Pre-match Jannetty grabs the mic and calls Rose's wife fat. Rose is livid and goes over to the commentary both and announces that he's not even married. Buddy is stalling like crazy early. The crowd was counting along with the ref and Rose just kept bailing. Funny moment as the ref has enough and starts rapid fire counting so Buddy comes in, offers his hand, swings at Jannetty and then gets floored with a belly-to-back suplex. Rose comes back in, but Marty reverses him again and ends up atomic dropping and then dropkicking Rose to the floor. Rose milks the shit out of the count then comes in the ring and tries to call a timeout! Buddy goes for a kick but gets his leg caught. He goes for some jabs but he can't reach Jannetty and then ends up getting knocked on his ass. Cool stuff as Rose tries to bail to the floor but Michaels is on that side of the ring and just pushes him right back in. Rose takes over with some cheap shots and Jannetty takes a fucking crazy high face first bump off a rope running spot. Rose hits a really great looking slingshot into a sitting backbreaker spot that they milk. Rose is on his knees mocking Shawn after Jannetty takes a good bump on an Irish Whip. Jannetty took an insane bump over the turnbuckle to the floor on a hope spot attempt and back in the ring Rose is just standing on his stomach celebrating. Rose gets caught cheating on an ab stretch and goes for another off the ropes but Marty reverses and gets his own locked on only for Rose to hip toss out for a nearfall. There is a bit of strange double knockdown spot that leads to a comeback from Marty. Marty reels off some hot offense but goes up top and Rose catches him with a slam. Marty gets his legs on the bottom rope to break the fall so Rose decides to try and dive on it but misses. He goes up top but Marty falls on the ropes and Rose crotches himself. this time Rose gets his leg on the rope. Somers tries to trips up Marty on a slam replicating the finish from the Women's Title match from the previous week. Jannetty escapes but this results in all hell breaking loose and double DQ. Post-match there is some great stuff as these guys brawl all over the place with Michaels almost killing himself vaulting over the top and fans trying to follow this melee to the back. Naturally I would have preferred a clean finish, but this was still a damn good match.

Marty Jannetty vs. Buddy Rose

- I could see people really knocking all of the stalling shtick at the beginning but fuck them. I love this stuff whether it is Rose, Larry Z, Rick Rude, Savage, etc. JAnnetty getting the better of Rose every time they locked up was classic also. Great low blow spot to turn the tide. Rose on offense was pretty awesome also breaking out the slingshot surfboard and the big flapjack, working on Marty’s ribs. Marty’s comeback was solid and the stretch run was hot back and forth stuff. The DQ sucked but the post match was fun. This is a definite nomination even though the stalling and the ending will hurt the final ranking for other people.

Marty Jannetty vs. "Playboy" Buddy Rose (10/18/86)

 

Buddy is so awesome here hemming and hawwing stalling around inside and outside the ring getting the fans in a frenzy before he goes for a handshake which Marty accepts and turns right into a backdrop suplex which was great. Marty keeps up his attack on Buddy who bumps around like crazy and just everything he does during this section is so awesome. Buddy fucking hides in the corner luring Jannetty in there and of course he back kicks him right in the balls then gives the referee a "what happened" look. Buddy now goes on offense and Jannety takes some fun bumps while selling hard to try and one up Buddy and this is a really good section. Marty's comeback was well built and when he pulled the trigger it was a blast leading up to the inevitable Shawn/Somers interference for the DDQ finish. I could care less about a clean finish here as these two were so fucking great. Slam dunk nomination and Buddy Rose is awesome.

I know this isn't the place to flesh this out, but this set is really going to put the lie to the notion Dave advanced in the Buddy bio that he was past his prime by the time he hit the AWA. There is no discernible decline in skills at all form his prime in Portland

Buddy didn't reach the end of his peak until after he left the AWA and even then he still had some fun moments. I would've loved a Memphis run from Buddy.