[1974-07-24-Gulas Promotions-Louisville, KY] Jerry Lawler vs Jackie Fargo (Barbed Wire)

[peachchaos]

Jerry Lawler vs. Jackie Fargo

Barbed Wire Match - Gulas Promotions

July 24, 1974

 

We open with a view of a large crowd packed into a small dark building. This would be more appropriately titled a "Barbed Wire Fence Match", with the ring surrounded by cattle fencing and the turnbuckles also wrapped in barbed wire. The combination of the fenced ring with the compact audience in a small dimly lit arena give this match the feel of a total cock fight. How appropriate.

 

Sam Bass is at ringside with Lawler but will be unable to interfere due to the fence. Lawler starts fast heeling it up and using the relaxed rules to immediately choke Fargo. Fargo comes right back with a choke of his own and the crowd approves. This quickly devolves into a severe slug fest, with Fargo taking control. Lawler fights back from a chin-lock and opens Fargo up with a series of sick punches and sends him into the wire. Fargo absorbs another series of punches and comes back with a KO hit of his own. He picks Lawler up for some more stiff shots and beats the snot out of Lawler until Lawler resorts to using an object in his trunks. Fargo is out but Lawler gets cocky and picks him up after a 1 count, which turns out to be a huge mistake. Lawler sends Fargo to the ropes and goes for a clothesline but Jackie ducks hits a flying knee to the stomach. Fargo hits an atomic drop and wins the match. Bass climbs in the ring as Fargo runs away with his hands in the air. The King of Wrestling has been defeated!" exclaims a voice on commentary. This was before Lance Russell and the announcer mentions a crowd of 5000 in this tiny building.

 

I watched this maybe 3 times over the course of two days. Not sure if this is the entire match, but there's a solid 8 minutes of brutal action here. My first real look at the Fabulous One and now I see where the King learned to punch and punch hard. Just an intense slug fest and if there was more to the match, it certainly couldn't have gone on longer at this pace. A precursor to so much blood-soaked greatness to come from both Lawler and the Memphis territory. Told a compelling story with the barbed wire serving multiple purposes. The wire kept the heel manager at bay which allowed the heel wrestler to look equal with the top baby face while still climaxing in the face getting his big win to bring the feud full circle. The performances were hard hitting and both guys have an impeccable sense of timing. The finishing stretch is incredible as well. ****1/4

[Phil Schneider]

This is a Southern Championship match with the ring surrounded by a mesh barbed wire fence with the ringposts wrapped in barbed wire. I am pretty sure we get the vast majority of this and it is a true treat. Lawler is full on heel champ with Sam Bass at ringside passing in a foreign object and choking Fargo against the wire when the ref was distracted. This was a match of pretty much nothing but punches, wire shots and chokes, but man these are a pair of guys who can work a chokes, wire shots and punches match. Fargo may be the only wrestler in the world who can out perform Lawler in a punch off, and he was awesome here, the finish run is pretty much a wild exciting boxing match with both guys using combos, feints and head movement, just electric stuff. I didn't love the end as it felt like we were building to a classic crescendo and we didn't really get it, but man I am happy this surfaced.