This review was commissioned by CJ over on my Ko-fi account.
The finish to this match is, quite famously, total bullshit. That’s unfortunately its lasting legacy in the wider narrative about this match, and it does hold even now. It’s a product of all the politics that surround a high stakes interpromotional bout like this. It’s a title unification bout with Lawler putting up his AWA Title against Kerry’s WCWA Title. At this time, both championships were branded as “World” Titles with both the AWA and the Memphis territory trying to prop up their status in the industry without the institutional support of the NWA and its World Championship. Here, they’re meant to join the belts to create a title that might rival the other recognized World Championship’s in the country, both Hogan and Flair even get name checked on commentary to add to this level of credibility.
The thing, of course, is that neither promotion really wants one of their guys coming out of this with anything resembling a decisive loss. Protect your guy and all that. And so, we get the finish here. Kerry Von Erich loses by stoppage as the referee is too concerned about his blood loss, despite Kerry being in control at the finish and even seemingly on the verge of defeating Lawler with the Iron Claw. It sucks, it’s very obviously a political ploy, and it just doesn’t pass the sniff test whatsoever. It’s the kind of finish that screams how fake and artificial this all really is. Everyone involved wanted to run the biggest match possible and have a winner, but nobody wanted to be a loser.
The fortunate thing here is that the match before all that still absolutely fucking rules.
This is about as perfectly, spiritually sound southern rasslin’ as you’re ever going to see complete with the hollering fans, a babyface walking tall (in spite of having just one foot), and a dastardly heel stooging and cheating all throughout. It’s so, so great, and just immediately clear from the word go. Kerry’s a delight in this match, with his big punches, those wind up discus punches especially, and his natural cool in the face of Lawler’s smarminess, but Jerry Lawler absolutely does steal the show here.
Lawler’s performance is so fantastic. Cowering from Kerry while still acting so cocksure, bumping massive for Kerry’s punches, and always finding the cheapest possible routes to victory at every turn. Every single moment in the match feels so completely correct, just this greatest hits compilation of stooge heel against heroic babyface stuff. Lawler seamlessly transitions from vicious and conniving such as driving Kerry’s arm into the turnbuckle early and cutting it up to pathetic and dying such as when he attempts a piledriver only for Kerry to pop right back up like nothing happened and just sock him in the mouth.
The mechanics of Lawler’s heel performance here just blow me away. Only ever seizing control by playing underhanded or evasion–biting at Kerry’s cut open arm, dodging a punch so that Kerry hits the ringpost, and towards the end pantomiming a weapon in his fist to work over Kerry’s cut. That last one is especially impressive, through a combination of production choices and Lawler’s own dedication, he’s able to squeeze out so much heat in control and it’s never even really clear to me if he’s actually go something in his hand. It might just all be pretend and the beauty of pro wrestling is that I believe every second of it regardless.
It’s so great, just a totally natural pairing in a way that even Kerry vs. Flair doesn’t feel like. There’s no lollygagging on the mat here (though Kerry’s not awful when made to play that role) and the dynamic between the two feels so much more rich and alive because of it. Lawler only ever does things that emphasize Kerry’s best strengths and Kerry gets to bleed, sell, and whoop the bad guy’s ass. Exactly what I want from both men in this scenario, free of compromise, until the final bell that is.
Hell, even the way this match works towards its awful finish sort of impresses. Kerry gets cut about halfway through and the referee’s immediately overzealous about checking it. It leaves us just enough time for one final Lawler control–beautifully manipulating his weapon of choice in and out of the referee’s vision–and a great final rally from Kerry as well. Just enough to leave us hope and give Kerry the credit of being a world beating hero before it gets ripped away by bad refereeing (read: bad booking).
It’s the real shit. Chicken soup for the soul. Pro wrestling-ass pro wrestling. Can’t think of three better compliments than that.
Rating: ****1/4
