This week’s “Rewind-Mania” match featured Dusty Rhodes and Bruiser Brody, from the Sam Houston Coliseum in Houston on Aug. 11, 1978.
By 1978, “The American Dream” had become the sensation of the nation. Rhodes was the most charismatic man in professional wrestling and well on his way to capturing the sport’s most coveted prize—the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
Bruiser Brody was professional wrestling’s resident wild man. He was also a champion, having beaten Fritz Von Erich for the NWA American Heavyweight Championship—which was defended in both the Dallas-based promotion, Big Time Wrestling, and the Gulf Athletic Club.
This match took place in the latter promotion, which was run by Paul Boesch and colloquially referred to as Houston Wrestling.
Boesch is the play-by-play analyst in this best two-out-of-three falls, non-title bout.
The match began with Brody and Rhodes engaging in a collar and elbow tie up. Brody forced Rhodes into the corner, but “The American Dream” managed to escape with his patented jabs, forcing Brody to retreat.
Brody returned to the ring and delivered a bellowing chop to Rhodes’ chest. Rhodes responded in kind with a Bionic Elbow, dropping Brody to the mat.
Afterwards, Rhodes gives the crowd a little shimmy and taunts Brody—demonstrating his trademark magnetism. That’s what’s so fascinating about this match. The brief interstices between the action are filled with moments like this, or in more serious instances, where Rhodes is jaw-jacking with Brody. Rhodes’ showmanship and flair for the dramatic was infectious.
Getting back to the action, Brody forced Rhodes’ back to the ropes and landed a barrage of kicks, but Rhodes responded with a series of jabs and another Bionic Elbow—forcing Brody to retreat into the crowd to recover.
Brody’s selling here is phenomenal. Not only does he expertly register the damage that he’s incurred, but during the 10 count he seemed both bewildered and furious.
From the Archives
- ‘Rewind-Mania’: Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart vs. ‘Big Daddy Cool’ Diesel
- ‘Rewind-Mania’: Pat O’Connor vs. ‘Nature Boy’ Buddy Rogers for the NWA world title
- ‘Rewind-Mania’: Ric Flair vs. Mike Jackson on Superstation WTBS from Aug. 30, 1986
After Brody returned to the ring, Rhodes briefly retained control of the match, until he’s stunned by a punch to his diaphragm—allowing Brody to seize control of the affair.
Brody landed a flurry of elbows, kicks, and knee drops—leading to him pinning Rhodes to claim the first fall.
Brody feverishly waited for Rhodes to re-enter the ring, jawing with the fans facing the hard camera. Meanwhile, Rhodes snuck around the ring and blindsided Brody—peppering him with elbows and punches—then tossing him through the ropes and onto the floor. Rhodes followed him outside, retrieved a 2×4 from under the ring, and struck Brody with the plank of wood.
Rhodes deposited Brody back in the ring and punctuated the second fall with an emphatic elbow drop.
“The American Dream” was bristling with energy once the third fall began—shimmying between every Bionic Elbow and shoulder tackle.
Desperately trying to halt Rhodes’ momentum, Brody wisely engaged in a collar and elbow tie up—giving himself an opportunity to regain control of the affair with a few haymakers of his own. Brody dropped Rhodes with a huge boot, but “The American Dream” refused to concede; stunning Brody with a jab and sending the behemoth crashing into the ropes.
Rhodes tried to continue his assault, but Brody reflexively threw him over the top rope—resulting in Brody’s disqualification.
Reminder
If you’d like to recommend a match for me to review on “Rewind-Mania,” please email me at [email protected].
While it may seem arbitrary today, back then it was customary for promotions to forbid wrestlers from throwing their opponents over the top rope.
From a distance, this match may seem rather mundane. It’s a best two-out-of-three-falls match, with no title on the line, that lasts a little under 15 minutes from bell-to-bell. Bruiser Brody’s performance wasn’t particularly remarkable either, at least from an offensive standpoint.
However, the featured attraction here is Dusty Rhodes, who was at the peak of his powers in this contest. “The American Dream” was the most beloved babyface in the world and his magnetism was on full display.
To his credit, Brody does a terrific job of selling for Rhodes in this contest—harmonizing with Rhodes’ idiosyncrasies and ostentatious approach to pro-wrestling.
Rating: ***¾
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