[1981-12-13-AJPW-Real World Tag League] Dory & Terry Funk vs Bruiser Brody & Jimmy Snuka

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[...TG]

Well I had never seen this before and holy hell it's awesome. The match itself is pretty good (I'm pretty new to Brody so his quirks haven't started to bother me) but the Hansen angle pushes it over the top. The brawl at the end is amazing as well - loved seeing a fired-up Jumbo and Baba making the save for Dory.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Terry & Dory Funk vs Brusier Brody & Jimmy Snuka - AJPW 12/13/81

 

Loved this match the first time I saw it and love it even more now. Total stone cold classic. Stan Hansen showing up in All Japan was just massive on par with the NWO invasion. The announcer loses his shit and Baba (I think it is Baba) is all like what the fuck. Well I don't speak Japanese, but that was his tone suggested to me. The crowd is BATSHIT! The match follows is crazy awesome. Easily the best thing, I have ever seen Brody and Snuka apart of. They are just the perfect monster heels to go up against the lovable Funk brothers.

 

Snuka looks fucking stacked here. Wow! Terry tries to antagonize Snuka. He runs him over and Snuka just brushes it off with a kip up. He is like an athletic Creature from the Black Lagoon. The Funk have to double up on Snuka, who takes a Flair Flop. Someone has been working Mid-Atlantic. Love the three tries before Junior gets him over on the butterfly suplex. Kick out at one because he is a coked-out monster! HUSS! HUSS! Here comes Brody! Big dropkick by Brody and Junior kicks out at one. Two can play at that game says, Dory. Terry has the dropkick scouted now and hooks on to the ropes. Love that spot! Terry bumps huge for Brody making him look like a mountain. Great one arm slam by Brody! Terry gets the tag and Dory is rocking it, but Brody refuses to bump. This is the opposite of a Harley Race match.

 

Great sequence as Snuka looks to leapfrog, but Junior catches him mid-air and turns into a Spinning Toehold. That's their equalizer against these monsters. Brody chops the hell out of Dory and Terry is pissed. Nice headlock work by the heels. Terry clubs Brody in the back of the head when he walks too close to their side of town. Brody distracted and Dory unloads with Euro Uppercuts, awesome psychology. Terry creating the distraction for his older brother. Double suplex on Brody, everything has to be doubled up on the heels. Brody sends him for the ride and Terry takes the Flair Flip and is selling his ass off for Brody. Funk throws Snuka out of the ring in desperation. Like the Creature of the Black Lagoon, he rises again to hit a springboard splash in 1981!!! HOLY SHIT! Dory has enough and throws Snuka out. So Terry not to be outdone hurls his body from the top rope to the floor on SNUKA!!! HOLY SHIT!!! Talk about upping the ante and fighting fire with fire. Brody does some arena brawling with Terry that just adds to the chaos.

 

Dory looks to have Snuka beat multiple times, but Brody saves or Snuka is too close to the ropes. Terry gets in and he wants Brody. Off come the pads! It is on like Donkey Kong! They throw haymakers at each other and when Terry gets trapped in their corner he ballshots Snuka. Awesome! Awesome! The Funks work over the leg in spectacular fashion to set up a Double Spinning Toe Hold spot!!!! Brody and Terry end up outside. You knew it was going to happen and then it does. Brody feeds him to the Lion. LARIAOOOOOTOOOOOO!!!! Terry is fucking dead. Dory looks to have Snuka beat and then realizes his brother might have just been decapitated. He checks to see he is still alive and then does the manliest thing ever and goes it alone with the Creature from the Black Lagoon and Frankenstein. Dory is ripshit and blasts his way through Snuka. Tag to Brody and Dory attacks him as he is coming through the ropes. THIS IS WAR! Dory has Brody's mane and is just teeing off on him! Finally the numbers game catches up to him. Snuka hits a diving headbutt. 1-2-NO! HUGE POP! Brody suplex and Dory presses him off!!! He is HULKING UP! That would be hilarious if Dory started to do the Hulk Up routine. Snuka splash eats knees! Dory kneecrusher on Snuka's bad leg. DO YOU BELIVE IN MIRACLES???? SPINNING TOEHOLD! TAP! TAP! TAP! Brody clubbing blow to the head and a King Kong Kneedrop puts Dory out of his misery. Alas.

Hansen celebrates with the Axis of Evil. Dory keeps fighting so Hansen beats the shit out of him. JUMBO TSURUTA AND GIANT FUCKING BABA SAVE!!!! HOLY SHIT! CROWD IS SO LOUD! HANSEN VS BABA...MONEY!!!

 

Awesome, awesome, awesome match and angle!!! Snuka and Brody are like old school movie monsters. The Funks are great selling and doubling up their offense. Loved Terry flying off the top rope not to be outdone by Snuka. Then when they finally look like they have the monsters down each with a Spinning Toehold, the new big badass rips off Terry's head and Dory has to go it alone. One of the all-time best tag matches, yes, I am going all the way for this one. *****

[JKWebb]

Sleeze pretty much nailed it - Holy shit this was great. LOVED it. I too was thinking this was likely the most I've ever enjoyed Snuka. There had been so much hate building between the Funks and Brody to this point in All Japan. You could see that Terry was boiling over. Great Great match! ****3/4

[cactus]

Hansen turning up in AJPW was a huge deal and it caused for a rowdy atmosphere where one wrong move could see the wheels fly off this match and break down into utter chaos. They are able to wrestle a straight wrestling match for the most part, until Hansen gets physically involved and nearly lariats the head of Terry Funk's shoulders! Snuka puts in a career performance during this match. His high spots look great and they never feel out of place during this heated tag bout. Everything before the Hansen interference was rock-solid stuff, but the match goes to the next level when Dory is forced to fight off both Brody and Snuka by himself as Terry tries to recover on the outside.  ★★★★¾ 

[tcg91]

This was an amazing match and, even better, an amazing storyline progression with the introduction of Stan Hansen in All Japan. Terry and Brody picked this right where they left it during their recent singles match, this time the brawl was done better and also helped by the support from Dory and Snuka. While these two at times tried to actually wrestle, Terry and Brody never stopped their slugfest for the joy of the crowd. It's easy to praise them as the star of the matches, but Snuka was a general here, helping Brody controlling the pace, while Dory was very sympathetic in the finishing run, when he was desperately trying to fight the heels by himself. This did wonders for All Japan at the time
****1/4