[1980-02-13-Joint Promotions] Pete Roberts vs Pat Roach

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[SAMS]

1980-02-13
Joint Promotions
Pat Roach vs Pete Roberts
Southend, Essex, United Kingdom
★★★

Pat Roach really is a big boy. His getup makes him look like a wrestling caveman. He definitely has the physical tools but I actually think that I preferred Roberts here. Roberts comes across like an accountant dressed up in wrestling gear. And his gear (a turquoise leotard with a lightning bolt down the front) just makes him look like a complete dork. But his selling was pretty sympathetic and I may have just preferred his role within this match. Roach has the size and presence of somebody you feel should just steamroll almost any opponent and it’s his job to walk that fine line in making it believable  that he might lose. Here I felt that kind of missed the mark a bit. The periods where Roach lost control felt a little contrived and I wasn’t buying that he was in any trouble. Ultimately Roach managed to dispatch Roberts with a press slam variation. Roberts’ timing in beating the referee’s ten count here was impeccable then his stumble into the ropes to sell the residual damage was really well done. Upon seeing this the referee called it and the decision was Roach by KO.
Pat Roach looks like a guy that could be amazing, I’m just interested to see how he harnesses the tools that are available to him. Often I think the hardest role in wrestling is being a super heavyweight matched up against someone smaller so I want to see him in more of these matchups to see how he handles them. Also wouldn’t say no to seeing him in a good old fashioned hoss fight either.