Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match # 102: The Fabulous Ones vs. Chavo & Hector Guerrero (Mexican Death Match) (1/24/86)

This match has a lot of expectations going in as the first was great and the second meeting was even better. Rules to this one are after you pin your opponent they have 30 seconds of rest and then the match continues until the other team can not continue. I imagine the guy pinned is the one that has to continue on, but I’m not sure. Ref starts a ten-count if you aren’t up after the 30 seconds, and the Guerrero brothers have asked that the ref be outside of the ring for most of the match, which only makes pins more difficult, but I guess sells the violence.

First fall is very good. No one overdoes anything. These guys are all so good they actually have “gears” within a match and a series of matches. The Memphis heels and the area ethnic babyfaces have both personality styles and working styles that are unique, but mix so well together that it’s a work of art. The keep it well paced and low without being overly slow, drawn out, or boring. The Guerreros are the aggressors and get in all the offense here. They make the heels run and work, and Stan Lane bumps a bunch for them. Fast tags and ring control, and for the time they were very flashy workers. At the same time the heels are always just about to run in on the faces whenever the back is turned, so it’s not like Steve Kiern was irrelevant the entire time he sat on the apron.

First fall goes to the Guerreros on a strong piledriver that gave Stan Lane a wedgy. When he makes the count and realizes, it’s literally “showing ass”, like any good heel would.

Second fall continues the brother Guer. Domination. Assume it’s a dangerous botched spot as Chavo drops Lane right on his face overhead from a bear hug position. He sorta makes up with it by gu- wrench suplexing.

Heels get the advantage right after with double teaming and eye gouging. You can tell Chavo had a bit of an ego and a temper from the little things in this series, but it doesn’t hinder the matches much. Lane and Keirn work on his back and choke him a lot. Nice touch – Chavo gets free and wanders to the wrong corner for the tag, selling a choke. Did I mention the heels keep biting the forehead? Yeah, it’s a death match. Just add blood and it works!

One thing I don’t like about this match is the heels use of poorly done super kicks. It doesn’t get the heat and it looks bad. Heels take the second fall with a neck breaker. Chavo is bleeding visibly now. I like the touch of having Hector try to stand over his brother in the 30 second rest and watch over him. Equally as cool that the heels divide and conquer.

Bloody Chavo sells much better, not that was bad. The smash him in the head a few times, get a turnbuckle shot in there, and finish him off by ramming him into a chair (even that took some nice team work). He’s out like a like as Keirn waits for the time to tick down.

Here’s where the falls gimmick helps. As Chavo lays bleeding and the ring announcer says “10 seconds…”, the fans start cheering on Chavo to get up. The bell rings and Keirn has his hands in the air. Chavo beats the count, and we go on.

Hot tag is almost to immediate, but the fans love the beating Hector puts on the heels. I didn’t like them skipping the drama of bloody Hector coming back. Hector only runs wild about 30 seconds, does a standing leapfrog splash on Keirn, and gets the fall. Kinda lame.

Gotta say Keirn sells well. Hector is fresh, and fists and turnbuckle shots never looked so good. Stan Lane kicks Hector in his back, then we get a chase, and I think this has fallen apart slightly. I know it’s suppose to be hectic, but it’s sloppy hectic, not the crazy good type.

Heels in charge and Keirn pins Hector with a suplex back into the ring. He’s bloody from a beating on the outside. Fans are only half-hot when the sixth fall starts, so it’s not quite at the level it was. In fact, Hector fighting to beat the ten-count was good, but didn’t get the heat it deserved. One great single punch sends him down. I appreciated it. Match isn’t as good as it could be, but it’s not failing either. It’s just dropped down a gear when it should be gearing up.

Set up has been good as the faces ruled early, and have had moments since, but had two heat segments on them. One for each face. It’s just the details that have held it back slightly.

Hector punches at air and makes a small attempt at a comeback. Stan Lane actually gets on the mic to incite the crowd. Piledriver by Keirn on Hector (as Hector had done to Lane earlier) gets the seventh fall for the Fabs.

Hector is great at a glassy-eyed sell till he hits the hot tag. Chavo cleans house on the heels. Hector is all of a sudden fine, and both at just smashing the Fabs into turnbuckles. The heels blade, I guess from the turnbuckles. I’m losing interest. Heels dispose of Chavo over the top rope and keep him out as they absolutely kill Hector with chair shots to the body and throat. All are relatively safe. Chavo then runs them off with a chair of his own, even though they have a chair and two men. The Fabs get counted out for that fall as they leave ringside. If this is the end I did not like the match.

The Fabs lose by count out. Whatever. I guess if “adjusted for inflation” this was a good violent angle match to set up an even bigger return, but since I’m not watching this as episodic, it doesn’t mean as much. I’m sure it was hardcore to some for the time, but I think other matches on the set have been tougher and rougher. I think the brawl portion was weak, and as they went on it lost some of the thought process of moves in the ring doing damage, while not upping the ante. Again, it meant something as a story. Hector took the beating and lay down as Chavo on the mic challenges the heels to another match. The faces win but they lose. Still, it lacked some of the passion of the first tow matches. I didn’t feel it, and I really wanted to love this too. 3 ¼ and 6.3/10.

Match Discussion Here