I decided to pick 1985 because it’s halfway between 1980 and 1990, and a lot of what happens in the second half of the decade is very familiar to wrestling fans. We get more Starrcades, the first WarGames, and some of the more famous stuff, like Flair and Dusty’s feud, Ron Garvin’s championship victory, and the rise of people like Barry Windham and Magnum T.A.

1985 is also a special year for Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. The promotion is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and it’s going to be a busy one, with the move onto TBS and the first Great American Bash still ahead.

I know some of the big matches from this period, but I’m curious about how everybody gets there. What was Magnum doing on an ordinary week before he became the guy we remember from the Tully feud? Who else was getting time on television, and did any of them look like they might become something bigger? There’s probably somebody here I’m going to get attached to who disappears after a month. That’s part of the fun of watching this stuff in order, although I reserve the right to get annoyed when it happens.

I plan to cover as many years as I can and maybe work my way back to 1980, provided I have access to enough footage online.

January 5 – A Change in ’85

Steve Casey vs. Joel Deaton. Casey is introduced as the British Empire champion, but the match is over before there’s enough time for the audience to really get a feel for him. He takes Deaton down with a fireman’s carry and finishes with a Samoan drop. It serves as a quick introduction and makes you want to see more of Casey. He moves well enough here that he really does pique your interest.

Magnum T.A. interview. Magnum arrives with a clear ambition: he wants Wahoo’s United States title. That gives the newcomer a place in the promotion’s hierarchy immediately. He has a target, and the audience can understand what he is asking for, even if the episode has not yet given him a chance to prove he belongs in Wahoo’s orbit. It’s also a very good babyface promo. Magnum talks about all the titles he’s won and how none of that can compare to the desperation of his opponents, who are in this profession to put food on the table for their families. I really love these “I’m better than you, but you want it more than me” humble ace promos.

The American Starship vs. The Infernos. Scott Hall (watch out! he’s a bad guy) and Dan Spivey (legit baad dude), working as Coyote and Eagle, beat the Infernos by finishing with Eagle’s full nelson. There are some great ideas here, though the match still feels like an early sketch of a tag team. Wrestling needs more Infernos. And not the Disco kind.

Denny Brown vs. Tommy Lane, NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship. Lane gives Brown much resistance, working the arm and using a dropkick to create a near fall. Brown answers with a suplex and an Oklahoma roll to retain. It’s a useful title match because the challenger has a recognizable strategy, though the brief exchange never quite develops into a sustained contest over who can control the arm. It’s a good midcard match that escalates in action and eases the audience toward the finale.

The Long Riders interview. James J. Dillon presents Ron Bass and Black Bart as men who have had enough of being nice. They talk about their time on the ranch and air their regrets and grievances. They’re a pair of assholes saying they’re sick and tired of being victims. Ah yes, where would wrestling be without the gaslighting heels?

Superstar Billy Graham vs. Brian Adidas. Supastah Graham’s new martial arts presentation takes over the match. Yes! This man is a lethal weapon! He uses chops, kicks, and a full nelson while Paul Jones helps keep Adidas under pressure outside the ring. Adidas does fight back, but Graham wins with the same full nelson he’s been building up as inescapable. There’s only so much you can do against the undisputed master of kung-fu.

Dusty Rhodes interview. Dusty has honey in his mouth and he’s not afraid to use it. He says there’s a change coming in 1985. Whatever that change is can mean almost anything as the year goes on; Dusty has that kind of charm and conviction to make you believe it’s going to mean the world in the months to come.

Magnum T.A. vs. Super Destroyer. Magnum keeps this one compact. He controls the arm and changes position when the exchange calls for it, then finishes with the belly-to-belly suplex. The short length suits the purpose: the match lets him demonstrate control and finish decisively, giving people a taste of how talented he is.

Paul Jones introduces Superstar Billy Graham. Jones presents Graham as a future World champion, reminding us that no one can break free of Supastah Billy G.

Manny Fernandez vs. Nikita Koloff. Manny works on Koloff’s leg and keeps returning to it after the younger wrestler finds ways to escape. Koloff’s selling is uneven, so the match’s clearest argument comes from Manny’s persistence: he has found his window of attack and refuses to abandon it. The broadcast cuts off while Manny still has him in a leg hold, leaving the match unresolved. That gives the episode a somewhat abrupt ending because you really want to see whether Koloff can mount a counteroffensive. Nevertheless you get a good look at the two wrestlers and their contrast. Manny has that rugged, worldly toughness to him, he’s that Good Samaritan who’ll stop to help you fix your car. He’s also the kind of guy who’ll beat the shit out of you if you try to harass a lady. Koloff looks exactly like how Americans picture Russians to be. He probably thinks Rambo is stupid propaganda and that Rambo can’t beat him in a real fight.

January 12-False Flags and True Tens

Manny Fernandez vs. David Dellinger. Manny wins with a flying kneedrop. It’s a nice opening match, and a strong showing for the Bull. When Manny is locked in you can really feel it through the TV. He’s literally slapping away David’s hands in the most castrating way possible. It’s a “stop annoying me kid, I’m wrenching your leg” kind of slap. After last week’s unfinished business with Koloff, a straightforward win gives the TV viewers something to munch on.

Dusty Rhodes interview. The Russians have taken the flag despite Kernodle winning their match. I do like that Kernodle actually won, because it gives Dusty more moral authority before you even get to the patriotism part. The guy did what he was supposed to do and still has to deal with these assholes taking his flag. There’s something very wrestling about having to beat somebody again just to collect what you already won.

