shoe

The forearm exchanges are just amazing. I said earlier I lost my shit, and it's not an exaggeration. Some really stiff stuff.

I agree with cutting out the play by play. I've been thinking about mentioning it for weeks, but didn't want to seem negative because I like the show. Bottom line is play by play means nothing unless you are watching along. You should mention cool spots or the psychology of the bout, maybe background of the match etc.

My expectations going in were really low. Still I enjoyed the work in it.

Bob Backlund vs. Jimmy Snuka 6/5/82 This match is from MSG and the guys get a little over 20 minutes. On paper that sounds like a recipe for disaster. I like Bob, but Snuka is a lot more miss than hit for me. I was shocked at how good this was. A little backstory going into the match was that Backlund has injured ribs. Pretty much Bob takes Snuka down and goes to work on his arm. Backlund is great at carrying the action. The arm work was done well and kept me engaged. In attempts to escape Snuka would go after the ribs. A fun spot in the bout Snuka misses a cross body spot and goes over the top rope. Another cool spot was Snuka going for the Super Fly Splash. Instead he does a front senton that misses but gets some incredible air under it. Eventually Snuka bloodys up Bob and wins by count out to set up the cage match stip. Some really smart and creative work that leads to a solid nomination.

Miguel Perez Jr. was in WCW briefly. I remember they gave him 10 minutes on a Nitro and he had a good match with Juvi or La Parka. I can't remember which.

That was pretty cool.

Garea/Martel vs. Fuji/Saito 10/17/81 This is from their t.v show .Albano's get up is unreal. This was a real fun tag. Garea and Martel have a nice fun shine segment working over Saito's and Fuji's arms. The heels get the advantage and work over Garea. Saito was real good here with Fuji working the stereo type schtick. His nerve hold was sold well by Garea. Martel gets the hot tag and he is on fire. Then he tags back Garea which made no sense but happens a lot in tag team wrestling. Martel is back in to more hot action. He goes to the top for a flying body press. In some awesome timing Fuji throws salt in his eyes as he lands on Saito. Saito easily reverses the body press for a 3. Their are new tag champs and Martel is selling the salt huge. In another nice touch Saito is dusting the salt off the match. If the match doesn't make the set, maybe the finish could go on as an extra.

Strange... I know I've watched this match, and liked it... but don't seem to be able to find a write up. Do find the one for the rematch, which I liked a good amount. I also have the two Philly matches, finally getting the full version of the cage match. John To me they have had good to great matches from every match I have seen except the March of 79 match coming off the amazing 60 minute match . I didn't hate the rematch it just didn't resonate with me like all the others. They were working front face locks which might be the hardest position in the world to work a match around.

Bob Backlund vs. Greg Valentine 10/19/81 This is the bout where the title was held up. The work in the bout was really stiff looking. Nothing outrageous, but everything looked good and snug and made sense. First off the announcing really put over the Figure 4 as death. Also Backlund sold the Figure 4 as a match ender. Both guys laid it in on each other. Valentine went after the leg with some nice work. Valentine sprinkled in some of his signature bumps to pop the crowd. Their was a cool adominal stretch reversal where 1st Valentine had Backlund. Backlund then reversed it. While Valentine was trapped in it he was hitting Backlund's knee to escape. On Valentine's 1st attempt at the Fig. 4 Backlund immediately goes to his stomach so Hammer basically has him in an ankle lock and Valentine just kicks him in the stomach. That was awesome. The guys also have these 2 series of forearm exchanges that are God like in the intensity. I lost my shit in the 2nd batch of them and an curious what everyone else thinks. Now I don't want everyone to think it is all about Valentine because Backlund was pretty great. He was great working revenge spots on Valentine's leg. He brought the intensity too and thought his forearms looked even more painful than the Hammers which the whole spot was designed for , but if Backlund wasn't up for the challenge the spot would have failed. Backlund's escaping of the Fig. 4 was great, and really established the Fig. 4 as a match ender. Finally, Backlund's selling of his knee injury was great. He even collapsed at times because the knee couldn't handle the weight. High End Nomination.

