JerryvonKramer

Matt D is the Roland Barthes of wrestling criticism.

Johnny, I think that's probably one of the things that has changed most in wrestling. Flair, Steamboat, etc. they'd all call it in the ring with just an idea of the finish in mind. The one exception they always mention is Savage who'd want to plan everything. I'd imagine the wrestlers now have road agents tightly going through whole sequences. Anyone know the score on that?

I think they have real applications and are very useful shorthand. It's not rocket science really. Shine is the bit when the babyface gets some offense in at the start of the match to pop the crowd. 96% of WWF matches ever worked on TV start this way. Some people like Vader or Hansen "jump" the shine and accelerate the match. Heat is when the heel takes over and generates sympathy for the babyface and puts heat on himself. Comeback is the comeback which everyone knows. I don't understand the objections to these perfectly descriptive terms.

I want to say that I first heard the terms shine, heat and so on from Jake Roberts.

I wonder if Brock vs. Taker was wrestling's equivalent of it. I did see some people on FB photoshopping the black guy into a Brazil shirt.

Yeah, I don't disagree that it can't be done occassionally. Last night in the World Cup Semi-final Germany beat Brazil 7-1 and they'll be talking about that match in 50 years' time, if not 100 years' time. No reason why wrestling can't have it's equivalent of that, but it must be done sparingly.

I understand the worry, but it's just recognising and describing the structure, there's nothing prescriptive in it. That said, I will almost always penalise a match for lacking a heat segment or a match in which the babyface just eats up the heel in a main event setting except in some very rare exceptional cases, which I can count on one hand. One example of where it's acceptable is in the Hogan vs. Bock match from AWA after Bock had been ducking Hogan for months and Hulk finally gets his hands on him.

So? It's about expanding the critical vocabulary. We've all talked about how Meltzer's reviews aren't very good, part of the reason is that he seldom talks about structure or psychology and seems to lack the vocab to do so. I'll freely admit that the way I've used it is something I just madeup myself, and it seems like Matt D uses it differently. The answer is that no, not all matches are laid out in this way but having the basic idea of Shine - Heat - Comeback as a way of describing your typical Hogan match makes it easier then to recognise and describe alternative match structures. The "control", as defined by me, is not necessary for a lot of matches. But you see it a lot in AWA matches, in Backlund matches and seemingly in Harley-Race-as-NWA-Champ-in-the-territories matches. We had a thread on this topic last year: http://prowrestlingonly.com/index.php?/topic/20975-babyface-offense-in-us-singles-match-structure/ I think you can date my own usage of "control segment" to that thread.

Maybe others will disagree but in my view "control segment" can only refer to a babyface being on offense after the initial shine in a longer match. Example: Shine [babyface dominates to start] [transition] [heel does something cheap to gain advantage] Heat [heel works over face] [transition] [big reversal by face] Control [face works over heel] [transition] [face slips up, is countered, or heel does something cheap again] Heat [heel works over face] Comeback [face fires up] Finish In a typical Bob Backlund match you pretty much only get control. I think it ceases to be shine in the strictest sense once you're past the 10 minute mark.

I use this in a very specific context. It's for a section where the babyface is on top that isn't the shine. Shine Heat Comeback Control is just neater than "babyface on top for no reason".

