Los Pastores vs. Jay & Mark Youngblood (Spring 1985)

[El Boricua]

Los Pastores vs. Jay & Mark Youngblood (Spring 1985)

[...TG]

This was tons of fun. Sheepherders seem to be trying to break the stalling record before starting the match - that had to have gone at least 10 minutes of flag-saluting, running around, etc.

[elliott]

Pastores are the Sheepherders/Bushwackers. Lots of schtick early on with the Sheepherders refusing to get in the ring, wwalking around waving the flag. Crowd is super hot for all of the bullshit. Including awesome dueling flag saluting with the Sheeps saluting the NZ flag and the Youngbloods saluting a Puerto Rican flag to the delight of the crowd. Herders are disoriented from the crowd clapping rhythmically and have to stall some more. This is just pure beautiful bullshit early on with the crowd eating it up and it is so much fun. When it finally turns into a match it is really awesome. It is a classic southern style tag match that has a really out of control feel to it. You think “Sheepherders” and “Puerto Rico” and think blood. This is just classic tag wrestling from start to finish with the crowd eating it up and everyone playing their role perfectly. Excellent match. Best on the set so far.

[KB8]

If I'd read a synopsis or review of this match before watching it I'm pretty sure I'd have been psyched about the prospect of it in execution. Early stalling to rile the crowd? Extended heat segment? People throwing shit at the heels? Out of control finish? All of those things are gravy to me. But I've watched this twice now and it hasn't really hit the spot (though I liked it better the second time, tbf). The early stalling with the New Zealand and Puerto Rican flags was amusing, but it wasn't Jamie Dundee/Tracy Smothers-level heat-garnering. I thought it kind of dragged, honestly. The Youngbloods shine segment had some nice stuff built around working Luke Williams' arm, and Butch is always fun reacting to things, but then everybody seemed to get their wires crossed on something and the ref' was left floundering trying to pretend he missed the interference that led to the Sheepherders taking over. I liked the idea of some of the things they were doing during the heat segment on Mark, but there wasn't really any point where I bought Jay being TRULY pissed. One of the Sheepherders would run a distraction while the other took cheapshots at Mark, sometimes with a chair, then Jay would grab a chair of his own and kind of intimate that he was going to mess someone up with it...but never in a way that actually convinced me. He just, like, stood there holding it while Luke and/or Butch had to cower or run away. The whole thing was pretty messy as well, and then there was a finish after some all over the pace timing. Butch being thrown into the crowd prompting a pack of security guards to sprint over and make sure he didn't get jumped was the best part. Match was alright, but probably my least favourite so far.

[WingedEagle]

Sheepherders! Lots of flag waving and heeling to work the crowd before they even enter the ring, and it is all great. They really take great advantage of the large ringside areas at many WWC shows to brawl all over the place. It looks like we even get some Bushwhacker comedy bits here. It takes a while for the blood to spill but we get it eventually. Shortly thereafter this becomes pretty out of control with everyone brawling all over the place. Transitions here are again generally non-existent but the intensity is strong. Fun, chaotic brawl that is definitely helped by the blood.

 

***1/4

[Migs]

The pre-match with the crowd felt like it took forever. Structure felt off to me, too - it built from a standard tag match into a brawl, but then calmed down before the finish, as opposed to really escalating. **1/2

[dawho5]

The pre-match stalling by the Sheepherders is really good. I liked the chaos in the match but agree that it could have had more flow. This definitely falls into the "fun" category more than they really good side of things, but I'll watch it again.