Gallery 814 Chain Matches
		I had a donation from an old-school wrestling fan who enjoys the brutal photos from the classic wrestling magazines.  OK dude, just for you is a gallery dedicated to that most vicious gimmick match of all: the dreaded Chain Match.
		Here are a pair of brutes chained together with dog collars around their necks, brawling like wild animals.  You almost always saw blood during a chain match which seemed to get the fans riled up.
Dutch Savage often lived up to his name, since he busted open many opponents and forced them to wear the "Crimson Mask."  Here he is in red tights being tied by the wrist to some beefy brute in black.
Dusty Rhodes often wrestled tied to his opponent with a bullrope, which he called a "Texas Bullrope" match.  He'd also tie a cowbell to the rope, which he'd use as a weapon to bloody his victim.
In this chain match, some stud has the advantage over the "American Dream".  He forces Dusty to kneel before him, whipping the big man in the face with the chain.  OUCH, and people think there's too much violence in wrestling now-a-days!!?
		They often put the bloodiest, most graphic scenes on the cover of the old magazines.  I guess the violent images convinced people to buy the magazines to see what was inside.  Here is Dusty trying to strangle hunky Mark Lewin in a Texas Bullrope match.
		Inside the magazine, we see Dusty using the cowbell as a weapon, per usual.  He is about to strike Lewin, who's looking strong in his black speedo by the way, in the face.
		Dusty has a huge advantage because he often wrestled in Texas Bullrope matches so he knew how to use the rope and cowbell as weapons.  You can now watch the match on YouTube where Rhodes battles Randy Orton in a recent Texas Bullrope match.
		Maybe Dusty loves Texas Bullrope matches because he's into bondage.  Here he ties Lewin to the corner post so he can have his way with the stud, the cowbell striking poor Lewin between his thighs.
In the end, poor Lewin was no match for big Dusty Rhodes.  The beefy cowboy leaves his opponent tied over the ropes like a scarecrow that's loosing its stuffing.
Cocky young Randy Orton agreed to fight Rhodes in a Texas Bullrope match at last month's pay-per-view.   Can the young "Legend Killer" beat old Dusty Rhodes at his own game??
No matter what you think of Randy Orton or of the modern style of wrestling, you gotta love when he strikes that amazing pose on the top rope, showing off his physique and posing like he's the Greek God of Victory or something.
Dusty is the Master of the Texas Bullrope (I think he invented it), so he knows all the dirty tricks.  He dominates the young lion, striking him repeatedly with the cowbell.
But the Legend Killer is a fast learner.  He wallops Dusty with the cowbell, and Dusty yells: "OUTHHHH.  Dat hurth!"
Randy learned the Sleeper Hold from his father, Cowboy Bob Orton.  He slaps the sleeper on Dusty, while also wrapping the rope around his head to strangle him.
I can never get tired of watching the Legend Killer beat down these crusty veterans who have been boring us in the ring for years!  He knocks the fat man out cold, then stands over him in victory.  SWEET!
		Let's get back to the old school magazine photos, that's what the man paid to see.  I think this photo shows the victim juicing -- or cutting his forehead with a blade hidden in his hand.
		To win a Chain Match, you had to walk around the ring and tap all four corners dragging your exhausted opponent with you, which the bloody dude is now trying to do.
Terry Funk and Jerry Lawler battled and bloodied each other many, many times over the years, I think they both liked it.  Here is Lawler trying to blind Funk by yanking the chain into his eyes.
Now Lawler gets a taste of his own medicine, screaming in agony as his opponent wraps the chain across his eyes.  Why would any wrestler agree to get in the ring chained to an opponent, knowing the pain and punishment he will endure??  Maybe they get a bonus.
		After losing a match where he was forced to "leave" the federation, Barry Windham reappeared in a mask and called himself the "Dirty Yellow Dog."    I'll bet they sold a record number magazines the month they put this hot, brutal image on the cover.
		This cruel Russian is forcing Angelo Mosca to look at the chain he's about to beat him with.  On his hands and knees, Mosca resembles a naughty dog being disciplined by his master.
		Here is a magazine article about some sadistic Asian named Pak Song working over poor Terry Funk.  I guess Funk is actually the baby face when he battles an Asian beast!
		The American hero was able to summon courage he never knew he had and defeat the dirty Asian.  These foreigners are like animals, torturing our nice American boys like this!
Wahoo McDaniel also extended his career by getting brutal and bloody in chain and strap matches.  Here he is brawling with a young Ric Flair, who today is the old veteran trying to extend his career using blood to excite the fans.
Even pretty-boy Magnum TA had his turn to get bloody in a Dog Collar match.  He drags the chain back and forth across the opponent's forehead to ugly him up even more.
This brute has had enough, bloodied and totally beaten down by Magnum. I guess part of the appeal of the chain match is the bondage aspect, the men locked together, unable to escape, until one is the victor.
		A lot of wrestlers wear red trunks when they plan to get bloody, maybe to make the blood on their face and body stand out more.  Here is Dick the Bruiser taking a beating in a chain match.
		Dick can't peel himself off the mat as his opponent repeatedly attacks him from behind.  You can see the blood pouring down his chest and belly all the way to his red trunks.
		Later the Bruiser takes control, bloodying his opponent's ear by wrapping the chain around his fist and punching the dude.  Wow, he is a dick!
Probably the most famous and most brutal Dog Collar match of all time was when Roddy Piper battled Greg Valentine in chains at Starrcade '83.
Here is how one fan described this classic match on-line: "A great, intense and brutal brawl with Piper and Valentine joined together by a huge chain which is attached to each guys neck (hence "dog collar"). The two men just pound the hell out of each other with some very stiff shots...
"There's plenty of blood, particularly coming out of Piper's injured ear, which Valentine attacks mercilessly throughout. Both guys had agreed beforehand that they wanted to steal the show and that they weren't going to hold back. You can really tell! This match is something of a precursor to the kind of violent fights that became known as the "hardcore" style."
Many wrestling fans include this epic battle in their "Top Ten" list.  Here is another guy's description of the Piper Valentine bloodbath: "This is the famous Dog Collar Match, and probably the best match of Piper’s career. It’s brutal, bloody, intense brawling as a blowoff to a hate-filled feud between the two...
"This had a fairly well-known bit with Piper’s ear being busted open as Valentine repeatedly nailed him with chain-assisted forearms and punches..."    Check out the ref by the way, he looks grossed out by this raw brutality.
		"It works because it just isn’t something you expect to see, wrestlers bleed from the forehead or occasionally internally or every once in a blue moon from the arm. But here’s Piper with blood absolutely gushing from his ear right down the side of his face, and it’s pretty graphic and shocking even in today’s post-ECW everyone bleeds in every big match environment."
		Here is still another excited review of this hot battle between these two talented show-men: "OH YEAH BABY! The angle is that Valentine damaged Piper's ear, causing partial hearing loss, and Piper wants revenge.  This is a vicious, bloody brawl, and a damn good one. Piper is the face here. Piper destroys Valentine with punches to start...
"Greg comes back with punches and elbows. Greg wraps the chain around Piper's eyes, head and throat. Piper wraps the chain around Valentine's mouth and nose. We're clipped to more Valentine punishment. Both guys bleed, and there's blood on the mat as well. Valentine attacks the bad ear, causing Piper to lose his balance."
"Solie is doing PBP here, and talks about how Piper's equilibrium could be gone. Greg hits a second rope elbow. He tries again, but Piper pulls him off with the chain, punches him a lot, and pins him. Huge pop for that. Great fight with great heat."