[1982-07-10-MACW] Roddy Piper vs Jack Brisco

[Jetlag]

This was Roddy Pipers Mid Atlantic Title vs. Jack Briscos 10,000 Dollars. Love these old studio matches. Great mix of character work and wrestling. Piper reminded me a bit of Fuerza here. We get a really fun opening section with blocked wrestling throws and both guys working go behinds on the mat and Piper grabbing the hair only to be thrown outside. Brisco absolutely KILLS him with the side headlock. Is there anyone who made a side headlock look as brutal as Jack Brisco? When they did the "Piper tries to throw him off the ropes but Brisco holds on" spot it looked like Brisco would tear his head off. Even the floating takeovers looked gritty. Nifty transition into Piper controlling with a grovit into a pin of his own. This is pretty basic action but the selling and struggle over things is world class. I liked how Brisco would punch the legs for his initial comeback aswell as Piper retreating after eating an unexpected punch. We get awesome dueling sleeper holds and accordingly some crazy selling, great punch exchange and a well sold finish. Both guys looked like they had been through a war by the end of this.

[Makai Club #1]

The was incredible. The Sideheadlock struggle was just wonderful. First the execution of the headlock looks so tight and brutal but Piper's selling of it, his his attempts of getting out of it as welll as Brisco's defence of the attempted breaking of the hold, the ramming of the head into the turnbuckle, the final back suplex, all of it was just splendid. Piper slapping himself after, trying to get some blood flowing again was another little extra to put over the hold. Piper had some great holds himself like his grovit (it might of been a cravate), which looked painful. And I enjoyed the struggle of Piper trying to turn it into a pin hold with Brisco trying despretly to restric this movement. The struggle of the whole match making simple, basic holds all the more worthwhile. Love the coin finish as well. Hell of a battle. ****1/4

[JKWebb]

Thanks to Chad for tor bringing this one to my attention... I absolutely loved it.  Piper delivers a masterful performance here.  As noted, the struggle of what would be considered more basic moves is just incredible. I wish I could see this type of struggle and logic applied to matches more frequently in current wrestling.  Everything counts.  They are trying to win every second, someone can win at any time, there isn't a set up - it's a fight... and that is what makes it so entertaining. 

[Superstar Sleeze]

NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion Jack Brisco vs "Rowdy" Roddy Piper - NWA-MACW 7/10/82

It is the last day of the Network  and I am using it dig into 1982 Mid-Atlantic Championship. Chad sang the praises of this match and I must echo them. This match rocks. 

Piper had lost his Mid-Atlantic Championship title to Brisco back in May. At some point, Piper injured Jerry Brisco by crashing down off the top rope onto Jerry's leg while he was applying a figure-4. Furthermore, Piper did a similar thing to Jack but landed on his body. The week before this match, Piper had stolen the belt was parading it all around. At the top of this show, Piper said he wouldnt face Brisco, who is the legitimate champion, even though Piper has possession of the physical belt, unless Brisco put up $10k. David Crockett gives Piper the money but there is not enough. The way Piper calls David "Scum" is uncomfortable. He does a great job being pissed. Wahoo & Steamboat bail out Jack by offering up the balance, $4000.

The match is terrific. I think I am one of the few people that prefers Piper as a wrestler to his promo work. The dude was the Tasmanian Devil in the ring. He is so scrappy and so organic.  I loved all the lock ups. I loved the shine so much and how much as Piper showed. Piper couldnt take Jack over with the abdominal stretch and Piper is pissed. Then Jack takes him down and he is even more pissed. I am a mark for amateur ride sequences and this was a doozy. Some great reversals, Piper gets frustrated and has Jack by the hair, but Jack uses the Bret Hart buck off sequence to send Piper on his ass to the floor. I just loved for Jack was showing him up. Piper was selling the frustration and embarrassment so well. Nice stiff clothesline by Jack. Then Jack works one of the best headlock sequences you will ever see. He really wrenches it and is so tenacious never letting go. Piper sells it so well. Jack climbs the ropes and takes him back over in ferocious fashion. On the second time, Piper right at the apex of the move shifts the weight and drops back with a back suplex. Terrific momentum swing. Piper works his front facelock so well. They trade sleepers down the stretch. In all this chaos and especially at the end, they were trading leather with the best of them. Piper was swinging for the fences with these overhand chops. Great sound. Brisco has a great punch. I love how heated and chippy this felt. The camera work was so tight so they had to work snug. Damn I love that. Finish was great. Jack drops with a punch. Piper has to go into his tights for the roll of coins. Jack drops him again on the apron, but the ref is pushing him back. BANG! Love the visual of the coins scattering across the ring. So everyone knows he cheated and that's the only reason Jack was KO'd. Piper gets the pin and the championship. Piper's post-match promo, on his ass, sweaty, disheveled with the championship was bitchin'. Some of his best work ever. I dont know how on God's Green Earth this dude was a babyface inside of 6 weeks as this was the best damn hot angle I have seen so far on Mid-Atlantic TV and the best one until the Flair bounty angle in 1983, I do believe. Character, angle, promos and a killer match! Yes please! **** 

[Clayton Jones]

Yeah this totally flies in the face of the talking point that Piper is all promo. So chippy and physical, really great studio wrestling. Both guys bring a lot to the table. If I still had the Network this would absolutely be one to watch before they turn out the lights.

[TheDuke]

They showed this on the Canadian version of the network a couple weeks ago, because I guess they are showing 1982 Mid-Atlantic week by week in real time, so it was on the 29th anniversary.  Anyway, I recorded it on my DVR and sat on it thinking it was just a random episode, then was blown away. I was surprised they just had a good match like this on free TV in 1982. I guess because of the foreign object finish, but it was an exciting match up to that point. The sleeper hold exchange section ironically woke me up and got me behind Jack. The finish was well done and would have left fans wanting to see Piper get his comeuppance. 

Edited July 25, 2021 by TheDuke
Did my math wrong. Didnt have enough fingers and toes.

[AA484]

I really loved this match.  Piper is such a great shit-heel, first with the 10 grand prior to the match and then with the constant cheating.  During the course of the match, Piper works in a greasing accusation, a violent hair pull, illegal rope usage, and -- of course -- the roll of coins at the end.  Somewhere along the way, Piper got busted open.  It may have been hard-way as I didn't much evidence otherwise.  Piper's matwork was really great here, too. Brisco is a guy that I haven't see a ton of, but he does a great job of making basic holds look painful and meaningful, whereas a lot of guys just lay there.

***3/4