TAPE 394

Quality: EX (See Below)

Length: 14 hrs (7 DVD)

BEST OF THE FANTASTICS DISC 1 (First in a 7-disc set put out by Goodhelmet covering my favorite tag team of all-time - the Fantastics! All kinds of great stuff on these discs, covering their entire run from 1984-1990. If you're at all a fan of 1980s tag team wrestling, then this set is simply a must-own. Quality is fantastic as well, with everything being EX quality except where noted.)
Bobby Fulton & Bill Dundee vs Bobby Eaton & Sweet Brown Sugar, Memphis, 11/15/82 Tommy Rogers vs Koko B Ware, Memphis, 10/83 (Jimmy Hart comes out with Tommy Rogers as his "manager" but Rogers doesn't want him there and orders him to leave. As you can probably guess, Hart ends up interfering and then attacking Rogers with his henchmen. VG/EX) Fantastics music video "Sharp-Dressed Man", Mid-South, 1984 Fantastics vs Midnight Express, Mid-South, 7/84 Fantastics vs Dennis Condrey & Khrusher Khruschev, Mid-South, 8/16/84 (Supposed to be vs Midnight Express but Bobby Eaton, who apparently was attacked by the Fants, is unable to wrestle, so Khrusher subs in.) Fantastics shoot interview clip re: Midnight Express & Mid-South (they discuss the next two angles on this disc...) Hercules Hernandez vs Hacksaw Duggan, Mid-South, 9/3/84 (JIP - Hair vs Hair - Steve Williams is the guest ref and turns on Jim Duggan. However, instead of Duggan getting his head shaved, Jim Cornette does. With a disposable razor. And no water, just shaving cream. Not fun for him. Quality on this is GD/VG) Fantastics/Midnight Express contract signing, Mid-South, 9/6/84 (Cornette is wearing a mask after the above head shave. Bobby Eaton just DESTROYS the Fants with killer chairshots) FANTASTICS VS MIDNIGHT EXPRESS, 9/84 (No DQ match from Houston - Great match with incredible crowd heat. Quality is VG/EX.) Fantastics music video "Gimme All Your Lovin'", Mid-South, 1984 (Some gay imagery here) Fantastics vs Steve Williams & Hercules Hernandez, Mid-South, 10/5/4 (Williams uses a football helmet to KO Fulton) Fantastics vs Chavo & Hector Guerrero, Mid-South, 10/12/84 (Another from Houston - VG)
BEST OF THE FANTASTICS DISC 2 (More of the same as above with an emphasis on the feud with the Midnight Express.)
Fantastics vs PYT Express, WCCW, 11/84 (Clipped - from World Pro Wrestling) Fantastics vs Midnight Express, WCCW, 12/25/84 (***1/2 - VG quality) Fantastics vs Midnight Express, WCCW, 3/8/85 (VG/EX) Fantastics vs Midnight Express, WCCW, 4/9/85 (VG/EX) Fantastics vs Steve Williams & Jake Roberts, Mid-South, 4/14/85 Fantastics vs Dirty White Boys, Mid-South, 4/14/85 (The Fants interrupt their WCCW tour to come back to Mid-South for a double shot and job in both! Thanks Bill Watts!) Ken Mantell announces 5/5/85 title match, WCCW, 4/85 (The Fantastics introduce Little John, a giant of a man who is legit well over 7 feet tall.) Fantastics vs Midnight Express, WCCW, 5/5/85 (2-Ring match; Fantastics win American tag title. The MX get hosed big-time in this one. There's a double-pin situation, with the MX clearly scoring the fall first - the announcer even says so - but the pin by the Fants is allowed to count anyway. Terrible.) Fantastics vs Chris Adams & Gino Hernandez, WCCW, 6/24/85 (TV time runs out on this potential dream match - VG/EX)
BEST OF THE FANTASTICS DISC 3 (More of the same as above)
Fantastics vs Dirty White Boys, Mid-South, 6/85 Fantastics vs Dirty White Boys, Mid-South, 6/30/85 Fantastics vs Midnight Express, Mid-South, 6/30/85 (Pretty sure that the MX were in JCP by this time, making this something of an interesting matchup. Right around this time, Magnum TA visited Mid-South as US champ and jobbed clean to the Nightmare, the North American champ, as well.) Fantastics vs Bill Dundee & Dutch Mantell, Mid-South, 8/9/85 Fantastics vs Bill Dundee & Dutch Mantell, Mid-South, 9/8/85 (Wow, the Fants job clean!) Fantastics vs Bill Dundee & Dutch Mantell, Mid-South, 10/4/85 (Whip on a Pole - Eddie Gilbert runs in, Bobby Fulton gets whipped.) Win a Date w/the Fantastics Contest, Memphis, 1/19/86 Win a Date w/Buddy Landel, Memphis, 1/19/86 Win a Date w/the Fantastics, Memphis, 1/26/86 (Buddy Landel comes out and the Fants get attacked by Taras Bulba & others) Win a Date w/the Fantastics, Memphis, 2/9/86 (the Fants didn't learn their lesson - this time Bill Dundee attacks) Fantastics vs Mod Squad, Memphis, 3/22/86 (Coins vs Title - Mod Squad offer up "gold coins" to get a title shot. They then use the bag of coins to win the titles, busting the bag in the process, revealing the "coins" to be washers.) Fantastics shoot interview clip re: meeting ZZ Top Fantastics music video "Tush"
