Cactus Watches Memphis Wrestling

[cactus]

I've started watching the DVDVR 80s Memphis set and this thread is basically my motivation to finish the whole set. 

I'll start my trip to Memphis with two matches from the 70s that I couldn't pass on watching. Let me know if there is anything else from the pre-80s era that's worth seeking out.

Jerry Lawler vs. Bill Dundee (8/22/77)

Dundee's hair is on the line, but Lawler had put up not only his car, but his manager's hair too. This has a slow start. Lawler is a heel here and he's all condescending and arrogant until a Dundee shove is enough for him to change his tune. Both men are quite reserved at first and this takes a while before it gets going. This might not reach the same heights as their more famous outings, but the punches here are better than both the '83 and '85 matches. Watching Lawler rain his fists down on a cornered Dundee, with only the turnbuckle holding him up was compelling stuff. The NWA official at ringside calls time on this, but Dundee begs the official to reconsider as he is not losing his hair this way. I liked this stoppage tease and Dundee does an excellent job at emoting his desperation. I didn't like the finish that much. Dundee is able dodge a second rope elbow drop from King and Dundee pins Lawler when he finally comes to. Lawler was dead after that unremarkable bump. I wish Dundee was able to hit Jerry with some sort of death blow before this ended. ★★★★¼

 

Jerry Lawler vs. Harley Race (12/11/77)

I was curious to see what a long match with Jerry Lawler looked like and I wasn't disappointed. I wasn't sure if Lawler's style would translate to an hour long match, but I am happy to be proven wrong here. We get two very different types of selling on display here, with Lawler building up sympathy whenever he would grasp his face and Race bumping for Lawler in an almost comedic manner. The first third of this is dominated by Lawler grinding down Race with a headlock, but they keep it entertaining by having Race be so animated and Lawler pulled out some impressive bridges in an attempt to keep the hold. There's so much to bite into here. There's an ongoing bit where Lawler keeps going back to his body slam to change the tide of the match and it ends up with Race taking the bump on the floor. There's another great moment where Lawler is nearly disqualified after Race goes over the top rope after a collision and Lawler has to plead with the referee that this wasn't intentional. The final ten minutes had so much drama and it made me root for a Lawler victory, even if I knew the final result. ★★★★½

 

Now onto the DVDVR set...

Bill Dundee vs. Larry Latham (4/19/80)

We open this match with a lot of holds. Both men know how to wrench on a headlock and put up a struggle. Latham ends up getting some hardway colour during the scuffle. Dundee works the arm while Latham can only get an advantage by pulling Dundee's hair. Latham eventually abandons this style and starts clobbering on Dundee. We get some limbwork here as Latham gets heat on Dundee's knee after Dundee misses a knee drop. Dundee is so over that he gets a loud pop from a simple drop toehold. Dundee stomping on Latham's fingers so that he can get easy access to Latham's neck for a sleeper hold is a genius bit that someone should steal (I explained that badly but it still rocks nonetheless). We get a great finish as Dundee uses the momentum from Latham's whip to kick off the turnbuckle and sneak away with a win after a cross body. ★★★¼

 

Ricky Morton vs. Sonny King (4/26/80)

A very young Ricky Morton wrestles his former tag partner in a decent match that's dominated by grappling. It feels strange to see a Morton match that's not accompanied by the screams of crazed teenagers. This feels like a proto-shoot-style match due to the reliance on mat-wrestling and the only pro-style move we see here is a sunset flip that Morton scores a nearfall on just before the ten minute time limit expires. Morton has a focused game face, never taking his eyes off King. The mat-work is competitive and the tension builds organically as hold attempts are forced to be broken as they lean into the ropes. Time limit draws are fine, but I wish they were able to dial up the drama a bit more during the final few minutes. You only started to feel the urgency in the final 30 seconds of bell time. ★★★

 

Bill Dundee vs. Paul Ellering (5/24/80)

