Roddy Piper was one of my gateways into professional wrestling history. As a child, I gravitated towards his “greatest hits” compilation from Coliseum Video. Hell, the name of my podcast pays homage to his talk show, “Piper’s Pit.”
Piper was many things: hilarious, articulate, passionate, insidious, captivating. However, his true allure was his volatility—as if he could explode at a moment’s notice. Whether Piper was cracking a coconut over Jimmy Snuka’s head or accusing Bret Hart of wetting the bed, it was his unpredictability that made him so captivating.
Imagine my surprise when WWE Vault announced that they would be releasing a lost Georgia Championship Wrestling tape from the historic Omni, in Atlanta, featuring Piper’s first dog collar match.
His opponent was “Mad Dog” Buzz Sawyer, another early innovator of the dog collar match. While Sawyer’s success was minimal compared to Piper, the “Mag Dog” was a hot commodity for Georgia Championship Wrestling in the mid-to-early eighties, and later on for promotions like Championship Wrestling from Florida, Mid-South Wrestling, and World Class Championship Wrestling.
Like Piper, this was Sawyer’s first dog collar, at least according to Cagematch. So, neither man had yet perfected the art form. Nonetheless, this is an excellent contest, and one of the best matches committed to film in both men’s oeuvres.
In the early proceedings, both men seemed weary of the chain itself—as if it were a combustible element that they were afraid to trigger. Once they finally closed the distance, their hesitation dissipated, and the match began devolving into controlled chaos.
Sawyer gained control early in the affair, keeping Piper on the short leash. Once Piper began to mount his comeback, though, the blood really began to flow.
Piper wrapped the chain around his hand and split Sawyer’s head wide open with a punch. Then, he used the leash to drive Sawyer headfirst into the ring post, deepening the wound.
With Sawyer dazed, Piper began whipping the “Mad Dog” with the chain. At his wits end, Sawyer delivered a low blow to Piper—giving him a moment of reprieve. From there, Sawyer tried to hang Piper over the ropes with the leash, but Piper refused to submit. From there, both men exited the ring and began brawling outside.
Piper pulled Sawyer over the guard rail with the chain and began to batter the “Mad Dog” with punches. Once they returned to the ring, Sawyer was all but finished. Piper used the leash to reel Sawyer in for a few more big shots and then pinned him square in the ring.
Credit must be given where credit is due. I commend the WWE for bringing this previously unseen footage to light. Not only is this one of the better Piper matches committed to film, but it’s one of Sawyer’s best matches—and a launching point for two masters of the dog collar match.
This match excels in its simplicity. Even though this match is only 10 minutes long from bell-to-bell, Piper and Sawyer’s descent into madness is quick—while keeping an emphasis on the main attraction: the dog collar and steel chain that binds them. And, it’s that chain that will break them.
Despite the fact that this is each man’s first dog collar match, they seem like naturals. They hit all of the conventional spots that make dog collar matches unique spectacles, while still maintaining the mystique of a real brawl.
The real emphasis for me is Piper’s performance as a babyface. While Roddy sporadically played the role of a defiant hero throughout his career, he truly excelled as a heel. Here, he’s still an unpredictable maniac, but he does such a great job of rolling with the punches—building towards the investable catharsis.
All in all, this is a win for fans of wrestling’s past and a triumph for fans of Piper and/or Sawyer. I hope that WWE Vault will continue sharing the fed’s catalogue of unearthed footage—for the “sickos,” of course.
Support AFP
Share