vs. Giant Baba (11/7/79) The inevitable rematch a week or two later. I'm thinking that Race and Baba had really good chemistry. Race hits a backbreaker and multiple kneedrops to start. Chinlock. Snapmare. Back to the chinlock. Baba takes over. Standing powerslam. Side headlock takeover into a headlock. Russian leg sweep. Standing powerslam. Headlock takeover into a headlock. Baba's control here is a bit rinse-repeat. Some struggle from Harley now but then Baba hits a massive back suplex and his powerslam and then back to the headlock. Baba seems a bit more content to sit in this headlock tonight, but he's using it as a pin attempt too. Race goes for an atomic drop but Baba seems to break the fall and hits one of his own. Race takes a tumble to outside. He's slammed back in. Baba with some Ron Garvin-style stomps now. And back to the headlock. He's spent too much of this match sitting in that for my tastes. Given that the headlock is going on so long, I want to educate my American and Candadian readers by introducing you to the savoury snack we have here in the UK known as twiglets. It is these that Baba's arms always put me in mind of. Action goes to the outside and Race goes for his piledriver which is always reversed, and this is no exception. Swinging neckbreaker by Baba. Pin, but Race has his foot on the ropes. I seem to type that so often! Piledriver by Baba. Cover. Foot on the ropes. Headbutt by Race. Falling headbutt. Kneedrop. Cover. You're not going to beat a man like Baba without hooking the leg, Jess. Couple of right palms from Baba send Race down. Gutwrench suplex by Race! Piledriver! Cover only gets two. Kneedrops. Falling headbutt misses. Big boot sends Race down. He comes back with a punch but Baba hits the Hogan-style big boot from the Irish whip. Massive kneedrop. Race has got colour from that, I wonder if it was hardway. Palm sends Race down again. Another Hogan big boot. Side Russian leg sweep. Cover, but Race has a foot on the ropes. What's new? We get shots of Race's wife and kid in the crowd. She also made an appearance at that press conference in Florida. Race goes to the top rope but is slammed off. He goes for a diving bodypress but Race gets his knees up. I worry about Baba's twiglet torso. Piledriver by Race. Only two. Suplex attempt reversed into a neckbreaker by Baba. Cover gets two. Race is really bloodied at this point. Thesz press by Baba! Gets two. Baba goes up to the top. Hits the flying bodypress but the execution is terrible, the momentum was meant to send Race over but they botch it horribly and Race awkwardly positions himself over for the three count to regain his title. Well this had its moments but is nothing compared to the last match. The headlock spots by Baba go on forever and the finish is just atrocious. There's a good hot spell before that though. About ***

I'm skipping the David Von Erich match from St. Louis because I can't bear to watch that bitchfest again. We reviewed it on the St. Louis Titans special if you want to hear my thoughts on it. vs. Rick Martel (JIP – 6/79) This is from Australia with the comically stereotypical commentator again. He just makes the thing seem like a spoof, takes me out of things. Ha ha. The ref is bald and built like a bowling ball. Race has been on top so far, but Martel comes back with strikes. He misses a flying bodypress though. "Race too cunning for Martel" says the commentator. I could get into this guy. Stalling vertical suplex gets the three for Race. That match, from the few minutes we say, looked like it was worked with Race being a bit stronger. vs. Giant Baba (10/31/79) My buddy Pete has noted that Race worked differently in Japan from the way he worked in the territories, that he worked much less of a bitch. Well let's keep that in mind as we watch this one. There are so many grey suits in the crowd that they look black and white. Big boot from Baba to start sends Race 360 taking one of his trademark bumps (which we weirdly haven't seen thus far). Side headlock by Baba. I always worry for Baba's arms in situations like this, they look like they might snap. Slam by Baba. Headlock takeover. Sits in the headlock again, but not for long. Race comes back and goes for a piledriver which Baba reverses. Can never get over Baba's weird body, he doesn't look human. Race tries to power out of the headlock. BRAINBASTER BRAINBASTER! No, Baba falls on top of Race for two. Russian legsweep by Baba. Bodyslam. Headlock takeover. And back into the headlock. I'll give Baba this: he's making this headlock a hell of a lot more interesting than Steamboat's was. He's wrenching on it and grimacing. Race comes back with a neckbreaker. Piledriver. Oooh, I bet that hurt the top of his head. Knee drops across Baba's cheek now. Race twists on Baba's neck now as if he's going to do a swinging neckbreaker, but just twists it. Baba goes for the headlock again but Race battering rams him. Side salto suplex by Race and a beauty! Gut wrench suplex now ... no! Reversed by Baba! Double stomp spot by Baba. Nasty. Chops now in the turnbuckle. Irish whip and Race flips to the outside in another of his signiture bumps. He goes for the piledriver outside but Baba reverses. That is one of the most telegraphed of all old-school spots. They never hit that piledriver outside. Back in and Baba covers. Feet on the ropes. Baba misses a drop kick and lands on the mat like a heap of bones. Big kneedrop from Race. And again. Baba bails. The crowd are in chorus with "Baaaaba Baaaaba" Race goes after him and pounds on him outside. Rolls him back in. Vertical suplex and a beauty. Baba has colour. Falling headbutt. Back outside and Race goes to post Baba but it's reversed and Harley eats the steel. Race now has the crimson mask. Back in and Baba levels him with a palm. And again. And again. Cover gets one because Race got a leg on the rope. He does that so often, what a wily veteran. Race gets on the top rope but is caught and slammed. Baba fires up and the crowd goes wild. Running lariat! And that gets three for the title. Well this was fucking phenomenal and one of the best matches of the 1970s that I've seen. About ****1/2, but a shade ahead of the Jumbo match from 78. It just goes to show that Race can bring it when he wants to, and when he works a more even contest, he can be part of great matches. Would recommend this one to anyone.

