I think Buddy Roberts is often underrated. Had another big tag run as part of the Hollywood Blondes, before that had worked as Dale Valentine, and I think he was presented as Johnny’s brother.
With the 'Birds, Buddy was the glue that held the whole thing together. As you mention, he was great in the ring, understood wrestling psychology, and made any opponent look good. He protected Gordy and Hayes by being the guy that got pinned when they lost. Gordy got to keep his bruiser image, Hayes kept his heat by remaining just out of reach, and Buddy didn’t really lose anything by taking the fall.
On the downside, he may have cost the 'Birds a run in JCP when he got drunk and started a fight with Harley Race :eek:
I just started watching the documentary on WCCW. Unfortunately it’s connected to the WWE but still interesting. Just how many wrestlers have died or gotten epically screwed up by the business?
Almost all of them. You know how Gary Larson stopped doing Far Side and Bill Watterson stopped doing Calvin and Hobbes. They had to because you can’t keep your mind in an insane universe for too long with losing touch with reality. Wrestlers are in the same boat, but they have no choice but to make long term careers out of it. These guys live out of suitcases. They’re in constant pain from injuries. And they are mega-rockstar-like idols among their fans. But in the end they end up unable to relate to people outside of the business. All the while they are under incredible pressure to make money for the promotion or lose their job. A small number of them are able to save their money, and put the business away when they go home. Alcohol, drugs, injuries, infidelity and other betrayals put on top of a life with a fabricated personality gets to almost all of modern wrestlers. The more successful they are, the more inescapable it becomes.
They don’t all die, or end up in the gutter or jail, but they all get marked by it.