Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match # 35: Jerry Lawler, Bill Dundee, Dutch Mantell & Terry Taylor vs. Bobby Eaton, Sweet Brown Sugar, Rick McGraw & Sabu (12/4/82)

A super face team of Memphis, plus Terry Taylor, takes on the first family, plus (not that) Sabu. Sabu looks like one of the Wild Samoans.

Eaton and Brown Sugar look king-sized early working on Dundee. A lot of quick tags from the heels in and out, which to me adds points in this match’s favor. I’m a fan of fast flowing teams from the 80s tags.

Eaton throws some really hard, reckless looking body slams. I’ve never noticed that before, but I’ve also never heard him called sloppy, so I assume they just look good.

I go back and forth on whether I like these semi-out of control 8 man tags. They move well, but a lot of time it’s tough to keep up with what’s going on. I start to feel a malaise at times from them, but then someone punches up the story again and it reclaims me. This is on the positive side for the most part. Too much talent in there not to be good.

Lawler has to put the strap down quick after getting tagged in. That’s how fast we’re rolling here. Sometimes these guys just no sell blows. Lawler rolls up McGraw for the first fall win. They get it under control during commercial and the same men start out the second fall.

It’s fun to see Lawler working with Eaton in there. Sabu selling of an atomic drop was pretty damn great. Ref Callhoun is doing a pretty good job of exerting his authority in an authentic manner without being a problem to the viewer. I love him pushing Eaton’s one leg out of the ring because he wasn’t the legal man. Lawler takes a big bump off the turnbuckle when he loses control.

Sabu and Terry Taylor seem to be the weak links in there, but they aren’t horrible by any means, just less good.

Dundee and Sugar go hard at the end, which looks good, but Sugar kicks out of the finish to soon. The call it a pin anyway. I’m conflicted on whether this match won me over or if I’m a slave to my tendency to dislike studio filler matches. 3 ¼ and 6/10.

Match Discussion Here