NWA On Demand

[goc]

Was that on the DVDVR set? That sounds like the No DQ match from the DVDVR set that got everyone pissed off about the DQ finish in a no DQ match.

[shoe]

Yes, but this is complete.

[Matt D]

And the finish is functional but still frustrating.

[shoe]

The 80's are littered with bad finishes, at times I'm almost immune with them. This was Reed's last month in Houston before going to WWF.

[Matt D]

It's just a few days before Slater would win the belt in Tulsa.

[shoe]

Gordy vs Doc

 

Some major bomb throwing to start. They take it to the floor. This is one hell of a brawl. Doc stomping on Gordy's hand was a nice touch, and could possibly take the Oriental spike out of play. Plus it's a nice touch of the OMG breaking Gordy's arm. These guys are just putting a beatdown on one another. This is real physical stuff. Gordy working the back.The psychology of Gordy working over Doc's back was smart and added a lot to the brawl. Gordy working over the back takes out Doc's Oklahoma Stampede. I can't put over the physicality enough. Gordy again with the bear hug. The bear hug went a little long, and he could have done something a little more engaging. These guys have a great history with one another. Two big guys throwing hands is always a good thing. Gordy puts Doc into the guardrail. Gordy after the back. The back work is a good piece of story telling. I love how Gordy cuts off Williams by tossing him into post.I loved Doc's payback spots of putting Gordy into the guardrail a few times. This was a great brawl, with a deep psychology. This is Md-South wrestling. 4 1/4*

[Johnny Sorrow]

I will be explaining the ref stuff and the finish in an amazing style on the next NWA On Denand podcast.

[shoe]

Brody vs Patera

 

Their was a lot to like about this match. I thought both guys strikes looked really good. I enjoyed the early portion of Brody working the back of Patera. The brawling around ringside was great. Brody choking Paera with the chord looked nasty. I enjoyed the interferance.The viusal of a bloody Brody in the full nelson was incredible and full of drama. The heat really got hot toward the finish. I loved the first 4 or so minutes. It lost its way for a bit, but really got the crowd into it at the end. 2 3/4*

[shoe]

Elimination tag

 

This is an elimination match. I thought it started out really hot. I loved the Brody/Patera double elimination. Then it morphs into a typical tag structure. The heels get heat on the faCEs. I just didn't think the work was all that compelling. Manny who's the best worker in the match spends most of the time on the outside. Once he gets the hot tag it gets interesting again. Still for the most part this was good. 2 1/2*

[BruceTharpe]

Got some good stuff coming up guys. Bockwinkle vs. JYD for the AWA Title - and - the first two falls of the Harley Race - Terry Funk match we release earlier (only 3rd fall released - now we have the full match - over 40 minutes!)

[BruceTharpe]

plus a Chavo Guerrero match from Japan!

[shoe]

Got some good stuff coming up guys. Bockwinkle vs. JYD for the AWA Title - and - the first two falls of the Harley Race - Terry Funk match we release earlier (only 3rd fall released - now we have the full match - over 40 minutes!)

OMG that is great. I can't wait to see the 1st 2 falls of that Funk-Race match. That 3rd fall was a war.

[NickH]

I,ve been waiting soooooooooo long for the rest of Funk/Race match, I thought it wasn't going to come. Bruce you bloody LEGEND.

[shoe]

Race vs Funk

 

This is a total Holy grail match. This service is the best. A chess match right off the bat. A total feeling out process, and a little mind games. Big chop and Funk strikes 1st. Terry on the arm. Funk really wringing that arm out. Funk transitions into an arm stretch. Funk just rubbing into the arm. Funk just standing on Harley's face. Then a hammerlock with his feet. This is how you work an arm. Everything is gritty. Some of the holds look unatural. Harley's facials are great putting over the arm work. Terry Funk with a press slam and back to murdering that arm. The stepping on Harley's head is just plain nasty. We get a slight clip about 2 minutes, and Harley is working a headlock. The struggle on the headlock is tremendous. Boesch is tremendous calling this, and explaining why the headlock is smart after getting his arm worked over. We have a great over head wristlock battle. Race working the neck with the head scissor. This is smart and gives his arm a breather to re cooperate from the arm work. We get a rope break, but Race strikes 1st. Both guys throwing bombs. Race on the arm. Terry selling the shoulder. Funk with big chops trying to get seperation from Race. The crowd is electric here on this exchange. Funk with a great move to get to the spinning toe hold, but Race has done his homework and has an answer. A great nearfall on a roll up of a Race Fig 4 attempt. Funk with a huge bump to the floor. Race with clubberin blow. Inside out suplex by Race. Adominal Stretch by Race. Crowd is expecting a submission. Yes 1st fall goes to Race. The key here was Funk hurting his back on the bump to the outside.

 

2nd fall and Funk attempts to cauliflower Race's ear. Funk gets into Race's head. Race though is dropping elbows and knees on the back. Race with a chin lock and a knee in the back. Funk with a backslide gets 2. Funk hits a piledriver for the equalizer.

 

3rd fall and it's for all the marbles. Race with a huge chop to start. Both guys are throwing hands. Spinning neck breaker by Funk. A big atomic drop by Funk. Crowd popped huge for the near fall. Spinning Toe Hold by Funk. Harley with straight rights. Funk's eye is busted open. Race is going after that cut. Race's fist is covered in blood. Knee drop by Race onto a bloody Funk. A Harley headbutt into the cut. Race selling the leg huge. Funk after the leg. Spinning Toe Hold. The crowd is blowing it's load. Race back to the eye. The ref calls it and Harley Race is still champ. Ref waves it off for blood loss. PA is calling for a doctor. What an epic match . 5* . Terry Funk promo, and his eye looks terrible. One of the best matches I've ever seen.