A “Battle Royal” with Harley Race, Dory Funk, Ray Stevens, The Wild Samoans, Roddy Piper, Buddy Rose, Ed Wiskowski, Ron Starr & T. John Tibedeaux (1/79) I'm guessing with Rose and Wiskowski involved and with Piper there, this has to have been in Portland. The Samoans seem to be wearing skirts this evening. T. John Tibedeaux is a massively fat guy in dungarees along the lines of an Uncle Elmer or Haystacks Calhoun. This battle royal is worked according to WWF Wrestlefest (the 1991 Arcade game) rules whereby you can eliminate opponents by pinning them, which the fat bastard does to someone here to kick things off. Think it might have been Piper who was pinned. This match is all over the place with all of the men getting into a giant mound of flesh, a pile up you might say. Harley eliminates Ray Stevens by throwing him over the top. Rose grabs the cane of a manager and nails a Samoan but the other Samoan decks him. Samoans seem to be getting babyface pops here. It comes down to Race, Afa, Rose and I want to say Ron Starr, who uses some knucks on Rose. He does the bob and weave and Rose sells for him like a pro. He's busted open and has severe colour. Meanwhile, Race and the Samoan are just kind of there. Afa is pounding on Race as Starr is pounding on Rose. Atomic drop by Starr. Slam by Afa. Double cover. Rose is eliminated but Race kicks out. And the camera misses Race eliminating the Samoan. Then Starr just backdrops Race over the top and celebrates like he's won the World Cup.

vs. Pierre Lefevre (JIP – 11/78) This is from the St. Louis set we watched some stuff from on Titans. Matysik on commentary. Dick the Bruiser is there and says he's going to where the belt in less than a week. Brusier is trying on Race's belt and Race is distracted. He's insensed. Lefevre sneaks a small package for two. Bruiser keeps saying "I don't want anybody to beat Race until I beat him". Belly to back suplex bridged into a pin by Race for a win. Well at least he can beat jobbers. Bruiser wearing the world title goes after Race. Race goes for the piledriver, which of course is reversed. He stands on Race and raises the belt in triumph. The ref wants to stop him raising his arm. The hipster St. Louis crowd approves. Harley Race & Bulldog Bob Brown vs. Ted DiBiase & Paul Orndorff. (JIP – 12/78) This is a match we actually watched on Titans. Ted is called "DiBiass" throughout. Matysik references Race's title win over Funk with the Indian deathlock and then lists all of the moves that Race does. The suplex slam, the side salto suplex, the piledriver, the atomic drop backbreaker, the diving headbutt. There is clipping here. But cut a long story short, Ted gets the hot tag to Orndroff. But gets cut off with about three minutes of the match left. Race goes for a piledriver but it is reversed. Brown walks over Paula. But he makes the hot tag now. Ted a house of fire but Brown tags Race who goes for a suplex, but Ted slips out of it and back down behind him to hit an awesome German suplex for three. He's pinned the champion!! Ted and Paul celebrate wildly. It was a great German suplex. We didn't learn much about Harley from this St. Louis stuff.

