Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match # 17: Ricky Morton & Eddie Gilbert vs. Masa Fuchi & Atsushi Onita (Tupelo Concession Stand Brawl) (9/4/81)

This is fascinating for a few reasons. First off, the Tupelo Concession Stand Brawl is something of legend. It was ECW before there was an ECW. Hardcore before the name was given and the marketing of it began. Next, Onita is a future death match champ and this was his first well known brawl. Maybe just as interesting, you’ve got Ricky Morton who would go on to fame as a member of the Rock N Roll Express teaming with Eddie Gilbert. Gilbert would go on to be a very solid heel worker and manager, and a fertile wrestling mind, before his death in 1995.

Gilbert gets a hot tag was we start in the middle of this match and he looks nothing like he would just a few years later. This looks like we’ll be judging it mostly on the brawl itself for the edit. Fuchi pins Gilbert when Tojo screws with Gilbert. Morton grabs the Singapore cane and kills the heels with it. Fun fact: Paul Heyman had guys selling the cane 10x more then they sold it in this match. Sandman would hit a guy and he’d go down. Here it’s a minor annoyance.

They brawl to the concession stand outside the ring. They go into the concessions. Some men bleed. Some men are covered with mustard. Lots of stiff shots. I’m reminded a lot of my teenage love of classic ECW in the 90s. Not much else to say about the action.

Some will argue this was the genesis of hardcore, or part of their childhood, or “done right”. I can only speak for myself in saying this is good hardcore that doesn’t really register much with me because I don’t know or care about whatever feud is going on here. It’s an isolated clip of an excellent post-match brawl to me. I see a ton of non-selling. I will say it’s awesome hardcore and Tojo almost fighting some woman is great for any time, but this is not my cup of tea any longer. 2 ¼ and 4/10.

Match Discussion Here