Brian Adias vs. Super Destroyer 1

 

This wasn't anything.

 

Mike Von Erich vs. Buddy Roberts

 

This was kinda good, as Buddy Roberts was willing to take young Michael by the hand and feed him pretty much every single spot in the match. Still, it does not exactly get one excited at the prospect of Mike replacing David in the rotation when he croaks in a couple of months.

 

Roberts & Gordy Interview w/ Von Erich Confrontation (8:52)

 

I liked this. I was amused at how the camera seemed to be deliberately keeping Mike just out of the shot while Kevin was talking, so as to hide his complete absence of interest in what was going on. Seriously, Mike seems to be pretty good at eating and selling a beatdown, but whenever he's doing anything else, he looks like he'd rather be playing Atari and drinking beer.

 

Chris Adams vs. Missing Link

 

This is maybe a minute long, but it's a pretty fun minute.

 

Fritz & Kevin Von Erich - Terry Gordy Confrontation (7:08)

 

This should be an extra. Putting aside the irony and the creep factor, Fritz as the stern father laying down the law about how Mike needs to be protected while Kevin argues that he's a grown man now who should be able to make his own decisions, but still deferring to his father out of respect, was really well done stuff. Then we have Gordy showing up and goading Kevin into making another questionable decision, just to add to the drama.

 

Iceman King Parsons vs. Buddy Roberts

 

This is 2/3 falls. Their actual feud has been over for a few months now, but that doesn't stop Iceman from laying into Roberts like in the good old days. Roberts gets knocked to the outside early on and says "Here we go again!", and sure enough, we've got another violent brawl on our hands. A lot more comedy, too - Parsons doing a two-step into kneelifts to Robert's butt while he has him in the ropes escaping a hammerlock come to mind - but then it's a longer match than anything they did in their feud proper. Probably a better match, too. Parsons is as stiff as he's ever been, blasting Roberts with his chops and his nasty-looking leaping clothesline. Roberts fires back with a top-rope headbutt to the back of the head of a standing Parsons that would have been Benoit-level stupid if it weren't for Buddy's headgear. He's got a bunch of other great headbutts, too, as well frequently going after Parsons' burned face. Actual clean finish, too, which is a rare commodity in World Class, to say the least. Slam dunk nomination.

 

The Freebirds vs. The Von Erichs (Six-man Elimination) (16:16)

 

This is JIP. Don't know how much we missed, but I think there's enough here to nominate it. Another great match between these two teams. I think the real star here was Kevin, which is pretty impressive, considering he spends most of the match working the apron, but he's about as good as anyone ever at doing that. At one point, Kerry is getting beat down pretty badly in the Freebirds' corner, and he rushes the ring and actually grabs Kerry by the head and arm and tries to pull him out of Hayes' grip to get him to his own corner. After Kerry and Hayes are double DQ'd, David takes an even bigger beating from Gordy and Roberts, where David is literally about an inch away from tagging out a couple of times before Kevin is finally able to reach just enough to brush his fingertips against David's to get the hot tag. He goes out soon after that to an awesome double-team gutbuster where Gordy presses him off of his shoulders onto Roberts' knee. That leaves David alone against Gordy and Roberts, and he has a pretty great fight for survival, including the transcendentally awesome moment where he puts Gordy in the Iron Claw while Gordy has him trapped in the Oriental Spike. Easy nomination.

 

Jimmy Garvin Interview w/ attack from Chris Adams & Sunshine

 

More Garvin goodness.

 

Jimmy Garvin & Missing Link vs. Chris Adams & Kerry Von Erich

 

Kinda hoped for more out of this line-up. Good, but not great.

 

Iceman King Parsons vs. Super Destroyer 1

 

This has ended up being a surprisingly potent feud. For a 12-minute match between a shuckin'-and-jivin' black midcard babyface and one half of a generic masked heel tag team, this feels pretty epic. Parsons beats the hell out of Super D when he's in control. Great moment where Super D rams Parsons' head into the turnbuckle, but Parsons has an invincible head now, so he just turns his head gives him this "you've gotta be fuckin' kidding me" look and BLASTS him with a knife-edge chop. Super D lays into Parsons too when he takes over, and he brings all of usual entertaining stooging and big bumps. This has a screwy finish, but it's actually kinda clever. The Super D's have switched places at crucial moments in previous matches in order to win. This time, their identical appearance costs them. Super Destroyer #1 gets knocked to the outside, and #2 comes over to help him, but when Parsons gets over there, he ends up pulling #2 into the ring accidentally and quickly rolls him up for the win. Feels like a solid nomination to me.

 

Freebirds Promo

 

Mark Lowrance refuses to interview them for whatever reason. This was entertaining enough. Had Gordy barking like a dog and Buddy Roberts saying "Let me tell ya something," right before Hayes pulls the mic away from him and goes off on another tangent.

 

Kevin & Kerry Von Erich vs. Terry Gordy & Buddy Roberts (15:05 w/ above promo)

 

Considering the circumstances, you would think this would be a better match than it actually was.

The first 3 bouts were nothing to them, except the Mike V.E-B. Roberts bout was kinda fun with Roberts doing everything under the sun to get Mike over as a big time player.

