The opening of this was interesting as neither team really did anything of note but they set up the importance of stuff by really getting over the fact that they were struggling to get basic things done. I was annoyed by Saito not turning over on the Scorpion but they got some good heat out of the heel leverage spots they worked with it. Holy shit the crowd is molten for Brunzell trying to crawl to the corner only for both heels to grab a leg and pull him back. Saito's Boston Crab looked cool and they end up targetting Brunzell's back. There is a great moment in here with Brunzell isolated in the heel corner and being double teamed and Gagne just comes in and murders Nick with a right. They do a couple of "tag behind the refs back" spots which get huge responses from the crowd. Greg gets the hot tag and goes crazy on Bock while Brunzell holds up Saito. Gagne ends up locking in a Boston Crab mid-ring but the ref is busy with Brunzell and Saito. Bock gets punted to shit by Gagne at one point and it sounded really sick. Then Gagne follows it up with a nasty as fuck forearm to his kidney. Brunzell hit a great dropkick and locked on the figure-four but Saito runs in and breaks it up. Saito comes in and ends up in Gagne's sleeper. Saito passes a foreign object to Bock and Bock punches Greg. Bock tries to throw salt in Greg's eyes but he ducks and Saito takes it and gets rolled up. This was pretty great.

High Flyers vs. Saito & Bockwinkel

- Gagne works an armbar early on and there were a couple of breaks in between but thankfully Brunzell takes over and works the arm. While Gagne was laying around, Brunzell was oing little shit like boot scraping Bock’s face. Cool spot as Saito is trying to lock in a crab but Brunzell hits the ropes so Bock stomps him in the face to break the rope hold. Now, it is the heels turn to work on Brunzell’s leg. Damn, similar spot as before with Jim in the Scorpion and Bock standing on his head! When Gagne makes the hot tag, the crowd comes unglued but I really don’t take him as a serious threat tossing Saito around. Bock is good enough to make him look credible though with his bumping and stooging. Probably the best match I have seen today. Easy nomination.

#1 Contenders Match for the AWA World Tag Titles: The Hi-Flyers ("Jumpin" Jim Brunzell & Greg Gagne) vs. Nick Bockwinkel & Mr. Saito (3/7/85)

 

I dug the armwork by the Flyers as they really wrenched away at Bock's left arm with quick tags and used various ways to punish the arm. Bock would trap Brunzell in his corner and Saito would come in to start the attack with Brunzell doing a good job of selling the punishment. I liked the struggle that Saito had with Brunzell trying to lock on the sasorigatame with the crowd going nuts for Brunzell so Saito would just tag in Bock who went to an inverted Indian Death Lock. Brunzell would break free with punches and tried to get to Gagne but the heels would drag him back to the corner. Brunzell was very good here working FIP and the struggle he had to get to Gagne was well done as the crowd was eating it up. Gagne would come in and get his shots in when he could before finally getting the tag which drove the crowd into a frenzy and he cleaned house on Bock then Saito. Gagne would work over Bock's back before locking on a Boston Crab but the referee is occupied with Saito & Brunzell. Gagne lets it go and continues to pound on the heels with Bock working his ass off here making Greg look good. Brunzell would come back in hitting his great dropkick and got the figure-four but Saito would break that up and Saito would get the tag but so would Greg who would lock on the Gagne Sleeper with Bock coming in to hit Gagne but he would throw salt in Saito's eyes by mistake causing him to lose. This was a damn solid match and a fairly easy nomination.