Classic Portland Wrestling Disc 1: Part 2

This is a famous match because it is the impetus for the legendary Rose/Piper feud.

4/7/79 8 man tag elimination match:The heels, Buddy Rose, Ed Wiskowski. Tim Brooks, and Roddy Piper vs the baby face team of Hector Guerrero, George Wells, Ron Starr and Adrian Adonis:
Roddy Piper plays the bagpipes to rile up the fans. The bout starts with Roddy Piper
and Hector Guerrero in the ring(these two were familiar with each other from Pipers days in Southern California) The two lock up, Guerrero executes a hip toss and a rolling head scissors, Piper rolls out of the ring to regroup. Piper gets in and tries to return the favor he gets the hip toss, but misses the rolling head scissors. Guerrero takes over. Guerrero splashes Piper off the ropes and then applies and arm bar. Guerrero then tags in George Wells. Wells works on the arm with a couple of leg drops and then tags in Starr who continues the attack on the arm. Starr tags in Adrian Adonis Who comes in with a flying elbow drop off the top rope on too Pipers arm(these two would meet almost exactly 8 years later in front of 90,000 fans at Wrestlemania III). Adonis Tags Starr back in who continues the psychology of working on Piper's arm, Piper eventually is able to reach over and tag Buddy Rose. Starr executes three arm drags on Rose then Rose tags out to Wikowski. Wiskowski and Starr exchange punches. Star gets the better of the exchange. Wiskowski regroups and lands a knee and tries to whip Starr into the corner but Starr's Partner cushions his impact and Starr bounces out of the corner with a drop kick that floors Wiskowski, Starr then tags in George Wells. George wells does a leg drop on the arm. Wiskowski stumbles into the corner and Guerrero does some more work on the arm. Wells then applies an arm lock,but Wiskowski is able to make a tag to Piper who grabs a headlock and tries to punch Wells, but Wells no sells it and gives Piper a punch of his own that floors send him to the canvas. Piper finds himself in the wrong corner and receives punishment from Adonis and Starr. Starr tags in and lands a leg drop and a body slam, but Piper turns the tables with a thumb to the throat and then tags in Killer Brooks. Brooks throws Starr into the turnbuckles then does a snap mere and a leg drop and the applies a chinlock then he tags in Wiskowski who applies the same hold. The four heels then take turns tagging in and doing one offensive move then tagging out. Finally Brooks is back in the ring applying the chinlock. Starr fights out of the chinlock, but Brooks reaches Piper for a tag. Piper gets in some punishment but Starr reverses with a takedown and some punches but Piper is able to punch back and make a tag to Wiskowski who stomps on Starr. Starr gets up to his feet and the two exchange punches Starr wraps up Wiskowski in a cradle for a two count. Wiskowski gets up and tags in Rose. Starr gets a foot sweep and an arm drag on Rose and makes the HOT TAG two George Wells who starts to beat on the playboy, Piper tries to run in and help Wells knocks him out of the ring, Brooks runs in and get thrown out, Wiskowski runs in and get dropped kicked out, Brooks runs back in and gets dropped kicked out. Wells grabs Rose and lands a series of head butts executes a body slam and a splash off the ropes and goes fore the pin, but Wiskowski nails a flying head but off the second turnbuckle that knocks Wells silly and allows Rose to make the pin. This gives the heels the first fall and eliminates Wells for the evening.
Second fall: Not near as much back and fourth action in the second fall Rose and Adonis lock up Adonis ends up in the heel corner and gets pummeled. then their is a long heat segment on Adonis as all the heels tag in and beat on him as he periodically tries to drives threw his opponent into his corner. Finally he makes the HOT TAG to Hector Guerrero who cleans house on the heels and Pummels Piper until he goes for a pin, but he is to close to the heel corner and Brooks makes the save and pulls Guerrero into the heel corner where he takes a beating. From that point on Piper and Brooks tag in and out and beat on Guerrero until They double team him by throwing him into the air dropping him across their knees. Guerrero team tries to interfere to buy him some time but it's to no avail, he is still pinned by Piper.The fearsome foursome takes the second fall and Guerrero is done for the evening.
Third fall:Frank Bonnemma reminds us that this bout is too a TV TIME LIMIT. The fall starts with Roddy Piper and Ron Starr locking up. Starr gets in some punches, but Piper brushes them off and whips Starr into the ropes. Starr comes off the ropes and does a sunset flip for two. Piper tags in Brooks. Starr Greets Brooks with some hard punches. Killer Brooks stumbles into the wrong corner. Adonis Grabs Brooks while Starr executed and flying shoulder block. Then Starr executes a sunset flip and tags in Adonis. Adonis comes in and cleans house landing drop kics on every body. Brooks gets back up and Adonis and Brooks exchange elbows. adonis lands a chop and whips Brooks into the rope. Starr tags in and tries to back flip Brooks, Brooks grabs Starr's uppper body and pulls him down(I have never seen that before,I don't know if that was planned or a botched move) Brooks rolls over and ends up on top of Starr. Adonis retains the advantage for the babyface team as he is in with an elbow.Starr is back up and lands a couple punches and goes for a pin and get a two count.He then pick up Brooks and does a snap mere and tags in Adonis who whip Brooks into the ropes Brooks tries to come off with a drop kick but misses. Adonis goes for a spinning toe hold, but Piper breaks it up. Starr recovers and land some punches on Brooks followed by a side Russian leg sweep. Starr goes for the pin.
Wiskowski sails off the top rope trying to repeat the finish from the first fall. This time the baby face team get out of the way and Wiskowski knocks out his own partner. Starr quickly goes for the pin and gets the three count. Now there is dissension in the ranks. Brooks attacks Wiskowski as Rose goes after Piper. Rose throws Piper out of the ring. Wiskowski and Rose then do a streacher job on Brooks as
Rose hold Killer Tim while Wiskowski does a knee drop off the second rope onto Brook's neck. While Brooks is being carried out of the ring. Rose and wiskowski go to the interview area and complain that no one can get along with Piper and Brooks.
Then they say they are not going out for the next fall. Next We see Adonis and Starr in the ring Stirring up the crowd as Rose and Wiskowski reiterrate that they are not going back into the ring and are not going back to the dressing room where Roddy Piper is. Sandy Barr rings the bell and Rose and Wiskowski get counted out.

Interestling I find that Pro Wrestling is similar to other "real" sports like pro basketball. I see many NBA basketball player who are dynamic athletes, they can do amazing high flying rim rattling 360 slam dunks, but they can't execute simple passes that make thier team better. I see the same thing in Pro wrestling, guys who are tremendous athlete who can do spectacular eye popping moves, but can't do basic thing like throw punches and kicks that look credible. While their are exceptions to the rule, many of today stars are unable to transition from one move to the next in a way that makes sense

What makes the bout above great is not just the Roddy Piper turn. The fans add to the atmosphere buy constantly buzzing and being into the action all the way though. All 8 wrestlers work their tuchuses to put on a good show. Everyone in the bout had the ability to throw punches and kicks that looked credible. More importantly everyone involved did the little things that advanced the storyline and made themselves and their opponents look good.

If anyone out there is interested in seeing this classic action email Rich at
musicguy64@yahoo.com. Rich is a great guy to deal with.