Posted January 18, 200818 yr comment_5427319 Buddy Rose vs. Curt Hennig (19:47) - The first fall is Curt working over the arm of Rose. There are some dead spots but Buddy's selling and mannerisms keep it alive. Buddy finally gets out of the arm hold and is able to turn the tide by drop kicking Curt out of the ring. Nice spot has Curt trying to get back in the ring on the apron byt BUjddy is fighting him off. Well, Buddy nails Curt in the stomach with a shoulder block, knocking Curt onto the floor but Buddy still sells the shoulder from the beating he took early on. Another nice change of pace as this fall has more close calls and 2 counts in the first fall than I am used to seeing in Portland. Eventually, Curt wins fall one with a sweet missile dropkick. Watching Curt celebrate, you can tell it was a huge upset. Buddy gets stretchered out for his troubles. I guess since Buddy is unable to continue that Curt wins the match by default. Maybe someone can watch this and clarify what happened. Either way, really good match in my view. Solid nomination. (Lynch Portland 8.2)
May 16, 200817 yr comment_5431316 Hennig vs. Rose... Big match here.... as Rose "broke" Hennig's knee... so this is the match where Curt wants payback after being on the shelf. Funny, as they talk about Hennig being back from "selling out MSG 8 times in a row"... Rose suckers Hennig unloads on him from behind as bell rings... Curt with a big exciting combback and Buddy takes a Huuuuge backdrop... fans flip. Hennig's got some great right hands that he uncorks here... along with a sweet dropkick. They do the awesome spot where a guy has the arm in a legscissors and the heel triiies to stand... but gets brought down a multitude of times. Hennig really knew how to work an armbar... knee to the face... manuevering to get the hold better... etc.... Wow... same with the hammerlock now. Hennig was real awesome and this type of territory was perfect for him to show just how much he could do. JEEEZ, seriously, Hennig and Rose get like 6 real exciting minutes out of fucking armbar variations and the fans are with it the entire time. Damn, Rose has a great dropkick out of nowhere that turns the tide of any match. A heel dropkick always seems better than a good guy one... as it really is a Drop... kick. Rather than a quickly executed manuever. Buzz Sawyer was always great at those "shoot dropkicks" too. They also work a great deal on keeping a guy outside the ring and making when he re-enters mean alot. Last time I really saw this done was Mori vs. AD in NYC. So at least that's a old but great spot that is still around and works. Rose takes a crazy Stevens bump upon the buckles toward the end of this and Hennig gets a great comeback. Rose takes an atomic drop...rolling cradle for a nearfall and I swear I thought I was watching Rose vs. Backlund instead! Rose goes to the top.... thown off...? NOPE.. he gets punched and CROTCHES himself for like 100 times a bigger reaction. Hennig hits BIGTIME dropkick off the top for a huge win. GOD, he hits him in the shoulder/neck and Buddy gets carried out as the commentators stress the DANGERRR of the move, even "rewatching the tape" of the end of the first fall. "He's moving that hand at least"... Hennig post match promo talks about PAYBACK... cool finish, since I don't think tooo many PNW matches ended abruptly due to injury. DEFINATELY nominated.. as this was greatness. Great post match with Rose in a neck brace in his bed at home cutting a promo.
July 29, 201015 yr comment_5453720 This was just awesome in spots. Hennig was great at the fired up baby face, and Rose was Rose. Whenever Hennig's offense got a tad vanilla Rose would sell or make a facial expression that sucked me back in. Rose's dropkick is just phat. Rose's bumps were huge, and Hennig took some nice ones too. This is a strong nomination.
April 28, 201114 yr comment_5470546 This went about 14 minutes bell to bell which is short by the standards of Portland main events. For my money it is the best match I've seen so far, an incredibly great match, and one of the better matches I've seen from anywhere in 83. It is a match that is enhanced by the pre-match with Owen talking about Rose injuring Hennig's leg and the post-match Buddy stretcher job. Match starts off with great action as Buddy ambushes Curt while he is still in his ring jacket. Curt bumps around big but naturally makes his comeback with Buddy returning the favor. I liked how they worked in early near falls there as you really bought that an early fall could come from the ambush or hennig comeback. Hennig ends up taking over on the arm and it is some of most spirited simple limb work I can remember seeing. They work some good teased counters from Rose, Hennig gets to work some nice counters they come up for a flashy spot or two, et. It just really works well. Rose eventually escapes free and sends Hennig over the top with a dropkick and they go into a nice stretch with Rose hitting some nice stiff offense, Hennig coming back and bumping Rose huge, some teased falls, et. The finishing run with Hennig eating the double knees on a splash attempt only to catch Rose up top building to the big top rope dropkick to Rose's arm/neck was awesome. As said before post-match stretcher job was great. Hennig was fiery as fuck in this, both guys bumped great, Rose did some great selling (really loved him selling the shoulder after a shoulderblock to keep Hennig on the floor) and all the litle things well. This was just a great match in every sense and is a lock for the set. PP 25
May 7, 201114 yr comment_5470869 I always like Buddy's ambush openings. They just fit his character so well, especially when he was up against a plucky young guy. The one stretch of the match I didn't love was Henning's segment of arm control. But it was fine, with enough teased counters and facial selling from Buddy to keep me interested. I loved Buddy's tide-turning dropkick, and Curt's bumping, selling and comeback were just consummate. The missile dropkick was a hell of a highspot for 1983, and Buddy going out on the stretcher was a perfect finish given the storyline introduced in pre-match commentary. These matches do illustrate the degree to which WWF Henning did not live up to the potential he showed in Portland and AWA. Anyway, another easy yes.
May 7, 201114 yr comment_5470873 I think Hennig may have declined more than any other wrestler in the WWF. As a guy who is in the midst of watching Portland and AWA for this project, I would say he is no worse than a top three guy in both places. To be honest I think he's the best guy out of the AWA.