Ellering is in insane shape here. His in-ring work is certainly lacking, as there are plenty of awkward moments here. After kicking out of a small package, we got a botchy exchange that looked ugly. Luckily for Ellering, he's in there with Bill Dundee and Superstar has no trouble carrying the load. Dundee is quickly becoming one of my favourites. He's great at believing hanging in there with talents that absolutely dwarf him and he is incredibly watchable in this environment as the studio audience go ga-ga for every little thing he does. Dundee attempts the same cross body that won his match against Larry Latham the previous month, but Ellering dodges it and the referee goes down. This leads to an excellent finish which sees Sonny King running down and carrying Jimmy Hart away like a baby once Hart tries to interfere. I was going to rate this a touch lower, but that finish came together so well that it left me with a massive grin across my face. ★★★

[cactus]

Bill Dundee & Tony Boyles vs. Wayne Farris & Larry Latham (6/7/80)

The first half of this is just Dundee mocking the heels as they slip up and eat shit and it makes for some glorious viewing. You just don't see this sort of thing in modern wrestling. I'm beginning to see why Dundee had the female audience in such a vice grip when I saw him do a little shuffle to antagonise Farris and Latham. He's a charming little pocket rocket. Tony Boyles is presented as a newcomer and you quickly see why you've probably never heard of him before. He has awkward timing and is as bland as a piece of cardboard. The heels work him over and Dundee keeps the audience engaged by being animated as the illegal man. Dundee attacks Farris and Latham's manager Sgt. Davis at ringside once he sees him trying to get involved. This distraction allows for the heels to double team Boyles and land a spike piledriver when the referee is distracted by the commotion outside the ring. The move is botched, but I can't tell who is to blame. After the bell, we get a molten hot angle which sees Eddie Marlin and Jerry Jarrett get involved in the skirmish with Dundee and Farris, Latham and Davis. Great first half, okay final half and a thrilling post-match. This was a lot of fun. ★★★½

 

Bill Dundee vs. Tommy Rich (8/23/80)

The winner of this match gets a shot at the Southern Heavyweight title. Both guys are coming into this as babyfaces and they wrestle a fiery yet friendly match that features a lot of workrate. The pace never lets up. Dundee's main strategy is to take Rich from behind and grind him down. Dundee even works in a cool cartwheel sequence that wouldn't look out of place in a World of Sport bout. They work smoothly together despite the big height difference. Some animosity grows as the match progresses, but it never breaks down into a fight. Dundee ends up getting headbutted in the nuts after he attempts a leapfrog and hits the mat hard. Rich shows concern for Dundee and begins to help him before rolling Dundee up in a cradle to win the title shot and the crowd aren't happy with Rich. This would begin Rich's heel turn. I didn't think this was pulled off as well as it could have, but Rich's next actions firmly cemented him as a heel. He cuts a great promo after the match and shoves Lawler on his ass as he dresses him down verbally. Lawler's leg is in a cast and is unable to fight back and it made for some compelling television. ★★★¼

 

Bill Dundee vs. Wayne Farris & Tojo Yamamoto (3/7/81)

This is meant to be a tag title match, but Dundee's partner Tommy Rich is MIA so Dundee has agreed to defend the title in a handicap. This is the only handicap match I've seen where they put a lot of emphasis on the sole babyface having to adjust his strategies as he is out there alone. Dundee's demeanour was a lot more serious here. He doesn't do any of his usual dancing to start out, and when he does it when he starts besting the heels, it ends up costing him. Lance Russell is constantly doing time calls and it sends the idea out to the audience that Dundee is only going to walk away with the titles if he can withstand the 30 minute time limit. The heels played their roles well enough, even if Yamamoto's constant use of chops made for some boring offence. Dundee gets colour and isn't able to survive this one ultimately. Dream Machine, who was turned away from being in this match by Jimmy Hart, shows up and aids Dundee in the post-match melee. This is a move that turns him face. ★★★¾

 

Bill Dundee & Tommy Rich vs. Dutch Mantell & Austin Idol (3/12/81)

