Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match # 130: Terry Gordy vs. Dr. Death (9/15/86)

Gordy is the UWF Champion. Doc is the babyface challenger. The match is in front of a hot Tulsa, OK crowd at a TV taping with Jim Ross and a very bias Michael PS Hayes on commentary.

A lot of detail work makes me like the early part of this match a bit more than most I see. It’s sort of the difference between opening five minutes of an ROH match and that of an average mainstream wrestling TV match. Hayes gives his propaganda and leaves the broadcast table for the locker room, swearing he’s going to watch a monitor and not interfere. Ross mentions Doc being back after a hospital stay. The Freebirds had pile driven him on the concrete floor at the Lakefront Center (a big show) like they had done to his partner, Ted Dibiase, five years before. Gordy then starts out trying to out- big man Doc and control on the ground, but Doc’s an amateur wrestler. A minute later Doc uses a big lariat, Gordy’s finish, but only gets a two. I like that he went for the pin. He does a rest hold for a moment, but doesn’t linger in it, and he hits Gordy with an inverted atomic drop that looked legitimately painful it was so well executed and sold.

I’m realizing as Doc smashes Gordy head first into the canvas multiple times that another reason to like this match is Gordy’s selling makes a lot more sense here. Doc is a bull, and his usual move set shows dominant size, strength, and agility. I think Gordy selling here is a lot more palatable.

Doc teases a pile driver a second time and Gordy backdrops him. That’s your reversal, which I like because of the pile driver storyline. Doc’s comeback a moment later is smashing Gordy into the turnbuckle, which is also more accepted by my tastes because the big men make it seem more important and/or legit. Gordy’s head whip sell really helps. Doc’s punches also rule here. I’m also liking that Doc doesn’t keep Gordy in the chin locks he applies for to long, as he’s the face anyway.

They clip one of the chin locks and we come back to Gordy getting out of one and sending Doc shoulder first into the ring post three times. He puts the exclamation on that WITH A STANDING SUPLEX! I like that stubborn Doc kicks out at one. Gordy goes for the pile driver but Doc rams him back. Interesting that when Doc was on offense they popped at the beginning, but it began to diminish. Eventually it got quite. When Gordy got control the fans chanted and banged anything they could find. Everyone loves watching the underdog overcome. I guess wrestling can still be an effective morality play, even today.

Williams (Doc) hits the piledriver. He pumps himself up. No pin. He sends Gordy shoulder first into the post twice. Good revenge spots, but then he kills time for no reason. It becomes clear Gordy took him time blading when Doc grabs him and a long “biting” spot occurs.

This is where a very good match got side tracked. It looks like two mountain men kissing, but more importantly, the blood is unnecessary to the match since it’s not a blow off, it doesn’t fit the match itself, and just bighting a guy after this long of a straight match looks odd. It a weapon or object was used then sure. If he’d done this early to show he had to have this man’s blood, maybe. This is a title match and Doc doesn’t mind a DQ this far in just so he can bite the guy? Odd.

A second pile driver by Doc hits, but Gordy kicks out. Wow the fans didn’t count along or pop. I’m guessing their wild ride was sidetracked too. Doc transitions to punches from the mount. They stir a bit. Off the ropes Gordy reverses and they both hit a lariat. Had Gordy done more than stuff his arm out it would have meant a lot more, but it’s still a very good spot. They both sell, though Gordy should be half dead. I guess this is Gordy as a heel tough guy, but Jim Ross doesn’t sell it that way on commentary. Double count gets the fans going. Good crowd heat and Gordy is actually starting to bleed more visibly.

They go hyper drive here both with booking of the finish and the offense. Gordy tries a flying cross body out of the turnbuckle and hits the ref. Good ref bump. Gordy goes for an inside cradle and gets two as Tommy Gilbert dives in the ring. He’s the “standby official” on the outside. That’s cool. Doc sends Gordy to the buckle, picks him up, and nails Gilbert as he slams Gordy. That was a good realistic bump too, though not as good as the first one. Fergie recovers for the count. 1-2- nope. Gordy’s foot on the ropes. Crowd is going crazy.

Gordy takes over. Doc gets sent to the buckle and stares down a lariat. He docks, arms around Gordy’s waist, and he belly-to-back suplexes the big man. Both refs dive in from opposite sides for the count.1-2-3! Doc’s music plays. Ross puts over that Doc has won. I did realize what was going on at the very end of the count. It becomes clear in a moment as the refs raise opposite hands. Fergie counted Doc’s shoulders down (no bridge), and Gilbert was counting Gordy’s shoulders. I guess either Fergie was senior official, the original official makes the final call, or the tie goes to the champ. Gordy heads out with his face bloody and the title belt Raised above him. I’m positive from looking at Gordy here that Morishima is his child. Very good, but not great, 13 minute match. Though this was better than the first on the disk they’d have better in All Japan. 3 ¾ and 8/10.

Match Discussion Here