A video titled “WWF Maple Leaf Wrestling 6/21/86” was recently posted to the Richard Land YouTube channel. At 7:00 into the video, we find this mature grappler already in the ring, awaiting his competition. It was never a good omen for a wrestler to be waiting in the ring when the filming begins.
Paul Christy in his fancy vest was a seasoned journeyman with decades of experience in ICW, WWA and other regional federations later gobbled up by WWF. At the end of his career, he was used as Enhancement Talent as you will see here.
They announce his opponent, “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorf, and the audience erupts in a standing ovation!
I don’t recall this arrogant Heel being so beloved. Maybe this audience just finds his massive muscles and his devastating Pile Driver irresistibly enticing.
Orndorf soon uses his superior strength to dominate the veteran jobber, who sells nicely. Mr. Wonderful focuses on the jobber’s arm to contrast and emphasize his own arm strength in comparison.
On display is Christy’s smooth, beefy body in his snug little black trunks. His torso looks huggable, but he is no comparison to the bulging, devastating, over-sized power of Mr. Wonderful, the ideal physique in the Big 80’s.
A series of knees to further weaken him.
When I was a youngster, I recall feeling intimidated by Paul Orndorf, watching him dominate the competition. Maybe he seemed dangerous because he never smiled and he was so damn brutal in the ring with his awesome Pile Driver.
When he would strut to the ring all angry and confident, his muscles bulging out everywhere looking dangerous even when he wasn’t flexing them, I would think: If this big, mean He-Man got his hands on me, he could really hurt me! And then I’d swoon a little bit thinking about it. THIS is why I love pro wrestling.
Who knew a big body-builder could fly?
This match is unusual because Orndorf — normally the stereotypical Heel Bastard — is playing Baby-Face. Instead of wearing his fancy sequined robe to the ring, he entered the arena shirtless and exposed like a vulnerable Hero.
He then applies a series Arm Bars and Hammer Locks, the scientific move-set normally reserved for Good Guys. He even delivers a high-flying Drop Kick, something we’d expect from a Flyin’ Brian or a Jumpin’ Jim, but not from a Mr. Wonderful. Maybe he is playing the Face tonight because this audience is so damn hot for him.
The moment we’ve all been waiting for!
The fans are hyped to see Orndorf’s deadly Pile Driver. Throughout the match, you can hear voices in the crowd pleading for it: “The Pile Driver! Give him the Pile-Driver.” When Orndorf raises his arms to tease his finishing move, the audience goes orgasmic.
One of the commenters on the YouTube video posted: “When I seen orndorff coming down to the ring, only one thing I wanted to see. and oh boy did he deliver. one of the best finishers in history. he executed it perfectly.”
And check out the dude in white t-shirt in the background, raising his own arms to mimic his hero as if he, too, wants to participate.
These old videos being posted to the Richard Land Channel really bring back memories. I was really into Orndorf back then — his body was ahead of its time (pure jaw-dropping eye-candy to a young male into men and muscles.)
I sure didn’t begrudge him the name “Mr. Wonderful.” I felt that was the perfect title for him.
Let’s watch it again from another angle.
Before breaking away to commercial, a beautiful replay of Mr. Wonderful’s devastating Pile Driver is provided. They fetishize the maneuver to turn us on with it, rolling the scene in dramatic slow motion as the commentators verbally fluff us: “Imagine the impact coming down here. Christy — OUT of it!”
Paul Christy offers his body to Paul Orndorf to man-handle and destroy, the jobber flopping around convincingly after his head impacts the ring floor. Everybody loved seeing the Pile Driver so they really milked it in those days.