Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match #19: Harley Race vs. Kevin Von Erich (6/17/83)

This is for the NWA World Championship. A Von Erich title shot, and it’s the always fun Kevin. Let’s see how Harley makes him look.

Bill Mercer on commentary mentions that this was supposed to be a rematch with Flair, but Flair lost the belt to Race shortly before. I’m a little disappointed myself, being such a big fan of the 4/1/83 Flair/Kevin match. Harley is the seven time World Champion at this point, he gets booed, and they are keeping the over top rope is legal in this match. That’s a holdover from the Flair/Kevin match where it had happened a few times. Not sure why that stip is part of this match, but it’s also mentioned that if Race loses by DQ he loses the belt too.

The first minute is the best thing I’ve ever seen from Race, as they go headlock to the ropes, Race ducks a leapfrog, eats a perfect dropkick, and realistically feeds into Kevin’s twisting cross body from the top rope. Race staggers to the floor and Kevin soaks up the cheers. So well timed. They also take the heel-suplex-into-the-Von-Erich-drop-behind -for- a-sleeper spot. I loved it in the Flair matches, and it works here.
Race’s rough and tumble style works well with a Von Erich, especially Kevin, not only for Race’s size (he’s bigger than Kevin), but because Kevin is rough himself, and his athleticism allows for a great stylistic match up. Race is slower, and him going over the top doesn’t look as fluid as it should, but that’s my only complaint in the first few minutes.

Race is bumping and selling for Kevin well, and Kevin comes off looking great when he’s in control. Kevin gets several near falls on Race, which they hammer home on commentary. Basically he’s shocking Race, and Race will have to withstand the quick onslaught and slow the pace down to win. It does get sloppy because of Kevin, combined with Race not being as athletic and not being as cooperative as a modern match might be (he struggles more, doesn’t allow himself to easily go with things because the spots weren’t worked out ahead of time. Race isn’t in this territory full time.) Kevin clamps on the Iron Claw at the five minute mark, and Race sends him to the outside.

Kevin twice so far has insisted on jumping up onto a standing Race with a body scissors, trying for I guess some sort of shoulder lock, and both times it’s ended looking like a mess. It’s bringing down the quality of the match for me, though I’m sure another person could argue that them falling to a heap on the ground adds realism. Race is the glue of this match for sure. He sends Kevin outside to stop the Von Erich’s momentum, then Harley falls to his knees at the ropes selling the damage he’s taken. That little detail enhances the match story for me. Kevin comes back in selling the left shoulder heavily. Great job by Kevin to to use that arm, and when he moves it he grasps it. Harley goes to work on the bum wing, giving Kevin short effective comebacks, but stays on the shoulder. At the ten minute mark Race destroys Kevin with a well executed shoulder breaker to the knee.

The way Race roughs up the shoulder, and the way Kevin sells it, leads to the ref Manning to stop the match and check on the shoulder. Kevin continues, getting hope spots, including Race finally helping him with the body scissors spot. Race’s second double axe-handle from the ropes is met with the Iron Claw, which oddly enough Race sells like a sleeper. He “Tullys” Kevin through the ropes to the floor. David is out to check on his brother, and David is so dumb he keeps grabbing the injured shoulder, so Kevin finally sells it as such. Race drops tough knees on the shoulder when Kevin rolls back in, and then while kicking Kevin through the ropes he catches David. Hothead David screws up his brother’s title shot by climbing into the ring, tossing the ref, and going after Race. David nails the high knee and gets to punching Race from the mount. Several refs have to pull him off. It’s a DQ win for Race, and I guess I’ll agree that Kevin wasn’t going to win anyway given the shoulder.

David cuts a promo on Race while Race lays in the ring, the visual bordering on heelish, as David says Race couldn’t beat a one-armed Kevin, and it’s David’s shot at the title next. He doesn’t care if it’s Race or Flair, if he can’t win, he’ll quit wrestling. Obviously this was the beginning of the mythical David Von Erich title quest that was cut short by his death half a year later.

The match itself had good work, they it came loose on several occasions. The story was there, and I’m coming around on the finish and angle at the end as a storytelling device. Still, viewed as a match (like I try to do), the ending sure didn’t satisfy. I came away from this (coupled with the Kerry/Race match on the extras from summer ’82) a much bigger Race fan than I was. 3 ¼ stars and 6.6/10.