Dan Severn Has a Good Thing Going Now; Don't Do It

Dan Severn v. Chris Candido SMW 2/24/95 - GREAT

ER: This was really fun, different than the Tajiri/Blaze matches, this is more Candido working a pro style match against a crowbar, and then occasionally breaking down and trying to play his game. Early on Severn plants him with a big suplex and Candido bails to the floor, which is the proper reaction. But Candido is game and he'll play, and sometimes that goes well for him. Candido gets to lock on all sorts of painful stretch Plum variations, just jamming his palm into Severn's jaw and neck while yanking his arm in the other direction. Other times he'll grab a waistlock and Severn will just chuck him and grab his arm on the way down. At one point Severn tosses him across the ring with a belly to belly (and I love how we've now seen Severn use the ropes to set up his belly to belly, backing a guy in and then using the spring of the ropes to add momentum to his throw) and Candido gets up, shakes the cobwebs off, and punches him across the face. Candido was really good at overmatching Severn here, mixing up his attacks, dropping legs, even hitting a rana. A real satisfying match that nicely mixed pro style with some subs and throws.

PAS: I really liked Candido trying to bring the south to Severn. He slaps him in the face, runs out of the ring, and pearl harbours Severn when he comes back in, he pokes him in the eye, stomps him in the head and even hits him low. Candido knows in his heart he can't grapple with Severn so every time he loses a wrestling exchange he goes low. I really enjoyed all of Candido's grounded octopus holds, they looked nasty and I enjoyed how Severn powered out of them. I would have liked a better finish as the armbar kind of came out of nowhere, and Severn has been so good at violent impressive finishes. 

Dan Severn v. Benson Lee Steel City Wrestling 3/19/95 - GREAT

ER: Lee is a black belt karate guy who stuck to Pennsylvania indies, possibly working a son of Bruce Lee gimmick, and I'm really loving Severn as touring shooter bringing legitimacy back to the NWA title. It's a reverse Inoki, instead of bringing in wrestlers and black belts to beat, Severn just tours the nation throwing dudes across rings and choking them out. Lee is in full gi with kickpads and comes at Severn with low kicks. It doesn't last long as Lee throws a kick at Severn's liver, Severn deftly catches it and just HACKS downward on Lee's leg, dropping him with a fast single leg. Severn threw that downward strike like he was the bear in The Revenant, it looked so violent. Lee spent much of the time understandably scrambling towards the ropes when he was taken down. Severn backs him into the ropes and launches him across the ring with a double underhook suplex, really a gorgeous throw. Lee makes a nice comeback as Severn charges and he catches him in the breadbasket with a kick, then throws a few more as Severn gets to his feet, including a running sidekick right to the gut that  buckles Severn. It leads to an awesome moment of Lee expertly aiming to lock in a dragon sleeper, and Severn responds by violently snapmaring his way out of it. And he turns that snapmare into a monster of a gutwrench suplex, getting incredible arc and immediately locking on the armbar. Killer little mid 90s shootstyle in a high school gymnasium. You can picture John Darnielle writing an evocative song about it.

PAS: I am questioning the legitimacy of that Benson Lee black belt, his karate looked very Eric Bischoffish. My god though 2 minute Dan Severn maulings are my new favorite thing in wrestling, it is like watching Youtube clips of Tyson fights. When Severn catches Lee's kick and rips down on it, it looked like it should have shattered Lee's knee cap. If I was Lee I would have rolled out of the ring, walked straight to my Toyota Tercel and driven home. Lee's little Dragon sleeper was cute, but Severn countering that with the worlds most violent snap mare right into a gutwrench suplex was awesome. Call the EMTs.


COMPLETE AND ACCURATE DAN SEVERN