The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton & Tommy Rogers) vs. The Midnight Express (Dennis Condrey & Bobby Eaton) (6/30/85)

 

This is the last time these two teams faced each other Mid-South IIRC. Goddamn were there some great punches thrown early in this match by Eaton & Fulton as they sounded like leather whips to the face. Rogers gets in the ring and just looks awesome with a standing monkey flip, dropkick, powerslam combo. Fants were really good at agitating the MX with their kiss my ass spots, inviting Cornette to come in the ring, and just making the MX look stupid that when the MX gets their heat, they just pounded on Rogers. Fulton was selling his partner’s beating like they were almost killing him. Eaton’s punches continue to impress me and him & Rogers had the longest exchange of the match which was really great. Rogers finally made the hot tag to Fulton who came in like the proverbial house-o-fire and he got a sunset flip on Condrey but Condrey grabbed Cornette’s hand prompting Rogers to kick the hand away and Condrey fell over for the 3 count. Goddamn did the Tulsa women love them some Fantastics. I really really liked this match and I feel like throwing it up on the nomination block.

I enjoyed this match too. At the beginning when Eaton was giving Jimmy a hug and was jawing with the crowd was priceless. Eaton was really great here. His knee drop was beutiful in it's violence. Eaton's backbreaker powerslam combination was just awesome. Eaton and Fulton's punches were great as well. Rogers took a beating like a man along with his great dropkicks. It seemed like they were working around a condrey leg injury. It seemed like he couldn't do a whole lot in the sense of putting weight on his leg. If that was the case it was even more impressive the way the guys worked around the injury. It helps to have great talent in the ring and a hot crowd. I'm not totally sold on this match yet.

I odn't know what shoe was talking about here. I thought the first 10 minutes or so were tag team solid gold. If the 7/28/84 match was a showcase for MX schtick then this was the Fantastics showcase. great tag team work, playing up to the crwod, keeping things moving at a fast pace, Rogers in peril... what else could you want? I understand Condrey's limitations but it only makes sense that he was the one who got pinned. I really liked this match as well and can't think of another Fans-MX match besides the NO DQ that deserves to be on here as much as this one.

 

EDIT: The House Show #5 match is boss as well.

I thought both the Houseshow #5 match and the No D.Q from H-Town was better than this match. I did like this match, but not as much as the aforementioned other 2 matches.

Man this another really pedestrian match between these four. Eaton had some nice stuff, but opening face control felt dull, the heat segment was fine, but not much Condrey. No near falls for a finish, as Fulton comes in and basically pins him. Didn't like this at all, and there is no reason to have this match up on this set four times.

This is really pedestrian. The leapfrog into arm stuff that Fantastics do in their face control part of every match was the most perfunctory version of that spot as they didn't even taunt the MX just ran through the sequence. Condrey was a minimal player and as soon as you saw that Rogers was face in peril you knew that Fulton was getting the win over Condrey. Wasn't even a hint of Fulton peril (which would suggest that Rogers gets roll up and thn hit in the nexk for heel win). Your end run when Fulton comes in doesn't realy have any back and forth near fall or all shit breaking loose feel. Just happens and Fulton gets the win.

 

I don't think this was as good as any of the Fantastics v DWB matches that rightfully aren't making the list. And this is such a basic sketch of formula that I think it will hurt peoples perceptions of the really good Fantastics v MX matches.

 

Eaton's backbreaker into powerslam was really nice looking..but not enough to make a set.