The Nightmares

[Grimmas]

Discuss here,

[goc]

Ok, I'm not really participating in the project but I can see I'm going to have to beat the drum here and get people to consider them, because I honestly feel they should be in the discussion as one of the top tag teams of the 80s.

[goc]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIWW162VHkk

This starts with a rather infamous vignette "A Day in the Life of The Nightmares" followed by The Nightmares vs. Nick Patrick & Brickhouse Brown. Not pimping this as a great match but just a chance to get a feel for The Nightmares as heels in Continental.

 

Heel Nightmares vs. The Rich Cousins (Feud Highlights) I think The Nightmares were a better babyface team but they had a long run under masks before eventually losing them to Tommy & Johnny Rich.

 

The Nightmares vs. The Stud Stable (feud recap) Another feud highlight, this time with The Nightmares as babyfaces. This seemed to be a very personal feud but unfortunately I can not find the episodes from 1987 during that time period so it's just stuff from Joe Pedicino's Pro Wrestling This Week.

 

The best thing I've seen The Nightmares in is their feud with Jerry Stubbs & The Dirty White Boy over the Continental Tag Titles in 86-87 this is the only match I could find of the feud on youtube but it was one of the better ones so definitely check it out.

[W2BTD]

Underrated and under appreciated team.

 

Just watched a great Continental TV match they had against the Southern Boys (another great team), I think from May 1988, which was just as they were teasing the Nightmares split. They did a ref stop finish where Armstrong didn't get high enough on a leap frog, and smacked his balls on Davis' head. Listening to Solie find creative ways to describe this as classy as possible was amusing. So anyway, the Nightmares won the match & the titles via ref stoppage, so Ken Wayne, who was doing a cocky asshole gimmick because he had just won the junior title, was parading around the ring with the three belts like he just hit the lottery while Smothers, Davis, and the ref tended to Armstrong and his injured sack. Davis, playing the straight babyface, was having none of this, and talked Wayne into giving the titles back. This was just all so fantastic.

 

The match itself was a great baby vs baby tag match, worked at the breakneck pace I love, and the post match stuff was fucking gold. Everybody was great. Wayne, Davis, Armstrong & his injured balls, Smothers, Solie, everybody. ****

 

 

I stumbled upon a Nightmares/R&RE match from Memphis, 1985. Nightmares were feed & bump heels here, managed by Jimmy Hart. This was under ten minutes, and it was one of those R&RE matches where Gibson plays the face in peril. I haven't seen much of the Nightmares in Memphis, but it was fun seeing them in a different role as midcard heels as opposed to the Continental stuff i've seen, where they were often a top act. It wasn't a great match or anything, but they showed versatility for sure.

[W2BTD]

Also I agree with goc, they were a better babyface team for sure.

[goc]

I actually think babyface Nightmares are SUPER accessible, even for people who like more of the "go go go" style than you would expect from an 80s southern tag team. They were a very versatile tag team. Their normal finish in Continental is Danny Davis hitting a Tombstone followed by Ken Wayne hitting the guy with a Top Rope Legdrop. A pretty high end finisher for the middle to late 80s. I've also seen them both hit some pretty amazing looking dives, and have some all out BRAWLS. I would say as far as 80s babyfaces teams being able to have an awesome all out brawl type of match, they are second to only maybe The Fabulous Ones in my book.

[W2BTD]

I actually think babyface Nightmares are SUPER accessible, even for people who like more of the "go go go" style than you would expect from an 80s southern tag team. They were a very versatile tag team. Their normal finish in Continental is Danny Davis hitting a Tombstone followed by Ken Wayne hitting the guy with a Top Rope Legdrop. A pretty high end finisher for the middle to late 80s. I've also seen them both hit some pretty amazing looking dives, and have some all out BRAWLS. I would say as far as 80s babyfaces teams being able to have an awesome all out brawl type of match, they are second to only maybe The Fabulous Ones in my book.

 

This is an excellent point. Their pacing makes them stand out, especially for that time period, which is probably why I like them so much. They were ahead of their time in a lot of ways, too.

 

They tick every box for me, and would definitely be a team I would consider for a top 25.

[goc]

I am working on going through and pulling Nightmares matches off of DVDs to put on youtube. Going in (mostly) chronological order so they are masked heels still. Here are the first two:

 

vs. Steve Armstrong & Tommy Rich 6.17.85

 

vs. Tommy & Johnny Rich 10.7.85

[W2BTD]

This is awesome, i'm going to devour this. Thanks.

