Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match # 101: Jerry Lawler vs. Bill Dundee (No DQ, Loser Leaves Town) (12/30/85)

Wow. The first one was so good they just had to do it again. Hell, the second one (more angle then match) was pretty damn great too. They built this as Dundee putting up the Southern title and his hair – and his wife’s hair! – On the line. Lawler puts up his time in Memphis as this is a No DQ, no time limit, must be a winner, Loser Leaves Town match. You got all that? Pretty much the biggest stipulation match in Memphis history. It’s so big they seat a ton of wrestlers at ringside to watch the match, separated by heel/face affiliation of course. Tracy Smothers, Steve Borden, and Jim Helwig in attendance.

Lawler comes into this match with his eye bandaged up. Dundee’s friend Dirty Dutch Mantell through some sort of substance in Lawler’s eye sometime between the go home promos Saturday morning and the main event Monday night.

Right away I’m in love with this match because it’s worked in a well paced punch kick style by two people who actually make punch/kick style matter. Maybe even better, it’s worked far differently than the big LLT match from 1983. Dundee walks up before the bell and punches Lawler with a real looking shot in the damaged eyes. From that time on for the first ten minutes Dundee uses Lawler’s lack of depth perception and sight against him. It’s quite clever. The fan’s stick with it. Usually I’d get bored by it, but Lawler sells it so well. Dundee uses great worked punches, but adds open handed shots that actually land, to make you believe.

If that doesn’t work for you in totality, they’ve got pins that start with only a one count and build to Lawler’s foot on the rope/near falls. Dundee knocks the ref out for a minute really early to set a tone.
Probably my biggest reason for loving the opening ten minutes is how Lawler keeps coming forward in an MMA fight-like way. He eats so many shots. He gets double-legged by Dundee. But he keeps coming forward, and it makes for some great one-sided action.

Lawler’s comeback is pretty great. Somewhere in there is a pile driver we don’t see in this edit (but in a post match video). Lawler throws him into a table and Bill slides over and off like a movie. Lawler gets everyone into counting out Dundee with the ref. Dundee grabs his wife and starts to leave, so Lawler goes after him. I’m a big fan of how the Lawler come back goes here. I can’t quite verbalize it, but the fact it doesn’t stay in the ring is a great decision.

Lawler takes the craziest bump ever over a rail and into a tunnel from the stands. Dundee pulls the ref back to the ring and starts a count. Lawler barely makes it back. Dundee continues the onslaught, but he escalates the violence. He posts Lawler (Lawler bleeds) and continues trying to KO him. He screams at him to stay down. Lawler won’t. Lawler pops the strap down and does his comeback, while still selling. This is a WAR! 22 minutes in and unfortunately 7 was clipped out so far.

Tony Faulk or Dundee’s wife hand him something as Dundee is down selling the beating. He stands up and throws something in Lawler’s good eye. Dundee pins Lawler and wins! There’s so much I missed or failed to describe well it this. Just awesome stuff, a good but not great ending, and it’s just a step below the first LLT match these two had. 4 ¼ and 8.5/10.

Match Discussion Here