10 Wrestling Matches Much Better Than Their Reputations
6. Jake Roberts Vs. Rick Martel (WrestleMania VII)
The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer awarded this Blindfold Match a bit, fat DUD rating in March 1991, calling it "a good performance from both men, but as a wrestling match, this would have been negative as many stars are in the Texas sky." Purists will agree with his take, but this proto-Banter Match was a fun comedic break on a relatively forgettable WrestleMania card.
This daft stipulation came around when Martel splashed Roberts' eyes with 'Arrogance,' his temporarily-blinding cologne, on Brother Love's talk show. They both made the most of the sight restriction, but 'The Model' was particularly entertaining. Fumbling around like a buffoon, his every act was designed to make him look like a goof, and it worked. One moment, he was going after the referee, mistaking him for his opponent, only realising the error when he had a handful of shirt (Jake was topless). The next, he was flipping out after accidentally grabbing Damien the snake's bag.
Martel was a credit to the stipulation, but Roberts figured it out too, using the crowd's noise as a guide for where his opponent's position throughout. Though it took two of their generation's smartest wrestlers to make it work, it was absurdly entertaining.