Tackling the 80s

[Loss]

Carlos Plata & El Doberman vs Mighty Inoue & Mach Hayato (IWE 11/01/80)

 

Really cool match, even if Mach Hayato was crazy sloppy and completely blew a series of moves he tried. I still enjoyed this, they mostly rebounded and I'm glad I saw it, but parts of it were ugly.

[Dylan Waco]

Double heat is the norm in the AWA. Get used to it

[Exposer]

Yeah, I was just about to say the same thing. It happens nearly every tag match on the set.

[Loss]

Chavo Guerrero vs Kengo Kimura (NJPW 11/03/80)

 

I thought this was much better than their previous match. Very good match, hard hitting with a fast pace and some nice athletic stuff from both guys, especially Chavo. Chavo's rolling sentons are awesome. Kimura isn't at Fujinami's level, but he's still excellent. I could do without the screwy finish, but it's the 80s.

[Loss]

Double heat is the norm in the AWA. Get used to it

Hmm. Seems excessive, but we'll see.

[Loss]

Tatsumi Fujinami vs Steve Keirn (NJPW 11/06/80)

 

These two once again match up well. Some really interesting holds here from both guys working over the legs and ankles. Highlight is the nasty enzuigiri from Keirn. Fujinami has had a really great 1980 with lots of really unique, mat-based juniors matches.

[Dylan Waco]

Double heat is the norm in the AWA. Get used to it

Hmm. Seems excessive, but we'll see.

 

Honestly it's just a staple of the style. There are points where you can argue it doesn't "work" or "feel right" but it's what they did in the AWA and more often than not it actually works in the matches favor

[Loss]

Carlos Plata, El Doberman & Goro Tsurumi vs Animal Hamaguchi, Isamu Teranishi & Mach Hayato (IWE 11/12/80)

 

A little lucha influence and a little American influence. Really cool hodge podge of styles on display here. There are execution problems with the stuff the masked guys are doing, but I appreciated the spirit of what they're going for and it was an interesting mishmash of stuff. The blend of high flying moves and stiff shots was pretty cool and there were some fun proto (very proto) Michinoku Pro spots. No one will confuse these guys for Gran Hamada or likely even Tiger Mask, but they managed to work a match that was memorable and fun, so I'll credit them for that.

[Loss]

Rusher Kimura vs Alexis Smirnoff (IWE 11/22/80)

 

This started off really dull and got good during the hard chop exchange followed by Smirnoff gouging Rusher's face. Those moments were fleeting though, and this really just didn't add up to a good match because they couldn't sustain the violence. I was, however, exposed to Rusher Kimura's tremendous entrance music for the first time.

[Loss]

Mighty Inoue & Animal Hamaguchi vs Carlos Plata & El Doberman (IWE 11/27/80)

 

Excellent match. Lots of cool stuff in this one, with my highlight being the double Argentine backbreaker! El Doberman sells really well in this one. I'm still not convinced he's great as I've seen him really mess up some stuff, but this was a great performance and he did a great job feeding spots to Inoue and Hamaguchi. Great FIP stuff too, and a surprisingly hot and fast-paced series of moves to build to the finish. IWE fascinates me.

[Loss]

The Sheik vs Ricky Steamboat (AJPW 12/09/80)

 

This was a really fun brawl. I wasn't sure what to expect in this one. Steamboat looks great in this and Sheik of course causes chaos wherever he goes. I thought the referee did a great job of getting this over too. Sheik was tremendous at being the aggressor then realizing what he had done and just trying to get away from a pissed off Steamboat. Taking the bell-to-bell and post-match into play, this is a hell of a scene and a really good match. Sheik freaking out fans and threatening to get blood on them as they scatter away is pretty great.

[Loss]

Billy Robinson vs Nick Bockwinkel (AJPW 12/11/80)

 

This just kept getting better and better the longer it went. While I've enjoyed a lot of the mat specials in 1980, this is the first one that seems like it flew by. I could have watched these guys go twice as long. So many crowd pleasing twists on typical spots. The human game of chess stuff is awesome when Robinson starts wrestling a step ahead of Bockwinkel's attempted counters. Shitty finish aside, this was an absolute pleasure to watch and was easily the best match I've seen in 1980.

