JHawk
Thank You, Fuck You, Bye!
Will be watching this in 2-3 different sessions over the course of the day because I'm taking my daughter to see Muppets Most Wanted later. Remember this show being decent.
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Starrcade 84
- Thread starter JHawk
- Start date
alkeiper
Welcoming our new insect overlords
I watched it on Youtube a couple months ago. Blanchard/Steamboat is a great match. There's some other decent matches and the bad matches are mercifully short. Flair/Rhodes has good action but a hugely disappointing finish. How you view that match probably determines how you see the card as a whole.
JHawk
Thank You, Fuck You, Bye!
Denny Brown vs. Mike Davis for the Jr. Heavyweight Title opens.
Mike Davis is 238 pounds and is defending the Junior Heavyweight Title. What the hell was the weight limit, anyway?
Gordon says 230. You couldn't kayfabe Davis' weight?
Hate the "both shoulders are down but the challenger gets his up and wins the title" finish. Especially when the ring announcer announces the wrong winner. Ugh.
Match felt like the first six minutes of what would have been a good little 15 minute match.
Mike Davis is 238 pounds and is defending the Junior Heavyweight Title. What the hell was the weight limit, anyway?
Gordon says 230. You couldn't kayfabe Davis' weight?
Hate the "both shoulders are down but the challenger gets his up and wins the title" finish. Especially when the ring announcer announces the wrong winner. Ugh.
Match felt like the first six minutes of what would have been a good little 15 minute match.
JHawk
Thank You, Fuck You, Bye!
Mr. Ito vs. Brian Adias (pronounced Adidas and spelled "Adidis" on screen). Adias is always serviceable but I fucking hate Ito, so hopefully this is short.
Solie suggests Mike Davis will protest the call at the finish of his match even though he shook Brown's hand after the match.
Adias wins with an airplane spin in a short and surprisingly decent match
Solie suggests Mike Davis will protest the call at the finish of his match even though he shook Brown's hand after the match.
Adias wins with an airplane spin in a short and surprisingly decent match
JHawk
Thank You, Fuck You, Bye!
Jesse Barr vs. Mike Graham for the Florida Heavyweight Title is next. Both of these guys are massively underrated, Barr because of the Jimmy Jack Funk gimmick, and Graham because he has delusions of grandeur about his delusions of grandeur.
Plenty of good matwork throughout, and it helps that Caudle and Solie know how to call this type of match as it helps a great deal. WWE announcers should take notes.
The pace finally picks up around the 10 minute mark, leading to Barr using his feet on the ropes for leverage for the pin. Had there been some attempts to win the first 10 minutes this could have been amazing, but as it was it was fine.
Plenty of good matwork throughout, and it helps that Caudle and Solie know how to call this type of match as it helps a great deal. WWE announcers should take notes.
The pace finally picks up around the 10 minute mark, leading to Barr using his feet on the ropes for leverage for the pin. Had there been some attempts to win the first 10 minutes this could have been amazing, but as it was it was fine.
JHawk
Thank You, Fuck You, Bye!
The Zambuie Express vs. Assassin #1 and Buzz Tyler in an elimination match. Oh hell, stab me in the eye now.
The crowd is into it early. Oh, how I miss you, kayfabe era.
Oh fuck, even at less than five minutes, this is horrid.
Elijah Akeem get counted out, and Caudle and Solie don't realize it, so when Assassin pins Kareem Muhammad, they assume it's 2 on 1 for about two minutes until everyone just leaves the ring. Wow, this show's a disjointed mess.
The crowd is into it early. Oh, how I miss you, kayfabe era.
Oh fuck, even at less than five minutes, this is horrid.
Elijah Akeem get counted out, and Caudle and Solie don't realize it, so when Assassin pins Kareem Muhammad, they assume it's 2 on 1 for about two minutes until everyone just leaves the ring. Wow, this show's a disjointed mess.
JHawk
Thank You, Fuck You, Bye!
Tony Schiavone interviews Dusty Rhodes backstage. Typical Dusty.
Manny Fernandez vs. Black Bart for the Brass Knuckles Title is next. This is like an early forerunner to the Hardcore Title.
Fernandez bleeds barely three minutes in, which Solie contributes to the scar tissue on his forehead. Nice touch on commentary.
Bart's bleeding barely two minutes later.
Bart tries to get the bullrope from J.J. Dillon, which leads to Fernandez using an O'Connor roll of all things to win the title.
