Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match # 112: Dick Slater vs. Jake Roberts (No DQ, Dark Journey In A Cage) (2/28/86)

This is a match I’ve never heard legend of, including the feud itself, and I’m surprised by that. The crowd is so passionate before the match can even start, waiting for an unhappy Dark Journey to get into the cage that will be suspended over the ring, that you begin to get involved in the match without really having a context for it. This is an example of pro wrestling doing entertainment right without using so-called entertainment as a blanket statement to be a low brow poorly written skit comedy show.

The stips here remind me of the Duggan-Dibiase feud and I’m left wondering where the build up to this match was on the extras disk. Anyone knowing the TV build up in the months leading up to this match please inform me in the comments section below. The match is for the North American title as well as either the TV title or one half of a tag title. I’m not sure because it’s hard to hear. The DDT is now legal (would love to know why it wasn’t), there is no DQ or time limit, and “there must be a winner”. I can see how this would be a hot ticket around Houston. Dark Journey finally gets in her cage and Jake essentially threatens to force sex on her afterwards via the microphone. Oh, that poorly raised Jake. Tehe.

Jake presence and playing to the crowd in Houston is awesome. The Gerreros-Fabs feud in the same time frame was good, but this was a lot better as an overall package. Certain G Brothers vs Fabs matches were probably better though. But Jake gets them chanting DDT and cheering Dark Journey in the cage well before the bell. Now, can the match be as good as my nonsense makes the preamble seem?

Early stuff (over five minutes) is the face Roberts dominating and taking advantage of the lack of rules. Slater goes over the top, arm against the ring post, and everything else. All the work is concentrated on Slater’s arm and vicious. It plays well and has purpose. Even with reversals Jake comes back hard the way a fed up babyface should. Great shots of Dark Journey so far above the ring to put everything into perspective too. The crowd is even super hot for rest holds, and at least Jake looks around to milk it.

Good spot where Slater almost gets a pile driver but Jake stalls it and back body drops him. Slater does get the advantage on the outside though, put Jake into the ring post. Slater’s heat on Jake is based around damaging the right shoulder, originally hit by the post. Another great spot was Jake getting his right damaged arm tied up in the ropes, which was played to perfection by both men. Slater even gets a chair and clobbers the arm 3 times from the outside. Crowd goes NUTS! Jake sells like crazy.

After ten minutes Jim Ross commentary kicks in, so this was probably a raw footage feed of the entire match and here is where it got picked up by TV. Jake still getting beat and takes another creative post shot. Loving the simplicity of this as they can and do pull off violence. They have now gotten heat on each other for about the same amount of time.

I love that when Jake tries to punch he hits Slater clean, but then crumbles form the pain of his shoulder’s movement. Someone needs to steal that presently. Slater does hit the piledriver and goes for the first pin I can remember. Two count. Very logical stuff. Slater stays on him.

Jake makes a comeback but still selling big, rubbing the arm and shaking it. Two boot shots (Jake took his boot off), but Slater reverses out of the DDT and hits a side Russian leg sweep. Then Dark Journey drops a chain down to Slater. I wish I could hear the crowd but it’s not mixed with the commentary. Damn. This is great.

Great teases and recovery! Slater gets clotheslined so he can’t use the chain. Jake tries to use it but gets back dropped to the floor (great recovery by Slater after a miscommunication). Ross points out here that Fergie is counting both men for no reason. He has been trying to officiate way too much in this match.

Slater goes up top and when Roberts slides in he’s hit with a hard elbow and pinned clean! Wow! Not expecting that. Big heel win gets Slater tons of heat and both the N.A. title and the TV title. They even threaten the people with arrest for throwing stuff at Slater. Thanks to Mid South for turning the crowd sound on again.

I think you can tell I loved this. It’s a top 20 match to me. High end for matches so far this year. Really makes for a very strong heel, which I tend to like. 4 stars and 8.2/10.

Match Discussion Here