This is the third time I've seen these two match up. First time was actively bad, second time was good but not great, third time I am going to put it on the block even with two guys against it. I am normally not a Super Sock fan, but this is the best I have ever seen him look. It helps that Hayes is in there heeling it up and selling really well, but I think Lothario held up his end of the bargain really well. Hayes bounced around for him a lot, but that was really just in the last minute of the match. Bulk of the match is worked on the mat, and while Lothario isn't quite a maestro, I did enjoy him working as an aging luchador and thought he looked good taking apart Hayes' leg. Hayes was awesome selling it, too. Great facial expressions and kept working dead-legged on offense. The whole story of Jose having to unbandage his injured hand to get Michael to stop complaining is interesting. It doesn't play out quite the way you expect it to, in that Hayes never goes after the hand except for one awesome moment where he bites it to escape an STF. Instead, it means Lothario refrains from brawling until the very end of the match. When he does, he looks really good throwing shots, hitting Hayes with one hand when he thinks he's going to use the other, and the whole bit before the Freebirds run in where he is bouncing Hayes off of the ropes with his punches. Awesome match that probably won't go forward, but it should.

Michael Hayes vs. Jose Lothario (1/21/83)

 

The fans cover the ring before the match for autographs of Super Sock and Hayes gets mega heel heat coming in the ring. Hayes is great here selling for everything Lothario does. Lothario wasn’t that bad here and was fine in his work but the match wasn’t anything special. The other Birds would come out to run Lothario off thus ending the match in a draw. Birds then demanded revenge after the match.