Dusty complaining about communists making bank while doing commie things is such a great promo for its time. Like yeah, why are Americans paying their hard-earned money to see a bunch of anti-American foreign heels beat up the local heroes. Good logic delivered with fervor by one of the most relatable and beloved babyfaces ever.

The Long Riders vs. Tommy Lane and David Diamond. Black Bart finishes Diamond with a powerslam. I’m still thinking about last week’s angry manifesto. That sort of grievance is a useful thing for a heel to carry around because it informs their intensity and malice. The Long Riders never let up in this one. They constantly tag in and out, and they make adjustments accordingly. When Tommy Lane gets too mobile they smartly corner him in their sector to slow things down. They keep Lane and Diamond from getting any momentum by using hard blows and tag switches to keep the defense on its toes.

Tully Blanchard interview. TV champion Tully Blanchard is out to look for that one woman. The perfect woman, the perfect 10 who will get eyes and heat on him! I appreciate a heel whose vanity requires administrative support in the form of an actual advertisement. Also, jealousy is one of the best ways to get heat in pro-wrestling. Anytime a heel has a beautiful valet, you expect him to rub it in everyone’s faces and remind the world that she’s out of their league and barely good enough to be in his.

Magnum T.A. vs. an unidentified masked opponent. Magnum wins almost immediately with the belly-to-belly. They are booking him really strong and coupled with him frequently bringing up Wahoo’s name, it’s sure to raise some interest.

Manny Fernandez and Ricky Steamboat interview. Steamboat wants Flair; Manny discusses Dusty’s forthcoming tour. I like having the babyfaces around each other while they pursue their own business. It gives you a good idea of who might answer the call for the obligatory run-in rescue spot. Steamboat is a gorgeous, gorgeous man. He’s giving off a don’t-fuck-with-the-paladin aura in this interview. Even Manny can’t help but gawk at him with admiration.

The Assassin and Paul Jones. Footage shows Barbarian intervening against the Assassin to protect Jones, wait sorry, the weasel Paul Jones. This interview builds up Barbarian as Jones’s latest monstrous associate. Supposedly, even the 22-inch pythons of Supastah Billy Graham have nothing on this new brute Jones has unleashed. Assassin gives the audience a passionate reminder that he is a survivor and that he will prevail in this one.

The Barbarian vs. Lee Ramsey. Barbarian wins with a diving headbutt. Between the earlier footage and this match, Jones has somebody he can put between himself and a very unpleasant conversation. Barbarian wastes no time trying to annihilate Ramsey and would have tried a piledriver on the latter, but fortunately the ref intervened. The match gives enough of The Barbarian’s offense as well as his personality to establish him with the fans.

Ricky Steamboat interview and bunkhouse footage. Steamboat discusses Flair and the Long Riders’ attack on his gym. This is where having a life outside wrestling becomes a liability. You work toward a championship and suddenly you have property damage to deal with. I can understand wanting to settle that before worrying about where you stand in the rankings. Steamboat claims to be pissed off enough that he cares about wrestling again, the implication of this interview being that a motivated Steamboat is unstoppable.

Brian Adidas vs. Ben Alexander. Adidas wins with an airplane spin while Tully provides guest commentary. Giving Tully a microphone during somebody else’s work feels like inviting the worst person at the office to narrate your afternoon. There’s room for that kind of nuisance on a wrestling show, although I feel like it does mentally distract from the action. Tully’s so smug and matter-of-fact about really slimy topics. He’s such a good heel in the ways you don’t see any more in 2026. Closest would be MJF, but he leans into his vulgarity too much. Tully on the other hand, is a pleasant conversationalist but when you listen to what he’s really trying to say, you’ll realize he’s a terrible human being. Also, good patient match between Adidas and Alexander, more scientific compared to the previous matches.

Magnum T.A. and Manny Fernandez interview. Magnum reiterates his interest in Wahoo’s championship. I’m fine with the repetition at this point. He’s new to this particular audience, and having one thing he keeps coming back to makes it easier to follow him and it builds up his eventual confrontation with Wahoo. Maybe my opinion will change as I go through 1985 but Manny Fernandez seems to be like the upper midcard sidekick/glue guy to the top babyfaces. He talks about unity against the large number of heels, and that he’s not worried because he’s got the best guys on his side. ’85, wake up baby!

Paul Jones and the Barbarian. Jones hits a barking Barbarian on the head to let his enemies know that nothing can hurt his massive pet. Yeah, that’s fucking pro-wrestling right there.

Ricky Steamboat vs. Joel Deaton. Steamboat wins with a superplex. With Flair on his mind, every appearance forms part of his case for getting that match. Interestingly though, Steamboat struggles for a bit here before hitting his comeback, and that’s logically consistent with his character. He said he’s fired up about wrestling again but he also pointed out that he was away from it for a while, so naturally he needs to work his way back to his optimal state. Having him squash Deaton kills his appeal as a babyface coming out of semi-inactivity, so it’s a good thing they did not.

Dusty Rhodes and Manny Fernandez close the show. Dusty announces the “Slam That Sucka Down ’85” tour. So Dusty and Manny are basically going to try and dominate all the top tag team acts for 1985. Very good premise and a great hook to follow up on that promo Dusty cut last episode about how great changes are coming this year.