This was a compact tag match that followed all the rules for great tag wrestling. Dundee and Rich get a lot of time to get the shine on the heels, outsmarting them and riling them up in the process. Mantell does take too kindly to Dundee's shuffling. Idol feeds for the babyface punches well, but there are times when he borders on feeling cartoony. Rich takes a tumble to the floor once the ropes are pulled and this begins the heel's heat segment. The heels do a great job at isolating Dundee and the urgency shines through when they grind him to the mat whenever he tries to make a tag. This had a great pace to it that never gave the action time to stagnate. After doubt is put into the fan's minds in a great fakeout nearfall when the referee misses a cradle pin attempt by Dundee after being distracted by Idol and Rich fighting on the floor, Dundee rolls again and we get a monster pop when he is successful during this attempt. ★★★¾

 

Bill Dundee & Dream Machine vs. Dutch Mantell & Wayne Farris (3/14/81)

This match is contested under ironman rules, but they don't call it that. This isn't to the level as the previous match as Dream Machine is no where near as good as Tommy Rich is, but Dundee is always great so it is still a fun match overall. There are a lot of quick tags and the pace is quick. Dundee works as the face in peril. Mantell and Dundee get into a scuffle and Mantell accidentally strikes referee Jerry Calhoun, giving the babyfaces the first fall via disqualification. It doesn't take long until things break apart in the second fall when Dundee and Mantell fight on the floor. The referee calls for a stop to this fall. The commentators let us know that the stoppage doesn't count as a fall for either team and they will have a third fall if time allows for it. They ultimately don't have time for another fall, making this entire match feel anticlimactic. The stipulation wasn't handled particularly well and the non-finish didn't feel satisfying in the slightest. ★★½

[cactus]

Jerry Lawler vs. Terry Funk (No DQ) (3/23/81)

This was two bloodied-up southern men throwing some of the best punches you're going to ever see. Lawler's great at gesturing to the crowd, so even a poor-sighted fan way up in the cheap seats can tell Jerry's status by his body language. Funk's ability to stumble around the ring, getting caught in the ropes and tripping up on cables in a natural way is absolutely masterful. They sell them well and this was a good example of having a match with the most basic of moves and making the most of them. Funk opens up Lawler and tears on the wound. Pro wrestling euphoria is watching Lawler hulk up and drop the strap, causing all the old ladies at ringside to collectively lose their shit. Seriously, it's one of the best comebacks I've ever seen. Jimmy Hart is at ringside and saves Funk's ass numerous times before Lawler deals with him. Funk then attempts to break Lawler's leg by ripping Lawler's tights and using them for extra leverage when Funk locks on the spinning toehold. This comes back to bite Funk as Lawler gets his hand on the chair and gives Funk his well earned comeuppance as Funk cowardly crawls away. Even if this did end on a countout, it didn't affect the crowd enjoyment one bit as they just paid to see Lawler kick Funk's ass, and they certainly got that on this night. ★★★★★

 

Jerry Lawler vs. Dory Funk Jr. (3/30/81)

Dory is here to get vengeance for Terry. Out of nowhere, the camera pans out and reveals Jimmy Hart is dangling above the ring by a cable. It wasn't mentioned before this shot and it completely caught me off guard. In my younger years, I dismissed Dory as the boring Funk. He was technically sound, but dull as dishwater. I was very wrong to think that. Although he's not as explosive and diverse as his younger brother, he's still an exceptional talent and his performance here was very nuanced. He opens the match by mat-wrestling. It is basic stuff done well. Headlocks, arm wrenches and takeovers. All had a sense of struggle, but Dory's means side slowly rears its head as he pummels Lawler with uppercuts in the corner. Lawler returns the favour by throwing his trademark rights and Dory sells for them wonderfully and puts them over as a threat. Dory's heel side becomes more obvious as he lands two nut shots in as Jerry Calhoun is trying to get Lawler to open up his punches. This eventually blows up and the referee gives the disqualification victory to Lawler. This was a great match, but I wish we could have gotten a clean finish, seeing as this is a stopgap before Terry and Lawler can continue their feud. ★★★¾

 

Jerry Lawler vs. Terry Funk (Empty Arena) (4/6/81)

