April 1986

Talk about it here.

Talk about it here.

Talk about it here.

Talk about it here.

Talk about it here.

Talk about it here.

Talk about it here.

Talk about it here.

This is the final of the Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Tag Team Tournament, a one night, multi-promotion event held at the Superdome. In addition to the tag tournament, the card also featured Ric Flair v. Dusty Rhodes and Jim Duggan v. Dick Slater. The 24-team tournament came down to the Road Warriors and Magnum T.A. & Ron Garvin. This did not feel like a match in which the teams were competing for $1 million. Little heat from the crowd which isn't surprising considering how long the show was. The Roadies are no top for much of the match, working chin locks and bear hugs. Magnum hits the belly-to-belly suplex for a near-fall late. The finish was flat: Garvi…

Midnight Rockers vs Buddy Rose & Doug Somers - AWA Wrestlerock '86 4/20/86 I love fun bullshit matches like this. Especially after all those hot n heavy Mid-South brawls, this was a perfect respite before jumping into another bloodbath. This is definitely a prototype for the polarizing Rockers/Rougeaus London match, which I love and I think is even better than this one. This match is a appetite whetter, but leaves you wanting more. They establish the Playboy & Pretty Boy as the new tag team on the block and Buddy Rose & Sherri dynamic is great. Buddy Rose is a tremendous athlete. Wrestling has proven to me that fat guys can be super athletic and I wish th…

Rick Martel vs Harley Race - AWA Wrestlerock '86 4/20/86 This felt like a modern day WWE RAW match. Just willy-nilly transitions, kinda tepid, but at the same time lots of stuff happening so it is fun eye candy, but there is no real meat to sink your teeth into. Martel has such nice armdrags and Harley really is able to whip himself over quickly. Martel uses the arm as a base. Harley hits a high knee that looks great and Harley starts dropping the knee. Martel gets a crossbody after a top wristlock test of strength back to armbar. Harley uses headbutts instead of breaking cleanly. Harley goes from using his knees to using headbutts. Oklahoma slam by Harley. Harley sup…

AWA World Heavyweight Champion Stan Hansen vs Nick Bockwinkel - AWA Wrestlerock '86 4/20/86 Nick Bockwinkel with the bullwhip is just the most awesome thing ever. He is pretty over at the Metrodome. Hansen bowls over Larry Nelson and kicks when he is down. New most awesome thing ever! I love Hansen charging around the ring during the ring introduction and Bock keeping him at bay with the bullwhip. Bockwinkel establishes early that he is not going to be bullied by Hansen. His fight fire with fire strategy is badass. Neither man gives an inch to the other and they just wail on each other the whole time. Hansen goes after the bullwhip at the outset, they tussle over it a…

WWF Intercontinental Champion Randy Savage vs Tito Santana - WWF, MSG 4/22/86 No DQ MSG was cookin on the 22nd of April, 1986, BABY! This time there would no way for the Macho Man to intentionally disqualify himself because it would be a No DQ match. I have to say this is right up Chico's alley. He can throw hands with the best of them and Savage is going to have to break the rules and show himself to be without scruples. He demonstrated right off the bat when he was willing to throw Liz down to distract Tito long enough to cheapshot him. It did not last for long as Tito nailed this cheapshot artist as he came off the top rope and the Macho Man crumpled to the mat. Th…

The Blade Runners turn out to be Sting and Ultimate Warrior. Both guys are in the WWE HOF, and Sting this year got into the WON HOF. Here you really don't see their appeal Maybe a little with Sting. The match is pretty boring. With the heels being pretty green, and the faces that are pretty young to the business too. So we get this match. The highlight was Eddie Gilbert's promo.

I was really looking forward to checking this out. We get some mic work from both guys with Buzz really getting to the crowd. We see Chavo working a mid-atlantic style match. Chavo is working the arm. Every now and then he'd go after the arm really hard, but for the most part was content to just latch onto an arm bar. Buzz for his most part helped helped with the narrative of the match. He'd drop an elbow and miss and Chavo would work the arm. Another point Buzz charged Chavo into the corner, miss him, and then take a shoulder bump into the corner. Buzz cheats to get the heat. He slams Chavo on the floor. Starts working the back. Irish whip into the guard rail and back th…

This is a classic rivalry. The feud that gave the Fantastics an edge of toughness to them. This is a week after the Crockett Cup that Dave Meltzer gave 5* to. We have a grUSA chant even before the bell rings. Sheepherders saluting the New Zeland flag gets big heat. To counter the Fans do the Pledge of Allegiance. Brawl to start with the Fantastics using double teams to their advantage. All 4 in the ring. It morphs into a straight tag. Fulton gets a knee in the back. They work over Fulton's back. Roger's has a chair on the floor. Fulton getting his ass handed to him. This is a fight. Fulton's heat was done very well. Fulton just can't make the tag. Finally he gets it, an…

Tully Blanchard vs Dusty Rhodes - JCP 4/26/86 Non Title Texas Death Match This is a handheld and I am pretty sure we are not missing much. Tully is definitely Dusty's best opponent. I think with Dusty you need someone who is really going to go all in and stooge and show ass and is not concerned about getting himself over or working his layout. The beginning of this match the rout is on. Dusty just wallops Tully repeatedly and runs up the score with three straight falls showing clearly he is The Man and that Tully is overwhelmed. The missed legsweep and Dusty cocking the Bionic Elbow. Tully's frustration and Dusty's cockiness is so perfect. It reminded me of the best …

Taped on 4/21/86 in Greenville SC. Also available on the Network, Vault, World Championship Wrestling, 1986. Saturday April 26, 1986. 55:00 mark

Available on the Network, Vault, Prime Time Wrestling 1986, May 12th episode. Starts at 11:10

WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan vs Randy Savage - Detroit 4/22/86 The finish of this match is very strange. Savage hits the elbow drop and we get the Hulk Up. Pretty normal. Hogan big boots Savage and he goes to outside. Also normal to setup a countout finish. Elizabeth gets in the way; Hogan moves her. Hogan puts him back in. Now Hogan has lost the energy of the Hulk Up and telegraphs a back body drop. Savage goes for another elbow but eats the foot ala Toronto, but doesn't kick out at three. I don't think I have ever seen the rhythm of the Hulk Up broken like that. Also weird that Savage was pinned clean. They do the whole Savage steals the titles and beat…

Available on the Network, Vault, Prime Time Wrestling, 1986, May 12th. Starts at 1:15:00

Am I crazy or is this 2/3's of a pretty good shoot-style match? I wouldn't want all wrestling to be like this, but knowing the real-life reputations of these two guys there's a real "anything can happen" type feel to this. The enforcer of the old guard trying to shoot on the new kid known for his shooting skills. My interpretation of what happened was that Maeda came to work but Andre wanted to teach him a lesson ala the Iron Sheik match by smothering him with his size and refusing to sell anything. Maeda gets tired of it and shows he can effortlessly takedown Andre before going for some shoot grappling. Andre successfully defends the initial armbar attempt because he's j…