Posted January 28, 200916 yr comment_5436928 “Flamboyant” Eric Embry vs. Mickey Finn Jr. (6/2/89) Squash. “Gorgeous” Gary Young vs. Ray Evans (6/2/89) Squash. Matt Borne vs. Cactus Jack (6/2/89) Borne is wearing a singlet here so he looks like pseudo Dr. Death and actually uses some amateur moves to start. I liked this match a lot as it wasn’t over the top but just a straight up good back-and-forth match with both men looking good. Borne used a nice German Suplex hold to pick up the win and I’m going to throw this up on the block as a low-end nomination. Al Perez vs. Super Zodiac II (Gary Young) (6/2/89) Young not only played Zodiac but now Zodiac II. Fairly short but fun as Perez gets the win after Akbar hits Zodiac by mistake. Then we get clips of Steve Simpson/Kerry vs. Black Birds and this looked fun as Dusek & Harold Harris have a brawl after the match. Thunderdome Steel Cage Match: “Flamboyant” Eric Embry vs. “Gorgeous” Gary Young (6/9/89) Man is this crowd insane for Embry. This was a very fun match that even though with a cage there was no blood at all and the cage was rarely used as after some solid back-and-forth action, Young reversed a reverse cross body block by Embry into an inside cradle to get the win. Embry gets handcuffed to the cage so Young can get his 5 minutes on him. Embry holds off Young for a couple of minutes until Tojo Yamamoto comes down to throw salt in Embry’s eyes. Percy jumps in and gets his ass kicked along with Bronko Lubich as they used Tojo’s wooden shoes to bash Embry bloody and he pops a gusher. I’m throwing this whole thing on the block but this might fit as more of an extra. Tojo then cuts an awesome promo with an outraged Marc Lowrance that is extra material. Maniac Matt Borne vs. “Modern Day Warrior” Kerry Von Erich (6/9/89) This is a contenders match between two babyfaces for Jerry Lawler’s Unified Heavyweight Title. Very odd to see babyface vs. babyface in World Class so this is novel especially for Kerry. Cactus Jack & “Gorgeous” Gary Young vs. Ray Evans & Dwayne Meadors (6/10/89) Squash. PY Chu-Hi (Phil Hickerson) vs. Mickey Finn Jr. (6/10/89) Squash and I love how they really try to convince people that Hickerson is Japanese. After the match Embry comes down wanting a fight with PY but wrestlers come down to keep them apart. Then we get an ambush of Kerry Von Erich as he cuts a promo by the Black Birds as they assault him with a trash can lid, steel chair, and the cane. Extra material. Borne then cuts a Roddy Piper style promo on Brian Lee setting up their match on 6/16. The Black Birds (Brickhouse Brown & Iceman King Parsons) vs. “Gentleman” Chris Adams & Jimmy Jack Funk (6/10/89) This is a brawl at the bell as these teams have been feuding for over a month. This had some really fun action with both teams pounding each other and it was heading to a hot finish until Kerry ran out for the DQ as revenge from earlier. Gary Young announces that he is no longer from Texas but from Little Rock, Arkansas since Jerry Jones gets things done as the owner of the Dallas Cowboys. Cactus Jack & Gary Young vs. Jimmy Jack Funk & Tracy Smothers (6/16/89) Funk is subbing for John Paul here and this is JIP. What was shown was pretty fun with Akbar helping the heels get the win. Chairman of the Board vs. Loser Leaves Town: “Flamboyant” Eric Embry vs. Tojo Yamamoto (6/9/89) Embry wins this quickly but brawls with PY Chu-Hi after the match and really gets worked over until the faces make the save. This is followed up the Japanese attacking Frank Dusek and injuring his arm. Extra material. Maniac Matt Borne vs. “Primetime” Brian Lee (6/16/89) Lee has the advantage early on but Borne would make a comeback forcing Lee to the floor where he meets with Sylvia and they just walk away for the countout. Then we get clips of Kerry being destroyed by the Black Birds & Harold Harris before Kevin Von Erich would show up to make the save. #1 Contender Match for the Unified Heavyweight Title: “Gentleman” Chris Adams vs. “Dirty” Dutch Mantell (6/16/89) Odd seeing Dutch working here. This started out really fun with Dutch being a stooging heel and Adams being solid as usual. We had a fun spot here where Adams took Dutch down by the beard and worked into a jujigatame before the match went to the floor where they almost broke the house mic. Dutch is relentless here as he keeps Adams on the floor and gives him a big clothesline keeping Adams down. Adams would come back to the ring for a slugfest with both men throwing some good punches and Adams getting the better end of the battle. Dutch would regain the advantage though as Adams would miss a running elbow smash into the corner. Adams would fight back though after a couple of sleeper holds and he would take Dutch to the floor where he would smash his head into a steel chair twice then posted him as he ran into the ring to beat the count getting the win by countout. Screwy finish but this was a damn fun match and a nomination. Tracy Smothers vs. Buster Fowler (6/17/89) Squash. Cactus Jack & “Gorgeous” Gary Young vs. Mickey Finn Jr. & Colin Orsack (6/17/89) Squash. Handicap Match: PY Chu-Hi (Phil Hickerson) vs. Al Clifton, Bobby Durrell, & Craig Whitford (6/17/89) Squash. Embry would come out after the match for a pull-apart brawl with Hickerson. Robert Fuller & “Primetime” Brian Lee vs. Ray Evans & Dwayne Meadors (6/17/89) Squash. “Superstar” Bill Dundee vs. Frogman LeBlanc (6/17/89) Squash. The Black Birds (Brickhouse Brown & Iceman King Parsons) vs. Maniac Matt Borne & Jimmy Jack Funk (6/17/89) This is JIP but lots of fun and would end on a DDQ when Harold Harris used a cane and Borne brought in a chair. Next up is an episode of WCW from June 1989. Gino Hernandez is cutting a promo about the Von Erichs before Kevin comes out to shut him up with his fists until he was pulled off of him. “Gorgeous” Gino Hernandez vs. Kevin Von Erich (5/27/85) Kevin works this still wearing jeans from the previous brawl and these guys just start brawling at the bell. David Manning tries his best to break them up but he gets thrown to the floor where he juices. Kevin would just throw bombs on Gino before atomic dropping him on the top rope but Chris Adams would soon run out to pound on Kevin until Kerry evens the odds. This was great stuff and this is extra material. Next is the Bad to the Bone video for the Dynamic Duo and that is a definite extra. Then we get more clips of a Von Erichs/Duo match from Fort Worth. Kevin Von Erich vs. “Gentleman” Chris Adams (8/9/85) This has a more methodical start than past matches but still both men are on the edge of going all out. There was some really good matwork here by both men and Kevin breaks out his fun headscissors spots. The action would pick up as Adams throws Kevin to the floor slamming into the table then trying to use a chair on him but Kevin would reverse it hitting Adams with the chair. Kevin suplexed Adams back in the ring then went for the iron claw but Adams held him at bay. Adams then took control but Kevin would play possum letting Adams climb up top to miss a splash setting up the iron claw. Gino would then show up with a strap and started laying in the shots on Kevin for the DQ. They would give Kevin a clothesline with the strap until Mike made the save. Fun stuff and this felt like more of an extra to me than a nomination.
