Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match # 15: Mr. Wrestling II/Magnum T.A. vs Butch Reed/Jim Niedhart 12/25/83

A few notes that will affect my viewing and analysis of this match. For the first time in viewing the set I’m watching a house show match without commentary. It has audio, so I’ll be able to hear the participants and crowd reactions. Secondly, the shot is a hard camera. No ringside camera or production work, just a camera on an elevated angle looking across at a cage. It’s not a traditional hard cam, but it provides a good view of crowd reaction to the action. I don’t know the entire storyline build, but TA is an aging Wrestling 2’s protégé. It’s one of those famous Christmas Day shows that, along with Thanksgiving Day shows, were the big PPV-like shows before PPV was done.

Wrestling II and Magnum TA are the faces. Butch Reed was being groomed for bigger things at this point, and Jim Niedhart is more famous as one half of another tag team – The Hart Foundation.

Unfortunately for my “blind” viewing, I know this match is tracking in a lot of people’s top five on the ballots so far. Not for the first disk – for the ENTIRE SET! So in the back of my mind there is some hype this match will have to live up to. All that preamble concluded, we go to the match.

T.A. and Niedhart start out with a test of strength. It’s bizarre to see a tag team cage match, let alone rules in a match like this where you actually have to tag in your partner. Niedhart always had the gut, for those wondering.

Reed does half the Flair flip into the buckle and Magnum lets him stay upside down for a good amount of time before deciding to give him a boot. Played in well. Patience is nice to see.

Wrestling II is such an anomaly to me. This is the best I’ve seen him, but he’s like if Ric Flair (I know, shut up about Flair) from ’02-’08 put on a lucha mask. I know the mask was common in 60-70s wrestling in America. I get it. I grew up with the Patriot in Global. It’s odd to watch without the benefit of his early career stuff though. Or promos and angles to guide who the character is. Still, he does a lot with a little.

Early minutes are dominated by the babyfaces and it’s good, but not violent like a cage match would usually be.

Good little bit where T.A. won’t release a headlock. I’m a fan of that spot and Butch Reed sells it well. Magnum takes a strong beating six minutes in from “the Anvil”, but he comes right back on both heels. That’s good stuff. The fans react. Thumbs up so far.

First complaint. Magnum is not a natural in the sense that he’s thinking far too much while moving. His spacing is all messed up when near a guy and especially coming off the ropes. This problem leads to it looking like he’s falling into is opponent as he delivers a punch/body whatever, and makes their bump end up looking amateurish. He does this several times in the match, and it looks like he’s trying to figure out (perhaps remember? Probably not) what to do next.

Heels get the heat for the first time when TA is tossed over the top rope to the cage. He falls to the floor, so there is a small space from the ring apron to the cage. Why is the cage there again? Then the ref starts a count on “the floor”. Just as odd, Butch Reed doesn’t attack a prone TA until the ref turns to instructed Wrestling II back to his own corner. Sooooo bizarre and I don’t like it. I appreciate the respect of rules, structure, and the sports-like presentation. After ECW in the 90s I needed the natural progression to ROH as a fan (counter balance). Perhaps my fanship to those promotions, and what I’ve been conditioned to as a fan of each, won’t overcome everything. After all, even I (open minded as I try to be about everything from Gotch to Thesz to Memphis to Japan – even I can’t call this match blow away, and I’m trying to think in terms of how it SHOULD be when watching.

One plus – TA’s head first cage bump and slump to the floor was a meaningful bump. It also gave the heels the advantage. Also, the heel double team fired up the fans. In fact they send him into the cage again before Wrestling II can pick up his protégé and get him back in the ring. Good double elbows by the heels. It becomes apparent Magnum TA is bleeding by the third time he’s sent to the cage/floor.

TA’s comeback, the crawl up the ropes and Neidhart’s legs to his gut, is pretty badass. The hot tag to wrestling II is also great, and the fans lose it when he gets in. As Wrestling II cleans house I realize how well protected he was in this match. He looks like gold for doing very little. The man is a knee lifting house of fire. Niedhart stops the momentum with an ankle trip from the outside. Heelin’ it up!

Heat segment #2. Double teaming, cutting off the ring, and keeping II on the ground. Awesome hope spot where Wrestling II fights off Niedhart, but Reed levels him at the same time. II sells like an old wrestler (60-70s over the top silly), but the crowd is chanting “Two” and wanting the hot tag.

Niedhart thinks he’s unmasked Wrestling II, but he’s wearing another mask and dives to make the tag to Magnum at seventeen minutes in. TA is great when he’s being fed offense, and average otherwise. Thankfully he keeps his spacing as he’s fed by the heels. Belly-to-belly with authority on Jim Niedhart for the pin. Magnum TA and Wrestling II win! The celebration with the belts is cute, but TA hugging the belt while stomping his feet like my two-year-old nephew is that sad “why people mock wrestling” cliché stuff. It’s so phony.

The match was not what everyone tries to make it, but it was very good. Wrestling II is fine in small doses, and TA was good in his role here. I just didn’t see the heels carry TA in spots where he needed it, but I don’t know how they could have.

My main complaint is how things look at times (bad offense or selling and the silly rules). I’m trying to chalk it up to time context, but on this disk I see better match execution from people like Dibiase or Olympia. I cannot put this over Chavo G. vs Olympia or the 10/27/82 Dibiase/Borne vs JYD/Olympia. I’m trying to figure out if me not being led to water (commentary) is hurting the match unfairly, and if so, how I add that up.

I like matches like Dibiase vs Roop (4/2/82) better, but what am I penalizing this match for? It’s length added to small mistakes, but also added to the drama. In the end a great indicator may have been the great heat the fans gave the heels or the pop for the finish. I’ll put it even with Dibiase/Duggan vs JYD/Olympia (8/18/82) which is more than fair. 3 ¼ and 6/10.