This was fine but about what I would have expected with rules, so getting this in a no DQ match is disappointing.
Manny Fernandez vs. Black Bart for the Brass Knuckles Title is next. This is like an early forerunner to the Hardcore Title.
Fernandez bleeds barely three minutes in, which Solie contributes to the scar tissue on his forehead. Nice touch on commentary.
Bart's bleeding barely two minutes later.
Bart tries to get the bullrope from J.J. Dillon, which leads to Fernandez using an O'Connor roll of all things to win the title.
This was fine but about what I would have expected with rules, so getting this in a no DQ match is disappointing.
JHawk
Thank You, Fuck You, Bye!
Schiavone interviews Ricky Steamboat who does a great job verbally selling injuries from a recent attack by Tully Blanchard, Bart and Ron Bass (which we saw clips of earlier) leading into the Steamboat-Blanchard match coming later.
Schiavone goes to the other side of the Coliseum to get the counterpoint from Blanchard. I like the locker room interview format from the first few Starrcades during intermission.
Schiavone goes to the other side of the Coliseum to get the counterpoint from Blanchard. I like the locker room interview format from the first few Starrcades during intermission.
JHawk
Thank You, Fuck You, Bye!
A tuxedo street fight between Paul Jones and Jimmy Valiant. Who thought tuxedo matches were a good idea?
The loser must leave town, which I assume means they can still wrestle in Charlotte because I don't remember either guy leaving.
Valiant takes off his own jacket? WTF?
Valiant ties Jones to the top rope by his throat and starts to strip Jones. This is bad.
Jones tries to cover up because he never wore trunks as an active wrestler or something.
This isn't over? Does he have to lose his shoes too?
Valiant appears to win with a sleeper but Elijah Akeem distracts the ref. While Akeem and Assassin #1 brawl, Dillon interferes, and Jones wins by pinfall. WTF was the point of the tuxedos?
The loser must leave town, which I assume means they can still wrestle in Charlotte because I don't remember either guy leaving.
Valiant takes off his own jacket? WTF?
Valiant ties Jones to the top rope by his throat and starts to strip Jones. This is bad.
Jones tries to cover up because he never wore trunks as an active wrestler or something.
This isn't over? Does he have to lose his shoes too?
Valiant appears to win with a sleeper but Elijah Akeem distracts the ref. While Akeem and Assassin #1 brawl, Dillon interferes, and Jones wins by pinfall. WTF was the point of the tuxedos?
JHawk
Thank You, Fuck You, Bye!
Net connection died and killed my recap of Dick Slater-Ron Bass, so a shorter version: Good but disappointing as we get another cheap finish.
JHawk
Thank You, Fuck You, Bye!
The Koloffs vs. Ole Anderson and Keith Larson.
Larson is apparently Kernodle's brother. Kernodle looks more like Anderson than Larson.
This match is long but it's structured well. Nikita is really green so he is in very little and the veteran Ivan is doing most of the work. Nikita doesn't even tag in until about the 8-minute mark. Larson is also green but not as much, and they keep his offense really basic for the most part. Ole is face in peril because of it.
This is a cheap finish that really works. Nikita clotheslines the injured Kernodle outside, which draws Ole's attention. As referee Tommy Young focuses on their brawl, Ivan hits Larson with his chain and that leads to the pin. It enhances the feud rather than detracts from it. After the match, Kernodle saves his brother by clearing the ring with his crutch. I like this a lot.
Taking a break for now just because I'm not sure I have enough time for Steamboat-Blanchard before I leave or not.
Larson is apparently Kernodle's brother. Kernodle looks more like Anderson than Larson.
This match is long but it's structured well. Nikita is really green so he is in very little and the veteran Ivan is doing most of the work. Nikita doesn't even tag in until about the 8-minute mark. Larson is also green but not as much, and they keep his offense really basic for the most part. Ole is face in peril because of it.
This is a cheap finish that really works. Nikita clotheslines the injured Kernodle outside, which draws Ole's attention. As referee Tommy Young focuses on their brawl, Ivan hits Larson with his chain and that leads to the pin. It enhances the feud rather than detracts from it. After the match, Kernodle saves his brother by clearing the ring with his crutch. I like this a lot.
Taking a break for now just because I'm not sure I have enough time for Steamboat-Blanchard before I leave or not.
JHawk
Thank You, Fuck You, Bye!
OK coming back to this.