vs. Paul Jones (JIP – 11/78) Ref has bright 70s red flares on. This looks like it might be Cornette garbage tape footage. Jones sends Race tumlbing into the turnbuckle. On this evidence, fans in the Mid-Atlantic area might have thought that Race was a wimp. Race is still stuck in the turnbuckle and Jones goes outside to nail him in the face. Atomic drop by Jones. Race sells it well. He comes back with some battering rams. Jones throws Race out of the ring. Suplexes him back in. Cover gets three, but Race has his feet on the ropes. Come on now George Scott, come up with some new ideas! Exactly the same finish as the Steamboat match with the second ref explaining what happened. The live crowd weren't to know. Match continues. Inverted atomic drop by Race. Jones hits a suplex. This is the frustrating thing about Harley, he never seems to be able to get more than one offensive move in before feeding his opponent a bomb. Piledriver by Jones now. We get covers where Harley's legs are on the ropes. Slugfest now but Harley swings and misses allowing Jones to get in a back suplex. Cover ... feet on the ropes. This is getting tiresome and fast. Five minutes remain. Jones is hammering on Race's face. Harley comes back with a left. He's staggering. Goes for a side salto but no! Jones reverses. And the tape jams so we don't get the finish. That's the second match in a row where Race has worked as much too weak. I understand working as bitch champ to an extent but this is just ridiculous. The opponent here was Paul Jones and Harley is giving him move after move after move and getting very little in himself. He's too giving to his opponent and all it does is make the champ look overly weak. It also doesn't make a lot of sense from a character point of view because Harley was presented as a tough guy not a chickenshit or a coward, so why's he working like he's the fucking Honky Tonk Man? Getting very frustrating.

vs. Ricky Steamboat (10/21/78) Still in Crockett country now and this is fairly exciting. Collar and elbow tie-up. Nearfall by Steamer. They lockup again. Big backdrop by Steamboat and a signature chop. Bodyslam. Standing powerslam. Race cuts the momentum with a stick knee to the gut, now a kneelift. But Steamboat comes back with a double-axehandle from the top rope. Headlock by Steamboat now, who has enjoyed an extended shine sequence here, seemingly a benchmark of Harley matches. Race tries to suplex himself out of the headlock (after several minutes), but Steamboat reverses it and goes right back to the headlock. This headlock is really dragging at this point. An elegant-looking woman in the crowd checks her watch. An old man puts a sweet into his mouth. A guy folds and then unfolds his arms. And the headlock is still going on. Eventually, Race hits an inverted atomic drop but then misses his falling headbutt. Steamboat hits a quick elbow drop and then ... goes right back to the headlock. A man in the crowd coughs. The elegant woman has put her hand on her chin. A kid in a baseball cap puts his magazine on the floor. A black guy goes into a back and gets out a chocolate bar. And this fucking headlock is still going on. Eventually Race hits a left hand and Steamboat is on the floor. Race goes to follow up but Steamboat blocks it and hits about 8 of his MASSIVE chops. Crowd pops. I'll note that Race has had precisely 1% of this match on top so far. Action goes outside and Steamboat is still on top until Race manages to post him. Kneedrop outside. Finally Race actually has something approaching a heat segment. Turnbuckle. Kneedrops while Steamboat is on the apron. Gullotine. Race is playing a very dirty game here. Suplex back in? No, Steamboat lands on top of him for a pin attempt. Steamer hits a piledriver now and covers but Race has his legs on the rope. Snapmare. Races goes to the eyes. But Steamboat is still strong clubbing on Race and gets in a flashy cover. But he misses a roundhouse right and Race gets in a back suplex. Falling heabutt. And another ... but he misses. Steaboat starts chopping him but Race cuts him off with a head to the gut. Throws him out of the ring. He grabs a chair and tries to nail Steaboat with it but loses the struggle and Steamboat nails him with it instead. DQ? No. Steaboat suplexes Race back in. Two count. Steamboat collides with Race from an Irish whipe and falls outside. Race goes after him and goes for a piledriver. Reversed. Back in the ring and Steamboat is hitting his double-palms. He's dominating Race. Standing powerslam again and Steamboat goes to the top. Flying bodypress and a cover but Race's feet are in the ropes. Race gains control now. I should fucking hope so, it's only been 21 minutes of shine sequence so far! He drives knees into Steamboats back, but the Dragon soon comes back with his chops. Race goes for a piledriver ... and hits it! Steamboat does the shaky-leg sell but the cover only gets a two. Atomic drop by Race now but Steamboat comes back and levels him with a massive chop. Series of nearfalls now. And then we clip to Steamboat doing a wild firey come back with the Texas-style punches and Race drunk-wobbly-leg-selling all over the shop. Still gets his foot on the ropes for the cover. Race gets on the top rope but Steamboat catches him. It's like Steamboat has had an answer to absolutely everything Race has tried to do. We clip to Steamboat trying a Boston crab and then quickly to Race on the top rope going for his diving headbutt which he hits. Steamboat does the shaky leg sell. Clip to Steamboat hitting the ten punches in the corner, and now we get a ref bump. Only five minutes remain in this match. 25 minutes showing on my clock, so could this have been a 30-minute match or a 60-minute cut down? Race is on top hitting his various knee drops. A sub ref has come in. Race misses his diving headbutt now and Steamboat goes to the top and hits a flying crossbody. Ref counts THREE but Race has got his leg on the ropes. The ref hasn't seen it and raises Steamboat's arm. Crowd is going WILD and Steamboat thinks he's won the world title. Pandemonium here. Another ref comes out now to explain that Race had his foot on the ropes. Steamboat has the belt and wants to leave. Ref says the match must continue. Steamboat beats on Race some more and we only have TWO minutes remaining in the match now. A girl in the crowd has he right arm in the hair and her fist clenched. She nudges her friend to do the same. Ha ha ha. Three big chops from Steamboat now and a snapmare. Cover gets only two. And again. Piledriver by Steamboat hits. Race has his leg on the rope. Three big chops again now and Steamboat can't put Race away. Double axe-handle from the top and he covers but the bell goes for the time-limit draw. Honestly, I thought this match fucking sucked balls, as much as the Race vs. Backlund match but EVEN MORE so because Steamboat was even more dominant than Bob here. Race could barely string two moves together and looked completely outmatched throughout. I don't really care if this is how some NWA Champ matches were worked, I HATE the formula. It's fucking stupid and makes the champ look like a chump. Not only that, it's stupid psychology. The babyface never gets any sympathy on him, and the heel never gets any heat on himself. What's the point? It's also a total waste of Steamboat's key attributes in the selling department and a waste of Race's key attributes in the cool bombs department. I expected this crap from Backlund, but not from Steamboat. The common demoninator is Race, and I just CAN'T STAND this structure for a match. There were 30 minutes here and in that time Steamboat dominated completely including a 10-minute fucking headlock spot where I was literally watching members of the crowd pick their nose. Total shit. *1/2

