Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match # 96: Jerry Lawler vs. Bill Dundee (10/19/85)

This match starts with an angle. Tag team poster boys are in studio doing a promo and mention Dundee and Lawler. Dundee comes out saying that the Lawler/Dundee team can be the Fabs and they need a match. The Fabs politely explain to they weren’t challenging or disparaging Dundee, but Dundee keeps insisting Lawler come out to back him up.

Lawler tries to calm Dundee down, but Dundee continues a spirited discussion. He wonders if Lawler is “chicken”. Lawler explains he doesn’t like good guy vs good guy matches. He’s the Southern champ and the Fabs are tag champs, and he’s fine with that. Dundee says that leaves him out in the cold. Lawler says he doesn’t want to be Dundee’s partner anymore and Dundee explodes, hitting Lawler and the Fabs.

Later Dundee comes out with the keys to a 25,000 sports car and puts it up against Lawler’s Southern title. Dundee is killer here on the mic. He calls everyone rednecks and goes off about people being afraid to fight him. He puts his hair on the line against the title. He’s crazy. The match is on in the studio now.

Dundee comes out heavy with awesome punches, kicks, and chokes. I mean these punches show no daylight. Lawler comes back with the same stuff. This is just tight work ethic stuff that fits the territory and the time. It’s punches and kicks that mean something, with each man selling them and trying to find a way to come back. Bill Watts would dig the John Wayne-like story here.

Lawler lands some big shots. Dundee comes back with a few hard ones. Lawler just pops the strap down like, “You’re a dead man!” Lawler punches him to heck. Dundee scrambles to grab a chain from his trunks, and hits Lawler as he’s about to be suplexed. 1-2-3 Dundee is the new Southern Champ. The ref runs to check once the fans tell him, but Dundee is gone. We go to commercial.

Back in studio Dundee is celebrating. He says when Ric Flair comes to town in a month he’s getting a world title shot because the Southern champ gets the shot, and that’s him. Lawler is out wanting an automatic rematch. Dundee says he’ll hand him the Southern title in a month because he’ll be world champ. Until then no rematch. Dundee is laughing it up.

Lawler grabs a camera man and head to the parking lot. He’s going to take a bat and smash Dundee’s car unless he gives him a title shot. He’s got a contract. Of course they take it to Lawler being on top of the car before Dundee agrees and signs. You have to see this just to see the girl pleading with Lawler not to do it. Lance Russell is also brilliant as always in negotiating this deal.

This angle and match is every bit as awesome as the Flair comes to Memphis studio angle from 1982. For that reason, and those similarities, I’m giving this unique mix the same score. 3 ¾ and 7.5/10.

Match Discussion Here