Ricky Steamboat vs. Tully Blanchard for the TV Title. Title can change on a DQ and if the referee feels Blanchard is intentionally stalling for time, he loses the title. That seems so vague.
Oh, and Steamboat's ribs are injured too, so the deck is stacked against Blanchard by pretty much every cliche in the book.
Steamboat's selling has always been amazing, and this is no different as Blanchard targets the ribs.
Steamboat seems content going for chinlocks early, mostly because everything else he does hurts the ribs. Nice touch.
Blanchard bleeds here. Not sure this match needs it.
Steamboat uses Blanchard's finisher, the slingshot suplex, and it gets 2. I could have handled that as the finish.
Blanchard hits Steamboat with a foreign object on a back suplex, but it's used as the double ten count spot.
Steamboat goes for the sunset flip, but Blanchard pulls out the same foreign object and uses if for the pin.
By far the best match of the show, but unless Steamboat had already given his notice, the booking's weird.
Ricky Steamboat vs. Tully Blanchard for the TV Title. Title can change on a DQ and if the referee feels Blanchard is intentionally stalling for time, he loses the title. That seems so vague.
Oh, and Steamboat's ribs are injured too, so the deck is stacked against Blanchard by pretty much every cliche in the book.
Steamboat's selling has always been amazing, and this is no different as Blanchard targets the ribs.
Steamboat seems content going for chinlocks early, mostly because everything else he does hurts the ribs. Nice touch.
Blanchard bleeds here. Not sure this match needs it.
Steamboat uses Blanchard's finisher, the slingshot suplex, and it gets 2. I could have handled that as the finish.
Blanchard hits Steamboat with a foreign object on a back suplex, but it's used as the double ten count spot.
Steamboat goes for the sunset flip, but Blanchard pulls out the same foreign object and uses if for the pin.
By far the best match of the show, but unless Steamboat had already given his notice, the booking's weird.
JHawk
Thank You, Fuck You, Bye!
Oh boo! They edit out Superstar Billy Graham coming to the ring to "Kung Fu Fighting" and give him some even shittier knock off!
McDaniel was recently stripped of the title and then won the tournament to determine the vacancy in one of what appears to be many weird booking decisions in the last few months of 1984.
Wahoo's the heel and Graham's the face. Wow.
The match isn't much. Wahoo wins with a single chop as the heels continue to go over.
McDaniel was recently stripped of the title and then won the tournament to determine the vacancy in one of what appears to be many weird booking decisions in the last few months of 1984.
Wahoo's the heel and Graham's the face. Wow.
The match isn't much. Wahoo wins with a single chop as the heels continue to go over.
JHawk
Thank You, Fuck You, Bye!
Duke Keomuka, Joe Frazier and Kyle Petty are being interviewed by Schiavone, and they will pick a winner in the event of a time limit draw. Schiavone kind of says Petty is out of place without being blatant about it.
For the record, the only time I saw a match with judges go to a draw, they voted for a draw, so I have no idea why they bothered with this.
The music edits bother me even more leading to this, as the epicness of Ric Flair coming to the ring to Mac Davis' "Hard to be Humble" are gone and I am sad.
For the record, the only time I saw a match with judges go to a draw, they voted for a draw, so I have no idea why they bothered with this.
The music edits bother me even more leading to this, as the epicness of Ric Flair coming to the ring to Mac Davis' "Hard to be Humble" are gone and I am sad.
JHawk
Thank You, Fuck You, Bye!
Flair's the heel here but he gets about 60% of the cheers because he's Ric Flair and it's Greensboro.
Frazier gets way too involved in a suplex spot, then counts like Bronko Lubich. That is not a compliment and the crowd boos at this point. Why do these special referees hinder Starrcade main events more than help them?
Flair and Rhodes have had hundreds of matches. I've seen at least 30 of them and this is among the worst of them, but it's certainly not bad. The key to this is Rhodes gets a cut on his forehead, several guys have bled much worse, but special referee Joe Frazier stops the match and awards it Flair.
The crowd is pissed despite them not being all that into it prior to that point, likely due to all the shitty finishes earlier in the show.
If you're keeping track, the heels won every match after the first intermission, six straight in all.
Rhodes actually tries to go after Frazier after the match but is held back by about six different guys.
During the replays, Solie and Caudle give Frazier the benefit of the doubt saying that while the call was bad, a boxing match would have been stopped for the same call which was why it was stopped. Solie and Caudle were awesome all show when they could figure out what the hell was going on.