It's hard to rate this as an actual match as you can argue that it is more of an angle, but its influence cannot be denied. This is basically the Terry Funk Show. Terry Funk is the first wrestler to get to the Mid South Coliseum and he is pissed. He isn't sure if Lawler has stood him up or is planning to ambush him and Funk lets Lance Russell hear his complaints. Lawler finally appears and is in full gear, complete with crown. Terry notices this and it leads to a hilarious rant from Funk questioning why Lawler has bothered to dress up for a match with an attendance of zero. You can tell that this remark makes Lawler question his choice of attire. Once they start fighting, it is nothing particular mind-blowing. They fight around the ring and throw each into the rows of the empty chairs. Funk fills the silence by wailing like a pig. In perhaps the most famous moment of Memphis wrestling not involving Andy Kaufman, Funk gets a broken wooden chard kicked into his eye moments after he attempted to blind Lawler with that same shard. Funk rolls around and screams about his eye. Lawler decides Funk has suffered enough and leaves him in a puddle of his own blood as this legendary segment wraps up. ★★★★½

 

Bill Dundee & Dream Machine vs. Kevin Sullivan & Wayne Farris (5/2/81)

Dream Machine continues to do absolutely nothing for me despite me being able to acknowledge that he is decent at both in-ring work and promo work. He doesn't add anything to this match and cuts a promo before the match that feels like what modern fans think all territory wrestling was like. Proper Southpaw Regional Wrestling shit. Anyways the centrepiece of this match is the extended heat segment where Dundee fights from underneath and he is brilliant in this as to be expected. I had no idea Kevin Sullivan was such a body guy in his youth. The heels do what they need to do in their roles and not much else. Farris teases diving from the top rope to the floor, but this is future bump avoidant Honky Tonk Man we are talking about here. We get a great cheating finish, as Jimmy Hart pulls the ropes apart and Dundee takes a nasty tumble to the concrete. He's able to beat the count, but rolls himself in to be rolled up and lose the tag straps. ★★★

Jerry Lawler vs. Crusher Blackwell (5/4/81)

I was curious to see this, but I wasn't expecting this to rule as much as it did! I expected to see Lawler work his magic with a morbidly obese monster heel who could barely move, so my jaw was on the floor when Blackwell opens this with a running dropkick and dominates Lawler at a frantic pace. I didn't know there were monster heels who worked like Blackwell did back in 1981! Lawler mounts a comeback using his fists, but Blackwell can throw a mean right hand too. Actually that might be partially down to Lawler, as he sells them by crumpling to the mat like absolute death. The last half of this match is just two guys trading punches and it kicks all kinds of ass. The crowd shrieks in horror when Lawler gets hit and is about to be squashed and they throw babies in the air when Lawler drops Blackwell. Lawler misses a fist drop and Lawler hurts his hand, thus losing his only weapon. Lawler is able to dodge a Blackwell splash and gets the pinfall. It's a very minor gripe, but I wish Lawler's hand injury went somewhere as the match is over before they went anywhere with that little nugget. ★★★★¼

 

[cactus]

Dutch Mantell vs. Kevin Sullivan (5/9/81)

Dutch has left Jimmy Hart over a dispute, but what I liked about his performance is that he is still rule-breaking hardass Dirty Dutch. Now that he's technically a babyface, he doesn't jeopardize his character by doing a 180. This is built around hair pulling and it builds up brilliantly as the 15 minute time limit ticks away. Sullivan keeps pulling Dutch's hair, so while this obviously riles up Dutch, what really riles him up is that he's always caught by the referee whenever he returns the favour. The exchanges are fluid and have a pace quicker than what I was expecting for a Dutch/Sullivan match. The strikes stiffen up as the tension builds. Both men risk disqualification due to their constant bending of the rules. Jimmy Hart decides to get on the apron and this enables Sullivan to roll Dutch up, with Dutch getting his shoulders up a second too late. ★★★½

Bill Dundee, Steve Keirn, Rick & Robert Gibson vs. Dream Machine, Nightmare #1 & Heartbreakers (7/25/81)

