This is all important today because my # 2 on the my final ballot was Butch Reed vs Dick Murdoch from 9.22.85. Click on the name and check out the match. I won’t usually do this, but it’s out there and everyone who loves the art of wresting should see it. It develops slowly and it’s chalk full of psychology. There’s an almost equally as good rematch about three weeks later, but this was the genuine article to me.

I’m going to fast forward and throw up my massive initial review below. It’s written real time like 85% of them are. thoughts welcome.

Match #75: Dick Murdoch vs Butch Reed 9/22/85

Wow. Wrestling as art is going to get rewarded again. Bunches to say and lots of analysis to heap on this fascinating and polarizing match.

I say and assume polarizing because I think it’s the inverse to Flair vs Reed for several matches ago that I hated and so many loved. I assume a lot will leave this semi-art house match because it is very slow for the first half and it was a long match. I’m assuming some may think I’m a hypocrite for my feelings after praising this and ripping the Flair match, and I’m always trying to think of how I or others could discredit my stance. It’s the only way to be objective. Here’s how I’ll say it before we get into the match. These two did all the little things that make so-called rest holds interesting (they struggled and adjusted to make it a “thinking man’s match) instead of laying there. Just as important, far more then the Flair match, these were doing holds and lack of striking had a match-story purpose that REALLY did go somewhere. About the only problem, which is ironic, was ref Tommy Gilbert.

I wanted to make sure I wasn’t crazy and get a second opinion on the Flair vs Reed match from Disk 5. At the same time, I needed an opinion on the always lingering Dibiase vs Armstrong 1/16/85 TV match. After all, I have Flair-Reed at 41 and Dibiase-Arm. at 15, while others would have the first top 5 and the second post-100). So I text my good pal Gene Boyer, who would be the best/fairest man for the job.

The big thing he said about Flair-Reed is that he really disliked the ref. He felt it distracted from the performers in the match. I found that interesting because only once on this set (I think it was the May Von Erich-Flair match) did I say a ref was trying to get over at the expense of a match. To me often Ref’s are like drop down boxes on a fancy website. They’re invisible until a wrestlers touches them to “highlight” them, and then I can see them, before the drop down menu folds back up. In this match, I saw what Gene meant. I think it may be the same ref, and it’s Eddie Gilbert’s father, Tommy Gilbert. He is a hindrance throughout, overplaying his storyline role, and he screwed up the finish to boot. I’ll get into it as we go.

First ten minutes consists of a slow starting match with either hold/hold reversals or hold and move and then the opponent matching that. This was a face vs face match which makes the dynamic fascinating, especially at a large house show. There was an issue between the two, which we saw at the end of Match # 73 (Dr. Death vs Murdoch). Murdoch does get some heat, but it has probably more to do with the angle, and they shake before the match.

These two slow it down and break wrestling down to the building blocks of a work. The lock ups seem stiff and important, and when I guy gets arm dragged he sits there a moment wincing or showing some embarrassment for tactical error or pain. The opponent doesn’t charge in, he stays ready and waits for the other to make a move. It’s a true feeling out process with a more natural feel because you have to fight out of the submissions or counters. It doesn’t look like a complete cooperation.

The bulk early is Reed with a headlock, standing or on the ground, on Murdoch. I can see where the argument of trashing the Flair/Reed front face lock and praising this seems valid on the surface, but you’d have to see what Reed does right here that I felt he did wrong against Flair. He grinds it in, fights for position, and moves to make pins or take advantage of the move. He’s not just holding and squeezing. He wants to wear Murdoch down or get this over quick.

Murdoch does more then Flair in trying to work out (really fight out) or turn it into a pin. Slowly he works to squeeze out the back into a hammer lock, and the transition/escape is beautiful. Then they switch roles as he works over Reeds arm and shoulder, Reed thinking about a punch, while Murdoch realizes it and grinds it in.

Simply put: This match had more thought, effort, and context then the Flair-Reed match and where the largely Flair controlled formula took it. It had more excitement at times, but the story wasn’t there. Action moves have better explosions, but a lot of dramas have fights/explosion that mean more doing less.