Rhodes challenges Frazier after the match and shoves Schiavone. Somewhere Bobby Heenan is upset Schiavone stayed on his feet.
Overall I liked this probably more than 83. This doesn't have the classic matches that 83 had, but the pacing is better since they kept the interviews to a minimum and didn't interview everybody eight times, and the bad here isn't as bad as the bad at 83.
Too many heels going over at the top of the card though which is one thing 83 definitely has over this one.
Frazier gets way too involved in a suplex spot, then counts like Bronko Lubich. That is not a compliment and the crowd boos at this point. Why do these special referees hinder Starrcade main events more than help them?
Flair and Rhodes have had hundreds of matches. I've seen at least 30 of them and this is among the worst of them, but it's certainly not bad. The key to this is Rhodes gets a cut on his forehead, several guys have bled much worse, but special referee Joe Frazier stops the match and awards it Flair.
The crowd is pissed despite them not being all that into it prior to that point, likely due to all the shitty finishes earlier in the show.
If you're keeping track, the heels won every match after the first intermission, six straight in all.
Rhodes actually tries to go after Frazier after the match but is held back by about six different guys.
During the replays, Solie and Caudle give Frazier the benefit of the doubt saying that while the call was bad, a boxing match would have been stopped for the same call which was why it was stopped. Solie and Caudle were awesome all show when they could figure out what the hell was going on.
Rhodes challenges Frazier after the match and shoves Schiavone. Somewhere Bobby Heenan is upset Schiavone stayed on his feet.
Overall I liked this probably more than 83. This doesn't have the classic matches that 83 had, but the pacing is better since they kept the interviews to a minimum and didn't interview everybody eight times, and the bad here isn't as bad as the bad at 83.
Too many heels going over at the top of the card though which is one thing 83 definitely has over this one.
JHawk
Thank You, Fuck You, Bye!
Good thing I let the closing package run. Schiavone interviews Joe Frazier after the match, and Frazier tries to explain why he made the call. I have never seen that interview, and it's hilariously bad.
And NOW we're out.
And NOW we're out.
Cackling Co Pilot Kamala
Integral Poster
FINALLY! I see the footage of Dusty entering to "Purple Rain" from this show.
BruiserBrody
Integral Poster
- Messages
- 31,166
- Reaction score
- 3,260
- Points
- 293
Music rights is certainly a key reason bootleg DVDs > streaming.
Some of the network edits annoy me mightily. Blunting my nostalgia!!
Some of the network edits annoy me mightily. Blunting my nostalgia!!
BruiserBrody
Integral Poster
- Messages
- 31,166
- Reaction score
- 3,260
- Points
- 293
John McAdam covered this for his pod this week.
- Windham was supposed to be the new hot thing crowned on this show as he was penciled in to beat Wahoo for the US title before abruptly quitting in the middle of a god push.
- With closed circuit, this was the 2nd largest gate in wrasslin' history. Riding the WWF boom wave.
- The guys argue Wahoo should have been in the Dusty role since he and Flair were feuding.
That's all well and good, but that isn't going to headline a tentpole show after we've seen them wrestle 200 times in every high school in NC
They also suggest Steamboat, who is also a babyface. ****** ratings damn it!! Fuck the gate.
- McAdams bitches about "Where is the million dollars supposed to be coming from????"
Well, the amount is silly, but the whole idea is this is the 2 biggest stars in wrasslin' so the only way to get them in a prize fight is some promoter had to pony up the cash. JCP did. I commented on his FB page that maybe "The DREAM match" would have been a more palpable slogan.
- Windham was supposed to be the new hot thing crowned on this show as he was penciled in to beat Wahoo for the US title before abruptly quitting in the middle of a god push.
- With closed circuit, this was the 2nd largest gate in wrasslin' history. Riding the WWF boom wave.
- The guys argue Wahoo should have been in the Dusty role since he and Flair were feuding.
That's all well and good, but that isn't going to headline a tentpole show after we've seen them wrestle 200 times in every high school in NC
They also suggest Steamboat, who is also a babyface. ****** ratings damn it!! Fuck the gate.
- McAdams bitches about "Where is the million dollars supposed to be coming from????"
Well, the amount is silly, but the whole idea is this is the 2 biggest stars in wrasslin' so the only way to get them in a prize fight is some promoter had to pony up the cash. JCP did. I commented on his FB page that maybe "The DREAM match" would have been a more palpable slogan.