Superstar Sleeze Posted July 5, 2016 Report Share Posted July 5, 2016 NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Kerry Von Erich - Mid-South 4/28/85 This match is just lean and mean. Flair is at his best when he goes long so he can flesh out his narrative. There are plenty of times even at 20-25 minutes where he feels rushed. However, that is not the case here. Here his spot calling was pitch perfect. This is stripped down Ric Flair at its finest. How stripped down are talking? At the five minute mark, Flair is already getting heat and there was barely any shine (Flair Flop off a Discus Punch, glorious). It is on! Ref hooks Kerry's arm and Flair hits his short knee. He throws Kerry to the outside. Kerry is such a great Flair opponent, combining the power of Luger, likeability of Sting and selling of Steamboat (on this night he was that damn good). If he had Windham's offense, Good Lord that just would have not been fair. Flair rips into him on the floor, Kerry's selling is Godly and then plays a little King of the Mountain. Love Kerry trying to pull himself up on ropes, missing the desperation dropkick and then selling the ribs. The Flair sleeper complete with arm drop is the climax of this segment before Kerry falls into turnbuckles ramming Flair's head. Love Flair grabbing his jaw after this. I love how lean Kerry's comeback is at this point. Discus punch->Comeback started. Press Slam->Highspot. Stomach claw->False finish. You just ride such a high during that segment. Kerry has Flair down, but cant get cover. He gives up to hit a splash, but eats knees to injured midsection. AWESOME! Flair tosses him out to get a breather. Now we get the sunset flip and backslide fun, which is a rush. Flair Flip to the outside. Flair looks discombobulated, but he grabs Kerry's ankle and wrenches it across the apron. He goes up top and I thought this would be the best set up ever for the press slam, but he actually hits a axehandle!!! Flair misses knee drop and it is into the figure-4! Great setup. They have done a great job generating excitement with neither man really in control, but everything feeling organic. Kerry is clearly coming from underneath, but is getting big time false finishes. Flair makes the ropes and Kerry stays on the leg. Kerry goes to elbow the leg, but Flair moves and he hurts his mid-section. WOW! Flair punches to midsection. BIG BOY CHOPS! Flair selling the leg, before an elbow drop for two. Butterfly suplex, love that move for two. Two great Flair heat segments, love it. Flair hits rapid fire punches in the corner and Kerry collapses in the corner. Knee to the injured midsection. It is the press slam off the top that is the transition to the comeback (Flair did take a long time). Flair Flip runs across apron off the top into IRON CLAW~! FUCKING AWESOME! I POPPED LIKE A MADMAN FOR THAT! Flair hiptosses Kerry outside the ring and that's a pretty big bump as Flair brings him in the hardway with a vertical suplex. Flair is in full desperation, don't fuck around mode and applies the figure-4. Kerry sells like a million bucks. Kerry powers out because he is ALL MAN! Flair big chop and it is a slugfest! Lots of movement leads to a Kerry sleeper. They stick with the sleeper and it is a pretty convincing finish with the armdrops, but Flair gets his foot on ropes. Kerry is incensed punching Flair on the ropes throwing the ref away. Flair using the ropes to hold him up throws a big chop. Flair sends Kerry into the ref, here we go. Kerry gets a cross body and sleeper, but no ref and Flair drops him balls first on the top rope. Kerry get his foot on the rope to protect him (very Mid-South Flair finish), but a very strong 80s finish.Call me a Flair mark. Call me a Kerry mark. I don't care the fact this was only #49 on Mid-South Set means Im calling YOU CRAZY!!! This was FANTASTIC! Ric Flair at his absolute best. Flair is pretty restrained in this by his standards. He works more on top than usual. Kerry killed it in the selling department. The spot calling was incredible. Just everything flowed perfectly. Flair ripped into Kerry when necessary. Kerry worked so well from underneath. When he was making his comeback, everything felt tenuous, but at the same time credible. Those claw attempts/figure-4 were home runs shots, but he didn't have enough to really chip into Flair's lead, he needed to a big bomb to close this out because his midsection was giving out on him. You see Flair really feel in control here when he usually does not. It is only a brief part in the middle does he feel frantic and the end when it does look like Kerry has him beat. I really liked that finish. Just did not feel like ***** when I was watching it, cant put my finger on it, but this is a classic right up there with Hawaii & Texas 8/82 matches. ****3/4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueGuy Posted July 5, 2016 Report Share Posted July 5, 2016 Great review! I'll need to watch this one again as I totally agree with you that the Hawaiian and 8/82 matches were the finest Flair/Kerry matches. To refresh my memory just a bit on this particular one, does it have any commentary? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superstar Sleeze Posted July 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2016 Thanks! No commentary on either Flair/Kerry matches from Mid-South. Anyone got locations for these matches? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueGuy Posted July 6, 2016 Report Share Posted July 6, 2016 Thanks for the info and also for the thoroughness in your reviews. I also agree with your thoughts on the 50+ minute Reed/Flair match. That particular one is by far my least favorite 80s Flair match. Regarding dates, I'm pretty sure the 5/4 match is from Jackson, MS. No idea about this 4/28 match. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superstar Sleeze Posted July 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2016 My least favorite 80s Flair is definitely still Starrcade 83. That match almost soured me on the 1980s completely! Good thing like John Cena, I never give up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilTLL Posted July 8, 2016 Report Share Posted July 8, 2016 4/28 is Tulsa, with the orange mat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul sosnowski Posted March 24, 2017 Report Share Posted March 24, 2017 I agree that it is Tulsa, but I say the date is 4/27. Flair defended against Terry Taylor on 4/28 in Oklahoma City. Some sites list this as a WCCW match, but I believe it must be Mid South. Any thoughts? Wait a second...is the 4/28 Taylor match actually 4/30 in Shreveport? World Class, Parade of Champions II - Irving, TX - Texas Stadium - 5/5/85 (26,153) NWA World Champion Ric Flair fought Kevin Von Erich to double count-out at 22:00 Mid South Wrestling, Jackson, MS - 5/4/85 NWA World Champion Ric Flair vs. Kerry Von Erich Mid South Wrestling, Houston, TX - 5/3/85 NWA World Champion Ric Flair defeated Terry Taylor Mid South Wrestling, Shreveport, LA - 4/30/85 NWA World Champion Ric Flair defeated Terry Taylor Mid South Wrestling, Oklahoma City, OK - 4/28/85 NWA World Champion Ric Flair defeated Jake Roberts World Class, Tulsa, OK - 4/27/85 NWA World Champion Ric Flair pinned Kerry Von Erich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKWebb Posted August 2, 2017 Report Share Posted August 2, 2017 I thought the dates were interesting too. I just finished the Terry Taylor match, and I was moving on to this match. I noticed they were listed as the same date. Didn't Terry Taylor act like their first match was in June in New Orleans on the Mid-South (WWE) set? Maybe I'm remembering that wrong. Obviously, that is incorrect either way. I'm guessing this is the 04/27/1985 match against KVE. I'm looking forward to watching it right now... hitting play... anyway... where did you get those dates from you listed Paul? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKWebb Posted August 2, 2017 Report Share Posted August 2, 2017 I agree with Sleeze in that I liked this match better than the Terry Taylor match that preceded it. That match was ranked #25 in the DVDR results, and this one was ranked #48. I'd at least switch them. Great match! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul sosnowski Posted August 2, 2017 Report Share Posted August 2, 2017 Hmm...I'm not sure, I'll have to do some research. Wrestlingdata also lists a 5/2/85 match against Taylor in Alexandria, no results given Actually they are from historyofwwe (JCP) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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