WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund vs Jimmy Snuka - MSG 6/28/82 Steel Cage Match

 

Everytime, Snuka even touches a turnbuckle, MSG goes bonkers. Snuka, like a great stripper knows how to stoke those flames, first it is a middle rope knee drop and then a chop. Each tease gets more and more of a reaction. Before we discuss the climax, lets talk Superfly's style. It has been a long time since I watched this match and Snuka wrestled in a really engaging style. He was a stalking heel almost in the vein of a horror movie monster similar to early Undertaker. He is the exact opposite of Adonis with almost no bumping until the one super duper bump. At his best Backlund could only get him to one knee early. Backlund is able to throw him into the cage to bust him open. Backlund is kicking ass, but to not to the same effect he is used to as Snuka is just a monster that keeps coming. Snuka builds and builds and finally he ascends to his perch, but goes one rung higher all the way to the top of the cage. He leaps off and crashes and burns in the world's most painful belly flop. Backlund wins off the mistake. The match is totally must see because of that one spot. It still looks crazy awesome in 2015 and in 1982 that must have been face-melting, brain-frying shit. ***

 

 

I think if their first match was available from MSG, where Bob does a stretcher job, you would see that your assessment of Snuka in a monster-heel style was pretty much spot on. It was exactly as I remember he was portrayed during his challenge of Backlund.

 

Missing the first bout of this series on video is as bad as mising the MSG return between Backlund and Adonis, or Backlund and Masked Superstar...leaves the story incomplete. At least in this case we get the payoff match (and boy does it pay off!)