This could be interesting. Blackjacks jump in the ring and issue a challenge to the Sheiks pre-match and Blackwell stiffs Lanza as he leaves the ring which leads to a mild pull-apart. Blackwell starts posing and ends up getting hit with a barrage of dropkicks, including a double dropkick, before Zumhofe hits a vader bomb style splash to steal the opening fall. Pretty great start actually as that sort of thing was pretty much the only way the faces were going to look believable here. Second fall is more of a back and fourth affair but a lot of the spots are really good. Blackwell just does everything with such great impact that it's hard not to enjoy him. Really liked the sunset flip nearfall, Zumhofe's Backlund style headlock crank, and the Zumhofe crossbody nearfall. Patera was past his prime here, but he did not look out of place at all. Blackwell ends up isolating Steve O on the floor and destroys him with a headbutt and a huge elbow drop while Zumhofe works over Patera. Zumhofe holds off Blackwell with some dropkicks and speed moves and goes for his vader bomb style splash again, but Blackwell gets his knees up and then hits him with his huge powerslam. Patera comes in and hits a suplex and then Blackwell comes back in and hits a huge splash to Zumhofe as he tries to crawl to the corner that Steve O had just climbed back onto. The heels refuse to cover Zumhofe and then Patera goes over and destroys Steve O again so the ref rings the bell. God damnit with a better finish this would have been an easy nomination, but this is still something I could see making the set pretty safely. VQ is pretty splotchy though.

In post-match interviews, they talked of stripping the Sheiks of the title for their actions in this bout. I think the idea was suppsoed to be the Blackjacks winning the title and then a Blackjacks-LOD series later on. Patera's McDonalds adventures changed the plan and we instead got a Baron/Crusher title win at a green Bay house show.

 

Mulligan was gone shortly afterwards so the pan may have changed anyways, who knows...

2 out of 3 falls: Steve O & "Rock n Roll" Buck Zumhofe vs. Sheik Jerry Blackwell & Sheik Ken Patera (4/15/84)

 

Steve O with a mustache is funny and before the match the Blackjacks come in the ring to challenge the Sheiks to a titles match so of course Blackwell attacks Mulligan as he tries to leave the ring with this ending with the Blackjacks being escorted out. The faces come out firing numerous dropkicks leading to Zumhofe hitting his version of the Vader Bomb to take the first fall in shockingly quick fashion. Blackwell would catch Zumhofe though to start the second fall and now the heels are in full control but not for long as Zumhofe wrings Patera's left arm and the faces take turns working it over. Steve would miss a diving knee drop giving the heels another window but again the faces were pesky here finding ways to stay in control until Blackwell would attack Steve on the floor leaving Zumhofe in the ring alone but he was all over Patera taking it to him then to Blackwell before missing his Vader Bomb hitting all knees. Zumhofe has no partner now and Blackwell crushes Buck with a slam with this leading to the heels picking up Buck every time they have him pinned so they can punish him for and Marty Miller ends up DQing them giving the faces a 2-0 win. This told a fun story as the underdog faces took it to the champs who pulled out all the stops to regain control then went into full punishment mode. This was fun for what it was and I'll push it forward.