[1981-03-22-AWA] Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell vs Adrian Adonis & Jesse Ventura

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Superstar Sleeze]

High Flyers vs East-West Connection - AWA 3/22/81 Steel Cage Match

 

Before the match starts, we get promos from both teams and the East-West complains that they were snookered into this cage match with a promise of the tag titles being on the line, but now Stanley Blackburn won't allow the titles to be on the line a steel cage match. That sounds like some serious BS and personally I think it babyfaces the heels a bit too much, but I guess it was a different time. The Brunzell promo was brutally boring and uncharismatic. Gagne was actually pretty convincing as a serious babyface.

 

JIP. Gagne is getting double teamed and thrown into the cage and is busted open. He fires back and tags out to Brunzell who is a great house of fire. He nails a dropkick on Adonis who bumps into the cage. Adonis is looking for any reason to bump into the cage as he bumps off a double noggin knocker into a cage. Ventura is stiff in the sense in that he just is not athletic or agile so his bumps look weird so thankfully Adonis can bump for two. Venture makes up for with a gory bladejob. They both rake Jesse The Body's face into the cage. They go for a fall on The Body after some cage shot, but Adonis saves and then atomic drop into cage. Ventura wants none of Greg's weak ass punches. Adonis cowering and trying to escape from Brunzell. Brunzell is feeling it: legdrop, suplex and he goes for the dropkick again, but Adonis has seen this story before and hooks the rope.

 

Brunzell sells the dropkick like death and Adonis goes to the eyes. This is an all-time great heel performance by Adonis. He is outworking everyone. An explanation of galvanization of steel by the announcer has me laughing. Brunzell is bleeding I believe and piledriver! Ventura bearhug, man, I will say Adonis is exposing Jesse in the ring, but on the pre-match promo The Body blew Adrian out of the water so at least they both served their purpose. Brunzell begins to fight back so Adonis tags in and looks to ram Brunzell's head into cage, but Brunzell gives Adonis a taste of his own medicine. Adonis falls on top of Brunzell damn he was not even that fat. Brunzell completes his comeback with what else, a dropkick and Adonis bumps huge into cage. The crowd is revved up for Greg Gagne. Adonis is great at selling and takes the Flair Flip and is bumping huge into the cage for Greg. Greg with worst dropkicks this side of Erik Watts. Gagne Choke gets a big pop! Ventura breaks it up and Adonis scales the cage! Adonis is thinking Superfly instead it is SuperCrash and Gagne picks up the win.

 

That was a really fun, entertaining cage match. Gagne's offense looked pretty weak, but he showed good fire and the crowd was into him. Brunzell was great selling and on offense. I wish he was trying this hard when he on Killer Bees. Adrian Adonis was the MVP of this match. It was a great match, but I would not call it an all-time classic cage match. Check it out for Adonis bumping like a pinball and the big ending. ***1/2

[tcg91]

This was better than their previous match, as the cage stipulation added a bit of drama and roughness from the East West Connection. The match is clipped and we only get the last 10 minutes, with a constant crescendo that, as the other bout showed, particularly shines when Brunzell and/or Adonis are involved. Ventura was solid, while Gagne looks weak, but better than usual thanks to selling the blood after getting beaten down. Nice to see a bump from the top of the cage for the finish, from Adonis of all people (you assume the High Flyers would get this done), but the camera kind of misses it and it was quite a shame
***1/4