Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Disk Three Rankings
1. Ted DiBiase vs. Hacksaw Duggan (No DQ, Loser Leaves Town, Coal Miner’s Glove on a Poll, Tuxedo, Cage match ) (3/22/85) [BR-14]
2. Ric Flair vs. Terry Taylor (4/28/85) [BR-17]
3. Brad Armstrong vs. Ted DiBiase (1/16/85) [BR-5]
4. Ted DiBiase vs. Brad Armstrong (2/10/85) [BR-10]
5. The Fantastics vs. Dr. Death & Jake Roberts (4/14/85) [BR-15]
6. Buddy Landel, Chavo & Hector Guerrero vs. Brickhouse Brown, Bill Dundee & Jose Lothario (Elimination Match) (11/16/84) [BR-2]
7. Ted DiBiase vs. Jim Duggan (No DQ) (3/8/85) [BR-13]
8. Rock N Roll Express vs. Midnight Express (1/21/85) [BR-8]
9. Buddy Landel, Chavo & Hector Guerrero vs. Rock N Roll Express & Jose Lothario (Elimination Match) (1/18/85) [BR-7]
10. Kevin Von Erich vs. Chris Adams (1/18/85) [BR-6]
11. Rock N Roll Express vs. Dirty White Boys (4/15/85) [BR-16]
12. Rock N Roll Express vs. Chavo & Hector Guerrero (2/13/85) [BR-11]
13. Ted DiBiase & Dr. Death vs. Hacksaw Duggan & Terry Gordy (Texas Tornado Match) (1/21/85) [BR-9]
14. Ernie Ladd & Butch Reed vs. Magnum T.A. & Master G (Street Fight) (11/4/84) [BR-1]
15. Rock N Roll Express & Butch Reed vs. Dr. Death, Kamala & One Man Gang (2/25/85) [BR-12]
16. Adrian Street vs. Terry Taylor (Loser Leaves Town) (12/7/84) [BR-4]
17. Rock N Roll Express vs. Midnight Express (Scaffold Match) (12/2/84) [BR-3]

The Flair-Taylor 4/28/85 match definitely benefits from a stylistic enjoyment on my part, and though it can be debated, if you’ve been following since the beginning I think you’ll see my evidence as to why I see this as the number 2 match on the set. Likewise, some bias have to give way, and with all the build up and understanding of the style from the 90s, I felt like Duggan vs Dibiase 3/22/85 was the match of the disk, and the set, so far. Nothing in reviewing is a rule, and sometimes you just enjoy one brawl or one technical slow match more than the other. I also gave the top two matches their “true” star ratings and 1-10 scales. I’ll be reassessing my scale as we move forward in the process.

Which brings me to my next topic before we move on past the top 2. We’re 51 matches in to the 150 match set. That’s one-third. I was thinking I’d wait till after the fifth set, but I’m not going to wait. In fairness to the process, I’ll now go over the top 20-25 and reassess all my ratings and then my ballot.

At 3-4 were the much argued Dibiase-Armstrong matches. I’ve had a lot of time to think about these, and I’m sticking to my guns. I thought of flip-flopping them and having the house show match higher, but I realized it’s a tendency of mine to enjoy the longer form more. The shorter TV match actually made more of an impact on me, and while I think many matches need at least 10-15 minutes to reach beyond 3 ½ stars on a ratings scale, this is one of the exceptions. It made more of an impact on me.
Dibiase-Duggan No Disqualification (3/8/85) dropped down to seven being something I wasn’t as keen on, and a set up match. Also, it probably hurt that I had their big match #1. I love Dibiase but I’ve never completely accepted Duggan, even if he is half of my new (possible) # 1 of the set.

The final Midnight Express vs Rock N Roll Express match on the set (1/21/85) came up in the bottom half of the top 10. I would like to watch this again as I may have been burned out on them not only facing each other, but both teams on the set. I LOVE chocolate ice cream, but to much of a good thing is never good. Still, they are both highlights of the set overall, and much of what both did will be top10, 25, and 50 picks. They also will have the dubious honor of being in my last ranked match. The scaffold match is not only the lowest match of disk three, it will probably end up as the #150 of the set, well out of the top 100. A complete waste of all that talent I could never justify.

Some disappointments included the Rock N Rolls and Guerrero match (2/13/85) and Gordy’s debut in the Texas Tornado match (1/21/85). Both were fine matches, but not up to the standards I thought they’d be. Perhaps the set itself sets the bar so high, being the best of the decade and in many ways, the company’s history. Regardless, these didn’t quite live up to other things on the set for me.

The biggest drop from numbers to actual ballot ranking was the Street vs Taylor Loser Leaves Town match. When I looked at the 5/10 matches it was ahead of, I just couldn’t justify it going in with the rest of the 6/10 group, where it was in a distant last place. It ended up falling about 6 spots in all on this grouping alone, and will probably mean a bunch more overall. Not like it wasn’t gonna happen on the big list anyway. Speaking of which, the big board is up next.