Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match # 107: Ted DiBiase & Dr. Death vs. Dick Murdoch & Masked Superstar (2/14/86)

They cut TV promos beforehand. Murdoch was an average to decent promo, but had he been a great promo we would all be remembering him on the level of Dusty Rhodes or above. Superstar is the sidekick who doesn’t say much. Likewise Doc doesn’t say a word, but Dibiase gets over the Murdoch has taken a lot from him. Dibiase vows that that Murdoch won’t take his and Doc’s tag team belts from them.

Masked Superstar Bill Eadie was seriously a big time guy in Georgia? Really? I’ve gotta get my hands on more old territory stuff from Georgia because the Youtube clips I’ve seen have been fascinating, and I certainly see the booking and the voice of reason, Gordon Solie, being able to get over most people. That said, Eadie is dull as dirt to me in this role. Maybe it’s a time context or character usage problem in his Mid South run, but I’m not seeing anything that captures me.

Superstar and Williams start out. Williams sends Superstar bumping around, but mostly there’s not a ton to it. Dibiase gets in, and then Murdoch steps through the ropes. Now we got something. Just Murdoch’s pause to look at Dibiase, and then the audience, when he gets in, is better than what Eadie was doing for 3 minutes. Presence.

One punch. Murdoch gets stopped, so Ted Dibiase throws. And they make a minute out of that moment. Awesome sell on his but from Murdoch. This is wrestling, folks.

Great spot. Dibiase does the same thing, backing Murdoch in the corner, and Tommy Gilbert stops Dibiase as he did Murdoch from throwing the punch. Murdoch reverses but gets blocked by Dibiase and Dibiase does get his punch. When Murdoch tries to intervene on Gilbert admonishing Dibiase, Ref Gilbert waves Dibiase on to fight. Funny stuff.

Dibiase and Murdoch have some good exchanges, ending with Doc coming in and doing a leg drop to Murdoch’s arm. Murdoch goes to the outside as only he can, but gets beat a bit there too. Superstar as well.

Doc and Murdoch – simple stuff that works because Murdoch sells. Entertaining match so far. Nothing award winning , just fun solid stuff. Doc vs Superstar in a football shoulder block challenge? Yep, Doc wins several of those. So of course Murdoch tags in and gets down for some. Tommy Gilberts acts like a girl at a drag race officiating them charging. Murdoch runs at him and gives him a side elbow. Brilliant!

Ten minutes in and Doc press slams Masked Superstar. God he was a juiced up strongman. His torso is two of me. Murdoch vs Dibiase in a shoulder block challenge loses. The leapfrog only worked the first time.

Murdoch is the selling champ of all time. Screw Ricky Morton, it’s Murdoch. He sells a dukes up contest, but then the heels start with the heat thanks to some good ‘ol cheatin’.

The Murdoch-Dibiase stuff is very good in terms of face selling for bully heel. The stuff with masked Superstar is strong too, based on Superstar working pretty hard and tagging out quickly. The hopespots and cut offs are pretty strong here to, though lacking a sense of danger. Maybe it’s just me, but they’re all working hard yet it feels more like play now. Still, it is decent stuff. Don’t want it to sound lazy because it’s not.

Doc gets in and all hell breaks loose. Oklahoma Stampede by Doc, but Buzz Sawyer is in and the match ends in a DQ. Crap finish, but in the context it continues to build and weaves feuds together tighter as Hacksaw Duggan comes out with the 2×4 to clear the ring. Post-match interview. Doc is a dope. Great wrestler, but not a thinking man’s worker. He’s posing for no reason, even though Dibiase’s trying to get over disgust and some outrage in his promo. Blah blah, they wanna fight.

I liked aspects of the comedy in the match. I liked aspects of the serious work. But it didn’t blend perfectly or feel like they “meant” it, even if the work was at times world class stuff. Also, the finish kinda blew because if the heels wanted the titles than why have their cronie Sawyer come in at the end? I guess you can argue they said come in if it’s clear we’ll lose, but still, it seemed too soon. Overall interesting stuff, but like I said, won’t be top of the ballot stuff. 3 stars and 6/10.

Match Discussion Here