Migs Posted January 13, 2016 Report Share Posted January 13, 2016 The 85-86 Bruno cage matches are terrific. I love the MSG one with Santana v. Savage and Adonis (who bump like crazy for him) and the one at the Spectrum with Orndorff v. Piper and Orton is also a great brawl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exposer Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 About a year ago I posted on here that I loved old man Bruno throwing guys into cages and I still do. I haven't seen any prime Bruno but maybe I should? Honestly, he doesn't seem like a guy who can make my list, but I haven't even really given him a fair shot yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 Bruno might be the most difficult guy to quantify. Â He worked a very rough and ready style. He was a brawler. And he was great at what he did -- so much better than a Crusher or Dick the Bruiser. Â In terms of crowd connection, overness and aura, he is without equal in my view. I will give him the perfect 10 for intangibles, but if there was an 11, he'd be the only guy to get it, more than Flair, more than Hogan, Dusty, Baba, Inoki, Choshu, Rock or Austin. Something just absolutely magical about the guy. I'm not romanticising either, this is just based on watching footage. Â But in terms of great matches, I think he might honestly be at a flat zero. Even his very very best stuff is going to struggle to break ***1/2. Â Difficult to know what to do with him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingus Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 One problem with Bruno (and a lot of other old stars, but especially anyone who was a top WWWF guy) is that we simply don't have most of his blowoff matches on tape. The vast majority of stuff we've got are TV matches which were designed to be commercials for the house shows. Hell, even both matches where he won the world title didn't make tape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricky Jackson Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 There are plenty of 70s Bruno blow off matches on tape. Vs Arion, Waldo Von Erich, Volkoff, Patera, Koloff, Hansen. Not from the 60s of course. Plenty of non-blow off MSG footage of Bruno as well. And he didn't really wrestle on Saturday TV much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 I'd say that of the 70s stuff available on tape, WWWF is the only US territory where we have a lot of the big blow off matches [at MSG generally] as opposed to just the TV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrike02 Posted April 12, 2021 Report Share Posted April 12, 2021 I've watched as much of Bruno as I could since 2016 - I didn't vote in that project as I didn't feel able to submit a proper list - and he'll easily make my list for 2026. The emotional connection he has with the crowd is really, really special. I grew up watching WWF (and Stampede) from 1985 onwards and like any kid I liked Hogan, Savage, Santana and Bret and Owen Hart, and so on ... but nowadays I have to say I'm way more invested watching Bruno than just about anyone. I find it impossible to ignore how captivating Bruno is in the ring - and in his best feuds doing promos and mic work in the ring with Larry Z and Piper and Savage - where he works very simple brawls but they hook me in nearly every time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strobogo Posted April 12, 2021 Report Share Posted April 12, 2021 Bruno kind of sucks but in that 70s wrestling way that is also charming if you're in the right mood. I wish we lived in a timeline where all these US stars would put in the same effort in the States as they did in Japan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricky Jackson Posted April 12, 2021 Report Share Posted April 12, 2021 Like I said, it's an uphill battle... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrike02 Posted April 13, 2021 Report Share Posted April 13, 2021 One can only hope differing views on Bruno are informed by actually watching the footage with an open mind. I don't have much optimism that Bruno will do well in the 2026 voting but lazy dismissive takes are worthless without citing evidence for one's position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubbymark Posted April 13, 2021 Report Share Posted April 13, 2021 I remember not liking the 1976 cage match vs Stan Hansen because Bruno seemingly got 95% of the match, and WWWF Escape the Cage with Bruno walking tall falls flat for me. Maybe I should rewatch it at some point for both Bruno and Hansen cases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strobogo Posted April 13, 2021 Report Share Posted April 13, 2021 Oh I do like Bruno but especially in WWWF footage his punches and kicks are pretty lol, but in that real 1970s wrestling way that if you're in the mood is really enjoyable. I wish there was more readily available footage of him. I've probably seen less than 25 Bruno matches and outside some stuff in JWA/AJPW and clips of Koloff winning the title, I think all of it is from his second reign or his last 80s run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkookypunk43 Posted April 13, 2021 Report Share Posted April 13, 2021 I'll say something about Bruno I really like about his matches, when he's on offense he's got a sense of urgency and a purpose about his movements in the ring. I really like that in the a wrestler, he has natural instincts and will watch more but from the 3 matches I just watched I really liked this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elliott Posted October 5, 2021 Report Share Posted October 5, 2021 @Ricky Jackson can you recommend like 10 Bruno matches? I need to spend some time on him this go around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricky Jackson Posted October 5, 2021 Report Share Posted October 5, 2021 51 minutes ago, elliott said: @Ricky Jackson can you recommend like 10 Bruno matches? I need to spend some time on him this go around. If you can get the 3 match Arion series from MSG I would start there. 2/17, 3/17 and 4/14/1975 Vs Waldo Von Erich, 6/16/75 Vs Superstar Graham from 1/12/76 and 8/1/77 Vs Larry Z, 2 each from MSG and Philly, March and April 1980 (check out as much of this feud as possible, including promos, if you can) Vs Piper, Boston cage, 2/8/86 W.Santana vs Savage/Adonis, MSG cage, 7/12/86 I think I have all the dates right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elliott Posted October 5, 2021 Report Share Posted October 5, 2021 Looks like I've got access to everything but one of the Graham matches but I bet if I keep digging I can find it. Thank you! I'm a big fan of his 80s work so I'm excited to check out the 70s stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricky Jackson Posted October 6, 2021 Report Share Posted October 6, 2021 Cool, I'm interested to hear your thoughts about the 70s stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricky Jackson Posted October 6, 2021 Report Share Posted October 6, 2021 Oh, and Bruno's MSG matches with Patera in 77 are great too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoS Posted October 6, 2021 Report Share Posted October 6, 2021 I would also recommend the MSG cage match against Koloff from 15 December 1975. This is the culmination of basically 5 years of a blood feud, and it's pretty much all Bruno on offence, but I love the fire and the emotion that comes out. Bruno's connection with the WWWF crowds was unreal, it's amazing to see those unmic'd crowds with primitive production making so much noise, especially from a modern perspective with no stage or tron or music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rah Posted October 6, 2021 Report Share Posted October 6, 2021 6 hours ago, elliott said: Looks like I've got access to everything but one of the Graham matches but I bet if I keep digging I can find it. Thank you! I'm a big fan of his 80s work so I'm excited to check out the 70s stuff! Which one are you looking for? I thiiiink I've got both. I upped the 1976 show so long.   Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reel Posted October 6, 2021 Report Share Posted October 6, 2021 The Waldo match rules, just a wild spectacle and pure Bruno. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strobogo Posted October 6, 2021 Report Share Posted October 6, 2021 Gotta hit up Bruno vs Baba matches too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elliott Posted October 6, 2021 Report Share Posted October 6, 2021 7 hours ago, Rah said: Which one are you looking for? I thiiiink I've got both. I upped the 1976 show so long. Â Â That's the one I needed! Awesome! Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elliott Posted October 6, 2021 Report Share Posted October 6, 2021 1 hour ago, Reel said: The Waldo match rules, just a wild spectacle and pure Bruno. Really looking forward to this one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrike02 Posted October 6, 2021 Report Share Posted October 6, 2021 4 hours ago, elliott said: Really looking forward to this one! It's really short but really fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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