[1992-04-18-USWA-TV] Jerry Lawler & Jeff Jarrett & Eric Embry vs Moondog Spike & Richard Lee & Cujo / Interview: Eddie Marlin, Jerry Lawler & Jeff Jarrett

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Highlights of what looks to be a terrific match from the 04/13 Mid South Coliseum show. Embry in particular shines, maybe partially because he's fresh to the feud, but also possibly because he's a really good worker. He swings around garbage cans and chains and is just a hell of a brawler. This looks to be a form of vengeance for the babyfaces (and Embry) ... until the post-match, when the Moondogs throw BATTERY ACID in Embry's eyes! Embry sells it like he's dying and there's sort of a quiet hush over the crowd, with fans offering their drinks to wash out his eyes. Forget ECW or FMW, THIS is hardcore.

 

Post-match, Eddie Marlin, Jerry Lawler and Jeff Jarrett do an interview, with Marlin asked why he doesn't just stop booking them. He explains that firing them would leave the USWA open to a lawsuit because when they were hospitalized, the USWA didn't respond. Another reason is the fear of them going to other territories and spreading lies. So, his plan is to keep booking them, but make their lives miserable while they're here.

 

Lawler steps in and explains how it's a change in the times, as he suspended Terry Funk a few years ago for his actions, and Marlin still hears from Funk's attorney almost regularly. Lawler promises that one way or another, eventually, he and Jarrett will get rid of the Moondogs for good.

 

This is just great, great pro wrestling presentation all around.

[Tim Evans]

I remember reading about the Embry angle in the PWI and thinking it was real. Such a great angle and Embry sold it great.

[shoe]

This looked awesome. Embry sold his ass to get the blinding angle over. Such an easy angle to get over, but no way can a blinding angle get over in a major company today.

[Kevin Ridge]

Great looking brawl. Embry has had a rough go with his eyes in 92 so far. A definite panic played up well by everyone involved when Embry gets blinded. Yeah, this wouldn't get over today in a major company nor would fans be offering their $8 drinks to try to help.

[MikeCampbell]

Another fun brawl, with a crazy angle and good promos to follow up. And no, this would never get over like this today.

[WingedEagle]

I remember reading about the Embry angle in the PWI and thinking it was real. Such a great angle and Embry sold it great.

Yes! They had a great closeup of his scarred eyes and as a kid who never had access to Memphis tv it was quite the impression.

 

This was an awesome brawl, with Embry in particular going crazy with a board and garbage can on Spot, and the others working in chains and weapons all around. After Lawler pins Lee, the Moondogs throw acid in Embry's eyes and he does an incredible job selling it. Pretty awesome how quickly he went from a big time to heel to the lead face in the company's #1 feud in short order.

 

Afterwards Eddie Marlin delivers a simple promo that he won't fire the Moondogs because that would paint his babyfaces as cowards. Simple, effective and believable.

[PeteF3]

He's in the background for most of this, but it is truly astounding some of the shots that Richard Lee takes here. Embry fits into all this perfectly--love putting a trash can over Cujo and whacking it with a board. And of course the requisite Memphis chain. Lee eventually gets squashed by his own Dog and pinned. Good way to finally give the babyfaces a victory while still leaving you hungry for a decisive win over the Moondogs themselves.

 

Then the big post-match angle. Cujo carries a steaming cup of something and intends to use it on Jeff Jarrett, and when Embry tries to stop him he gets the whole batch of red liquid in his eyes. Embry sells this like death and the MSC goes dead fucking silent. PWI published a fantastic image of the red stuff flying at Embry and it freaked me out as much as the Jake/Arrogance stuff did.

 

Angle of the First Quarter, probable Angle of the Year candidate. Such a dastardly fucker like Embry couldn't turn babyface just by teaming with Lawler for a week--something truly monumental had to happen for him to redeem himself, and this is it.

 

A somber Marlin, Lawler, and Jarrett are out to address the situation. Marlin brings up Spike's hospitalization and how firing the Moondogs would open the USWA up to lawsuits, and also brings up that firing them would lead to them appearing on another wrestling program bragging about how the USWA wasn't tough enough for them. God, Lawler and Jarrett were MASTERS of detail. Incredible how such a fast-paced, angle-heavy promotion generally had angles that still made sense on the surface, and how hard these guys worked to preserve realism as best they could.

[garretta]

Where was Spotty? Was Larry sick or hurt? It wouldn't surprise me, given the brutal beating the Dogs must be taking as this match goes around the loop.

 

Lee takes some tremendous shots, including the avalanche he eats for the winning pin. As I said a couple of threads back, his physical courage is enormous, particularly for someone still so new in the business.

 

At two different points in the clip we saw, they tease a possible Embry turn on Jeff, including one time when Eric actually hits Jeff in the head with a trash can. I'm glad they didn't go that way, as it would have been one of the biggest letdowns in Memphis wrestling history.

 

As a few people have said above me, Embry looks right at home in this feud. It's a shame that this is the only match where he's really a big part of it.

 

So Spotty was the one who threw the acid, huh? Wow. The sales job by Lawler, Jeff, and Embry goes above and beyond. Whatever that really was (maybe hot sauce with dry ice to cause the steam?) it had to legitimately sting Embry's eyes if it even hit a little. This is worse than Martel and Jake with the Arrogance, because I'm pretty sure that was just water with scent possibly added. I can't imagine any red, steaming substance that can't cause damage if it lands anywhere close to the eyes, and we know the steam is real because we see it. Loss is right; this is true hardcore, and I don't think Heyman ever stole this angle, though he probably used something close to it.

 

Sorry, but even as a mark it would be tough for me to buy the "if we stopped booking the Dogs, they'd call us cowards all over the country" routine Eddie's trying to sell in his interview. First of all, no other organization would allow them to mention the USWA, Lawler, or Jeff. Second, how is that your problem? One of your best hands was just blinded by these animals. Are you going to take the chance that Lawler or Jeff or some poor innocent young guy gets the same treatment or worse? They should have just used the lawsuit part and let it go at that; everyone in 1992 understands that the threat of lawsuits, even from despicable people like Lee, can cripple any company. Nice tie-in by Lawler to his already legendary feud with Terry Funk.

 

Jeff isn't as good during this promo as he would be later in the show. "Either Lawler and I stay, or you guys leave town." It's okay, Jeff. We knew what you meant.

 

I liked Lawler's admission that getting rid of the Dogs would take longer than he and Jeff first thought. Say what you will about these monsters, they're as tough a team as Memphis has ever seen. I can't wait to see where this feud goes from here!

[dawho5]

I loved the match.  Pure Memphis craziness.  I was too busy thinking about the eventual coked up Embry promo promising unholy, violent revenge to really care about what was being said after.