they fight for a bit until Jay goes for the sunset flip in and Buddy just moves out of the way. Jay hooks on the most meaningful late match headlock ever, but Buddy tosses him off and goes for the Robinson backbreaker. Jay floats over but can't lock in the sleeper but does get a shoulder block off the rope. He hits the ropes. Buddy goes for a punch or clothesline, and Jay slides through his legs and drags him down into a sunset flip position again for the pin as the crowd goes absolutely nuts. Really brisk third fall but it paid off a lot of stuff from earlier in the match. Post match, Buddy destroys Youngblood and Sandy Barr with the belt, but he returns it to Barr in the end. Youngblood saved the title. This was probably one of the best Buddy matches I've ever seen. In the top ten maybe, which is saying a lot.

Condolences to Khawk as well. He's done more than anyone to really keep alive the legend of the Mad Dog.

That's because you didn't shut your eyes and picture that jacket while he was talking.

There is absolutely nothing boring about this. That's like saying that this picture has the world's most boring guest timekeeper.

Most of the people who say Muraco have seen a ton of Muraco. I don't have a huge opinion on the matter, except for the fact I wish we had more of his Florida stuff. I really liked what i saw of him just beating the snot out of a super young Barry Windham. But yeah, people, when they're arguing, aren't arguing from a point of ignorance.

Yes, and the fact that he's named on that Home Alone poster actually strengthens the idea of him having some name value. How many WRITERS get top of the line credit? Richard Curtis was also "only" the writer on most of those films I mentioned. Hughes was a producer too. That's sort of how old Hollywood worked. The Producer would get the billing of it being "A Louis B. Mayer Film" or whatever.

Swede Hanson should have been his chef.

He's not, but if he was, it'd be one of these. Wait, that's not right. That this specific thing exists, sort of scares me, actually.

I guess it's a sign of all the people we've picked up here through the podcasting and what not. I forget sometimes that we have people who aren't on DVDVR too.

There is that one Mid-Atlantic Best of 1977 show with the fun Mulligan/Blackwell match, a lot of talk of the Paul Jones turn, and the recap of the Flair/Steamboat. I'm just saying!

If I don't have time to look at Lioness Asuka matches, I definitely don't have time to look at Natalya ones.

Just with some extra added elements of storytelling due to a slowly growing trust trust between the heel factions and Punk being great on the apron and one really great Daniel sequence that ended with this huge power bomb. Neither here nor there, but Rollins has really come a long way from where he was even a year and a half ago.

Now do the Rogueaus.

Honky could have had a bodyguard, certainly. (The counter argument is Jarrett and the Roadie, but that didn't have YEARS to build up the potential energy).

I think it would have worked just as well with almost anyone. Maybe not in ring, but I'm not sure the in ring mattered there so long as Virgil won at Summerslam. I think Honky could have managed that or Valentine or most midcard WWF heels (maybe not Bravo) I also think, honestly and completely, that Sherri was the MVP of Dibiase's 1991. For people who went through the set, did she stand out? I'd be amazed if she didn't. She did to me when I was going through that stuff, far, far more than Dibiase did.

Hardly. I am a man lackadaisically flailing about to list counter arguments. Shoot them down.

That feud was all about Piper then, and Sherri. Seriously, has Vince EVER done anything with that much build, even if most of it was passive? It was probably the single payoff in the history of the WWF with the most weight of time behind it.

You pay off an angle that'd been building for years without teasing the audience and it gets over. That's not so surprising. It has nothing to do with Dibiase and everything to do with Vince's patience

Yeah, honestly, I'm kind of tempted to say "Final Battle!" and all the stuff leading up to it, but really, start with 85. I know, it sounds like I'm crazy but, all of us, almost every single person on this board has JCP/WCW somehow in our formative wrestling experiences. We almost all caught it as kids or teenagers, whether watching Crockett and the Four Horsemen and RnRs and Valiant or or J-Tex and Flair with a bag on his head or watching Sting get mystery boxes and the Dangerous Alliance or having Hogan come in and RUIN EVERYTHING or the NWO coming on the scene and Crow Sting and hilariously good mid-card matches that'd never mean anything or just the drizzing shit it became. It's part of how we came to know wrestling. It's part of our DNA. If you're someone who's never encountered that at all, with nothing preconceived, there's nothing better that you can do but to jump right in at the start and just live as much as possible. The weekly TV from 85 is a lot of fun. There's a lot to really enjoy. There are a lot of handheld matches from that period to give everything some weight and heft and meaning. I kind of wish I could watch all this stuff again for the first time. You're pretty damn lucky. Don't waste it by starting at the end or even the middle.