All Japan Classics 63

 

Giant Baba & Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Ricky Steamboat & Dick Slater (12/5/80)

- Early on, Jumbo is working against both guys and I am loving it. Slater and Jumbo roll around and try a mat game. Steamboat and Jumbo carry over some of the “technical” pieces from their singles match but it doesn’t feel half-speed because they know they can keep the match moving. When Baba comes in, Steamboat kills my vibe by over-selling the Big Boot to death. This is bad over-selling Ricky. Still, there is too much good stuff not to nominate this one. Steamboat and Slater work really well as a team, always making sure to save the partner when they are in trouble but the natives win by countout. But damn, Steamboat’s goofy-ass selling was annoying. Low level nomination.

 

Terry Funk vs. Bruiser Brody (11/30/81)

- This consisted of Funk selling for Brody while Brody shrugged off Funk’s offense. That seems about par for the course. Funk gets busted open midway through and Brody follows not long after. The blood makes for an impressive visual here but there wasn’t much to this match. I enjoyed Brody vs. Dory Funk much better.

 

Giant Baba/Bruno Sammartino v. Tiger Jeet Singh/Umanoseke Ueda (10/9/81)

- No

Real World Tag League: Giant Baba & Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Dick Slater & Ricky Steamboat (12/5/80)

 

Jumbo & Steamer start off and this is immediately better than their singles match because while they are working holds, it's at a much faster pace keeping it moving. Slater comes in and brings his own style into it with the great bumping and selling along with the nise Terry Funk offense which is a great contrast to Steamer's offense. Steamer's sell of Baba's big boot was funny but didn't make me mad or nothing because he knew who was the boss and it was no different than Brody's wacky selling of it to me at least. Slater & Steamer did have really solid teamwork like Will said and I dug Steamer working the corner getting the crowd into it as well like Loss said. Little things like that makes a difference to me in matches like this. I also dug the Steamer/Baba sequence before the Jumbo high knee which if you are going to talk about overselling, Steamer totally overacted on that one. I do think the finish was a little off as there was no rush to get Slater back in the ring by Steamboat as Baba threw Jumbo back in to beat the count. Still this was a very fun match that moves forward.

 

Bruiser Brody vs. Terry Funk (11/30/81)

 

Terry is more lively than Dory that's for sure but I think Brody had more respect for Dory as it seemed to me that he sold more for Dory than for Terry here. Funk would juice first and his entire face was a crimson mask unlike Dory's was just over his right eye in his match with Brody so advantage Terry on the blood. Brody thought he had Terry dead to rights after a King Kong Kneedrop but he would miss another one which allowed Terry to slug away at Brody opening up a cut on his head which he worked over good. Terry would miss a running knee smash into the corner allowing Brody to work over his left leg and it was at this time that Snuka came to ringside to watch. Terry would come back though hitting one piledriver but when he tried another one, Brody backdropped him on Joe Higuchi then Brody would hit Terry from behind sending him flying over the top rope. Brody soon followed and it ended up being 2-on-1 with Snuka getting involved and Brody using his chain until Dory made the save. This was a good bloody brawl but not a lot of heat so not a nomination.

 

Giant Baba & Bruno Sammartino vs. Tiger Jeet Singh & Umanoseke Ueda (10/9/81)

 

This is Bruno's farewell match in Japan and while no this wasn't any good, this should be an extra though I think.