PP #25

Buddy Rose v. Curt Hennig This went about 14 minutes bell to bell which is short by the standards of Portland main events. For my money it is the best match I've seen so far, an incredibly great match, and one of the better matches I've seen from anywhere in 83. It is a match that is enhanced by the pre-match with Owen talking about Rose injuring Hennig's leg and the post-match Buddy stretcher job. Match starts off with great action as Buddy ambushes Curt while he is still in his ring jacket. Curt bumps around big but naturally makes his comeback with Buddy returning the favor. I liked how they worked in early near falls there as you really bought that an early fall could come from the ambush or hennig comeback. Hennig ends up taking over on the arm and it is some of most spirited simple limb work I can remember seeing. They work some good teased counters from Rose, Hennig gets to work some nice counters they come up for a flashy spot or two, et. It just really works well. Rose eventually escapes free and sends Hennig over the top with a dropkick and they go into a nice stretch with Rose hitting some nice stiff offense, Hennig coming back and bumping Rose huge, some teased falls, et. The finishing run with Hennig eating the double knees on a splash attempt only to catch Rose up top building to the big top rope dropkick to Rose's arm/neck was awesome. As said before post-match stretcher job was great. Hennig was fiery as fuck in this, both guys bumped great, Rose did some great selling (really loved him selling the shoulder after a shoulderblock to keep Hennig on the floor) and all the litle things well. This was just a great match in every sense and is a lock for the set.

 

Curt Hennig interview

Buddy Rose pre-tape from his home. He is in his bed in a neck brace talking about his history in the Northwest and how Hennig injured him with his dropkick. Great stuff. EXTRA

 

End of Curt Hennig/Billy Jack vs Convict/Ali Hassan match

Convict Interview challenging Hennig to prison yard match.

Henning interview answering challenge.

 

Roddy Piper pre-tape from Atlanta setting up match in Portland with Flair. Really good promo covering his history in Portland and to some degree his history with Flair. EXTRA

 

Convict v. Curt Hennig (Prison Yard Match) This is the final fall only. This actually went two straight falls and I really wish we had this in full because this would be a stone cold lock for the set I think. Convict is Wiskowki who takes a bunch of huge bumps in this. They really do a good job working the gimmick with the wrestlers on the floor with the belts. Loved Hennig's delayed headscissors on Convict over the top and Convict's huge splash attempt was great. Hennig's winning dropkick was also awesome. I think this should be on the set as an extra even though it's not in full. EXTRA

 

Ali Hassan/Curt Hennig confrontation with Hassan interrupting his interview and destroying him with the title belt to set up an "Iranian Death Match." EXTRA

 

Buddy Rose interview. He's wearing his neck brace. Really great Rose promo talking about things that have happened in his absence. EXTRA

 

Finishing run of Curt Hennig v. The Assassin. Rose runs in and costs Hennig the match.

 

Curt Hennig interview. Good promo

 

Buddy Rose v. Ron Ritchie This had a jump cut in it and sort of felt like something was missing as they come back and they were both throwing bombs. Surprised to see Ritchie kick out of Buddy's backbreaker. Ritchie's running headbutt thing looked cool and I liked his punches a lot. I really dug the struggle through the ab stretch and Buddy's tight pulling escape of the Boston Crab was cool. Ritchie ends up eating the knees on a Vader Bomb and Buddy drags him up top and hits a top rope superplex for the fall. I liked this but it was really short and at least partially edited so I can't nominate it.

 

Battle Royal The finish of this was pretty cool with Rose and Hennig both accidentally dropkicking allies over the top leaving the two of them alone. Buddy tries to jump out but Curt almost rips his tights totally off. Rose bumps around big time for Hennig but cuts Curt off every time he gets close to being tossed. Absurdly the bell rings for tv time and they have to split the purse between these two.

 

Buddy Rose/Curt Hennig interview where they set up a winner take all match for the battle royal money.

 

Roddy Piper interview. Great ranting Piper interview shitting on a local newspaper writer who has attacked and denigrated wrestling and wrestling fans. Savage is funny in the background laughing his ass off at Piper's shit talking.

 

Buddy Rose v. Curt Hennig This was a fun little match but was super short. Rose attacks the leg early and they end up going into a routine where Sandy Barr keeps getting bumped. I will say these were super believable and well done ref bumps. I especially liked Rose throwing Barr in front of Hennigs top rope dropkick. Hennig takes a slingshot into the big bar and bleeds a gusher, with Buddy tying him up in the ropes and biting/destroying the cut. Ritchie tries to make the save but gets posted. Billy Jack shows up and chases Rose away. EXTRA

 

Buddy Rose interview. He tries to ambush Hennig when he shows up. Fun chaotic ending to the show.

 

Ric Flair interview. I've always liked women with a full sweater and an empty head. A true class act. EXTRA

 

Scott Ferris v. Ron Ritchie Pretty lifeless incomplete match.

 

Curt Hennig/Buddy Rose/Billy Jack Haynes v. Rip Oliver/The Assassin/Dynamite Kid (2/3 Falls) Really loved the crazy bumping and stooging from the heels. Rose was a lot of fun as a face here and you could tell he was really enjoying the reactions early. You can say what you want about DK, but his bump off of that Rose dropkick off their initial exchange was really great. Oliver wants nothing to do with Rose, who tries to goad him with a nip up of all things which was just hysterical. Cool momentum swing as Rose over pursued seeking out Oliver and got trapped in the heel corner to go FIP. Oliver ends up accidentally getting a knee in the face from the Assassin, but Buddy stays on the defensive. Oliver standing on Rose's neck and pulling his hair up was an awesome heel move. Rose stumbles into a hot tag but Billy Jack gets caught pretty quickly. Billy Jack is surprisingly fun as FIP and takes a decent beating. Cool spot with DK trying for a slam but being unable to get him up and eating a press slam for his trouble. Jack tags in Hennig and DK eats a monkey flip and a crossbody for a hot opening fall. Enjoyed the second fall opening with Rose using heel tactics to take over on Dynamite. He's a changed man, but he still knows the tricks. Hennig/DK end up doing one of the best looking sunset flip spots I've ever seen which leads to Hennig going FIP. Hennig is such a great rag doll. Really loved the way he took Assassins dropkick. Hot tag to Billy seemed really quick and of course he immediately gets jumped by the heels. DK really looked like he was killing Billy with strikes. DK ends up taking a huge bump to set up the Rose hot tag. Rose cleans house and tags in Hennig who gets a near fall off a dropkick. Curt comes off the ropes but gets caught with a tombstone with the other two heels assisting on it for a really definitive fall. Rose has to announce that Hennig is injured and they bring out a stretcher. DK ends up hitting a huge knee drop onto Hennig while he's on the stretcher as Rose and Billy Jack go after the other heels. Really good match, albeit a "go, go, go" one that could have used a more defined heat segment. Post-match stuff puts this over the top, but this would have been a rock solid match for the set one way or the other.

 

Buddy Rose/Billy Jack interview.

 

Al Madril v. Chris Colt Holy shit is Colt the scummiest looking bastard on Earth or what. Not much of a match. Very simple. But Colt is a simple and effective heel. He took a big bump or two and is always working the ref and the crowd. The problem is that he is rarely booked against someone that he can get the most out of.

 

Rip Oliver clan interview.

 

Buddy Rose/Billy Jack/Hennig interview. Fun to listen to a Rose face interview. Rose talking about going to the gym with Billy Jack and Curt tapping him in his gut made me chuckle.