Next up in the Match Memories series is a look back at the official debut of The Ding Dongs in WCW, and what a debut it was for one of the most ridiculous tag teams in the history of pro wrestling.
Let’s jump in!
The Ding Dongs vs. George South and Cougar Jay
- Event: Clash of the Champions VII: Guts and Glory
- Date: June 14, 1989
- Location: Fort Bragg, NC
- Match Length: 3:39
To quote the great Al Snow: “What does everybody want?”
Well, it wasn’t the Ding Dongs.
The positive was that the Ding Dongs’ debut at Clash of the Champions VII lasted just 3 minutes and 39 seconds. The negative was that during those 3 minutes and 39 seconds, they became the two most hated figures inside the Fort Bragg military base.
The Ding Dongs gimmick wasn’t gonna be a success no matter where they debuted. However, the decision to debut them at this show was especially dumb.
Let’s set the stage.
Clash of the Champions VII took place in the middle of the summer inside the Ritz-Epps Fitness Center at Fort Bragg. The building had approximately zero air conditioning and the temperature seemed to be a crisp 682 degrees. There were lots of sweaty, shirtless men in the crowd fueled with testosterone.
So, here’s what Jim Herd decided to trot out as his pet project to compete with the WWF’s growing popularity with kids.
Yes, that’s two wrestlers ringing bells in orange spandex trying to appeal to a crowd with no kids. What could wrong?
Turns out, everything. The crowd was booing them as soon as they hit the ring, and the boos continued throughout the match. Jim Ross and Bob Caudle had no clue what to call these ding dongs, so they called them Ding Dong 1 and Ding Dong 2.
Their trademark move was hooking a bell to the turnbuckle and ringing it throughout the match. The crowd quickly turned on that whole idea (shocker), and the biggest pop of the entire show came when the bell broke.
Elsewhere, you had Ding falling on his head during a sunset flip attempt in the corner. The camera swiftly cut away to prevent embarrassment. Then there was Ding or Dong going for a backdrop, but instead, just getting run into by one of their opponents.
The finish involved Ding or Dong stumbling on the top rope before delivering a flying move for the win. That prompted a line from JR that summed up the match in 11 words:
“Ding or Donged their way to victory. Oh, that was horrible.”
It was horrible indeed. The fact that Herd expected a strong reaction towards a team in Power Rangers suits from a crowd filled with military personnel tells you all you need to know.
For their efforts in this match and several others, the Ding Dongs certainly earned their WrestleCrap induction in 2018.
And somewhere, former military members are still telling their grandchildren about the legend of the Ding Dongs.
- Blake’s Rating: DUD
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