Wahoo McDaniel

[JerryvonKramer]

Wahoo McDaniel vs. Ernie Ladd (6/30/73)

 

"Promises, Promises". What a fucking dude. I think this is Luce on commentary, suggesting this is from Chicago.

 

Ladd sells big for Wahoo to start, who throws a few big chops. Wahoo targets his offense on Ladd's leg. Headlock, up to a vertical vase. Wahoo really cranks on this headlock, it's a proper CRANK. Ladd takes over on offense. Send Wahoo in for the ride, Ray Stevens bump in the turnbuckle. These two guys really slugging it out now.

 

Backdrop by Wahoo. Elbow drop. That gets two. Ladd has given Wahoo a hell of a lot here. Gut punch by Wahoo sends Ladd 360 (DiBiase bump), Another big chop and Ladd goes flying. Ladd has been working this match like a 7-foot Curt Hennig! Reverse knife-edge sends Ladd 360 over the top rope. He tries to get back in and goes to the trunks. Brawling on the apron now as neither man can get back in.

 

Another 360 bump by Ladd back into the ring. Jesus Christ. Ladd lurks behind the ref and suckers Wahoo with a punch which earns him a DQ.

 

Apart from the fuck finish this was awesome. Ladd, man, they Big Cat could fly!! He bumped huge here which is amazing for a man his size. Wahoo was intense on offense too.

 

***1/2

 

 

Wahoo McDaniel & Dick the Bruiser vs. Ernie Ladd & Superstar Graham (5/25/73)

 

Still in Chicago, this is from a few days earlier seemingly. Superstar Graham looks cool, and him and Ladd as a team are swank as hell. Story here is that Bill Watts was injured in the previous match against Ladd and Graham, and so Dick the Bruiser has agreed to tag with Wahoo instead. Winner gets a shot at Ray Stevens and Pat Patterson for the belts.

 

Ladd and Graham seem to want an immediate DQ win, ha ha. But ref isn't having it and Bruiser unloads on Ladd who goes flying. Wahoo goes after Graham. Collision spot for the heels. Lateral press by Wahoo on Graham, but he's not the legal man. Bob Luce is a trainwreck on commentary and he's doing my head in.

 

Bruiser grabs Ladd by the nose. Graham in. Bruiser grabs him by the nose too. Dropkick by Wahoo on Ladd. Shoulder charge by Graham but runs into a slam by Wahoo and a dropkick. Graham comes back a bit. He is pretty stacked to be fair. Front facelock by hi on Wahoo. Ladd in. Great little stomps by him. I love that Ladd, despite being so big still works like a stooging heel. It's a lot of fun.

 

Wahoo in and he gives a big tomahawk to Graham. Masive chop gets three for the first fall.

 

Second fall and Bruiser pounds on Ladd.

 

Oh, an advert. "Haggerty" is selling a car. Thankfully, that was brief!

 

Bruiser sends Ladd into Wahoo's fist. Chop by Wahoo on Graham's arm. Heels manage to turn it around. Wahoo has colour somehow and Graham bites the cut. Ladd in. Little Baron-style punches out of the headlock. Goes for a cover but Bruiser breaks it. Wahoo bleeding a lot here. Ladd with another stomp. Graham in with stomps. Elbow smash by Graham. Cover gets the second fall.

 

Luce has got to shut up soon, he's SO annoying. Graham vs. Wahoo in the third fall now. Big boot by Wahoo allows him time to make the tag. Ladd tries to sneak in but Bruiser with a mule kick. Snapmare over the top by Bruiser on Ladd. Collision spot again. Big clothesline by Wahoo. Full armdrag and twist. Ladd is isolated. Chop by Wahoo and Ladd is busted open badly. Another big chop by Wahoo. Elbows now, three, four, five. Chop on Graham. All four men in and yet another collision spot. Faces have just totally guzzled the heels here.

