Universal Wrestling Federation (6.28.1986) Review

-Cold open: Jack Victory loses to Missing Link in humiliating fashion and threatens to take care of it with “one phone call.”

-Originally aired June 28, 1986.

CHAVO GUERRERO vs. KEN MASSEY
-You can tell Chavo is being pushed as a babyface now because he’s suddenly from Texas and not Mexico, as JR recaps his high school credentials in El Paso.

-Guerrero works the leg to total silence from the crowd, the first time I’ve ever heard a lackluster reaction to anyone in this venue. Massey slams Chavo down, also to no reaction. Chavo connects with…something…and Hayes correctly assesses that it looks like he was going for a Thesz press but something happened. Overhead belly-to-belly gets the finish and Massey looks hurt, as Chavo checks on him after the official announcement. Also to total silence. So this was kind of a disaster.

-We rewatch the attempted murder of Bill Watts.

-Michael Hayes loses his temper because the fans in the arena won’t stop chanting “prissy sissy” at him, so he leaves the commentary table and gets in the ring, and since Ted DiBiase was the one who started the chant, Hayes demands that DiBiase get down here to settle this.

-DiBiase, not dressed to wrestle, comes to the ring and dukes it out with Hayes. Buddy Roberts comes to the ring, but Terry Taylor shows up to even the sides. But then Gordy shows up, so advantage Freebirds…and that brings out Hacksaw Jim Duggan.

-We get some house show promos from Bill Watts and the Fabulous Freebirds. Most interesting part is that Watts recaps the Freebirds’ entire history in Mid-South, mentioning their feud with “my friend, Junkyard Dog,” and adding absolutely no qualifications to that. He puts over JYD in this 1986 promo.

STING (with Eddie Gilbert) vs. BRETT WAYNE SAWYER
-Sawyer armdrags Sting, who does a pretty smooth series of bumps, and it’s neat to actually see him gain agility ever so slightly with each passing week. Bodypress by Sawyer gets a one-count. Eddie Gilbert marches around ringside with Bill Watts’ belt, which he claimed as a souvenir after last week, and JR fires off a great southern-style insult, saying Gilbert has such a big mouth, he must have a third lip.

-Sting takes over, and now you can see room for improvement, as his offense is a bit tentative and he looks like he’s not sure what to do after Sawyer kicks out at two. Bearhug by Sting; Sawyer punches out while JR tries to get over “T.T.” as a nickname for Terry Taylor, and THAT did not stick.

-Series of dropkicks by Sawyer, but he heads to the top rope, which I guess is legal this week, and he crashes and burns on the mat. Bodypress by Sting gets three.

THE MISSING LINK (with Dark Journey) vs. KAMALA (with Skandar Akbar)
-Link has some sort of grudge against Akbar now, according to the commentary.

-They start fighting right away with punches, kicks, and chops. Link charges at Kamala with headbutts and takes him off his feet, then knocks Kamala out to the floor…but here come Hollywood John Tatum and Jack Victory for a surprise attack along with Missy Hyatt. The men lay out Link, and Hyatt knocks Journey out cold with her Gucci purse.

-We get a post-ass kicking conversation in the locker room, where we establish that Jack Victory and John Tatum were high school buddies who bonded over surfing, and now they’re looking forward to beating on Link every chance they get.

THE FANTASTICS vs. THE LIBYAN & GUSTAVO MENDOZA
-Fantastics work Mendoza’s arm. Rogers dropkicks Mendoza and knocks the Libyan off the apron to stop a tag. Double dropkicks for everyone, and Bobby presses Tommy onto Mendoza for the win.

HACKSAW JIM DUGGAN, TERRY TAYLOR, & TED DIBIASE vs. FABULOUS FREEBIRDS
-So our brawl earlier in the show has officially been signed and we’re getting it right now. It’s a pier sixer right away, with the faces clearing the ring while the “sissy” chant erupts again.

-Freebirds head back to the ring and the faces clear the ring again. We finally get a proper match going, with Duggan knocking Gordy on his ass with a big clothesline. Roberts tags in, and Taylor hits him hard enough to tangle him in the ropes. Action continues until there’s no time left THE TAPE MACHINES ARE ROLLING!

6.0

The final score: review Average

The 411

Kind of a just-there week other than Tatum and Hyatt showing up.