Chicky Starr

[JerryvonKramer]

Recommendations by Dylan.

 

Chicky Starr vs. White Angel (1989)

 

White Angel has a similar build to Paul Orndorff. Chicky Starr has an A+ moustache and a kind of a Mike Graham / Brian Blair type build. Seemingly he'd been working as a manager at this point.

 

First five minutes is all shine for Angel, with basic punches and a hip toss. Starr begs off. Eventually we get our transition when Starr hits an inverse atomic drop out of the turnbuckle. Some basic offense from him now until Angel comes back with fists. Runs into Starr's knee and he takes over on offense again. Dumps Angel. Starr has colour from somewhere too, Angel is also bloodied. Heel colour commentator (I believe Rip Oliver) claims that only Angel is bleeding and Starr's colour is from a headbutt, ha ha. Suplex by Starr. Heat sequence from him now. Angel tries to come back at various points with punches, but they are just hope spots.

 

Out of a commerical break and Starr has a reverse chinlock applied. Angel has another comeback attempt, but eats a kneelift. Chinlock back on. Angel is pretty fucking limited, Starr is leading him by the nose here. Angel eventually hits a horrible powerslam and a big back drop. This takes the action outside and eventually Starr posts Angel for a double CO.

 

White Angel is pretty put together in terms of his body, but a horrible worker. Starr put in a "good hand" sort of performance here.

 

**

 

Chicky Starr vs. Invader #1

 

Thank god we get the Spanish commentary here and not Rip Oliver, who was annoying as hell during the last match. This is pretty heated to start with a "dangerous" feeling atmosphere, there are armed guards around the ring. Starr is beating the crap out of Invader. Commentator sounds like he's on the loud speakers. Invader is busted open. Starr seems to have aged a lot between 1986 and 1989 because he's in better shape here with a "smoother" moustache. They go back in the ring and Starr goes to an armbar. It sounds like Fidel Castro is cutting a promo in this stadium, what the hell is going on?

 

Armbar continues. Starr throws some good punches. He's completely hammered on Invader here who has had zero offense. Kneedrop. Cover only gets one. Invader finally gets half a clobbered arm in for a pop, but Starr immediately dumps him. Back outside and he nails him some more. Invader gets back in and hits a reverse knife edge. Slugfest back and forth now. Invader starts jumping up and down and crowd has erupted. Starr bails. Count out win for Invader.

 

Weird match in which Starr gets 99% of offense and then bails at the first sign of the bloodied-up Invader fighting, don't get that psychology at all. I felt Starr was a little too one dimensional. In over 8-minutes of offense we got the same overhead punch over and over again, and an armbar. I'd have liked to have seen him show off a bit more of his arsenal. Maybe you have to understand the context to understand the finish, because I didn't get it at all. The guy on the loud speaker seemed entirely disconnected from what was going on, which was weird too.

 

**1/2

 

Chicky Starr vs. Invader #3 (1988)

 

On second thoughts, I think I'd rather have Rip Oliver than the loud speaker guy. This is one of those PR matches in the outdoor stadium. Starr has colour almost before we begin with Invader #3 going to work on him. Starr begs off in the ring. He comes back a bit and hits an inverse atomic drop. #3 comes back. Irish whip into the turnbuckle. Starr begs off again. Commentary team is not good at all. Starr covered in blood here. #3 bites the cut. And then attacks it with punches. Kneelift by #3. Hard right by #3. Starr takes a tumble. Brutal attack outside by #3 now and Starr looks like he's lost a pint of blood. Begs off some more. Starr finally gets some offense in. Kicks #3 out of the ring. Suplex by Starr back into the ring? No, Invader lands on top of him. Jabbing lefts and rights by #3, who throws some mean-looking punches. Still attacking that cut. Choke on the middle rope. #3 is a man possessed. Starr has the real crimson mask here, dark red. Shot to the gut by Starr and a knee. Commentary team is absolutely atrocious, don't think it's Rip Oliver on this one. It's a guy with a spanish accent and a pair of brothers, one of whom is called Bart. They are so bad at doing colour. When people criticise Jesse Ventura, they want to look at these clowns to see how hard the role is.

 

Back suplex by Starr! Two count. Good nearfall. #3 goes for something in the turnbuckle but Starr dumps him on the back of the head and hits an elbow for the three.

 

This was a really good brawl, which was really undersold by some awful commentary. Invader #3 looked terrific on offense for the best part, and looks like a worker I could get into. Ricky Starr gave you your "Tully Blanchard gets his ass kicked for 90% of the match before squeaking out a win" performance. It's not a narrative I've ever cared for, but it was very well executed here. Worth watching this one.

 

****

 

Chicky Starr vs. Invader #3 (1986)

 

This is the scaffold match. Drop looks a legit 30 feet. I am no fan of scaffold matches, so automatic low expectations. Commentary once again is absolutely appalling, I think it is Rip Oliver this time. This is a wider platform than we usually see in these matches.

 

I can't believe anyone is going to fall that far. The scaffold is teetering and wobbling. It looks pecarious. Dropkick by Invader #3! That was a "holy shit" spot. Starr has colour. Starr is hanging off the side of the platform. Starr goes to the eyes. He comes back now and #3's legs are dangling over the side. Seriously that drop is fucking huge. Headbutt by #3. Knee to the chest by #3. Starr begs off. Starr with a right and #3 falls. Well, I marked, I thought he was about to fall. #3 comes back. Starr is on the edge now. Kicks to the head by #3. Starr is teetering. Wow, SUPLEX on the platform. That takes some balls. Bodyslam? No, Starr blocks it. Man, it looked like they were teetering and about to throw each other over the edge. Chinlock by Starr. Shot to the kidney. #3 goes down. Starr on top for a bit now. I still refuse to believe anyone is going to take this fall. #3 is on the edge again, both legs dangling. He's by his fingertips now. Starr walks away and thinks he's won. #3 holds on and climbs back up. Good strength by #3 there. Starr starts to climb back down thinking he's won. But #3 is back and after him. Starr with a double throat shot to cut him off. Now Starr is hanging by his hands. #3 is stomping on the fingertips! OH SHIT! He did, he took the fall. Jesus Christ, he went down like a sack of potatoes. Surprised he didn't fall straight through the ring.

 

Well, this is certainly the best scaffold match I've ever seen. Better than Koko vs. Dundee for sure. Reason being that you really feel that sense of danger here. The drop is so far that it looks legit terrifying and the drop kick and suplex were both "OMG" moments, as well as the struggle over that bodyslam and the moment #3 falls from Starr's sudden right-hand punch. About as good a job as you might do with this gimmick. Also, not sure how Starr didn't break every bone in his body with the drop.

 

****