 

Iceman King Parsons vs. Buddy Roberts

 

I talked about this one earlier. Nomination.

 

The Freebirds vs. The Von Erichs (Six-man Elimination)

 

JIP. This is another good bout between the teams. I didn't like this as much as SLL. Still it deserves a nomination. That finish of the 2nd fall was so awesome though.

 

Jimmy Garvin & Missing Link vs. Chris Adams & Kerry Von Erich

 

A good solid bout, but nothing more.

 

Iceman King Parsons vs. Super Destroyer 1

 

This was another good bout with both men paired up against each other. The bout was solid and told a good story. I didn't get the epic feel to it though. A good solid bout that does deserve to be seen, but I'm going to pass on it as a nomination, but wouldn't be opossed to seeing it on the set.

 

Kevin & Kerry Von Erich vs. Terry Gordy & Buddy Roberts

 

This was a wild fight, but it should have been better.No.

World Class TV Title: Super Destroyer (Scott Irwin) © vs. Brian Adias (12/5/83)

 

Adias is back in town after a run in Portland and is accompanied by Kevin Von Erich. The bell rings and Adias sneaks in an O'Connor Roll on the Super D to win the title and sets up Adias joining up with Iceman to feud with the Super D's. Extra material.

 

Mike Von Erich vs. Buddy Roberts (12/5/83)

 

I love that Buddy is still wearing the headgear 2 months after he was proven bald for the first time. Buddy tries here but Mike was green as grass of course.

 

Then we get a good promo by Buddy & Gordy who are soldiering on without Hayes where they make a loser leaves town against Kevin & Mike.

 

"Gentleman" Chris Adams vs. The Missing Link (12/12/83)

 

Link gets DQed in a minute and beats on anyone who tries to help.

 

Next is a great promo by Fritz about his sons making a hasty decision to put up their home based livelihood up against the Freebirds especially Mike since he is a rookie. Gordy then comes out and goads the situation and they compromise that Mike won't have to leave if he loses just Kevin and if the Birds win then Michael could come back. Kevin accepts with a fist to the face. Definite extra.

 

2 out of 3 falls: Iceman King Parsons vs. Buddy Roberts (12/12/83)

 

This feud is revisited here and it wasn't long before both men remembered how much they hated each other especially Iceman who was just laying in the shots. Iceman would miss a splash off the top rope allowing Buddy to recover and he hit a diving headbutt in Iceman's back off the top rope to win the fall. Iceman then took over in the second fall and went back to pounding on Buddy but again Buddy was game here and got the control back but not for long as Iceman was too tough hitting a big clothesline followed up by a vicious kneelift and a cross body block to even the falls. Buddy would start the third fall using his loaded headgear to assume the control and he roughhoused Iceman before Iceman would just send him to the floor. Iceman would even break out a 3/4 nelson out of the abdominable stretch for a nearfall here before getting a bearhug. Buddy still continues to bring the fight and is quite the pesky foe but Iceman would finish him off with a Butt Butt off the middle rope to win. Very fun and a easy nomination.

 

Elimination Match: David, Kerry, & Kevin Von Erich vs. The Fabulous Freebirds (Terry "Bamm Bamm" Gordy, Michael Hayes, & Buddy Roberts) (11/21/83)

 

What else can be said when these six men face off plus it's elimination rules. Hayes & Kerry would just beat the fuck out of each other with Hayes being bloodied and they got double eliminated by brawling on David Manning. It then breaks down into a normal tag match with the other four and it's quite awesome as everyone busts their ass beating each other up and selling hard. David is especially great here delivering pain and receiving it making it seem life or death trying to survive against both Birds. This had an awesome ending as well and this is a slam dunk nomination.

 

Garvin comes out for a promo talking about losing his American title to Chris Adams on Christmas night at Reunion and wants him to come down which he does for a double brawl featuring Sunshine & Precious.

 

"Gentleman" Chris Adams & "Modern Day Warrior" Kerry Von Erich vs. "Gorgeous" Jimmy Garvin & The Missing Link (12/26/83)

 

Garvin did a great job selling his left leg early as the faces worked it over good before getting the tag to Link who changes his pace giving the heels the advantage. Link added a different dimension here with his brawling technique which worked here as Kerry of course adapted and hung with him with the brawling. Very shitty finish as Link headbutted Kerry on the apron and David Manning called for the DQ. This was a fun match but not a nomination.

 

Iceman King Parsons vs. Super Destroyer (Scott Irwin) (12/26/83)

 

This was good stuff as this was the match they needed to do a while back getting all the action in from the previous one in one fall. Iceman brought the pain and Super D came back with punishment of his own along with bumping like a madman for Iceman's moves. Of course we got the switch but this time Iceman was the smarter one and got the inside cradle on #2 to get the win. I really liked this one a lot as it paid off the previous singles matches with Iceman getting the dupe. This definitely moves forward.

 

Lowrance refuses to interview the Freebirds so they interview themselves and this is extra material.

 

Kerry & Kevin Von Erich vs. The Fabulous Freebirds (Terry "Bamm Bamm" Gordy & Buddy Roberts) (12/26/83)

 

Hayes & David are outside as this is nothing but a fight basically that was fun but we've seen a lot better although they did break out the rowboat spot which I love.