The rest of the match largely comes out of the opening ten minutes and it escalation of hostilities. Biggest highspot of the first ten minutes is Reed working out of of the shoulder/arm work, arm drag that Murdoch sells uniquely (subtle), and the BIG drop kick. It’s a time warp to 1985, sure, but a lot of the matches in ’85 weren’t this perception of old school.

Reed headlock and pin attempts. A couple minutes later Murdoch works into a tough shoulderlock (looks like a crude keylock). Reed eventually posts up to force Murdoch into a pin, but only gets two. Murdoch then maneuvers to top position on one knee. It’s not for everyone, but it isn’t just laying in a hold and remembering to squeeze every 3 minutes. It’s got more psychology then that.

Reed is actually very good in slowly working up, thinking of doing something, then yelling out and wincing in pain. He throws a back elbow to Murdoch’s head, and while Murdoch does his classic selling, Reed sells more because his arm and shoulder have been through more the last few minutes. LOVE IT! No one rushes for anything. Another Reed “high spot” with a bodyslam and two-count, before he goes down to his headlock base.

Murdoch throws awesome suplexes. Second cool belly-to-back I’ve seen in his few matches on the set, and this one means a lot more in the quieter context of this match. Murdoch is also changing up his holds ever time he grabs the arm, this one twisting it but also focusing on the wrist. He adds in great stomps and I notice they look better because Murdoch doesn’t pop his foot back up. He lets it sit on the rib cage for a moment.

15 minutes in and there’s this awesome moment where Reed really wants to punch out of the arm lock. The ref has warned him, but he makes a fist and looks right in Murdoch’s eyes. Murdoch takes one hand off the hold, makes a fist himself, and they stare for a minute so the crowd feels the hate, before Murdoch cranks the hold again.

I’d have loved to be at ringside for this because a three way argument is laid out over the course of these several holds. Murdoch is kicking a lot more at the exposed (thanks to the hold) ribs. Reed is growing madder and making a fist, and Ref Tommy young is now becoming very involved. Reed will scream at Young, and then Young will soften some and make sure to admonish Murdoch. Murdoch was a Stone Cold Steve Austin or Stan Hanson style ornery Texan, so he gets more frustrated in being threatened by Reed and told how to wrestle his match by Young. It keeps escalating! Reed pulls punches for forearms, Murdoch drops, but takes Reed over with him. Murdoch’s sell on his eye looks legit, but it’s not. Two pin attempts on Reed, Reed pushes at Murdoch’s head, and Murdoch brutal changes up the hold/knees to rib.

Fans pop as Reed gets up with more forearms and Murdoch sells, but he takes Reed down again. Repeat process with awesome Murdoch selling, and this time Reed is out. Showdown time 20 minutes in. Murdoch is woozy from the forearms (those are killer in this match, just punches to shake off), while Reed is woozy as hell from rib and arm damage. Ref has to get involved to keep them from punching, and had Tommy Gilbert stopped here it would have been awesome. He only needed to do it at key points, but he gets way to involved and is at a 10 when he should be at a 6 or 7 half the time.
They don’t touch for a minute, just threaten and sell, at the 19 minute mark, and that’s important to remember for how this builds up. They are selling a lot at 19 minutes.

Murdoch smashing Reeds ribs and shoulder, and Reed really sells it well. He rolls out, gets pissed, and back in the fans pop for another tease of a fist fight. So Reed strikes Murdoch with elbows and forearms and Murdoch now has cobwebs. When Murdoch sees it escalate he grabs a hold and turns that into a wristlock/bearhug combo. Seems like Murdoch is ready to short cut anything on Reed rather than get hit. He argues with the ref all during this, and even does palm strikes to Reeds ribs. Everything is so stripped down in this match that one punch and small rules we barely think of mean so much more.
Reed actually punches him once or twice while getting out, and the place pops. He works snug with kicks, and again, Murdoch’s selling (stunned is the word I’m thinking of) is brilliant. He decides to start punching to, and points to the corner where Reed started punching when ref yells at him. Murdoch begins to look at the crowd like a heel would while in control, but almost in a betrayed way.

