Pro Wrestling Chronicle

NOTE: Since the ballots are in and the winners of the DVDVR Mid South 80s matches are being released, I’m going to stop dragging my feet and post reviews and real-time thoughts for the rest of the set (#46-150). Match # 34-45 will be along soon enough.

Be prepared for ALOT of Mid South 80s content here over the next two weeks, but don’t neglect our ROH, Chikara, and other match coverage. Thanks!

Match # 46: Rock and Roll Express/Butch Reed vs Dr. Death/Kamala/One Man Gang 2/25/85

Butch Reed as a face? When did this happen? Research time.

Well, according to Wikipedia (which gets a bad rap but it’s correct 90% of the time) Reed was switched shortly after JYD bailed on Mid South for the WWF without giving notice. Skandor Akbar had been brought in as a heel manager and was building a stable. He apparently presented sometime Reed tag partner Buddy Landell with a gold rolex watch. The watch wasn’t actually for Landell or Reed, but someone else Akbar was recruiting, and was “being held” by Landell. Reed gets angry, smashes the watch, and gets beat down from Landell, Ted Dibiase, Steve Williams, and Hercules (this was actually Akbar’s faction). Apparently longtime foe Duggan came out to even the odds. The two Hacksaws bonded - “hey, you know how we fought over our nickname? Lets both be Hacksaws. K? Yeah! Friends? Friends!” – and feuded with the heel stable until Kamala ran Butch Reed out of the territory.
Alright, that was interesting enough, but seein’ is believing, and luckily the first Extras disk has this angle, so I’m on it.

So here’s the angle. Boyd Pearce is in the ring with Akbar and Buddy Landell. Akbar is demanding “results” from Buddy. Buddy looks hilarious in his pink robe. He wants more money to help Akbar out. Landell isn’t bad as a hustler here. Akbar gives him a “solid gold rolex watch valued at 10 to 12 thousand American dollars”. Landell likes the incentive, and he will deliver next week. I’m guess he is supposed to deliver Reed to sign/align under Akbar.

Akbar reminds us all that Dibiase and “The Rat Pack” is back. I’m guessing this was Dibiase and Steve Williams under the old faction name that he had a good run with (Borne and Hacksaw Duggan). In this case he’s threatening Duggan.

Now it’s a week later. Jim Ross is in the ring for a “press conference” with Gen. Akbar, Hercules, Buddy Landell, and Jim Cornette in a mask. I forget why Cornette is in a mask, but it’s an amusing angle. Akbar has purchased the contract of Hercules from Cornette. The detail work here blows away modern wrestling and makes me sad. Oh well, I appreciate that they use to do it. Akbar has given Hercules one of his head dressings and made him an honorary Sheik.

Landell cuts Akbar off. “I gottem’ for ya baby. I told ya. I got him”. Landell is patting them both on the back. Funny stuff.

Akbar admonishes Landell. This is the Akbar I remember from WCCW that I both feared yet loved as a kid. He’s just worthless during the actual matches. Once again, watching the angles adds anywhere from a half to a full point to voters scores, I’ll bet you any money. I’m not being bullied on my ballot, don’t you worry you two people reading this. Stay strong.

Akbar notices the watch on Landell. He demands his get what he wants. Landell tries to play it cool like a used car salesman and says he’ll deliver today. Really good subtle and NATURAL stuff. Nothing like the obvious over scripted stuff today, but just as effective I’m sure. The entire faction leaves.

Now it’s later in the show. Jim Ross is announcing the next match. Butch Reed is in the ring and Landell grabs Ross’ attention. He says over the mic he has business to discuss. He talks to Reed but just off mic, which is awesome, cause all you get is Reed’s reaction.

“Wha..What? I AM the man, boy. Don’t you know who I am?”

Reed was awesome on the mic and episodically I can see his matches were much better seeing this stuff week to week and being at the shows live as he yelled at opponents. He says he ran JYD out of Mid South and beat up Master Gee. Reed says he stands alone and in effect turns down the Akbar deal, and Landell is comparable modern times to Larry Sweeny during a deal falling apart. His last ditch effort is the watch, which he gives to Reed. Reed is insulted. Oops! Reed broke it. Landell freaks and shoves him, and Reed’s shove back results in an awesome bump from Landell.

