The Complete Mark Henry: The World's Strongest Man Debuts (1996)

Brought to you by Vince McMahon (and Tommy Hilfiger)

Throughout his near 20-year career in the WWF/E, Mark Henry has often struck a unique chord with me. Like many child-age WWF fans in the mid-90s (I was 10 in 1996), I was awestruck nearly every time someone new and colorful debuted for the company. This was 1996, so I was able to see my early childhood favorite Jake "The Snake" Roberts come back to prominence, see The Ringmaster turn into "Stone Cold", watch Rocky Maivia and Flash Funk dance and smile, Farooq and The Nation of Domination form, Mankind go nuts, and Goldust be well, bizarre. I also had a chance to blur the lines between the Olympics and wrestling in Mark Henry. He was huge, he was successful, he was warm to fans and he loved America. I was a fan before he ever wrestled and well before I ever lifted a weight.

Mark Henry was a power lifter. He set some record, he went to the Olympics and blew it and tried again and blew it once more. He's still really strong, he's still really big. But he can't dunk a basketball very well. Henry was 24 when he showed up on WWF Monday Night Raw, 25 when he wrestled his first match and at age 44, in 2015, he's still going. He's not athletic in the traditional wrestling sense, but lumbering, huge, and a presence. He isn't flashy in the ring and to many eyes - has been a dead weight in WWE for much of his 20 years with the company. 

But I like him, or have wanted to like him - so I'm going to attempt to watch every TELEVISED Mark Henry match (and most segments of note) in an effort to evaluate the dude's career. I'm crazy, and probably won't finish, but it's something I've wanted to do for some time.

Now, the goal is to go chronologically, watching actual televised matches (and not scouring the Internet for house shows). I'm sticking strictly to WWF/E (and his time in WWE-ran ECW), but not going to try and find footage of OVW or any other development league (if that footage exists). I'll watch some promos and spots, but I don't truly know how or where I would find a catalogue of everything he's ever done (though I'm sure it exists somewhere). On years where he doesn't wrestle a whole lot, I'll include some valet time and non-wrestling segments. I'll use Cagematch.net for match dates and as my main resource and The History of WWE as backup and follow-through. 

Rating Mark Henry matches will be a work in progress, because - while I like the dude, he's not going to have a ton of "classic" work-rate matches. Therefore, I will give his matches (and some segments) two ratings: the traditional match rating out of 5 stars AS WELL AS an overall entertainment rating from 1-10. The entertainment rating is loosely defined, but Henry focused and can be character work, hoss work, silliness, comedy, destruction, etc. I'll do my best to explain it, if possible. 

Might as well start.

The Debut: WWF Monday Night Raw (3/11/96)

Watch Here (WWE Network)

Mark Henry made his debut for the WWF in an interview with Jerry "The King" Lawler before Raw went "on the air" on March 11th, 1996, getting (what I imagine) was some shit from Jerry that was completely insensitive, probably vulgar and potentially racist, before "having enough" and press-slamming him in the ring.

We don't see this moment until the conclusion of the opening match during the broadcast, which happens to be a double-countout between "The Ringmaster: Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Savio Vega. Pre-brace Stone Cold. Pre-all black Stone Cold. Savio Vega.

Double countout.

In the ring, Mark Henry is wearing a typical mid-90s vest, a ridiculous looking pair of lightly washed jeans and black shoes. He picks Jerry up rather easily, which is awesome considering they are soon to bill him as the "World's Strongest Man" (sorry Kazmaier), and is able to drop him relatively safely on his side. Jerry sells like a champ in the ring and screams over the microphone. Jerry at this time is one of the best heels, able to turn someone who is going to the Olympics, sponsored by the WWF into a star by just being an asshole to him. It's a short segment, it's not important, and it leads to us not seeing Henry again on WWF television for 5 months.

