Lots of early schtick from Buddy with Tracy playing off of it really well and doing everything he could to get the crowd involved. Loved Budro sticking out his chin for Tracy to pop only for Curtis to jump in between them. Also really liked the countering of the various limb work with Smothers getting chucked to the floor and Tracy breaking up an early figure four. All this built to the first really big spot which was a simple slap delivered by Smothers that Landel sells so fucking awesome as he sort of teases a Flair flop before essentially passing out in the corner. This leads to a great chop exchange and Smothers ends up going for a figure four with Landel kicking off. They have really milked a little for a lot but that is what made SMW so great. There is another great mat exchange in this which is really simple back and fourth between Buddy and Smothers working from headscissors to headlock with Buddy cheating to gain his advantages and Smothers eventually snapping and peppering him with rights. They spill to the floor and there is an incredibly great strike exchange where Smothers fucking chops Budro in the face and Buddy fires back with some great rapid fire punches and then Tracy comes back with some more shots and it is awesome as fuck. They get back in the ring and Tracy goes for a corner charge which he misses for a big bump and eats a corkscrew elbow for a great nearfall. Budro misses the second corkscrew attempt which sets up a hot babyface comeback from Smothers. Finish is cool as Buddy goes to the tights for a foreign object but drops it after a back elbow. Smothers gets into it with Curtis about it and tries to use it for himself but while he is arguing Buddy retrieves a chain and decks Tracy for the finish. This was a great match, with great build, a great crowd and every spot meaning something.

This is a damn good bout. I think Dylan liked it more than me but I still liked it a lot. Watching Landell work in SMW you notice how SMW really lacks that charasmatic heel in the single division. DWB was really good but lacked a little spark. I loved his promo work though. Lee was better as a heel than as a face but still lacked a spark even with Fytch in the mix. I would have loved them to push Candido or even Al Snow in the title mix.

 

Dylan was spot on about this match. That strike exchange on the floor was just frickin awesome. The false finishes down the stretch were great. I bought on a couple of them. The finish was well executed here. Both men worked a good bout where we got some cool stalling schtick, some fighting, slow it down, mat work and some nifty nearfalls that led to a fun finish. The body of the bout was good, but the stretch run sealed it for me.

"Nature Boy" Buddy Landell vs. "Wild Eyed Southern Boy" Tracy Smothers (1/28/95)

 

This should be awesome. Landell rocking the red tights was fantastic as well as his schtick which was like Flair if he would've worked Memphis for 15 years. Great Southern heelness here. Smothers was great as well being the rain on Buddy's parade with Landell making him look great. These two were going to town on each other with shots and the finish was great with Budro sneaking a chain after accusing Tracy of using a foreign object to win. I fucking love Buddy Landell and this match was pretty damn great. Definite nomination.