Harley Race, Ric Flair & The Masked Superstar vs. Dick Murdoch, Wahoo McDaniel & Blackjack Mulligan (JIP – 6/18/78) Mulligan with a piledriver on Superstar. Murdoch comes in now, Race with the drunk selling. He regains control though and hits a kneelift. Kneedrop. Murdoch reverses a suplex and scores the pinfall. There's no commentary so I don't know where this is from. It was very short. With Flair there, I can only guess this was Mid-Atlantic. vs. Dick Murdoch (7/2/78) This was definitely in Greensboro because Dr. Tom Miller is there with the introductions. "This is a one fall match, with a sixty-minute time limit" FUCK YEAH. This makes perfect sense: Murdoch got the pin on Race in the tag match, so he deserves a title shot. Murdoch very over as the babyface, Race gets booed. Murdoch gets the best of the early going, winning the slugfest and reversing Race's side-salto. He applies a headlock. Both men take a tumble now and it goes outside to the hard-looking concrete floor. Race crawls back in and then drags Murdoch in. Naturally, Murdoch has bladed. Side salto. Ref keeps checking on Murdoch's cut. Race keeps attacking it until eventually Murdoch hits a brainbuster. There's a nice call-back spot now as Murdoch goes for the cover but Race gets his leg on the rope, as Murdoch did twice earlier. We get a flash pin from Race to end it. Not a brilliant match.