[goc]

vs. Johnny & Tommy Rich - Loser Gets 20 Lashes

 

[victory]

They won't make my list. I just can't separate the wrestler from the person when it comes to Ken Wayne.

[goc]

The last match between Stubbs/DWB & The Nightmares - Cage Match. Unfortunately they pull the old "show goes off with the match in progress" trick on us but we do get 19 minutes of the match and that's after I cut out commercials. I'll try and get to the rest of the feud soon.

 

[goc]

So I happened to remember that there was a Nightmares vs. Fire & Flame match on the Memphis set. I didn't remember anything except that I didn't rank the match very high but The Nightmares hit an awesome stereo dive. So I watched it again and I really under rated this thing. I think I just couldn't get over how outright awful The Nightmares look is in this match. But it's a pretty cool match and a real good look at The Nightmares as they work a normal tag with Fire & Flame and then some "only in Memphis" stuff happens that we don't see. But what you can figure out is that Flame does something to a fan off camera and it causes Jerry Lawler & Randy Hales to run out so you know something fucking happened. They cut to commercial and when we come back Lance says that Fire & Flame are banned from wrestling in the studio and JD Costello brings out the Mod Squad to finish the match with The Nightmares. Then this turns into a total brawl and you get to see that side of The Nightmares also.

 

[goc]

So I thought that their breakup in 1988 CWF was the end of the team, but they actually had a run in 1990 WCW as the masked Galaxians. They weren't anything but jobbers there so it doesn't help their case but I didn't know that was them. The first result I have of them teaming together is from 1981 in Memphis, I know they worked a lot in Continental as well and I'm pretty sure I remember Danny Davis talking about him and Ken Wayne working together in Stampede as well. So they actually teamed together off and on for close to 10 years in multiple territories, although I don't think there is any footage out there of them in Stampede.

[goc]

After giving them a deeper look as heels, I have to say I think they still maintain their fast pace here against The Rich Cousins. The first match is kind of an all out brawl at times but even the 2nd match where they work a standard tag keeps a quick pace and they're constantly moving the match forward.

 

vs. Tommy & Johnny Rich 10/7/85

 

The Nightmares attack The Rich cousins as soon as they come out of the locker room and this immediately turns into a brawl! The Nightmares are bumping and selling big time here. Tommy & Johnny have pretty bad timing on all their "at the same time" moves. Tommy blasts one of them with a chair while Johnny almost pins the other inside the ring. The ref for some reason refuses to recognize The Nightmare's call for a timeout. The Nightmares talk strategy and try to regroup on the outside without much success following as one of the Nightmares ends up in the corner of the Rich cousins. The Nightmares do a partner switch while the ref's back is turned. This is one of the better tag teams to do that gimmick with as even I can't tell them apart at times when they're masked.

 

The Nightmares finally start turning things around when one of them low blows Johnny Rich and follows that up by throwing a chair at his face. That's a patented Nightmares move, I've never seen them swing chairs only throw them. The Nightmares focus on the "injury" of Johnny Rich afterwards including a nice looking front suplex. The Nightmares taunt Tommy Rich into the ring so they can double team on Johnny. Johnny finally makes the tag and Tommy comes in and takes down both Nightmares. Once the ref's back is turned Tommy pulls something out of his tights and lays one of the Nightmares out with it but the ref is distracted and doesn't count the pin. All 4 guys end up in the ring and the ref (who looks completely clueless at times) ends up throwing out the match. One of The Nightmares gets a belt from somewhere and starts wailing on Johnny Rich with it but Tommy gets another belt from the same somewhere and he makes the save with it. The Nightmares want no taste of their own medicine and decide to run for it. This was a really fun brawl and a nice lead in to the 20 lashes match.

 

vs. Johnny & Tommy Rich 10/21/85 - Loser gets 20 lashes

 

This match doesn't start off at nearly the same pace as the last one. The Rich cousins come out and clear The Nightmares out of the ring but it doesn't turn into a brawl like last time. Tommy and Danny Davis start and Tommy quickly gets a headlock. Davis makes the tag to Wayne while in the headlock but Tommy isn't suckered in as he quickly lets go and backs off. Tommy quickly gets his headlock back this time on Ken Wayne and then hits a Thesz press before that move used to be followed up with a bunch of bad looking punches. Davis consoles his partner Ken Wayne outside the ring and then Wayne comes back in to demonstrate to the referee how Tommy was pulling his mask. The Nightmares console each other in the ring after Danny Davis' turn with Tommy goes badly. The Rich cousins do a cute spot in the corner where Johnny stops a Nightmare punch on Tommy and puts him in a headlock after a tag that The Nightmare missed. Johnny runs the ropes but The Nightmare on the apron knees him in the back and that's The Nightmares' chance to take over.

