YouTubular: Trent Knight

When a reader in a recent column suggested Trent Knight and described him as not only being from Pittsburgh, where I went to college, but having a Fu Manchu mustache and a mullet, a look that is awesome but I don’t have the guts to sport, I knew I had my next column subject. Check out the links, it’s a sight to see.

Trent Knight vs. Curtis Thompson
Video Length: 3 minutes
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This is from “NWA Main Event” with Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone on commentary. Ross opens with a great line saying that Schiavone’s wife probably thinks Thompson looks like him. If she was blind in one eye and couldn’t see out of the other. However, this is certainly a match of its era as Thompson is sporting a porn star mustache and a rat tail to keep up with Knight. Thompson would become Firebreaker Chip as part of The Patriots with Todd Champion. Their hometown was WCW Special Forces, which I believe was in Parts Unknown. You know, that’s what is wrong with wrestling these days, nobody is from Parts Unknown anymore.

Ross says Knight is on the ‘rangy side,’ which I think means he looks like an anorexic Magnum TA. Knight puts Thompson on the mat with a snap mare and works the arm. Knight lets him up and flips Thompson over with a knee lift off the ropes. Knight gets a body slam for two. The crowd is deader than disco. Knight tries another body slam and takes a small package for two. Knight is the aggressor and whips Thompson into the corner. He follows with a running knee. A snap mare gets two. Really, no kidding. Knight cuts off a Thompson comeback with a knee lift, but then he telegraphs a backdrop. Thompson gets a sunset flip for two. Thompson fires away with punches and hits a back elbow off the ropes. Thompson with a press slam. A scoop slam finishes Knight off. Technically solid, if unspectacular match between two solid if unspectacular grapplers. ¾*

Trent Knight vs. Tom Zenk
Video Length: 4:29
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Not sure what program, but we have JR on commentary again. Knight takes Zenk down to start with a waistlock. Zenk squeezes out. Then Zenk gets the waistlock takedown and tries to go all amateur on Knight, but he makes the ropes. They trade off on a hammerlock. Zenk breaks with a drop toehold. Zenk gets a series of leg sweeps just to tick Knight off. He then gets a series of arm drags. Zenks works the arm. That proves so interesting Ross talks about how the arena they’re in was where Slap Shot was filmed. Knight powers up and rakes the eyes. Zenk reverses a whip and gets a backdrop as Knight bounces out of the corner. Two dropkicks send Knight to the floor. Zenk slingshots Knight in from the apron. Zenk posts himself on a charge and Knight takes over by attacking the face. Zenk bounces out of the corner on a whip to slide between Knight’s legs. He pops up behind to apply the sleeper and it’s lights out for Knight. I liked the story of the match. Knight tries to be all master grappler, so Zenk shows he can hang with him. Knight gets mad and goes heel, which also makes him sloppy and Zenk is able to surprise with the sleeper. * ½

Trent Knight vs. Cowboy Bob Orton with Gary Hart
Video Length: 4:28
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Our clip starts with Ross finishing an interview with Ric Flair. Flair has three chicks with him. Apparently it was a light night for the Nature Boy. I like the one in all black. Man, I need to invent that time machine so I can strike out with hot babes from different eras. Hart joins JR for commentary.

Orton impresses the crap out of me by gorilla pressing Knight and then holding him up there with one hand. He brings him down for a backbreaker. Orton then gets what I guess would be two reverse face breakers as he drops the back of the head across his knee. Hart is called back to the locker room. Orton nails a butterfly suplex. Orton follows with a standard suplex. Dick Murdoch with a bull rope appears from the back kicking the crap out of Hart. Orton sees what’s going on and runs out to help. Murdoch lands a haymaker that sends Orton flying over the guardrail. Orton grabs a chair, but Murdoch knocks it out of his hands. Murdoch chases Hart and Orton out of the arena. Murdoch goes over to Ross and hypes the upcoming Texas Bull Rope match he has with Orton. Captain Redneck leaves the rope and cowbell with Ross so the people can see it’s for real. I best it doesn’t taste like chocolate either. So…uh…Knight wins by count out I guess? DUD.

