The SmarK 24/7 Rant for Black History Month
So once again this is just a compilation of the random "Legends" and "Shorties" matches that WWE 24/7 shows as standalone programs aside from the TV shows and PPVs. And since the theme for February is Black History Month, the connecting thread here should be easy to pick up on.
Dusty Rhodes v. Ernie Ladd
From July 1977 in Florida. This is actually just a series of clips of the match. Dusty's actually almost in shape at this point. Dusty does his overblown prancing offense, but we're clipped to Ladd pounding away and getting a legdrop. Dusty makes the comeback and tosses the ref out, leaving everyone down and out. Sadly for Dusty, a masked man in a Hawaiian shirt gives him a neckbreaker, and Ladd pins him to win the Florida title.
Jim Neidhart v. Big Daddy Ritter (Junkyard Dog)
From Stampede Wrestling in 1979. Dog is playing the arrogant jive-talking heel at this point, which is a funny role for him. He's also RIPPED, a far cry from the pudgy and bloated mess that he would become in the WWF. Neidhart is VERY young and green here, back when he was clean-shaven and had hair. Neidhart works on a headlock and throws shoulderblocks in the corner, but misses a charge and goes down. Ritter loads up his glove and slugs Neidhart down, and Ed Whalen is suspicious. Ritter chokes away and plays "hide the object" with the ref, frustrating everyone. The Thump gets two, but he picks Neidhart up. Another finishes at 4:22. Total squash.
Rocky Johnson v. Magnificent Muraco
From February 1983. Muraco attacks to start and gets a primitive spinebuster, probably not even attempting to do that move. He stomps away and drops a thumb to the throat, then chokes Rocky out on the ropes and elbows him down. Johnson comes back with a bodypress for two and makes the shuffling comeback, but Lou Albano distracts the ref during a small package. He runs Muraco into the post, but Albano trips him up and Muraco gets two. Rocky slugs him down again and hooks the abdominal stretch for the submission at 3:38, which apparently wins him the IC title?! Vince is under the impression that Rocky is the champion, and it was a title match…so what gives? Obviously it wasn't a title change because Rocky was never champion. Super short TV match, and also the only time I've ever seen someone submit to the abdominal stretch. *1/2
Tony Atlas v. Al Perez
From World Class, August 1987. This was a rather silly period in Atlas' career, where he was dressing as Superman. How did they NOT get sued into the ground by Time-Warner for that one? I mean, the guy was wearing the costume and billing himself as "Superman" and everything! They trade hammerlocks to start and Perez takes him down and gets a kneedrop for two. He pounds away in the corner and chokes him out, then ties him up on the mat with a weak sugar hold. Atlas slugs back and hiptosses him across the ring, then slugs him down. Perez fires back in the corner as this match is ugly and sloppy. A wide shot reveals that we're in the middle of a rodeo arena. That's pretty sad. Perez gets a cheapshot and hooks a front facelock, then turns it into the abdominal stretch, and that goes on for a while. And we hit the chinlock. This gives me a chance to also point out what a moron Kerry Von Erich sounds like on color commentary, delivering his lines in a dazed mumble. Atlas makes the comeback and slugs him down, but Perez grabs the mike and tries to use it. Atlas gets it and hits Perez with it, which you'd think would be a DQ, but the ref ignores it and Perez fights back, causing the ref to call for the DQ at 9:47. Pretty horrible. 1/2*
Abdullah the Butcher v. Kevin Von Erich
From World Class, September 1986. The ring announcer warns fans to stay away from the railing during the match, so you KNOW it's gonna be good. The ref tries to search Abby before we start, but where do you even begin with that job? The ref finds a pen ("It's for signing autographs!" yells Gary Hart) and we're off, as Abby attacks and pounds on Kevin until he's forced to retreat to the ring apron. Kevin fights back out of the corner and goes after Gary Hart, but Butcher puts him down again. They brawl onto the floor and into the crowd, which Abby tosses Kevin out of the arena via the fire exit. Abby beats on a cameraman with no one else around, but Kevin storms back in and beats the hell out of him with a chair. Abby chokes him out with a TV cable and they continue brawling around ringside and up into the crowd again. The ref declares the match totally out of control at about 7:30. Quite the crazy brawl, too bad it didn't have a finish. **1/2
Intercontinental title: Goldust v. Ahmed Johnson
From King of the Ring 96. This was supposed to be the launch of Ahmed into the stratosphere, but it just never worked out. Ahmed (still upset over Goldust performing "CPR" on him) storms in and destroys Goldust, sending him running to the floor. Ahmed follows with an amazing tope con hilo, which sadly falls about a foot short. But still, points for effort. Ahmed continues the asskicking, sending Goldust into the stairs and then tossing the stairs at him. Back in, he whips Goldust into the corner, but misses a blind charge and bumps to the floor. Goldust drops the steps on him, and back in for a lariat to take over. He goes to a chinlock and pounds away in the corner, then back to the chinlock again as this thing just grinds to a halt. Ahmed fights up and Goldust tries a sunset flip, but Ahmed slugs him down to block it. Goldust gets a cheapshot to take over again, however. Piledriver and Goldust slowly crawls over Ahmed for two. Crowd is of course squinked out by that. And we're back to the chinlock. Ahmed pounds away in the corner, but a blind charge misses and Goldust rams a knee into the back, then drapes himself on Ahmed for some fondling. They gave this match WAY too much time. Ahmed tries a dropkick and misses, which gives Goldust two. And we go to the sleeper now, but with Ahmed out Goldust opts for CPR instead of pinning him. And that proves to be the big mistake, as Johnson gets a crazy and finishes with the spinebuster and tiger bomb to win the title at 15:31. Just way too long and dull. *1/2
I feel so educated now! Thanks, WWE 24/7!
Talk about wasting talent… I always liked Ahmed until he ruptured his kidney against Farooq. Was he already hurting guys by that point?
I think he was accident prone himself..
“How did they NOT get sued into the ground by Time-Warner for that one? I mean, the guy was wearing the costume and billing himself as ‘Superman’ and everything!”
Well, there was no Time Warner to sue them back then. It was still Warner Communications in ‘87, no? Also, when did Warner Bros. acquire DC anyway?
Someone call the NAACP… the blackest wrestler of them all, Michael PS Hayes, is not featured.
Where’s Akeem the African Dream???