November 1980

1980-11-01 AJPW Abdullah the Butcher (c) vs Terry Funk NWA United National Title Best Two Out Of Three Falls Match Culture Gymnasium, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan ★★★★ ¼ Card This is one of those classic matches that just built and built, organically layering elements on top of each other to the point that something like a double DQ finish was not just a satisfying ending, but the only ending that seems possible. Terry started out pretty cautious here, wary of Abby’s strikes, constantly going for the leg takedown instead of going toe to toe with him. That didn’t last too long as, once Abby got a few strikes in, Terry was in trouble fast. The attack was m…

Talk about it here.

Talk about it here.

Talk about it here.

Talk about it here.

Talk about it here.

Talk about it here.

1980-11-08 WWF Bob Backlund (c) vs Larry Zbyszko WWF Heavyweight Title Match (Special Referee: Tony Atlas) Philadelphia Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA ★★★ Card While their previous match was a Larry match, this at least started much more like your classic Backlund match. We got the extended shine and, with Atlas also in the mix, it almost felt unfair, the odds decidedly stacked against Zbyszko. Larry was his ornery best though, getting up in Atlas’ face whenever given the opportunity and once Backlund missed a shoulder charge into the corner he was in the ascendancy and did well to keep Backlund grounded. His elbow and knee strikes to Backlund’…

1980-11-08 WWF Bruno Sammartino vs Ken Patera Philadelphia Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA ★★★ Card When Bruno is criticised for just punching and kicking, it’s matches like this that make that hard to refute. The problem with the criticism is that it overlooks all the other elements that are being brought to the table. The “lack” of action may put a cap on any rating somebody would lay down on it, but it doesn’t preclude it from being good. This match certainly could be described as simple or basic. A large section early on was built around Bruno repeatedly trying to escape a hold Patera had on him, but Bruno is all about emotion, he knows, mor…

1980-11-15 PNW Jay Youngblood & Joe Lightfoot (c) vs Buddy Rose & Rip Oliver NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Title Best Two Out Of Three Falls Match Sports Arena, Portland, Oregon, USA ★★★ Card Feels like the momentum in Portland is building again for the first time since Piper and Martel’s departures and they’ve really got something going with the Youngblood vs Rose dynamic, Youngblood’s desire for payback following his broken arm a few years earlier and the ability to slot the remaining roster into the feud accordingly. Just like he did the week before, Rose was deliberately ducking Yougblood unless his team had the advantage. Unlike the week b…

Talk about it here.

Talk about it here.

Talk about it here.

1980-11-26 Joint Promotions Dynamite Kid vs Mark Rocco Assembly Hall, Walthamstow, London, UK ★★★★ Dynamite Kid back in the UK and the first signs of him on tape since way back in the spring maybe. I can tell it’s been a long time as he has a full head of flowing locks and the last time I saw him in Japan he was sporting a brutal buzz cut. These two grabbed the audience's attention from the word go. Rocco getting in a few nasty cheap shots on breaks and Kid was having none of it, coming back at him with gusto, and we had ourselves a match on our hands. Unsurprising from these two but the pace was quick, a lot of action but that edge was ever present. Loft…

1980-11-26 Joint Promotions Jon Cortez vs Keith Haward Assembly Hall, Walthamstow, London, UK ★★★ This was really riveting to watch. Unfortunately we missed the first two rounds here, but they crammed enough good stuff into the 12 minutes that remained. Haward is in the mould of a Dynamite Kid or Chris Benoit, physically gifted, chiselled build and aggressively offensive. He’s certainly impressive on the mat and his series of moves leading to his equalising fall were absolutely fantastic. However, it really has been Cortez who has jumped off the screen in the two matches these men have had together. It may just be good chemistry between the two as I wasn’t as…

I've seen a few Devil Masami matches and am becoming a pretty big fan. This match just cements that even more. Masami's facial expression early when they do a close-up and she's in a submission is this perfect mix of joy and pain. The matwork, which is the majority of the match, is really really good. Counters and escapes are earned, holds are really cranked on when they ought to be. I liked how even though it was very catch-as-catch-can with switched between body parts, it still feels like it means something and is building up. Sato frustrating Masami with a headscissors was really fun. I also liked that when they ran the ropes there was this feeling of "out of co…

1980-11-28 AJPW Abdullah The Butcher & Tor Kamata vs Dick Slater & Ricky Steamboat Real World Tag League 1980 Match Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan ★★★ Card This was never destined to be a five star classic, but as the opening match of the tag league tournament, they clearly looked to begin with a bang. It’s striking how much Kamata feels like a low rent version of Abby when placed right beside him. Considering his whole gimmick was being Japanese, I’m very curious as to his perception in Japan, when he very clearly wasn’t Japanese. In the opposite corner both Steamboat and Slater were incredibly over with the crowd, who for Japan were a rowdy bunch f…

Talk about it here.

They show about 25 minutes of 45 minute match + 5 minute overtime. The clipping is so seamless that you don't really notice anything missing. This starts out awesome with Ikeshita wearing gloves and working over Kumi with boxing punches and eyerakes like she's Takeshi Ono. Kumi scores a single leg and Ikeshita decides to take the gloves off and WRESTLE! I've come to learn that Ikeshita could go on the mat, but Kumi kind of kills it by being a total bore. Ikeshita would get a waistlock, and Kumi had to use the ropes. What the hell? Ikeshita, for once, wants to wrestle you and not stab you in the face, and you don't want to wrestle her? So Ikeshita starts stabbing her with …

Talk about it here.