25 minutes in and we’re getting great deliberate strikes from Murdoch. He’s really drawing it out and making the crowd turn on him slowly. At one point he grabs a headlock, turns Reed away from the ref, and punches his face. He does it again and when the fans boo him he stares at the front row while the ref tries to get answers.

We get a small package spot where both get several pin attempts and a crowd pop that transport me forward to the mid-90s and back from my present in 2008 – to the Malenko/Guerrero feud, and am happy to see bigger heavyweights do any roll-up spots. It’s really moving now, with Murdoch running the ropes off a headlock and Reed getting one big punch to Murdoch’s face. I can not do justice to the great bump Murdoch does to the floor, but it’s a style that attracted me to Raven in the Mid-90s of just letting your body go like your out.

More greatness. Against the ref’s wishes (and a count) Reed goes to the floor and beats down Murdoch. He gets back in the ring and Murdoch is crawling up the ring apron and pulling on the ropes to get back in. So Reed gets greedy, comes over, and gets pulled by his foot to the outside. Burst of energy by Murdoch and a high spot for this match, as Murdoch bodyslams Murdoch to the ground.

30 minutes gone by. Murdoch in control uses a piledriver. He gets a two and Reed gets the foot on the rope. Murdoch with a knee off the second rope. Another couple two counts. Frustrated Murdoch. Reed sells for a few, until he gets a knee up in the corner on a charge. Roughly 35 minutes in and they both sell the entire time like they can barely stand. NOW the punches come. Little by little Reed wins the “Walking Tall” John Wayne showdown. Murdoch is definitely getting the heel reaction now. He’s also face down in the corner and my all time new favorite seller of moves.

Murdoch gets hit and has the cobwebs in the head face, but he’ll throw these little jabs in the air. They’re soft and almost never land, but it’s a great touch to show he’s out on his feet. Reed’s offense is now as deliberate as Murdoch’s was.

They both look dead. Murdoch has an atomic drop left, but when that fails to finish Reed, he gets two back. Crowd comes alive as they both stagger and crawl. Good near fall, but neither man can finish the other. Reed beats up Murdoch more, but he can’t BEAT him 1-2-3.

40 minutes in they do the punches from the knees spot, and then from the feet, and Reed is basically holding Murdoch up. He’s winning, but he can’t win the match. Double KO spot and double ten count. Match now becomes like a lights out match or Last Man Standing. It seems even better then the one that sticks out to me – HHH vs Jericho from July 2001.

Reed falls out of the ring, climbs back in, and Murdoch has fallen down again anyway. He grabs Murdoch and puts him in the figure four. Several pins where Murdoch might pass out from the pain, but he keeps popping up and trying to reverse it. Odd crowd goes from excited, then nothing on near falls, then pops for reversal attempts. Murdoch reverses for a moment, and they end up in the ropes.

Final run. Another count applied to both downed men. Murdoch’s knee is damaged and he sells it awesomely. Reed goes to town on it. 45 minutes gone and Reed threatens to punch the ref while Murdoch is down on his back.

Finish is Murdoch trying to overcome the knee and picking up Reed for a slam. They fall back and go over the top rope. It looks a bit sloppy in a bad way, but completely forgivable. Stupid Tommy Gilbert makes the count out in record time, killing the long count and drama, as well as the fans counting along. It just ends. Up until that point I’d hated him less upon second viewing, but he was still overbearing throughout.

It’s argued back and forth during these set discussions whether what happens before and after the bell counts to the match. In this case I believe it does, and a lot of people seem to be taking it into account. A long and violent brawl between the two exhausted fighters erupts, and the fans seem to choose Reed as their guy. Ref Tommy Gilbert gets punched, and Grizzley Smith (Mid South matchmaker) has to come down and try to break them up. Grizzley is worthless here, but he does get on the mic and fine them, then fine them heavier as it goes on. You have to see it to really feel it. Just intense stuff.

