October 1, 200718 yr comment_5422412 Now this is how you can give away a potentially big match for free and still get money out of it down the line. Race is obviously the favorite coming in, and you can see the frustration as the match goes on because he can't put the younger wrestler away. Of course, the younger wrestler gets the win, and as a result is likely to earn a World Title shot. And it should draw as the challenger has already pinned the champion on TV. Simple storytelling that works like a charm.
October 10, 200717 yr comment_5422702 What a pleasure to hear Gordon Solie calling a match. Listen to how he and Dusty (and... was the third man in the booth Eddie Graham?) focus on calling the action as its happening rather than telling sophomoric jokes or hysterically shilling their own show, how they put over the contrasting characters of Race and Windham rather than pointlessly bickering or desperately putting their own characters over... THAT is how to call a pro wrestling match, my friends. Seeing a main-event level match like this go to a clean finish on free TV was very rare in the 1980s. Was this more common in Florida? I'd guess that Windham was the young athletic crowd favourite, like Bret was in Stampede... I love clear good guys and bad guys and what that dynamic can bring to a match. I don't mind the shades of gray booking of modern pro wrestling too much, it can be fun in its way... and it certainly helps me appreciate the old style more when I have the chance to watch something like this. I like how the post-match shenanigans take what is already a compelling match (the devious world champion vs. the local hero) and make it personal. Great stuff. Thanks for putting this on the disc, Loss!
October 11, 200717 yr comment_5422721 About 5 minutes in it already feels like it's been a violent, grueling epic. I love how in matches like these they can so early on make every punch, elbow drop and body slam feel like a huge move thanks to all the fatigue selling. There was a commercial every 5 minutes or so, but they didn't feel too close together at all, because of the atmosphere they were able to give the match each 5 minutes felt like a ton had happened. The heel/face dynamic is as great as you would expect from young babyface Windham and Champ Harley.
