The feud between The Batten Twins and Sheik Abdullah The Great and the people that he managed/wrestled in tag team matches with had been going on for months. The Battens had bested Abdullah and his partners of Akio Sato and Tarzan Goto in several matches. On January 1, 1986 in St. Louis, Brad and Bart Batten defeated the team of Sheik Abdullah and Akio Sato. The next night in Kansas City, The Battens again defeated Abdullah and Sato. On January 9, 1986, Bart Batten defeated Sheik Abdullah. On January 12, 1986 in St. Joseph, Missouri, Sheik Abdullah defeated Bart Batten in an “Iranian Death Match.” On January 16, The Battens defeated Abdullah and Tarzan Goto. 

On January 21 in Lincoln, Nebraska, The Battens defeated Mr. Pogo and Tarzan Goto. On January 23 in KC, Sheik Abdullah defeated Bart Batten.

On February 6 in Kansas City, The Batten Twins and Rufus R. Jones defeated the team of Sheik Abdullah, Tarzan Goto and Akio Sato. On February 13 in Kansas City, Brad Batten defeated Tarzan Goto in singles action, and Crusher Jerry Blackwell teamed with (midget star) Little Mr. T to defeated Akio Sato and Sheik Abdullah by disqualification in a mixed tag team match. On February 20, 1986, The Battens defeated the team of Akio Sato and Sheik Abdullah, and the tag team titles were held up. The Battens defeated the team of Sato and Abdullah on February 27, 1986 in Kansas City, so presumably in that match the Battens regained the titles. On March 1, 1986 in Muskogee, Oklahoma, Tommy Wright defeated Tarzan Goto, Sheik Abdullah defeated Ric McCord, and the team of Bulldog Bob Brown and Kevin The Magnificent (AKA Nailz, Thor or Kevin Kelly) defeated The Batten Twins.

On March 6, 1986 Brad Batten met Sheik Abdullah The Great in a Texas Death Match. Brad was announced as being one half of the Central States Tag Team Champions, so they had regained the held up belts by then for sure (which adds credence to 2/27/1986 being the day they regained the belts). Rick Stewart and Kevin Wall are doing the commentary and David Nevins is the Referee.

Brad Batten and Sheik Abdullah lock up collar-and-elbow style and Abdullah backed Brad into the corner. Brad with two forearms and he is ready to fight and he says “C’mon” to Sheik Abdullah. They lock up and Batten is backed into the ropes. Abdullah throws a punch and Batten blocks it and throws a punch of his own.

Rick Stewart says the following about Texas Death Matches “the all time record, I believe, is held by “Iron” Mike DiBiase and Dory Funk, Sr. One Hour and 44 minutes, sixteen falls in their Texas Death Match.” (Anyone know of another match that went longer and/or had more falls?)