WCCW Thanksgiving Star Wars, Dallas, TX
Request via Ko-fi. The Von Erichs-Freebirds war is still roaring toward the end of ’83, and here we’ve got Kevin taking on Terry Gordy in a singles match at Reunion Arena, about 19,000 in attendance. Same day, over in Greensboro, NC, about 15K in the building for the first Starrcade. But actually wrestling was not popular until Vince McMahon Jr and Cyndi Lauper–
Kevin was never the biggest or strongest or most popular of the Von Erichs, but make no mistake, he was a star in Texas, just like David and Kerry. David was the best wrestler, really, and Kerry the one with the most star appeal — particularly if you’re thinking outside of Texas and beyond just “Von Erich” making you a star — but Kevin was a scrappy, feisty guy, certainly no small man, but lean and athletically built, probably the best all-around athlete of the brothers, certainly the most agile.
Kevin works on the arm early, with Gordy overselling in an armbar, but overselling in a fun way, sort of a Curt Hennig thing, just very theatrical, playing for the cheap seats. He does more of that type of work getting himself hung up over the ropes, and kicked off to the floor. So Gordy is sort of comically reeling early, letting the Dallas fans get fired up for Kevin’s dominance, showing this Georgia fuck what’s for.
There’s a bit where Gordy wins a test of strength, but Kevin comes back up on him with a dropkick and an armdrag takeover into another armbar, and the crowd are just nuts for Kevin in a basic comeback on the third match of the show. We don’t make wrestling crowds like this anymore. Never will.
Kevin gets the claw on but Gordy quickly shoves him to the corner to break, but any advantage doesn’t last long because Kevin crossbodies for two and then another armdrag into armbar. Finally, Gordy gets a little in, clipping Kevin with a clothesline and then dropping him over the top rope, and then going into a chinlock, which Bill Mercer calls a “double head hold,” which is certainly a thing you can say. I love Bill Mercer, but he was not an Excalibur type. But he did say “sleephold,” which now I refuse to not say.
Kevin is elbowing out quickly, then slips out of a slam attempt and drops Terry over the top rope by the throat. But when he goes up top, Terry tries to cut him off, only for Kevin to just punch him in the head. Kevin misses a dropkick, and Gordy goes for the Oriental Spike, missing and slamming his thumb into the mat. Kevin with the claw, but Gordy throws him over the top, but only to the apron, so it’s not a DQ, or because Bronko Lubich doesn’t want to bother.
Gordy up top, gets his balance, but misses a kneedrop or whatever. Kevin off the ropes with a running splash, but Gordy gets his knees up. After the five minutes of Kevin dominance, nobody can get a real upper-hand here. And that’s how a lot of Von Erich matches went in Texas. They really didn’t work from behind or have to come back a lot. Most of their sympathy seemed to be built in non-match stuff, attacks after matches and what have you. And Kevin wins with a turnaround crossbody from the top.
And just like that, here comes bald Buddy Roberts, but Kevin takes him down very quickly. Gordy has a cowboy boot and hits Kevin in the head, so as usual, here’s where a Von Erich actually takes some licks, as they get a 2-on-1 on Kevin when it doesn’t count, and they stomp on Kevin’s hand until Kerry and David hit the ring to chase the Freebirds off. This is not really normal booking, but it’s part of why World Class worked so well when it was hot. Fans knew the Von Erichs were really the best, because when it was fair, they won. You had to cheat extensively or get some horrendously lucky break to beat them. But they’d take their shots between the matches to keep things hot. It was also unusual because you just don’t have much by way of fan connection like the Texas fans had with the Von Erichs. That doesn’t happen basically anywhere else. Bruno in New York, CM Punk in Chicago, Bret in Canada, Hogan, Austin, Rock in most places at their peaks — yeah there’s a loyalty and love, but it’s not truly the same. Motherfuckers in Texas were including the Von Erichs in their dinner and bedtime prayers and shit. It was another level.
Anyway, the match is alright, nothing special. Like most World Class it works best in the context of the entire show and the entire run of shows around it for, jeez, a couple years, really.
Tape Machines Are Rolling 
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