Portland's Greatest Gimmicks

The Grappler/Rip Oliver promos.

Angle with Grappler/Rip Oliver/Larry Oliver. This is pretty cool stuff with Larry running out to save his dad and getting decked. Then Grappler spits chemicals in Larry's eyes. EXTRA?

The Grappler v. Rip Oliver (Stretcher Match) Don Owen's hilariously nervous introductions for this were awesome. Grappler does the most bizarre jab I've ever seen as it looks like he is setting up to throw a looping hook and then throws these weird free form jabs that are super short but look stiff. Grappler hits a piledriver and starts working over the neck. Oliver did a good job sellilng his neck on his mini-comebacks. Match sort of builds to the point where Grappler goes for his chemical spray spot with Oliver avoiding. Grappler ends up coming back with an out of blue powder shot and Oliver gets stretchered half way up the aisle bu tfights back. Oliver gets back to the ring and hits a really awesome and insanely quick shoulder breaker with the babyfaces sprinting to get him on the stretcher but Grappler fights off half way down the aisle. Rip hits a second huge shoulder breaker but Grappler fights off the stretcher again. After a commercial they come back with Grappler trying to throw punches while selling his shoulder. Grappler goes to load up his boot, but Oliver cuts him off with a shot from his logging bar but The Grappler fights off the stretcher again. All hell breaks loose with the Grappler hitting a woman and they throw the match out. I'm torn on this as this is more a match with things I liked in it, then a match that I liked.

Angle with Killer Tim Brooks attacking Buddy Rose with a chain. Rose gets left a bloody mess at the interview post. This leads straight into a promo with Ed Wiskowski and Rose. EXTRA

Killer Tim Brooks v. Buddy Rose (Dog Collar Match) The opening antics with Rose bitching about the match being on tv and trying to flee only for Piper to chase him back to the ring was well done. This started kind of slow but once it got violent it got violent with Rose bleeding a massive gusher, some really nasty deliberate spots with the chain, Brooks bleeding, and then a really organic looking posting spot with the chain used for leverage. Brooks ends up wrapping Rose up with the chain around the post which looks sick as fuck. Wiskowki hits the ring and attacks Brooks and Piper makes the save. It wouldn't have hurt for this to be a few minutes longer and the opening couple minutes were kind of underwhelming, but I liked it once the blood started flowing.

Angle with Steve Doll and top Gun getting double crossed by Jonathon Boyd and Scotty The Body. The faces challenge the heels to a Cage Match for the next week. Hilarious promo with Scotty The Body begging Boyd not to make him wrestle with him in the Cage.

Top Gun/Steve Doll v. Scotty The Body/Jonathon Boyd (Cage Match) Scotty tries to avoid going into the Cage by indicating that his finger is hurt, meanwhile everyone else is covered in bandages. Anyway this wasn't very good. Scotty did take one of the better cross bodies into the cage bumps I can remember, but there was a ton of dead time in this, and the stuff with Madril and Grappler trying to get into the Cage was more distracting than dramatic. This also needed a lot more blood than it had.

American Ninja gets attacked by Super Ninja and company. American Ninja appears to be a young Crush. American Ninja asks for a chain match with Super Ninja putting his mask up. The mafia demands the match be Loser Leaves Town too.

American Ninja v. Super Ninja (Chain, Kendo Stick on a Pole, Mask v. Career Match) This was not good but I was somewhat entertained by Super Ninja's wild "karate" attacks that appeared to miss even when they "connected." Adams reacting to one flurry in particular was really amusing. Once Adams bleeds and they get the kendo stick the match has a few solid moments but overall this was about as weak as you would expect a green Brian Adams match to be. Post-match Oliver attacks Adams.

Angle setting up Assassin v. Curt Hennig Coal Miners Glove Match

Curt Hennig v. The Assassin (Coal Miners Glove) God damn Hennig really did have great, great punches and Assassin's full body selling of each shot only adds to them. Love the Assassin's desperate single leg to stop Hennig from climbing the pole. They spill to the floor and shit gets nasty with Hennig bleeding off of a post shot. Curt comes up from a double knockdown spot and drags the Assassin down by biting his face. I really like how they end up in the corner with the pole brawling and taking turns trying to get in a dominant position, rather than doing excessive pole climbing attempts. Assassin gets to the glove first but gets caught up top. Hennig over bumps on an atomic drop which is the low point of the match but the final shot with the glove looked epic and even with this being very brief I see this as a pretty solid nomination.

Beatlejuice/Jeff Warner v. Johnny Holiday/Al Madril (Oregon Strap Match) This is basically a country whipping match. But not a good one. The first few minutes are all the faces keeping the heels at bay. There were some good strap shots but there needed to be more and matches like this shouldn't go as long as this one did. Post-match angle was more fun than the match.