Match Rating: N/A
Entertainment Rating: 4/10

The Save: WWF Summerslam '96 (8/17/96)

Watch Here (WWE Network)

After an awesome Jake "The Snake" Roberts recap video package detailing his feud with Jerry Lawler in which Lawler mocks Jake for being an alcoholic (edgy!), we are introduced to "the newest member of the WWF" "Fresh from the 1996 Summer Olympics" Mark Henry! Henry comes out wearing an all white denim suit and backwards Kangol and I hate myself.

Henry is here to be a guest commentator (and obviously, set up a future feud). Joining him in the booth is the classic team of Jim Ross, Vince McMahon and Mr. Perfect. Full disclosure: I consider "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig to be my favorite wrestler of all time, but I don't love him on commentary. He tries his best to rib Henry, but Jerry creates so much more heat in the ring, that Hennig is just filler. Jerry references the Browns leaving Cleveland to become the Ravens, which I totally forgot about. King cuts a killer promo in the ring, tearing everyone down with a bunch of one liners and punchlines, and cuts Mark pretty good, before Mark responds "he wouldn't know ever what it'd be like to be this type of athlete" or something along those lines. Woof.

Gentle reminder: Jake's WWF theme is the best ever.

Treating alcoholism as a joke during this Jerry/Jake feud is pretty questionable, though I think they portray Jake pretty well for his part, standing up to the King. The honesty is sort of refreshing, even if the jokes and how on point they are make you wince. The match itself is terrible and Mark is terribly awkward on the microphone, only saying a few things and sounding like he's never talked before in his life. Jerry pours some Jim Beam all over a downed Jake, Henry intervenes, grabs the bottle, stares at Lawler and he backs away to the curtain, then walks Jake back. Mark looks intimidating to be sure, but would have loved to see some punches or something.

Match Rating: N/A

Entertainment Rating: 2/10

Henry makes an appearance on the 8/19 RAW before a Vader match, signing autographs and has a real quick stare down with Vader in what would be a dream feud if it was 2011 Mark Henry. Alas, nothing comes of this.

The next RAW has a special Friday showtime, and Henry has an in-ring interview with Jerry Lawler. Lawler makes a bomb joke comparing Jake Roberts and the Olympics, which is a "...no fuckin way" moment. Basically King tears him down, Henry does a lot of smiling, which seems to be his gimmick. He can't talk his way out of anything, which is funny because he became such an excellent promo later in his career. Jerry challenges Henry to a "wrestling match" not a "fight", Henry sort of backs down because he hasn't trained enough, Lawler makes fun of him some more, pisses Henry off, who agrees and tells Lawler he's going to get "one Gold Medal butt kickin". This was terribly cheesy, but it's brief and it's the first real fire we see from Henry, so it's his best moment yet.

Entertainment Rating: 4.5/10

For the rest of the month, Henry wrestles a handful of house show matches, before his big in-ring debut.

The Match: Mark Henry Vs. Jerry Lawler (In Your House: Mind Games) (9/22/96)

Watch Here (WWE Network)

I miss the "In Your House" series of PPVs, which were always an hour shorter, set up more like WCW/NWA "Supercards" rather than huge feud settling PPVs and had some cool set designs. This one is best known for the fairly brutal main event between HBK and Mankind, but it also has Mark Henry's in-ring debut, obviously against Jerry Lawler.

 During Jerry's entrance he runs roughshod over the Olympics, Mark Henry and the crowd. Footage is shown from the episode of "Superstars" before the event, where Jerry spills coffee on Henry, which riles him up. Jericho spilled coffee on Kane 4-5 years later and started an awesome feud. We don't quite get that level, here. During the Free-For-All, Henry and Lawler have what looks like a debate, Jerry slaps Henry and reveals his American Flag tracksuit, which is just horrendous. 

It's also what he wears to the ring, with another American Flag Kangol hat. The good news is that when Henry removes the jacket and hat, he looks awesome. Wearing a American Gladiators-esque outfit, the most interesting detail being the 3 separated white straps on the left shoulder. You could definitely believe that if this was the 80s, Henry would have been a huge babyface star immediately.

