Buddy Landell

[Grimmas]

Discuss here.

[Tim Evans]

I'm a huge fan of Landell. When he was around, few were better on the mic and he was good in the ring. The problem is he wasn't around a territory for very long and drugs/Alcohol really hurt his career. His best run was in 95 for SMW and his babyface turn on Jim Cornette is amazing. He was also great in the Dundee/Landell vs Lawler/Mantell feud. I doubt he'll be on my list but I'm a fan of his.

[W2BTD]

I'm sure some of you remember Landel's random, 3 day WWE run in December 1995.

 

SMW had just folded, and Landel made his debut replacing the injured Shane Douglas vs Ahmed Johnson at IYH 5. He lost a :30 squash.

 

Landel worked the next two nights, which were TV tapings, and they actually gave him a mini push to set up a WWF Title match vs Bret Hart. First he beat Bob Holly on a live RAW. Later that night, he lost the title match to Bret, but that wouldn't air until January. The next night he beat a pre-push jobber Matt Hardy at the Superstars taping. The Holly match was live, then the Hardy match aired about a week later. Then they aired the Bret match on WWF Mania of all places a few weeks after that in January. So they basically gave Landel two TV wins to set him up for Hart. Four matches in three days, that aired over a months time. Then he was gone.

 

Here's the Hart match: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6tqf6_bret-vs-buddy_sport

 

Landel worked a random shot at a Knoxville house show in 1997, third from the top vs TJ Hopper. They used a few other ex-SMW guys on that show. Then he popped back up again in 1999, working three Shotgun Saturday Night tapings. I didn't know about that mini run until I researched the forgotten Hart match.

 

He also had one WCW match during this era, a WCW Saturday Night loss to Goldberg in 1997.

 

All of those post-95 shots were in SMW country, so when WWF or WCW would come around, people thought well enough of him that they would give him chances.

[goc]

I fucking love Buddy. Liked him a lot in Mid-South and Memphis but I actually think my favorite Buddy stint was in Global. He was head and shoulders above the rest of the guys there on character work and promos and it made him a huge standout. It's unfortunate he didn't stick around longer there, or anywhere else really. I could see myself voting for him if he could have ever got it together and made a real impact somewhere, but I can't vote for him based on a few fun stints here and there.

[Parties]

Is his stock rising? The Landel tribute episode of "Exile on Badstreet" has a lot of great stuff to think about, but I'm wondering if he's become a top 100 worker for anyone this year. His Memphis and Crockett runs are dynamite. I love him in-ring but like Embry he's someone where I need to see more to know if he ranks and where.

 

I've seen the classic SMW promo: if it's not the best promo I've ever seen, it's right up there. I'm particularly fond of the moment where in reference to HBK he notes, "Sexiest man in wrestling? That's great." It's said with this hilarious inflection that's at once dismissive of him as a pretty boy while acknowledging that at a younger time in life, heel Landel probably considered himself the sexiest man in wrestling, told people so, and that a part of him has to give kudos to Michaels for now holding an accolade that only Landel himself would have considered his. Like even in his redemption moment there are notes of his past hubris that are really multifaceted and interesting.

 

If people haven't seen the Bob Holly competitive squash from RAW, it's awesome. Really good Landel performance and the first that several years ago made me take notice of his late career renaissance. Pretty much any time he got to drop the corkscrew elbow on someone in his heavier days, it's hit with a balance of surprising agility and the violent knockout power of a fairly fat dude. Way better than the Bret match from Mania.

[El-P]

Potentially, a top 50 guy easily. Practically, nope. Don't do drugs kids.

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

I really enjoyed taking a look at Buddy, and wish I could have found more stuff. I guess that's the only thing that could keep him off my list. Surprised how good a squash match worker he was. Really looked good bullying guys. Great as a lesser of two evils babyface too.

[W2BTD]

I really enjoyed taking a look at Buddy, and wish I could have found more stuff. I guess that's the only thing that could keep him off my list. Surprised how good a squash match worker he was. Really looked good bullying guys. Great as a lesser of two evils babyface too.

 

He was also very good on the opposite side of squashes, making guys look great. In fact. I think it was one of his strengths as a worker.

[InYourCase]

Landell is someone that I really want to give a fair shake to before ballots are due. If anyone has recs that Lanza didn't mention above, I'd love to hear them.

[Tim Evans]

Buddy vs HBK is probably his best match. I also like his match with Nightmare Freddy but that might be an acquired tasted.