Harley Race & Dick Slater vs. Giant Baba & Jumbo Tsuruta (12/13/82)

- I really enjoyed Slater in this one. Look at how he bumps for Baba’s big boot. Awesome. For a short while, Baba was actually playing FIP. Race and Slater also are trying hard to be a cohesive tag team. Two standout spots include Slater holding Baba while Race gives him a headbutt to the stomach and a double kneedrop on Baba early on. The crowd is getting louder later on but Baba no-selling a concrete piledriver leaves a bad taste in the mouth. However, all the headbutts and work on the head and Baba is bleeding!!! In the end, Baba gets the pin as he rams Slater into Race’s head and hits the Russian leg sweep for a clean pin. I don’t know how far this match will go but I am nominating it for discussion.

 

(AJC 80)

I think I liked this a bit more than Will. Both Slater and Harley did a great job eating offense. Harley made Jumbo's high-knee look like a damn head-on car wreck. I also liked Baba playing FIP. The crowd just loved him so much, and he took some pretty nasty punishment here. The ending was a little abrupt. I would like to have seen a hot tag to Jumbo. But I still vote yes.

Real World Tag League: Giant Baba & Jumbo Tsuruta vs. "Mr. Puroresu" Harley Race & "Mr. Unpredictable" Dick Slater (12/13/82)

 

GALAXY EXPRESS hits and Sumo Hall is fucking rocking. Jim Barnett & Lou Thesz standing side by side in the ring is a FABULOUS sight and this crowd is ridiculous hot. I loved the look Race gave Baba before shaking his hand with the crowd going OOOOOOOOOOO. They go to commercial here on the TV version of this I have and it has a beer commercial with fucking MIKE TYSON sparring in a gym in 1982 no less, 3 years before he turned pro. This started with basic stuff but Slater was fun using a nice delayed piledriver on Jumbo. Slater's bump for Baba's big boot was awesome but Race's bump over the top rope on a Baba irish whip was even better. Baba working FIP was fun as you had Race & Slater breaking out some double-team work and the headbutt rampage that Race had going on plus Slater working the figure-four on Baba as Race talked shit to him on the apron. Race visibly bladed Baba after hitting the diving headbutt off the middle rope so Baba really trusted him and the blood added great drama to this match as the fans was going nuts for Baba to tag in Jumbo. Baba then smashing Slater's head into Race's was so fucking great then pinning him after a russian legsweep was like Baba saying fuck you I don't need to make a tag I'm fucking Giant Baba. This is a fantastic match and a definite nomination.