October 1985

Fit Finlay was supposed to originally be teaming with Daly, but he just walks out on the match and goes back to the dressing room. Princess Paula tries to drag him back to the ring but he wants no part of it. Lucky Gordon then draws the short straw as the standby wrestler and replacement for Finlay (Banger Walsh must have been otherwise engaged!). Grey gets the first fall rolling up Gordon and Daly squares things up with a big splash on Grey. A Daddy splash on Daly then takes it for his team. There is some nice selling from Grey after Daly gets the pin on him, but that was really it.

AWA World Heavyweight Champion Rick Martel vs Terry Gordy - AWA 1985 OUI OUI, RICKY MARTEL!!! Gary Michael Capetta is the announcer and Dick Whirly is the ref so I am guessing this is in Philly, which you definitely dont think of as an AWA town. This went to a draw just when it was getting good. I thought this was a great championship bout. They did some fun nearfalls at the start to establish that both men were looking for the win, get the fans invested and put over both men's athleticism. Martel worked a strong headlock base. He was really wrenching at times ala Bob Backlund, getting himself over in a WWF stronghold. In fact, this reminds me very much of a Backlund …

WWF World Tag Team Champions Dream Team vs British Bulldogs - Championship Wrestling 10/5/85 The first meeting of this iconic rivalry happened on TV shortly after the Dream Team won the championships from the US Express. This was to signal that Bullodgs and Dream Team would dominate the title scene for about the next six months. Basic match. Valentine and Beefcake shined up the Bulldogs. Davey Boy had a nice dropkick on Beefacke. Dynamite mowed people down. Johnny V saved his men when pushed Dynamite off the top triggering the DQ. Nothing special just established that Bulldogs mean business and in a fair and square match they should be able to wrest the titles from th…

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Kerry & Kevin Von Erich vs Chris Adams & Gino Hernandez - WCCW 10/6/85 Hair vs Hair Definitely lived up to the hype and build of this feud. This was the last shining moment of World Class as it was all downhill to probably one of the saddest most pathetic years in wrestling history, World Class in 1987. The Dynamic Duo are not happy that David Manning is the ref. I liked all the quick pins early. This match is not about hurting each other. It is about humiliation. The quick pin means you avoid getting your head shaved and you get to shave your rival's head. it makes sense to go for quick pins. Also, liked that unlike most Von Erich matches we do get some s…

This was a blast. A total Memphis undercard match run in Houston. Gilbert is a master of the style, and Fulton has tons of experience too. These are great as standalones on cards. They are really interactive with the crowd. 2 1/2*

Jake was the star of the match. We don't get a finish. Jake was great at the start with teasing the DDT, he was great as FIP. He was a great rag doll gaining tons of sympathy. It was great watching him punching the mask of Humongous. Then selling the damage to his hand. Totally dug the eye poke to get seperation,

This was a pretty great match with really cool small moments to go along with big moments. Early on Flair put over Reed's strength. In a really cool moment early on Flair would go after Reed's leg not once, but twice. Each time Reed would rag doll Flair in a headlock to stop the attempt. Reed would use the headlock as a weapon through out. Reed also used the bear hug that Flair sold big. Speaking of selling. I've never seen anyone sell Flair's chops the way Reed did and really put them over. Reed would get chopped and seemed so annoyed he'd go after Flair. You need to see what I'm talking about. Both guys really turned this into something special. 4*

Ted DiBiase vs Bob Sweetan - Mid-South 10/11/85 Taped Fist Match I may have never seen a Hillbilly Jim match, but I have seen a Bob Sweetan match. Sweetan is one of the few US wrestlers I had never heard of before coming to PWO. It seems he wrestled primarily in the smaller territories like Southwest, Central States and WWC. This was probably his biggest break. It is not surprising to see why he did not make much further. I will say casting him as a babyface does seem counterproductive so perhaps if he was a heel I would have liked him more. This match came about because DiBiase was on one of his many tours of Japan so Sweetan stepped in to defend the tag titles with …

The Fantastics are hugging the girls at ringside and Paul Boesch wants a hug too. This was pretty quick. Tommy Rogers takes most of the match.

