Invader I vs. Chicky Starr (1/6/86)

[El Boricua]

Invader I vs. Chicky Starr (1/6/86)

[Willninho]

This was really good with Chicky mauling him for a while then the eventually big comeback. The only problem was before the comeback Chicky sits in an armbar a bunch but the comeback and beginning comeback was hot enough I dug it.

[elliott]

Chicky Starr looks ridiculous. Like a combination of Magnum TA and Roger Dorn. Pre match promo and Invader sounds mad. Match starts with Invader bleeding on the ground which I would not have expected. Crowd is super hot for this. Invader is great just selling the shit out of Chicky’s punches and repeated postings. He’s completely punch-drunk stumbling around bleeding all over the place. He reminds me a lot of Sangre Chicana with the way he’s selling and that’s basically as big a compliment I could give a wrestler. Chicky is just dominating Invader. I guess I was under the impression that Chicky was more of a manager type so I’m kinda surprised he’s just beating the fuck out of Invader 1 like this. So would it be fair to say Chicky is more of a Roddy Piper or Michael Hayes type than a Bobby Heenan? I really can’t get over how great Invader’s selling is in this. Invader starts to make a comeback throwing these awesome punches and chops and the crowd goes absolutely nuts when he finally really fires up but Chicky eventually just bails for the countout. Man this felt like the beginning of a classic match. As it was I fucking loved this. Invader’s selling is out of control great.

[KB8]

This was like two thirds of an awesome match. The fact it's not the whole of an awesome match isn't so much the wrestlers' fault; it's more the dreaded JIP/clipping and booking of the finish that hurt it. We're joined in progress with Chicky beating on a bloodied Invader out on the floor, almost doing a hyperactive, Nick Bockwinkel-esque King of the Mountain bit. Invader is stumbling around bloody, beating his chest to rally the crowd - and motherfucker do they rally - but Chicky keeps rolling out and cutting him off. When Invader manages to make it into the ring Chicky just chucks him right back over the top rope, with Invader's bump hitting an 8.6 on the Randy Savage scale. People are hucking all sorts of garbage at Chicky and Chicky is amazing in the way he prances around in the face of it all, just absolutely reveling in this contempt. Chicky working an armbar after the early shellackings is a bit of a downer, I guess, but he makes sure to lift Invader's head up with a handful of hair to show the crowd his bloody handiwork. I think we get a commercial break just prior to Invader's comeback, which is annoying, but man does Invader know how to work a comeback. He adds just the right amount of desperation and frenzy into his shots, half staggering backwards after one connects, then leaping forwards again like he's putting everything he has left into the next one. He hits this awesome looking two-handed chop to Chicky's throat and the crowd erupts and...then Chicky bails. Literally gets out the ring and runs away. And there's your count out, folks. On the one hand it's a pretty deflating finish considering it looked like things were about to get REALLY real, but these two have other matches with higher stakes on the set, so I'm gonna look at this as something to set the table for what's to come. And it was a damn fine table-setter.

[WingedEagle]

We get clips of a Sport Shop segment to set up the match. Had I known then what I know now, high school me would've taken Spanish or Japanese instead of Latin. Looks like we join in progress as Invader is on the floor already bleeding. Another rabid crowd. It feels like I'll be noting that and the blood on just about every match on this set. That is a not a bad thing. Chicky looks like such a trashy, contemptible heel. Nice work from him roughing up Invader at ringside and then mixing in punches around an armbar.

 

Looks like a jump cut. This is really one-sided domination with Invader getting in nothing. Don't mind it though as we've got the heel destroying the fan favorite. Nice to see proper psychology open up disc 2 after some of the strange layouts on disc 1. It eventually builds to an Invader comeback with punches and slaps that look pretty weak, but that's irrelevant to the crowd which is really heating up behind him. He's hopping around like a madman to fire people up. Chicky eventually bails after a fistrop for a countout finish.

 

Quick, simple match with strong psychology and a great crowd. Oh, and blood. The staples of disc 2 if not the territory. Felt like a fun TV match.

 

***

[Migs]

The extended armbar felt antithetical to the beatdown that preceded it. The pacing just felt really off in that regard. The comeback is heated but only okay, and then Starr just walks off. Fun but not great. **1/4

[fishbaugh]

Tried watching the rest of disc 1, but it was skipping like crazy on my DVD player, so I'm trying disc 2. Already in a salty mood, so I'm flagging what I watch tonight as definite rewatches.

 

How can you choose the best part of the Chicky Starr Sport Shop set? The banner? The trophy? The trashy tennis outfit? It's all so good, and Chicky is such a sleezy looking dude.

 

We JIP during a beat down and Chicky screams out "I don't give a shit if you like me!" The beat down just keeps going, and I'm really enjoying it, then Chicky breaks out an armbar for what feels like forever and takes me right out of it. Also, is it my shitty DVD player or does it sound like Hugo's commentary is over the house mic?? The crowd is certainly into it by the time we get to the comeback, popping big every time Chicky takes a punch, but it ends on a count out right when the comeback gets good. Hard to rate this -- a fun spectacle for sure, but not really much of a match.

 

Rating: 4

[dawho5]

Hugo's commentary is over the house mic. Invader 1 with some great selling even when he's on offense. I will second the love for the Chicky's Sport Shop set. So well done.