Pat Tanaka

Gorilla Monsoon, Bobby Heenan, and Jim Neidhart are in the booth, concluding the tapings in Tempe, Arizona.

Welcome back to more Dream Matches! This time we’re starting off with a request, as Bret “Hitman” Hart takes on Paul Roma in 1991 WWF! When Bret REALLY started impressive people with how excellent his execution truly was. Then it’s a truly whacky 6-man tag, as the WWF’s lowest-level babyfaces team up against a new team and the bottom-tier heel- it’s Kerry Von Erich, Greg Valentine & “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka against the Beverly Brothers and Pat Tanaka! Then it’s over to WCW, as Harlem Heat take on the Fantastics in a pretty good generational tag team match! And some more obscure goodness, as four of WCW’s British wrestlers face off- it’s Steven Regal & Dave Taylor vs. “Gentleman” Chris Adams & Norman Smiley! Finally, we end with a couple of random Tokyo Magnum WCW contests- with such varied competition as “Hole In One” Barry Darsow and Eddie Guerrero!

BRET “HIT MAN” HART vs. PAUL ROMA (w/ Slick):
(WWF Prime Time, July 1st 1991)
* Bret Hart’s new singles push continues as he faces a very “Jobbing Face” Paul Roma, frowning and wearing the long Power & Glory tights. Sean Mooney declares that Bret Hart would NEVER brag, which is rich considering his primary catchphrase is to declare himself the greatest wrestler there is, was and ever will be.

There’s something to be said when a guy is still talked about as a great “Shoulda-Been” almost 20 years after he stopped wrestling.

Welcome back to more Dream Matches! Today, I have a very “2001 WCW” pairing, as a washed-up, immobile Lex Luger has to lead hot rookie Sean O’Haire through a match! Then I check out some Rockers/Orient Express stuff… but 3-4 years before their WWF feuds, as it’s Badd Company vs. The Midnight Rockers in the AWA! Come see the double-teams and a very young Shawn & Marty, as well as their “infuriated Southern babyface” energy! Then it’s not one, but TWO matches of High Energy versus the Beverly Brothers! I can barely contain my excitement!

LEX LUGER vs. SEAN O’HAIRE:
(WCW Nitro, 3/5/2001)
* I decided to try and find more old Sean O’Haire stuff to see if the wild potential we’d all guessed for him was actually there in the first place. So naturally the first thing I found is a 2001 Lex Luger match, lol. At this point, O’Haire was getting a lot of hype online- with a FANTASTIC look (check that 2001-era spiky hair and chin beard!) and Jeff Hardy’s Swanton, he seemed supernatural and like a “sure thing”. Here he’s in shiny black shorts with blue fire on them, while Lex is in the same-old black trunks. The two are about the same size, which is part of why O’Haire seemed so awesome- if he was in AEW today, he’d be near Lance Archer’s height and would be flipping and flying around.

Taped from Las Vegas, NV

Airdate: April 9, 1988 (taped 3/19)

Attendance: 1,500

Hosted by Larry Nelson, Ron Trongard, & Lee Marshall

Can the Midnight Rockers avenge their previous loss to Badd Company? Let’s turn it up and find out!

Because WCW: A worker as respected as Jerry Lynn, and he’s in “Player 2” Rey Mysterio gear and jobs on the D-shows.

Welcome back to more Dream Matches! This time we get a couple of double-whammies, as Chris Jericho takes on Jerry Lynn back when he was jobber “Mr. JL” on the WCW D-Shows! Then it’s Marty Jannetty vs. Pat Tanaka on WWF TV, but from two years apart- 1991 (when Tanaka was on a tag team) and 1993 (when he was a glorified jobber)!

And I also found a match from that odd period where Mona (Molly Holly) was suddenly able to get work for her indie buddies as WCW randomly had a women’s division again- she takes on Little Jeannie. Finally, another weirdo “Wait, THAT happened?” match, as Papi Chulo (Essa Rios) shows up on Super Astros… and his opponent is the fourth TIGER MASK!

CHRIS JERICHO vs. MR. JL:
(WCW Saturday Night, Aug. 31st 1996)
* Yes, it’s more of Jerry Lynn as a Rey Mysterio-like purple-clad Power Ranger, and Spunky Babyface Chris Jericho. Jericho’s got the bright, curly blonde locks and black & yellow tights here.

Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan host this evening’s show.  Heenan says he can solve the problems in the Middle East by sending the Big Bossman’s mother because it will cause Iraqi forces to flee Kuwait.  Monsoon threatens Heenan with more fines for unsavory jokes, causing Heenan to beg Monsoon not to do it because he needs the money to sponsor needy families for Christmas.

Tony Schiavone and Gorilla Monsoon handle commentary duties and they are taped from the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.  This taping took place on December 12, 1989.  Schiavone has a guitar and tries to play a song and does terribly.

“You know the Texas Tornado’s the only guy I know who can hide his own Easter eggs?”.
-Bobby Heenan on Kerry Von Erich

WWF SUMMERSLAM SPECTACULAR 1991:
* Did you ever know that the Orient Express once had ALL THREE members fighting in a match at the same time? I sure didn’t! Yet here it is tonight! I’m oddly more excited for that than anything else on here- another prelude to a big PPV, in this case being SummerSlam ’91. Also up: Hulk Hogan vs. Sgt. Slaughter for the WWF Title! Hawk vs. Brian Knobbs! Bret Hart vs. The Barbarian! Virgil versus a mystery man of Ted DiBiase’s choosing!

Vince makes a timely Annette Funnicello reference (who in their target audience would get THAT?) and Bobby Heenan’s in a ridiculous early ’90s “beach bum” get-up. Some douchebag fan has a whistle and they blow that sucker REPEATEDLY at certain points during the show.

The Nasty Boys: The Rocksteady & Bebop of the wrestling industry.

Corey Maclin is going solo today for this episode, taped from the Nashville Fairgrounds in Nashville, Tennessee.  The temporary switch out of the WMC-TV5 studio is nice because this venue is bigger and has more energy.  You can also see cigarette smoke wafting from the crowd on numerous occasions too as this was a time before indoor smoking bans.  And in a weird aesthetic, the promotion uses a white picket fence for a guardrail.

Lance Russell and Dave Brown call today’s action from the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee

Brown interviews Richard Lee, a longtime Tennessee manager to worked for Nick and George Gulas in the 1980s and then started working for Jerry Jarrett in 1985. He was best known for managing the Moondogs, who he hypes as the most violent team in the territory. On today’s show he is returning after being gone for three years and brings with him Moondog Cujo, a man he claims is going to bring more violence to the USWA.

Lance Russell and Dave Brown are reunited in the booth for today’s show from the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee.

Russell interviews Downtown Bruno, who complains about what Doug Gilbert and Miss Texas have done to Brandon Baxter over the last few weeks.  Bruno says that he will be taking Baxter’s place as an ally of Smoky Mountain Wrestling.  He also complains about the recent treatment of Bob Armstrong.  This brings Armstrong out and he shakes Bruno’s hand before running down the USWA.  Armstrong hypes his son Jesse James and Tracy Smothers as his biggest weapon.

The set of announcing musical chairs continues on this week’s telecast with Dave Brown and Corey Maclin calling the action from the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee.

Lance Russell is back in the studio this week, calling the matches with Dave Brown.  They are broadcasting from WMC-TV5 in Memphis, Tennessee.

Russell interviews the Heavenly Bodies and Brandon Baxter.  Dr. Tom Prichard says that the Bodies are not happy that PG-13 is getting a crack at the WWF Tag Team Championship this week in Memphis.

Doug Gilbert delivers a promo vowing to win the USWA Southern Heavyweight Championship on today’s broadcast.

Dave Brown and Corey Maclin are today’s announce team and they are calling the show from the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee.

Lance Russell and Dave Brown are back in the booth and they are calling the action in the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee.

Russell talks with Jesse James Armstrong, who is not happy that Randy Hales has suspended his friends in SMW.

Lance Russell and Dave Brown call the action from the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee.

Lance Russell and Dave Brown call the action from the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee.

A video package hypes Brian Christopher, who must be on the verge of returning to action after a shoulder injury.

The regular team of Lance Russell and Dave Brown are calling the action and they are broadcasting from the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee.

Lance Russell and Dave Brown are continuing their regular commentary duties from the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee.

(Based on comments, it seems like the Blog is favoring SMW in its feud with the USWA.  SMW’s TV is missing most of this inter-promotional feud because of its taping schedule, sadly)

Lance Russell and Dave Brown are in the booth and they are broadcasting from the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee.

Russell interviews Tracy Smothers, who runs down the USWA.  He repeats a lot of the same talking points that he used last week.