Starrcade 1983 was the
introduction to whar we now have as WWE Network events. It was shown
on closed-circuit television before wrestling decided to go
Pay-Per-View. Jim Crockett Promotions got there first with the
backing force of the National Wrestling Alliance. What better way to
begin my “Throwback Thursday” than to go back to that event. The
first match of the night featured two wrestlers for my Road to 250
and a tag team for my Road to 25 Pairs goals, so it's a good place to
start.
When I did some research into
this match (not being too familiar with either participant, I found
out Assassin #2 is the man that would go on to become Hercules
(Hernandez) in WWE. Assassin #1 is a man called Jody Hamilton, who
has been under that mask with three different partners (including
Hercs) for the past 20 years. That should make it easy to tell them
apart. He's also referee Nick Patrick's father. In fact his Wikipedia page is
an interesting read. Rufus R. Jones is the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight champion at this point and Bugsy McGraw is a 20+ year veteran going into this match. The pair also won the Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championships together.
On to the event now I've given you all that information... Straight to the ring with both Masked Assassins and their manager Paul Jones on one side, with McGraw and Jones on the other. Bob Caudle and Gordon Solie are on commentary.
THE
ASSASSINS VS. BUGSY MCGRAW & RUFUS R JONES
NWA-JCP Starrcade 1983 (24th November
1983)
McGraw
begins with Assassin #1 and they tie up, McGraw grabs a headlock
against the ropes but sends Assassin #1 across the ring, getting
knocked down with a shoulder tackle. McGraw catches Assassin #1 with
a hip toss. Nobody home on either man's attempt at an elbow drop.
McGraw scoop slams Assassin #1 and goes for his mask but Assassin #1
escapes out of the ring. As we see a wide shot of the arena I see
there's a big amount of space not only at ringside but between the
fans and the barriers also. Makes modern shows look so compact.
Assassin #1 gets back in the ring at 5 and they lock up again,
Assassin #1 walks McGraw to the ropes and softens him up with a knee
to the gut before sending him across the ring. McGraw ducks a back
elbow and jumps at Assassin #1 hitting him with an elbow to the top
of the head. He goes straight back to the mask, but Assassin #1 gets
to his feet and they just slug it out. You should hear the crowd
reaction for this..... McGraw gets the best of the fisticuffs sending
Assassin #1 tagging out.
McGraw
has a celebratory dance and he looks like every drunk uncle ever. One
of the commentators (I can't tell by the voices) mentions that even
though the second man isn't as bulky, he's not a particularly small
man. They go through the same sequence with the headlock into
shoulder tackle, but Assassin #2 found it harder to keep his balance,
that's a nice little touch. Assassin #2 runs into a scoop slam, then
a hip toss before Jones gets the tag. “Freight Train” claps
Assassin #2's ears and chops him before knocking him down with a
bionic elbow, jiving all the way. Jones sends Assassin #2 across the
ring, hitting him in the gut upon his return. Jones sloppily goes for
a cover and gets a nearfall as the camera just fucks off for some
reason. As we switch to a camera that can actually see Jones is
biting at Assassin #2's mask and takes him down with a hip toss as he
gets to his feet. Jones keeps hold of the wrist, trying to pull
Assassin's arm out of socket. He drives his knee into the shoulder.
Assassin makes his way to his feet, hitting a right hand with no
effect. Jones headbutts Assassin's shoulder and gets the tag.
Bugsy
McGraw keeps control of the left arm but it doesn't do any good as
he's backed into the Assassins corner. Assassin #1 is back in the
match now, but McGraw fights out of the corner well. Assassin #1
backs off for a moment, taking advice from Paul Jones. A collar-elbow
tie up leads to Assassin #1 getting McGraw's arm. The referee has to
stop McGraw using a closed fist, so he opts for another elbow to the
top of Assassin#1's head, reversing the hold and tagging back out.
Rufus Jones headbutts Assassin's shoulder, Assassin tries to break
free with rights, but Jones' head is just made out of diamond or some
shit. More headbutts to the shoulder follow. The Assassin aims for
the chest now, and does break free but Jones hits him with a
combination of double thrusts before busting out a dance move that
probably has a similar name. Jones struts around the ring and
Assassin #1 is scared of dancing or something by his reaction.
Assassin#1 backs himself into the corner and takes 2 right hands.
Jones sends him across the ring and Assassin #1 just slumps down in
the corner. Paul Jones walks over to give his man some encouragement,
Assassin
#1 fights out of the corner by grabbing at R. Jones' face, and keeps
adjusting his gear by his hand, there's suspicion he has some kind of
weapon. He gets the tag and Assassin #2 rakes at Jones' eyes from
behind. More right hands to the head but they're just making Jones
dance on his knees, he headbutts Assassin #2 in the gut and scrambles
for the tag. Assassin #1 is in illegally and meets McGraw, but takes
rights and an elbow to the top of the head. Apparently there wasn't a
tag to Assassin #2, but there is now and he gets knocked to the mat
too. They pair off in the ring for a while as Jones knocks the
illegal Assassin out of the ring and McGraw drops the other one with
an atomic drop. McGraw sends him across the ring but doesn't notice
the blind tag, he hits a back body drop to who he thinks he's facing
as the Assassin he is rolls him up for the win.
WINNERS: THE ASSASSINS
They didn't have to do anything to get a reaction
from the crowd in this match, and it was a brilliant way to start the
match. Rufus R. Jones really impressed me and Bugsy McGraw got a good
shine too, it wasn't much of a match to base the talents off but it
was a servicable match to watch none the less. – WORKRATE: 2/5
PERSONAL ENJOYMENT 2/5 OVERALL 4/10
Want more Starrcade? Get The Essential Starrcade Collection DVD!
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