AWA World Heavyweight Champion Rick Martel vs Jerry Lawler - Nashville 10/12/85 Ornery Rick Martel is awesome! He seems totally pissed that he is even in this match in a really good way. He is just pissed off from the start. it is a really cool dynamic for the usual white meat babyface to play a heel. It is not like he is bad person. He is just having a shitty day and it shines through in the match. So he is more prickly than usual, it allows the fans to be decidedly pro-Lawler without Martel compromising his character. Lance Russell and his partner really play up his unwonted behavior. In addition, it makes for an excellent match and really Rick Martel best match as …

Aired on WWF All Star Wrestling 10/12/85. Also available on WWF Coliseum Video, Best of the WWF Volume 5. Not currently on the Network

This was worked with a fast pace to start. The crowd pelts garbage at Bundy and Hennan before he leaves the ringside area. Hogan is in his all white attire. I liked the fact that Hogan was working with a sprint style offense and mixing things up with headbutts and a nice running elbow drop that he does from time to time. He goes for the slam on Bundy, but Bundy is able to punch him in the ribcage and take over. Bundy's offense on top is fairly short but not much was going on with a chinlock. Jesse does his best to get this over on commentary with Bundy putting his whole body weight on Hogan which does make sense. Still, it was uninspiring stuff. Then we get the finish whi…

DiBiase is backing away with Sweetan going after him to start. We get some good back and forth punch exchanges and Ted is able to take over on the outside when Bob makes a mistake. This match only went around 9 minutes, but it was worked in a real rugged pace. It wasn't slow moving but everything applied looked painful and was emphasized which was appreciated. The piledriver Sweetan gives Ted right before the finishing stretch is sick and Ted takes a great bump off of it. The ref gets tossed and Ted goes for his trusted loaded glove. Sweetan gets knocked loopy from the glove shot and blades. The referee recovers and gives Ted the win, however, he sees the glove and revers…

WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan vs Randy Savage - MLG 10/13/85 After all these Hogan's matches, I am still not sick of "Real American", I bring this up because it is the first time I have heard of his theme between Eye of Tiger and Real American. It is unbelievably bland, glad they made Real American. Next major match between these two after their Philly match in 9/85 and the one before the big MSG series that solidified Savage as a money heel in the promotion. Pretty amazing that his first major program is against the Hulkster. Lots of stalling and using Elizabeth in this one. Savage peppering the jabs at the beginning only to have Hogan erupt and hit a…

This was basically Terry Funk being as Terry Funk as possible in order to make a purse out of a gatorwolf's ear. He was ten thousand percent ridiculous and if you like the idea of Terry Funk being a ridiculous idiot against enhancement talent then you will probably enjoy this. Alternatively, if you are a joyless sack of meat and potatoes and do not like the idea of Terry Funk being a ridiculous idiot against enhancement talent then you can go and watch whatever else it is you people like. Funk was determined to make Steve Gatorwolf look like someone who had even the tiniest chance of victory. That often entailed stooging around in absurd fashion. "How can I make this fell…

Mid-South North American Champion Dick Murdoch vs Mid-South TV Champion Butch Reed - Mid-South 10/14/85 I watched this way back when with the September match, but never got around to writing a review for this. I remember liking this as much as the September match and I liked that a whole lot. First 15 minutes: Reed's TV title is only on the line for the first 15 minutes. I don't know why Watts insisted or who insisted Reed work holds. He is not as good as everyone else at it. He would be great as a power wrestler. They trade side headlocks early with good struggle. A battle over a top wristlock leads to Reed grabbing an armbar. This would be the hold du jour. Reed…

The footage says 10/21, but this match is from 10/19/85

Everytime I watch Rick Martel in the 80s he gains more traction in my all-time favorites list. I'd say he's already in my top 15 for sure. The guy is just the ultimate babyface in the ring. I might have seen this match when I went through the AWA 80s, but I don't remember seeing it prior to tonight if I have. Choshu goes to work on the left arm early on. Martel is wincing in pain, gets a nice fiery hope spot, then back to the left arm when Choshu cuts him off. Choshu early on, per usual from what I've seen, shifts focus to the Scorpion Deathlock. I don't like how out of nowhere this seems and dominating this is in some of his matches I've seen. The last three or f…

AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion Jerry Lawler vs Bill Dundee - Memphis TV 10/19/85 Title vs Hair This is right up there with Flair/Lawler and Lawler/Mantell as awesome Memphis TV angles. I highly recommend this as a gripping episode arc. Bill Dundee has recently returned and he is back in the fold as Lawler's partner, but he is out there making contentious claims that the Lawler/Dundee team is the greatest team in the world better than the Road Warriors, better than Freebirds and even better than the Fabulous Ones. Nows that's fighting words. The Fabs have no problem putting their belts up against Lawler/Dundee. Dundee being the instigator runs out all keyed up and i…

Ric Flair defends the NWA World Heavyweight Title. Aired on Power Pro Wrestling Volume 36 (10/19/85). We get almost 11 minutes of this match. Joel Watts mentions on commentary that we are at the 40 minute mark. Flair is very bloody

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I thought this was really good. Rick Martel is a selling machine in this match, and there's also a really cool spot from Flair - Martel had him in the figure four prior - He jumps on Martel's leg and falls selling his own knee. I thought Flair was too focused on begging off at first, but after he seems to get annoyed with Martel, he turns that around. Really cool to see the AWA champ face the NWA champ. Really enjoyed this one.