Goody Bag 87: Kings, Harts, and Jokers

 

Jerry Lawler v Randy Savage: From an ICW event on March 24 1985 in Cape Girardeau Missouri, just months before Randy ended up in the WWF. Savage is all fire at the bell, but then immediately starts stalling. He stops to cut a promo, but the audio quality isn’t good enough to make out what he’s saying. Randy grabs a side-headlock, but Jerry forces a criss cross, and puts him on his ass. Macho grabs an overhead wristlock, but Jerry fights him off again, as they continue to posture. The ring here seems tiny, even compared to WCW rings. Lawler stops to cut a promo as well, but again, no clue what’s being said. He seems to be complaining about some sort of cheating, but the referee does nothing anyway. Lots more stalling, lots more posturing… there’s fuck all going on, but the crowd is into it, if nothing else. We’re twelve minutes in, and they’ve barely even made contact thus far. Now eighteen minutes in, same deal. Lawler finally gets some stuff in, and delivers a fistdrop, then dumps Macho into the corner. Savage gets hold of a weapon to turn the tide, and they spill to the outside, where Randy goes to work. Savage hits the flying axehandle on the floor, and no wonder that guy’s knees were destroyed later. Right on the concrete with those dives. Back in, Macho with a flying elbowsmash for two - which is not something I think I’ve ever seen him bust out before. It was always the flying axe. They spill to the outside again, and Savage does another flying axehandle on the floor. It’s like he was determined to punch that bump card as quickly as possible. Inside, Macho tries for another flying elbowsmash, but Jerry blocks this time. King with a series of turnbuckle smashes, so Macho rakes the eyes, and delivers a series of his own smashes. Lawler starts no selling him, however, and Savage begs off. The King shows no mercy with a series of jabs, and he tosses Savage to the outside. Back in, Jerry hammers him with mounted punches, and a 2nd rope fistdrop finishes clean at 31:58. Not my cup of tea, but it seemed to work for the people in the building, so what else can you ask for? Maybe being able to clearly hear the promos they were cutting throughout the match would have added to the experience. Definitely a night off in the ring compared to the harder hitting styles out there. And definitely more what we consider a ‘Jerry Lawler match’ than a Randy Savage one. ¼*

Paul Orndorff v Rick Rude: From New York City on November 24 1987, in what would be Orndorff's final match at Madison Square Garden. Orndorff kick starts things, blitzing Rude but good. Rick fights him off long enough to turn the tide, and he hammers on the back. Paul hooks a small package for two, but Rude nails him again, and keeps hammering. Rick goes up with a flying fistdrop, but Paul gets fired up, and makes a comeback. Orndorff with a backdrop and a kneedrop for two, and a short-clothesline leads to the piledriver, so Bobby Heenan distracts him. That allows Rude to recover, but he accidentally nails Bobby. Paul stupidly goes after Heenan again, though, and Rude schoolboys at 8:47. Nothing of note here. ¼*

Bret Hart v Mr. Perfect: From a live event in Boston Massachusetts on June 3 1989. Feeling out process to start, with Bret dominating. Bret uses a slingshot sunset flip for two, and he grounds Perfect in a side-headlock from there. Perfect escapes, so Hart hooks a crucifix for two, and then takes him right back to the mat in the headlock. The commentary team of Tony Schiavone and Lord Alfred Hayes is actually gelling pretty well here, surprisingly. Perfect gets into the ropes, and throws a chop on the break, but Hart blocks a kick, and sweeps him down for a stomp to the groin. Hart with a turnbuckle smash, but a cross corner whip gets reversed, and you know the Hitman is taking that bump with everything. A reversal sequence is won by Hart when he clotheslines Perfect over the top, so Perfect stalls out there. Tony seems to be marking out at these sequences, and it’s fun to hear. Perfect catches him with a cheap shot on the way back in to put Bret down, and Perfect hammers away. Perfect with a kneelift, and he literally kicks Bret out of the ring from there. Perfect follows to lay him out with a punch, and he leaves Bret out there to take the count. Hart beats it to the apron, so Perfect launches him into the guardrail, in a bump that Bret would later do on larger stages, including against Perfect. Hart still beats the count in, so Perfect uses a snapmare to set up a somersault necksnap. Perfect with a somersault cradle for two, but Bret fights him off in the corner. Bret tries a cross corner whip, but Perfect reverses, and hooks the leg for two. Perfect with a hairpull slam, followed by a standing dropkick for two. Perfect with a stomp to the groin, and a big chop drops the Hitman. Perfect slaps on a spinning toehold, but Hart manages to send him into the corner to escape. Perfect begs off, but the Hitman unloads in the corner, working the shoulder that Perfect hit the corner with. Hart uses an armdrag to allow him a knee to the shoulder, and he continues working the part with a legdrop. Hart tries another crucifix, but Perfect counters with a Samoan drop for two, but Bret reverses an abdominal stretch attempt. Perfect escapes the hold with a hiptoss for two, and a rollup gets two. Bret dumps him to the outside for a plancha, and he feeds him the steps for good measure. Back in, Hart uses a vertical suplex for two, and then a small package for two. Hart keeps coming with a backbreaker, but time expires at 17:54. This was good stuff, but could have used a proper finish. ***

Bret Hart v Jean Pierre LaFitte: A dark match from In Your House on July 23 1995 in Nashville Tennessee. Another commentary team I’m enjoying: Gorilla Monsoon and Stan Lane. You didn’t really hear a lot of Gorilla past 1994, and every new second I can get with him is a treasure. Plus, Lane compliments him well. Hart fights off a blitz, and uses a pair of armdrags into an armbar. LaFitte fights to a hammerlock, so Bret drops down, and dumps him to the outside. Nice bump there. LaFitte threatens walking out, but ultimately comes back, and Bret brings him in hardway from the apron. Hart goes back to the arm, but LaFitte whips him into the ropes, so Bret hooks a crucifix for two. Hart with an armdrag back into the armbar, but LaFitte escapes, and wins a criss cross with a hotshot. That allows LaFitte to put the boots to him, and Hart ends up on the outside. LaFitte follows to drop him across the guardrail, and he forces Bret back in for a cross corner whip that rattles the ring. No one - no one - can take that bump like Bret. It gets LaFitte a two count, so he uses a bodyslam to set up a flying legdrop for two. LaFitte grabs a chinlock, but Bret fights free, so LaFitte tags him with a backelbow. That allows LaFitte a headbutt drop for two, and he goes back to the chinlock from there. Hart escapes, and hooks a sunset flip for two, before getting clobbered again. LaFitte with another cross corner whip, and this time he follows in with a corner splash. LaFitte adds a neckbreaker for two, and he ropechokes the Hitman, ahead of a fistdrop for two. LaFitte goes back to the top for a flying somersault senton splash, but Hart rolls out of the way, and he goes on the comeback trail! Hart with a Russian legsweep for two, and a small package gets him two. Hart uses a backbreaker to set up a 2nd rope pointed elbowdrop, but LaFitte gets a boot up to block. A reversal sequence ends in Bret hooking a victory cradle, and that gets the pin at 13:16. This wasn’t on par with their later pay per view match, but was another strong effort, especially for what it was. ***