Everything posted by Rjhabeeb
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[1970-09-14-WWWF-MSG, NY] Bruno Sammartino vs Beppo Mongol
Bruno defends his WWWF World Heavyweight Title against the future Nikolai Volkoff, known at the time as Beppo Mongol. I went in to this with low expectations picturing the early 80’s versions of both men having a slow plodding brawl but I am pleasantly surprised. This was a very fun 15 minute match with a very good pace. The Mongol character worked perfectly for Volkoff and he could absolutely work back then even though he was green. After a pretty intense crisscross spot Bruno takes a bump to the outside and can’t beat the count. I really wish we had the return on film as this match was very enjoyable. ***
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[1970-08-04-JWA] Giant Baba & Antonio Inoki vs Dory & Terry Funk
B-I Canon (Baba & Inoki) are defending their NWA International Tag Team championships. What we have here is clipped but what we see is a fantastic sprint of a tag match. Terry is making his tv debut in Japan and may look a lot younger but works like you’d imagine. Dory is still the lead of the team and the vastly superior worker here but together they are great. The Funks lose the first fall by DQ after Dory tosses the referee out of the ring. The second fall is just a pure sprint with all four men in and out until Baba gets a submission from Terry Funk with a boston crab. N/R
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[1970-06-06-Joint Promotions] Leon Arras vs Ray Steele
Interestingly I find this the weakest of the matches on the show. Although I did find it worked well. Perfectly solid wrestling match. Arras is the big powerful heavyweight and Steele is the thinner less experienced challenger. Arras controls most of the match and gets the victory 2-1 with a submission in the 6th. These guys worked well. I just felt it was lacking something to make it special. Arras had some character work but Steele seemed just there as the plucky young underdog and didn’t bring much to the match.
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[1970-06-06-Joint Promotions] Bert Royal & Vic Faulkner vs Masambula & Honeyboy Zimba
It’s a match like this that makes me beyond grateful for finding recommendations from other people in the wrestling community. (Looking at you Loss) Vic Faulkner is a great worker and wouldn’t have been out of place in any company or any era. Royal and Zimba also play their parts beautifully and I’m intrigued to see more of them both. Masambula is a name any wrestling fan needs to go search film of now! He’s just so unique as an entertainer and absolutely steals the spotlight here while not being over the top. This match ends tied 1-1 at the time limit. Not only were the wrestlers seemingly unaware as they keep battling at the bell, but it is one of those matches that goes 20 minutes and I have to check the time because I don’t believe it as it feels half that. Fun Fun Fun stuff and something everyone should seek out. **1/2
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[1970-05-15-Houston Wrestling] Boris Malenko vs Paul Boesch
This is a special 10 Minute Challenge Match. Malenko said he could beat Boesch in 10 minutes so if the time expires Boesch is declared the winner. The commentary is done by Malenko and the entire match is pretty much just comedy. There is a spot where Malenko pulls the referee into Boesch and the referee takes a headbutt bump. Malenko proceeds to rip the referee's pants and uses the pant leg as a weapon. The match is good fun but nothing extraordinary.
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[1970-03-21-Detroit, MI] Dusty Rhodes & Dick Murdoch vs Ben Justice & The Stomper
It is amazing to watch the Texas Outlaws. You can see in Murdoch one of the great what ifs in wrestling. He’s a guy who had everything in my opinion to be a huge heel but just never ended up as big as he could have been. Rhodes as a heel is just brilliant and an absolute testament to how great a professional wrestler he was. He would go on to be one of the most iconic baby faces of all time, but seeing just this match you can tell he worked brilliantly as a heel as well. Footage is clipped and silent so I have a hard time rating the match, but I recommend watching it if only to study Dusty Rhodes.
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[1972-03-06-NJPW] Karl Gotch vs Antonio Inoki
I was a little disappointed by this match as I know what both guys can do, but there were stretches in the match they showed that off. I really wish there was more film available on Karl Gotch because every time I see him I am blown away by the style he brings to his mat wrestling and his ability to land his suplexes out of nowhere. He is a guy that without a doubt would be a great wrestler in any era. I give this match **1/2 as there is nothing bad about it at all but it never really impresses.
- [1972-02-12-Joint Promotions] Terry Rudge vs Les Thornton
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[1972-02-12-Joint Promotions] Adrian Street vs Jim Breaks
Thank you Loss for tipping this one!!! This might be one of my favorite matches of all time after the first viewing. Just an absolute master class of two guys who break the rules and in doing so absolutely get under each other’s skin. It’s brilliant how well these two get across the absolute hatred for each other as the match builds. It feels like a legitimate fight, and I’m very curious how these two would look in a modern American style. Breaks gets the first fall with a Jim Breaks Special in the 5th round, only for Street to tie it up and end it in a draw with a double armbar chicken wing in the 6th. This is magnificent. ****1/2
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[1972-02-08-CWF] Dory Funk Jr vs Jack Brisco
I wanted to love this soo bad. Mechanically its very good. The unique way its presented in edited form with voiced over commentary including Jack Brisco is on paper brilliant. Sadly it just doesnt work for me. Everything about it seems great until I watch it and then Im just underwhelmed. Think Im too conditioned to the way wrestling has been presented for the last 50 years because this just doesnt work despite two great workers having a very good match. Match ends in a time limit draw after 60 minutes. **
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[1972-01-31-WWWF-MSG, NY] Karl Gotch & Rene Goulet vs The Rugged Russians (Igor & Ivan)
Gotch’s fire is great in this. Goulet is an excellent tag team wrestler. He never steals the shine from Gotch takes most of the heat (although Gotch takes the fall?!?!?) and has some very fun spots. Wish some more of this combination was on tape as as you can see the potential in this match but the only time it makes it out of second gear is when Gotch dominates the second fall.
- [1988-01-02-NWA-World Championship Wrestling] Arn Anderson vs Ron Garvin
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[1988-01-02-NWA-Pro] Ric Flair vs Sting
This era Flair could make a mop look like a credible challenger, but with that being said there is something that Sting just brought to their matches that make every one of them special. Flair makes Sting without question but Sting just had something intangible about him that really worked well with Flair. It’s hard to put your finger on because I’ve seen a bunch of Flair matches that mechanically look just like his matches with Sting. The two of them just had some unexplainable chemistry that made their matches feel special. This has nothing on their Clash match but it is a real fun tv match that flys by
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[1980-01-12-WWF-All Star Wrestling] Larry Zbyszko vs JoJo Andrews
It’s a beautiful way of teasing what’s to come without giving anything away. Larry gives Bruno respect while calling him out
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WWE Hidden Gems
Lol!!! my Dad was the GM there during the time they did Raw tapings so little me had a front row seat to a lot of great RAW moments there
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WWE Network... It's Here
I don’t understand how Fight Pass hasn’t fixed their amazon app after years of complaints! You can’t resume anything and the fast forward function is trash. Only app I pay for that I’d rather watch on my smart phone than on my tv