It's strange to see such a big match within a studio setting. This might be a bit of a nutty comparison, but this reminds me of the JWP Thunder Queen match. Not only does this match have high-speed tempo, the constant usage of tags makes this feel like a team sport in a way that I've only ever seen replicated in that aforementioned joshi classic. It makes for an incredibly easy watch and I wasn't expecting such a high level of workrate out of a US match from 1981. There isn't a huge face/heels divide to be found here. The heels might come in to disrupt a pinfall, but the babyface team decides it is fair game to do the same. The heels gang up on Dundee initially and he gets worked for a short while before he is able to tag out and the pace is go-go-go with both teams going full force. The high spots aren't exactly innovative, but there are plenty of them and it's stuff like dropkicks, shoulder breakers and suplexes done extremely well. It's hard to break this one down too deeply. Just turn off your brain and enjoy. ★★★★

Jerry Lawler & Bill Dundee vs. Masa Fuchi & Atsushi Onita (8/1/81)

Seeing Onita and Lawler interact made me long for an alternate reality where Lawler would end up doing a FMW deathmatch. Oh, to dream. What we got here was a solid match with a chaotic post-match angle that would set the stage to one of Memphis's most infamous matches. Lawler and Dundee never really felt like they were in danger here, as they look like they are having the time of their lives outsmarting the heels during the lengthy shine segment. There is some comedy to be found here that I found a touch too silly for my taste. The crowd lap it all up, so it worked for the audience they were working for. The match takes a serious twist when Jimmy Hart appears and Lawler abandons the match to deal with him. This results in the entire locker room pouring out and Onita and Fuchi are able to steal the victory during all the chaos. Lawler and Dundee never really took Onita and Fuchi seriously so it's quite hard to put them over as dangerous after the events of the post-match. ★★★

Ricky Morton & Eddie Gilbert vs. Masa Fuchi & Atsushi Onita (Tupelo Concession Stand Brawl) (9/4/81)

This is the match that I was most excited to see when I decided to give Memphis the deep dive it deserved. While I'm somewhat disappointed this brawl is actually just the post-match angle of a match (we get the final minute of the actual match before the brawl begins), you can see the influence this would of had on wrestling throughout the world. The footage we get begins with Gilbert making his comeback before the match ends. Tojo gets involved and they start dishing out some kendo stick shots. The camera cuts and we are back at the concession stand. I didn't think much of this until I started seeing the visceral image of blood and mustard mixing as they destroyed the concession stand. You know that had to sting! I love Lance Russell telling the camera crew to keep filming, even if he isn't sure if the footage is suitable to air on television. This was nuts and this would be instrumental in Onita birthing the deathmatch style of FMW, but I'm sure you already know that.

Masa Fuchi, Atsushi Onita & Tojo Yamamoto vs. Roy Rogers, Rick & Robert Gibson (9/5/81)

I haven't been blown away by seeing Fuchi and Onita in Memphis. They play their roles well as generic Japanese baddies, but I was expecting more as I know how good they can be. It's all cheating, karate chops and no boots. They're basically just Tojo's lackeys and copy his act. The Gibsons brothers are good and you can see how good they are when Roy Rogers comes in. His movement and execution looked clunky while everything the Gibsons did looked crisp. This match has a short time limit due to the time they had remaining on air and it ends rather unceremoniously as Rick dodges karate chops. We are robbed of a finish and there isn't much in the way of drama during the closing moments. This is the main thing that bugs me about classic studio wrestling. Decent match with a fluid pace overall, even if the (lack of) finish was disappointing. ★★¾

[cactus]

Stan Lane & Sweet Brown Sugar vs. Eddie Gilbert & Ricky Morton (No DQ, 2/3 Falls) (10/81)

I have no idea where this video is sourced from. It looks like a fan cam from a non-televised event with fan commentary added on, but the camera zooms into someone dressed as a ring announcer near the ring between falls. The video quality isn't great and it can be hard to differentiate between the three blond wrestlers here, but the commentary does the job of telling you who's who. We get a good look at what to expect at a house show from this era. The match starts with a very slow pace, complete with all the stalling and posturing you can expect from a house show. The crowd explodes when a Sweet Brown Sugar dropkick is dodged and Stan Lane is sent to the floor. The transitions here are pretty weak. Immediately after that aforementioned dropkick spots, the match suddenly switched focused to Sugar getting heat by using a concealed weapon before the babyfaces suddenly steal the first fall. We also get the heels cheating in the final fall by throwing their opponents over the top rope. They do this behind the referee's back, even though this is No DQ. Clocking in total at well over 20 minutes in total, this is the longest match on the set so far. It's hard to recommend this one as the video quality is very poor, but you can tell this was a good match. ★★★