Henry looks huge compared to Lawler and the roster in general, though he doesn't have the intimidating presence that his later characters would - he's just a giant mass of muscle and strength, without being ripped - giving him a totally unique look compared to the rest of the WWF. King puts on a headlock, reveling in his brilliance over the young rookie, but Henry quickly reverses into a hammerlock and throws King to the ground. Jerry is super entertaining in the selling department here. Henry gets Jerry in the same headlock (seen above), before Lawler reverses into a hammerlock, which gets reversed into another hammerlock, allowing Henry to throw Lawler again. Vince and JR do their best to put over Henry, which you can believe is probably pretty genuine, but being surprised at the skill of a hammerlock is pretty outrageous. Henry press slams Lawler a bit recklessly, which gets a huge pop. Henry shrugs off two shoulder blocks, dodges a third and tosses Jerry into the guard rail outside, which is kind of nasty. Good work, Jerry. In a classic spot, Lawler pretends to pull something out of his tights, but it doesn't seem like he actually does - just pretends. Hits Henry twice and finally knocks him off his feet. Henry covers, gives three awesome knees to the mid-section, reminiscent of Vader haymakers, and gets Jerry up into a backbreaker on his shoulder, winning the match.

It was a nothing match as far as work-rate, and is the last time we'll really see Henry wrestle for over a year, but it's clear he's a huge dude that has potential.

Match Rating: 1.25 stars

Entertainment Rating: 5/10

Henry disappears for awhile, comes back in November to backup Barry Windham, Marc Mero and Rocky against Lawler, HHH, Goldust and Crush, but doesn't do much. On the Nov. 17th epsiode of Superstars, Henry has a tug of war contest against Crush, in which HHH and Goldust join, in what is actually the most entertaining thing he does all year. It's completely silly and worth watching. See it here. And just like that, Henry is done for the rest of 1996 and most of 1997, nursing injuries, training, etc. We'll pick back up in the next post in 1997 - where we get to see a bit more. 

I'll probably focus more on matches in the future, to keep things simple, but occasional segments will filter in.

Hope this was a little fun, still finding my voice on this blog, which isn't very exciting currently, but I think this Mark Henry series will produce some quality results.

Straight Outta Houston: Dick Murdoch, 1961 & Tag Teams in Cages (NWA Classics 24/7)

Danny McShain

I keep beginning the process of starting one of my other early projects for this blog (WON MOTY winners and nominees & The Complete Mark Henry), but I'm trying to keep up with NWA Classics since I'm starting from so far behind (with new stuff added daily). Expect to see some DIFFERENT things this week, but maybe another post or two from NWA Classics 24/7 as well.

12. "Irish" Danny McShain Vs. "Wild" Bull Curry (Paint match) (Slideshow) (3/17/61)

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This isn't a match, but a slideshow narrated by Paul Boesch about the conclusion of a match he photographed way back in the day. Danny McShain appears to be the heel and winner of the match, and thus is allowed to paint Bul Curry green. Curry is a truly crazy looking person, one of the craziest I've ever seen, so it's a bummer we don't get to see him in all his crazy glory in these photos. Anyway, McShain is apparently a real asshole and takes his time painting Curry with a single paintbrush and goading him and making fun of him (all while Curry is apparently crumbling with injury due to a sprained hand or something). McShain gets into it with referee Pepper Gomez (woof, talk about a name), who is imploring McShain to get. on. with. it. so that Curry can get the medical attention he needs. Boesch calls the paint beautiful a few times, Gomez gets frustrated, dumps the entire can on McShain who then continues falling over and over on the mat that looks like it's probably just a wood floor. It's like a real old timey humour movie here (or like when Vince and Shane get beer sprayed on them). Anyway, no rating - kind of funny. NR

13. Ted DiBiase & "Dr. Death" Steve Williams Vs. Los Guerreros (Cage Match) (7/26/85)

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The NWA Classics website mentions in the caption for this match that this is the first between these two teams that led to their feud. However, the Pro Wrestling Only Boards (who have become the authority on this streaming service) list this match as taking place 13 days after the Bandolero match (which clearly doesn't seem like a feud starter either). That match is my highest rated match that we've watched so far (3 stars), and one that I think even more fondly of in the days since I've reviewed it.