Look, I wrote a book on this. I detailed it all out here. The match and my thinking is here. It’s brilliant, and it got better when I watched it again. The score keeps rising. I’ll go 4 ¼ to 4 ½ and 8.6/10. Top 5 right now.

More analysis and opinions here.

One of these is not like the other! Yep, it’s Scoot Andrews. But we’ll get to that in a moment. This was ECWA, Jim Kettner’s promotion that created the Super 8 tournament (forerunner to every great indy tourney) and laid the groundwork for every indy you love. This match is so old Daniels actually has hair. He’s also the only true full heel in the match, which is interesting. You all know the first three ROH stars, two of which ended up as TNA stars too. Andrews, a worker from Florida, was drafted into early ROH soon after this with the gimmick of the Black Nature Boy. That’s an awesome gimmick – too bad Andrews did nothing with it and sucked on the mic. He was decent in the ring but never went far. I believe he’s since retired, so this match will stand as his legacy match here at the CHRON.

I dig that Daniels has the balls to start a one fall four way dance on the floor, daring the others to involve him. Nice way to show heelishness. Low Ki still wearing the pants back then. Danielson is in his Calgary/New Japan Benoit phase. Everything gets a few minutes to show their hold-counter hold opener stuff followed by a stiff strike or move. All really tight pumped up stuff. Scoot really seems to want at Daniels, which is a nice sub-story.

Low Ki and Danielson were so great together, and Danielson takes Ki’s stiff stuff without trouble. I’m a total mark for their technical-to-stiff stuff early in matches before big moves. A great thing about giving four men time and making a match that has tags is everyone can develop a pace without overdoing things.

Some of this is the template for what became ROH’s first show main event, so that’s cool to see.
Daniels has the most presence at this point. Danielson sells the best here. All of the first ten minutes was good and would find a place today. Nothing is dated, the guys just work a bit smarter today. Less is more. Daniels does follow up with Scoot, by the way.

One negative is there is very little story to the opening ten, at least until Scoot gets tagged in and Daniels bails. But even that isn’t fully telling a story with your body, as the moves haven’t meant much but looked pretty so far. Scoots drop kick was very good, as I try to balance it out.

Dragon giving Ki some receipts from earlier and working with Daniels about 12 minutes in. That’s an interesting development. Daniels was ahead of the curve wrestling IQ wise at this point, so he’s the first to bring the pace down to a healthier level.

Finally, a blocked move. Danielson avoids one of Ki’s finishers. It becomes like a tag match, with Ki and Scoot working together while Dragon and Fallen Angel to more. Scoot gets in with Daniels, but it’s a tease. Body part time. Scoot’s knee gets worked over by Low Ki. Good stuff. This is coming together nicely for a bad video quality and non-announcer match.

Danielson gets in and works Ki’s shoulder. These guys really made it look like a shoot, which I love.
I love that when Danielson was tagged in he’d try for quick pins. Daniels and he go at it on the outside, and while I’m impressed with the pace, everyone is doing a bit to much stuff. Stiff stuff at that. Beautiful execution though. Maybe I’m being a bit old school. There are 4 guys to spread out the selling.

Subtle heel moves like the talking of Daniel and his feet on the ropes show his maturity in this match. Danielson doesn’t let Danielson cut him off, but it leads to Low Ki refusing the Daniels tag and a Scoot-Daniels scuffle. Of course, they can’t leave each other alone, so they strong style-up on each other after breaking up any Andrews pins.

22 minutes in we get our first group big move followed by… group selling. Very cool and done well. We’re into the big stuff portion of our night. It’s a free for all. Dives by all. Pick your high spot. Low Ki with good selling and then a Phoenix Splash to the others on the floor. Wow!

First big nearfall of the night from a Daniels Blue Thunder Driver on Danielson. Excellent timing and the length of each guy selling is real good for this deep into a match. I love Ki’s intensity, and Daniels breaking up a Cattle Mutilation with a head butt.