Trent Knight vs. Tully Blanchard with Dark Journey for the WCW World TV Title
Video Length: 4:03
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I’m the world’s biggest Tully Blanchard mark. Why? Somebody has to be. Since Dark Journey is here, this would be sometime in the summer of 1987. Commentary is Schiavone and David Crockett. Blanchard throws Knight around the ring and grinds his face into the mat. Knight is driven to the floor. Knight struggles to the apron and Blanchard chokes him out on the second rope. Knight falls to the floor. He tries to get in again and Blanchard knees him to the floor. Tully is pissed out of his mind here. Blanchard goes to the floor and hits a running knee lift. Knight eats another knee back in the ring. Blanchard just mauls Knight and then hangs him out to dry on the top rope. Blanchard rocks a couple forearms. Knight slugs back, but Blanchard cuts him off with a knee and rams his face into the top turnbuckle a few times. Blanchard is working stiff. Scott Steiner, circa 1993, somebody called his mom a whore stiff. Blanchard works a chinlock. He breaks it to drop a series of elbows. Knight kicks out of a near fall and Blanchard looks positively stunned. Beat, beat, choke, choke. The slingshot suplex wins it. Vintage Tully Blanchard. * Blanchard just put on a vicious beat down like I’ve never seen from him. I wonder if Knight literally peed in his Wheaties that morning.

It’s now time for Trent Knight: tag team maestro.

Trent Knight and Bob Riddle vs. The Lightening Express
Video Length: 6:14
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This is from “NWA Saturday Night” on Jan. 9, 1988. This would have been my ninth birthday and what a present for me if I knew this existed. Schiavone and Crockett are on commentary. The Express is Tim Horner and Brad Armstrong.

Armstrong and Horner utilize quick tags to neutralize Knight and work the arm. Knight pulls the hair to ground Armstrong, but is then upset with a head scissors. In a cool spot, Knight comes off the ropes to take a double back elbow as the faces kneel and then they double snap mare him over. They drop double elbows and Armstrong covers for two. Armstrong goes back to the arm, but works Knight into his corner to tag Riddle. The mullets on display here are fierce. Armstrong snap mares Riddle out of the corner and drops a knee to the face. He tags Horner and they get a double back elbow off the ropes. Riddle tries a leapfrog off the ropes, but Horner just pulls up short and catches him for a body slam. That gets two.

Armstrong in. Riddle works to the corner and tags Knight. Knight backs Armstrong into the corner and works him over, but it’s Armstrong’s corner. Horner tags in and snap mares Knight. A knee drop to the face gets two. Horner hits a suplex and tags Armstrong for a dropkick. Armstrong whips Knight to the corner and catches him on the bounce out for a hip toss and covers for a near fall. Horner catches Knight’s foot on a kick and tags Armstrong. He picks the other leg and they do a double leg snap that they roll through to come up in the heel corner in order to nail Riddle. They hit a double clothesline on Knight. Horner gets an atomic drop on Knight with Armstrong running in for a Russian leg sweep. Tag back to Horner and Armstrong slams him on top of Knight for a leg drop and the win. * This was an awesome tag team clinic put on by a very underrated tag team.

Trent Knight and Rusty Riddle vs. The Rockers
Video Length: 3:14
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This is from “Superstars” with Vince McMahon and Jess Ventura on commentary. Rusty is Bob from the above match. Riddle controls Jannetty to start, but he telegraphs a backdrop and Jannetty gets a face slam. Tag to Michaels for a clothesline. Riddle backs Michaels into his corner and tags Knight. He brawls with Michaels. Shawn struggles with Knight to get back to his corner and tag Marty. Knight leapfrogs Michaels to be caught by Jannetty for an inverted atomic drop. Tag back to Michaels and they work a double arm wringer into a double monkey flip. Riddle charges into a double dropkick. Michaels gets a body slam on Knight and goes into a chin lock. This allows an insert promo from Bobby Heenan and the Brain Busters to hype the upcoming Royal Rumble. Knight powers up, but Michaels body slams him and goes up top for a fist drop. Michaels catches Riddle coming in with a high knee. Tag to Jannetty for the What-a-Maneuver or an electric chair by Michaels followed by a back elbow from on high by Jannetty. That does it. ½* Just a bit of fun for the Rockers for them to showcase their wares.

