[1990-08-25-USWA-Championship Sports] Jeff Jarrett and Devastation Inc.

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Devastation Inc. (and John Tatum) bring Skandor Akbar, suffering the effects of a Jeff Jarrett piledriver I believe, out on a stretcher as Jeff Jarrett is finishing a squash match. They end up putting him in a wheelchair. Akbar cuts one of his best promos very upset about what Jarrett has done to him, then stumbles out of his wheelchair just long enough to throw a fireball in Jarrett's face. Billy Joe Travis immediately runs out to carry Jarrett away from the ring. Akbar leaves on a stretcher, barely getting out the worst "Devastation" and pumping his fist in the air, and the show goes to black. Great angle! No commentary over this totally makes it!

[PeteF3]

Skandor Akbar is carried out to ringside on a stretcher after being carried away from ringside Friday night. Tatum, Young, and Rod Price slowly move him to a wheelchair as he confronts Jeff Jarrett. Akbar has a pretty great wounded-puppy look on his face as he channels his inner Ron Wright, aghast that fans would cheer for this HEATHEN and "typical American, always kickin' somebody when they're down." I agree, this is one of Akbar's best moments on the stick. Akbar has one more thing to say to Jarrett: a fireball to the face. The heels STILL put Akbar back on the stretcher and carry him to the back--that's commitment. Well-done angle. Craig Johnson still is no Marc Lowrance but he's improved from where he started--he's developed a good, panicked, "Bob, go to something!" reaction for situations like this. Billy Travis runs Jarrett to the back and we go off the air.

[shoe]

This is chalked full of greatness. Akbar was awesome in his role here.

[soup23]

Holy shit am I becoming an Akbar fan? This was the best thing I have ever seen him done and was wonderfully presented.

[Kevin Ridge]

Akbar gets carried to ringside on a stretcher. Nice to see Tatum back. Akbar seems to be in discomfort. He can barely walk. When he tries to get up and turns away I was just waiting for the fireball. Jarrett wasn’t too prepared though as he gets it to the face. Nice.

[ajtroma]

It should be noted that the Memphis side of the territory NEVER heard of or seen this angle. Jarrett never showed any signs of burning. The first I'd heard of this was one of Bob Smith's horrible slash-fic articles in Inside Wrestling, which gave detail of the burn unit of Dallas General.

[garretta]

Tremendous performance by Akbar here, as he pulls off the wounded victim stuff beautifully, making Jarrett seem almost heelish. The best part, though, is that Ak still sells his injury as he goes to the back instead of getting up and running around like he was fine all along. I don't believe I've seen any injury angles done quite like that before. The camera happens to catch the lighter in Ak's hand a couple of times, but that only adds to the sense of impending danger, as the fans watching on TV know what's in store for Jeff before Jeff realizes it himself.

 

Craig does his best job yet, immediately running over with a towel to cover Jarrett's eyes and screaming for the director to go to something else. He seems to be hitting his stride at long last; it's a shame that there are only two more weeks of TV left for the USWA in Texas this year, if I have my math right. It's a shame that this angle most likely won't receive a proper payoff, too.

[GSR]

End of a Jarrett squash and Akhbar is carried down to ringside on a stretcher by Gary Young, John Tatum and Rod Price. Craig Johnson explains that he was carried out of the arena on a stretcher last night, and the three of them place him on the announcer’s desk and gently sit him up before he takes a seat. Jarrett steps out of the ring to see what’s going on and Akhbar wonders if this is the American way? He says that Jeff Jarrett tried to put him out of wrestling, he can’t walk and wonders if all the people watching want their children to grow up like this heathen? Obviously they do judging by the loud cheer from the Sportatorium crowd! He tells Jeff that he and Jerry Lawler should be real proud of themselves, and Jarrett says that he is, and he deserved it after everything he’s done to the people around here. Akhbar tells him that he’s got something to say to him, stands up out of his chair and throws fire at Jarrett. Johnson goes over with a towel to tend to Jeff and the General casually gets back on his stretcher! Billy Joe Travis is out (he’s not taking his time today like the other week), and the three of them carry Akhbar back out on the stretcher while he shouts ‘Devastation! Devastation! Devastation!’

 

I’m on my own here I think. The throwing of the fire looked bad as it seemed to take an age, and from the moment Akhbar stood up I was waiting for it (even though I’d never seen this before). I said previously that Akhbar is the one person in Dallas I struggle to get into, and imagine I would have enjoyed this a whole lot more if it was say Percy Pringle in that position instead. The way that he got back on the stretcher after throwing the fire was the highlight for me. Disappointed to see John Tatum reduced to someone who is having to carry a stretcher.

[dawho5]

Good stuff from everybody, which is really surprising. Craig finally manages to act like a horrible thing that happens is...horrible. That's amazing! Akbar does really well too, and I'm not usually a fan of his work.