Chicago Region, First Round: (16) Wild Samoans vs. (49) Texas Outlaws

[klunderbunker]

This is a first round match in the Chicago Region. It's a standard tag team match held in the Rosemont Horizon.

16. Wild Samoans

Vs.

49. Texas Outlaws

Vote for who you feel is the better team. The poll will be open for THREE days starting approximately twenty four hours after this thread is posted. Use the time to argue and defend your choices. In the case of a tie, the team with more written votes will win. Only one vote per user.

Remember that this is a non-spam section and posts that do not meet our spam requirements will not count.

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[The Brain]

Can anyone tell me anything about The Texas Outlaws other than they existed? I know Dusty Rhodes and Dick Murdoch and I know they teamed together way back when but all the stories I've heard are about their time together on the road not in the ring. I know the Samoans were one of the top teams in the early 80s and were three time WWF tag team champions. They are always the first team that comes to mind when discussing the pre Hulkamania WWF days. I'm willing to be convinced to vote for The Outlaws but someone is going to have to come in here and make a case for them. For now I'm voting Samoans.

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

I have a hard time as well with teams like The Texas Outlaws where I can't really go back and see their matches. On paper, I want say absolutely the Outlaws. A young heel Dusty Rhodes and Dick Murdoch...I mean, what's not to love there? But I can't just give it to them over three time tag team champs like the Samoans.

Winners: The Wild Samoans

 

[stingray11214]

The Outlaws were a decent team in the early 70's, winning several versions of the NWA World tag straps. However, both were far better in singles competition. Murdoch was also hampered by rumors of membership in the Klan. What upsets me about this matchup is that the Outlaws are seeded ahead of teams that are somewhat superior to them.

As for the Samoans: Man, those two were nuts. Capt. Lou Albano made them crazier. I remember when those two nearly killed Pat Patterson, who is no slouch. In a match? Samoans would clobber Rhodes and Murdoch in less than 10 minutes.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

The Wild Samoans are one of the few teams I have fairly vivid memories of when I was younger. I would watch tapes from the 80s that my grandpa had, and their characters really stand out in my memory. Rhodes and Murdoch were both great guys, but I remember Rhodes more for his solo runs than his tag team prowess, so I'm giving my vote to The Samoans based on nostalgia.

 

[MrMojoRisin]

Can anyone tell me anything about The Texas Outlaws other than they existed? I know Dusty Rhodes and Dick Murdoch and I know they teamed together way back when but all the stories I've heard are about their time together on the road not in the ring. I know the Samoans were one of the top teams in the early 80s and were three time WWF tag team champions. They are always the first team that comes to mind when discussing the pre Hulkamania WWF days. I'm willing to be convinced to vote for The Outlaws but someone is going to have to come in here and make a case for them. For now I'm voting Samoans.

I don't know that I can vote them over the Samoans yet, but it's pretty disappointing that this is a first round match when there's many inferior teams to both these guys who will make at least the next round because of better matchups.

The Outlaws were before my time as well, but I do know about them somewhat.

Formed in the AWA in the late 60's, they had the perfect combo of Rhodes showmanship, and Murdoch's natural ability. Most of his peers rave about how good Murdoch was, and how he was such a natural in the ring compared to the rest of them. The Outlaws were one of the original "love to hate them" teams, and sold out arenas from Detroit to Australia as a result.

They won pretty much everywhere they went, until they'd gone about as far as they could go together, and went on to separate singles careers. Dusty was simply too charismatic and too popular not to be a singles star.

People still remember and talk about this team almost 40 years after they parted ways, which says something. They were a great duo.

If you want a more modern comparison to them, it'd be the Rockers (not in wrestling style or anything like that). A team that formed with two young guys at the start of their careers. Had a long, successful run together. Split up and had one generationally talented breakout star (Rhodes vs Michaels), even though the other guys in the team were initially looked on as the better talent). Only difference would be, is that Murdoch didn't go off the rails like Janetty did, and continued to have a pretty respectable career.

Hope that helps a little. Still not sure if I can put them over the Samoans though. I really wish both these teams drew better first round matchups, because they both deserve to advance more than several teams that will be in the next round.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

They'd both be disqualified because they couldn't stay in the ring, and Dusty or Dick would be mad the Samoans wouldn't sell shots to the head. I'm serious... this would end somewhere near the Navy Pier after Police in riot gear are called in to break up the melee.

That being said, The Texas Outlaws raised pure hell back in their day, enough for promotions to be reluctant to bring them in due to their brutal working style and their disregard for hygiene.

Same could be said for the Samoans, but I like Rhodes and Murdoch better.