Scoot Andrews doesn’t pull the match down in any way because he’s used in the right spots and hits his marks. He and Daniels do a ton of great nearfalls about half an hour into the match. Daniels then gets a title belt from ringside, and cleverly uses it to injure Ki’s foot.

This signals our rotating one-on-one section. Perfect time. Two men sell, one gets up and comes in after a big nearfall. It’s like Indian runs in gym class. Ki and Dragon really try to kill each other, and Scoot, when he doesn’t go along with their plans.

Here’s the kicker (no pun intended): Scoot hits a pump handle finisher and pins Danielson to retain his ECWA Title in 33 minutes. That’s a great finish. The others didn’t need the belt and Scoot looked good in there with them. It wasn’t cheap at all and the match flowed well.

This match was, without a doubt, the best pre-ROH indy match I’ve seen (though I haven’t seen all the late 90s/ early ’00 stuff). This hangs with most early ROH pre-RF split too. Great match which actually had good selling down the stretch and won’t burn you out as much as amaze you overall.

This is the first of a double Gene Boyer special. Gene sent me a match – a year or more ago – to do a review when he first started contributing here. It was one of his favorite all time matches from early on in the decade. Having all the respect for Gene in the world I quickly put the disk in a pile and forgot about it. Oh well.

This year Gene sent me another important match to watch. It was actually a show. The first show Gene ever went to as a kid. The WWF event on February 16, 1985 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. I’ve held onto this for a few months, but now it’s time for a review. I’ll get to the ECWA ’01 match next. This will be a review of Gene’s favorite match from that night: Dick Murdoch versus Barry Windham. I go at my own pace, Gene!

Very cool to see old PRISM Spectrum footage. Gene and I both grew up in the Philly area, him closer than I. PRISM was Philly’s HBO-like pay channel that the WWF had a deal with. It’s interesting to see a house show broadcast live. Local Dick Graham and WWF Legend Gorilla Monsoon are the announcers. I see infamous PSAC official Frank Talent out there as well.

This match was awesome. Had it been in the Mid South set it would have been top 30 easy, and that’s saying something. It is already a top 20 consensus by fans who voted on the top WWF matches of the 1980s. I can definitely see why.

Murdoch calls a great match here, and Windham does his damnedest to follow along and add his own mark to it. Two separate really tightly worked heat segments with Murdoch as the heel beating the crap out of Windham. Windham sells really well and has that fire before and during the beat down that says “I am better than you/ I will overcome this beating if I’m given an inch.” As it’s played Windham actually creates his own inches in this one.

Murdoch, from the beginning, plays an ornery old vet who isn’t impressed with the big athletic tag champ, Windham. Everything that’s great about Captn’ Redneck is nuance, and this match is a prime example. He gets in Windham’s face and trash talks, but he’s run off by any aggressions. That doesn’t stop the trash talking though. He fires up again and figures he’s not scared. He eats a punch early and sells it to varying degrees for another minute. Even the cheap seats get the show because Murdoch makes the little details big enough for the upper deck, but not so big they’re completely exaggerated (by wrestling standards).

This match is worked so smart they barely ever come off the loose hanging ring ropes. They drape each other across them, but the movement is never a run and a clothsline. Most everything is paced as a mid card to semi-main event match, and it still gets over strong. Both men draw the crowd in with their motions and their actions. Barry dominates at first, then takes a punch to his jaw and rethinks things.

One move logically leads to another in this match. You never feel they do something just to do it. My two favorite moments are Windham’s struggle to get back in the ring as Murdoch plays king of the mountain from in the ring. Windham’s selling and refusal to give up as he climbs the ropes is awesome. Second, I loved house hard Murdoch went after Windham with a crutch he stole from a ringside attendant. He kills Barry in frustration after Barry’s big comeback ends via a missed splash.

Finish is a flash pin by Windham that’s satisfying enough, but that’s house show booking for you. Go out of your way to see this match. I got Mountie vs Big Bossman in a cage at my first show 5 years later, and I’m not doing a review of that B show main event. This was the real deal, as Windham was in his prime and you can see a future, and Murdoch is the old master.

