Posted July 25, 201213 yr comment_5511140 Ken Patera vs. Bob Backlund (5/19/80) - These dudes come out fighting and nail each other with some stiff shots. Bob’s elbow to the head looks nasty. Great spot where Ken hooks in the Full Nelson early and Bob breaks it while ramming Ken’s head in the turnbuckle piggyback style. Ken gets the back work in motion and this is the part where Phil makes fun of Bob’s facial expressions… goofy as fuck. I love seeing Bob cheat, using the rope, eye rakes, punch to the throat. This sets up the atomic drop but Ken gets outside the apron then KILLS Patera with a SICK SICK SICK piledriver. Bob has one of the best piledrivers. Patera gets the advantage and starts working on Bob’s throat… tree of woe choking, clothesline, throat drop across the rope and tries to pin him while choking. At this point, Ken escapes a n ab stretch by tossing Bob over the top and beating the shit out of him on the outside, busint him open and attacking the cut. I LOVE THAT SHIT. Bob makes his comeback and beats the shit out of Patera on the outside. Now Patera is busted open and Bob beats the shit out of the cut. The end had Bob ram Ken into a chair only for Ken to pick it up and nail Bob with ot as he gets in the ring. Ken looks to put it away with the chair but Bob nails Ken with it a couple of times and wins with a flying body press. This has to be the best match either guy has ever been in and probably a lock for my Top 5. EASY NOMINATION.
December 4, 201311 yr comment_5575058 Not much to add here but this match is boss. I give it a high end nomination. This was worked at a good pace. We had great brawling, we got story telling. A double juice affair. Bob was busting out hammer punches that were sick. Patera might have been the best worker in the WWF in 1980 and this might be his crown jewel. His shit talking after the match was so great and in character. The Grand Wizard holding his nose when Backlund and Skaaland were announced was hilarious. The atmosphere in the crowd was like it was watching a pair of pitbulls fighting for their lives in some 3rd world country where James Bond might be undercover.
