[1980-05-19-WWF-MSG, NY] Bob Backlund vs Ken Patera (Texas Death)

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Superstar Sleeze]

WWF World Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund vs Ken Patera - WWF, MSG 5/19/80

 

Damn, I forgot how good this match is. I have not watched much from the year 1980, but this feels so ahead of its time at least in America. It is an awesome slugfest/bombfest. Backlund comes from behind in this match and it really feels like a big challenge for to win this match. This actually probably represented the peak of his title reign and the toughest test he would face until dropping the title to the Iron Sheik. True to form, Backlund won this match by out-brawling and out-rule-breaking the biggest brawler, rule-breaker in the WWF at the time, Ken Patera. Patera was extra hot having just won the Intercontinental Title from Pat Patterson the month before in MSG. He came a short, but great promo before the match saying he would kick Backlund's ass just liked he kicked Patterson's and he would own all the title belts.

 

Patera goes so far as to jumpstart the match and throw Backlund outside the ring. Patera showboats a bit too much, but hell it is pretty uncommon for anyone to get one up on Backlund early in match. Backlund drags him out by the boots and beats the shit out of him. Backlund wants him in the center of the ring to a big pop. They slug it out until Backlund rams his shoulder into the post. FULL NELSON! Backlund drives Patera's head into the turnbuckles. Flair Flop! Patera was a perfect blend of stooge and strongman. He toed the line wonderfully. Patera back drops him to outside and quickly follows up with a bodyslam on concrete. He goes back to the bearhug, which worked really well in Janaury. In Texas Death Match, Backlund does not have to scientifically get out of the bearhug, he can just hammer Patera's "facial area" as VinnyMac so awkwardly puts it (you can just call it his face). HUGE ATOMIC DROP! The one thing I definitively remember about this match was that atomic drop and Patera's amazing sell of it. MASSIVE PILEDRIVER! God Bless Bob and his piledriver. Patera quickly scoops up Backlund and puts him in a tree of woe and chokes him. He goes after Backlund's wind with a clothesline that Backlund sells as if he hit the throat and left agsping for breath. then drops him throat first on top rope and choking. Backlund is only getting hope spots this is all Patera. Backlund gets a hope spot of an ab stretch, but Patera hiptosses him out and really gets some heat. He steals the belt from the worst manager ever, Arnold Skaaland and beats Backlund with it. Then rams him headfirst into the railing to bust him open. Patera works the cut expertly. I love him avoiding Backlund's wild swings and then stinging him in the head with fists. Backlund fires up and kicks some major league ass. Backlund throws him over the top and sends him into hard metal objects head first so we get double juice. Backlund working his cut, but gets ballshotted. Backlund press slams Patera off the top. They end up outside where Backlund throws him into some chairs. Patera tries to use the chair, but Backlund evades at every turn and manages to get a hold of the chair. He hits Patera a couple times, but only gets two?!?!?!? What is this ECW?

A crossbody ends the match as win for Bob Backlund for an absolutely fantastic match, easy top 5 WWF 80s match ever. I was not in love with all the transitions, but this was so badass. Patera and Backlund were just both in total asskicking mode. I loved Backlund coming from behind in this one constantly. Patera was fluctuating perfectly from asskicker to stooge. The standing ovation for the match by MSG was ridiculous, It was massive sustained heat. which was incredibly rare was there ever another time in the kayfabe era? They earned that Standing O. ****3/4

[JKWebb]

Man, the crowd is rabid for this! Backlund even makes a bear hug exciting. The way he builds his comebacks out of submissions using his facial expressions and timing is just incredible. He really takes time to sell in a way that makes logical sense, and in turn that really creates great anticipation. Totally agree - ****3/4.

[Edwin]

I don't think I liked this as much as you all did, but yeah, this match is still pretty great. The crowd is super hot for the entirety of this and there's a ton of blood and brutality here. Some great selling by Backlund -- I really loved his swinging drunk punches to the air.

[cactus]

Ken Patera is nothing like the guy who I remembered seeing face Bad News Brown at the first Summerslam. He's got a blonde mane, he's jacked and he's full of charisma. He cuts a quick pre-match promo telling the MSG faithful that he's going to kick Backlund's butt just like how he kicked Pat Patterson's butt. Patera isn't the best talker in the world, but the fans seem to dislike so he's doing his job. The Grand Wizard (don't think that name would fly now) is his manager and he helps him slowly disrobe, Tetsuya Naito style. 

