WWE 24/7 SHORTIE

Cactus Jack v. Sabu ECW 12/23/95

PAS: This was during a period I was watching and following ECW pretty closely, and during a period where Cactus Jack was my favorite wrestler and Sabu was top 5, yet I have no memory of this match existing. I really wouldn't have figured that this would have held up as well as it did, but fuck, you kind of forget how much both guys used to rule. This was advertised as an Olympic rules match but, 911 comes out chokeslams the ref, and turns it into ECW rules, and man alive are both guys not afraid to die. Foley especially takes a huge beating, eating Arabian facebuster on the nose and eye, and getting Flair tossed to the floor. In an especially crazy moment, he does the hangman spot, which I always figure he dumped after Germany, but doesn't just do it, he has Sabu dive on to him so he slides out in the exact same way he slid out when he lost his ear. He turned losing his ear into a signature bump.

TKG: The whole Olympic rules gimmick amuses me as its essentially Cactus Jack vs. Sabu working same story as Bobby Hill v. Connie Souphanousiphone. Bobby and Connie worry about potentially embarrassing themselves or the other in an amateur rules match. They avoid that by working a "real" wrestling match. For fat guy who pathetically sees himself as a funny stand up comic, I find Bobby Hill not just more endearing but also funnier than Foley. As an actual wrestler...well that's the only Bobby Hill match I've seen and well I had forgotten how much fun Foley can be in this type of brawl. I'm not sure about the Khan, Khan Jr relationship vis a vis Sheik and Sabu...But Sabu is really facially young here, has nice punches and is the reason you used to watch Sabu matches. He hits this Arabian facebuster at almost a Yohshino speed. He lands hard and it looks brutal and Foley gets up and you have the whole great Sabu everything is out of control feel where you don't know what's deliberate and what isnt.

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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.

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