The other time I reviewed a Dr. Death match, he demolished Barry Orton (ugh) back in '84 (and as a babyface). 

This match has former NWA junior champ Al Madril as the special guest referee. Usually having a guest referee in a cage match in an NWA ring means they are going to get involved in some capacity. The first things you notice about this match:

1. Ted DiBiase is huge. You forget how big he is when compared to people he teamed with or feuded against in WWF, but just like Randy Orton or other wrestlers through the ages who look "average" in WWF/E, DiBiase is a truly giant human - and before the match starts, you see him jawing with some guy in the front row, which I would find genuinely terrifying.
2. This is a small cage. When DiBiase puts his arms in the air, they are higher than the cage itself. Alarming at first, but exciting because this isn't a match where the focus is to climb the cage and escape, the purpose is to bash your opponents face into some steel.
3. Hector is suddenly blond.

The match starts with Boesch describing it as Texas Tornado rules (no tags) which would make sense, considering the cage, but after a couple minutes of brawling, it goes into a traditional tag match, which he describes as "the way the match was planned". Love me some Boesch. Just like the previous encounter, the entire arena HATES DiBiase while the Guerreros are super over. Like a lot of these early matches I've watched for this project - this one revolves around a lot of punching. There is an occasional slam or throw, but not many holds here. It's not quite a BRAWL, but it's a fight, for sure. Like a lot of DiBiase matches around this time, the narrative for the match begins to revolve around his "loaded glove" which is a gimmick I LOVE, but don't fully understand how he is allowed to use it. Chavo's selling is killer against Dr. Death's punches - something clearly passed down to the next generation in the Guerrero family, but still nothing too exciting is happening. The cage is barely being used at all, USE THE DAMN CAGE! Hector comes in really HOT and the Guerreros are able to clean house, take the glove off DiBiase, get Chavo to put it on and bust open Ted and Steve. This is where the match picks up the pace, a suplex, some pin attempts, and blood. Eventually Madril gets the loaded glove, uses it on Chavo, fast counts em and the match is over. Damn.

Bad ending to a match that didn't ever quite get to the level of the Bandolero on a Pole match, but still entertaining. 2.5 stars

14. Dick Murdoch Vs. The Nightmare (7/26/85)
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The Nightmare comes into the match as the Mid-South North American Heavyweight Champ, which is a pretty big deal. The Nighmare is also better known as Moondog Rex, one of my favorite ridiculous gimmicks of all time. He's a big dude. He's accompanied by Eddie Gilbert, who is getting massive heat. This is a non-title match, though.

Dick Murdoch rules. Dick Murdoch has always ruled. Dick Murdoch is your drunk, overweight uncle who has a little bit of humour and tells stories about beating up "punks" as a kid. Dick Murdoch's nickname is "Captain Redneck" He's no nonsense without being truly intimidating - the best kind of fighter. According to Wikipedia, Murdoch wins the title from The Nightmare about a month after this match, so whatever happens here, Murdoch comes away a winner soon.

There is a lot of stalling that happens in this match (it's clearly setting up a feud), but one thing that is evident early on is just how agile these two are for big dudes. There's a solid irish whip sequence that features some drop-downs and leapfrogs, two things that I definitely did not expect. Murdoch gains and maintains control and Nightmare's frustration mounts. We get to see some of Murdoch's punches, which if you didn't know, have to be in the top 10 of all time. I love Dick Murdoch, I love Randy Colley, this match could be a whole bunch of nothing and I'd still dig it. There is a lot of stalling and making Nightmare out to just be this huge buffoon, including Murdoch rotating Nightmare's mask, causing him to stumble and punch the air wildly. 

