Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match # 131: Terry Gordy vs. One Man Gang (9/21/86)

This interested me on paper because One Man Gang was always a heel. It’s confirmed here too. He has Skandor Akbar with him and a flag. I assumed something Middle Eastern, but it looks like a pirate flag. Why didn’t Doc come out and slap him around for having that? I’ll never know. Gordy didn’t turn either. He’s still the champion, back from an All Japan tour if this announcer is to be believed, so we’re getting a heel versus heel World Title match from Houston.

Gang sucks. I never liked the guys work. I don’t like it here. It is cool to see Gordy work someone a bit bigger than him, but that’s about all. It equals out with a bigger guy and it becomes an inflated big man match.

Yep. First five minutes Gordy backs OMG down. Akbar trips Gordy. Gordy bumps for him and bleeds after being bit on the forehead. It’s all in slow motion. Really dull and heatless at about the halfway point. Just a walk around brawl in slo-mo.

The next ten minutes Gordy takes an awesome bump outside. Gang punches him outside and posts him. Gordy comes back and that looked really good. OMG takes a bump through the ropes that looks good. Match has gotten better as Gordy takes over.

Gordy posts OMG and goes after Akbar as Gang bleeds, showing this match does have a retribution story. Crowd is hotter now. Gordy tags him with a badass lariat and goes for the piledriver. Gang pushes into Gordy and we get a squashed Carl Fergie ref bump. Well done, though it seems unnecessary. I guess it’s not a peaking order thing as much as a keep the heels strong thing.

Oddly creative audible here that basically works. Gordy gets whipped into the buckle. The famous Houston ring buckle comes off. But instead of selling it big Gordy just walks out and show the famed Adriatic Spike thumb. OMG sees this and starts selling like he’s woozy all of a sudden, though it hadn’t been played as a hope spot before, and he takes a bump over the now gone top rope to the floor. It looks awesome, so you accept it even if they changed the story progression for a moment.

The finish is appropriately a brawl. These two bulls punch each other in the face and shove the ref as he tries several times to stop them. Gordy even stops the ringside help from fixing the top rope. Great stuff.

Here it is. Great concept for a match. Crowd did eventually get into it and the story was decent. First seven minutes sucked. The last three ruled. But the last three didn’t overcome the overall dullness and odd pace whenever Gang was dictating things. Average. 2 ½ and 5/10.

Match Discussion Here