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Tape Reviews
Today in Wrestling History
Posted by Jared "JHawk" Hawkins on Jul 9, 2002, 12:55
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Today in Wrestling History (July 9)
by Jared "JHawk" Hawkins
As alluded to in my Raw recap last night, this is the start of a new era in the world of wrestling website tape reviewing. Damn, say that three times fast. Tough, isn't it? Anyway, once every week or so (depending on what I decide to use for that given week), I will take one match and/or angle, and rather than give it a little two sentence blurb in my Raw recaps, I'll be going in depth to explain the historical significance of it. And it will be posted on the anniversary of the event in question, hence the title "Today in Wrestling History". Nifty, huh?
This Week, we go back to Shelby, North Carolina. The date is July 9, 1985, and it's the day The Rock 'n' Roll Express officially reach stardom.
The story so far: The Rock 'n' Roll Express had been in several territories since their formation in 1982, most notably highly successful runs in Memphis and Mid-South. In 1985, with the World Wrestling Federation making huge strides nationally, many of the territories were dying out. Among the more successful of the territories left was Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP), which by this point covered both the Mid-Atlantic and the Georgia areas and had recently regained its Saturday evening time slot on TBS. As the NWA territory with the largest exposure, Jim Crockett Jr. was essentially named NWA president by default, and in most fans' eyes, JCP was the NWA.
At this point, Dusty Rhodes was JCP's head booker, and although his ideas ultimately ran JCP into the ground (the most famous being the much talked about "Dusty finish"), Dusty had one solid idea--push the young talent and create new stars. So in this time frame, Magnum T.A., Nikita Koloff, Terry Taylor, and others were pushed to be as credible as humanly possible. Two of those young stars were Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson--the Rock 'n' Roll Express.
On March 18, Ivan and Nikita Koloff defeated Dusty Rhodes and Manny Fernandez to win the NWA World Tag Team Titles. However, it was ruled that any combination of Ivan, Nikita, and Krusher Khrushchev (who would go on to greater fame as Smash of Demolition) could defend the title.
Without any further ado... we take you to a taping of World Wide Wrestling for...
One fall for the NWA World Tag Team Championship: The Rock 'n' Roll Express vs. Ivan Koloff/Krusher Khrushchev (champions)
Interesting to see underrated color man Bob Caudle do the ring announcing. Your broadcasters are David Crockett (never say nepotism didn't run rampant in JCP), Tony Skee-a-vone (before he sucked), and Magnum T.A. Your referee is Tommy Young. And let's go to commercial.
We're back right at the bell, and Ricky Morton starts it off with Krusher Khrushchev. Krusher starts off by trying to grab Ricky, but Ricky uses his speed to outmaneuver him. Rinse lather repeat, and finally we lock up. Back in the corner, and Krusher with a right hand, but Morton again using his speed to avoid it. Morton again avoids a right hand and connects with one of his own. Lockup, and Krusher pushes Morton into the ropes, and he finally grabs Morton and slams him, but Morton quickly avoids an elbowdrop. Morton sells the back already and tags Robert Gibson in. Krusher pushes Gibson in the corner and tags Ivan, but Robert uses his speed to avoid Ivan before he can grab him. Koloff moves into an armbar, but Gibson breaks with an armdrag. Test of strength (stupid move by Gibson), but he uses some fancy moves to reverse the pressure, and here we get solid tag team work. Morton and Gibson use quick tags while both work on Ivan's arm. Morton gets the first near fall with a sunset flip. This crowd is HOT, chanting "Rock and roll" after every move. Morton and Ivan with a test of strength, but Koloff has learned his lesson and kicks Morton when he gets up. Morton is able to maneuver into a wristlock, and back to the faces using quick tags working over the arm. Ivan resorts to pulling Morton's hair, but Morton is quickly on top and drops knees onto Ivan's arm. Problem being they're working on Ivan's LEFT arm and he uses the RIGHT arm for most of his high impact moves. At least the thought's there. Morton eventually gets trapped in the heel corner, and Krusher tags in. Now for an example of why being the face in peril is referred to as "playing Ricky Morton". Khrushchev with a press slam for 2. Another two count, and Krusher slowing the pace down with a front facelock. And into a chinlock, with Morton trying to bite the fingers to break the hold. Krusher turns the chinlock into a neck vice. Hot damn, what a crowd. WWE production ought to take notice. Morton flips over Krusher's back on a back suplex attempt, lands on his feet, and gets a dropkick, but Krusher quickly powers him back to the mat. Tag to Ivan, and he works the headlock as we go to break.
We're back, and Krusher uses a choke lift and tosses Morton to the mat. Ivan tagged in, and Morton begins a comeback, then dives into the corner for the hot tag to Gibson. Gibson decides working the arm didn't work, so now they work over Ivan's left leg. Quick tag, work on the leg, quick tag, continue the sequence until Gibson uses a leg split. Morton in, double leg snap into a forward roll into a double cheap shot to Krusher on the apron. Gibson puts Ivan into a stepover toehold, and Krusher runs in to break the hold. Gibson with a quick sunset flip on Ivan for 2, and now Morton tags in and works on the knee. Tag to Gibson, stomp to the knee, and Ivan finally kicks Gibson off and tags Krusher. Gibson gets the edge and whips Krusher into the corner, but he hits the ringpost instead of Krusher on the charge. We have our second face-in-peril sequence of the contest. The crowd is STILL chanting "rock and roll" after nearly every move as Ivan puts on a hammerlock. And here's another break.
