Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match # 123: Hacksaw Duggan, Terry Taylor & Bill Watts vs. The Fabulous Freebirds (7/20/86)

This match was set up by the last match we saw, with Cowboy Bill Watt’s coming out of retirement. Seems like the show was promoted as “The boys are back in town”, which cause mean the good guys with Watts are making the comeback on the heels, or it could have been the UWF expanding using the Freebirds as the centerpiece as heels. I’m not sure, but the Freebirds did come out to the Thin Lizzy song of the same name.

The Cowboy “Walks Tall” as the heels feed for him early, which is a pretty good story because he really wants at Michael Hayes. One thing I hate, which is not exclusive to this match, is that I always felt Gordy bumped to much just because he was an athletic big man. It makes him seem to “normal” for me after a while, when he was actually a very talented big guy in a sea slightly smaller big guys. He bumps for Duggan and Watts here. It looks great visually, but I’d rather the story be Buddy bumps and tags in the muscle of the group, stand off as the faces try anything but can’t quite get over on Gordy, but they really want Hayes. Or even have Hayes come in, get knocked on his ass, and quickly tag Gordy in. They’d have to go about taking out Gordy differently because he’s a tough SOB. Oh well.

The very live crowd for this match that reminds me of the best NWA 80s crowds, or some late 90s Nitro and RAW crowds. It hinders the fun of development of the match when Jim Ross is constantly telling me that they’re going off the air in a moment or that there’s a minute left in a match that just started. I know why it was done in the moment, I just wish back then they did commentary for the house shows matches like this that weren’t a TV time concept match.

Heels get the advantage on Taylor. Maybe my ethics are off but Hayes punches Taylor right in the face and Ross calls it “a cheap shot”. What? I dig the team work and style the heels employ. Quick tags. Ross brings up that Duggan and Gordy use to team. I like the references to personal histories. I still however, hate the Gordy stomp/Bam Bam dance. It’s as lame as the Fantastics butt dance.

Christ Terry Taylor was a screw up at times. He doesn’t duck or run through Roberts’ leapfrog quickly enough, and when Roberts comes down on him he back body drops him horribly and lands on the guys face. Just before that I was going to point out the lack of real passion and fire Taylor had. His excitement and urgency is all pretend, just like his character. He doesn’t believe in what he’s doing, which is a shame, because he seems to get it very well on a cerebral level. Of Rick Rude, Curt Hennig, Ted Dibiase, and Terry Taylor, Taylor was the least of that WWF late 80s class in terms of believability.

Crowd gets a pay off when they do a double crawling hot tag to Hayes and then Watts. Everyone in the ring. Ref bump. Watts beats up Hayes and pins him via Eddie Gilbert in a ref shirt. But when Gilbert points to Watts as the winner he gets decked. I’m guessing Gilbert was a heel and this was post the Russian angle. Terry Gordy takes out Watts w/ a chair and the Agreadic Spike. Duggan saves. More brawling on the outside. Ends up with the heels in the ring and no official finish. Very NWO vs WCW from a decade later. Except here Watts rolls in and clears the ring.

But WAIT! This was and is an elimination match. The TV is gone but this is the raw tape. Okay, so now hopefully I’m gonna get what I want. Now I feel pretty good about this so far. Grizzley Smith claims Hayes is eliminated, but Watts is also via DQ. Alright. Let’s keep going.

Gordy vs Duggan now. There’s a miscommunication here as Duggan is use to just dominating and not selling. Gordy figures it out and bumps like crazy for him. This annoys me to no end. I’ll watch hundreds of John Cena matches before I watch another Hacksaw Duggan match post this process. Ugh!

So Duggan and Taylor against Gordy and Roberts. Well, at least I have a rooting interest. Heels gain control on Taylor and actually do a spot the faces did in the first fall. Crowd chants for Taylor but I’m not a fan of him selling personally. Buddy Roberts struggles with Taylor on a worked level, but Gordy does alright. One hope spot and Gordy tags out. A moment later it’s Buddy having trouble with trouble, so Gordy comes in and smashes Taylor with his lariat while he has Roberts in a roll up. Crowd goes from huge pop to boos and disbelief. Roberts pins Taylor so it.s 2-on-1. Good heel psychology and tags (MNX-like work), and Taylor got better towards the end. Ref also doing well at being distracted and the movement was there. Match is very good at this point.

Roberts sells the tired beaten up but triumphant heel well. Gordy is just a badass. The chants go up for the super faced of the UWF, a determined Duggan. The table is set, and then…

This finish SUCKS! The heels feed Duggan, who plays his usual superman role. After thirty seconds they get the better of him two on one. They go to throw him out of the ring but he throws them over the top rope. I, for once, remember that it’s old school rules and think Duggan is getting DQed. Nope. The music hits instantly, that f’n overbearing “Born in the USA” they played for every babyface that makes Watts look just as much an ass as Ronny Reagan for not actually getting the point, and Duggan somehow wins. I guess it was battle royal rules too. Whatever. Heel tease dissension.

Don’t get me wrong, the match was very good at times and never horrible, but Duggan and Taylor really bother me for style, presentation, and limitations. Still, if the glass is half full the Freebirds did a hell of a job, even if the finish blew in my opinion. 3 ½ and 6.8/10.

Match Discussion Here