Trent Knight and John Ziegler vs. the British Bulldogs with Matilda
Video Length: 4 minutes
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This is also from “Superstars” with McMahon and Ventura on commentary. Matilda scares the heels out of the ring before the bell. Knight and Smith start. A crisscross sequence ends with a hip toss from Smith. An arm drag sends Knight to the floor and Ziegler charges in. He takes an arm drag and scampers to the floor. Tags all around as we get an insert promo of Matilda licking a stuffed animal version of herself. That’s kind of incestuous if you think about it. The Dynamite Kid gets a snap suplex on Ziegler. Ziegler rakes the eyes and tags Knight. Kid comes back with a headbutt and then backdrops Knight off the ropes. Knight is clotheslined to the floor. Smith press slams Knight back into the ring over the top rope. Kid gets another clothesline and tags Smith. Smith sets up Knight for a superplex from DK for the win. A bit slow to start, but the finish was hot and the Bulldogs were their usual crisp selves. ½*

Trent Knight and George South vs. the Skyscrapers with Teddy Long
Video Length: 7:01
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This is from the “Power Hour” in June of 1989 with JR and Schiavone on commentary. This is the original version of the team with Dan Spivey and Sid Vicious. South is smart enough to not do a test of strength with Spivey. Spivey pounds on South to start. Spivey hits a big boot off the ropes, South thinks about it for a second then takes a header to the floor. Back in the ring, Spivey gets a crucifix power bomb. He follows with a side salto suplex and tags Vicious. A double elbows hurtles South into his corner to tag Knight. Vicious hangs him out to dry on the top rope. He chokes Knight out on the top rope. Vicious does the ‘are you not entertained’ pose and then runs into the corner for a big boot. He whips Knight to the far corner and follows with a diving shoulder tackle. A body slam leads to a tag.

Spivey covers after a side slam, but breaks his cover. Spivey works a bearhug. Knight tries to slug out, but Spivey drops backwards to slam Knight face first into the mat. Vicious tags in for a side slam and then drops the leg. Vicious hangs Knight in the tree of woe and stomps him. Spivey comes in for the double team. He gets an elbow and collar slam and again breaks his own cover. Tag to Sid for a big boot. Spivey back in for a powerbomb. He finally pins Knight. An energetic squash with the big guys showing some impressive moves. ½*

Trent Knight and Joe Cruz vs. The Fantastics
Video Length: 4:46
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This is from “Saturday Night” with JR and Schiavone on commentary. Cruz starts with Bobby Fulton. Cruz telegraphs a backdrop and Fulton just grabs him for a whip into the ropes and punches him in the gut. He hits a knee lift and tags Tommy Rogers. Rogers with a dropkick. Rogers works a drop toehold. He breaks it off and kicks the breadbasket. Rogers whips Cruz into his own corner and he tags Knight. Knight gets an arm wringer, but Rogers flips out and reverses. Knight gets a body slam off the ropes and goes up top for a double axe handle. Rogers catches him in the gut and follows with a snap suplex. Fulton comes in to work a headlock. He hits a shoulder tackle and gets a headlock takedown. Knight powers up and tags Cruz. Cruz tries to get fancy with a monkey flip off the ropes, but Fulton stomps him in the face and tags Rogers. Rogers leapfrogs Fulton to nail the arm. He gets a scoop slam off the ropes. Fulton springboards in and takes over on the arm. Fulton walks the top rope and comes off with an arm drag. Eat it, Undertaker. Fulton scores a fall away slam and tags Rogers. The Rocket Launcher wins it. ½* Again, just another tag clinic by an underrated team, but didn’t quite win me over.

Trent Knight and Tommy Angel vs. The Midnight Express
Video Length: 6:59
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As the match starts the Dynamic Dudes deliver an insert promo on how they didn’t want this situation with the Express, but they’ll give them the match they want. Both teams were feuding over the services of Jim Cornette. Cornette would turn on the Dudes to go with the Express, but the Express would get the face pop for it. Why? Because the Dudes sucked.

Cornette sits in on commentary with JR and Schiavone to talk about the situation between the Express and the Dudes. Angel and Stan Lane tradeoff on a headlock to start. Angel gets a body slam, but misses an elbow drop. Lane tries a funky cradle for a near fall. He comes up with a judo kick. He tags Bobby Eaton for a double back elbow. Lane attacks Knight on the apron while Eaton works Angel over in the corner. Eaton whips Angel to the opposite corner and scores a back elbow. He tosses Angel to the floor and Lane whips him into the guardrail. Eaton catches Angel on the apron, but he gets a shoulder block between the ropes and slingshots in for a sunset flip. Eaton blocks and tags Lane. Angel tags Knight. Lane kicks out of an arm wringer and drop toeholds Knight. He tags Eaton and drop toeholds Knight again so Bobby can land an elbow drop.