 

Bruiser brawls with Ladd outside. Bruiser gets back in for a count out win. CHEAP and lame as hell. I HATE Bruiser, he's so shit. This match was bogged down by the presence of Bruiser, who is like carrying a lump of metallic shit, and Graham wasn't any great shakes in the ring. Juice from both Ladd and Wahoo though. A bit of war dancing at the end, including one by Bruiser. I said it before: if Bruiser had been a wrestler in the 90s, he'd have been the Sandman. I don't like Sandman much either.

 

AWA tag structure leaves a lot to be desired too. It goes something like this: Shine ... shine ... shine ... finish. Boooo.

 

**1/2

 

Wahoo McDaniel & Bill Watts vs. Ernie Ladd & Superstar Graham (5/5/73)

 

Okay, so weirdly this set has had the matches in reverse chronological order so far. Graham gets the worse end of the start with Wahoo and eventually tags out. Ladd eats a dropkick. But then he comes back. Graham in for some double teaming. Graham rams Wahoo's head into Ladd's boot. Comes back though. And Watts comes, while Wahoo steals the first fall. Back drop by Wahoo on Ladd. Watts in. Head into the turnbuckle. Hip toss. Watts gets his head stuck between the ropes, his neck is copletely stuck between the ropes. Shaky leg sell and everything here. Match has to be stopped, heels win by forfeit.

 

This was just an angle really, but a weird one. Watts is injured just by accident. Weird.

 

Oh no, Wahoo wants to continue 2 vs 1. It's 1-1 in falls. Chop suey on Graha by Wahoo. Ladd comes in. Chop mayhem by Wahoo. Goes for the pin. Slam by Graham. Punch by Ladd. Elbow is enough for three by Graham.

 

*1/2

 

More Wahoo later.

[Mad Dog]

I really loved his U.S. Title run in 1984-1985. Just some great heel promos where he was a total hypocrite in his demands for a shot at the World Title while dismissing Magnum TA as a potential challenger for the belt. It all ended with a pretty good cage match with Magnum TA for the U.S. Title.

[JerryvonKramer]

Wahoo McDaniel vs. Ric Flair (7/12/85)

 

This was on the Mid-South set and ranked #20 in final rankings, but here comes courtesy of the NWA Classics service. Just a stiff action-packed as one would expect. These two chop the crap out of each other for almost 20 minutes before an inevitble BS finish which sets up a rematch. The pace here was impressive, and Wahoo, despite his age here, could clearly still go. This wasn't a Flair carry job by any means. I was in heaven watching this match.

 

****1/2

 

Wahoo McDaniel vs. Ric Flair (26/7/85)

 

The return bout, and I believe this was previously unavaible before NWA Classics. Paul Boesch on commentary. Couple of funny little things going into this. First, a fan throws some trash into the ring and the ring announcer promises a $100 fine and POLICE ARREST to the next person who throws trash. Second, Boesch incorrectly states that Wahoo was looking to be the first Indian ever to hold the NWA title, because of course Jack Brisco was an Indian and held that title! Silly Mr. Boesch!

 

This was more of the same with a few more holds and throws thrown in. Super stiff and the chop exchanges are exhilerating. This time we get a clean(ish) finish too. About on par with the first match. My only gripe would be that Flair and Wahoo seemed to run a bit short of ideas after a while. The chop exchanges ARE awesome, but I'm not sure what else they are giving us.

 

Wahoo's thought process is something like this:

 

 

I mean, don't get me wrong, they ARE awesome chops ...

 

****1/2

[goodhelmet]

Wahoo is to chops what Lawler is to punches.... pure perfection.

[shoe]

Parv, the set had the dates wrong. The one listed as 7/12/85 on the set should be 7/26/85. So in reality 7/12/85 is the one never seen before.

[The Thread Killer]

Wahoo is a guy I really wish had more footage floating around, especially in his prime. From what I've read and the clips I've seen, he and Johnny Valentine really beat the hell out of each other, but sadly I don't know of any existing footage of their matches.