 

Johnny gets sent over the top rope and then hit with a big axe handle from the top rope to the outside! Johnny gets sent back in the ring and turns a back body drop attempt into a sunset flip but the ref is distracted with the other Nightmare and misses the pin. Tommy comes in and saves his partner from being pinned and then Johnny gets hit with another one of those nice looking front suplexes. Tommy tries to come in and save his cousin but The Nightmares take advantage of the ref's distraction with some double teaming. Johnny finally starts to come back with some punches and then goes through The Nightmare's legs to make the tag! Tommy comes in and starts cleaning house including banging The Nightmares' heads together. The Rich cousins send Ken Wayne out and he takes a nutty bump over the top rope hitting the apron on the way down. The other Nightmare rolls up Tommy with the tights but the ref sees it and doesn't count. The Nightmare thinks he's won and starts to celebrate only to be rolled up and pinned for the 3 count by Tommy Rich!

 

The Nightmare is handcuffed to the corner to receive his lashes. He takes 5 until his partner feels sympathy and decides to take them for him. Johnny whips him one time and then he takes off out of the ring to leave his partner to take the rest. Eventually though he comes back and takes out the ref and gets the key to free his partner after some more lashes from Tommy Rich. The Nightmares try to handcuff Tommy and get revenge but Johnny comes back and saves him and the Rich cousins walk off celebrating as The Nightmares have a fit.

[goc]

Just watched a great Continental TV match they had against the Southern Boys (another great team), I think from May 1988,

Here it is for the viewing pleasure of somebody (hopefully)

 

[goc]

I don't have anything new to add except people should at least be giving these dudes a chance. I put the matches up, it's not like there is no footage to look at.

[shoe]

They also have a mini run in 1990 as the Galaxians in WCW as tv jobbers. A super fun tag team. As faces they were similar to the Fantastics. As heels they were very similar to the MX.

[goc]

They also have a mini run in 1990 as the Galaxians in WCW as tv jobbers. A super fun tag team. As faces they were similar to the Fantastics. As heels they were very similar to the MX.

Glad to see I'm not the only one who thinks they're good enough to be mentioned alongside The Fantastics/MX/RNR.

[El-P]

They won't make my list. I just can't separate the wrestler from the person when it comes to Ken Wayne.

 

This. Child sex exploitation. I'll pass.

[goc]

 

They won't make my list. I just can't separate the wrestler from the person when it comes to Ken Wayne.

 

This. Child sex exploitation. I'll pass.

 

I find your stance very hypocritical considering you're still planning on putting Benoit on your list.

[El-P]

 

 

They won't make my list. I just can't separate the wrestler from the person when it comes to Ken Wayne.

 

This. Child sex exploitation. I'll pass.

 

I find your stance very hypocritical considering you're still planning on putting Benoit on your list.

 

 

Please, not this again. Do I need to explain for the billion time that we, ok let's say *I*, grew up with Benoit and that he only snaped and commited his awful crime after years and years of watching him and having made my mind about his quality as a wrestler ? While the Nightmares, well I probably saw some stuff when I watched some Memphis TV a few years ago, but it's not like I have any opinion or attachment to their work whatsoever, it would be new to me. And I just have no interest in watching a child molestor just because he was an entertaining rassstler. So hypocritical my ass.

 

And then, at the risk of shocking people, a guy who by all acount has been a decent human being for most of his life before snapping for a reason we'll never know and murdering his family is less morally shocking to me than a life-long child abuser and rapist like say, Buck Zhumofe. That's where I stand to begin with. The Benoit crime is and will forever be a mystery and a tragedy, and what he did was of course godawful. But the other ones are legit human pieces of trash to me, and probably have been all their lives. So there.

[Loss]

So I just came in to ask how their Stampede matches are.

[goc]

Don't think they really had any. At least not any that made tape. I forget whose podcast he was on but Danny Davis said Ken Wayne didn't stick around because he didn't like the cold so Danny Davis was the only one who really had much of a run in Stampede. Is there a reason you would value their work in Stampede more than in Continental or Memphis?

[Loss]

That's kind of a weird takeaway from me just asking how they were in Stampede. There was nothing more to it, sheesh.