Nightmare brings a chair into the ring, but Murdoch is able to dodge and drop him onto the chair with an atomic drop - which is a pretty great spot. At this point, the crowd is so loud that it is pretty hard to even hear the announcing, which I greatly prefer to the current style of television production. Murdoch is super over and awesome, just smashing Nightmare around. It's pretty hard to fathom that The Nightmare is actually the Mid-South champ in 1985 when you have people like DiBiase, Duggan, Jake Roberts, Devastation Inc, One Man Gang, etc. - but it works. About 12 minutes in, Nightmare finally starts to take control of the match and begins hammering on Murdoch. After a ref bump, Eddie Gilbert gets involved but the use of his cane backfires, Murdoch uses it and gets the win.

Very entertaining match, it's always good to see the scummy heels get their comeuppance, and clearly sets up a future title match for Murdoch. 3 stars.

15. Dick Murdoch Vs. Al Perez (10/11/85)
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Within the first minute of this match, there is already more of "technical" feel to it than the Murdoch/Nightmare match. Al Perez is described as a "mat technician" in the caption for the match, and the head scissors and arm wringers to open up the match showcase that.

Worth noting: Murdoch did beat The Nightmare for the North American Heavyweight title in August of 85, only to lose it to Butch Reed 3 days after this match with Perez, in New Orleans.

I don't know much about Al Perez, and have only seen one other match I know of (some short 1989 match with Mike Awesome), but he seems to be fairly well regarded as a "could have been", and this match definitely shows that. He is incredibly smooth in the ring, among the smoothest and most modern looking of any wrestler I've seen in these first 15 videos, and it's really awesome that Murdoch can adjust his brawling style and work with him.

Boesch compares Murdoch to weight lifters from the 1920's and describes him as "rotund" - awesome. 

Murdoch gets Perez on the mat with some cool looking armbars and a double wrist lock, and while I'm not the biggest fan of people NOT moving, and just locking on arm submissions, I think it definitely has a place and after a million matches of essentially just punching, it's a hugely welcome change. Boesch states that sparks "literally flew" from Murdoch's shoulders after kicking out of a inside cradle, which made me chuckle. Eventually, Murdoch throws a belly to back suplex out of a headlock, which is always a move that rules. Perez comes back, tries to roll Murdoch up for a pin, but Murdoch rolls through and sneaks one in on Perez.

Overall, an enjoyable match, but didn't have a main event feel. I walk away wanting to view more Al Perez matches and able to say with confidence that I can imagine Dick Murdoch being one of my favorites of all time some day, but this isn't really a special match. 2.25 stars

Next Time: Some legends, some tags.

Straight Outta Houston: The Butch Reed Supershow! (NWA Classics 24/7)

The Natural!

The only funny story I have about Butch Reed is that I only recently (within the last 10 years) realized that he was a black man. I was a big DOOM fan in theory back when it was happening, but while I KNEW that Ron Simmons was the star of the tag team, I didn't even make the connection that Butch Reed was the other guy. My knowledge of Butch Reed for years and years was his two appearances at Wrestlemania 3 and 4, and as a twisted little kid of the 80s, someone with blond hair couldn't be black. I didn't think about him much or anything, I just never identified him as such. And I hated him when I watched. I do have a distinct memory of being SO STOKED that he didn't get out of the first round of the title tournament that makes up Wrestlemania IV. Anyway, now I do know - and hell, I kind of like him. He's all over NWA Classics 24/7 - so I might wind up liking him A LOT. Let's see.

But first, Arachniman and Akeem!

8. Brad Armstrong Vs. One Man Gang (3/22/85)
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I know Brad mostly from his work in WCW under various goofy gimmicks and have always thought he was touted as a "good worker" and have had no reason to think otherwise. One Man Gang, though? I've thought about doing a deep dive into his long long career and many gimmicks at some point because I have always been drawn to the big man. I should probably just turn this whole blog into deep investigations into pro wrestling giants.