vs. Dusty Rhodes (6/27/78) This is a lumberjack match from Florida. Race hits a salto to start, but Rhodes takes over. Race comes back with a suplex. Dusty tussles on the outside with obscure Turkish wrestler Ali Bey, and ends up posting him. Ali Bey was born in 1911 and was reported to be still alive and well when he was 93. If he's still alive, by my calcuations, he'd be 104 now. His career started in the 1930s. How he ended up in Florida in 1978 is anyone's guess, but I note that he had a late job run in Crockett in 1984. Anyway, Dusty has injured Ali Bey and he has to be escorted to the back. Solie tells us that a standby luberback will be called to fill in. Race appears to be bleeding now. Dusty works over his leg. Spinning toehold. The action goes outside and Dusty hits a piledriver outside the ring! There's also a ref bump (of course, it's Florida in the 70s!) and while Race is still out cold Eric the Red gets into the ring. Rhodes dispatches him. Sonny King comes in the ring now and nails Dusty with a foreign object. Race is rolled back in for the cover, but Wahoo McDaniel is here to explain to the ref. But he's already counted 3. Holy over-booking Batman.

vs. Superstar Billy Graham (JIP – 1/25/78) NWA champ vs. WWWF champ; the Superbowl of Wrestling taking place in Miami. We're treated to a press conference first from Florida. NWA President Eddie Graham is sipping tea out of a cup, they have saucers too. Very nice. I note Solie also has one but also has a glass of wine there. Any bets on which one he was drinking from? Graham notes that the NWA title can be traced back to Frank Gotch. He says that the AWA champ was invited to participate, but for whatever reason it could not be negotiated. Both guys have to put down a $25k bond. Winner gets 70%, loser 30%. Strange that Vince Sr is not there. Solie is with both participants now. Race is suited and booted, Graham is in dark red-brown trousers and a loud shirt. Graham is serious about being "man enough" to take the NWA title. Race says some stuff, but Graham takes his shirt off and flexes his massive bicep. "Do you have this?", asks Graham. "I don't need no pumped up balloney", says Race, "I'm already a man". There are two refs for this match. Gorilla Monsoon is representing the WWWF. Harley starts out on top hitting a piledriver and then the falling-back leglock. Side-salto suplex but misses a diving headbutt from the top. Graham takes over now ... bearhug. And Race submits for the first fall. Pretty heavy clipping now. Race gets the second fall after a vertical suplex. Third fall and Race has the sleeper on. Both men have colour. Falling headbutt. Gets back in the sleeper, but the time runs out, 60 minutes has elapsed and it's a draw. This match looked like it would have been really boring.

vs. Ron Miller (12/77) This appears to be from Jim Barnett's Australian WCW. Interesting little segment beforehand as Race's scheduled opponent, Kevin Martin, is injured giving him the default win, but Ron Miller says that he's ready to take on the champion. Race objects. "This is absolutely ridiculous ... I'm not wrestling this man on television, it's an embarrassment." Race thinks that Miller is a "ringer". The bell rings and nonetheless, Race gets in the ring. It's surreal watching this, the Aussie commentator is so stereotypical that the whole thing feels like a spoof. Suplex by race. Action goes to the outside. Race hits a flying crossbody from the top rope and the momentum takes him over for Miller to get the pin for 1, 2, 3! Miller pinned Race!!! So is it NEW World Champions Ron Miller? Guess it was a non-title match. But wow, the crowd is happy for Miller. From this evidence, I don't think Miller is a lost worker or anything. Awesome slightly psycho promo by Race afterward with a massive cut on his head. "Well I bloody well pinned ya didn't I", goads Miller. Race is going fucking crazy here. AWESOME promo.

vs. Randy Alls. (JIP – 6/14/77) This is from Atlanta, GCW with Solie on commentary. Alls is Randy Rose. Race hits a couple of suplex variations to start. "Excellent Greco Roman move", says Solie. Gordon mentions the car accident Race had when he was young. Alls misses a turnbuckle spot and Race drives his knee into his head. Verticle suplay now. That'll do for three. I feel like I've seen this match before, maybe it's on the St. Louis set.

