All Japan Classics 51

 

Terry Funk/Ted Dibiase vs. Abdullah The Butcher/Ray Candy (05/01/80)

- The one thing you have to love about Terry Funk is those punches. This was a big mess with a bunch of brawling and hard to keep track of. However, Funk pins Candy with a small package out of nowhere.

 

Giant Baba vs. Super Destroyer #2 (AWA) (PWF Title, 06/22/80, Minneapolis)

- I’ll defer to KHawk

 

Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Dick Slater (Champion Carnival Final, 05/01/80)

- Really strong match here. I love how these guys battle over the smallest move. Jumbo tries a double underhook suplex but Slater blocks it by hooking his foot around Jumbo’s leg. He fights and twists to keep Jumbo from getting a Boston Crab. I mark out huge for that shit. Early on, Slater’s main focus was on Jumbo’s leg and he does enough filler to keep it interesting. Slater’s bump to the outside was huge. Loss recently criticized Slater on the Mid South set and that’s cool. However, I don’t think you can criticize him here as it is Slater who makes this match a slam dunk nomination.

Ted DiBiase & Terry Funk vs. Abdullah the Butcher & Ray Candy (5/1/80)

 

Interesting matchup here and what you would expect from a match with Terry & Abby as they brawled all over ringside with the others following suit even seeing DiBiase hit a piledriver on Candy on the floor. Funk really throws some great punches here and in the midst of this wild brawling, Funk got an inside cradle on Candy to win. This was very fun but not a nomination.

 

Next we get Baba vs. Super D Mark II aka Sgt. Slaughter from the AWA which we'll wait on.

 

Champion Carnival - Finals: Jumbo Tsuruta vs. "Mr. Unpredictable" Dick Slater (5/1/80)

 

Slater is wearing an eyepatch here from previous injuries in the tournament. This has some really solid chain wrestling to start the match with both men working in and out of holds counter wrestling but doing it at a good pace keeping it lively and not boring. Slater was awesome at this stage of his career as he hadn't totally gone all Terry Funk Jr. in everything he did yet but still showed some of the mannerisms. Slater's bump over the top rope after Jumbo countered a piledriver was pretty great as he took a header on concrete. Jumbo then terrorized Slater's back then used a high knee and a piledriver to get Slater ready for the pin but Slater would roll Jumbo to the floor allowing him get suplex him back in from the apron turning the tide. The crowd then decided to wake up a little as Slater hit a Samoan drop followed up by his own piledriver but Jumbo kept fighting. They would then have an inside cradle struggle with both men trying to turn the other over which was awesome before Jumbo would go up top to hit a big diving knee which Slater still kicked out of. Slater would then follow with a diving elbow smash off the top for a nearfall and this is getting pretty awesome now. There was more trading of nearfalls before Jumbo would miss a dropkick giving Slater a chance to go for the figure-four but Jumbo would fight for his life kicking at Slater's bad eye which would succeed. Slater came back though firing punches sending Jumbo back to the floor but Jumbo came back in and hit a backdrop suplex for yet another nearfall. After more fighting, Jumbo would finally put Slater away with a big German Suplex hold to win the CC. This match was simply awesome and had an epic feel going there towards the last 5 minutes. This is definitely a slam dunk nomination.