[1996-12-14-USWA-TV] Jerry Lawler vs Bill Dundee (No DQ)

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Before the match, there is a great commercial for the USWA Feel The Rage t-shirt involving Lawler. The match is No DQ, and Lawler is hoping that their years-long feud can finally end today. Lawler is also wearing his 80s gear: blue and yellow colors! This isn't a long match, or an essential one in the series, but it's still good to see. Even in 1996, when wrestling all over the world was pretty damned great, there are little touches and details that these two guys do better than anyone. It's the kind of mastering of fundamentals that could take some guys to the next level.

 

Because it's no DQ, we even get a piledriver, and Lawler has no problem breaking holds with a thumb to the eye! PG-13 ends up accidentally hitting Dundee with a hubcap, ensuring that Lawler retains the title.

[Phil Schneider]

This is the cliff notes version of a Lawler v. Dundee classic. It is a studio match, No DQ, for the Unified title. I really liked the way they used the No DQ stip, as both guys would use chokes and thumbs to the eye, Lawler even breaks out his illegal in TN piledriver. Downtown Bruno did a great job telling the wrestlers what they could and couldn't do. Of course it is Lawler v. Dundee, so you get everything you would expect from that match up, awesome sneaky punches by both guys, big bumps by Lawler (he takes his through the ropes side bump to the floor and a posting), Dundee's running clips to the knee, the strap drop. I always love how Dundee deals with the Lawler strap, he never begs off or freaks out, he just doubles his effort, like he is thinking "If I hit this fuck hard enough he will put that strap back up." Finish comes with blown hubcap interference from the Nation of Domination. Such a nifty short match, I really wish we had MSC footage from this period, because I imagine their arena matches were class.

[Tim Evans]

They were at the Big one at this time after getting kicked out of the Coliseum. It is kinda sad that the only footage avaiable is clipped or features Randy Hales wrestling. Really liked this match and the babyface turn after it. Phil, have you seen the match they had in 98 in Power Pro? If not, I"ll upload it for ya.

[Phil Schneider]

Nope, I haven't.

[PeteF3]

I wish this had gone longer but there's only so much of this they were going to give away on TV. Still a good match with--shock of shocks--Dundee throwing really awesome punches. I also want to point out that Downtown Bruno did a really good job of officiating this, finding a way to make his presence felt without putting himself over the workers and knowing how to actually "officiate" a no-DQ match.

[soup23]

Really fun tv match and a good bite sized version of everything these two can do well. They work the stip, they have great strikes and the angles are already advanced. The piledriver spot to me was the best thing within this match as a great nod to the people that watch week to week. This is the type of match that makes USWA don't feel as floundering as it was at this point. ***1/4

[tim]

Simple Lawler/Dundee match, which, since it's a Lawler/Dundee match, is darn good for a short studio match. Definitely one of the top USWA matches of the year.