You Tubular: Red Tyler

Based on another recent suggestion we have the gingerest jobber ever in Red Tyler. He should not be confused with jazz saxophonist Alvin “Red” Tyler or wrestler Tarzan Tyler. Actually that’s probably how he got his name “you kind of have a Tarzan look, there used to be a guy named Tarzan Tyler, you’ve got red hair, we’ll call you Red Tyler.” He could have wound up with the Red Rooster.

Red Tyler vs. Johnnie Stewart
Video Length: 5:07
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Donna Gagne is the ring announcer and she’s dressed like a Las Vegas lion tamer. Stewart gives love to the ladies and annoys children on the way in. He kind of looks like Dolph Ziggler. Commentators are Lee Marshall and I’m not sure the other guy. Stewart jaws at them before the match and since nobody can hear him on their microphones they say stuff like Stewart is telling them how his fiancée is screwing Rob Lowe and his daddy blocked his trust fund.

Stewart hits a couple knee lifts to start and pitches Tyler to the floor. Stewart drops Tyler face first on a ringside table and then slams him face first into it while still yelling about Rob Lowe. Stewart rolls Tyler back into the ring and punches him. He rams Tyler head first into the top turnbuckle then whips him to the far corner for a Stinger Splash. Stewart screams something about Rob Lowe stealing his Porsche. I would love a Johnnie Stewart’s True Hollywood Stories segment about that. Rob Lowe: “I didn’t do stuff just to do them, you know. Yeah, I remember stealing Johnnie Stewart’s Porsche. Cocaine is a hell of a drug.”

Stewart hits a body slam and drops a double axe handle. Stewart gets a dropkick and follows with a suplex. Stewart scores a scoop slam and covers Tyler with a boot on his chest. Tyler rolls out from under it and Stewart looks amazed. Stewart hits a knee lift and then loads up the knee pad. Tyler reverses a whip, but runs into a clothesline. Stewart hits a flying knee with the supposedly loaded knee pad and pins Tyler for the win. Stewart throws him to the floor after the match. He follows and throws Tyler through the guardrail into the crowd. ½* Stewart was aggressive, but all of the story exposition kind of interrupted the flow.

Red Tyler vs. Ted DiBiase with Virgil and Sapphire
Video Length: 3:13
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Sapphire was Dusty Rhodes’ valet and DiBiase bought her off. She walks to the ring in a mink coat and clutching a DiBiase wrestling buddy doll. Cocaine is a hell of a drug. This is from “Superstars” with Vince McMahon and Roddy Piper on commentary.

DiBiase cuts an insert promo about how he will put Dusty Rhodes on his knees begging not for money, but mercy. In front of me on his knees is not where I want Dusty Rhodes. DiBiase opens with a knee lift and takes Tyler off his feet with a back elbow off the ropes. DiBiase hits a suplex and follows with a clothesline. Ted throws Red to the floor and Virgil rolls him back in. DiBiase hits a scoop slam. The Million Dollar Dream knocks out Tyler for the win. DiBiase crams a hundred dollar bill into Tyler’s mouth after the match. I hope the jobbers got to keep those as a bonus. ¼* Usual DiBiase squash.

Red Tyler vs. Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig
Video Length: 3:31
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This is with the Portuguese commentary fans of the column have grown to tolerate. Tyler breaks a waistlock with a back elbow and hits a headbutt. He misses a clothesline off the ropes and Hennig scores a dropkick. Tyler rolls to the floor and Hennig follows to chop him down. Back in the ring, Perfect chops Tyler more in the corner. Tyler moves on a charge and gets a clothesline. He works on Hennig in the corner. Tyler lands a discus punch and whips Hennig to the opposite corner. Curt gets his boots up on a charge. Hennig takes back over with a clothesline and knee lift. A snap mare sets up the rolling neck snap. Hennig pulls Tyler up by his trunks and atomic drops him. Tyler reverses a whip, but telegraphs a backdrop and Perfect hooks him for the Perfectplex and the win. Hennig’s son just needs to watch all of his dad’s squash matches and do that. ¼* Usual Hennig squash, but at least he would let the jobbers get a little offense in.

Red Tyler vs. Kamala with Harvey Whippleman and Kim Chee
Video Length: 5:57
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This is from “Prime Time Wrestling” with Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan on commentary. Mike McGuirk is the ring announcer, dressed like a female Joker. Whippleman announces Kamala himself. Heenan and Monsoon hype the upcoming casket match with Kamala and the Undertaker at the Survivor Series.

Kamala hits his usual array of kicks, punches and chops. Kamala chokes Tyler and steps on him. Kamala drops Tyler on the top rope. He chokes Tyler more. Kamala throws Tyler into the corner and knee lifts him. He chops away. Kamala chokes Tyler out on the top rope. Kamala beats him down and then stands on him. Kamala hits a reverse thrust kick and then tries to pin Tyler while he’s lying on his face. Kim Chee and Whippleman coax Kamala to turn him over. Kamala picks Tyler up and then hits a double throat thrust. Kamala hits a big splash and covers Tyler the wrong way again. He keeps rolling Tyler around until he finally gets him right side up for the win. Cocaine is a hell of a drug. DUD.

Red Tyler and Jimmy Magnum vs. the Texas Hangmen
Video Length: 5:11
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Eric Bischoff introduces the match. Commentators are Lee Marshall and some guy. This is from Jan. 1990. Tyler and Killer start. They lock up and Killer pushes Tyler into the corner. They lock up again and Killer punches Tyler in the face while holding a headlock and then snap mares him over. Killer drops a knee and grinds it into Tyler’s face. He throws Tyler to the floor and Psycho works him over. Killer bends Tyler backwards over the ropes from the apron and slams a forearm into his chest. Psycho rams Tyler’s back into the ring post. Killer steps on Tyler’s throat back in the ring. Psycho tags in. He hangs Tyler across the top turnbuckle and tags Killer for a double beat down. Killer body slams Tyler and then attacks Magnum. Magnum distracts the referee so the Hangmen can hit a backbreaker/top rope elbow combination for the win. Way to earn a paycheck, Jimmy. ¼*

Red Tyler and Todd Becker vs. the Texas Hangmen
Video Length: 4:40
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Marshall is joined by Verne Gagne on commentary. This is from Feb. 1990. Killer and Tyler start again. Killer beats him down in the corner. Killer rakes the back and chest. He wanders into the Hangmen’s corner and Psycho decks him. Becker gets a blind tag as Tyler goes into the ropes. Tyler tries a sunset flip and Beck chops Killer to knock him over. CHEMISTRY~! Of course, the ref waves the pin off because Tyler isn’t the legal man. Killer mauls Becker. Psycho chokes him out with the bull rope in the corner. Psycho tags in and hits a swinging neckbreaker. He tags Killer and hits a running power slam before leaving the ring. Killer chokes Becker out on the top rope. Tag to Psycho. Killer whips Becker to the ropes and nails him with a boot and Psycho scores a running DDT. Tag to Killer. Psycho gets a surfboard of all crazy moves and Killer boots him in the gut. He then hits a running bulldog, while Becker is still in the surfboard. Killer goes after Tyler and that allows them to hit the double team move from above for the win. They showed a better move set here and better flow. ½*

The 411: What can I say about Red Tyler that hasn’t been said about Afghanistan as I try to work in more “Chapelle’s Show” references. Like some of our subjects, I don’t think we have a good enough cross section to judge Tyler’s work. He can sure take a beat down and make the other guy look like a world beater while doing it. However, you get the sense he could probably put together a longer match with better offense if given the chance. A chance that we don’t see in these clips.

Final Score:  5.5   [ Not So Good ]