Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match # 32: Adrian Street vs Chris Adams (10/10/84)

All these years and I have never seen an Adrian Adonis match. I know the gimmick – psychologically manipulative, egocentric heel with a subservient female valet. Except he’s gay and she’s his “fag hag”. Gorgeous George did it in the 50’s; Adonis in the 80s; Goldust in the 90s; and as recent as a few years ago Rico Constintino did it in WWE.

Boyd Pearce does intros. Finally, some J.R. & Watts commentary. Wow, Street’s valet, Miss Linda is an ugly chubby chick. At least Rico had Jackie Gayda. Can’t say I’m excited to see a heel gay gimmick in M. S. country with Watts on commentary. Even great booking can’t escape wrestlings offensive bigotry and homophobia.

Problem with Street is the gimmick does add heat in a cheap sense and does have depth when played as tricky baiting (they do allude to A. Street wig the gimmick to gain advantage, as if perhaps playing a character. All that said, the gimmick at best casts a shadow over the match and at worst, overtakes it.

Street is physically misleading a can grab holds. They work some rudimentary submissions and switches. You can see the fluid British style in both, through neither is Johnny Saint. Street does have good presence for his day.

Back and forth stuff. Street flips the vicious switch at times, becoming more maniacal/intense. That I like. Good sequence with Street showing up Chris Adams twice, and then getting super kicked out of the ring. Trying to relate it to “my day”, it’s a house show HBK vs Goldust in 96 – if HBK were taking it really easy. I’m still not sold on Adams, who I wasn’t sold on as a child watching late ‘80s world class either. He’s decent, but I’m not watching for decent.

The Reversal comes with a neon sign as Adams practically yells, “I’m gonna sell the knee!” The heat looked to be good (but they’d done a lot of slower sub stuff anyway), when Terry Taylor is out to force himself on Goofy Miss Linda. Yuck. Street gets D Red for throwing Adams over the top rope. CRAP. 2 ¼ and 3/10