First things first: One Man Gang without the biker vest and earrings is not a One Man Gang I care about. He is however, a truly huge dude. He DWARFS Armstrong, almost comically. Early on, Armstrong uses his speed and relative strength to try to "confuse" OMG, which Paul Boesch plays up, saying "it's the size of the brain in the behemoth..." or something similar. Being dumb is not a part of OMG that should be emphasized, he should just be a huge, scary dude. His strikes (or clubs, really) rock Armstrong and look pretty menacing. Armstrong eventually gets a standing arm wrench / hammerlock on Gang's left arm for a couple of minutes, which I have mixed feelings about. Armstrong is ripped, looks like a genuinely super strong dude (he's basically the prototype for Brian Pillman 4 years from this match), but Gang is this HUGE dude, so conventional logic says that Gang should be able to power out of standing submissions and rest holds. By the 9-minute mark, this match is still mostly arm holds, now with Gang on Armstrong. It's boring, especially in light of when Gang punches or clubs Armstrong, the selling of Brad and the power Gang registers high excitement. Armstrong gets out eventually, has a really short shine section with some killer punches, wobbly legs, a double axe handle off the top and a sweet dropkick...but then Gang kicks his legs out from under him? Powerslam and match.

Had higher hopes for this one, but it basically dragged. Psychology? I don't know, not really - mostly boring. 1.75 stars

9. Butch Reed Vs. Buddy Landel (Shoeshine Match) (12/27/84)

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Well this makes a little more sense as to why Butch was so angry with Landel during that battle royal; this match must have taken place earlier in the night. Turns out, they used to be tag team partners - so this is probably going to have a lot of punching.

Note about Landell: He died back in June of this year after having a good career, but one that didn't quite live up to the promise it showed. By all accounts, Buddy could have been one of the biggest stars & villains of the 80s and early 90s, but it wasn't to be. He's someone who I knew about a little bit before his

passing and someone I definitely want to delve into in the future.

Also of note: A "Shoeshine" match featuring a black guy from the south against a white guy from the south who has a "nature boy" gimmick and used to be his tag team partner? Yeah, this might get a little racist.

 Match starts with Landel on the offensive, hitting Butch with all kinds of punches, kicks and an actual boot (while the ring announcements are still happening). A "Shoeshine" match, which I've never heard of or seen, apparently has the stipulation where the loser shines the winners shoes in the ring. Self explanatory. Butch Reed gets back on the offensive early, lots of punches, a fist drop, a big flying clothesline. 

Taking a break here: I'm a fan of Butch Reed's getup though; yellow boots aren't seen very often, but they are fantastic visually.

Oh, Butch Reed pins Landel before the 3-minute mark. Wasn't expecting that. Huh, match was getting hot. The match is just a setup for the next 8 minutes of funny business of Landel shining Reed's shoes and Reed slapping him around. Glad they avoided the nearly obvious racist angle and put Reed over. Still weird to watch, but it's pretty funny - they pull it off well. 1.5 stars

10. Butch Reed Vs. Dutch Mantel (7/26/85)

Hell yeah, Dutch Mantel!

I LOVE Dutch Mantel. I love funny looking hairy wrestlers in general, and if they play cowboy-like characters, even better. Dutch is a treasure - always has been, still is (or should be if WWE still used him). Butch is wearing red now!

