#46 – UWF Fantastics & Terry Taylor vs Sheepherders & Jack Victory May 25, 1986
We jump in the Dalorean and go all the way back to 1986 and the beautiful Tulsa Convention Center to review this awesome barbed wire cage match built with a few things we found at the opening of the beautiful new Wal-Mart in Covington, Louisiana. Grab your American flag, your biggest hand bag, some cut off shorts and let’s watch some rasslin’!
Great podcast as always, guys.
I had no freakin’ idea that the Bushwhackers started wrestling in 1964. Holy shit! I mean, that’s the same years the Beatles came to America (as you indicated). You know, it’s hard to believe that the Bushwhackers came out 5 years before Led Zeppelin. And in perspective, by the time the Eagles released Hotel California, the Bushwhackers had been wrestling for 14 FUCKING years! THATS INSANE.
I had no idea the history of the Sheepherders though. Interesting listen. And like you guys, I knew of them only via photos in Pro Wrestling Illustrated (same goes for Abdullah, Bruiser Brody, Great Kabuki, etc.).
Great job!
Word is the came to America to support the Republican Presidential candidate Barry Goldwater campaign.
Thanks for clarifying. I was told they came to work for Adlai Stevenson. Close enough though. Why do I get the feeling we are the only 2 people here who know who Goldwater and Stevenson are?
I used to read about the Sheepherders Fantastics rivalry in PWI back in the mid 80s. Those teams fought each other as much as any team did. I really appreciated the info on the Sheephearders history. Jook, you really did your homework on that one.
Terry Taylor was probably one of the most misused characters McMahon has ever had. His wrestling background, his potential for a five star match, and also his ability to take great bumps was extremely misused. He did a marvelous job in the smaller regions, like the UWF in his younger days, and then in his later years with Alexandra York in WCW(he was a legit TV champ, taking on all comers), but I think McMahon could have used him in a heel role similar to Ted DiBiase, and would have been sucessful.
I agree (as most pro wrestling fans probably do) that he was under-utilized in WWF, but he didn’t really have the look to make it as a headliner for them IMHO, and I’m not sure he even had the charisma that DiBiase had. That being said, he never had a chance with the Rooster gimmick.
Could be wrong, but I believe Johnny Ace was the only flag bearer for the Sheepherders. Ace is John Laurinaitis – Head of WWE Talent Relations and brother of Road Warrior Animal Joe Laurinaitis.
Rip Morgan was also a flag bearer, specifically in WCCW.
And Jack Victory started out in Mid South/UWF as their flag bearer.
Still listening, top work chaps — think you guys really have this down now.
Folling on from you two arguing over which of the Fantastics was more of a dish (I’d go for Rogers myself), is it just me who thinks that the remarkable thing about the Fantastics was that — unlike most of those Southern “heartthrob” teams — they were at least good looking? I mean it was at least semi-understandable why the women cheering and screaming. I say this because, and I hope you’re with me here, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express were FUCKING UGLY.
I mean both Gibson and Morton were what we here in the UK would describe as “total mingers”. Gibson even had a wonky eye.
Neither of them had great bodies, neither of them were pretty, so why were they marketed as sex symbols? And more importantly, why were the women cheering?
Both Fulton and Rogers at least had built up bodies, relatively handsome faces and TWO EYES THAT LOOKED STRAIGHT.
Here’s a picture of the Fantastics:
http://cdn3.iofferphoto.com/img/item/104/135/275/uZG0pk7R2qrRw5k.jpg
Look at that, oh my, hunky.
Here are the Rock and Rollers:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HQoBJqYA6YU/SSqmWsNA69I/AAAAAAAAAZ8/Bg5oIUyEO3Q/s320/rocknroll.jpg
Look at the bloody state on them!
That’s all,
JvK
Truer words have never been spoken. Amen brother.
I will take a guy in a shirtless bowtie over a guy in a stone washed denim jean jacket seven days a week and twice on Sunday.
New possible post-of-the-year. Yes, the RnR Express were ass ugly. So were the original Midnight Express. Stan Lane had something going for him.
I loved the history lesson on the Sheepherders/Bushwackers. They started in 1964? Incredible.
I thought the Fabulous ones were Steve Keirn and Jackie Fargo.
Jook, you wouldn’t make it to the ring for a barbed wire match because you’d sweat to death in those sweat pants and argyle sweaters.
I’m pretty sure it was Jackie Fargo who originated the “southern dance” you referred to. He called it the Fabulous Fargo Strut.
WWF’s answer to Crododile Dundee was Outback Jack, which pretty much failed miserably.
This was the first thing I listened to in my new truck. I am happy I was able to listen to something awesome! Thanks!
as reported on #47 – that is awesome.
I love you guys and feel that you are really hitting your stride. I am ashamed to admit it but I was an over the top fan of the Bushwhackers. Listening to this podcast made me reminisce about glossy WWF magazines ( I mentioned them once on here before) and matches that while low on work rate were entertaining to an eleven year old.
As a native Georgian and appreciator of old NWA-WCW, I would love to hear you guys review the Arn Anderson- Great Muta match of 1989 for the TV title. Muta was great during his run then and Arn and the rest of the Four Horsemen were still going strong in the days prior to Paul Roma and Mongo McMichael.
Also I want a sticker but refuse to use Itunes due to my dislike of Apple and the difficulty in navigating the site. If I were to leave feedback I would say ” Remember when wrestling was real even though it wasn’t? Remember when the One Man Gang went from biker to African seemingly overnight? Well if you do then you’ve come to the best site on the internet to listen to guys recap events that maybe you saw maybe you didn’t in a humorous way that is mostly safe for work and your kids while not making you feel like a window licker while you listen”
Good enough. Send us your address and we will mail your stickers. I will ask Butch and Luke to lick the stamp.
Muta was awesome in 89. Loved his stuff at the time.
A little bit of nitpicking here, but The Bushwhackers/Sheepherders were from New Zealand not Australia. Fun show and I’d like to hear you guys do some more territories, whether it’s World Class, AWA, Memphis or even some obscure ones like Savoldi’s ICW or Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling.
In the words of Gorrilla Monsoon, “the old school wrestling podcast is a fountain of misinformation.”
Not sure how I mixed that up, but like most Americans, I’m guessing it’s just our usual obliviousness to the rest of the world.
I’m hoping to do World Class soon. AWA is a rough one for me, but Memphis and ICW would be fun, but don’t have access to any of it besides random clips on YouTube. I’m really not familiar with Atlantic outside of Randy Savage’s affiliation with it.
Hey guys! I love listening to guys who seem to be discovering wrestling from Mid South & UWF. You need to review the Ted Dibiase/ Ric Flair match where Dick Murdoch jumps Dibiase before and after the match. It’s an amazing piece of business.
My first time to watch Ric Flair wrestle…Murdoch’s brainbuster on the concrete was allsome..
I don’t know where Dibiase’s blood flow is on the muta scale, but its one of the worst I had ever seen..
DiBiase used to bleed! Mid-south in general was a pretty bloody place.
Great show! Loved the breakdown of Jim Ross’ announcing. Sort of surprised he didn’t make a “he played football at the University of _____” comment in this match.
A friend of mine who grew up in Portland used to see The Sheepherders in the Pacific Northwest territory and was surprised to learn that they did such a cartoon-ish gimmick in the WWF. Prior to seeing them in UWF (around spring ’87 at a friends house in Vegas) I had only seen them and read about their crazy matches in the Apter mags.
Btw, Michael Hayes also had the Freebird Strut.