Posted April 5, 201015 yr comment_5449031 Jeff Jarrett & Matt Borne vs. Ron Starr & Sheikh Braddock (Texas Tag Title Match) Really good match. The heels aren't as good as they were in the six-man, as Starr isn't as dynamic, and without Al Perez around, Braddock is forced to carry more of the workload. Still, I thought the faces were strong here. Not quite a nomination. Ron Starr Interview He's still coming after Jarrett and Borne. Percy Pringle confronts Billy Joe Travis Travis claims it was an accident when he hit Eric Embry over the head, which it pretty clearly was. Percy doesn't buy it because the plot says so. Travis appears to be faking a leg injury to seem more disingenuous, but he's still clearly right and Pringle is really antagonistic here. It looks like we're heading towards another Hoganesque "Embry is the face because we say so" angle. Chris and Toni Adams Interview They're still gunning for Tojo Yamamoto and P.Y. Chu-Hi. Toni is carrying a kendo stick of her own and lets Tojo know she won't let him screw around during any of Chris' matches. Chris Adams vs. P.Y. Chu-Hi (Steel Cage Match) This was the best of their matches so far, as it felt the most structurally sound, even if it wasn't quite as wild as their other bouts. With everyone else barred from ringside, Adams once again rushed Chu-Hi early, getting in some nice shots. This time, Chu-Hi worked to slow Chris down once he took over, throwing some big chops and locking on nerveholds that Chris sold very well. Adams would escape his grasp a few times and try to run the ropes, but Chu-Hi would cut him off with a big kneelift and a double cross chop. Adams is finally able to escape and blast Chu-Hi with a superkick. He's too weakened to capitalize right away, but still makes his big comeback and hits another superkick. He only manages to get two, but Tojo Yamamoto is obviously spooked and comes out from the back. Since everyone had been barred from ringside, they apparently didn't feel the need to lock the cage door, so Tojo just saunters in and goes after Adams with the kendo stick, getting Chu-Hi DQ'd. Toni Adams hits the ring with her own kendo stick and drives off Tojo. He drops his kendo stick, which Chris picks up, and he and Toni both attack Chu-Hi before he flees. Another strong chapter in this feud, and this one feels like a low-end nomination. Skandor Akbar Interview Skandor's promos have become disappointingly generic as of late. Jimmy Jack Funk vs. Gary Young (Taped Fist Match) Funk goes after Young early, but Young ducks out and then sneaks around him, and pulls him out of the ring to start clobbering him. He works him over really good in the corner, but Funk comes back and unloads on Young, busting out a whole lot of stuff that Young eats and bumps around for really well. His chest-first bump into the corner is great. They turn the tide back and forth a few times. Plenty of great punches as you would expect from a taped fist match, but there's a pretty good variety of offense to go around and fun heeling from Young. Funk looks like he has things well in hand, but Akbar grabs the ref's leg to distract him while a freshly heel-turned Billy Joe Travis runs out to pop Funk with brass knux, and then runs back just as quickly with his hands raised in the air victoriously, which I thought was amusing. Young gets the win, and despite the kinda bullshit finish, I think this is a nomination. Tojo Yamamoto Interview Is what it is. Akbar/Punisher Interview The Punisher is the new Texas champ after Billy Joe Travis blinded Embry and forced him to forfeit. Jerry Lawler Interview Jerry reminds us that he's the only true World Champion in wrestling as Wife #2 stands by. The Headhunter vs. Jimmy James Entertaining squash. Percy Pringle Interview Nothing much to it. Chris Adams vs. P.Y. Chu-Hi This is a bit of a change of pace for their matches - literally - as it doesn't start with Adams rushing the ring to attack Chu-Hi and immediately turning into a knock-down drag-out brawl. This is a natural side effect of the match's gimmick: Tojo Yamamoto is locked in a penalty cage at ringside, and Toni Adams is the keeper of the key. So the match starts with a lot of really good shtick. Tojo doesn't