June 1984

Sgt. Slaughter vs Mr. Wonderful - Philly 6/2/84 I love the WWF in 1984. The roster is absolutely loaded and they just do all these random pairings. In the late 80s, you would wrestle the same person for like 3-4 months straight. Here McMahon books more like Crockett/WCW where it does not matter if two wrestlers have an issue. He just puts two over talents together and let magic flow. I have not been kind to Mr. Wonderful in my past reviews. Usually describing him as solid and good at everything without being great. Orndorff gave his best performance yet in this. Easily the best Orndorff match I have seen thus far. Slaughter in 1984 is at the peak of his powers. Or…

We start with a Chavo interview where he's in humble babyface mode.He even gives Mr. Boesch a jar of salsa from his dad. We go to the match and this was worked perfectly. This is a Mexican Death Match. We start slow and methodical. Hector out wrestling Lothario early. Just one upping him early.This was paced perfectly . So when it was time to become violent it hit the switch. It then morphs into this bloody hate filled brawl. Both guys are bloody. Both guys working the cut. Then we get the finish . Both guys can't make the count. The ref declares the winner is who gets to his feet 1st. Both guys are getting up. Jose ko's Hector and the ref. To the crowd they see him a…

This is for Kruschev's tv belt. I thought Youngblood was a good baby face here. He used his speed and chops to his advantage.His work wasn't deep or anything, but it was effective. Krushev's heel work was ok. He did a good job making Jay look good though. A perfectly good undercard match that the crowd dug. 2 1/2*

Hacksaw Duggan & Rock N Roll Express vs Ernie Ladd & Midnight Express - Mid-South 6/8/84 Jump plays the Rock n Roll Express down to the ring and Ernie Ladd is introduced as a new member of Midnight Express. What an awesome time to be alive! Ricky Morton is the fucking man in this. It is performances like this may edge him over Bobby Eaton in my book. He works a tremendous segment with an ancient Big Cat Ernie Ladd and it is just wicked entertaining. Morton is moving around a million miles an hour. Ernie is wondering what he has gotten himself into because the Midnights had just been totally shown up by Morton and had to retreat twice and now he is discomb…

I thought this was a ton of fun when Barry Orton was on offense. I loved the punch off the break. Orton comes across as really sleazy and opportunistic here. Doc is pretty green here. He even has the amateur wrestling body. Eventually Doc's strength is too much for Orton. Barry does a great job in taking all of Doc's big moves. A really fun showcase for Doc that Orton did a good job making interesting.

Great match: hard-hitting, intense with great heat. Smart finish that indicates the cumulative effect of damage sustained across the match.

Sgt Slaughter vs Iron Sheik - WWF, MSG 6/16/84 What some call the greatest match in WWF history, still lives up to the hype. I have seen this before as I have seen all the Slaughter/Sheik matches before, but never in one day and man what a helluva series. This took the May Match and just amplified everything hundredfold. Slaughter charging to the ring with the helmet and blasting Sheik was the perfect opening shot. Slaughter using his swagger stick (always found that to be an oddly sexual name for it) to beat Sheik and then headbutting him with the helmet on was a great babyface shine. Slaughter takes his usual nasty spill over the top turnbuckle onto the floor. He re…

NWA World TV Champion Ronnie Garvin vs Ric Flair - Georgia Championship Wrestling 6/17/84 Ric Flair makes sure that we all know this for the TV Championship and asks Gordon to come up with a superlative to describe someone who holds the World Championship and TV Championship. Studio match, TV title time limit of ten minute, which means a barnburner sprint. Not as good as their incredible 12/85 World Championship Wrestling Studio match, but this is a good one. Technical wrestling to start Garvin escapes amateur takedowns and works a nice headscissors. This is Garvin vs Flair! You know what is going to happen. Hard-hitting brutal chops are exchanged neither man backs do…

Fabulous Ones vs PYT Express - Memphis 6/25/84 As the biggest Sweet Stan Lane fan on PWO, gotta give my boy a hand, he was awesome in this match. Starting with the bitchin' snow leopard tights all the way to the Double DDT that ended the match in victory for the Fabs. I thought Lane & Keirn were super fun in the shine. I love a pair of fun-loving babyfaces. Lane & Keirn were both great at making the beginning of the match fun with their mannerisms and antics. I liked Lane pulling Koko away in a toehold from Norvell in circles until the ref could get to them. PYTs love their miscommunication spots, definite MX influence and I love it. Once it came down to brass…

Randy Savage & Lanny Poffo vs Rock N Roll Express - Mid-South Coliseum 6/25/84 SAVAGE PILEDRIVES MORTON THROUGH THE TABLE! When I was a kid, we rented some video or found some TV show that had this angle on the tape. I literally remember nothing else on the video just Savage piledriving Ricky Morton through the table at ringside. Eat it, ECW! Talk about a hot and I mean double hot angle! Absolutely tremendous! For what we got, this was on pace to be one of my favorite Memphis Wrestling matches of the 80s and on pace to be better than both Savage vs Lawler matches I have watched so far, but a premature DQ ending makes for a fun match rather than a classic. Wow…

Tommy Rich & Eddie Gilbert vs Phil Hickerson & The Spoiler - Memphis 6/25/84 Street Fight Holy shit! Memphis this is what I am talking about! Awesome, bloody brawl! Hickerson & Spoiler are dressed in their janitor blues. Rich is busted open early by Hickerson and a chain. Hickerson seems like an ornery fellow. Gilbert tries to grab a mic stand to help Tommy, but he ends up falling. Rich turns the tide on Hickerson by driving his head into the table. This is a wild, wooly affair. Hickerson bleeding buckets. There is a pool of his blood on the floor. Gilbert goes for the mask of Spoiler, but Spoiler gets his boot and clobbers him. Gilbert bleeding now. Spoil…

This might be my top joshi match of the 80s at the moment. Crazy action with amazing character work (all four have distinct roles), heel vs. face dynamic and great heat. Up there with many of the acclaimed 90s joshi tags. ****1/4