All Japan Classics 73

 

Shoehi Baba v. Terry Gordy (PWF Title, 2/28/82 in Atlanta GA)

- Really hard match to decide. On one hand, Gordy has had so many better matches, as has Baba. However, Gordy bumps for Baba and gives him a credibility in the states that very few wrestlers could pull off. Still, the match just wasn’t very good and Baba without the Japanese fans behind him just doesn’t have that same magic. This isn’t the first match I have watched where Baba gets a tepid American response either. Still, thank god for Terry Gordy.

 

Terry Funk & Dick Slater v. Jerry Lawler & Don Diamond (St Pete, FL on 2/20/82)

- I am going out on a limb and predict that Diamond takes the fall. Three legends and… DON FRIGGIN DIAMOND! I wonder if the announcers are drowning out the crowd noise because this is a really quiet crowd through my speakers. The first ten minutes were great with Lawler getting pounded on by both Slater and Funk. Of course, with Lawler and Funk in the same ring, you are going to have some great punches thrown and they throw a ton. Great spot as Slater falls through the ropes onto Funk and they almost go at it until they realize they are partners. I thought this match was fun as hell, mainly because Lawler was in the whole time. Slater and Funk also make a great tag team. And of course, Diamond gets pinned in the end with a decapitation knee double team. This won’t be Top 20 or anything but was fun enough to nominate for a Florida match.

 

Jumbo Tsuruta v. Mil Mascaras (UN Title, 7/30/82)

- Shit, I may be losing my mind but I really enjoyed this. Mascaras has a rep for being an uncooperative POS but that might be why this was so fun. Instead of Jumbo hitting his moves, you get a bunch of matwork and twisty submissions and pins that I mark out for. This might be a common spot in a Mil match, but I loved his escapes from the Boston Crab that frustrated Jumbo enough to give up on the move. In the end, both guys get counted out but this was still worth watching. After the bell was great too as Jumbo gets obsessed with tearing off the mask and even gets busted open from the ringpost. Shit, I thought the match was over but it is continuing. I guess it is 2/3 falls. Shit, this is a fucking brawl. I don’t like that after both guys get trapped in a figure-4 and reversal that they jump up and go at each other without selling the legs. The match ends out of nowhere so maybe someone can explain what happened. Still, this was too fun and different not to nominate.

The first two matches will be covered later.

 

NWA United National Heavyweight Title: Jumbo Tsuruta © vs. Mil Mascaras (7/30/82)

 

The matwork here was fine and Mil was a dick here as usual especially on the Boston Crab spot which pissed off Jumbo leading to a slap fight eventually that went to the floor. Jumbo was posted and juiced so he started ripping at Mil's mask causing Joe Higuchi to call for the bell for a double countout and a big pull-apart brawl. Both men wanted a restart so Higuchi obliged and this turned into a big brawl with both men doing what they could for the 5 minutes they were given. I loved the visual of Jumbo trying to give Mil a piledriver which he was not having and Jumbo's blood flowed off his face onto Mil's back. Jumbo would lock on a figure-four that turned into some kind of hybrid hold as Mil reversed it and yes they did no sell the move after they got up. They would brawl some more until the 5 minutes was up and this totally saved this match. I agree with Will that this was very fun and moves forward.