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: An Intro To NWA Classics 24/7 (and reviews!)

Bless Bruce Tharpe

Way back on July 3rd, 2015, another online wrestling streaming service was launched. It didnt promise matches from the past week, there wasn't live-streaming, there wasn't a great search/tag feature, it didn't have intuitive design, playlist making, or a plethora of content. No, it launched witha website straight from 2002, it started with 50 matches and interviews of varying quality all taking place at the Sam Houston Coliseum from up to 50 years ago. It is called NWA Classics 24/7 and it is different. The vault of Paul Boesch has been opened by NWA President Bruce Tharpe and Co. and these were classics, he said.

I added another subscription service to my monthly toll.

But while these matches are old and feature classic wrestlers, I'm not sure if the entire library at launch nor the expansions are truly...classic. And while I KNOW there is no way that all of these matches are great and many are probably not even GOOD, the product as it stands is terribly exciting and for the last two months, I've enjoyed watching things here and there before bed.

But now I want to take the deep dive. Now, I want to review everything that has been posted. I know a lot about old wrestling, but I haven't actually SEEN a lot of old wrestling, hence, this blog. I'm not an expert, I'm missing a lot of context in these matches, but I want to have some fun and YOU can join me. It's $8.99/mo at NWAClassics.com and even with as little as I watch it currently, it's been worth it. I'm guessing during this project - I will continue to feel that.

I'm starting at the beginning, as things have been posted, and working my way forward. Here we go:

1. Andre The Giant Interviewed by Paul Boesch (1977)
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My list of most likable celebrities probably goes something like this:

1. Shaq

2. Andre The Giant

3. Patrick Stewart

I don't have an exhaustive Excel spreadsheet documenting my thoughts on the matter, but interviews like this one, photos like this one and the fact that he is a literal giant and had a blast being so (in public) just make me love this dude so much.

First things first, Boesch is a CLOSE talker. Like, Andre is a full huge head and some neck-meat taller than ol' Paul in this interview, but Paul is RIGHT. UP. IN. HIM. The conversations is a really humanizing interview for someone so unlike the rest of humanity, though it's stuff that I'm familiar with by just loving Andre and his whole story. At one point, the camera moves out verrrrryyyyyy slowly on a jib, which is pretty funny. Can't help but think that some backstage hands thought it artistic to have a moving camera during an interview.

As this goes on, it's not really an interview per se, but just Paul Boesch re-telling Andre's stories with some stock Andre sound bytes. Paul is clearly stoked to be sanding next to the legend. Not the most sensitive or tactful guy, but one in awe - as we all would be.

2. Andre The Giant Vs. Tank Patton (1/2/81)

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Here's what I know about Tank Patton: He often wore a helmet that said TANK on it. He tagged with Abdullah the Butcher under a mask.

That's about the extent of it.

Andre is huge. Patton looks like a every other big dude from the 80s, and his left arm is in a cast. Like a lot of these old NWA matches, this is 2/3 falls. Early on, Boesch tries to call the cast a "protective orthopedic appliance" and then hints that it might be a little bit fishy. At the 3 minute mark, Tank Patton bounces off the ropes and runs into Andre's butt as he is bending over and bumps all the way out of the ring. Got a chuckle from me. Andre wins the first fall by DQ after Tank hits him with his cast and knocks Andre loopy. During the 2nd fall, Andre blocks another blow from the cast and uses his strength to cause Tank to hit himself, getting a solid "NICE WALLOP" from Boesch. Wallop, that's a word we need more of. Andrew does a 2-foot stomp on the cast when Abbot is down, causing him to roll out of the ring and be counted out. Those heels man, always getting what they deserve.

It's a pretty slow, plodding match that doesn't really have any moves, nor fire. It's Tank trying to cheat, Andre usually avoiding it. I like seeing huge wrestlers go at it, so it's good for that entertainment, but not much of a match. 1.5 stars.

3. Barry Orton Vs. "Leaping" Lanny Poffo (5/25/84)
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The "Other Orton" vs. The "Other Poffo" in what is described as an "amazingly great match". Here's what is great: Barry Orton's hair. It's this huge mop of long blond curls that just bounces everywhere, a real joy to watch.

This match is announced by Bruce Tharpe and someone named Jeremy. So it's modern commentary over these old matches, which is a thing that I guess we can look forward to. I don't know who the other guy is, but it was a trip the first time I watched this match and heard the announcers talking about Randy Orton and Macho Man. Anyway, Lanny is RIPPED in this match. I hated Lanny in all incarnations in WWF/E and haven't watched any Memphis stuff so I don't know what he is capable of, but he is ripped here. Barry is ripped too, but I'm mostly just checking out his awesome blond Terry Gordy hairdo.

The first third of this match is Lanny putting Barry in an armbar. I love a good armbar and I love working a single body part, so it wasn't a big deal. Barry eventually gets out, puts Lanny in a front facelock and this his own armbar after pulling his hair to get him grounded. The crowd gets HOT at this. Barry pulls his hair a few more times, and is finally caught by the ref. Barry rules. The actual work in this match is kinda bogus, but the character work of Barry as a real piece of shit heel is great. Hope there is more of him. Lanny tries a fiery babyface comeback, does the worst springboard splash you've ever seen, gets Barry's knees in his chest and then gets hit with a pretty solid shoulder breaker. Barry Orton, ladies and gentlemen, my new favorite wrestler. Enjoyed this a lot during the back third. 2.25 stars.

4. Hector & Chavo Guerrero Vs. Ted DiBiase & Steve Williams (Bandolero Death Match) (7/12/85)
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I love all 4 of these men. DiBiase is about the best heel in the world at this point and him and Dr. Death are the NWA Mid-South tag champs. Houston LOVES Los Guerreros and NWA Classics has a bunch of stuff featuring them, so hopefully that brings me some excitement in the future. This match is a "bandolero on a pole" match, so whoever gets the belt covered in bullets gets to whip the other team? I don't know. I've heard of stranger gimmicks, I guess.

The thing is: I almost always hate matches involving poles. Why? Because they seem to never happen the way they are supposed to. This match is no exception. The bandolero is supposed to be at the top of the pole, falls off, has a maintenance worker and referee try to put it back up, but it falls down the pole again, while clasped. The wrestlers works around it as much as they can, but so much of the match has now changed from just about the climbing up the pole, to getting the bandolero up and over the pole. It's silly - especially when you think about how you could just unstrap the belt from the pole. But...wrestling!

As for the action - it rules. It helps that all 4 dudes in the ring are awesome workers. Steve Williams is not at his peak yet, but his body is insane. I think about it every time I watch a Dr. Death match - if he had any charisma, he could have been the biggest wrestler of the 80s and 90s. Body/Look-wise, I think the only person who can touch his level is Brock Lesnar. That's elite company. The other 3 are amazing workers. Chavo throws a mean dropkick, Ted drops a bunch of fists. The match is about 15 minutes and never really lets up the pace. A crazy brawl, no technical holds, but lots of punching, kicking, back body drops, and the crowd is insane. Chavo gets the bandolero after Dr. Death drops it and the entire arena JUMPS up, screams unlike any wrestling match you've heard and Los Guerreros get the pin on DiBiase. 

The caption says "caution: blood!" but I didn't see it. Maybe it's supposed to read "caution: butt!" because we get a lot of it; a full rear shot of DiBiase. Really fun match despite the silliness. If you watch, just pay attention to the arena, imagine yourself there and ignore the faults of the gimmick itself. Hoping to see more from these teams as I move forward. 3 stars.

Next Time: "20-year old jobber" Shawn Michaels, BARRY ORTON! & a 2-ring battle royal