Posted December 12, 200717 yr comment_5425124 Buddy Rose vs. Jay Youngblood (2/3 falls) (4/11/81) - Buddy is wearing Youngblood's headdress. Buddy promises to throw the belt in Mt. St. Helens if he wins. Awesome. Apparently, the old ugly belt was thrown off a bridge by Buddy Rose which is why a new one was created. Damn, and this was 5 years before Slater threw the TV title off a bridge and almost 20 years before Steve Austin did it. I wonder if we can find a segment even older of someone throwing a title of a bridge. I think it may have happened in Florida but don't know if it was before or after Rose did it. Anyway, 1st fall has both guys exchanging pin attempts in hopes of putting the match away early. Eventually, Rose gets the pin with a rollup. The 2nd fall is worked with Rose in a headlock. You have to see the way Buddy is pinned after succumbing to 70 side headlock slapdowns (?). 3rd fall has the headlock in effect again but Buddy avoids it by throwing Jay out of the ring. Buddy tries to put the match away with the backbreaker but Jay ends up with a sunset flip for the pin and the title. Rose is a sore loser afetr the match and destorys Youngblood with the title belt. I can't say it enough but Buddy Rose is a genius. I didn't like this as much as the other Youngblood-Rose match but it is still a nomination. (Lynch Vol. 5)
April 13, 201114 yr comment_5469825 They worked this completely differently than their previous matches, with both guys going for quick pinning combinations throughout the first fall. I thought it was interesting that the heel ended up getting the better of what was essentially a scientific fall. But it was fun, fast-paced stuff regardless. Youngblood dominated the second fall with the two longest sequences of headlock wrenches I've ever seen. This could have been boring, but the crowd was into it and Buddy really put over the damage to his neck. I loved his threat to charter a helicopter and drop the title belt in Mt. Saint Helens if he won. Great touch of local context. Buddy tried to take over the third fall by turning dirtier, but Youngblood surprised him with a sunset flip to regain the title. This match, though certainly not the promotion's best from the era, featured a bunch of little touches that set it apart. Nomination.
December 20, 201113 yr comment_5490571 Another good bout between the 2 and a nomination. Like has been stated both guys were waiting for their opportunities to get pins. The match wasn't as compelling as their earlier one, but still good.
July 11, 201213 yr comment_5509907 Loved the early pinfall attempts, especially the opening sunset flip which the crowd was fucking batshit for and Buddy sold as terrifyingly close to securing the fall. Usually a roll up heavy fall would make me roll my eyes, but this was so well put together it is unbelievable. Youngblood hitting the home run crossbody off the rope running spot really seemed like a finish to me and I totally bit on it (and I have seen this match before!). Also the Buddy strut was never better delivered than it was here. Youngblood getting nasty off the break and then bumping Buddy to the floor on a slingshot was an interesting spin on things. Cool roll up counter for Buddy to take the first fall. Second fall was controlled by Youngblood with a headlock but they did some good work out of it, including a nice backbreaker tease that resulted in a side headlock takeover. I kind of loved the head crank spot as Buddy slowly went lifeless during it and it was a very believable near fall as a result. Sure enough Youngblood busts out a 40 crank spot and it gets the fall. Amazing that this worked at all, let alone so well. Third fall teases both Buddy arm work and Youngblood head cranks and instead delivers on Buddy being a short cut taking motherfucker. Buddy busts out a dropkick sending Youngblood wildly off the apron and avoids a sunset flip. Youngblood evades the backbreaker and after a short sequence slides under for a sunset flip to take the fall and the title as the fans swarm the ring. Then Buddy beats his ass with the title in a post-match tirade Fuck it I think all the Youngblood v. Rose matches are good shit and all should make the set without a second thought.
