Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Nick Bockwinkle (AWA Title, 2/26/84)

- For reference sake, this has Terry Funk as a 2nd referee. Maybe I need to watch all the Bock-Jumbo matches back to back. The first 5 minutes or so are Bock holding onto a headlock but he just seemed angrier here. The shots are just a little more stiff. The facial expressions show more scowls. I also like how almost every single move or hold is contested or worked. Bock isn’t content to be caught in a camel clutch. He lifts Jumbo up and rams him in the corner. When Bock has Jumbo in a leglock, Jumbo eventually transitions that into a headlock and Bock has to break the hold. Another theme of the match is Nick throwing Jumbo out of the ring several times, and every time, it is a battle just for Jumbo to get back into the ring. The match ends in a questionable double count-out but I enjoyed this enough for a nomination.

 

(AJC 101)

I preferred the title win from three days earlier, because it featured a more inspired performance from Jumbo. This wasn't bad, however. I liked Bockwinkel's work on Jumbo's leg, and Will mentioned Jumbo's fights just to get back in the ring. It's hard for me to pinpoint anything wrong. I just didn't get the same sense of urgency from Bock trying to regain his title as I did from Jumbo trying to win it. I don't mind moving this forward for now, but its a drop candidate if we choose not to take multiple matches from their series.

AWA World Heavyweight Title: Jumbo Tsuruta © vs. Nick Bockwinkel (2/26/84)

 

Jumbo makes his first big defense of the title in Japan in a rematch with Bock with Terry Funk as referee again. Terry was a helluva worker even as a referee. Bock worked this one way more aggressively which makes sense since he wanted his title back but Jumbo wasn't going down without a fight and was aggressive as well hitting his high kneelift early. Bock was on fire though even using a cross body block off the top rope for a nearfall before going for a piledriver that Jumbo would counter with a backdrop. Bock locked a great abdominable stretch that sent Terry out of the ring then a criss cross which also forced Terry out of the ring where like I said he was working as hard as the wrestlers. Bock would work a Boston Crab that Jumbo would eventually use his strength to force Bock out of the ring before getting a Thesz Press for a nearfall after Bock came back in. Bock kept fighting though getting the advantage back until Jumbo got a sleeper that would end up sending Jumbo on the floor and Bock kicking him over the rail which unlike New Japan wasn't a DQ. This would end up in a slugfest with Jumbo fighting his way back in the ring where he fired up on Bock but again Bock kept fighting getting nearfalls being desperate trying to get the win. Bock would send Jumbo to the floor by posting him then kicked him in the knee as he tried to get back and worked it over to setup his figure-four which he would lock on. Jumbo sold like crazy as the fans chanted his name before finally getting to the ropes but Bock would roll to the floor with the hold and kept working Jumbo over but as he tried to get back in the ring, Jumbo held his foot for the double countout. I had no problem with this finish as Jumbo wasn't going to let Bock take his title and found a chance to keep him on the floor and went for it. This is one of the better matches in their series and this definitely moves forward.