[1982-06-04-WCCW] Harley Race vs Kerry Von Erich (No DQ)

[Superstar Sleeze]

Harley Race vs Kerry Von Erich - WCCW 6/4/82

 

This is the best Harley match I have seen in a long, long time. The winner is the number one contender for Flair's world championship setting up the Flair/Kerry classic in August of 82. Kerry holds the entire match together with selling and forcing Harley to work slower and smarter. The shine is fine with Kerry getting a dropkick and a small package, before settling into a well-worked headlock. A great sequence sees Harley hits a back suplex out of the headlock and he goes for the headbutt only for Kerry to counter with the claw! Harley heads for the hills and Kerry backdrops him out of a piledriver on the floor. The transition to Harley's heat is lame and it is just a chinlock at first. Kerry is selling well, but at some point there is a piledriver just for one, which is lame, but a Harley thing. Kerry fires up with some punches but is too close to the ropes. The match picks up with Harley kicking some Kerry ass on the outside. Definitely the most vicious I have seen Harley ramming Kerry into hard objects and using nasty headbutts. I loved the transition with Kerry slamming Harley into the post as a receipt. Sleeper by Kerry, but Harley backs in the ropes and forearms him low. Nice spot! Harley gets a suplex, but Kerry kicks out with authority! Harley uses his tried and true punch to the gut to stymie Kerry. He gets press slammed off the top and then they knock heads. Outside the ring they slug it out with great intensity. Kerry reverses a crossbody for the win. Great, great match. Harley matches often feel like an exhibition this saw a more natural escalation. Some transitions could have been better, but with Harley's offense being sold and not just working for the next spot this ranks up there with one of his best, which is a shorter list than most would expect. ****1/4

[peachchaos]

on the Network, aired 6/19/82

[Wahoos Leg]

Kerry kicking out of the piledriver at one and immediately mounting a comeback like it barely fazed him is the only thing that kept this from great match territory for me. I am not as well versed in the full history of WCCW as I should be but I am surprised this didn't make the cut for the Best of 80s Texas set, though it was included as an extra 

[soup23]

Gave this a watch today as it didn't make the DVDVR set and I was unsure what to think as I am hot and cold on Race overall.  I thought it was tremendous.  Kerry worked underneath and was overcoming the vicious beating and then dishing it out as well. Race was vicious sending Kerry's head into any object and the brainbuster on the floor.  Overall, this show is up and down in front of a sparse Texas Stadium crowd but this match was the clear highlight and if on the DVDVR set, I suspect it would have finished in my top 20. ****1/4 (8.6) 

[tcg91]

Really good match and, with a more fitting stadium/crowd, it would have probably been ever better. It felt important, as a title shot to the World Title was on the line here. Kerry came out of this, at least in the eyes of the Texan fans, as a peer compared to Race. He took all of his punishment and still managed to win, albeit in an almost lucky was, but still clean in the middle of the ring. The No DQ stipulation was used to allow extra aggression, fights at ringside and heated sequences, instead of using lots of weapons. Race conducted the match with a good pace, even though I wasn't fan of a couple spots, like the 1 count after a piledriver just in the middle of the match; but the rest was all well done, they both bled as Kerry never gave up and used his fists to avenge Race's punishment
***3/4