Greg attempts a Pearl Harbor but Bob sniffs it out. We get a slugfest where Bob is kicking ass. While on the outside Greg grabs Bob's leg and posts it. Valentine starts to work the leg. He drops the knee on the leg. Greg even busts out a modified Indian Death Lock. A small package by Bob was a really great hope spot. They're on their knees and exchanging fore arms with one another. Bob kick's Greg off to escape to no avail. Valentine hooks on another leg lock. Bob uses a monkey flip to escape. Bob picks him up for a slam and his leg caves in from the weight. Valentine back to the leg, and Valentine does an attempted splash on the leg and misses. Both guys trading blows. Backlund with an Atomic knee drop. Now it's payback time and Bob is now going after the leg. Bob does a nice job selling the leg while on offense. Bob does some nifty leg work, and really milks the moments to the crowd. These guys are exchanging strikes again. I love it when in doubt beat the hell out of each other. On the floor Bob gets posted. Valentine smashes Bob on the announcer's table and Bob is busted open. We get another punch exchange. Valentine get's Bob to chase him around the ring and Valentine sneaks in for the CO victory. This was a heck of a match and a high end nomination.

WWF Heavyweight Title: Bob Backlund © vs. Greg "The Hammer" Valentine (12/12/81)

You could hear the fans are starting to turn on Backlund some as his reaction isn't as big as it used to be. This is a slugfest from the bell as both men throw punches in bunches before Valentine dropped to the floor which was just a ploy to bait Bob into getting his legs taken out with Valentine wrapping the left leg around the ringpost. Valentine was ruthless working over the leg and Backlund was good at selling the punishment but he was also good at getting the hope spots like an inside cradle for a nearfall and getting into a fistfight trying to get back up. Backlund would give Valentine a kneebreaker as payback and then he started working over Greg's left leg with Valentine being great at selling it. Valentine would eventually get to the floor to recover but as he came back in the ring he would eat a suplex before going back to the floor again. Backlund would fall for his bait yet again and joined him on the floor where he would get posted forcing the juice. Valentine then would play King of the Mountain pounding on Backlund every time he tried to get back in the ring. Backlund would finally get back in the ring and he went nuts on Valentine who was doing his best to stay on the floor and away from Backlund before beatng him back into the ring to win by countout. The pacing here was so good and the work was great too with the right amount of brawling and legwork. This is a fairly easy nomination to me.

BOB BACKLUND vs GREG VALENTINE (12/12/1981; WWF Philadelphia Spectrum; 00:24:30)
-    Bob decides to focus on the leg and destroys Bob’s leg for ten minutes. Bob comes back but can’t lift Greg on the damaged wheel. Bob hits a desperation shin breaker hurting Greg’s leg but also hurting himself. Now Bob is attacking Greg’s leg. He is still selling the damage to his leg. Bob goes for his own figure 4 to pop the crowd but can’t hook it. Bob stomps on the hamstrings in a brutal spot. Hammer is down on the floor and Bob reaches in and kicks him in the back of the head. It looked cooler than I described. When Greg is back in, Bob just twist his boot on Greg’s head. Outside, Hammer posts Bob. HE regroups, goes outside and slams Bob on the table. Bob is bleeding. Bob has trouble getting back in and when he does, Hammer throws him to the other side. They start brawling and then Hammer is running from Bob. Bob gives chase and Hammer gets in the ring to beat the ten count for the win. EASY TOP 20 CONTENDER. Valentine legit has three of the best feuds of the 80s in the WWF alone. Add his Piper feud in Mid Atlantic and that is 4 bona fide feuds of the decade. Add Wahoo for late 70s/early 80s. I can’t believe he only had 2 matches on the first set.