6 Way #1 Contender Elimination Match for the Southwest Heavyweight Title: Ali Bey vs. Tiger Conway Jr. vs. Ninja Warrior (Mr. Pogo) vs. Sweet Brown Sugar vs. Bob Sweetan (7/18/83)

 

This was a rare match for this time period as you never saw multiple man elimination singles matches. Tully would come out for color commentary and this was a fast paced match with lots of quick tags in and out to start. Sugar would eliminate Bey first with a beautiful dropkick from the middle rope leaving 4 faces and 1 heel so we get lots of face vs. face action. Sweetan would soon finish off Ninja with a piledriver thus leaving all 4 faces against each other. Casey would backdrop Sweetan over the top rope for the DQ and he landed hard on the floor. Next we get some fun work with Tiger & Sugar mimicing each other before Sweetan returned to the ring. After some good action with everyone, Sweetan would hold up Sugar by the legs and grabbed the top rope to eliminate Sugar and the fans along with Tiger weren’t too hot on that idea. Tiger then starts popping Sweetan before he chunks him to the floor by the tights. Sweetan then tries to keep him on the floor by pounding him on the apron but Jack Howell allows him back in the ring. Sweetan would go for the piledriver but Tiger counters with a backdrop into the turnbuckle. Tiger makes a comeback and hits a diving headbutt off the second rope going for the pin before Tully runs into the ring for the DQ and throws Tiger off the top rope to the floor. Sweetan looks upset after the match as Tiger wins by DQ. Even with the DQ finish I really liked this match a lot and this goes on the block.

6 man free for all

 

This was a blast and a nomination. A total fun bout with some neat spots.

Match wasn't perfect, and I am becoming a big mark for Ali Bey, so I was a little sad to see him go so soon. Still, there was plenty of great action to make up for it, and the booking of the match was outstanding. As screwy finishes go, that was a great one. I actually loved the idea of Blanchard - quintessential wrestling asshole that he is - seeing the territory's top babyface starting his heel turn earlier in the match, and deciding to run down and get him DQ'd just to get one last potshot in on him before he goes over fully to the dark side. This moves forward.

 

[Lynch Texas #4.2]