It's cool to see an actual wrestling match here for a little while. Mantel moves around the ring so well, really one of the more underrated wrestlers of all time. He's quick, powerful and has great psychology for his character. Butch Reed, as I've insinuated is mostly a power guy and he doesn't have a huge moveset, but he's fun to root for - so these two play off of each other pretty well. Mantel begins to reach into his trunks, presumably for a foreign object, but stops as the crowd yells at him and gets the referee's attention. He backs off and jaws with the vocal crowd - pretty great stuff. This match continues on as a pretty basic match with Mantel in control most of the time. He has a typical, yet effective heel set of moves, but he throws in some leg work on the apron, some slams, face stomps, etc. Dutch really sells his character as a good POS-bad guy, who can still kick your ass. Reed plays a decent babyface, selling enough for his character, but there is no time where you think he is actually at risk of losing here. Reed battles back with some punches, and while I think he throws a pretty damn good punch - it's basically the only offensive move I've seen him use through a few matches now. Butch knocks down the ref, Dutch hits him with his whip, Butch kicks out, throws some punches and clotheslines and a gorilla press slam for the win. 

This was one of the better matches overall out of the first 9 I have watched SSNH. Nothing spectacular, but from an entertainment and storytelling standpoint, it does the trick. Hope there is more Dutch Mantel as we move forward. 2.5 stars

11. Butch Reed Vs. Kamala (7/12/85)
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This should be fun. The Ugandan Giant Vs. The Hacksaw. Don't expect much technical prowess in this one.

In a fun move, Butch Reed comes to the ring with Kamala-like face paint. That's about the most psychology I've seen from Reed and something wrestlers should do more often. 

Now, I don't know if this is a No-DQ match or what, but Butch Reed begins biting Kamala in the corner very early on, before being pulled away by the referee. He does this for about 20 seconds though, which can't be legal - but no real consequences come from this. What a savage! Kamala is really one of the strangest/best characters in the history of pro wrestling; from the face and body paint to the bare feet to the managers and especially the belly slapping, he was someone that I was always slightly afraid of as a kid - and I only knew the toned down versions.

Kamala throws a bunch of cool chops and stomps and bizarre holds, including one that essentially looks like a giant titty twister - or an attempt to rip Butch Reed's pectoral muscles from his chest. It's really entertaining to watch someone who essentially wrestles like a character dreamed up by early NES video game creators. Reed begins his hulk up and blocks a couple of big Kamala overhand chops and comes back with, what else? Huge punches. Kamala sells them like crazy, considering they are basically the only offense he's taken, but then Butch starts pounding away. More biting and a dropkick finally takes down Kamala. After Reed knocks down the ref, Hercules comes out and interferes, allowing Kamala to get the BIG UGANDAN SPLASH on Butch for the win. The crowd throws garbage at Kamala and we close.

An entertaining match with a crappy finish, no big time shine spots, nothing too brutal, but not a bad 10-minute match. 2.25 stars,

In summary, I like Butch Reed - he has a great look and a pretty great presence, but he is pretty boring in the ring. He throws a mean punch, but that's about all he does. I think there is a lot more Butch Reed on the service though, so we will re-evaluate when the time comes. For now, the enjoyment of all 3 of these matches primarily came from his heel opponent.

Next time: DiBiase and Dr. Death battle the Guerreros once again, Dick Murdoch beats people up and something really old!

Straight Outta Houston: LOL HBK, Battle Boyal Butch Baby & BARRY ORTON! (NWA Classics 24/7)

The Man, The Myth, The Legend: Barry Orton

I'll start with the bad news first: I think today will mark the end of our Barry Orton fascination here at SSNH. And without having watched his second (and final) match at the time of writing this, I know he is wrestling Steve Williams in today's reviews, so hopes aren't too high for a repeat Ulysses-like performance.

Fare thee well, Barry. We hardly knew ye.

5. Barbarian John Nord Vs. Shawn Michaels (3/22/85)
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Oh shit, I should do some research before going into this. Nord the Barbarian is The Berzerker? Man, I feel like my mind is going to be blown while going through this library time and again while making the connections to these ridiculous WWF/E characters. Common knowledge for every wrestling historian? Probably - but new to me. I LOVE The Berzerker.

