Posted September 30, 201410 yr comment_5630199 This has Blassie as a special color guy. This is years past their famous feud. Still they had a good match. Tito is after the Hammer's leg guard to start. We start with a little back and forth. Tito is controlling with a headlock. The cool thing hear is the spots he worked around the headlock were violent in a mat working sense. Eventually Valentine is in control and he's working the leg and using physicality on Tito. Tito gets a great hope spot that looks like he's about to gain control, but misses a flying lariat. Greg back in control and does this awesome working leg work which sees him grapevine the leg and falls back. Tito finally makes a comeback and tries some leg work of his own. We are on the outside and it looks like Tito was counted out, but no the time limit expires.
June 4Jun 4 comment_6030730 Tito Santana vs. Greg Valentine (MSG 11/26/88) - Tito tries to immediately take off the shin guard but the ref stops him. Greg attacks and punishes him for his insolence with nasty elbow points and a snug forearm. Santana responds with a forearm of his own. Nasty kicks to the head of Hammer. Yep, these two just needed some time to display their hate. Damn these guys bring the hate. For example, Hammer did the stomach headbutt in the 1987 match. It looked soft. This one looked like it would cause internal bleeding. Santana fights back with shoot kicks to the leg, hard chops and a punch to the nose. Greg really needed a nose bleed there. Tito hooks a sleeper for a 2 count Hammer rolls a headlock into nearfalls but he was holding the tights so the ref flipped him over. Hammer must have been angry about those kicks to his leg earlier because he responds with his own shoot kicks and then attacks the leg. He steps on the knee with his full body weight and grinds his foot. Damn. Valentine drops 4 elbow drops for a 2 count. This is war. Even the pin attempts are snug. Tito’s comeback was awesome as he pulls Hammer’s shorts down, ground and pounds and then misses a 2nd rope leap into nowhere. Hammer says fuck it… let me destroy your leg some more. Hammer holds Tito’s arms down for a pin but Tito channels his inner Jumping Bomb Angel and bridges up each time. The crowd is coming alive with Santana’s comeback. I bit on aa Tito small package and so did the crowd. So close. Oh man, Tito is now attacking Hammer’s leg. He is punching his leg. SHIT!!!!Tito couldn’t hook the figure 4 and Greg turns the shin guard around. Greg can’t hook his figure 4 and Tito gets a 2 count. ON their feet, a sick forearm makes Tito fall flat backed. Another figure 4 attempt. Hammer meets the corner ring post. Next attempt sends Hammer outside. Time limit expired even as Hammer was in the ring on a count out. Man, unsatisfying finish to an awesome match. EASY NOMINATION but the finish will leave a bad taste in your mouth.
July 7Jul 7 comment_6032278 Hard hitting and they earn those attacks. Great focused attacks on the knee and limbs, Valentine in particular just goes postal on Santana. A bit slower when doing the holds, although they work them well and there’s almost an MMA quality to this match at times. Solid to strong nomination pending review of the others in the feud. This is different enough from the 12/17/88 match to warrant consideration for inclusion.
