[1983-07-09-MACW-Charlotte, NC] Roddy Piper vs Greg Valentine

[shoe]

This is from the network and part of their hidden gems. This is a hot feud in the Carolinas. Valentine is hated, and Piper is loved. This is non title. The opening strike exchange was boss, and has the crowd buzzing. Valentine rocking Piper with forearms. Piper right back at him. Hate filled fight with strong story telling. The ear punching is glorious. Piper fights back. He's measuring Valentine and picking his shots. Valentine is busted open. Piper choking Valentine with rope. Match is thrown out. What a hate filled match. The finish is out of control. 4 1/4*

[Phil Schneider]

My god what a incredible all time great brawl. Honestly the striking in this match is up there with Lawler vs. Mantel and Satanico vs. Chicana for the best stuff I have ever seen. It is a really fun dynamic with Valentine hitting harder and Piper hitting faster. There is this great moment early in the match where Valentine lands some clubbing forearms and forces Piper out of the ring, but before Valentine can get a breath Piper bounds back in and unloads with cat quick flurry that sends Valentine reeling. There is another moment where Valentine covers up against the ropes and Piper just unloads a thousand punch combination of body and headshots. I loved how dirty Piper was in this match, he would gouge at the eyes, punch the ear, karate thrust the throat, bite, he was so great at being a babyface and the most low down streetfighter ever. Piper comes in with a bad ear, and things really get vicious when Valentine starts working it over, he posts Piper right on the ear, and then grinds it against the bolt connecting the post to the ring. Then the match is Valentine mauling the ear and Piper selling vertigo and firing back. Both guys are bleeding and firing shots back and forth. Finish was just brutal, Piper snaps and grabs the barrier rope and wraps it around Valentine's throat, even working the rope back and forth to give Valentine a rope burn on his neck, he hangs him and Greg starts foaming at the mouth in a really gross way. The locker room empties to prevent a murder, and Piper is in the ring screaming at Valentine to keep fighting. What a discovery, this was an absolute classic war, with this and the Dog Collar Starrcade match, this looks like an all time legendary pairing. Must watch match, and one of the best brawls I can remember.

[Matt Franklin]

This kind of discovery is what makes having the Network worth it. My god what a brawl, as has already been stated the striking was absolutely off the charts great from both guys, Pipers punches were some of the best I can remember seeing from him, and Valentines foreams and punches to the ear looked amazing. Gregs gutbuster looked brutal, as did his follow up knees. Brutal is a great word to sum this fight up. This had a sense of hate that most wrestling cannot reach, I need to rewatch the dog collar match stat to see how well that holds up after watching this. Essential viewing, so glad this showed up and I am so excited to see what other unseen footage is found. Great time to be a fan.

****1/2

[Superstar Sleeze]

NWA US Heavyweight Champion Greg Valentine vs Roddy Piper - MACW 7/9/83

Great discovery by the Network. I need to read more about this feud. The ear psychology is already in play as Piper has his ear bandaged and is looking to take an ear for an ear. The open strike exchange is red hot. Piper just overwhelms Valentine with overhand chops and fists. Valentine powders and Piper spits on him. It is on like Donkey Kong! Piper is incensed and Valentine is apprehensive. Piper has that look in his eye like he is really gonna hurt The Hammer. The Hammer rocks him with some of is famous big elbows. Piper powders then explodes back into the ring. It was furious! Great moment where the crowd went wild. He jabs the fingers into the throat of Valentine who powders and chokes. You know you are over when the crowd does the sound effects of your strikes for you and Piper is over. Valentine tries to cover up but Piper is throwing every limb and body part he can at the Hammer. He is one whirlwind of anger. Piper goes for the ear, but Valentine blocks and a short knee leads to a gutbuster. This Valentine's first sustained offense and it comes as cutoff as Piper was finally going after the ear. I love Valentine so much. He is such a stiff badass. Piper does the 'ol Three Stooges poke to the eyes. Valentine begs off. Piper wrenches the ear and punches the ear! For an ornery bastard, Valentine can be such a great cowardly stooge as he begs off while Piper goes to work on his left ear. Valentine retaliates by clawing at Piper's bandaged ear and then just hammering him with big forearm blows to the bad ear. Piper headbutts out of desperation, but The Hammer just brutalizing the head and ear of Piper. This is definitely a Valentine match lots of standup and brawling. HOLY SHIT! In the spot of the match, Valentine takes Piper's head and bounces the side of it off the post. Then he just grinds the bad ear against the steel. I love how Valentine can switch from sadist to coward at a drop of the hat. Valentine is beating the tar out of Piper, but notice Piper never bumps. He stays on his feet because he is the valiant babyface. He might be hurt and he might be discombobulated but he is a tough son of a bitch. There is some great boxing in the corner with Piper ducking and dodging setting up his own punches then he TACKLES Valentine and hits a massive kneedrop. He gets his receipt throwing Valentine ear-first into the post and now it is back to work on the ear. Double juice! I love the standup towards the end where they are just firing away at each other and Piper goes to the middle turnbuckle to throw a punch and that finally takes The Hammer off his feet. VALENTINE EXPLODES! He tackles and chokes Roddy. Roddy scrappy as ever fights back and chokes Valentine and then is going to bite his ear, Valentine has him by the throat, it is a battle of wills, Piper wins and PIPER BITES HIS EAR! WOW! It is spills to the outside and Piper dives on him form the apron. Valentine is just trying to survive and escape. Piper gets the rope that separates the fans from the wrestlers. He wraps it around Valentine's throat, he rubs it first, OW rope burn and then HANGS HIM! Valentine foams at the mouth. The locker room clears to break Valentine free, but Piper keeps breaking free to attack Valentine.  

Drenched in hate. Piper was a man possessed in this. Valentine knew he pissed off Piper and was trying to survive throughout the match. Terrific standup slobberknocker. Some of the best stand up exchanges you will ever see. I loved the ear psychology. Piper wanted to injure Valentine's ear and Valentine could use Piper's ear as a cutoff. The finish was insane. You really believe Piper wanted to kill Valentine. A must-see match that helps make the Dog Collar classic that much more special. ****1/2