vs. Superstar Billy Graham. (JIP – 3/77) This is silent super 8 footage that looks like it could have been recording in 1942. It's a bit disorientating to watch for some reason. We don't get that much of it before Race gets the three count for the first fall. Guessing it's 2 out of 3 falls. Graham works over Race with basic stomps and so on for the start of the second before hetting him in a bearhug to which Race submits. Graham flexes his muscles. There is a lot of clipping ans skipped frames here, but even through it all, I can tell that Graham was mostly horrible as a worker. There's a contentious finish as Graham has Race in a beahug but somehow ends up getting himself pinned. Rubbish. vs. Jumbo Tsuruta. (6/11/77) Back in All Japn now and Race is the champ. Great mutton lamb-chop sideburns and NO moustache, looks like his gut is smaller than usual here and that he's bulked up in the chest and arms. Jumbo is rocking 70s lego hair. Jim Barnett is there looking ANCIENT, he holds up the NWA belt for all to see. Superb arm drag by Jumbo, he got the depth of Steamboat there. Race comes back by attempting an atomic drop, but Jumbo rolls out. Bodyslam by Race now. Jumbo answers with one of his own and then an arm drag. Nice "anything you can do I can do better" opening. Jumbo works Race's arm. But Race comes back with a side salto suplex. Jumbo goes back to the arm and jumps down on it as if he were Bob Backlund. He pulls on the arm. Jumbo appears to be sweating profusely. Race comes back with a backbreaker but it only gets 2 and Jumbo gets a slam. He goes for a butterfly suplex but Race blocks it. Jumbo struggles with him for the suplex, but Race isn't budging. Still he tries again ... no cigar. Race from that position starts battering ramming Jumbo. Lovely counter. Front facelook on the mat now by Race. He uses his body to fall on top of it to give the hold his full weight. Pretty good. I like the fact he can make the front facelock an impact move. He goes for a vertical suplex but Jumbo counters it into a slam. Criss-cross now. TIGER KNEE! Jumbo hits his signiture knee lift and NOW he goes for the butterfly suplex and gets the three count for the first fall. I thought that first fall told a beautiful story of struggle, attrition and Jumbo overcoming the blocks Race was putting in his way. Both men with a basic gameplan that they are trying to pursue at all costs: Jumbo working Race's arm, Race working Jumbo's neck and face area. Race starts out on top now and hits a series of spots culiminating in another side salto suplex. Jumbo comes back with a snap mare but misses the elbow. NASTY knee drop by Race now. And again. Right across the temple. Snap suplex by Race now floated over into a front facelock again with the impact drops. I like the fact he's going back to his basic gameplan now. Small package by Jumbo only gets one. Falling headbutts by Race now. Gets two. Jumbo manages to get Race in a hammerlock. He's still working that same arm he has been all match. Jumbo is dropping his weight on this hammerlock in a similar way to Race was with the facelock earlier. Now he gets him in a wish bone wing with a knee in Race's back. Both guys are sweating their arse's off at this point. Race comes back with some strikes and a knee lift and drops an elbow for two. Big fist. Jumbo misses a charge into the turnbuckle. BRAINBUSTER! BRAINBUSTER! I love it when the Japanese commentators do that. Race changes gears now and gets Jumbo in a leglock, the one where he falls back to give it leverage. He falls back four or five times and this is enough to make Jumbo submit for the second fall. Excellent match so far, hope this third fall lives up to what has preceded. Race starts the third fall by attacking Jumbo's injured leg. Kneebreaker. And now a leglock. Jumbo is able to counter and now starts busting out the strikes and a suplex! Cover gets two. BIG dropkick by Jumbo. He goes for a second by Harley parries it away. He goes back to the front facelock now. Hmmm, didn't fancy the leg anymore? Up into a headlock now and Jumbo is able to suplex Race from that position. Anothe nearfall. Flying lariat from Jumbo takes Race over but he's injured himself. Gets on an abdominal stretch now. He's got the leg hooked in and everything. Race comes back and hits a falling headbutt. Goes to the top, but Jumbo catches him and slams him from it. Goes for a bodypress but Race gets the knees up. Bodyslam by Race. Bodyslam by Jumbo. Jumbo goes for the running knee but misses and Harley rolls him up into an inside cradle for the three count. This is a terrific match that I'd give about a ****1/2, the third fall doesn't quite ramp up into overdrive as much as I'd like but despite that this is really well worked. Recommended for anyone to watch.

