Summer '83 Arena footage

 

Fabs v. Assassins 9/19/83

 

I liked the Fabs switcheroo getting caught, but this wasn't anything special. Still haven't found the classic match between the two

 

Buddy Landell v. Tommy Rogers

 

A little underwhelming for this match up, was kind of cruising around mid level nom status until the shitty finish.

 

Bill Dundee v. Assassin #1 9/25/83

 

I think this is Dirty Rhodes not Don Bass. Really fun match with Dundee playing catch with a chain with a guy in the audience, Assassin dropped a nasty beating on him too, with Dundee having some awesome babyface comebacks. Assassins double team him and Dundee does a nasty blade job. This is a slam dunkish disc pick

 

Jerry Lawler/Austin Idol v. Jesse Ventura/Stan Hansen 9/25/83

 

I am going to throw this up as a low end nomination, want to see what others think about it. This may have been the only Hansen v. Lawler match up, and their sections with each other were fun. Still much more Ventura v. Idol which wasn't so good. Fun post match brawl which goes into the stands and Lawler takes a big bump over the bleachers.

 

Dutch Mantell v. Buddy Landell

 

This was fine, but nothing special, and it had the shitty NWO finish. With Hart family running out

 

Rock and Roll Express/Rick Gibson v. Norvell Austin/Denis Condrey/Buddy Landell

 

This was a bunch of fun, but it was pretty short. Only went about five minutes. It felt like it needed another 3 or 4 to be a nomination.

 

Jerry Lawler v. Jesse Ventura 10/10/83

 

I am going to throw this up as a nomination. Ventura is possibly the single shittiest wrestler of the 1980's. He blows two leg dive bumps in a row here, but Lawler does an amazing job carrying this load of crap to a fun little match. Awesome post bump by Lawler here too.

 

Stan Hansen v. Austin Idol 10/10/83

 

I enjoyed this a bunch, Idol takes an asswhipping and this is a fun around the ring Memphis brawl. Man alive does Eddie Marlin get murdered on that clothesline. I kind of hate DQ finishes in non DQ matches, but I think this makes it.

 

Jerry Lawler/Bill Dundee v. Bruise Brothers 10/10/83

 

Fun stuff, with Lawler and Dundee having some nifty face comedy spots, and Bruises stooging. Post match brawl was pretty damn great too, fine match worth a mid level nom

 

Jimmy Hart/Jim Cornette v. Bobby Eaton 10/10/83

 

Only goes two minutes, but it is fun to see Cornette v. Eaton

Note to self: Look up dates before naming a disc.

Besides the match stuff, I feel like the Jackie/Roughhouse Fargo video and the really awesome Lance shilling how awesome the door prizes were (SHUTTLIN PONY NAMED SMALL PACKAGE) promo need to make it as extra disc selections.

The Fabs video is in a bunch of different places, but we should use the version on this disc with Jackie Fargo introing it "My Daddy always said it is nice to be important, but it is more important to be nice"

Stan Lane’s Corvette vs. CWA Tag Titles: The Assassins (Don Bass & Dirty Rhodes) © vs. The Fabulous Ones (Steve Keirn & Stan Lane) (9/19/83)

 

This was pretty short and just an okay match. The Fabs switching spot getting caught was the best part of this as well.

 

US Jr. Heavyweight Title vs. Mid-America Heavyweight Title: Tommy Rogers © vs. “Nature Boy” Buddy Landell © (9/12/83)

 

This was a fine match with both men looking solid but Landell just chucks Rogers over the top rope out of frustration and just kills the enjoyment of the match. If the work would’ve been awesome maybe that finish could be overlooked but this isn’t the case.

 

“Superstar” Bill Dundee vs. The Assassin (Dirty Rhodes) (9/25/83)

 

This is from Cook County Convention Center and Dundee was supposed to team with Stan Frazier but he no-showed so this match was made. Dundee and the fan trading the chain was tremendous. Assassin would just beat the stew out of Dundee but when Dundee tried to make a comeback, Assassin #2 (Don Bass) would run in for the DQ. Assassins would destroy Dundee bloodying him up before Lawler comes out to make the save and nails Jimmy Hart with a punch sending him sailing. This was a very fun match but with almost as shitty a finish as the previous match. I’m going to say yes to moving this forward but the finish was pretty bad.

 

Next is the Sharp Dressed Man video for the Fabs intro’d by Jackie Fargo and this is a definite extra.

 

“Universal Heartthrob” Austin Idol & Jerry “The King” Lawler vs. Stan “The Lariat” Hansen & Jesse “The Body” Ventura (9/25/83)

 

Lawler gets the shit beat out of him early in the match by the heels and especially Hansen which as Lance pointed out was the first time they faced each other in the ring. After being pummeled in and out of the ring, Lawler finally tags Idol and he starts going to work as we go to a break then we come back to Idol being the FIP for Ventura. Idol would make his comeback and punched Jess in the balls before tagging in Lawler who came in dropping the strap and the war was on. It becomes a 4-way brawl before Jimmy Hart handed Hansen a rope who would choke out Idol until Calhoun called the match a DQ. The 4 men would brawl all over the place after the match with a fan throwing a cane to Idol who would use it on Hansen after Lawler would use one earlier during the match on Hansen as well. The brawl through the fans was an awesome spectacle and put the icing on the cake for a nomination.

 

Mid-America Heavyweight Title: “Nature Boy” Buddy Landell © vs. Dirty Dutch Mantell (10/10/83)

 

This is JIP from MSC and the match was going along really good until Jimmy Hart in a chickensuit calls out Norvell & Condrey to jump in for the DQ.

 

Norvell Austin, “Loverboy” Dennis Condrey, & “Nature Boy” Buddy Landell vs. Ricky Gibson & The Rock n Roll Express (Robert Gibson & Ricky Morton) (10/10/83)

 

The faces had a pretty long control section to start the match but sure enough Morton would be the FIP and took a lot of punishment from the heels. Robert would get the hot tag and the 6-way brawl would break out so Paul Morton would call the match a no contest to setup future matches down the road. Fun while it lasted.

 

No DQ No Time Limit for the Southern Heavyweight Title: Jerry “The King” Lawler © vs. Jesse “The Body” Ventura (10/10/83)

 

This was another of the classic Lawler carryjobs of sacks of shit and he was awesome here selling for Ventura and dishing out the punishment. The ending had been done before with Andy Kaufman but it was still cool here and this should move forward.

 

Next is Idol/Hansen which I’ve seen.

 

“Superstar” Bill Dundee & Jerry “The King” Lawler vs. The Bruise Brothers (Porkchop Cash & Dream Machine) (10/10/83)

 

Dundee gets pummeled for a long time here before finally getting the hot tag to Lawler who started throwing punches with a belt wrapped around his fist. Chops would eat a double clothesline with the belt after a botched ref bump that they would finally execute with Dream hiptossing Dundee into him for the DQ. This was very fun especially the brawl after the match but the botched ending again spoils it plus the long clip during the middle of the match. I’m going no here and it hurts me to do it since I love these 4 guys.

 

Handicap Match: Jim Cornette & Jimmy Hart vs. “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton (10/17/83)

 

Funny stuff.

Do we have the full version of Cornette/Hart vs Eaton w/ the post-match anywhere? I think it's on the Cornette RF shoot from 2000 but my copy has issues dubbing.