Posted February 3, 200817 yr comment_5427798 All Japan Classics 78 Dory and Terry Funk v. Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood (12/2/82) - This one starts out JIP early on but it doesn’t look like much was missing. Really nice sequence early on as Rick and Jay control working on Terry’s arm. Well, Jay won’t let go as him and Terry tumble outside. Terry gives him an airplane spin, dumps Jay on the canvas and Jay still has a hold of the arm. Most of the match has the teams working evenly with Jay pairing off with Terry and Rick pairing with Dory. The last 5 minutes of action really picked up with Ricky and Jay desperately trying to put away the Funks but Terry reverses a Jay flying body press for the pin. This was just one solid tag match and stands in strong contrast to the shitty Brody/Hansen tag. The biggest thing that hurt the match was a lack of heat. You get the feeling if it happened in Florida or North Carolina, the heat would have been off the charts. Still, this is a nomination. Bruiser Brody & Stan Hansen v. Harley Race & Dick Slater (12/2/82) - After watching some of these matches, you just wish either Hansen or Brody would sell something. Anything! Still, you can see Harley Race desperately trying to make something of this thing almost single handedly. There was some blood and fun brawling but not enough for a nomination though. Harley Race v. Ricky Steamboat (12/7/82) - The early stage of the match is worked in and out of a Ricky Steamboat headlock, with Harley supplying most of the big offense in between. Harley gains control after a big knee and takes over with his big bag of offense. As much as I love Steamboat, most of the positive things that can be said about this match are due almost entirely because of Race. When Ricky seemed content just to grab the headlock, Harley kept things interesting by moving and working the hold. It was Harley who busted out the moves and Harley who seemed more intereste din being there. I am nominating this match as a low-level nomination almost entirely due to Harley and it hurts me to say that.