I’m at a loss as to who Young is, but Reed was deep into a major heel run in Mid South by this print.
This is a solid NOTHING match. That’s right – solid, yet nothing. Reed is a good, but not great, heel. Good in the ring, but nothing masterful. Good but not great presence. He talks a decent game, and understands how to work a good heel mid card match with a “plucky” or “fiery” babyface.

Young is capable enough to be in the match, but there isn’t to this. Reed carries the early part with his mouth, both talking trash to Young, and arguing rules and calls with ref Carl Fergie.

Young just jumps around a lot, and Reed stays deliberate and moves away. Sometimes Young wins an exchange, and Reed complains to the ref. The complaints are the best part.

Otherwise, they show solid basics and iffy other stuff. Finish is nothing with Reed gaining an advantage, hitting a press slam, and that being sold as a death move. This gives Reed time to hit a sloppy elbow from the second rope for a clean pin. I mean the man did a goofy wobble sell and buck bump for a rough grinding headlock. Even adjusting selling/style/movement to the times, it’s silly. There’s also a loose chin lock and leverage rope sequence that somehow was horrible.

Chalk this up as another instance of me not seeing eye-to-eye with the other votes. It isn’t the first and it won’t be the last. I give links to the DVDVR mess board so you can get other opinions and thoughts from both first time viewer along with old M.S. fans who watched it at the time, on have extremely watched territory stuff.

This difference of opinion falls in with “Walking Tall” Bill Watts 4/84 and the Christmas ’83 cage match. I just don’t get it no matter how I try to look at it. 2 stars and 3/10

Match # 31: Fantastics vs Midnight Express (No DQ) 9/28/84

The match they had earlier in the set really grew on me, thought I thought the ending was a bit off. I’m totally sold on the original Midnights, which you know if you’ve been reading. I’m also eager to see more of the Fantastics, as I’ve seen a lot more R&R and know their shtick/rep, while I wanna see just what the Fantastics have by comparison, History has always said R&R greater than Fans., but I’ve been impressed with the Fantastics.

No disqualification starts with the old “throwing robes” blinding trick by the faces! They clear the ring, clever young guys. And here I thought those were just for looking gay.

A hot first three minutes of brawling, and a hot last few, but not enough to make this stand out. The Midnights were good, but not great as far as their jobs here. Don’t get me wrong, they got the fans crazy with heat (Cornette was great in a bright green suit and Lucha mask), but in the context of the set, it was less than the earlier match against the Fans. The Fans, well, I think I’m joining the old guard on this point: the Fans were not as good in Mid South as the R&Rs.

Good hard core for the times with fury and effort. Spills outside then in again. Fantastics sell pained fists after delivering punches. Eaton sells “broke noses” after punches well. These are some positives.

Negatives are portions of the Fant. offense, and them not knowing what to do with a guy after grabbing him at times (hit him? Ask the crowd? Well just stand there then). They end up dancing around all goofy, nodding their heads, and just throwing punches. I realize it’s a no DQ match, but it wasn’t like they were on an intense attack in the ring. There’s a lot of non-legal man coming the apron and just standing around in the case of Bobby and Tommy. That puts a lot of pressure on the Midnights to carry the match with selling. IMO, it was good but not the MNX best work.

Five minutes gone by announced like a cue, as the Midnights immediately go on offense and beat down the arm. Better on second viewing, but not as compared with the entire set.

I go back and forth on the “better wing man” Fans vs. R&R Exp. argument. Robert Gibson or Bobby Fulton? I was leaning against purists (Gibson) until this match. Fulton does quite do it in the role of selling, but he’s not really as good as Tommy Rogers offensively or hot tag wise either.

Side note: Midnights know just when to give a guy a little comeback, get the crowd hot for a tag, and snatch it away. Life a fisherman giving slack on a line.

