Goody Bag 76: Fighting and Bubble Gum

 

Davey Boy Smith v Dynamite Kid: From Stampede TV in Calgary Alberta Canada on October 29 1982. Joined in progress with Kid hammering on him. Smith looks less like the British Bulldog, and more like Ken Patera here. Kid with a backbreaker for two, and a pointed elbowdrop follows. He keeps unloading on Davey, but Smith stays in it, throwing occasional rights to buy time. Kid gets a cravat on, but Davey forces a criss cross, and wins it with a monkey flip. Davey follows with a press-slam for two, and a vertical suplex is worth two. Smith with an inside cradle for two, and a gutwrench slam is worth two. A gutwrench backbreaker gets no count as Kid is in the ropes, so Smith takes him to center ring, and plants him with a piledriver. That allows Smith to go up with a flying headbutt drop, but Kid rolls out of the way. Smith stays on him with a bodyslam for two, and another bodyslam gets another two. A knee sends Kid crashing right into the referee, and Smith goes up with another flying headbutt drop, but Dynamite dodges again. Kid hangs him in a tree of woe, and hits him with a low blow for the pin at 5:45 shown. I’m not sure how much was cut here, but I got the gist of it. It was really fast paced and nicely worked, though Davey’s offense was super repetitive. ** ¼ 

The Rock 'n' Roll Express v The Fantastics: From the US Virgin Islands on March 31 1989. Robert Gibson starts with Bobby Fulton, and he grabs a hammerlock right away, but Fulton dumps him to the outside for a quick escape. Back in, Bobby grabs a standing headlock, but Gibson forces a criss cross, so Bobby catches him with a hiptoss. Back to the standing side-headlock, but Gibson struggles, so Bobby takes it to the mat. Both guys manage to tag, and Tommy Rogers gets Ricky Morton in a headlock of his own. Ricky escapes, so Tommy hooks a backslide for two, and Morton stalls. Morton manages to nail him in the corner, allowing him a takedown into a wristlock. Tag to Gibson for a tandem clothesline, and Robert adds a backbreaker for two. Gibson with a short-clothesline for two, and he passes back to Morton, but another tandem clothesline misses. That allows Tommy to rebound with a double jumping clothesline, and he tags to Fulton. Morton begs off in the corner, allowing Gibson to sneak in with a cheap shot, and the Express regain control. They go to work on Bobby, until Morton telegraphs a backdrop, and eats a DDT. Hot tag to Rogers, and Roseanne Barr the door! Morton dives with a flying bodypress on Tommy, but Rogers rolls through for the pin at 9:55. This was really interesting, both in seeing these two teams face off for the only time I’m aware of, and also to see the Express play the heels in it. ** ¼ 

Hulk Hogan v Earthquake: TV taping dark match from Syracuse New York on April 3 1990, just after WrestleMania VI. A pretty subdued pop for the Hulkster here. Earthquake attacks as Hulk slides into the ring, and he hammers away, and now the crowd comes to life for Hogan. Earthquake misses an elbowdrop, allowing Hulk a series of right hands, followed by a pair of turnbuckle smashes. A cross corner whip sets up a corner clothesline, and Hulk throws a running forearm smash and a high knee to put Earthquake down. Unfortunately for him, he gets distracted by Jimmy Hart, and Earthquake clobbers him on the outside while Hulk is chasing him around. No wonder he lost the title, he’s a moron. Earthquake sends him into the post before taking it back inside, where Earthquake gives him a pair of forearm drops. Into the corner for abuse, and a backbreaker leads to a bearhug. The Earthquake Splash looks to finish, but Hogan kicks out at two, and HULKS UP!! Fists of Fury! Bodyslam! Legdrop! 7:36! I’m honestly surprised at a) how easily Hulk slammed him there - and on the first try no less, and b) that this had a clean finish. Terrible match, though. ½*

Mr. Perfect v Roddy Piper: TV taping dark match from Syracuse on November 20 1990, just two days before Survivor Series. Perfect had actually won the WWF Intercontinental title back from Kerry Von Erich the day before this, but that wouldn’t air until December, and he’s not announced as the champion here. Piper plays mind games at the bell, and gets Perfect to engage in a boxing match, which does not go well for him. Perfect ends up on the outside, so Bobby Heenan encourages him to walk out, but Perfect is hot, and wants back in. He throws a knee on the way, but a whip into the ropes gets reversed, and Piper hiptosses him. Perfect grabs the ankle to try for a takedown, but Roddy stomps his head to block, and uses a pair of takedowns of his own to send Perfect back to the outside. Roddy drags him back in but the hair this time, but a criss cross ends in a double knockout spot. Perfect recovers first and covers for two, then goes ballistic on Roddy with right hands. Perfect with a standing dropkick, and he goes upstairs, but Piper crotches him on the top. Heenan responds by grabbing his ankle, but the interference backfires, and Piper schoolboys for two. Backdrop, but Perfect counters with a bridging fisherman suplex at 6:16. Super basic, but tons of heat, and very effective. And Piper doing a clean job, on top of it. * ¼