Sorry got behind in posting this to Cageside Seats. Days 3 and 4 were matches with the Killer Bees (kinda).
Demolition vs Killer Bees - 5/18/87 - MSG
Killer Bees vs. Demolition
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VR: Been putting off watching this. Not the biggest fans of the Bees and 87 Demolition usually feels off. But I decided to watch.
Demolition don't have Fuji with them for this. Killer Bees dominate the first half of the match. Its that supposed bizzaro heel in peril format certain types gripe about. But its good solid tag work from the Bees. First working over Smash's knee before Ax tags in
and his knee gets worked over. Ax does a great job selling his leg being hurt. While B.Brian Blair does a nice looking figure four. Ax can't even walk at this point.
This is very unusual for a Demolition match as they did not put up with this nonsense by the end of the year. They get the advantage when Smash drops the big elbow on Blair while he keeps Ax in the figure four.
Now Demolition are firmly in control. But its still not quite Demolition. Very little clubbering. Just keeping Blair grounded with a head twist and a painful looking Chin lock. By 88 Demos really mixed it up in matches.Ax has a look of sadistic glee once he gets back in the ring.The good thing about the old WWF was they had a great tier system where guys had time to figure out what works and what does not. Before getting the really big push and without getting labeled a jobber.
Really neat spot where Blair leap frogs over Smash and does a backslide. Going with this thing where Blair keeps trying to get the quick win instead of the tag. Great sequence of Demolition working over Blair.
Blair takes a page out of Tito Santana's book with the flying Beerito and tags in Brunzell. Brunzell hits the best dropkick ever. A dropkick like that should be a finisher. He rolls up Smash but gets kicked in the head as the Demos switch places for the win. The Bees are hoisted by their own petard.
Demolition are still a work in progress at this point. Lots of unDemolition stuff here. Not much clubbering and too much faces on offense. Later in the match it bugged me how often Blair was whipped into his side of the ring. Something prime Demolition would ever do.
Still a really solid tag team match.
MD: This is one weird match and I can't say I love it as a whole. There are some specific parts that I think are great though and I want to talk about those. Yes, the Bees are on top for the first half of the match but it doesn't bug me in the least. In this case, it's not just just formula or "warming the crowd up" as people sometimes claim with WWF tags from the 80s. It's actually the story of the match and it's a smart one. The Bees come in with a killer strategy. They're going to work on the legs of Demolition. And when Smash makes it out after they work on his legs for a while, they immediately put Ax in a double spinning toe-hold and it's completely believable when the legwork continues. I do wish that it played a bit more of a role in the second half of the match, though. In general, though, of all the heel Demolition matches I've seen so far, there haven't been many where the faces really went after a bodypart like this. Once again, Demolition works a completely different style of match. I shouldn't be surprised at this point.
They did a great job of wearing down Blair in the second half of the match though there's some stuff like the extended chin lock that you don't usually get out of Demolition matches. The finish is great as the Demos do a switch of their own with Ax keeping his face buried in the mat so the ref can't tell he's not Smash. A taste of the Bees own medicine.
Demolition vs. SD Jones-B. Brian Blair
Uploaded by rland1987. - Classic TV and last night's shows, online.Demolition vs S.D. Jones & B. Brian Blair Ontario 6-1-87 http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xb4156_de...blai_shortfilms
MD: This is the SD Bees, B. Brian Blair and S.D. Jones (wearing bee pants). Apparently Brunzel is sick with the flu. It's a PTW match that aired the next month. The crowd seems into the fact they get to see a goofy version of the bees, but the announcers smartly point out that there will be no quick-switch shenanigans tonight. Not even the shoddy and corrupt WWF officiating would be fooled tonight. Well... maybe Joey Marella.
Blair starts out quickly. He's been up against the Demos a few times by now and knows he's at a disadvantage without his usual partner. Most of it barely phases Ax and when Smash comes in, he tags to SD and they start doing frequent tags and going after the arm. Even at this point, there's the sense of the inevitable. The faces are keeping control however they can. It's nice to note that whenever they're going for a doubleteam, Smash isn't just standing around waiting for it like a lot of guys do. He's struggling and trying to get out. After a few minutes, Blair makes a mistake, Ax gets in a cheapshot from the outside and the Demos take over.
Quick tags. Lots of clubbering. Keeping Blair in their corner. Eyerakes if he starts to fight back. Demos in control. A choke on the top rope brings SD in only to distract the ref allowing for more double teaming. Heel tactics galore. Blair fights out of a neckvice/chinlock and hits a sunset flip only for Ax to beautifully tag Smash in on the way down. Great timing and execution. The clubbering continues with Blair cut off at every opportunity. Both the crowd and SD are getting hotter and hotter at this point. Like in the May Bees match, Blair hits the Flying Forearm but this time the Demos are ready for it, with Smash slowing him down long enough for Ax to come in and distract the ref so he misses the tag. But Blair will not give up and a few moments later, a mistake by Ax allows him to make the hot tag.
SD comes in and fights off both guys, with Blair recovering enough to join in. Blair and Ax go to the outside while SD gets smash into a sleeper in the ring. Blair's too beaten down at this point, however, and Ax is able to get back into the ring and just crush SD with his killer clothesline from behind. In 1987-88, no one gets up from that and the Demos pick up the win. I wasn't sure what to expect from this match giving the makeshift subbing but it was actually pretty good. SD and Blair worked well together early on and SD played the irate face on the apron role well too. Blair took a real beating and the finish was well executed. Good match.
VR: Special Beeliverly vs Demolition June 87
This match was suppose to be the Killer Bees vs Demolition. But Brunzell was doped up or dieing or something. So we get SD Jones as an honorary Killer Bee for the night.
The match starts with Ax clubbering Blair and this is the Demolition we know and love. Blair fires back so Ax tags in Smash. With Blair tagging in SD. I get the feeling that Blair was really reluctant to tag SD. Both in a shoot and story context.
SD tries running over Smash with a shoulder block but no go. Tries again with similar results. This time he hit a big coco butt and that stuns Smash. SD tags back in B.Brian Blair. Blair trips getting in the ring. The ropes are really loose. Blair and Jones try for some Killer Bee esque double teaming, but they are not really a smooth team.
Demos get the advantage and from here really work over Blair. This is more a Demolition match. Demos working over Blair with clubbering and some chinlocks. More a head wrench really. When Demollition does this it looks like they are trying to twist the guys head off.
Lots of good solid tag work here. They cut off the hot tag a few times. One time SD helps by running in to help Blair. Which i think was done to show SD and Blair are not a regular team.
Blair finally gets the hot tag and SD goes after Smash while Blair jumps AX. SD puts Jones in the sleeper while the ref forces Blair to his corner, giving AX the chance to clothesline him in the back of the head for the win.
Im not going to sit here and say this was a great match or even very good. But its a good solid match and would of been really bad against any other team in the world.