[Loss]

Dory & Terry Funk vs Jumbo Tsuruta & Giant Baba (AJPW 12/11/80)

 

This had more heat than any match in 1980 so far, but I didn't really care for the way it was structured. Baba and Jumbo would dominate for a while, then the Funks would dominate for a while. Then Baba and Jumbo would dominate for a while. Then the Funks would dominate for a while. It was like at any moment, nothing before that moment really mattered. The match wasn't really a cohesive start-to-finish layout. Now that out of the way, there is some really impressive stuff here that just isn't in any of the other matches I've seen from the year. Funk commands a crowd extremely well and works excellent stuff with both Jumbo and Baba. Baba is Baba, but he's the better version of himself and this one. Dory, sadly, is also Dory. In this match, he doesn't do much that's just really noticeably "off" other than wrestle in a completely unemotional way without any change in facial expressions, any sense of urgency or any idea that he cares that he is in a wrestling match. How was this guy ever a standard bearer? I guess he had stamina and was mechanically fine, but is that really all it takes?

 

Predictably, Terry is the one with the big and small touches that make this a very good match. He does theatrical stuff I've seen other guys try in Japan that they could never get over. I don't even mind Terry's cartoon overselling, which normally takes me out of the moment but gives this match some much-appreciated personality. I really loved the boxing-style punches on Baba which led to Jumbo losing his temper and storming the ring. Of course, Dory comes in and half-assedly and kindly requests that everyone settle down and this match loses the excitement it's just built. In some ways, that's the story of this particular night -- they do something really cool, the crowd comes unglued, then they kill it to go on to something else and repeat the cycle.

 

Terry and Jumbo get in a really spirited fight in the last few minutes. Then Baba and Dory enter the ring to brawl but they aren't going after each other for any particular reason. It's more like "Oh, they look to be brawling outside. I guess we should fight now too." Then the match ends with a finish that seems to leave people in question instead of being anything decisive.

 

One thing that I thought was cool about this is that much like the bigger and more famous juniors matches of the 90s were clearly influenced by Fujinami's matches, the more epic 90s All Japan tags do owe something to matches like this one. I think the most glowing example of that is Funk taking Baba through the rolling cradle, but there are also things like Jumbo's role as the junior guy on his team who gets angered when he feels his mentor is being disrespected. I'll probably comment on the links to the 1990s style quite a bit when watching 80s footage, especially when it's as glaring as it is in this match. The difference is that over a half hour into this match, no one seems all that fatigued. No one is selling any injuries. Nothing has really happened that matters. They even repeat spots like Dory holding on to the ropes to avoid Dory's dropkick. All of that makes me wonder what the point of going so long was.

 

I'll call this a good match simply because there is too much good stuff in it for it to be bad. But it's good stuff in pockets, as part of a match that lacks cohesion in a major way. I am assuming these teams have done far better.

[Loss]

I am going to take a break from the 80s now. While I have enjoyed 1980, it has been a lot of wrestling that looks more or less similar and I need to check out something with more variety. I'm going to watch the 2011 MOTYC set for a total change of pace, then come back to this. However, before I go, here are my top matches of 1980. I'll revise this list after other 80s sets come out. I was going to seek out some of the other pimped stuff from the year, but as most of you know, I love my chronology, so I will just catch it when it is officially released.

 

1980

#1 - Nick Bockwinkel vs Billy Robinson (AJPW 12/11/80) ****1/2

#2 - Mighty Inoue & Higo Hamaguchi vs Spike Huber & Rocky Brewer (IWE 07/25/80) ****1/2

#3 - Tatsumi Fujinami vs Kengo Kimura (NJPW 09/25/80) ****1/2

#4 - Tatsumi Fujinami vs Tony Rocco (NJPW 09/11/80) ****1/4

#5 - Jumbo Tsuruta vs Dick Slater (AJPW 05/01/80) ****1/4

#6 - Tatsumi Fujinami vs Steve Keirn (NJPW 02/01/80) ****

#7 - Tatsumi Fujinami vs Dynamite Kid (NJPW 02/05/80) ****

#8 - Strong Kobayashi & Haruka Eigen vs Mighty Inoue & Isamu Teranishi (IWE 06/29/80) ****

