Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match # 27: The Fantastics v. The Midnight Express (8/9/84)

Nice. Watching the last match I was hoping for a straight tag without Duggan/Cornette. We get an arena match-up to boot.

Random thought. This is at what looks to be an Oklahoma arena. A smaller one, but legit 6,000-10,000 seat arena. The floor is full and small parts of the stands, but a lot is empty. Funny promoters didn’t learn until years later to consolidate the rest of the building and curtain it in half. Many fans are alot farther away than they need to be and setting up in farthest corner gives you 3 elevated bleacher sides.

House show matches have such an advantage when it comes to the initial feeling out process. The time is there for extended “story” spots and heel shenanigans.

Bobby Eaton and Dennis Condrey could move really move for two guys who don’t look naturally athletic. They were! Great running the ropes/drop down stuff and a heel/face sped up shoulder block challenge.

When the Midnights could find an opening they’d really jump on their heel cue and isolate the opponent/body part. They got to work quickly and it really did look like a “game plan”. In this match they really hit everything snug and hard, which I love. They also had a great habit of selling like that baby who was a bully on the playground, yet cried to his mom.

Great segment when the heels gain control of Dennis in particular taking apart Tommy Rich’s back. A guy asked me this week what my favorite Midnights teaming was. Until recently, I’d say the star Lane version. Now – well it would take about 5 good to great lane matches to get me back to that.

The Fantastics are overly gay. I don’t mean that in an anti-homosexual way either. But they are the ultimate ambiguously gay duo and I’m shocked Southern fans never picked up on it.

Their work is solid if not dry at times. They were muscled up shorter guys who could work, but not as flashy as the R+Rs. Not the bumps, fire, or drop kicks of R+R or Midnights. Not the selling of Morton, not the crowd favorite in the same way. Yet they were good at it all and added up, were terribly underrated.

I know I’m verbally blowing the Midnights, but they got great heat by drawing the faces into the ring after double teaming the partner in peril.

There’s an odd minute in the match where the Fantastics play heel and switch without a tag. Purists may have disliked it, but I thought it was refreshing for the era.

Story of the second half is Tommy Rogers trying to make the tag and getting cut off. They work his back with heel moves/tactics until he makes the tag when the crowd really is really for it. Built well minute to minute in feeling the crowd build to excess.

Okay, I’m taking points off for the finish. Awkward as the other part. (I think its Steve Kiern) cleans Louise. Condrey tries to tape his hard, but never gets there. Then he and Bobby try a double clothesline, but never use the fist. Cross body (bad spacing) on Condrey, and then a bad fast count pin. I’m being a picky mark, cause the fans loved the faces winning, but my job is the overall work and ranking. ¼ deducted.

I need to reassess my star and ten point system at about 75 matches – half the voting set. I thought they’d bring more clarity, but that’s only true in a micro version, and not macro. Too much separated by nothing on my list. A second viewing of all 3 ¼ and higher rankings is necessary. As nothing is breaking out, and nothing I feel okay with putting at 4 stars or above has shown up. This was pretty good. Glad to see a straight tag without Duggan or RNR in there with the Midnights. 3 ¼ and 6/10.