[1990-01-20-USWA Texas] Jerry Lawler vs Junkyard Dog

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Some will complain that this is too showy without much wrestling, and it is, but if you compare this to the Flair/JYD match at the Clash, I think Lawler's approach looks better. It's a lot of build to just a few spots, and Lawler plays hide-the-chain. Not a good match, and not really a fun one, but an interesting one worth watching nonetheless. The match ends in a DQ when Terrence Garvin interferes on Lawler's behalf.

[PeteF3]

Terrence Garvin is a rather lamely transparent attempt to jump on the heel-commentator bandwagon when every promotion decided they just had to have a Jesse Ventura in the booth. He was beyond unnecessary at this or any other point.

 

Lawler stalls, begs, pleads, and negotiates his way through the opening minutes and then has magically gained control during the commercial break. Great shot of the chain dangling in the corner as Lawler is being frisked by Tony Falk. Eventually Garvin gets involved and gets chased out of the arena by the Dog as the show goes off the air.

 

Lawler was game but man, JYD was just sad at this point. Even his wind-up headbutt, which you'd expect to still be a decent-looking move, looks loose.

[soup23]

I thought this was surprisingly loads of fun and really showed Lawler doing is best to make something out of JYD. He knew he was going to have to do about 95% of the work to get this match over and he is game. I enjoyed Marc outsmarting Terrence into admitting Lawler was using the chain.

[Kevin Ridge]

These are some of the worst commentators I’ve heard. The play by play guy seems like he could fall asleep any moment calling the match. Stalling early by Lawler. JYD is in control until the commercial break does him in. JYD is pretty awful in the ring. Lawler does what he can but just not a very good match.

[Cox]

I like that this is on the yearbook, because this is a good example of The Lawler Show as a heel, where he does every trick in the book to get something watchable out of JYD. It's a master class on how to get something out of an opponent who brings little to the table.

[JerryvonKramer]

JYD is fat as fuck here. Worst colour man in the history of the world.

 

Lawler's hair is awful. His cowardly stalling is pretty funny here though. And very effective because that first punch from JYD achieves its maximum possible impact.

 

Lawler is almost wrestling himself. I never want to see or hear Terrence Garvin again.

[Johnny Sorrow]

I love that Marc Lowrence gets all upset in the way a pastor would when Garvin says JYD doesn't even have a third grade education.

[Laney]

The commentary here was absolutely horrible. The heel commentator was just atrocious. Not a very good match either, Lawler was really heeling it up and using the dirty tactics here.

[ajtroma]

Lets not forget the accidental bump the poor photographer took onto the floor. He slipped on something (Renegades brand tobacco spit?) and just busts his ass.

[bradhindsight]

This has to have one of the most ill-timed commercial breaks ever. You have Lawler finally knocked down by JYD and they come back with Lawler firmly in control thanks to a chain. Just a huge part of the match that the USWA wasted there.

 

That said - even if the limited action, I was pretty glued here. Terrence Garvin's "He's my favorite wrestler" made me chuckle due to his inflection. JYD finally causes Lawler to lose the chain and a big headbutt gets a near-fall. DQ as JYD clobbers Garvin after Lawler pushes him off the apron. Heel Lawler's shtick is pretty fun (especially the crowd flipping out and pointing to the chain on the turnbuckle. He really worked those guys).

[Bix]

Lawler was way too much of a chickenshit here for the world champion but this was still a lot of fun and he's amazing at selling his fear. The chain dangling on the turntable is a great moment.

[goodhelmet]

I amy have found a complete version for the Jerry Lawler Part 2 set, Brad. That commercial break may or may not be included.

[garretta]

Easily the worst match so far. I have no patience for "hide-the-chain" Lawler when I see him because that's literally 95% of his offense. No straight punches and almost no wrestling (okay, in this match he tries one lousy arm wringer that lasts about two seconds). How the Dallas fans didn't see what a putrid in-ring worker he was in their part of the territory I have no idea. Even his so-called psychology's not worth two cents.

 

I firmly believe that he was intentionally tanking Dallas so he could save all of his best stuff for his own home fans in Memphis. In summary, I would have rather seen Marc Lowrance wrestle Terrance Garvin. At least I knew JYD was fading fast and could adjust my expectations; the difference between Memphis Lawler and Dallas Lawler is like the difference between Ric Flair and Zeus.

 

Agree on Garvin being a horrible commentator, but at least he had a purpose in this match. Good for Marc on finding a higher calling, but I'll miss him when he leaves the booth.

[El-P]

Odd, I thought people around here would enjoy this a lot more, considering I'm not sold on Lawler being that exceptionnal worker and yet this is precisely a case where I think Lawler was great. JYD is beyond useless, and Lawler makes a match out of it. I find him hilarious, really crafty with working the hide-the-chain gimmick, his selling (both for the shitty offense and the overall presence of another warm body in the ring) is terrific. This is totally smoke, mirrors and stalling, but to me that is a much better and smarter performance than Flair's, who just went on autopilot. JYD not even registering Lawler chainless punches is amazingly lazy. I never got the appeal anyway, he sucked even in his prime in Mid-South. So yeah, great stuff by Lawler, and good postmatch.

[drew wardlaw]

Man Lawler works this so smart. As anyone who was watching JYD's WCW run around this time knows he can barely move and they gave him a title shot. Here it's more of a spectacle and really the best way to have a JYD match. He's so sad to watch and he's hardly able to walk let alone wrestle. I love anytime a wrestler cuts a promo during a match. Hide The Chain worked for me, I popped when the chai went flying.

 

This is Terrance Garvin on color commentary? He stinks.

[dawho5]

I'm no huge fan of "hide the chain" Lawler, but it had to be done. There was no way he could have worked an actual wrestling match as long as this went on with JYD otherwise. You work with what you've got.

[Stiva]

Worst match so far but Lawler works around JYD really well and uses every trick in the book to keep the crowd engaged in it. Garvin as heel commentator is a bit too blatant and grating but Marc Lawrence sounding, for all the world, like Mr. Mackey from South Park almost makes up for it.