#9 - Tatsumi Fujinami & Kantaro Hoshino vs Dynamite Kid & Steve Keirn (NJPW 01/18/80) ****

#10 - Bob Backlund vs Stan Hansen (NJPW 09/30/80) ***3/4

#11 - Ricky Morton vs Sonny King (Memphis 04/26/80) ***3/4

#12 - Satoru Sayama & Gran Hamada vs Perro Aguayo & Babyface (UWA 04/13/80) ***3/4

#13 - Mighty Inoue & Animal Hamaguchi vs Carlos Plata & El Doberman (IWE 11/27/80) ***3/4

#14 - Jumbo Tsuruta & Giant Baba vs Dory & Terry Funk (AJPW 12/11/80) ***1/2

#15 - The Sheik vs Ricky Steamboat (AJPW 12/09/80) ***1/2

#16 - Bill Dundee & Tony Boyles vs Wayne Farris & Larry Latham (Memphis 06/07/80) ***1/2

#17 - Jumbo Tsuruta vs Dick Murdoch (AJPW 03/05/80) ***1/2

#18 - Antonio Inoki vs Stan Hansen (NJPW 05/09/80) ***1/2

#19 - Tatsumi Fujinami vs Steve Keirn (NJPW 11/06/80) ***1/2

#20 - Harley Race vs Giant Baba (AJPW 09/09/80) ***1/4

#21 - Tatsumi Fujinami vs Tony Londos (NJPW 09/19/80) ***1/4

#22 - Antonio Inoki vs Stan Hansen (NJPW 04/03/80) ***1/4

#23 - Chavo Guerrero vs Kengo Kimura (NJPW 11/03/80) ***1/4

#24 - Antonio Inoki vs Stan Hansen (NJPW 09/11/80) ***

#25 - Bill Dundee vs Tommy Rich (Memphis 08/23/80) ***

#26 - Bill Dundee vs Paul Ellering (Memphis 05/24/80) ***

#27 - Tatsumi Fujinami vs Chavo Guerrero (NJPW 05/09/80) ***

#28 - Gran Hamada vs Babyface (NJPW 04/03/80) ***

#29 - Carlos Plata, El Doberman & Goro Tsurumi vs Animal Hamaguchi, Isamu Teranishi & Mach Hayato (IWE 11/12/80)

#30 - Bobby Heenan & Nick Bockwinkel vs Greg Gagne & Super Destroyer Mark II (AWA 10/03/80)

#31 - Carlos Plata & El Doberman vs Mighty Inoue & Mach Hayato (IWE 11/01/80)

#32 - Harley Race vs Giant Baba (AJPW 09/04/80)

#33 - Verne Gagne vs Nick Bockwinkel (AWA 07/18/80)

#34 - Bill Dundee vs Larry Latham (Memphis 04/19/80)

#35 - Jumbo Tsuruta vs Dick Murdoch (AJPW 02/23/80)

#36 - Antonio Inoki vs Stan Hansen (NJPW 02/08/80)

#37 - Chavo Guerrero vs Kengo Kimura (NJPW 09/30/80)

#38 - Lord Alfred Hays vs Bobby Heenan (AWA 01/13/80)

#39 - Tatsumi Fujinami vs Ron Starr (NJPW 09/30/80)

#40 - Greg Gagne vs Super Destroyer Mark (AWA 05/01/80)

#41 - Rusher Kimura vs Alexis Smirnoff (IWE 11/22/80)

[KB8]

I really, really hope you keep this up and go through every other year as well. This is an awesome thread, btw.

[kanyonkutter]

Didn't think this needed it's own post so I'm just adding it here.

 

This is a complete timeline of all the DVDVR 1980's sets in chronological order. I'm sure it's not perfect but it's pretty damn cool. I didn't create it, a guy named Matt on the puroresu.tv forums did, I just downloaded it and it seems like something worth sharing on this board. I did add the recent lucha match listing and change the format a bit for my own liking. It does include the WWF matches from the original set.