want to get in the cage, but he eventually relents, though Toni gives him a few whacks in the back with her kendo stick just to help send him on his way. Tojo hands off his cane to P.Y., and he starts to go after her, but Chris cuts him off and Toni gives him her stick, allowing him to play a spirited game of Whack-A-Hickerson to really start things in earnest. Lots of brawling at ringside early on. They make good use of the penalty cage aside from just having Tojo locked up in it, as guys get thrown into it several times, and anytime Adams finds himself near that corner, Tojo always tries to jab him through the bars with his kendo stick. Toni, in turn is unafraid to give Tojo a few jabs of her own when she thinks he's getting out of line. Chu-Hi tries to go after her or otherwise intimidate her several other times in the match, including a great callback to one of their previous matches where Chu-Hi works over Chris' junk for a while, and then leers at Toni and gestures towards his own crotch (the cameras keep it above the equator, but it's pretty clear where those hands were going). Adams' comeback is a bit of a mixed blessing. He eats a DDT, but flips right to his feet. He appears dazed and groggy at first, but manages to shake it off and land a superkick. I thought his shakiness upon reaching his feet was a good way of doing the All Japan-style "get hit with a big move but immediately pop up and hit one of your own" spot, but Chu-Hi was kinda out of position, and it came off a bit oddly. Adams keeps up the dizzy selling during his run on offense, but he and Chu-Hi don't have quite the right timing for it. It's short lived, anyhow, as Chu-Hi gets his knees up to block a splash. He gets a small bag of salt from Tojo, but Adams recovers and knocks it into Chu-Hi's own face, allowing him to grab an inside cradle for the win. he Punisher rushes out from the back and grabs Toni and the key, letting Tojo out of his cage and tossing her in. He, Tojo, and Chu-Hi get a good post-match beating in on Chris before Kerry Von Erich and Jimmy Jack Funk make the save. The match had some flaws, but the rest of it was really, really good, and I would still call this a strong nomination. Jeff Jarrett Interview Jarrett was great in the ring pretty much from the word "go". On the mic...not so much. Jeff Jarrett & Matt Borne vs. Ron Starr & Sheikh Braddock (Loser of the Fall Leaves Town Match) The face-off between Borne and Starr where they both drop the strap alone might make this a worthy inclusion. As it is, the rest of the match is great, with Jarrett, Borne, and Starr all dishing out some punishment. Braddock once again is tasked with eating the babyfaces' offense early on, and he is getting better at that. He still manages to blow raking Jarrett's eyes across the rope later on, which I didn't even know was possible, but you can only expect so much from Braddock. Jarrett makes a great FIP, though his hot tag to Borne doesn't feel very hot, probably because it happened right as Akbar came to ringside to get in on commentary, which kinda split attention. Still, really good babyface comeback, including the faces trying to whip the heels into each other, only for Braddock to drop down so Starr can go over, but Borne catches him in a weird, lucha-ish looking abdominal stretch variation. Unfortunately, Akbar manages to distract Borne, which allows Starr to get an O'Connor roll with a handful of tights to send Borne packing. Jarrett comes in with a chair as the heels continue to go after Borne, but it's too late. This doesn't seem to have been a title match, which is weird given the stips, but whatever. This has been a strong feud despite the presence of Braddock, and this match was no exception. Yeah, it was flawed, but still feels like a low-level nomination. Billy Joe Travis vs. Tony Falk Really good squash. As much as I hated the circumstances behind the Travis heel turn, Travis does make a really great heel. Skandor Akbar Interview He talks up The Punisher. Pretty much every heel on the roster Interview Starts out with just Skandor Akbar and Billy Joe Travis, but they are soon joined by just about all their various associates. Travis is just on fire here, mocking Embry's