WWE 24/7 MIDGET REVIEW

Hati Kid v. Butch Cassidy 12/30/85

TKG: So I'm watching this WWE 24/7 on demand MSG show. Second match on the show is a surprisingly good B Brian Blair vs. Jim Neidhart 15 minute draw. Immediately after that there is a Jose Louis Rivera v. Hercules Hernandez match where Hercules works so loose it feels like almost a rib. Follows that up with a Poffo vs. Adonis match, a Hogan vs. Savage match and a Tony Atlas vs. John Studd match. so eight matches in and its time for the midget match. Haiti Kid is short dwarf like guy in black trunks and ridiculous house slippers. Butch Cassidy looks like a 14 year old Mathew Lesko. The ref appears to be only a couple inches taller than Cassidy and they work this match pretty straight, with maybe one comedy spot. Early parts of this are all Cassidy bumping as Haiti won't leave his feet. Haiti does do lots of Kevin Sullivan inspired midget strikes and one weird midget put opponent on head and spin him spot. Nasty chops to neck, shots to the sides, and encephalitic skull head butts (with both front and side of head). Cassidy runs Haiti into one corner and goes after him with elbow strikes throws him into opposite corner follows up with knees. And Cassidy gets a run of offense where he starts throwing suplexes and they do a "what will it take to put him away" section. I spent the first part of match thinking that haiti Kid couldn't leave his feet but FUCK. Haiti does this really great eat of a drop kick where Haiti leaps up so he can eat the dropkick right in the belly, folds himself in half and hen drops. Haiti's finishing run of offense is awesome lucharific finish, where he goes for Atlantida into this leg takedown roll up. The 80s WWE DVD set really should have included this as spotty as Hart vs. DK, just cooler spots and better execution.

PAS: This really was almost a mixed match, as Cassidy is a midget but Hati Kid is a dwarf. In Mexico one would be in the Micro's division and one would be a mini. Cassidy would have had a great lucha run as AAA gringo mini throwing silver dollar sized tortillas at the audience, as he ate all of Hati kids athletic spots really well, and also had a bunch of fun offense of his own. Tom mentioned all of the suplexes, but my favorite bit of Cassidy offense was a beautiful looking amateur take down. I also loved all of the announcing, as Gorilla and Lord Al Hayes got all pensive and nostalgic for the midgets no longer with us.