The careers of Murdoch and Rhodes were oddly parallel. In 1973, Murdoch turned babyface in Amarillo after a falling out with fellow heel Buck Robley. At around the same time, Rhodes also turned babyface in Florida after a falling out with Gary Hart's stable of heels. Both men suddenly erupted into unprecedented popularity. Rhodes's popularity went national, and he stayed babyface virtually everywhere for more twenty years. Murdoch's career was more conventional. He became enormously popular on the Amarillo circuit, but in other territories he played face or heel as needed. Both Outlaws became bookers. Both spent long stretches of their careers feuding with J.J. Dillon and the men he managed.

The two reprised their team occasionally through the years. For example, in 1980, they entered a loaded tournament in Kansas City for the vacant Central States tag belts, defeating the Funks before losing to the eventual winners, Bruiser Brody and Ernie Ladd. And in 1987, Rhodes brought Murdoch into the Crockett promotion, where the two were allies, then enemies, then allies again.

Rhodes was slated to return to Amarillo near the end of the promotion's life. By that time Rhodes had been an NWA champion (the fact that he lost the belt because of the evil machinations of Terry Funk was not mentioned in Funk country). He was one of the biggest draws in the country, and fans here had seen him on cable TV from Atlanta. Murdoch had become co-owner of the Amarillo promotion. Rhodes was coming in to help Murdoch against the man who had caused Rhodes to turn years before, Gary Hart, and his team of Professor Toru Tanaka and Mark Lewin. The Outlaws would ride one last time in Amarillo, facing Hart's men in a bunkhouse match. But Rhodes missed a flight, and in the end it was Tanaka and Lewin against Murdoch and Dory Funk Jr., who has to be the least disappointing last-minute substitute in history.

After Murdoch and company had gone out of business, Terry Funk promoted some cards here, and one of these provided what seems to have been Rhodes's last match in Amarillo. He battled Ric Flair for the NWA title in the main event. Murdoch was on the card too, wrestling Dick Slater for the Southwest Heavyweight title, then returning for a battle royal at the end of the night. Murdoch was the last man Andre the Giant pitched out on his way to victory. 

Comments? Email me: ggrice@pressenter.com 

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Dory Funk Jr., Cyclone Negro, and fishbowl full of silver dollars.