Eaton hits a Samoan Drop and a hooking clothesline. Tag to Lane for a clothesline. That gets two. Knight suckers Lane with an inside cradle for two. Eaton in. Knight rakes the eyes in the corner. Knight rakes Eaton across the top rope. He blindly wanders into the heel corner and Angel decks him. Angel in with a body slam. That gets two. Angel charges into a back elbow. Eaton tags Lane for a leapfrog body guillotine. The slug it out with Angel actually getting the best of it, so Lane grabs the trunks and pitches Angel to the floor. Eaton hits Angel with a plastic chair while the referee is distracted. Eaton rolls him into the ring and Lane snap mares him into his corner to tag Knight. A Russian leg sweep by Lane leads to the double goozle for the win. The Midnights are my favorite tag team ever and this aggressive dismantling where they went heel just to send a message to the Dudes was awesome. *

Trent Knight and Larry Stephens vs. the Powers of Pain with Paul Jones
Video Length: 5:37
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Schiavone and Magnum TA are on commentary. Schiavone says this is “World Championship Wrestling Sunday Edition,” which basically burned off “Saturday Night” matches along with other segments until “WCW Main Event” started.

Barbarian and Stephens start. Barbarian with a body slam and then a scoop slam off the ropes. In a cool move I don’t think I’ve seen before, Barbarian delivers a backbreaker over Warlord’s knee. Knight in to get pummeled by the Warlord. He gets a belly to belly suplex and a fist drop. Knight meets Barbarian’s boot and he tags in. Warlord holds Knight for a big boot. He takes another boot off the ropes. Side Slam. Clothesline. Knight is thrown to the floor where Warlord and Jones kick him. Warlord in for a gorilla press into a backbreaker. He gets a back elbow off the ropes and tags Barbarian. Jones keeps chiming in on commentary about how great his guys are.

Barbarian throws Knight into his corner to tag Stephens. Barbarian hits a rolling kick and a dropkick. Tag to Warlord for what looks like a muscle buster. Barbarian tag in and throws Stephens into his corner to tag Knight. Barbarian hits a Samoan Drop from the second rope. That should be the finish, but he tags Warlord. Barbarian comes off the top with an elbow drop while Warlord has Stephens for a backbreaker. Also, should be the finish, but they set Stephens up again and this time Barbarian hits a headbutt for the victory. This was just a string of power moves for an overlong beat down. ¼*

Trent Knight and Larry Stephens vs. the Sheepherders with Johnny Ace
Video Length: 5:56
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This is from “Saturday Night” in Jan. 1988 with Schiavone and Ross on commentary. Luke mauls Stephens in the corner and tags Butch. Luke holds Stephens for a kick to the side. Tag back to Luke for a snap mare. Butch in for a punch to the gut. Butch whips Stephens into the ropes, but holds on for a short arm knee lift. Butch throws Stephens into his corner and grabs Knight. He takes a double throat thrust off the ropes. Luke in and Knight gets a sunset flip for two. That just makes Luke mad…well, madder, and he beats the tar out of Knight in the corner. Luke gets a fist drop off the second rope for two.

Butch comes in for a kick to the side. Butch whips Knight from corner to corner and then kicks him. Butch drapes Knight over the corner ropes and wails on him. Butch gets a body slam and a diving fist drop. Luke in. Knight drives him into the corner, but then takes a knee on a charge. A body slam sets up a second rope forearm smash. Luke holds Knight for Butch to hit with a double axe handle from the second rope. Boot to the head. Tag to Luke. Luke gets a back elbow off the ropes. They get their signature battering ram and finish with a double team stomach breaker. ¼* The Sheepherders were loads better than when they became the Buschwhackers, but their move set was repetitive and too punchy and kicky. They were crisp and kept things at a fast pace though.

The 411: Trent Knight was a game grappler who showed a nice basic arsenal and could take a beating. Knight is a true utility man, because he’s nothing special himself, but he can work with everybody and makes the ‘team’ look good by doing his job soundly and not screwing up. Knight didn’t wow me like some recent guys who showed sparks of personality or ability, but he’s a blue collar, lunch pail guy you’ve got to respect.

Final Score:  6.5   [ Average ]