Awesome long title match. Never watched much Invader but he had some fun legwork and other offense. Embry is really great here too, eating Invaders stuff really well, selling great. A little one sided as Invader takes 80% but Embry is great as a guy being steamrolled. He hits this awesome little sneak pliedriver to take over, and does one of the nastiest missed headbutts I have ever seen. Finish is really great too. Slam dunk Nomination

Phil summed it up nicely. A little one sided but the Invader offense was cool and nasty. The Embry bumps were insane and one of the better count-out finishes I have seen. Easy Nomination. Just gotta find it on disc.

Cross post this in my PR thread

Done. Go watch the match

Watching this I was reminded of Ron Garvin v. Tully Blanchard from the same year which is an outstanding tv match that suffers a bit from commercial breaks. I was also reminded of Steve Corino v. Tajiri from Hardcover Heaven 00, as this match had a similar feel with Invader as Tajiri and Embry as Corino (actually there are a lot of parallels between those two but that's a subject for another day). I thought this was a pretty great competitive squash, but make no mistake - this was a competitive squash. Embry gets his ass kicked for virtually the entire match, his one heat section is eaten up by a commercial (where we also miss how he got cut) and even though he does stuff like the sneaky, snap, piledriver it's really more as a way of surviving than it is of getting anything in for himself. I'm not even tossing this out there as a criticism of the match, because Embry is tremendous in this role and that is really the story of the match. It starts with him stalling and his valet going into a cage and sort of logical follows from there. His leg selling is outstanding even when climbing or running the ropes. His initial bump off the first dropkick was great and established the them of the match. The way he positioned himself for the final tope was outstanding also. Invader III was good, but Embry was on another level. Rarely do you see a guy being squashed for twenty minutes and come away thinking he was the genius in the match but in this case he was.

If I'm not mistaken, this is from Jan. 6, 1986.

Gentlemen, I have some news about this match. I was watching it on Youtube for the write-ups I'm doing and the full match is actually one hour. I don't know how that affects the match's standing for the set.

 

 

The video starts with Invader 3 in the ring and with Embry and Sasha (who is sitting in a chair) at ringside. Sasha is refusing to get into the cage. As referee Tomas "El Martillo" Marin heads out to try to get Sasha to move, Hugo is mentioning on commentary that the referee is saying that if Sasha does not get into the cage, Embry will forfeit the match. Invader 3 decides to grab Sasha and carries her to the cage, where she is promptly locked inside. As an irate Sasha screams and hits the cage, Invader 3 goes after Embry. Both men slide into the ring but Embry jumps back out and heads toward the cage and Sasha. Embry tries to shake the cage door open, but its locked (Embry's frustrated expression during this is pretty amusing). Finally, a reluctant Embry gets into the ring and the match starts. Embry tries to stall in the first few minutes, but Invader 3 comes out ahead when they do lock up.

 

We come back from commercial with both men criss crossing on the ropes and Invader 3 once again taking control of the match. As Invader 3 works a headlock, Eliud Gonzales announces that we are at the 25 minute mark. Hugo repeats the time and apologizes to the fans as "most of you will see the match cut in parts due to the program's time constraints, but we will always strive that the most important moments and as much as is possible is shown, but this one is set for a one hour time limit and it is difficult fitting the entire match into the program". At this point, Embry takes over the match. As Embry has Invader 3 in a chinlock, Hugo introduces the ringside doctor, Hector Gonzalez, and asks him how is it possible for these two men to still be going at it after 25 minutes without tiring. Hector days that it is due to the phenomenal shape these two men are in. "They have a strict exercise regimen, a good diet, and they are in tremendous and enviable shape". As Embry continues with the chinlock, we go to another commercial break.

 

We come back with Invader 3 working over Embry's leg and Embry is bleeding. As Invader 3 continues working the hold, the time announcement is made: 50 minutes. Hugo puts over the condition of both men, in particular Embry for not giving up even with being busted open. There's a kid in the audience just screaming at Invader 3,cheering him on ("Put him in the figure four Johnny!!"). Invader 3 complies but Embry quickly grabs the ropes. Hugo again ask as the doctor for his opinion (Hugo: It has now been 53 minutes. How is it that Embry can still continue despite the fact he is bleeding? How has e not fainted from the blood loss?; Hector: Well Hugo, although he is bleeding, the blood will coagulate and that will slow down the bleeding. The cuts are not deep enough at this moment to produce dizziness and blackout symptoms yet").

 

Embry proceeds to go to the top but is tossed off by Invader 3. Invader 3 then goes on the offensive trying to get the win, but Embry keeps surviving. Invader 3 is getting annoyed, yanks off Embry's kneepad and goes after the knee. 55 minutes have elapsed! Invader 3 continues working on the leg as Embry can barely stand. Embry manages to get a piledriver but is too spent to follow up. Embry goes up top with 4 minutes left, but misses a headbutt. Abdominal stretch by Invader 3 as there are three minutes left. Embry hiptosses out of it but is hit with a clothesline of the rope. He manages to get a foot on the ropes to break the count. Backslide by Invader 3 and Embry barely manages to get loose. Two minutes left as Invader 3 hits a bodypress but again Embry manages to kick out. Sunset flip and Embry kicks out again! Both men collide their heads and they are both down. Embry gets up first and tries for a splash but Invader 3 gets his knees up. Pinfall attempt by Invader 3 is too close to the ropes and Embry gets his foot on them. 1 minute left!

 

Invader 3 tosses Embry outside of the ring and hits a tope onto him. Both men are out on the floor as the referee starts his count. 20 seconds left in the match! Invader 3 manages to roll back in with 10 seconds left. The crowd starts counting down along with Eliud Gonzalez. Embry is struggling to get up but does not make it. As the bell rings, Invader 3 raises his arms in victory. Embry, outside and on his knees, slightly raises one arm in victory and promptly collapses to the floor. As medical personnel and Sasha (who has been released from the cage) go to check on Embry, the official decision is announced: Invader 3 wins by countout but Embry retains the title.

If it's an hour and the video is only 22 minutes we can't put it on there

Bummer as this was a really fun match, and I love Embry, but 22 minutes of an hour isn't enough

If we had the whole hour this match would have been a top five contender. Those 22 minutes were pretty great. That's a terrible shame and that tope was fucking awesome.