[1979-04-21-Houston Wrestling] Wahoo McDaniel vs The Spoiler

[shoe]

This is an amazing battle. Spoiler's offense is so credible looking. Everything he does looks painful. We see him take the advantage and he's working over Wahoo's back and neck. Spoiler uses the ropes for springing off to cause more damage. In a nice touch Hart yells Spoiler claw and Spoiler uses the claw. Wahoo bleeds big time to get over the claw. This moves outside where a stiff as hell brawl erupts. Their is slamming on tables, using of chairs. Wahoo sells throughout. When he makes a comeback it's big. Both guys tear into each other with a fury. Spoiler keeps on going back to the cut caused by the claw throughout. 4 1/2*

[Phil Schneider]

Awesome 2 out 3 falls war. Very cool match structure which actually reminded me of MS1 v. Sangre Chicana (aka the greatest wrestling match ever). Spoiler blitzes Wahoo from the start, just beating on him from pillar to post, with nasty elbows to the head and neck and a big headbut which splits Wahoo open. Nothing fancy here, but every stomp,elbow and slam was just brutal. Spoiler isn't a fancy highflyer, but he is really agile, and gets to the top with tremendous ease, really the first time I have seen the Spoiler and gotten the hype, he was so good here. Wahoo doesn't hit an offensive move for the first five minutes or so, but turns the tide with a huge chop to the head, you totally buy Wahoo as a guy who has one shot power like that.. After Wahoo gets on track it is back and forth brutality for 3 falls. We get a great BS finish with Wahoo countering the claw hold by turning around the Spoiler's mask, and the blind Spoiler claws Gary Hart and then the ref before getting DQed. Loved the idea of the blind bear just mauling everyone. Such a great match, and a hell of a discovery.

[Jetlag]

This is a textbook example of how to create an exciting long match with very basic striking offense. The kind of stuff you'd also see in Kawada or Tenryu matches 15 years later. There is NO striking exchange or combo that you see twice. Wahoo uses a few different chops and lands those on chest, head, nose, shoulder, neck etc. Spoiler has great bionic elbows. The key is the pacing and timing. They are fighting on a very close space, just tearing eachother up with blows, then suddenly there will be a big chop or elbow drop that makes you jump. Just great pacing. The rest of this has been covered thoroughly. Just a great violent battle where the first fall is already battled out intensely.

[Jordan]

Great 2 out of 3 falls brawl that manages to be superbly built around basically strikes and selling. Wahoo really looks ahead of his time with how diverse his strikes are in what I’ve seen. Add in blood and that sort of hateful lucha brawling that you’d love to see and this is just a great match that makes me glad I got NWA on Demand. Finish is fine and when you see it’s 2/3 falls you kind of expect something like it but man, this was awesome. My favorite moment has to be when Wahoo slaps Spoiler so hard outside that a woman ringside screams.

[Superstar Sleeze]

American Heavyweight Champion The Spoiler vs Wahoo McDaniel - Houston 4/21/79

Wahoo informs us in the pre-match promo that "Indians like shiny things" and that this is a stepping stone to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. I was really impressed by The Spoiler in his match with Jack Brisco and had to check this out. He is a big dude and very agile. 

First Fall: No shine, we go right to heat. Apparently Wahoo comes from the Jerry Lawler school of slow starting. Spoiler is back into a corner, but he walks up the buckles and comes crashing down on Wahoo. It is just rope assisted knees galore and throwing Wahoo out. If you watch very closely, you will see him monkey with the mask. I thought he was loading and I was confirmed as correct because when he headbutted Wahoo it split him wide open. Gary Hart calls for THE CLAW~! and Spoiler applies it the to bleeding Wahoo. This is when Wahoo comes storming back. Big time chops and blows that has The Spoiler reeling. Spoiler yanks him hard out of the ring and Wahoo hits the concrete hard. He rams Wahoo's head into the steel post. Wahoo then yanks him out of the ring. Wahoo hits a wicked chop, make sure to check the out girl's reaction in the front row for that. Wahoo returns the favor and slams Spoiler's head into the post and the table. Then he grabs a chair and slams Spoiler with that. This is a WAR! Wahoo hits a vertical suplex, but only gets two. Wahoo misses a kneedrop and Spoiler races up the turnbuckles to hit a double axehandle to win the first fall. Blood, foreign objects, hard chops and brawling. What more do you want? Spoiler 1-0

Second Fall: Spoiler tries to cautiously zero in on the groggy Wahoo who is coming to his feet. Wahoo lashes out with a series of chops, but the Spoiler comes back with some rope-assisted strikes on his own. He goes to his bread & butter the CLAW~! Wahoo is able to make to his feet and send Spoiler into the turnbuckle. Spoiler out of control charges hard into the post. Spoiler is so explosive and a big bumper. I like this dude. He takes a crazy bump off Wahoo's chop and it is all knotted up! Tied 1-1. I am excited for the 3rd fall. 

Third Fall: I love the selling by The Spoiler at the beginning of this feels so realistic. This is basically Wahoo's Chop vs Spoiler's Claw. They are just going hammer and tong with each other. Great, realistic brawling, neither man giving an inch. I love how Wahoo keeps going after the mask. Another great moment is Spoiler tries to do his trademark of using the ropes for extra force on his blows and Wahoo catches him with a chop. Spoiler finally gets the Claw cinched in. Wahoo is chopping and chopping, but fading. Then in a very memorable awesome finish, Wahoo turns the mask sideways so he cant see anymore! The loosening of the mask mattered. Spoiler puts the Claw on Gary Hart who was trying to help! I love it! Then he puts the Claw on the ref! This is great! Bronco comes out and calls the match for a DQ, but that was a cool finish. Spoiler ends up smashing Wahoo with the mic and the belt. 

Awesome war of attrition brawling and great selling. Spoiler has looked great in both matches. He was 39 here so the 1960s-1970s were his decades too bad we dont have more. Loved the finish! Do we have the rematch where Wahoo wins the title in May? ****1/2

[Mr JMML]

Starts slow with The Spoiler stomping Wahoo McDaniel on the ground, the match quickly escalates and the masked wrestler takes the first fall of the match. In the second fall, Wahoo McDaniel comes back with a chop for the three count. In the third fall, Wahoo uses his opponent's mask to his advantage, he turns the mask sideways so he couldn't see, then The Spoiler blinded tried attack McDaniel instead he attacked the referee and his own manager, the referee called for the bell. Truly a classic, the best match of 1979 in my opinion. Another great match that took place in the Sam Houston Coliseum.