Buddy Rose vs. Roddy Piper (5/21/85)

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Buddy Rose vs. Roddy Piper (5/21/85)

Disc 9

[garretta]

I thought this would be a little longer, considering how famous Piper was at this time. I didn't expect a half-hour classic by any stretch, but eight minutes is a little too short for my taste.

 

There were no references whatsoever to the "other" Piper other than a brief allusion to "how famous Piper's been of late" by Coss. Given how beloved Rod obviously still was in Oregon despite the fact that those who cared to could watch him be the meanest, vilest heel in the sport on a weekly basis, that was a wise move on Owen's part.

 

Even though Buddy got in some offense, there was no danger whatsoever of Piper losing, and again, that was smart. You don't bring a guy like Rod in (especially against Vince's wishes) to do anything less than kick ass. If anyone could get his heat back quickly even after being beaten rather soundly, it was Buddy.

 

I'm not sure if Buddy knew Ace Orton, but that finish had to be some kind of tribute to him. I can count on one hand the number of times Piper's come off the top in his career, and to go up for an attempted superplex, of all things? I'd like to think it wasn't a coincidence. Of course, it also gave Buddy the advantage of claiming that the loss was a fluke, as he did when he and Wiskowski did the interview we saw in the extras the next day.

 

The AWA World title match featuring Rick Martel got just ​seven ​minutes? I get that Flair-Billy Jack was the main event of main events, if you will, but to give two of your other biggest matches fifteen minutes combined? Did we really need the midgets, or Wiskowski beating Billy Two Eagles?

 

In case anyone was wondering, Piper blew off a match at the Los Angeles Sports Arena to go to this card. Bob Orton's brother Barry O took his place (the only time the Ortons ever teamed together in the WWF that I know of), and they lost to Jimmy Snuka and Ricky Steamboat. If I'd been Vince, I'd have sent Ace to Portland (since he was such a well-known part of Piper's act) and we could have had a tag match: Piper and Orton vs. Rose and Wiskowski. Well, first I would have officially okayed Piper's appearance on the card! (I guess a Hogan title defense against Piper would have been out of the question, since judging by the reaction he got here Piper would have definitely been the face, even against Hogan.)