 

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-CkxC8kdNn...dit?usp=sharing

[Wahoos Leg]

I'm attacking this a little bit differently than Loss, but he said the more the merrier, so here are my thoughts on the first couple of matches on this endeavor.

 

Lord Alfred Hayes vs. Bobby Heenan, AWA, 1/13/80

Some nifty bits during the match with Hayes busting out the World Of Sport matwork, but this mostly a comedy match. Fans sure do hate Heenan, and the crowd heat is pretty substantial. Roots of Regal's original schtick in Lord Alfred's mannerisms and gestures. Heenan's attack after the match only compounds the level of hatred he receives from the St. Paul crowd. A fun watch, and worth seeking out to see Hayes wrestle, but that's about it.

 

 

Tatsumi Fujinami & Kantaro Hoshino vs. Dynamite Kid & Steve Keirn, New Japan, 1/18/80

I've seen this one before and forgot how much I enjoyed it. Fujinami's bodyscissors counter would gain approval from even today's “workrate” Internet fans. Later, Hoshino MURDERS Keirn on a running dropkick that gets him right in the ear. After winning the first fall, Dynamite Kid completely eats shit on a diving headbutt to help extend the match to a third fall. Keirn's repeat backbreakers were nice as well, and I enjoyed little touches like Keirn holding Hoshino on the mat so Dynamite could hit a flying kneedrop. Things get a little screwy in the third fall when Dynamite Kid decides he's going to over-sell everything that happens to him, but the finish is fantastic. I think there's something here that any wrestling fan would like.

[Graham Crackers]

I've been making MOTY lists for the 80s that I've been updating after every set. Ultimately I'd like to make some kind of countdown of the best matches of the 80s when this whole thing is done and I feel like having these as a reference will make that a lot easier. Here's my MOTY list for 1980 so far:

 

1.) Tatsumi Fujinami vs Kengo Kimura (NJPW, 9/25/80)

2.) Bill Dundee vs Tommy Rich (CWA, 8/23/80)

3.) Carlos Plata, El Doberman & Goro Tsurumi vs Animal Hamaguchi, Isamu Teranishi & Mach Hayato (IWE, 11/22/80)

4.) Mighty Inoue & Animal Hamaguchi vs Carlos Plata & El Doberman (IWE, 11/27/80)

5.) Antonio Inoki vs Stan Hansen (NJPW, 4/3/80)

6.) Gran Hamada vs Babyface (NJPW, 4/3/80)

7.) Billy Robinson vs Nick Bockwinkel (AJPW, 12/11/80)

8.) Jumbo Tsuruta vs Dick Slater (AJPW, 5/1/80)

9.) Antonio Inoki vs Stan Hansen (NJPW, 9/11/80)

10.) Tatsumi Fujinami vs Johnny Londos (NJPW, 9/19/80)

11.) Tatsumi Fujinami vs Dynamite Kid (NJPW, 2/5/80)

12.) Tatsumi Fujinami vs Tony Rocco (NJPW, 9/11/80)

13.) Giant Baba vs Harley Race (AJPW, 9/9/80)

14.) Ricky Morton vs Sonny King (CWA, 4/26/80)

15.) Strong Kobayashi & Haruka Eigen vs Mighty Inoue & Isamu Teranishi (IWE, 6/29/80)

16.) Mighty Inoue & Animal Hamaguchi vs Spike Huber & Rocky Brewer (Steel Cage Match) (IWE, 7/25/80)

17.) Greg Gagne & Super Destroyer Mark II vs Nick Bockwinkel & Bobby Heenan (AWA, 10/3/80)

18.) Bill Dundee vs Larry Latham (CWA, 4/19/80)

19.) Bob Backlund vs Stan Hansen (NJPW, 9/30/80)

20.) Antonio Inoki vs Stan Hansen (NJPW, 2/8/80)

[JerryvonKramer]

Graham where's the 5/9/80 Hansen vs. Inoki match? The only one from that series I thought was really awesome, and it's the only one that didn't make your top 20, lol

[Graham Crackers]

Graham where's the 5/9/80 Hansen vs. Inoki match? The only one from that series I thought was really awesome, and it's the only one that didn't make your top 20, lol

It'd probably be in the low 20s. Maybe even 21. I really like that series but I don't love it. In general I think what we have of 1980 from the 80s sets so far is rather lean. To put that in perspective, Hamada vs Babyface which was my number 6 for 1980 was number 40 on my NJPW ballot. I think every one of these matches is good but only the top 12 are really great. Numbers 1 and 2 were both hovering around number 20 on their respective ballots and are the only matches from 1980 that I've seen that feel like classics or real MOTYCs.

