Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match # 97: Dick Slater vs. Hacksaw Duggan (12/31/85)

The first of a block of three matches involving Dirty Dick Slater, the heel with Dark Journey as his manager. I’ve said before I’m reminded of Tracy Smothers when watching him (Smothers came after Slater, but I saw Smothers first because of my age). I’d also said Bob Orton Jr., and I was happy to hear Orton Jr. and Slater for a time formed a tag team. That’s a heel team I wouldn’t mind seeing.

Slater is up against the super face of the territory, the local favorite Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Duggan has added “Ho” to the act now, which makes me roll my eyes, but to each him own. Slater hides behind Dark Journey, his female manager, as Hacksaw gets in the ring.

Slater teases leaving early after Duggan roughs him up and dominates him. Fans get on his case, and Duggan only encourages them. Duggan really had a lot of energy and presence in Mid South that got lost on the national scale. He was used a lot better and more effectively in Mid South.

Entertaining spots early as Duggan keeps Slater locked up in a head lock. Fans actually get into Slater not being able to push the big man off. When the ref goes to check around the back of the two for a hair pull Duggan will sneak in a clinched punch, then deny it as the fans cheer him on. Any reversal Slater makes out of this Duggan shuts down with a clothesline. Gotta mention Slater sells the beating like he’s finally getting his, and I can be up and down on Slater’s selling.

I have no idea what Hacksaw was doing sitting on the round after a missed elbow, but Slater turns in around with a head butt. We get choking right away, and five minutes in Slater has Hacksaw on the floor. He gets back in so the fans can cheer for Hacksaw get back in the ring. Slater cuts off whatever he could get then and grounds him with a sleeper/head lock. The story becomes Hacksaw trying to get out, getting close, then not. Slater has is foot on the rope for leverage and you can hear a female fan screaming about it.

Hacksaw with a brute of a comeback . His motions are perfect for hot comebacks and Slater sells well. Better than average match so far.

Hacksaw with a big shoulder block (do they still call it a spear?) and both men down. Crowd builds again. Hacksaw ties up Slater in the ropes. As an aside, why did Duggan and Reed both need the same background, nick name, and big move? Was one for the white fans and one for the black fans, since there seemed to be a big racial divide in the promotions fan base?

I should mention that Hacksaw brought down what I believe is his wife at the beginning, though you would have forgot a second later. This becomes relevant when Dark Journey tries to give Slater an object while he’s tied up, and while she does succeed, Hacksaw’s wife takes her out of the equation after that. Slater tries to hit Hacksaw, but Hacksaw blocks it. Camera work here ruins the finish, because you can’t see it well, but Hacksaw takes the knux and decides to hit Slater. He kills him with a shot and gets the pin. Stupid Hacksaw (the dumbest babyface I’ve seen on the set, along with Butch Reed) then allows his hand to be raised by the ref. The ref sees the knux, the decision is reversed, and the crowd boos the woozy Slater. Slater wins.

I’m so glad I didn’t live during this era. I would have given up on Duggan and Reed like I did Hogan as a child. Mid South really did do a lot of promotion to hillbillies and yokels. All the good ones were heels the fans legit hated. I’d love to see a Bruce Mitchell and his pals try to pull off the heel fan thing in this territory like they did in the Mid Atlantic. They would have been stabbed in the belly at their first show.
Match was pretty decent. It was the meat and potatoes brawling babyface taking that wuss heel out when he didn’t cheat, but it was well told. Hacksaw has his moments, and I think Slater has a good deal going in Mid South. Better than average match. 3 stars and 6/10.

Match Discussion Here