BEST OF THE FANTASTICS DISC 4 (More of the same as above)
Fantastics shoot interview clip re: Sheepherders, Crockett Cup '86 & the barbed wire cage Fantastics vs Sheepherders, UWF, 3/30/86 (Fantastics win UWF tag title - VG) Fantastics vs Sheepherders, UWF, 4/19/86 (Clipped - Wild, bloody match from Crockett Cup '86; this feud helped make the Fantastics credible as brawlers and showed they could be "tough" as well as flashy. Good stuff.) Fantastics & Terry Taylor vs Sheepherders & Jack Victory, 5/9/86 Fantastics & Terry Taylor vs Sheepherders & Jack Victory, UWF, 5/25/86 (Infamous barbed wire cage match. Wild, hardcore stuff for 1986.) Fantastics vs Michael Hayes & Buddy Roberts, UWF, 7/86 Fantastics vs Sting & Eddie Gilbert, UWF, 9/9/86 Fantastics vs Sting & Eddie Gilbert, UWF, 9/30/86 (No-DQ, 2-ring) Fantastics vs Sting & Eddie Gilbert, UWF, 10/86 Fantastics vs Jack Victory & John Tatum, UWF, 10/20/86
BEST OF THE FANTASTICS DISC 5 (More of the same as above)
Fantastics wishing a Merry Christmas, UWF, 12/86 (VG) Fantastics vs Sting & Eddie Gilbert, UWF, 1/6/87 (Terry Gordy attacks the Fants) FANTASTICS VS MIDNIGHT EXPRESS, NWA, 3/12/88 (The Fantastics make their NWA debut with this classic 30+ minute win over the MX. Great match and super-hot crowd.) FANTASTICS VS MIDNIGHT EXPRESS, NWA, 3/27/88 (2 weeks later on the first Clash of Champions, the same two teams hook up and the result is possibly the greatest 9-minute match ever. Wild, brawling match with a ton of action. GREAT match.) Fantastics demonstrating a straitjacket, NWA, 4/6/88 (Cornette & the MX attack, with the Fants again being recipients of BRUTAL chairshots from Bobby Eaton) Fantastics vs Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson, NWA, 4/23/88 (Clipped - from the '88 Crockett Cup semi-finals) Midnight Express celebration, NWA, 5/7/88 (the Fants attack and ruin the party) FANTASTICS VS MIDNIGHT EXPRESS, NWA, 4/26/88 (The Fantastics win the US tag titles in another classic match. Great stuff!) Fantastics vs Sheepherders, NWA, 6/8/88 (From the second Clash of Champions)
BEST OF THE FANTASTICS DISC 6 (More of the same as above)
Fantastics vs Midnight Express, NWA, 6/88 (2/3 Falls - little-seen match from Houston) Bobby Fulton vs Barry Windham, NWA, 12/3/88 (Bam Bam Bigelow runs in) FANTASTICS VS EDDIE GILBERT & RON SIMMONS, NWA, 12/7/88 (US title tourney finals from Clash of Champions 4 - Fantastics win US tag title) FANTASTICS VS ORIGINAL MIDNIGHT EXPRESS, NWA, 1/1/89 (2/3 Falls - Fabulous match that goes 35+ minutes and ends when Jim Cornette interferes and HELPS the Fantastics) Fantastics vs Steve Williams & Mike Rotundo, NWA, 2/15/89 (From Clash 5)
BEST OF THE FANTASTICS DISC 7 (More of the same as above)
Fantastics vs Rock & Roll Express, Virgin Islands, 4/1/89 (INCREDIBLE! A true dream match-up between two of the greatest teams of all-time. Doesn't live up to the hype, however, as they only go about 10 minutes with the R&R working as heels for some reason instead of the high-action 35-minute match you'd want. Still, it's definitely weird to see the R&R job clean to somebody...) Fantastics vs Joe & Dean Malenko, All Japan, 7/15/89 Fantastics vs Toshiaki Kawada & Ricky Fuyuki, All Japan, 1/3/90 Fantastics vs British Bulldogs, All Japan, 1/14/90 (Another dream match that doesn't quite "get there" as the Bulldogs are just too bloated to do anything at this point. Still, this is a good match.) Fantastics vs Tsuyoshi Kikuchi & Mighty Inoue, All Japan, 1/24/90 Fantastics vs Joe Malenko & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi, All Japan, 9/23/90 (JIP) Fantastics vs Kenta Kobashi & Johnny Ace, All Japan, 9/23/90