Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match # 48: Jim Duggan vs Ted Dibiase (No DQ, Loser Leaves Town, coal miner’s glove on a Pole, Tuxedo, Cage Match) 3/22/85

Some specifics looking over the entire feud.

-April 21, 1983 was when Dibiase turned on Duggan when Duggan argued about Dibiase aligning with Akbar. That same TV taping Duggan broke a 2×4 over Dibiase’s back.

-The date Dibiase returned before the first Williams vs Duggan Football helmet match was October 23, 1984.

-The following week Dibiase came out in a tux to make the tux posing challenge called the Mid South Best Dressed competition. Two weeks later was the initial contest, and after that was the electronically monitored version.

It sounds so Vince Russo booked, I know. That’s what I thought a few years back when I first heard about it. I also thought it must be for old-timers only. After all, The “Ho” USA chant guy vs the Million Dollar Man from my childhood. Who wants to relive that stuff? Well, I do now. By the way, The stips all make sense.

This match takes place at the Super Dome in New Orleans. It’s the money match they’ve built over half a year. The rundown of the stipulations goes like this. No disqualification is a stip they’d already progressed to since Dibiase would do illegal things to possibly get disqualified on purpose, or his stable with Skandor Akbar, Williams, and Hercules would interfere. To prevent them from interfering or Dibiase being given a weapon, making it one-on-one, they have a cage stip. The tuxedo stipulation comes from the best dressed man competition already outlined. The coal miner’s glove comes from the idea that Dibiase is constantly using a loaded glove to win. Even taped fist matches aren’t helping the cause, so Watts allowed a coal miner’s glove. Of course, just giving it to Duggan would be favoritism, so they hang it on a pole on the cage, and allow the person who grabs it to use it. And the Loser Leaves Town is to finish the feud, since the person losing won’t be back for months.

Dibiase takes his time getting into the cage. Duggan is already in the structure and the introductions are over. Someone who might be Joel Watts gets on the mic and says if Dibiase doesn’t get in the cage he’ll lose and be kicked out of Mid South. They ring the bell and start the count. Fans count with the ref. This is awesome. Dibiase is upset, shook, and nervous as all hell. They check him everywhere for weapons. The crowd is buzzing. Duggan gets checked. Dibiase tries to get the jump, but Duggan turns and punches him right in the face. It’s ON!

Duggan’s early advantage is great stuff as the face looks like he’s shoot punching Dibiase from the mount. Another time Dibiase begs off, tries to kick, but he’s caught, spun around, and punched in a fluid motion. Haven’t seen great punch kick like this since Austin vs Rock at Mania 17. Not surprisingly this is also in a dome with A LOT of fans following along vocally.

Dibiase with a great heel move: He asks for a time out on his knees, and then Tullys Hacksaw’s head into the cage by pulling on his belt. He starts ripping Duggan’s Tux off and using it to handcuff or choke him. Duggan is busted open from the cage, which is really early for me, but the cage combined with the Dibiase punches/big match feel justifies it. This has been perfection so far.

Dibiase tries to climb up the pole at the top of the cage with Duggan down. Credit to the promotion, the glove is way up there so you don’t have to fake the reaching part. I love the build in the crowd as Duggan rises to grab at Dibiase, and you realize not only will Dibiase not ge the glove, but he’s taking a big bump. Also, great “Doo-Gun chants.

Dibiase not only cut off the comeback, but he takes Duggan’s shirt and pulls it over his face. Blood all over the shirt as Dibiase unloads with punches standing and the falling variety. 5 minutes gone by and I’m loving a punch/kick match. I love when a style I’m not a big fan of becomes gold because the performers make it that good.

Dibiase tries to climb for the glove, take 2. Duggan catches him again, this time w/ his bloody shirt around Dibiase’s throat. He beats him up for a minute as the place goes wild. Again, Dibiase finds a way to stop the comeback, this time moving out of the way as Duggan spears the turnbuckle.

Every time Duggan tries to come back he’s hit with solid rights and lefts, and then pildrivers. It’s a slugfest, and when it comes down to it, Dibiase will always cheat. Very well laid out as Walking Tall Duggan versus the crafty desperate heel Dibiase. Dibiase thinks he has him down and out again, so he starts climbing the cage for the glove again. Fans go crazy as Duggan grabs his feet and Dibiase does a great ass bump on the top turnbuckle and flips back into the ring.

Now Duggan takes control. Crazed and bloody, he’s punching and kicking the beat up Dibiase as he desperately tries to get away. Soon Dibiase is to woozy, and Duggan begins ripping apart his bloody shirt. Dibiase head first into the cage. But Duggan has lost a lot of blood, and he rests for a minute. No matter, he’s climbing and making his way up to get the glove. He has the glove!

This is the definition of wrestling being a working art. Duggan comes down with the glove after three solid teases Dibiase would get it, Duggan grabs the glove. But as he climbs down, the fans cheering him putting it on, Dibiase throws powder right in his eyes. The fans passionately react negatively. Dibiase puts on the glove and stalks Duggan. Big punch… is ducked and hits the turnbuckle. Duggan is still trying to get it together as Dibiase follows him. Dibiase punches again and… ducked! He spins and Duggan atomic drops him. He’s off the rope and shoulder blocked by Duggan, who goes down too. They milk it and the fans start really yelling. Dibiase up first. He looks beaten and tired, but he’s gonna drop a fist from the second rope. He misses.

Duggan catches fire and grabs the arm. He smashes the hand/wrist with the glove into the turnbuckle in rapid succession. He rips the glove off Dibiase’s hand, punching and kicking at him, and puts it on. Dibiase has the look of fear and Duggan looks like a massive bloody savage out of the movie Braveheart as he stalks his prey! Dibiase his trying to climb the cage to get out. He’s caught and sent off the ropes. The punch and bump here are almost iconic, and had this promotion survived, this is what you’d have seen as a famous clip as a cultural response to Hogan slamming Andre 2 years and a week later.

The way Duggan throws the punch is perfect, as he goes all out for the finish. I’ve seen a lot of hot finishes ruined by awkward movement or non-committal to moves. Dibiase takes it and goes big on the bump, which makes him a real trooper and pro. Duggan holding his fist down after the follow threw is like Jordan holding his hands up after the winning shot in the 1998 NBA Finals. 1-2-3 and Duggan wins.

A perfect match for the setting and the feud ending. I’ve sold out to the hype, ladies and gentlemen, and you should too. It’s everything old timers say it is. It would have honestly been very good w/o the background, but not nearly as compelling or satisfying. Even if I’d sat through that feud and not liked the performers and matches in ROH for a year, that blow off still would have been a match of the year candidate for me. Some matches rise above performers and styles, even time periods, in wrestling. This is one. It is the epitome of why I watch wrestling. I will not hesitate to adjust this later to a more proper number. This is a 4 ¼ star match, and it’s even really debatable why I don’t go 5 stars. It really comes down to me thinking that if I write this so high and it’s not my number 1, how would I explain that? That is all on me, as when I adjust it, it will be a top 5 at the end I have a feeling. It’s my own bias of work rate holding me back because its punch kick, and every bit as important and comparable to Austin vs Rock in 2001. When we review after disk 5 several matches will be at this plateau, but for now we have a new number 1. 4 ¼ and 9/10.

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