Bob Backlund vs. Greg Valentine 10/19/81 This is the bout where the title was held up. The work in the bout was really stiff looking. Nothing outrageous, but everything looked good and snug and made sense. First off the announcing really put over the Figure 4 as death. Also Backlund sold the Figure 4 as a match ender. Both guys laid it in on each other. Valentine went after the leg with some nice work. Valentine sprinkled in some of his signature bumps to pop the crowd. Their was a cool adominal stretch reversal where 1st Valentine had Backlund. Backlund then reversed it. While Valentine was trapped in it he was hitting Backlund's knee to escape. On Valentine's 1st attempt at the Fig. 4 Backlund immediately goes to his stomach so Hammer basically has him in an ankle lock and Valentine just kicks him in the stomach. That was awesome. The guys also have these 2 series of forearm exchanges that are God like in the intensity. I lost my shit in the 2nd batch of them and an curious what everyone else thinks. Now I don't want everyone to think it is all about Valentine because Backlund was pretty great. He was great working revenge spots on Valentine's leg. He brought the intensity too and thought his forearms looked even more painful than the Hammers which the whole spot was designed for , but if Backlund wasn't up for the challenge the spot would have failed. Backlund's escaping of the Fig. 4 was great, and really established the Fig. 4 as a match ender. Finally, Backlund's selling of his knee injury was great. He even collapsed at times because the knee couldn't handle the weight. High End Nomination.

I'm waiting for Musgrave to be back on so Will can ask him if he's one of them Canadians trying to pass off as white.

Another good show. Having good subject matter really helps . You guys seem like you have a good groove. When it's just the 2 of you it seems like you guys know your roles and it makes for enjoyable listen.

I have already watched the matches . So I went on their to just shoot the shit. When I'm watching wrestling I like to kinda watch it in a bubble. I like to lie on the floor by the t.v or to sit in my chair . Further more I like to make 1st impressions of a match by my self. I think you do miss out on the announcing , some of the nuances of the matches because you are saying something or listening to someone else speaking. With that said it's a lot of fun on discussing of the matches which sometimes get the short end because we aren't pausing to get our points across. The next match is already playing.

Hey thanks. Later in the show Johnny does an impression of you asking him if he's 60. LMAO

A lot of us think Martel as white was the funniest thing I've heard in a while.

For me it goes Clash Wrestle War. I actually would have liked a few more minutes of Flair working the leg while Steamboat trys to protect it. Chi Town

Robert Evans or Portia Perez haven't made much of an impression then? Even character work wise? I've liked Evans. He had a really great match against El Generico. He also made a great return to the company and did an homage to Duggan in the Gorilla suit. ACW was doing a show in October and encouraged people to dress in Halloween costumes. Well Evans dressed as Worshack . He sat in the crowd and no one knew it was a returning Evans until he interfered in Portia's match. It was a cool moment. Now Portia has done nothing for me.

If it means anything Dylan I haven't rewatched the match but I had Martel/Rhegians 4th on the whole disc. I haven't watched the match since July, and haven't heard the show yet. Though now I really do want to hear it to hear how bat shit crazy Will and Johnny are about this match.

The 2 part of that disc is awesome.

I was shocked about it. They also had a decent strap match too.

Greg Valentine vs Jay Strongbow 7/21/79 This is from Philly. This was one heck of a brawl. The backstory here is Valentine broke Strongbow 's leg. We start off with a stare down. Strongbow is stairing a hole in Valentine. Valentine lays in some stiff blows throughout the bout. Strongbow brings in a mike stand and works over Valentine's forehead . He is busted open. Strongbow goes outside and breaks a leg off a chair and works over Greg's cut with it. The announcers did a good job explaining the knee brace that Strongbow is wearing has metal on the sides. That was a nice piece of forshadowing. Throughout the bout Strongbow used then knee brace to try to knock out Valentine and work the cut some more. It was a nice touch to use what Valentine hurt to hurt Valentine. Later Valentine uses the figure 4 , but Strongbow doesn't sell it. I wish the announcers would have explained the knee brace offered protection to the figure. Overall a real good spirited brawl.

Soup that's kinda neat in the comparison of Steamboat and Flair in the holy trilogy. A talking point of Meltzer's when discussing the trilogy was Flair was greater in the 1st match. In the second match they were equals. The 3rd bout Steamboat was greater. Just something you might be interested in .

The 8/27/79 is solid and looks to be building to another good match between the 2 then they go to the finish. It was a good comp to the match a month earlier because in this bout Backlund is working the leg. I thought that was cool because the month prior you had Patterson work Backlund's leg and Backlund did a nice job selling it.

I was referring the 7/30/79 match. Sorry if I got your hopes up.

Count me in as a guy who likes Backlund. That wasn't always the case though. Though if you watch the footage you can't deny him being awesome. I loved the way he would work an arm. I'm not sure if their is anyone better. Take a look at the 1st Patterson match from MSG. That arm work is a thing of beauty. He was also adept at working other body parts , but his arm work stands out to me. One of my complaints with Backlund is consistency. He could have great matches with a variety of opponents. Then he could have a pretty ho hum match with same opponent. For example I have seen him have some excellent matches with Patera. I watched one with Patera from Philly with Monsoon as ref. That match was bad. Monsoon stealing the spotlight from the match. Still I think the good Backlund matches far out weigh the bad . Backlund is someone I'd rate highly in a top 100 poll.