Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match #17: Buddy Landell/Butch Reed vs Rock N Roll Express 3/28/84

Now it gets difficult. We’re getting to the glory period of Mid South. It signals the arrival of the Midnight Express, as well as their foils, The Rock N Roll Express. The RNR just happen to be in this match. Ever heard of “playing Ricky Morton” when wrestling fans talk about a babyface selling? That’s the Rock N Rolls, and this is an early example of their work.

We have our first sighting of Jim Ross on commentary. That’s very cool.

Newcomers Rock N Roll Exp. Are your babyfaces in this TV match. You already know Butch Reed by now. Who’s Buddy Landell? Well, Reed’s partner was a babyface in the tradition of Flair and Buddy Rogers. In early Mid South matches he actually has his natural blond hair, and I believe he wrestled as a babyface for a while. He was a very talented heel worker and character, though his vices caught up to him very young. He had good runs in Georgia, Memphis, Mid Atlantic, and here in Mid South. He is still alive, for those wondering.

The action is to quick to call. Very good, well thought out stuff. It has a structure I’m more accustom to in my viewing – faces look good, faces sell, faces come back. You can definitely see where the Midnights and RNRs were made for each other.

Butch Reed definitely looks like he found “alternative training methods” earlier than many around him in Mid South. Also, for reference, the Rock N Rolls were the Rockers or Hardys before there was a Rockers or Hardys.

Early highlights: Great heel attack before the bell and babyface stereo dropkicks on Reed/Landell.

The Early “fast start” stuff holds up even in 2008, a quarter century later. Some moves are great for their innovations at the time, you just might not realize it because it’s become a staple of wrestling since then.

JR is already adding depth on commentary. He mentions Magnum TA and Mr. Wrestling II have split (I need a copy of that) and how Landell’s eyes are “glassy” after an exchange.

Cool touch: Cornette is at ringside in a chair taking notes. The Midnight Express manager is scouting. The Midnights are already the tag champs at this point.

Butch Reed’s dropkick is awesome. He cuts off Morton with one so Morton can sell for a while. The Rock N Rolls showed good tag team technique in controlling the opponents while not giving the audience everything they wanted to see early. Now Reed and Landell go for a walk. Reed shines in doing everything he can to get Robert Gibson after him. Same with Landell. Landell really did project well and have the facials of a main event heel. Reed is a bigger guy who stays with the young guys while maintaining his own strengths. Double teams and cutting the ring off. Basic work.

“Go Ricky Go”, the audience is sold. JR adds A LOT to the excitement of this match.

Finish coming. Morton kicks out of the pin and fires up. Landell is exasperated. Gibson runs in to stop a heel double team. Cornette pulls the top rope down and Gibson flies over it. He’s done. Morton fights back alone. Near fall. Reed puts brass knux on and nails Morton. Heels win.

A great TV match and angle/storyline continuation finish. Again, it’s a lot easier to rate these and look past the finishes where you aren’t in the moment. These days you follow a promotion, you rate a match that night, then maybe again at the end of the year (if you do awards), and often it stays at that slot in your mind. I’m a blank slate here. Won’t go overboard, but this was what a timeless viable tag match – especially condensed for TV with an angle, feels like. 3 ½ and 7/10.