I do think this VHS A Day in the Life of Nord The Barbarian (1987, available on Amazon and Vimeo) will help me (and you) greatly with our collective wrestling history knowledge and thirst for entertainment. Watch it, please.

Anyway, this match. I have to imagine it's only on the website because it features Shawn Michaels from 30 years ago, at age 20. If you're wondering, he doesn't get a single move in. The video starts with Nord wailing on Shawn, before picking him up with one arm and giving him a pretty gnarly bodyslam. Nord is huge in this match. He's big in the VHS video and was big as The Berzerker, but he is Goldberg-like peak athlete scary looking here. Nord destroys Shawn in a minute or so with a full nelson. 0.5 Stars.

6. Barry Orton Vs. Dr. Death Steve Williams (6/8/84)

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The coding on the website is wonky for this match (and a few others I've come across, so the video doesn't show up - but it DOES exist, through the Cleeng server. My link should take you there if you have an NWA Classics account.

Our sweet prince Barry Orton doesn't stand a chance against babyface Steve Williams here. This match is prior to Williams getting huge and teaming up with DiBiase, so he is a little more frumpy, a little more friendly and whole lot less Dr. Death here. His offense is actually pretty terrible, and while I know it took Dr. Death a while to become what people would consider a GOOD worker in the ring, his style in this match barely makes sense (where it did against the Guerreros a year later). He's this huge, wide dude and his main offense is jumping elbow smashes to a standing opponent. I'm sorry, but Steve Williams should throw huge punches, huge clotheslines and throw his opponent all around the ring, not do arm bars and jumping elbow smashes.

Barry gets a few offensive moves in here and there, a back elbow, some knees, but this is almost all Dr. Death, who wins with the Oklahoma Stampede, without the turnbuckle (boo). This match didn't do much for me, but the crowd was great. Don't worry Barry - we'll always have the Leaping Lanny battle. 1.25 stars

7. Two-Ring Battle Royal (12/27/84)

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I'm a sucker for battle royals. They almost never deliver anything resembling quality, but from a an entertainment standpoint with wrestling, I've always grown up with the belief that if I can see ALL my favorite wrestlers at the same time, then it's gotta be a great match. Obviously, this isn't the case - but I still have a soft spot for battle royals and the mystery of just who will win.

This is a "two-ring" battle royal, which means you have to get thrown from the first ring into the second ring and then eliminated out of the second ring. I don't know if that means you CAN'T get eliminated to the floor from the first ring or not. Usually these come down to the last person in the first ring squaring off with the last person in the second ring. Also of note: There must be multiple ways to be eliminated, Kamala gets counted out, Buddy Landell/Rip Oliver (Bruce Tharpe can't decide who it is) gets pinned, and some people go through the middle ropes. This isn't the Royal Rumble, this is Houston, baby!

The talent in this match is pretty unbelievable though: Ted DiBiase, Jim Duggan, Ernie Ladd, Buddy Landell, Kerry Von Erich, Hercules Hernandez, Gino Hernandez, Kamala, Steve Williams, Los Guerreros, The Rock N Roll Express, Iceman King Parsons, Butch Reed, Jack Victory, Wahoo McDaniel, Billy Jack Haynes, etc. It's really cool to see all these folks together.

The match itself is mostly forgettable: It's only about 10 minutes long and is mostly punches, kicks and elbows with an occasional throw or slam. It comes down to Butch Reed, Hercules and Buddy Landell, though Tharpe calls him Rip Oliver. It's a dude with blond hair and stubbly beard, and he doesn't win; the important thing. Butch Reed DOES win, which is foreshadowing for our next installment of NWA Classics reviews. He cuts a pretty amazing 80s promo in the ring after his victory, calling out Landell and Kamala and is clearly over as a babyface. Entertaining enough, but nothing special. 2.0 stars.

This wasn't the best set of matches ever, but I'm still being entertained by the whole endeavor and I'm pretty sure we'll have some great matches coming soon.

Next Time: Butch Reed takes on all comers!