Superstar Graham vs Dusty Rhodes (WWWF - 9/26/77)

I will heel turn here. Thought this was good not great. I think Superstar is much better foil for Bruno whereas Superstar & Dusty is like watching Coke wrestle Pepsi, too similar. I don’t think this has the grandeur and heat of Superstar vs Bruno. My hang up is more with Dusty. Good match. Funny that I am not sure Cody has as clear of an angle to the past two Mania’s if his Dad didn’t go into business for himself in 1977 and pose with the belt. lol. Dusty gonna Dusty and ended up giving his kid a huge boost 46 years later. Crazy.

WWWF Heavyweight Champion Superstar Billy Graham vs Dusty Rhodes - WWF MSG 9/26/77

Apparently, I have this before a bunch because this made the Dusty Rhodes WWE DVD set, but I could have sworn I watched the Texas Death Match (2nd) and Bullrope Match (3rd). I am sure of the Bullrope, but apparently it is the Texas Death match I have not seen because that made the Superstar DVD.

It is really interesting when you watch one wrestler consistently for a period of time and you really learn his tendencies and then watch as other bring different things out of him. You could feel much more Southern Style this is. There is a lot more action, but it also a lot more chaotic than a typical Graham match. Dusty is just throwing shit out there. You can really tell the difference between Southern Style and WWF style having watched a lot of Bruno and Graham. There is a certain rhythm to a Bruno or Graham match that I can appreciate. This match is much more hectic. Dusty never applies the same hold back on Graham. He does not do a Bearhug or a Full Nelson. Also because Dusty's thing is a boat load of Charisma you can tell Graham kind of scales it back in his bumping and stooging as this really becomes the Dusty show. The babyface shine blows Vince's mind as he cant believe the "rolly-pollie" Dusty is throwing Graham around. I agree it was an unexpected start, but Dusty doing all that booty-shaking makes me a happy man. We need more booty-shaking babyfaces. Graham lures him into a test of strength, but Big Dusty proves that Graham's muscles are for show and his muscles are for dough, BABY! Graham gets in some basic heel offense like chinlocks and stomps. Dusty just lets the Bionic Elbows fly! Graham applies a Bearhug, but Dusty revvs up and nails the Elbow. He misses a charging elbow into the corner. ARGENTINE BACKBREAKER! Now thats something different. Dusty escapes kicking off the top. A barrage of elbows follows! He misses on. Graham up top. PRESS SLAM OFF THE TOP! If that does NOT say Southern-Fried I dont know what does. Dusty keeps the elbows coming. Graham tries to fight back with an eye rake and Dusty back drops him over the top to win via Countout. It takes the ref forever to call it. Dusty really milks the Dusty Finish here. He is posing with the belt, he even puts it around his waist. One has to wonder what this to get Photos in the Magazines with him wearing the belt to drum up controversy and aggrandize his star. It was a very Dusty move. The crowd fucking loves him.

I think for most people this was probably their introduction to Superstar Graham. I dont think he is bad per se, but he is subdued. He is NOT the star of the show. He is the flip side of the same coin as Dusty. Whereas he and Bruno are both very charismatic but in different ways. I think Graham and Bruno really complement each other whereas Dusty & Superstar are redundant but it doesnt mesh quite as well. I thought this was a very uptempo match. Dusty brings not only a lot of charisma but a lot of energy. He was not fighting from underneath for long, this was a lot of Dusty on top. I feel like it was the Dusty show through and through. Not a bad thing per se, but not as much a blending of two styles like Mascaras more just the spotlight on Dusty. Solid match. Excited for the rematches. Like I said I knew I have seen the Bullrope, but I dont think I have seen the Texas Death match. ***