Akbar, Hercules, and Dibiase are out. Akbar talks business. Great mic work. Reed turns down the final offer and fights all the men. He gets the crap kicked out of him. Jim Duggan is out with a 2×4. Place explodes. I’m trying to this of the modern equivalent, and the best I can do is HHH saving HBK to reform DX two years ago.

Back from commercial Butch is still recovering, but he and Duggan are at the announcers table as Bill Watts sets the stage. Duggan says after this he and Reed need to sit down and talk. Get things straight. He says the two don’t agree with everything the other does, but after years of fueding, there is respect. They’ll keep an eye on each other, but should be focused on the terror Akbar is bring to Mid South with his stable. Reed’s turn to talk. Reed likes the idea of respect. He’s fired up and wants to fight. They agree to unite. Very Watts-logic Man’s Man angle.

So now I’ve gotta watch this match, but I think the angle is a lot more interesting than this will be. We’ll see.

Reed’s jawing at Akbar from the start. Tells him to fight his own battles. I love that the Rock and Rolls and Reed are supposed to be pals. That’s like one of the New Jack being buddies with Kendrick and London. Kamala has his handler KimChee, which was always silly to me. Kamala was a one trick pony gimmick and the definition of a middler heel that would only main event at places like the Mid South Coliseum in Memphis to put Lawler over. The quintessential crappy Mania opponent for Undertaker to squash. And then we have the One MN Gang, who looks like an even more out of shape Tim Sylvia. How depressing that Doc was put with these goofs when he wasn’t with Dibiase or feuding with Gordy.

We start with a six man brawl. Total disorganization, BUT NO ONE CARES. Crowd pops and the faces stand in the ring and pose. Heels regroup. Kamala is way to self aware to be a savage. Why does no one mention that.

Morton and Williams to start. This should be great. Kamala is in the wrong corner “because he’s confused”. Ugh. Williams is very bother by “Rock and Roll” chants. I know this reminds some voters of their happy childhoods, and maybe if it were other competitors I’d find this all cute or smart, or whatever, but it’s just mind numbing. I like old school, but this is forced.

Finally they lock up. Williams is powerful but Morton is too fast. He gets the better of Doc and OMG. They regroup. Great heat for the regroup. Why does every face do a stupid leg dance in this time frame. No wonder Mick Foley loves that crappy dance.

OMG is in to box with Butch Reed. It ends badly. He wants Kamala, and tells us all. Doc stays in. Robert Gibson is in and beating Doc. Interesting. Reed really wants Kamala so he goes after him in the ring, disrupting the match. In fairness Kamala was breaking up a pin. See, he doesn’t know how to pin a guy, but he understands the dynamics of tag team wrestling strategy. There’s comedy wrestling and “that’s wrestling for ya”, and Kimala is neither. He’s just insulting crap. Of course WWE fans love him.

Reed really slugs it out with Kimala, which hurts his team, as in the mayhem OMG catches Morton’s back with a kick. Williams with some good power move work on the back. Kimala with some savage beating stuff. Kimala’s whole “I don’t know where I am” gimmick still distracting from the match as he climbs the ropes. OMG with a bear hug to match the one Williams did. Morton’s selling for the big men is very good here. Mid- to- late 90s HBK.

Morton breaks free of a bear hug for a hope spot. Kimala and OMG beat Morton till OMG does a very rude slap tag to Kimala’s back, and Kimala responds with chops to his partner. The Morton drop kick that is suppose to knock Doc into Gang and then Kimala is all screwed up, so the whole spot looks like crap. I know, I know, I don’t “get it” cause the fans did react, but if that’s my gauge for ranking matches like this, then all Hogan matches are the greatest of all time, and I officially would not enjoy wrestling any longer. So no, the comeback was botched, and I don’t care that it was everyone’s darling Morton who did it.

Somehow in the typical hot tag 30 seconds to finish part Morton pinned Doc for the win. He must have skipped the tag Robert Gibson portion of the formula. Oh well.

Look, it’s not horrible. Everyone in the match gave a lot of effort and played there characters. The match was decent, and the crowd heat was very hot. The layout was fine (though I get tired of it, this was very good Morton since he sold for big men), and Akbar was at his best at ringside. I just wasn’t into the details and side show stuff here. The guys just didn’t m ix well for me with the gimmicks, both face and heel, and the only interesting part of Reed’s face persona and quest to get at Akbar’s guy. 2 ¾ and 5/10.

For more on this match, Click here.