DVDVR Puerto Rico 80s Set: The Rock n Roll RPM's vs. The Zambuie Express (3/29/86)

Disc 2, Match 8: The Rock n Roll RPM's vs. The Zambuie Express (3/29/86)

This had a little more meat to it than the previous RPM's match. We've seen some Leroy Brown in the Classics Houston footage lately. I hadn't realized then that he later on became Elijah Akeem. He was limited but effective then, in the late 70s, a good act after his babyface turn with the early use of music (and another guy more over than Dusty in Houston). I've never had strong opinions of the Zambuie Express. They're the sort I would have had little time for when I was a kid and haven't reevaluated. I should say that I do have a soft spot for Mike Davis, though. I grew up on Global as much as anything else, even if only for a year (it being on every day made it feel like more than that), and he was a memorable part of it.

This was a lot of what you'd expect it to be. The size differentiation helped, because it let them fall even further into the traditional formula, and allowed for the RPM's to pick up even more sympathy. They were using quick smart tags early on to contain the Express. It all felt earned enough. They built the heat up by having Davis draw the ref and the Express double team, which was all the more nefarious due to their size advantage. The hot tag came after a missed charge exactly like it should have.

So it was by the numbers, but the numbers added up, and the crowd ate it up. The pop for the underdog win was huge. If you told me that this was Mike Davis' greatest single moment in wrestling, just being able to bask in that pop and the adulation that came along with it, I would absolutely believe you. And hey, the finals were still to come!