AWA World Heavyweight Title: Jumbo Tsuruta © vs. Billy Robinson (3/11/84)

 

OK this should be awesome. Feeling out process to start but Robinson would get fiery as Jumbo tried to chop him in the ropes which he blocked but the referee calmed him down and the match went back to trading holds. Jumbo connects with the chop this time and Robinson is even more angrier before hitting another one which is about to make Robinson explode. Jumbo tries again and this time Robinson comes back with a punch but Jumbo blocks that. Robinson finally unloads hitting a swank uppercut and a neckbreaker for a nearfall. Robinson would try to take another shot at Jumbo in the ropes but he would fly over the top after he missed him. Jumbo would then tee off on Robinson with boots when he came back in the ring and the fans started booing him heavily. Jumbo would crank Robinson's back over his knee which he would bend him nicely. Jumbo would hit a nice high knee before a piledriver which looked cool for a nearfall. Jumbo is more vicious here than he was in his other US matches so he must've really hated Green Bay or something and Robinson paid for it. Jumbo would bash Robinson's head into the table which woke him up and he came back in the ring with fists clinched with Jumbo answering with his hand in the air ready to chop. Robinson fights back but his back is still bothering him and he can't do anything so Jumbo goes back to work using the Boston Crab. Robinson would come back though using a jujigatame to counter out and both men would get back upright with Robinson firing off a forearm smash then another neckbreaker for a nearfall. Robinson is in the zone here throwing out his arsenal trying to put away Jumbo and has him reeling before Jumbo would catch him with an elbow sending him over the top rope to the floor then suplexes him back in the ring. Robinson though gets right back up and comes back firing off uppercuts until Jumbo catches him with a backslide to win the match. This was a blast as both men were really taking it to each other and I dug the flash finish with the backslide. Easy nomination.

This was on youtube so I went ahead and watched it. I would probably call this more of a "Solid" than "Easy" but that's really quibbling as either way I see it on the set. I actually thought Jumbo added the most in the pre-match where he really came across as the stone faced champion ready to come to work and fuck somebody up. The grappling exchanges were all simple, but really effective as the holds were well milked and set up. We got some of Robinson's flashier stuff, a couple of his back neckbreakers, two well set up over the ropes bumps from Billy and a very strong near fall off of his backbreaker. Jumbo's heat section with the stomps was probably the flattest part of the match, but they looked nasty so it's hard to really criticize it. All the spots built around the Boston Crab were quality and the finish came across well enough despite a weak count by the ref. Again this will make the set.