JIP but I don't think anything is really missing. Lawler and Dundee hit an awesome duck down/apron lariat spot early and Lawler goes from that straight into the old "abandon the criss cross to chase the heel manager" bit which is a staple of the other Midnight Express. Condrey backs Lawler into the corner and decks him twice but it just pisses Jerry off and he drops Condrey. Dundee avoids the knee to the back coming off the ropes spot and we get the strut. I absolutely loved the sequence of stuff based on the turnbuckles, with Lawler saving Dundee, Rose trying to save Condrey and then a similar motif off of the leg press spot in the corner. Dundee is awesome cranking the headlock, while back dropping the other heel and then the heels take turn getting punched to shit. GREAT moment with Rose getting the upper hand and Dundee is still in the ring so he jabs Rose in the fucking face to cut his momentum before taking his spot on the apron leading to a Lawler fist drop and another bail to the floor spot from the Express. God Dundee creams Rose coming off the top and they do an amusing spot with Lawler and Dundee taking turns going for the cover as the ref counts half confused. Lawler lights up Rose with great punches, but Lawler takes a boot on the corner charge and then takes his awesome over the top backwards bump for Condrey's big right which is followed up by Rose slamming him on the floor. They start to work over Lawler's back. Lawler is really great positioning himself in the right way so that he can get off a hope spot but still be totally isolated in the heel corner. Nice bit of psych with Rose hitting his Vader Bomb splash to Lawler's back. Good cradle for another nice hope spot and Rose hits a darn good looking British Bulldog style powerslam for a near fall. Awesome awesome awesome spot with Lawler reaching backwards desperately when he gets shot into the ropes and JUST missing a tag to Dundee. Dundee ends up chasing around Dangerously and Lawler ducks down on a double clothesline attempt and then hits a double clothesline of his own for a near fall. Dundee comes in a house of fire throwing some sick blows, but Lawler hits the floor to chase after Paul E only for Dundee to get knocked out with a phone shot for the finish. This was a great match. I'm not sure I agree with Phil that this was better than the best of Midnight Rockers v. Rose/Somers matches but it's in the same neighborhood.

This is for the AWA tag belts and is a match which on paper looks really awesome, but especially in the 80’s on paper matches were often pretty disappointing. This however was even better then it looked on paper. Lawler and Dundee are a great tag team, we all know what great individual wrestlers they are, and how well they match up against each other, but they also have great face tag team shtick. Their opening babyface in control section was just full of great stuff. I especially loved the variations on the partner blocks the Irish whip into the corner, also this was a punch marks dream match with both Lawler and Dundee breaking out tons of different combos. I especially loved the running left hook by Dundee. OMX were a lot fun in this too, especially Randy Rose who looked Eaton great in this, he takes a huge high backdrop, and has a bunch of fun offense. Slim Paul E. with his sport coat with rolled up sleeves throws in the phone and the OMX win the belts. I liked this more then any of the Rose/Somers v. Midnight Rockers matches and this was fucking with the high end Rock and Rolls v. Midnights matches.

Well, shit, this on paper looks like it might be my favorite AWA match on the set. I told Rachel as we started watching it that "something will have to go horribly wrong for me to not nominate this". I don't actually know how many times I've seen Dundee/Lawler tag together, but it doesn't feel like many (if any), and this really came off like they were a regular tag team they had their schtick and psych down so rock solid. It's easy to say "Yeah well they're great wrestlers so of course they'll be a great tag team" but that doesn't always hold water. Great tag workers don't always have great singles matches and the same is true for singles workers having great tag matches. But THIS is fucking great. It's divided nicely into the first half being comedy and strutting and stooging, and builds nicely into actual assbeating. Lawler and Dundee did miscommunication babyface spots like they had planned this out months in advance. I can't say enough good about this, as all 4 guys look awesome here, and Heyman is great on the floor. Dundee outpunches Lawler here which is a feat. He was just popping dudes left and right. Lawler takes some big bumps (including a big one over the top off a punch). I was nervous the match would be worked too much as a squash by Lawler/Dundee, but when MX take over it is GREAT. They work over Lawler's back something fierce, with a big powerslam, a Vader bomb (!), and Lawler being one of the greatest FIP as he is just always BARELY out of position for Dundee. Dundee on the hot tag is just astounding, as he throws about 4 different styles of punches and each one looks somehow greater than the last. Phone shot to end it was well done and this was just a real engaging, awesome tag match. Easily my favorite tag out of the ones I've seen so far. EASY NOMINATION.

 

The version shown on ESPN Classic is unedited. It has ring intros and everything, so that looks like the version to use.

 

AWA on ESPN Classic 7/17/08, All-Star Wrestling 1987

AWA World Tag Titles: "Superstar" Bill Dundee & Jerry "The King" Lawler © vs. The Original Midnight Express ("Loverboy" Dennis Condrey & "Ravishing" Randy Rose) (10/30/87)

 

Great seeing Dundee & Lawler in the AWA. This is just a great southern tag match taking place at a AWA TV taping in Whitewater, Wisconsin and not at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis with both teams being awesome here at doing what they did best. Paul E. was also great in his role and really there's not much more I can add to what the others wrote here although I wouldn't say this was better than the epic Rockers/Rose & Somers matches but it is definitely high-end and will rank extremely high on my list. Slam dunk nomination without a doubt.