May 1980

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1980-05-02 AJPW Abdullah The Butcher vs. The Sheik Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan Card ★★★★ The match itself didn’t even go 4 minutes but what a wild ride. It started out violent, with Sheik going right for the head with his hammer/spike thing and just viciously stabbing away. The referees tried to install some order but to no avail and both guys were DQ’d. What followed was 15 minutes of two guys just tearing at each other all over the arena. The crowd were soooo into this. It felt like they were a single organism with a hive mind - first they would swarm around the two competitors and then break apart, fleeing contact whenever they got too close. All the whi…

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*PNW* Roddy Piper & Rick Martel vs. Luke Williams & Butch Miller (2/3 Falls) - 05/03/1980 - Tag Team Championship Match "Talk about it here."

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I found a lot to like about this match. I enjoyed the 1st fall the most. I enjoyed the IWRG mat work early. Then Gino was like screw this and goes full blown rudo. Very structured like a Lucha fall. The 2nd fall had some good lucha elements. I liked Gino in control early just beating on Sicodelico. Then like any good technico he makes a comeback with tons of fire. The 3rd fall was interesting. Sicodelico is selling a shoulder injury. Gino attacks it for a second, but then goes for the mask. Lewin in for the save. Calling the heels pussycats. I also enjoyed the commercials. Showing how big a wrestling town Houston is/was. 3 1/2*

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This has Gary Hart in a cage. Lewin is really effective as a brawling walking tall baby face. Gino is a perfect foil for him. Gino could bump and stooge and eat Lewin's offense. Early on Gino busts open Lewin. Gino did a good working it over. I thought Lewin's comeback was done with a lot of energy. Gino is busted open and Lewin works the cut. I loved the finish of the 3rd fall. The post match with the cage was a great way to get the heat back. 3 1/2*

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1980-05-17 PNW Rick Martel (c) vs. Buddy Rose NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Title Best Two Out Of Three Falls Match Sports Arena, Portland, Oregon, USA Card ★★★ Martel is the PNW champion and it seems like I didn’t realise that he had already won the belt before their previous match. Seems like he won the belt in late March (not on tape). This may be the loudest that I’ve heard the Sports Arena and they were really behind Martel, unsurprisingly. In the first five minutes Martel was using a side headlock consistently. While in the hold things got a tiny bit dull, but they punctuated that period well with blocks of intense action before settling back …

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Man I've missed you Jose. I wouldn't be surprised that Jose has worked Pak Song some in Florida. I loved Pak Song's expression after gettinkg punched by Jose. It's a mixture of fear, pain, and what have I gotten myself into. Jose puts over Nam's weak chop. 2nd fall Jose has busted open Pak Song and we're all square. 3rd fall ans it's for all the marbles. Illegal thrust chop by Pak Song. He's working a nerve hold. Lothario after the cut. That kneedrop of Lothario's looks devestating. Hart interferes allowing Song to Pearl Harbor Jose for the win. I thought this was another great Lothario performance. Too bad it was wasted on a bad opponent.

1980-05-23 NJPW Hulk Hogan vs. Antonio Inoki Civic Gymnasium, Hasama, Miyagi, Japan Card ★ It was very interesting to see how Inoki tried to tackle this giant. Hulk had the better of the early stages using his raw strength and power advantage, manhandling Inoki around the ring. Everything was pretty rudimental but it bluntly got across the intended effect. Eventually Inoki unloaded some stiff leg kicks to get the big man off his feet and Hulk was reeling. Before they could really get going though Hogan ran Inoki halfway across the arena towards a lurking Hansen and they went ahead and double team posted him with a ball shot. Dusty ran down to chase Hanse…

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1980-05-24 PNW Buddy Rose & The Sheepherders (Butch Miller & Luke Williams) vs. Dutch Savage, Rick Martel & Roddy Piper Best Two Out Of Three Falls Six Man Tag Team Match Sports Arena, Portland, Oregon, USA Card ★★★ There’s a certain slapstick quality to the comedy up in Portland that is wholly unique to the area and often is driven by Rose and his character. This six man tag sowed the seeds of discontent within the Army while sprinkling in some good old fashioned flag humour. Savage was the main FIP and Martel and Piper were merely used as powder kegs that exploded intermittently. They brought the intensity and the fire, but each maybe had …

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