We come back with Ivan locking in Gibson with a bearhug. Gibson breaks with a handful of elbows but can't tag. Ivan with a hammerlock, then he throws Gibson shoulder first into the corner and tags in Krusher Khrushchev. Krusher with an armbar. Look at the sweat pouring off of Krusher and tell me this match is nothing but stalling and restholds. Krusher sends Gibson to the corner and charges, but this time HIS shoulder hits the corner. Ivan is tagged in, and Gibson gets in a mini-comeback before Ivan tags Krusher back in. Morton tries to run in but gets cut off by Tommy Young, and that does nothing but allow some legal double teaming (yes, LEGAL double teaming. The old "if the ref doesn't see it, it ain't cheating" clause). Ivan back in, and he targets the eyes. Up to the second rope, but Gibson rolls away from the flying kneedrop. Koloff tags out, but Gibson gets met with a knee to the back. Back to the injured shoulder. Simple psychology--work over the injured body part. The wristlock is close to the face corner. So close that Gibson is maybe six inches from tagging out. Morton gets knocked off the apron, and the hothead runs into the ring and enables more double teaming. Ivan back in, and he puts Gibson in the corner. Up top for his finisher, which can best be described as a falling driving knee but has no official name that I know of, but Gibson flips him off the top rope. Again, Ivan tags, Robert doesn't. Now it's the heels with quick tags. Double elbow, and Ivan covers for 2. Bodyslam, and a splash attempted, but Robert gets the knees up. Another race to the corners for the tag...and again only the heel can tag. Gibson with another mini-comeback, and he uses a double-leg takedown to get 2. But he's too tired to hold him down. Simple booking. Gibson catches Krusher with a clothesline out of nowhere. Tag to Ivan...and again Gibson's tag gets stopped. Another tag attempted, and Ivan chokes Robert to prevent it. Krusher holds Robert on the ropes, Ivan connects with a running knee to the back, and Gibson kicks out at 2. Krusher is back in, and he goes back to the armbar, and David Crockett suggests this is a mistake. Working the injured body part is a mistake? Robert slips away, but Krusher keeps hold of the arm and cinches up on a wristlock. More "rock and roll" chants. That's gotta be 15 or 20 of those in this match. Ivan is tagged in, and he puts on a headscissors with a wristlock. It turns into a hand bite, and Young calls for the break. Whip into the ropes, and Ivan catches Gibson coming in with a chokehold, then immediately covers for 2. Tag to Krusher, and he uses an inverted atomic drop for 2, with Gibson kicking out with authority. Krusher sets him up...HUGE right hand sends Gibson down face-first. Ivan tagged in. Whip into the ropes, and they hit heads. Krusher tags back in, and he takes Gibson down with a beautiful amateur takedown and gets 2. We're approaching 15 minutes of Gibson getting his ass kicked. Krusher into a hammerlock. A whip, and he goes for a clothesline, but Gibson connects with a kneelift and makes the hot tag. Morton quickly to the top rope, but Krusher quickly catches him coming in with a right hand and tags Ivan. Double team attempted, but Morton gets a sunset flip on Ivan as Gibson takes down Krusher for thr...NO! Only two! Damn, that was close. Gibson and Krusher tumble to the outside as Koloff throws Morton over the top rope. That was a DQ in 1985, but Young was on the floor with Gibson and Khrushchev, so he doesn't call for the bell. Koloff heads to the other side of the ring and pulls Gibson in. In-ring double team, and Krusher goes for a back suplex, but Morton sneaks in, jumps onto Koloff's shoulders, and takes him down with a Victory roll for the pin and the titles at 30:28 aired as Gibson keeps Krusher from breaking the pin. The crowd goes absolutely apeshit when Tommy Young awards the Rock 'n' Rolls the belts. The face locker room clears out to help with the celebration! Excellent match, and there's no way I could do it justice! ***
Let me explain the rating. I'm sure you're reading this and thinking "This looked like a lot of resting with the occasional high spot thrown in." But there are little subtle differences. There's always an attempt to break the armbar, and the man executing the armbar has to find ways to keep it on. It's little shit like that which made the Flair-Steamboat classics what they were, and little things like that which are seemingly obsolete in today's professional wrestling. Not a lot in the way of high spots, but there was always something going on. However, half an hour of working the arm is wasted with a roll up finish. Still very good for 1985, as there's not a dull moment.
Aftermath: The Koloffs would regain the titles from Morton and Gibson on October 13, but would lose them for the final time to the Express in a cage match at Starrcade 85 in November. I haven't seen their October match, but the cage match wasn't anywhere near as good. The Rock 'n' Roll Express would go on to be 7-time NWA World Tag Team Champions, including a reign where the titles were actually defend on episodes of Raw. Not to say those matches were any good, mind you.
Next week, Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson make history.
Comments? Criticisms? Ideas for future "Today in Wrestling History" columns? E-mail me and I'll take everything into consideration.
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