Third Match: (second main event, 2/3 falls, 20 minute time limit) 

JJ Dillon, 240, Newark, NJ & Benny Romeo, 235, Phoenix, AZ vs. Spike Huber & Ted DiBiase 

A jobber tag team! Now, this is interesting – I know that JJ Dillon had a successful career and later was hugely famous with the Four Horsemen, but at this time he was just a pale skinny guy in a goofy looking singlet willingly bumping for Huber & DiBiase. Nobody in St. Louis knew who he was and he had zero heat. Benny Romeo was a true jobber in the more precise definition of the word. The match was great, though, as DiBiase won the first fall for his team at 9:04 with the figure four leglock. This knocked Benny Romeo out due to injury – causing Harley Race to come out and team with Dillon. All hell broke loose, culminating in a DiBiase-Race brawl, a real “donnybrook” according to Larry Matysik. This, of course, sold many a ticket to the next Kiel card, where Race and DiBiase were to face off in a singles match.  

Final Event (Most Falls to Curfew) 

Chief Thundercloud, 229, San Carlos, AZ vs. Bulldog Bob Brown 

The previous match, with all its excitement, was a tough act to follow. I will say that Chief Thundercloud did have a cool headdress. He was a bit more talented than the David Oswalds and the Ron Sextons, but not by much. He did have a bit more of a “look” – he was older, probably a journeyman in the business who had been around in a bunch of areas, with a bunch of gimmicks. The noble Chief and the Bulldog punched, kicked, and gouged each other until the Bulldog got the only fall and the match.

On the whole, this was a very good episode of Wrestling at the Chase. On a one hour, local, free show we saw – the NWA Champion Harley Race, Dusty Rhodes, and Ted DiBiase. 

On the jobber side we saw: David Oswald, Ron Sexton, JJ Dillon, Benny Romeo, and Chief Thundercloud.  

Harley, Dusty, and Ted DiBiase would not have been the stars they were without their willing and cooperative opponents. This was another long-gone aspect of the kayfabe days that I miss – the good old-fashioned squash. 

Thanks for taking the time to read this months’ article. Questions and comments welcome – see you on the board! 

NEXT MONTH: 

Sam’s NWA Promotion and Bruiser’s WWA Promotion: Working Together