Bruise Brothers v. Killer Kyle/Jimmy Del Ray/Jim Cornette

 

Lots of pre-match antics from Cornette. Loved Del Ray in this working the "put up your dukes" pose when he comes in, taking 360 bumps, and just generally making the Harris boys shit look good. Cornette ends up taking the bump for the finish.

 

The Hornet v. Bobby Blayze

 

Blayze was good again here hitting a nice Fujiwara armbar take down early and lending himself well to Hornet's offense. Problem is Hornet really doesn't have enough interesting stuff or schtick to work effectively on top as a heel in a match like this. Decent match.

 

Anthony Michaels v. Killer Kyle

 

Not bad for what it was. Michaels doesn't do much but Kyle hits some nice power spots.

 

Tracy Smothers v. Chris Candido

 

Pre-match mic work and opening explosion from Smothers were both really cool. The height Candido got off of his dropkick bump was nuts. Candido offers his hand and Smothers post him with an atomic drop and then beats him from pillar to post before taking a huge bump of his own off of a missed corner charge. Candido hits a nice legdrop off the ropes and they end up running a couple of the really snazzy spots they unloaded at Sunday Bloody Sunday before going to the floor where Candido takes over. They keep up with the on the ropes theme from that match as well as there are tons of awesome spots using the ropes, including a good inside out splash from Candido and vice versa from Tracy. Also loved Tracy's baseball slide and his firing up of the crowd before it. The up and down tempo of this was really excellent as they used a headlock as a base, but it was done really effectively with Candido arguing with Curtis which fed Tracy's hope spots. Really loved Tracy's back elbow off the ropes as Candido took a huge bump off of it and the proceeding spot with the teased superplex, Tracy blocking it and then Chris hitting him with the top rope frankensteiner was really fucking awesome. Candido eventually got caught on the top rope and ate a slam ala Flair to set up Tracy's full blown comeback. Finish here was great as Candido tries to pull the trunks down on Tracy for a sunset flip, Tracy sits down on him for a nearfall, Chris completes the roll up for a nearfall and Smothers ends up rolling forward for the clean finish. This was probably even better than the match from Sunday Bloody Sunday.

 

The Heavenly Bodies v. Rock N Roll Express

 

Boy I really loved this. They let the R N R's take a lot of this offensively and regardless of what some people think they are really offensive dynamos as they pace things perfectly, mix up a lot of solid schtick, have good strikes and have great flash and sizzle type spots that keep things going. Ricky hit a great monkey flip and headscissors in particular and I loved their early dominance being based off of traditional heel work they were doing behind the refs back as Corny and company got more and more pissed off and frustrated. Loved the cut off here as Ricky getting hit with the Dr. Bomb from Pritchard really seemed like both a last gasp from the reeling heels, and a fuck you to the hotshots who had been upstaging them. The heel control segment in this is not super long but it is well done. Really loved the leverage spot with the heels forcing there feet together behind the refs back while Ricky was in a headlock. Robert is good off the hot tag and they go to a really cool finish with Robert locking Corny in a sleeper and hitting a roll up before getting blindsided with a racket shot from a revived Cornette for the finish. Awesome stuff.

 

Brian Lee v. Dirty White Boy

 

This was some sort of unsanctioned type of affair as both guys are in street clothes. Total heavyweight slugfest with both guys giving it and taking it really well. At one point they brawl to the floor and you get a good close up of Anthony chucking a right at Lee's head and it looks sick as fuck. DWB really bumps big for every body, but he is taking face plant bumps here and selling his ass off. Loved his fired up comeback as well even if it was a bit of a no selling Hulk Up job. Lee is not someone I've ever been high on, but he looked good in this and worked hard to hold up his end of the match. Post-match there is a wild brawl with some more hard hitting shots, leading to a big heel beatdown. Good stuff.

Handicap Match: The Bruise Brothers (Don & Ron Harris) vs. "Gigolo" Jimmy del Ray, Killer Kyle, & Jim Cornette (12/11/93)

 

Nothing much to this other than some fun bumping by the heels.

 

Bobby Blaze vs. The Hornet (1/8/94)

 

Blaze looked good here but that's about it.

 

Killer Kyle vs. Anthony Michaels (1/8/94)

 

Basically a squash.

 

"Wild Eyed Southern Boy" Tracy Smothers vs. Chris Candido (1/8/94)

 

Smothers tells Candido he is going to kick his ass and he backs it up by pounding on Candido who was bumping all over the ring. This led to some really solid fast paced action with both men trading the advantage and hitting some big spots before Candido would work a headlock on the mat but it was far from boring though as Candido kept the pace up by arguing with Curtis throughout along with cheating plus Tracy was working hard in his hope spots. The build to Tracy's comeback was well done and when he got it he was fired up leading to a fun finish sequence with Tracy coming out on top. This was good stuff and moves forward.

 

SMW Tag Titles: The Heavenly Bodies ("Gigolo" Jimmy del Ray & Dr. Tom Prichard) © vs. The Rock n Roll Express (Robert Gibson & Ricky Morton) (1/8/94)

 

The fans are apeshit for RnR here as usual with lots of shrieking going on. This had everything you want from these two with RnR being awesome on offense early, Morton being great as FIP with Bodies being great on offense, then the hot finish run and Corny getting involved. This is a definite nomination to me.

 

Street Fight: "Dirty White Boy" Tony Anthony vs. "Primetime" Brian Lee (1/8/94)

 

This is the match that I've wanted to see from these two as they are in their street clothes and they are beating the shit out of each other in hard hitting fashion. DWB is just laying in the shots with Lee taking them like a man and then when the tide turned, DWB was bumping like crazy making Lee's shots look great. DWB's comeback was really fun as well as he fired up like crazy and the finish was great too as DWB used the boot to put out Lee. The post-match brawl was good as well as Candido & Smothers joined the fray and featured a DWB/Smothers handshake which was cool at the time. Like I said this was the match these two needed and they delivered. Easy nomination.