Posted April 3, 200817 yr comment_5430371 All Japan G+ Classics 26 Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood vs. Jimmy Snuka & Ray Stevens (6/29/80) - This is a Maple Leaf match. Man, I love the Stevens/Snuka tag team. I love the Steamboat-Snuka rivalry as well so this is manna from Heaven for me. Early on, the faces do their trademark arm work but the crowd is going insane for these guys. It also helps that Stevens bumps and stooges like a pro. When Youngblood is in the ring, he is getting beat on but Steamboat is bringing little things to the table like attacking the partner on the apron every chance he gets or working out of Snuka’s nerve hold. Late in the match, it looks like Snuka screws up but I can forgive it because Stevens comes in and is greeted with a dropkick. They covered that up well. Man, the ending was a bummer as the faces do a double team move but the house lights go on and we have a curfew draw. I enjoyed the hell out of this and it is a definite nomination on the early NWA set. Ricky Steamboat vs. Jumbo Tsuruta (12/1/80) - - This match was so long. There wasn’t anything technically wrong with it but it would have been so much better if they trimmed ten minutes off of it. At this point, I think I would rank the Steamboat-Sheik match higher than this one even though this may be technically better. I think the biggest problem is that this was building to a time limit draw, not to an actual climax to the match. Not one of my favorite matches but this has to be on the set. Ricky Steamboat vs. Jimmy Snuka (6/3/81) - This one starts off with Snuka abusing Ricky until Steamer can get under control with a headlock. Great sequence as they do their running the ropes criss cross, Steamer rdops as SNuka goes flying out of the ring. Steamboat tries to fling Snuka into the ring using the top rope but Snuka reverses it, Steamboat goes outside but skins the cat and then ends up getting Snuka into the ring. It looked pretty sweet. Later in the match, Snuka would turn it around as Steamboat goes flying out off the ring on a missed attack. I have to deduct some points later on when Snuka and Steamboat collide and do the most melodramatic tumble out of the ring I have ever seen. This match is also notable for Steamboat bleeding and getting himself DQed for viciously attacking Snuka in the corner. I think this is the Steamboat people wanted to see when he got his revenge against Randy Savage. this is also the match I remember liking from this duo. Nomination. Ricky Steamboat vs. Jimmy Snuka (6/10/81) - I already mentioned this before but I love heel Snuka. In the early part of the match, Steamboat keeps gaining the advantage with head scissors, armdrags and armbars. You can tell Snuka is frustrated because he keeps getting taken advantage of. When Snuka gains control, he throws Steamboat out of the ring and doesn't allow him to return. Everytime Steamer is on the apron, Snuka beats him down and throws him off. While I admire the strategy, it doesn't make a very thrilling match. They pick it up in the end and when it spills outside, they battle to see who can get back in the ring first. When they eventually get in the ring, Steamer's leg gets trapped i nthe ropes and when Snuka attacks him with a chair, he gets DQed. I remember liking a Stemaboat-Snuka match but it must not have been this one. THis had some ok stuff in it but nothing worth nominating.