Harley Race vs. Terry Funk. (JIP – 2/6/77) Race has longer hair here. Funk hits a big backbreaker and then a piledriver. This is from Toronto, so Maple Leaf Wrestling and the commentators are "Sam" and "Frank". Frank, I'm assuming, has to be Frank Tunney. Sam, I'm less sure on. He sounds old, so could it be Sam Muchnick dropping in? I'm very unfamiliar with Toronto. Funk is the NWA champ and this is for the title. Race comes back with a headbutt and a snapmare. Kneedrop. Backbreaker and a beauty! He goes for a second but Funk reverses it with a bodyscissors. Funk takes a tumble to the outside now. Back in and Funk goes to work on Race's leg. Spinning toe hold! Sam mentions that this is the hold with which Dory Funk Jr beat Gene Kiniski in 1969 and the move that Terry Funk used to beat Jack Brisco. Nice. Race comes back with an awesome looking knee breaker, it looks more like an atomic drop, but it hits the leg! Funk sells it amazingly well. Indian deathlock by Race now. Funk struggles. Race is doing SIT UPS to apply the pressure. This Indian deathlock is GLORIOUS. And that's it, Funk submits and we have a new champion! Wow, this was great, I don't know how much we got of it, but what we saw is at least ****, really enjoyed this.

vs. Abdullah The Butcher (5/13/76) Also in All Japan. Stiff crawling to start, Abdullah gets the best of it and posts Harley several times who catches colour almost immediately. Abby gets down and dirty now BITING THE CUT. Well AIDS was only invented in 1983, so that was fine. Race gets a crutch from a dude in the crowd and starts hammering Abdullah with it. Race is COVERED in blood. He snaps the crutch and now beats on Abby with the shard of wood. Nasty looking. Abdullah has colour now too. But a dude with a beard comes now and holds Race down. If I had to guess I'd say that dude is King Curtis Ikea. Who's this now? Jumbo Tsurta comes out to make the save for Harley. And now Giant Baba is out too! It's chaos here and Race posts Abdullah as Curtis and Jumbo brawl to the back.Race and Abdullah now brawl in the crowd. I worry about their blood getting on people! I don't know about a star rating but this was an incredibly entertaining 6 minutes or so. And what an incredible blade job by Race. He can add working wild brawls with Abby to his CV for sure.

vs. Dory Funk, Jr. (JIP – 5/24/73) vs. Dick Murdoch. (JIP – 4/22/75) Not going to do full analyses of these, this is more really to note that I've watched them. The Dory match just shows the third fall of a 2/3 falls match. It's from Kansas and I don't know who the commentator is. Perhaps Kevin Wall or even a young Rick Stewart? Probably too early for Matysik. I believe Bill Kersten was the ring announcer. Some nice suplexes and things here. Race looked smooth as he alwys does. A lot of the "falling headbutt" spot, perhaps he overdid it here. The Murdoch match is more of the same. Hard to get a sense of the work from matches with this much clipping. vs. Dusty Rhodes. (12/6/75) This is in All Japan. Dusty works a headlock for the first four minutes. Race has short hair and a moustache here. He takes over on offense and takes it outside. Back in and Rhodes is back on top with a snap mare and two fist drops. Dusty in 1975 is much more nimble than Dusty from 1985. Failed bodyslam / crossbody spot where Dusty falls on Race. But Race takes over again and hits a piledriver. But he can't sustain it, and Dusty gets back on top. Race has very much worked this from underneath so far. He finds a way to get back on offense after taking Dusty's usual assortment of elbows and hits a sweet backbreaker. Slugfest now and it's starting to get STIFF. But Dusty comes out on top and hits a big elbow drop. Goes for a second, which misses, and this Japanese crowd is getting into this match. Race hits a diving headbutt from the top rope for the pin. Yes, Dusty put him over clean as a whistle in the middle! This was an okay match but I think Dusty's limited range of offense brings it down, as does the fact that it was structurally all-over-the-place without any real flow or rhythm. I don't know if Dusty is the best opponent for Race. About a **