 

Jerry Lawler vs. Dutch Mantell (No DQ) (3/22/82)

It's pointless to groan on how well Jerry Lawler can throw a punch, Mantell can sell a punch well too. We get a rare look at Lawler showing his workrate side by hitting an enziguri and following it up with a sunset flip! Mantell gets frustrated that he can't best Lawler. His frustration leads him to launching a chair into the ring. The chair smacks Lawler on the leg and King crumbles. Mantell immediately realises that he's found an opening and pounces on Lawler's leg. This was a sublime transitional spot. Mantell might not be the most interesting when working the limb, but Lawler escaping a hold by pulling down Dutch's knee pad and punching him in the back of the knee was brilliant. Dutch's assault turns to Lawler's eye. This match was at its weakest when Dutch was on top. It's not terrible or anything, and you get to enjoy some Lawler's world class selling, so not all is lost. Hulk Hogan wishes his comeback felt as explosive, organic and emotional as Lawler's. There isn't much better in wrestling than watching Lawler fight through a few punches and drop the strap. Despite Lawler fighting back, Dutch is able to score a flash pin upset, which made for a great finish as it looked like a fluke and left plenty left on the table for a rematch. ★★★★

 

Jerry Lawler vs. Dutch Mantell (Loser Leaves Town) (3/27/82)

This is an impromptu match that happend at the television taping. Mantell lays down the challenge and Lawler is happy to accept. After the intense lockups give no man an advantage, Lawler rocks Mantell's shit with a single right hand. One thing that makes Lawler so great is not just how he throws his punches, but how he was able to get so much out of a single punch. Mantell is cautious of this and it's not until Lawler takes an ugly tumble to exposed concrete that Mantell can comfortably take control. Like the Empty Arena match, this is yet another classic Memphis match that feels more like an angle. After getting his ass kicked about the place, Mantell retreats and grabs the microphone and offers a truce and offers to form a tag team with Lawler after admitting he was the better man. Lawler is hesitant to accept, but he eventually gives in. Mantell is unsurprisingly full of shit and clocks Lawler and beats him down. This all came together extremely well and they pulled this off without making Lawler look like an idiot for believing a heel. ★★★★

Jerry Lawler vs. Dutch Mantell (Barbed Wire Match) (3/29/82)

I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would. I was expecting to see Jerry Lawler in an FMW style gimmick match, but they had yet to perfect the formula and the barbed wire very rarely played into the match. The wire is placed outside the ring and the wrestlers are able to run the ropes as normal, which robbed the match of the danger that those Onita matches had. We get a lot of slow spots where a wrestler is slowly trying to force the other into the wire and it doesn't make for the most exciting viewing. This is still Lawler in Memphis though, so the crowd are hot and eat up everything that's served to them. Both men can sell a punch as well as they can throw them, and we got some excellent transitional spots here that changed the tide of the match. This went way too long for my tastes, both the exhaustion was sold well and it was incorporated into the finish well, with Lawler collapsing on Mantell to leave with the victory. ★★★½

 

Bill Dundee vs. Sweet Brown Sugar (2/3 falls, Scaffold Match) (6/21/82)

This stipulation is nowhere as insane it sounds. This is the weakest match of the set so far, but by no fault of either wrestler. The scaffold stipulation is limiting and the crowd is quiet for the majority of this. They do a decent job of building drama with Sugar trying to cheat by using a concealed object and Dundee fights this by pulling off his own boot to arm himself. There's another good bit where Dundee hangs underneath the scaffold and climbs across them as if they are monkey bars as Sugar desperately tries to knock him off. The scaffold bulbs are rather unspectacular yet incredibly dangerous, a losing combination for the ages. They try to break their falls by dangling themselves from the scaffolding and dropping. You can tell they are both terrified of being up there and there isn't much room for movement. I don't think I've ever seen a good scaffold match and this match does nothing to sway my opinion. ★★