February 1987

This match didn't start off with the intensity level and crispness that I got from the previous match on 01/24/1987. But, I do think this still turned out to be a great match. I love the callback from the previous match - Choshu is about to look in the sharpshooter, but he remembers the massive slap in the face he took in the previous encounter. He points to the ref and tells him to keep an eye on Jumbo before he locks in the move on Tenryu. Eventually, the ref is focusing on the submission, and Jumbo gets to slap him in the face again anyway. The match didn't really pick up for me until Jumbo gets really fired up delivering three big knees to Choshu. I felt like th…

This is a low-burning match that really heats up in the home stretch. Overall, it felt very "wild" in the sense that they're flying all over the place offensively and there's this wick of bitterness that flares up every now and then. Takada comes at Koshinaka with the stiff kicks and spends a lot of time on the ground trying to set-up the chickenwing. Takada's dragon suplex bridge is nuts.He blows off some of Shiro's offense but his selling toward the finish was great. Koshinaka was terrific in this, between his selling, his fun runs of offense and smart defense. I loved the finish, with Koshinaka attacking the fingers as a counter to the chickenwing and working the shit …

This was a good solid match. Their was a nice shine that saw the faces do some fun arm work. I loved Parson's headbutt to the arm. Irwin scoops up and slams Parsons. I've always liked the Iceman. Irwin tags in Eli quickly, but Parsons cuts him off. Eli though overwhelms him. Eli starts to get heat. He takes Parsons outside, and in the big spot of the match they post him and bust him open. Parsons is bleeding, and the crowd finally get behind him. Finally he gets the hot tag to Young. Young comes in hot. While this is going on Parsons heads to the back. Eventually the heels overwhelm Young and put a beatdown on him. He tries to tag out a couple times. No Parsons though. Fi…

I've always loved the Angel of Death name for a wrestler. Missing Link in 6 mans are a great way to use him. Hayes strutting his stuff to the boos. Link does his version of the moon walk and the crowd goes wild. Good schtick is timeless. Taylor working Hayes and is focused on the arm. A kick by PS brings in Roberts and he's after Robert's arm. Chavo in and he picks up working the arm of Roberts. Hayes in and Chavo back to the arm. Chavo looking pretty good here. Link biting Roberts. The faces had a pretty long shine their. It looks like Link is going FIP. He gets tossed outside and is roughed up a bit. Link is bleeding and they're working the cut. Robert's eats a big head…

Talk about it here

This was always one of the legendary wrestling magazine match ups when I was a kid. Just two big beasts beating on each other, and it always looked like the best thing. I loved this feud on the Mid-South set, and it is so great to see another chapter show up. This was a Texas Death Match, and man have we gotten some awesome Texas Death Matches in Texas from NWA Classics. Starts out with a pair of big dogs throwing hambones, Gordy's punches look great, although Williams didn't keep his wrists straight so they looked a little weak. My only complaint though, everything else about this was boss. Both guys bleed a ton, Gordy breaks out his all time great piledriver and William…

WWF Intercontinental Champion Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat - WWF, Toronto 2/15/87 I could have sworn I had seen this match before, but I don't think I have. What a tremendous match! Perhaps even better than the Mania match, which I need to rewatch now. Steamboat made his return at the January Saturday's Night Main Event during Savage and Steele's match. I really enjoyed the Savage vs Steele feud and SNME matches. The turnbuckle stuffing spot is pretty funny. It was the perfect feud to put even more heat on Savage, but it was all to really get that heat on Savage for the Steamer. After crushing having larynx crushed and needing to re-learn how to talk, many hav…

Sam Houston was always a good wrestler. I think he's one of the guys I've seen live most often. Houston truly is a good babyface. We get some back and forth early. A cheap shot sets up Ninja's heat. Crowd is really behind Sam, but Ninja is putting the boots to him. Of course we get a nerve hold here. We get some KOTM spots. Ninja is focusing on the neck/throat area. The work isn't high end, but makes sense.A nice gut wrench suplex by Ninja. Got to give it to the crowd, never wavering from their support of Sam. A quick comeback ends it for the Ninja.

Angel of Death was a gimmick I always dug. As a wrestler he was mediocre. Here he carry's his end. Doc was great here with stiff shots with the chain. His punches were on point. Both guys bled. It didn't go long enough to get repetitive. The cut offs were done well. Just nothing that would put it over the top. No nasty spots you'll remember for years. Overall good stuff. 3 1/4*

20 plus minutes here. Sting starting to get some cheers here. Gilbert taking his time early. The dive and miss is a great opening spot by Gilbert. It really needed a Gary Young strut though to put an exclamation point on it. We get some chain wrestling early, and Young establishes he isn't going to be pushed around. Young with some really deep arm drags. Eddie really milking it and just working.Eddie is much fun stooging away. The exaggerated bump on a stomp to the face was just glorious. Now he's begging off to Gaylord. Sting in and it's the muscles turn. Both Sting and Eddie do a great job building to both guys taking the shoulder block bump. The crowd went nuts for it.…

This was a valet penalty box match. So the psychology of the match was rather odd. Both teams early on would try to taunt the valet into hitting them to get them put in the box. Link is over big as a face. Taylor carried it for his side. Their was a lot going on. 1 1/4*

Taped on 2/14/87 Charlotte NC. Windham & Garvin defend the NWA United States tag team titles against Bobby Eaton & Dennis Condrey. Jim Cornette likes fire..... Available in highlight form on the Network, Vault, World Championship Wrestling, 1987. February 21st episode. This is the full match.

Being that this is an elimination match, they play a little fast and loose with the rules. But it's in the interpersonal dynamics that this truly shines, whether it's Race cartoonishly bumping and selling for the babyfaces to the delight of the crowd, Piper seething on the apron as he yearns to get his hands on Adonis by any means necessary, or Steamboat constantly getting one over on Savage. We get some earnest moments of celebration from the babyface trio as well, particularly Steamboat. His egging the crowd on in their chants of "JYD" early on adds a feeling of camaraderie among our heroes. Each of them takes pot shots at Savage and, to further put over the latter…

The Islanders vs Demolition - MSG 2/87 Great match! Islanders started with some early doubling teaming to keep Demolition off balance. So that was not a Strike Force thing it seems that is something the Demos preferred to establish their strength and how babyfaces could still capitalize through superior teamwork. Ax/Tama have a good mat exchange with Tama getting the better of it. MSG seemed to dig the Islanders even though they were just a random ethnic babyface tag team at this time. This is the Demo's MSG debut. Haku begins to work on Ax's leg and some good babyface leg work follows. Lots of quick tags and follow up on Ax's leg that never drags. Tama tries to g…

This was just awesome! Wow. I didn't expect to like this one as much when I saw they were going longer, just because the 10-minute zone seems to have been so perfect for them. But I was very wrong on that. They built and built to that figure four so much. Just classic, All-Japan style build to a big move or hold. This was Colon as a pissed off babyface seeking retribution, and I love that match that was 90% babyface dishing out and working the leg still had that chaotic feel. Over and over, Hansen seemed desperate to just get this over with, trying for a pinfall with his feet on the ropes and finally taking the DQ to use the crutch just to break the figure four. Colon hol…