This match is preceded on this disc by two other matches between these two, and is probably best appreciated after watching them. Actually, this is probably best appreciated after watching them, the Garvin vs. David Von Erich matches, and the "Garvin and Sunshine are David's valets for a day" vignette. You'll probably be able to appreciate it no matter what, though, because outside of the Kerry/Flair cage match from the Christmas '82 Star Wars, this is probably the best match I've seen so far, and has to be a mortal lock for the set.

 

This was supposed to be a 2/3 falls match between Kevin and Michael Hayes for Kev's American Title, but Hayes has yet to arrive at the arena for whatever reason. Jimmy Garvin, in the wake of being humiliated by David Von Erich, has been trying to rebuild his standing by challenging Kevin in non-title matches in recent weeks (which were a ton of fun, but a bit too short and one-sided to get nominations from me), but has lost cleanly each time. With Hayes absent, Garvin seizes the opportunity he might not get otherwise at this point, and takes his place. Outside of some bits of classic Garvin stooging, the bulk of the first two falls takes place on the mat. It's almost got sort of an Americanized UWF kind of feel at points, with both guys twisting each other into knots to try and get a submission or get the other guy's shoulders to the mat. There's a particularly elaborate sequence in the first fall that starts with Garvin applying an inverted Indian deathlock and leads to Kevin trying to pull Garvin's body over his own to get his shoulders onto the met, and eventually reaches a place where I lose track of whose limbs belong to who. After Kevin takes the first fall, Garvin manages to pick up the second when he blocks a running splash, not by getting his knees up, but by getting his fully-extended legs up and having Kevin dive throat-first across one of his boots in a particularly nasty spot. The third fall turns into a great, straight-forward brawl, before Michael Hayes finally arrives at ringside. Immediately, your screwjob sense starts tingling, and what's weird is that as much of a douchebag Jimmy Garvin is, you kind of feel for him at this point, and you don't want to see Hayes blow his big chance. Sure enough, the distraction allows Kevin to take the advantage (although he's enough of a good sport to wait until after Garvin is done jawjacking with Hayes to do it...what a guy!), but while the ref is counting Garvin on the outside, Sunshine runs interference, and while it leads to her getting a spanking, it also distracts Kevin enough to let Garvin recover and come off of the top rope onto Kev while he still has Sunshine over his knee, allowing him to win the match and the title, and letting him finally reclaim his dignity, at least in his own mind.

 

Well, for a little while anyway. In a bit that should make the extras set pretty easily, Garvin interrupts a post-match promo with Hayes to celebrate his win, only for David Manning to come out from the back and announce that because he and the other referees saw Sunshine slap Kevin, leading to the spanking, they were throwing out the decision and Garvin gets a title held up AGAIN. His reaction to this is as priceless as you would expect it to be. Between the great angle and a phenomenally worked match between two of the best workers in the world in 1983 (I've praised Kevin enough elsewhere, but if all you know about Garvin is his WCW Freebirds stuff, he's going to be a real eye opener on this set), this has to be seen to be believed.

Jimmy Garvin vs. Kevin Von Erich

 

 

This was awesome. This full of greatness that plays to both mens strengths. The mat work was so awesome, mixed in with Kevin's strikes made it feel he was working a hybird Regal/Finlay style. Garvin was great here too keeping everything interesting on the mat with his selling and his mat work also. This feels like a top 15 bout. Nomination.

2 out of 3 falls for the American Heavyweight Title: Kevin Von Erich © vs. “Gorgeous” Jimmy Garvin (7/18/83)

 

Michael Hayes was supposed to be Kevin’s opponent but wasn’t there for some reason so Garvin who had been unsuccessful in beating Kevin in non-title matches over the past few weeks took his spot in a title match. The first fall had some tremendous crowd heat as both men just went to war on the mat trying to stretch the other one in some weird angles that were awesome. Kevin would botch a reverse diving sunset flip off the middle rope on Garvin to win but he covered it up by wrapping his body around Garvin for the pinfall. The second fall continues the matwork battle with Kevin in control this time including a cool spot where Garvin tried the MUGA headscissors counter but Kevin dropped Garvin on his head with his legs as he tried to power out. Garvin was great selling the pain here as Kevin just kept wrenching it in keeping control but when he tried his running body press, Garvin got his legs up and Kevin hit throat first allowing Garvin to get the pin to even the falls. Garvin starts the third fall kicking Kevin around the ring before Michael Hayes finally shows up wondering what the hell is going on in the ring. Garvin gets distracted by this as he explains that he took Hayes’ place and as this happens, Kevin recovers and gets back to his feet as Hayes is angered. Kevin then goes on the offensive and hits Garvin with a dropkick sending him over the top rope to the floor before grabbing Sunshine and pulling her into the ring where he starts spanking her. Garvin uses this as an opportunity to jump off the top rope with a double axehandle on Kevin to get the pin and win the title. This was great stuff and a slam dunk nomination.