Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match # 53: Rock N Roll Express vs Dr. Death/Ted Dibiase 5/3/85

Want to guess the faces here? I loves me some Doc/Dibiase heel action. Let’s just get to it.
Ricky Morton against Doc to start. I loved this match up earlier in the set, and they actually execute better hear. Morton smoothly and legit out quicks him here, looking like Shawn Michaels at his best. I know the chronology is backwards, but I’m writing from a more modern perspective. HBK was my Ricky Morton as a child when he wrestled in the Rockers. Anyway, Doc is a big guy but not so big that he works as a legit “big man” style all the time. That’s why I love him. A bigger guy that can work a powerful but technical style, and can bump well. Man I can’t wait till Gordy gets to Mid South. Doc and Dibiase bump for Morton.

Robert Gibson in. They trade fireman’s carries. The faces switch behind the refs back, and this in not the first time I’ve seen this done by faces on the set. The Fantastics did it too. I’m guessing this was a slick face move that was in vogue at the time. Nothing bad, but an odd trend. Morton back in and the faces “outsmart” the heels with closed fists and tags some more, but Doc absolutely kills Morton with a suplex. I thought this was the beginning of the heat segment, but Morton cross bodies Williams off the ropes. These two just work so well together. There have to be a singles match or two on tape from somewhere. Please tell me if you know of any from Mid South or elsewhere.

It’s mentioned this is Dibiase’s first time back in Houston since the loser leaves town loss to Duggan in our working # 1 match. Dibiase is not wearing his famous black glove, though I didn’t catch why. He does pull Morton out of the ring and post his back, while Doc goes and taunts Gibson. Team work rules. Heels gonna get the heat on Morton. Good deal.

Two back breakers by the strong man Williams. Cover, but his foots on the ropes. Dibiase in for a hard backbreaker and knee to the lower back. Small hope spot where Morton tries a bodyslam. Bad back ends that qick. Great flow from move to move. Bodyslam. Boston crab w/ cheating Doc helping. It’s all on the back. Morton is selling like a champ.

Doc comes in for the strong man-rag doll bear hug. He shakes him around and then tosses Morton. I like that Morton continues to kick out early instead of always at 2. Another bear hug, but these are active bear hugs. Arm falls twice but the third time Morton surprises Doc what an ear clap! Morton rolls out of the way of an elbow, but can’t make the tag before Dibiase gets in. Inside cradle by Morton, but Dibiase kicks out. Morton slowly gets more hope spot stuff in between getting his back beat down for daring to come back.

Hot tag. Same old formula. Gibson in as house of fire, punching Doc and Dibiase as quick as they come at him. Now the faces/heels are paired off in opposite corners. RnR sent to the middle, they reverse and dive on Dibiase/Doc. Dibiase sends Morton over the top rope (they aren’t the legal men), while Gibson covers Doc (legal men). Refs not in position, so Gibson gets up and dropkicks some more. At least he got the visual fall. Something bad is happening to the faces here.

Morton back in and we get a double drop kick. Enough with the dropkicks! Another visual fall on Doc Death, but the ref is in between Dibiase and Morton. Finish is kinda botched (if anything, for me as a fan) when Gibson gets a third visual fall with a roll up (too much) and Dibiase takes forever (at least by today’s standards, and that’s something that shouldn’t change) to get the black glove out of the tights and hit Gibson while somehow the ref is STILL distracted. How did these goofy fans not figure it out and put the heat on the ref and really the promotion!? I know, different world, I know. Final bad thing is the ref leaves Gibson, who somehow doesn’t break free to stop this, to make the count. Slow count for effect to get heat, but that means Gibson walks right up to the pin in the middle, and doesn’t break it up. Oh well. It was great until the last 10 seconds. A lot of people won’t pick at that either, which is fine. They aren’t filling out this ballot though.

Very good match with a slightly too greatly botched finish, depending on your tastes and level of forgiveness. Would have loved if this was given the time Flair-Von Erich was (26 minutes or so) and that match got these 10 minutes. A second heat segment with an extended finish sequence (well executed) would have put this in my top 10.It is possible this was clipped at the beginning, and I wanna punch Joel/Bill Watts for doing so. I’ve realized I have a Doc Death compilation though, so I’ve calmed down. 3½ stars and 7.3/10.

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