Universal Wrestling Federation (7.19.1986) Review

-Originally aired July 19, 1986.

-Your hosts are Jim Ross & Michael P.S. Hayes.

-Neat thing about the copy I’m reviewing. It’s an unedited master tape, so you get a nice little glimpse of how the sausage is made. For example, Michael Hayes very calmly asks a question about a music video playing later in the show, then gets his cue and instantly gets into character and hypes the music video.

STING (with Eddie Gilbert) vs. KEN MASSEY
-This is Sting’s coming-out party as a singles wrestler after six months or so of the most startlingly fast improvement I’ve ever seen.

-Sting armdrags Massey, and even Hayes is like “My god, Sting knows an actual MOVE now!” Massey tries a standing side headlock, but Sting turns it into a back suplex and slams Massey. Dropkick by Sting and the commentators are both shocked by the sheer number of new things Sting is doing in one match. Press slam and a splash by Sting gets the three-count, and even at this stage, you can tell that people see dollar signs in this guy.

CHAVO GUERRERO vs. THE LIBYAN
-Libyan shoulderblocks Chavo down while Michael Hayes fumes about a screwy ruling from the referee costing John Tatum & Jack Victory the Tag Team Titles last week.

-Forearms by Chavo. He avoids a corner charge by Libyan, and something along the lines of a Frakensteiner gives Chavo the win.

SHEEPHERDERS (with Jack Victory) vs. GARY YOUNG & BRETT WAYNE SAWYER
-Commentators make a good point here, saying it’s weird that Jack Victory is still escorting these guys to the ring when he’s now in a tag team himself and has a manager. Well, you know what, if wrestling bothers you that much, you can just tell everyone on the internet, guys.

-Sawyer snapmares Luke and drops a knee for two. The young up-and-comers double-team Luke, but Butch tags in behind everyone’s back and attacks Young. Young just gets dismantled while Michael Hayes leaves the commentary table to warm up for a match happening later in the show.

-Hot tag to Sawyer, and he takes on both Sheepherders until crashing on an attempted dropkick. Double stomachbreaker by the Sheepherders finishes Sawyer off.

-Frank Dusek takes over on commentary, and we get a neat bit of business on the master tape. They’re doing a video package about Bill Watts’ current angle, and we don’t see the video package on the master tape. Instead, what we see is Jim Ross telling Frank the gist of the video package and suggesting some talking points for Frank to hit when the director throws it back to them.

KOKO B. WARE vs. RICK STEINER
-Steiner hiptosses Koko. They criss-cross and Koko catches Steiner for a beautiful powerslam, and Steiner scurries to the floor to recover. Back in, Koko bodypresses him for a two-count. Right hands by Koko. Steiner hits the ropes and catches Koko in a powerslam, but Koko rolls through it and rolls up Steiner for a clean three-count. Abrupt finish to what was shaping up to be a pretty good bout.

COWBOY BILL WATTS & TERRY TAYLOR vs. FABULOUS FREEBIRDS
-Freebirds refuse to get into the ring because Watts has a baseball bat, and after some goading, Watts gets tired of waiting and begins chasing the Freebirds around the building. Freebirds end up running into the ring to escape from Watts, and an army of babyfaces rush to ringside to talk Bill into giving up the baseball bat before he does anything that gets him into trouble with his own company.

-And plot twist…since there are three Freebirds, Watts tells Jim Duggan to stick around and they just make it a six-man tag.

-Duggan clotheslines Gordy’s head off right away and beats on him with a series of closed fists. Buddy Roberts tags in and takes a backbreaker from Duggan. Roberts counters a backdrop from Terry Taylor and tags Gordy back in, and Taylor is your pretty boy-in-peril. Roberts tries to put him away with an elbow from the second rope, but Taylor rolls out of the way and makes the hot tag to Bill Dauterive.

-The Freebirds just as quickly manage to start dismantling the Cowboy. Fistdrop by Gordy gets two. Roberts tries to finish with a bulldog, but Watts lifts him up and just throws him at Hayes on the apron. Hayes crashes to the floor and now Duggan gets the hot tag. Donnybrook erupts and the referee calls for the bell to disqualify anything that moves.

7.5

The final score: review Good

The 411

Great hour of stuff, even with Watts shoehorning himself into it.