blindness and breaking into really off-key renditions of "We Are Family" and "Lean on Me", and even Taurus Bulba is rocking out and Marc Lowrance just looks on stunned. Tojo also has a golden moment as he briefly gets the mic and exclaims "Eric Embry, I am very, very glad that you go blind and you will get cancer!" All the while, Travis is hamming it up and everyone else looks like they're having a great time playing along. It all wraps up with Akbar letting Embry know to "turn the lights out...the party's over!" Slam dunk extra. Eric Embry Interview He's out for revenge ASAP, despite the risk it poses to his vision. This feels like an extra, too. Kerry Von Erich & Chris Adams vs. The Punisher & Taurus Bulba Plenty of great action from three guys who could really deliver, plus The Punisher, who was still pretty green, but wasn't actively bad or anything. I love me some spots where guys get thrown out the door of the Sportatorium. Here, we get Kerry doing it to Bulba, and then trying to do it to Punisher, only for Bulba to come back, stop him, and throw him out the door! A boatload of fun. I second the nomination. Ron Starr Interview Turns out Borne is only leaving town for two or three weeks, but Starr is cool with it, saying he'll just make Borne a loser again when he comes back. Jimmy Jack Funk vs. Sheikh Braddock Braddock doesn't have any superior tag partners to hide behind here, though to his credit, this was more boring than bad. Young/Travis Interview I like the pairing of these two. Gary Young as "Hot Property" Billy Joe Travis' sleazy arrogant heel mentor figure is kinda brilliant. Recap of Embry/Devastation Inc. Happenings Eric Embry gives an interview, but Billy Joe Travis comes out and lures him into the ring, setting up a sneak attack by Gary Young that allows Travis to blast him in the eye with a coal miner's glove. Later, Travis, Young, Akbar, Bulba, and Tojo roll out to cut another great ridiculous promo on Embry, with Young stumbling around blindly in sunglasses, more off-key Travis singing, and more enthusiastic headbanging from Bulba, but Embry comes back with a big wooden plank that he bops over the head of Travis. He takes care of the rest of the heels pretty much on his own, though Jeff Jarrett shows up to help anyway, because that's just the kind of guy he is. Extra. Bill Dundee Interview He's glad to be in Texas, and he's bringing Dustin Rhodes to town with him. Jeff Jarrett & Terry Gordy vs. Ron Starr & Taurus Bulba GORDY! Glad to see his big ugly mug again. With Gordy back and Sheikh Braddock nowhere in sight, this should - and does - rock. Starr is great stooging early on for Jarrett, and things really kick into high gear when he and Gordy square off. Jeff ends up playing FIP, and the Devastation Inc. contingent really lay a beating on him. Gordy is awesome coming in off of the hot tag. He gets caught in Bulba's Mongolian Claw, but escapes, blasts him with a lariat, and is looking for the Oriental Spike when the show goes off the air and the disc ends. Damn.
July 5, 201015 yr comment_5452754 USWA @ Dallas, TX – The Sportatorium – September 22, 1989 Tarras Bulba d. Ron Ellis The Punisher d. Jimmy James Sweet Georgia Brown d. Naughty Natalie Texas Bullrope: Gary Young d. Jimmy Jack Funk Lumberjack for the Unified Heavyweight Title: Jerry Lawler © d. Eric Embry USWA Tag Titles: Matt Borne & Jeff Jarrett d. Sheik Braddock & Ron Starr © Steel Cage: Chris Adams d. PY Chu-Hi USWA @ Dallas, TX – The Sportatorium – October 6, 1989 New Guinea Head Hunter d. Okie Elevens Billy Travis d. Tony Falk Taped Fist: Gary Young d. Jimmy Jack Funk Loser Leaves Town for the USWA Tag Titles: Sheik Braddock & Ron Starr d. Matt Borne & Jeff Jarrett © Chris Adams d. PY Chu-Hi Texas Heavyweight Title: The Punisher d. Eric Embry © by forfeit Chris Adams & Kerry Von Erich d. The Punisher & Tarras Bulba USWA @ Dallas, TX – The Sportatorium – October 20, 1989 Jimmy Jack Funk d. Sheik Braddock Gary Young d. Bill Dundee by DQ Lumberjacks with straps: PY Chu-Hi d. Chris Adams Terry Gordy & Jeff Jarrett battled Ron Starr & Tarras Bulba to a DDQ No DQ: Eric Embry d. Billy Travis Texas Heavyweight Title: Kerry Von Erich d. The Punisher © Jerry Lawler d. Stan Frazier
