Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match # 30: Butch Reed vs Skip Young 9/23/84

I’m at a loss as to who Young is, but Reed was deep into a major heel run in Mid South by this print.
This is a solid NOTHING match. That’s right – solid, yet nothing. Reed is a good, but not great, heel. Good in the ring, but nothing masterful. Good but not great presence. He talks a decent game, and understands how to work a good heel mid card match with a “plucky” or “fiery” babyface.

Young is capable enough to be in the match, but there isn’t to this. Reed carries the early part with his mouth, both talking trash to Young, and arguing rules and calls with ref Carl Fergie.

Young just jumps around a lot, and Reed stays deliberate and moves away. Sometimes Young wins an exchange, and Reed complains to the ref. The complaints are the best part.

Otherwise, they show solid basics and iffy other stuff. Finish is nothing with Reed gaining an advantage, hitting a press slam, and that being sold as a death move. This gives Reed time to hit a sloppy elbow from the second rope for a clean pin. I mean the man did a goofy wobble sell and buck bump for a rough grinding headlock. Even adjusting selling/style/movement to the times, it’s silly. There’s also a loose chin lock and leverage rope sequence that somehow was horrible.

Chalk this up as another instance of me not seeing eye-to-eye with the other votes. It isn’t the first and it won’t be the last. I give links to the DVDVR mess board so you can get other opinions and thoughts from both first time viewer along with old M.S. fans who watched it at the time, on have extremely watched territory stuff.

This difference of opinion falls in with “Walking Tall” Bill Watts 4/84 and the Christmas ’83 cage match. I just don’t get it no matter how I try to look at it. 2 stars and 3/10

Match # 31: Fantastics vs Midnight Express (No DQ) 9/28/84

The match they had earlier in the set really grew on me, thought I thought the ending was a bit off. I’m totally sold on the original Midnights, which you know if you’ve been reading. I’m also eager to see more of the Fantastics, as I’ve seen a lot more R&R and know their shtick/rep, while I wanna see just what the Fantastics have by comparison, History has always said R&R greater than Fans., but I’ve been impressed with the Fantastics.

No disqualification starts with the old “throwing robes” blinding trick by the faces! They clear the ring, clever young guys. And here I thought those were just for looking gay.

A hot first three minutes of brawling, and a hot last few, but not enough to make this stand out. The Midnights were good, but not great as far as their jobs here. Don’t get me wrong, they got the fans crazy with heat (Cornette was great in a bright green suit and Lucha mask), but in the context of the set, it was less than the earlier match against the Fans. The Fans, well, I think I’m joining the old guard on this point: the Fans were not as good in Mid South as the R&Rs.

Good hard core for the times with fury and effort. Spills outside then in again. Fantastics sell pained fists after delivering punches. Eaton sells “broke noses” after punches well. These are some positives.

Negatives are portions of the Fant. offense, and them not knowing what to do with a guy after grabbing him at times (hit him? Ask the crowd? Well just stand there then). They end up dancing around all goofy, nodding their heads, and just throwing punches. I realize it’s a no DQ match, but it wasn’t like they were on an intense attack in the ring. There’s a lot of non-legal man coming the apron and just standing around in the case of Bobby and Tommy. That puts a lot of pressure on the Midnights to carry the match with selling. IMO, it was good but not the MNX best work.

Five minutes gone by announced like a cue, as the Midnights immediately go on offense and beat down the arm. Better on second viewing, but not as compared with the entire set.

I go back and forth on the “better wing man” Fans vs. R&R Exp. argument. Robert Gibson or Bobby Fulton? I was leaning against purists (Gibson) until this match. Fulton does quite do it in the role of selling, but he’s not really as good as Tommy Rogers offensively or hot tag wise either.

Side note: Midnights know just when to give a guy a little comeback, get the crowd hot for a tag, and snatch it away. Life a fisherman giving slack on a line.

Fulton ruins the match for me by busting loose at the wrong time, then hitting the ropes numerous times instead of tagging out. Rogers looks like he’s annoyed, and so do the MNX. Rogers just comes in anyway and a minute later it all turns to crazy brawls. Lots of spot whispering.

Ref bump. Visual fall. Cornette does something to a face. Timing way off and the heel covers the face for about 30 seconds before a count. It was good but not a top vote getter. Mid Exp retain titles. 3 stars and 5/10

It would be fair to say I liked this more than Fans/Duggan vs Midnights/Corny, but less than their last tag meeting. Khan vs. Adams was better.