Roger Deem

Larry laid down the challenge so I responded with my list of bests.

Per the challenge laid down by Larry in his January 20 column, I am pleased to present some of the bests I ever saw. Rather than give a top ten list, I though I would separate entries by category.

SURPRISING STRAP SWITCH: I would have to call this one a tie. I was stunned when Dick "The Bruiser" won the Missouri laurels by totally dominating Dick Murdoch on July 14, 1978. But then I was just as flabbergasted when Ken Patera stopped Jack Brisco's second reign on October 23, 1981, after only two weeks as kingpin.

ROLLICKING REMATCH: After Brisco dropped the Missouri strap to Dick Slater in a rather unremarkable affair on August 12, 1977, the two staged an absolutely amazing return fracas the following October 28 which Slater won as well.

EMOTIONAL ERUPTION: For sheer fan reaction, I have to point to three losses suffered by Harley Race. The first came on January 19, 1073, as he lost the Missouri State Championship to Johnny Valentine. His second reign ended with almost as loud an outburst on April 23, 1976, when Bob Backlund stripped the belt from him. Finally, in a tape played for years (every time David Von Erich got another title shot), the Chase studio fans went bonkers on May 27, 1979, when David (and Dad Fritz, technically since it was billed as a handicap match) defeated a bloodied Race with the Iron Claw. Fans loved to see Harley lose!

DANDIEST DONNYBROOK: How about a 2/3 falls bout with nothing but disqualifications? On August 27, 1982, Harley Race and Dick "The Bruiser" left nothing in the cupboard and very little seating on the arena floor. The first fall ended in a double which was charged as a fall apiece and then another double DQ ended the contest (but not until Race had taken seven chair shots!

SCIENTIFIC SCRAP: It's tough to pick only one of the eight Jack Brisco/Dory Funk meetings, as they were all top notch. I will have to say my favorite came on April 19, 1974, when Jack won the only fall in the one hour time limit. I always regarded this as the fastest-paced of their duels and I thought Dory in particular was at his career best.

DORKIEST DEBUT: Bob Backlund had appeared on a tape from Amarillo and had come over very impressively, winning a six man tag elim after being left alone against three opponents. He made his Kiel debut the following December 5, 1975. I was really bewildered when entrenched mid-carder "Bulldog" Bob Brown was given the nod. The fact Bob gained a disqualification win over Harley Race in his next appearance and then topped the following card against Gene Kiniski makes his first match result even more curious.

MARVELOUS MANEUVER: Why is nobody doing this? Pat O'Connor would back an opponent into the corner, punch him in the gut, land an uppercut to his jaw and then apply a fabulous right cross with a tremendous followthrough. And watching someone like Harley race sell it, wow!

FABULOUS FINISHER: Though the rest of his style really did little for me, Bob Sweetan's jumping piledriver qualified as the place I least wanted to find myself. A close second would be under one of "Moose" Cholak's ring-shifting giant splashes.

RIDICULOUS RESOLUTION: A fellow named Hubert Gallant got a second match win over some jobber with the least convincing move I ever saw. While his opponent was on the mat, Gallant straddled his head, hooked his arms through his opponent's armpits and pulled, scoring a submission. Ring Announcer Larry Matysik, whose knowledge of wrestling maneuvers was about as good as one could get, had to cross to Hubert and ask him what he called that hold. All Gallant could come up with was something like the double arm stretch. I cannot remember the date, the time or the opponent--it was that kind of match.

That amazing hold was used by Hubert Gallant to defeat Buddy Wayne on May 21, 1976, in 7:07. I have it listed on result card as a "double shoulder stretch." Sounds like a physical therapy move. And for what it's worth, in the opener that night Ronnie Etchison used a Boston crab to defeat David Shultz, later to come to fame as an opponent for Hulk Hogan in the WWF and also for an attack of an ABC-tv announcer.

SCARIEST SQUASH: Ed Shaefer made the mistake of copying "King Kong" Brody's barking routine during a Chase outing against the Santa Fe monster. Five minutes later a battered and bloodied Schafer was holding the head Brody had just handed to him. Hard to call this a shoot, since Brody was loaded for bear and Shaefer never even had a chance to fire blanks.

BEST OF THE BEST: In my book, ST. LOUIS SNAPSHOTS, I detail a March 23, 1979, contest between Ted DiBiase and Dick Murdoch as the best wrestling bout I ever personally witnessed. Those wanting to know more can order a copy through this website!