Patera's first plan is to throw Backlund out of the ring. We've come so far when that was considered a heel move back in the day. Both guys get some shots in as they brawl in and around the ring, but Patera is able to keep Backlund under control with a snug front facelock. Backlund uses his superior wrestling skill to get out of holds and I loved the spot of him getting out of Patera's patented Full Nelson by ramming Patera's head into the turnbuckle. 

I didn't think this match would be for me when I saw the first few minutes of sluggish brawling, but eventually I'm lured back in. Backlund's escape from Patera's bearhug was great as he knew how to play to the crowd, the same can be said when he catches Patera's leg as he going for a kick. The crowd is so hot for Backlund, he's like Sammartino with workrate. The school boy near fall he gets on Patera shows how great a false finish can be if you actually protect them and don't whore them out every match. He hits one of the best executed piledrivers I have ever seen and his punch drunk selling makes him look like a geeky Terry Funk. Both guys bleed buckets and it's nice to see a brawl from this era with actually wrestling moves in it, and not just straight brawling. ★★★★½

 

[Makai Club #1]

This was wrestling at its absolute best. Call me crazy, but I thought this was top 5 WWE match of all time. The heat, the drama, the fire. Everything was electric. Watching it made me feel euphoric. They made me totally hate Patera, who did a sensational job at beating down Backlund with brutality, and root for Backlund, who sells his butt off, makes incredible comebacks and sends the crowd into a frenzy. This was exciting from start from finish. The brawling was heated, like none other before it. This was excellent. *****

[paul sosnowski]

Which cage match?

[SAMS]

1980-05-19
WWF
Bob Backlund (c) vs. Ken Patera 
WWF Heavyweight Title Texas Death Match
Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, USA
Card
★★★★

Finally we get the rematch that they had been building towards since January and this time around Patera is also the IC champion. I have my reservations on having the two top title holders match up, potentially leaving the rest of the card lacking, but it obviously provides a huge main event, especially considering the inconclusive end to their previous match together.
Billed as a Texas Death Match, which in a 1980 WWF context merely means it’s a no DQ match. There was no pretence at all about delivering some scientific wrestling as this was essentially two guys throwing bombs at each other for 20 minutes straight. They went right to the brawling from the off before we transitioned into the middle stretch where Backlund nailed a HUGE atomic drop. Patera taking an Atomic Drop from Backlund might be one of the best examples of two wrestlers executing a signature spot. Backlund has a great Atomic Drop but it looks just that much better when Patera is the one taking the bump. And here he nearly clears the ropes and ends up several rows deep. Backlund then hit his patented Piledriver, which looked amazing as always, while Patera countered with a Bear Hug, a Full Nelson and some massive body slams.
I really liked the finishing stretch as Backlund, opened up earlier from a nasty beatdown by Patera using the title belt, returned the favour by posting Patera. Patera then went for the kill by bringing a chair into the equation. He struck Backlund from the outside as he clambered back into the ring, but once inside Backlund turned the tables and clobbered Patera in the face a couple times for a crazy two count!?! A flying cross body off the top however sealed the deal for Bob. 
For the finish both guys were gushing blood and this inclusion of blood and the intensity of the belt and chair shots pushed this up a level. I thought the opening brawling was a bit by the numbers, especially considering the match stipulation. Bob was decent, but I thought this was driven by Patera no question. Disregarding the fact that he was a heel, is it crazy to say that he could have done an equally good job as Backlund as the top guy in the company? I feel like as a total package he’s probably a little better.
The crowd had major heat and the pop for Backlund’s victory rivals the reaction Bruno was receiving in his matches against Larry but I think I would have preferred a little more violence in the earlier stages. This was revving at a solid 7/10 for 15 minutes with a 9/10 finish, but dipped below the standard for outright greatness for the majority of the match. I think in the context of 1980 WWF this would have stuck out by a mile; every bit the epic main event they were going for.

[tcg91]

This was incredible and the MSG crowd made it special. It's billed as a Texas Death Match, but it's "just" a No DQ Match, the pinfall rule is not enforced; while strange, it's a great thing because having a compelling match with that stipulation is so difficult. Keeping their previous match in mind, Backlund overcame the odds by going all out and bravely trying to knock Patera out, despite being outsized by the challenger. Yes, Backlund still tried to ground his opponent at times, but then he had to take bigger risks, which got both of them bleeding as a result. Such a nice touch for Backlund to unleash and finally use the chair that Patera tried to hit him, it got a great pop. We also get a clean finish after a crazy crossbody, thus ending the feud with a bang.
****1/2