December 29, 200915 yr comment_5446736 Disc 1: Matt Borne vs. Cactus Jack (6/2/89) Intriguing match. Borne is working an amateur-style gimmick, and he looks great doing it, with a nice array of takedowns mixed into his usual great brawling. Speaking of great brawlers, Mick looks positively svelte here. It seems he's not all the way there yet, talent-wise, but there is a noticeable kernel of charisma and psychology that you could believe could be nourished and allow him to become the great he eventually became. Also, in his defense, he is a guy who is best known for taking big bumps and using weapons, and he doesn't get to do either here, so he has to rely on his fundamentals, which really don't look much more than fundamental. Still, he's giving it the old college try, and Borne wrestled this match for two, so all-in-all, I dug this. I'll co-sign it as a low-end nomination, though I could see it getting lost in the shuffle as we go along. Thunderdome Steel Cage Match: “Flamboyant” Eric Embry vs. “Gorgeous” Gary Young (6/9/89) I think this works just fine as a match and should be included as such. Action-packed with both men bringing their A game. Highlight is the stuff with Embry handcuffed, but as far as I'm concerned, that's part of the gimmick, and it's part of the match, and it's not like the rest of the match wasn't great, with a fired up Embry bringing the hurt and Young looking really good, too. int: Tojo Yamamoto This is one of those moments in the project where I watch something and feel like we've lost something in today's wrestling. I'm not going to go crazy and say that Tojo was a better Mr. McMahon than Mr. McMahon was. What I am going to say is that when Mr. McMahon horrifically abuses his power, he's treated like any other heel doing any other heelish thing. When Yamamoto horrifically abuses his power, every wrestler and staff member in World Class practically goes into revolt over the inmate running the asylum. Which is, you know, how people probably would and should react in that situation, because it's kind of a big deal and should be treated as such. Not anymore. The WWE roster and staff has shrugged their shoulders and accepted Mr. McMahon as their tyrannical leader in much the same way that WCW's roster and staff shrugged their shoulders and accepted that the nWo wasn't going anywhere. They stopped caring, and now they wonder why their fans have stopped caring, too. Go figure. Extra. Maniac Matt Borne vs. “Modern Day Warrior” Kerry Von Erich (6/9/89) A lot of good stuff here. Unfortunately, this was your classic case of two guys building a great 30-minute match with only 15 minutes of time available. Black Birds attack Kerry Von Erich Extra. The Black Birds (Brickhouse Brown & Iceman King Parsons) vs. “Gentleman” Chris Adams & Jimmy Jack Funk (6/10/89) This was action-packed. Kerry's run-in came too soon, and at this point, I think I can afford to be picky. Not a nomination, though it was going in that direction. int: Akbar and Gary Young Pretty impressive that Young can cut a promo supporting the local team and still make it work as a heel. Chairman of the Board vs. Loser Leaves Town: “Flamboyant” Eric Embry vs. Tojo Yamamoto (6/9/89) int: Tojo Yamamoto Yamamoto & Chu-Hi attack Frank Dusek Tojo declares Japanese-style war, which I think involves throwing together really random six-man tag teams. These are all extras. Maniac Matt Borne vs. “Primetime” Brian Lee (6/16/89) Good while it lasted, albeit with a weak finish. Black Birds attack Kerry Kevin makes his dramatic return to save his brother. Extra. Disc 2: #1 Contender Match for the Unified Heavyweight Title: “Gentleman” Chris Adams vs. “Dirty” Dutch Mantell (6/16/89) World Class' attitude towards foreign object shots continues to baffle me during this period, but what are you going to do? Match is still a load of fun, and I co-sign it as a nomination. Adams' superkick to the gut almost had me jumping out of my chair. Then there are a whole lot of squashes and an episode of WCW TV from June '89 that I will talk about in the appropriate area. int: Gino Hernandez He puts down Kevin after smashing up his car until Kevin rolls out to smash up Gino. Good stuff. “Gorgeous” Gino Hernandez vs. Kevin Von Erich (5/27/85) This and the above bit should go on together as an extra. Kevin Von Erich vs. “Gentleman” Chris Adams (8/9/85) Agreed that this is probably a better fit as an extra than as a nomination.