 

I hope that future sets can flesh out 1980-81 a little better. It sounds like Portland will at least.

 

Also, you and I obviously like/appreciate different things in wrestling. Off the top of my head remember that you didn't really like that Kimura vs Fujinami match that I had at number 1 and you panned Morton vs Sonny King which I thought was a cool matwork showcase that just felt like it needed a little something else to make it actually great. Maybe watching the lucha set and more New Japan will change some of your expectations because not only is 1986 NJPW the best thing about the New Japan set but it's one of my favorite promotional runs in wrestling ever. I hope that when you get up to it you will be able to appreciate how awesome it is.

[Dylan Waco]

Portland is the monster of 1980

[JerryvonKramer]

On paper at least, Georgia 1980 looks amazing. I have seen listings with a lot of 79-81 Georgia on tape, but am told there are a lot of squashes.

[Wahoos Leg]

WWF Jr. Hvwt Title vs. NWA Intl Jr Hvwt Title-2/3 Falls: Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Steve Keirn, New Japan, 2/1/80

Always like a match where the matwork feels like a real struggle and it does here. Good psychology, as rather than just transition from mat stuff to more high-impact moves with no rhyme or reason, Keirn turns it into a slugfest after his failure to out-wrestle Fujinami. Hits another gear after Keirn rips off the bandage (which I always like), and the match stays red-hot from the end of the first fall through the entire second fall. Not as fun as the tag match, but still very solid.

 

WWF Jr. Hvwt Title-Tatsumi Fujinami (Ch) vs. Dynamite Kid, New Japan, 2/5/80

What a fantastic match. Just a joy to watch. It combines all the positive aspects from the tag match involving both, as well as the bandage-ripping and clubbering from the Keirn singles. Dynamite's insistence on trying for the octopus is a little bit annoying (there should be a sign, “you must be THIS tall to attempt this submission”) but there is so much to like here. The crowd's super into it. The shrieks of dismay when Fujinami whiffs on the dropkick and the dive to the floor are great. Dynamite comes out of it looking quite strong as well. Easily the best match yet in 1980.

 

 

1980

1. WWF Jr. Hvwt Title-Tatsumi Fujinami (Ch) vs. Dynamite Kid, New Japan, 2/5/80

2. Tatsumi Fujinami & Kantaro Hoshino vs. Dynamite Kid & Steve Keirn, New Japan, 1/18/80

3. WWF Jr. Hvwt Title vs. NWA Intl Jr Hvwt Title-2/3 Falls: Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Steve Keirn, New Japan, 2/1/80

4. Lord Alfred Hayes vs. Bobby Heenan, AWA from St. Paul, 1/13/80

[Loss]

Andre the Giant & Cien Caras vs Alfonso Dantes, Herodes & Sangre Chicana (1981)

 

Cool to see Andre do all of his trademark spots, and the guys on the other side take some really fun bumps. Andre using Cien Caras like a sword is hilarious. Nice novelty pick. Not something I’d really go to bat for, but a super fun match, if only for seeing how other guys work with Andre. Feels like a way to introduce Andre to the territory, whether that’s what it was or not.

[Loss]

Big John Studd & Jerry Blackwell vs High Flyers (AWA 02/20/81)

 

I guess there is some good stuff here, but also some stuff that bothers me. I think it’s weird to see Studd going up for hiptosses, sunset flips, powerslams and atomic drops so easily considering the size difference. I also think the referee hurt the timing on some of the spots, specifically the double arm wringer thing Brunzell tried to do early on. The quick tags in and out to do dropkicks on Blackwell were silly, especially in the context of selling a beating. Not a bad match, but the tag formula is really the only thing I liked here, and even that wasn’t done very well.