Fulton ruins the match for me by busting loose at the wrong time, then hitting the ropes numerous times instead of tagging out. Rogers looks like he’s annoyed, and so do the MNX. Rogers just comes in anyway and a minute later it all turns to crazy brawls. Lots of spot whispering.

Ref bump. Visual fall. Cornette does something to a face. Timing way off and the heel covers the face for about 30 seconds before a count. It was good but not a top vote getter. Mid Exp retain titles. 3 stars and 5/10

It would be fair to say I liked this more than Fans/Duggan vs Midnights/Corny, but less than their last tag meeting. Khan vs. Adams was better.

Part 1 (59 minutes) (Right click to download)

This feud is fueled by two things. Punk’s face turn and alliance with the legendary Ricky Steamboat, and their collective issue with the young upstart Generation Next faction. Secondary feud comes to us in the way of Jimmy Jacobs and Alex Shelly via IWA-MS. It continues here, as the worked together a lot in the early part of this decade. That’s why Jacobs is teaming with the Saints, composed of Punk and Ace Steel. Gen Next feature future leader Austin Aries, Jack Evans, and one day MCMG – Alex Shelly.

Match has Mark Nulty on commentary, who I actually enjoyed for the most part. It also features Gabe Sapolsky in one of his announcer persona’s. I’m not such a fan of that.

Jacobs and Shelly start out together. Great display of submissions from Shelly and counters from Jacobs. It’s more Shelly than the smaller Jacobs here. Jacobs eventually gets the advantage, and that’s the story for the next ten to twelve minutes. The faces outsmart the heels no matter what the combination is and what the players do. Sure, it’s from this decade, so the heels have their moments, but the faces always have a punch, reversal, move, or ring positioning in their favor. Decent stuff that you can have fun with as a viewer. Nothing is break out “ya missed it!” great though.

The reversal comes when Gen Next traps Jimmy Jacobs in their corner using the numbers game. The reversal itself was okay, but then we go into an uneven period. It goes like this: Alex Shelly in means very decent stuff. Austin Aries in means hot and miss, but he has that charisma and energy that would make him a star. He had better matches in singles that year, but he’s not bad here. Jack Evans in was not so good. At least, that and the transitions between each guy tagging in were sloppy.

Faces come back and the story goes off the rails a bit, as we end up with dives and an injured Tracy Brooks (face manager/Punk’s girlfriend). Totally unnecessary stuff. Whatever.

Back on track Punk sells for the heels in a second heat segment. Not the best Punk has looked either, which is funny since the next night was a match of a lifetime from him (Joe – Punk 2). Punk comes back after more uneven action and distractions like faces coming in and doing a bunch of moves. Hot tag became heatless and irrelevant then, but then the heat was dead when Shelly wasn’t in.

Finish is a Punk comeback and a Pepsi Plunge from the top rope. Big win, and the right man won for the next night, but even as a main event perhaps Jimmy Jacobs should have done the job. Jimmy had a singles match with Shelly the next night, Punk was in a main event, and who knows what Ace Steel was doing. Conversely, the Gen Next guys were the main event young heels here. Oh well, they were going through changes, I guess.

Ultimately, at over thirty minutes this is an avoidable match. If you dig the nostalgia of an ROH-Punk, Jacobs as the “huss” guy, or the original Generation Next run, it isn’t horrible. Still, the classic eight man from the night the young faction was formed is much better match for old glorified memories of Shelly, Aries, Strong, and Evans as a faction.

PW CHRONcast #4

This match happened after their great match at Driven PPV in June (though their match was in Philly), but before their famed double-turn match at the Sixth Anniversary in Feb. ’08. Nigel has just won the ROH World Title, but this is not a title match. It’s the first round of the Survival of the Fittest ’08 tournament. Nigel has never beaten Danielson clean at this point, or at all actually. He’s still a face and Danielson is a heel most of the time, but not in his main feud against Morishima.

I’m in love with the smooth mat work and submission hold stylings at the early going. I am a huge fan of catch wrestling and amateur style, and these two do this style better than anyone in the world. Like watching physically poetry, these two.

