Skandor Akbar:  Akbar relied more on his stable to garner heat, but still was a hated manager with stars like Kamala and the Missing Link early in 1985.  Akbar’s best run was against Hacksaw Jim Duggan in 1985, and in late 1986 when his Devastation Inc held the UWF title and the tag belts at the same time. 

Eddie Gilbert:  His love affair with Missy Hyatt, both on and off the screen generated good heat all across the UWF, and in Houston as well.  His peak was in mid-late 1986, when he was feuding with Watts, Link, and the Fantastics.  Hyatt and Hot Stuff Intl. was a great stable for Houston.

The Sheepherders:  They had memorable matches against DiBiase and Williams, and the Fantastics, including a memorable match at the Coliseum with Jack Victory against the Fantastics and Terry Taylor.  Their heat was generated mainly in Houston due to their nationalistic personas, but fans wanted to see them get beat…badly.

Dick Murdoch:  His heel turn against Butch Reed actually helped Ted DiBiase’s memorable face turn in 1985.  His run against DiBiase, and in tag teams with Masked Superstar against DiBiase and Steve Williams generated plenty of excitement and heat with fans in Houston. 

Some of the Worst: 

Not everyone bats 1000, and not even Bill Watts and Paul Boesch can come up with all winners all the time.  Here’s a look at a few of the worst of the worst.  However, it is an honest short list, due to the fact that for the most part, Houston Wrestling was so excellent. 

Worst Face:

Al Perez-Wendell Cooley:  In the wake of the departure of the Rock-n-Roll Express, Perez and Cooley came in the area around the same time, and actually won the Mid-South tag titles.  But they couldn’t get over with crowds, even the Houston ones.  When Perez and Cooley lost the belts, and lost a stipulation match that made them were spandex and Air Jordan tennis shoes, the crowds cheered!!!

Master G:  In the wake of another departure, that of the Junkyard Dog, George Welles became “Master G,” the new face to battle Butch Reed.  Try as he might have, Welles could not replace JYD in the hearts of the fans, and would later leave for a quick stint in the WWF.

The Snowman:  In mid-1985, The Snowman was hot, and was the TV champion.  However, he quickly left the area, and was a poor replacement for Reed or JYD.  Snowman would resurface years later in Memphis, but was never able to get over in Houston.

Worst Feuds: 

Freebirds vs. Devastation Inc.:  Not even the great mic work of Michael Hayes, and the ring work of Terry Gordy could save this dog of a feud.  What a difference three years makes!!  In late 1983-4, the Freebirds had a mini-feud with Devastation Inc. in World Class, with much greater success, and crowd reactions.  However, the Angel of Death, the Viking, and Eli The Eliminator were not Kamala, Missing Link, or the Super Destroyers as far as charisma goes. 

Sad Moments:

The day the music died :May 3, 1985 :  For over a year, the Rock-n-Roll Express were the darlings of the Mid-South area, capturing the hearts of fans, and a few Mid-South Tag Team Titles along the way.  Their run at the top ended at the Sam Houston Coliseum at the hands of Ted DiBiase and Steve Williams.  While the Express would return off and on until mid-1986, they would never recapture the magic they once had in Houston.  (Some may argue that this should be in the best moment categoryJ)

The wrestling shot heard round the Bayou City:  April 1987:  When Bill Watts sold the UWF to Jim Crockett, he actually opened the door for Paul Boesch to switch allegiances to the WWF, due to his not keeping Boesch informed, and Crockett’s lack of communication.  In early April, Boesch took to the air, and shocked the viewing audience with his switch to the WWF, and WWF programming. 

A new “world” champion crowned…but does anyone care?:  After Paul Boesch and Joe Blanchard had a promotional falling out, Blanchard decided to invade Houston on his own, and brought out his biggest guns for a one night “world” title tournament at the newer, more vast Summit in Houston.  Lou Thesz would present the winner with not only the world title belt (which looked uncannily like the NWA belt of the time), but also the belt that he wore for a majority of his career.  Despite an undercard that included a Gino Hernandez-Tully Blanchard war, and Terry Funk, Adrian Adonis and Bob Orton, the card barely drew 1700 people, and Blanchard lost serious money.

Duggan scares the crowd during the UWF tournament:  The way the tournament was booked was good to get Duggan out of the championship and into a feud with One Man Gang.  But one bad moment is when Duggan was ran into the ring post, and he failed to hit the post with his hand, and did with his head!!  Duggan’s head hit an exposed bolt, and legitimately hurt the number one babyface in the UWF at the time.  And to think, it could have been worse!!

This concludes this series, but I know we have left out a ton of great and not-so-great stuff.  Maybe in the future, we can revisit these lists, to see what we can add to the best…and the worst!! 

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