wrestling / Video Reviews
YouTubular: Roadblock
Joe D’Acquisto debuted in 1987 wrestling for independent associations in the Northeast United States as the Rochester Roadblock. He was even the subject of an article in Rolling Stone in 1990. In 1992 he spent time in Japan with W*ING and feuded with Jason the Terrible. After returning from Japan he joined WCW. To hammer home his ring name, he would carry a closed road barrier over his shoulders to the ring. Why he was never put in hardcore matches so he could use that as a weapon is beyond me. He retired from the ring in 1998. I’m surprised Vince Russo didn’t call him the Cockblocker and have him carry a rooster to the ring.
Roadblock vs. John Nord
Video Length: 6 minutes
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This is from WCW World Wide in Jan. 1998 with Tony Schiavone and Bobby Heenan on commentary. Nord was known as the Bezerker in WWE. It was kind of a dumb gimmick, but better than the generic, arrogant big man he plays here.
Roadblock can’t phase Nord with a shoulder block. He tries again and takes a boot to the face. Nord knocks the big man off his feet with a flying shoulder tackle. Roadblock ducks a clothesline and hits his own flying shoulder tackle. Roadblock misses a charge in the corner and Nord can barely get him over with a back suplex. They trade chops. Nord ducks a clothesline and hits one of his own. Roadblock moves after a series of elbow drops by Nord. Roadblock gets a decent belly to belly suplex, but won’t take the pin. Yeah, big mistake. For as long as it takes Roadblock going to the top rope you could read Tuesdays with Morrie. Nord rolls out of the way on the giant splash. Block taps quick to the camel clutch. It’s not that I wanted the match to go longer, but I think a big boy like Roadblock could have milked that a bit longer before the tap out. It was painfully slow and very basic. DUD.
Roadblock vs. Ice Train with Teddy Long
Video Length: 4:01
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This is from June 1997, also from World Wide with Heenan and Schiavone on commentary.
Roadblock attacks Train before the bell. Block body slams Train and kicks him. He yells at Train to get up. Yeah, big mistake. Roadblock gets two off of a clothesline. Block works a bear hug. Ice Train slugs his way out of the hold. He knocks Roadblock into the corner with two clotheslines and nails an avalanche. Train hits a sloppy second rope clothesline. The straps come down! Roadblock doesn’t care. He blocks a body slam and hits his own. Train gets the body slam on a second try and finishes with the Train Wreck splash. A little shorter and not as plodding as the above match. Still, a very basic, paint by numbers power match. DUD.
Roadblock vs. Goldberg
Video Length: 4:36
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This is from WCW Saturday Night in Oct. 1997. Schiavone and Dusty Rhodes are on commentary. This is early in Goldberg’s legendary winning streak.
Roadblock attacks to start. He hits a clothesline and Goldberg just yells “is that all you got.” Yeah, big mistake. No….wait…it’s not. Goldberg gets a takedown from behind and has some sort of weird leg lock. Roadblock makes the ropes to break. Goldberg glares at the referee for making him break the hold, because rules matter little to Goldberg. Not that he ever knew what they were. Roadblock tries to come back, but Goldberg stops him with a clothesline and follows with a flying shoulder tackle. Roadblock gets a belly to belly suplex for two. Goldberg hits a spinning kick. He finishes with the Jackhammer. Goldberg hadn’t quite figured out how to make his squashes flow and play to the fans. The building blocks for what would come were there, though. ¼*
Roadblock vs. The Giant
Video Length: 4:28
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This is from WCW Nitro with Schiavone and Larry Zbyszko on commentary. This is after Souled Out 1997. For those out there who haven’t broke in their first razor yet, The Giant is the Big Show.
Giant lost to Hulk Hogan in the main event and isn’t too happy about it. Roadblock attacks Giant as he steps over the top rope. Giant reverses a whip to the corner and follows in with a clothesline. He whips Roadblock to the opposite corner, but charges into a big boot. Giant fights out of a body slam try. Roadblock tries again, but Giant reverses. The crowd is hot for the Giant big time. Brace yourself for this one. Giant dropkicks, yes you read that right, Roadblock over the top rope and through a conveniently placed table on the floor. Giant throws Roadblock back into the ring to finish with a choke slam. Giant gets a microphone and declares himself a fire breathing dragon. He wants Hogan to come out and face him. What doesn’t kill him, pisses him off more. Nice turn of phrase there. A really hot crowd helped this one some. The Giant was crisp and motivated. As Goldberg would learn, playing to the crowd the right way can help to build a match and up the entertainment level. ½*
Roadblock and Rick Fuller vs. Lex Luger and The Giant
Video Length: 6:50
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This is the opener for Nitro of March 31, 1997. Schiavone and Larry Z are on commentary.
In a cute spot to start, Fuller and Roadblock argue over who will start, until they see it’s The Giant on the other side. Then they argue who will get out of the ring. Fuller starts for his team. Giant throws him in the corner and chops the chest. Giant beats Fuller from corner to corner. Luger tags in. He comes off the second rope with a double axe handle. Luger works the arm until Fuller fights him off with a knee lift. Fuller works Luger over in the corner. Fuller misses a charge to the opposite corner and Luger scores a back suplex. Fuller thumbs Luger in the eye and tags Roadblock.
He nails Luger with an avalanche. Roadblock has his work boots on here. He’s really pumped and moving pretty well. Luger ducks a clothesline and hits his own. Luger goes to the ropes and Fuller nails him. Luger no sells it and knocks Fuller off the apron. This does allow Block to blindside him. Luger is flipped onto his back with a knee lift. A leg drop gets two. Tag to Fuller. He jacks Luger up and tags Roadblock. Luger dodges a second rope elbow drop. He tags the Giant, who cleans house with big boots. Giant gets a double clothesline. Luger puts Fuller in the Torture Rack for fun as Giant gets the win with a choke slam. Harlem Heat runs out and they brawl with the faces. ¼* It was an ok squash, but nothing special. Man, Nitro crowds were crazy hot. They must have been pumping nitrous into the arenas.
The 411: Roadblock was nothing against wastes of space, but was a decent physical opponent to put over other big men. When he was in the ring with guys who knew what they were doing, he was serviceable. The matches above were too short to really get a good feel for Roadblock, but one doubts longer matches would have really shown anything more. The silly gimmick didn’t do him any favors. He could have been built into a solid opponent for guys like Big Show and Luger, but unfortunately he was never built past being a jobber in WCW, so the mileage they got out of him was limited. There’s this vague since that he could have offered more, but we don’t see it in the few above bouts.
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Final Score: 3.0 [ Bad ] legend |