Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match # 87: Jake Roberts vs. Lord Humongous (Cage Match) (11/29/85)

Things really move when you watch sets with cherry-picked matches. Jake was in a big singles/tag team mess with Dibiase and Dr. Death Steve Williams just a few matches back. Then he had his big babyface World Title shot at Ric Flair, which was really a backdrop for Butch Reed’s title quest. Now Jake isn’t just in a feud with Lord Humungous, it’s a big cage match/possible blow off. That was quick.

Humungous is a heel played by a guy named Jeff Van Kamp. I have no idea is the man himself is horrible, but the character dresses like Demolition in the Mad Max sense and wears a hockey mask like Jason, and walks like him too. Basically the character is straight out of the Memphis Monster factory; Goofy as hell.

Jake is brilliant, as he comes out with a Jason mask (Friday the 13th character) like Lord Hum wears. Humongous is pissed. He holds his arms out like a childs book monster and stomps/slaps the ropes. See, he’s dumb, but he destroys. I got it. Jake outsmarts him twice and the fans chant DDT. Headbutt from Humungous, but it’s mask on mask. Jake doesn’t point to his head like he’s smart, but knee lifts instead. Oh, Oliver Humperdink is the manager/mouthpiece of the Lord. Cool cool.

Boesch’s commentary is comedy this time around. He doesn’t know it though.

Humongous sucks, slow and lumbering, but Jake works around him well on offense.

Yikes. Jake misses a move, takes a big bump, and gets his hockey mask removed. Fans react vocally. Hope he can carry this selling.

Jake busted open right away, gets grated against the cage a lot. Nothing going on but the fans chant for Jake, so they aren’t lost. Real slow stuff now. Even the stomps from Hum suck. Maybe he can’t see well out of the mask. At least he can do the leg drop with the accuracy of Hogan. He also poses to the crowd every few minutes, and it’s silly.

5 minutes in Jake gets put in the sleeper-like “Cobra hold”. Jake struggles for a hope spot, and little by little makes a passionate comeback. Jake could really tell a story.

Full comeback. Jake with the DDT. Lord Hum sells it by adjusting the mask right before the pin.

All-right. 1-2- huge press kick out. Undertaker-like sit up. The Lord kicked out of the big move and is no-selling. Works for a monster, but even then he’s terrible with his movement. Jake’s screwed now as he’s caught in the ropes again. Didn’t anyone notice Jake got his arms caught up a bit too much in the ropes? He’s choked and punched in an average way. The Nightmare is unmasked apparently, and in a stable (Humperdink) with Lord Humungous. He tosses him a chair. The monster grabs it but Jake kicks the belly. Jake gets free, big DDT, and the pin. Crowd goes crazy. Post match exchange between Jake and The Nightmare. Not much to it. Seven minute cage match.

Dud. Jake tries to carry it but it wasn’t much. Audience liked it, but there’s a huge amount on this set way better. 2 stars and 3/10.

Match Discussion Here