Danielson takes the advantage on a knee tweak of McGuinness ‘ left knee. He goes to work on it with strikes and stress point holds. Very credible stuff for 2008 that was originally done by the likes of Thesz or even Gotch in some cases (Karl AND Frank. Haha).

Nigel makes a comeback and violently whips the shoulder of Danielson down to the mat. Danielson’s shoulder had a bad injury that had kept him out of action the first half of 2007. Here Nigel uses submission moves rarely seen that look painful while Danielson actually struggles. Imagine that, a wrestler who doesn’t just let you put him in holds as if it’s all pretend. Thank you, sir.

The reversals of holds are great in this match. Not great – neat. Great as in you won’t see this anywhere.

Danielson turns the tables and it’s back to the injured knee of Nigel. Nigel struggles too on a Mutoh Lock attempt. Back to the shoulder of Amer. Dragon. Wow. Simple effective mutual stretching here. They face off favoring and protecting their injured body parts, nervous to go at the other first. This rules.

Danielson grabs a figure four. No submission though. A lot of little things here were good as Nigel took control, but too much to write. They tease the jawbreaker lariat and Danielson kicks out the knee. Diving headbutt? Nigel sacrifices the knee to block it. Danielson stays on the knee with a different hold. More back and forth and they both go down. They milk the 10 count as the fans get hotter and one minute is announced. It’s a 20 minute time limit match.

The bell rings with Nigel trying to go for the tower of London. I liked they didn’t try a pinfall there, and come to think of it, I don’t remember a pinfall attempt in the match. They tease 5 more minutes, but Dragon says no after being put in McGuinness’ submission, the London Dungeon. Awesome match that comes in around 3 ¼ to 3 ½. Check it out.

A house show match with some World Class territory flavor. Killer Khan is the veteran experienced big man heel to Adams quicker and fiery young smaller babyface. I like that this dynamic Khan, as heel, is accompanied by manager Skandor Akbar. Akbar seems pretty pedestrian in Mid South as compared to WCCW. Final pre-match note: this is before Adams big run in World Class with Geno Hernandez as a heel unit.

The gate looks a little bit better this time as Adams comes to the ring. More bodies in the building as opposed to last time. Right away I like the way Khan establishes himself as both serious and odd just by standing in the ring.

Adams does a flip move that’s right out of the RVD playbook of irrelevant flashy crap. Good psych and presence on the early exchanges by both. Khan doesn’t really bump yet, but he also does sell something and doesn’t just give it away. You take it. Smartest limited worker other than Ernie Ladd on the whole set.

Lots of choking of Adams. He’s already doing a big comeback 4 minutes in off a slower start? Odd, but it’s not bad or ugly. He grounds the big man with a credible sleeper. Khan definitely over sells a kick to the back, but in an entertaining way…monster yell. Finally they build it up to Khan’s big bump, which I love the thought and execution of. It’s a back body drop, a mid south favorite. Very cool with little needing to physically be done at this point.

Pin fall kick out, slower this time, and Khan is put back in a headlock. He makes the move with his screech-selling. Khan’s offense, when he gets back on it, looks mountain man rough, which I like. He plays up a thumb spike to the throat. They had teased the Adriatic Spike vs Super kick at the start. It’s HBK vs Umaga, kids!

Killer Khan is awesome. We get spikes over the rope, taunts, and he even invites Adams back in evil movie villain fashion.

A final comeback by Adams thwarted b y Akbar distractions and a bombs away knee. Decent, though slightly troubled execution on the thumb spike before the finish, but man is this fun, decent stuff. 3 stars and 6/10.

Part 1 (40 minutes) (Right click to download)

Part 2 features our review (or is it reviews…we still can’t decide) of the jam-packed Double Feature in which we discuss the March 13-14 Dover double bill and related movie madness. Check out our match ratings on the Theater Meter and chuckle along with Brian as Steve out-nerds his V For Vendetta reference by dropping some hardcore Star Wars knowledge.

Part 2 (51 minutes) (Right click to download)