[KB8]

Well fuck my face. I'm already backlogged with potentially awesome stuff from this service, but I might need to push this to the front of the queue.

[Matt D]

I've held off on watching that third fall at all so I am excited.

EDIT: Man, I am so glad I did was patient. What a match.

[Matt D]

This was an absolute classic. Funk is a mad wrestling genius. He's one of the greatest sellers of all time, someone who could get across damage, both in the moment and cumulative, but also that could sell the drama of any situation. Race is as credible as any wrestler ever, a bumper and a stooger, and I don't think we've ever had a match which shows his ability to do the little things as well as this one.

 

It was an NWA title match so there are certain things you'd expect, first and foremost the early matwork. in that regard, this goes above and beyond. It might be the best I've ever seen from this era. After some early feeling out (which was short but interesting in and of itself on the way that they build to the lock up and use rope breaks and even just the way Funk's hands shake as he's anticipating the lock up with his manic energy), Funk starts on the arm. It's the most compelling stuff you've ever seen. There's constant motion and struggle, constant jockeying, constant shifting of position. Moreover, there's constant imagination. Normally, you might see them move in and out of the hold, interspersing it with spots. That comes eventually, but at first, it's all about cutting off attempts at escape and escalating the amount of damage being done. There's two or three points where Boesch points out that Funk's doing something he hasn't seen before, and in one case, when Funk uses his leg to half-nelson Race so that he can put on some sort of crazy modified grounded octopus, there's one that I've never seen before, even forty years later. When they move out of it, Funk hits a near press slam on Race. When they go back into it, the shots of Funk grinding his foot into Race's face are downright grisly. It's all spirited as hell and it spoils you for almost every other title match you'll see.

 

Then comes the cut. It's frustrating, not because it exists in and of itself, but because it means we miss how Race gets an advantage. When we come back, Race had just hit a trademark headbutt on Funk, to the temple (maybe that's how he took over? We've seen him use it as a transition before), and is in charge with a headlock. Race is not the world's best seller. A lot of Flair's bad habits in dropping limb selling potentially stems from his emulation of Race. I love Boesch covering for it by saying that the best way to recover from armwork is to USE the arm. A lot of this is Race trying to just contain Funk and his energy. The struggle's still there though with Funk constantly trying to get Race over for a pin or work his way up. When he does get up and out, Race turns it into one of the best headscissors sequences you'll ever see, working it big, including slamming the leg down. Amazing hope spots here, with Funk working his way to his feet, Rance dangling behind him, keeping the hold on. Just awesome stuff until Funk can make it to the ropes.

 

They finish this initial matwork gamesmanship with Race (doing one of those little things I mentioned earlier) slipping behind Kozak after the rope break to sneak attack Funk. He tosses him out and that leads to a reset and the closing sequence to the first fall. Funk was amazing at creating memorable moments. I promise you every person in that building would remember Funk and Race going toe to toe with chops and headbutts and punches, them milking every blow. Everyone would remember the explosive lightning go-behind Funk did and how quickly Race kicked him off on the spinning toe-hold attempt. Funk eventually got the better of it, but ultimately missed a second shoulder tackle and went flying out, immediately selling the back like only he could. That led to a big suplex back in from the apron and a downright amazing abdominal stretch, Race reaching around to press in on the shoulder in a way I'm not sure I've ever seen. After lifting the arm a few times, Kozak called for the bell ending the fall. No one could get over toughness through selling like Funk. He gave so much but because he kept coming despite it all, it made him go past the point of weakness into true inner strength like no one else.

 

He started the second fall defiant, coming out strong only, angering Race with a series of blows, drawing him in and catching him with another huge slam, only to run into a kneeling headbutt, selling it like a back body drop. Race followed that up with an awesome bee-lined elbow drop, showing a real economy of motion. Like I said, I've never seen him do little things as well as in this match. Race stays on the back with a deep, knee-assisted chinlock, but Funk, bolstered by the chants of the crowd, makes his way back up. They tease another stretch by Race, but Funk turns it into a backslide, both a near-fall and a transitory moment to set up a huge pile driver and the pin. I love how they used the backslide as part of how Terry earned his way back. It was better that he hit a more definitive exclamation mark to score the fall.

 

The service released the third fall months ago and people went nuts for it. I didn't watch then on the hopes we would get the rest. I'm glad that I waited but at the same time, I'm not sure how I went so long without seeing something so incredible. It was transcendentally good, cinematic in a way that people give credit to things like Undertaker vs Michaels but with gravitas through timing and selling that those big WWE matches reach for ambitiously but never quite manage to reach. Funk comes out on fire, hitting those memorable chops again. They trade punches, huge killer punches. Funk keeps his advantage, hitting a neckbreaker and the world's biggest atomic drop and punting Race in the head repeatedly, Then he starts with the spinning toe-hold. Race grabs the hair and counters with punches above Funk's eye. Funk is unrelenting, putting it on again and again, trying to keep his head from Race. Race is desperate but unrelenting, managing to get the hair each time, managing to pepper Funk with punches repeatedly. Funk bleeds. Race's hand ends up covered in blood. Kozak tries to call off the match and Funk, staggering and bloody, stops him. Race can't make it back to his feet now, but manages to land a headbutt from his knees. Finally, Funk goes for a last toe-hold and Race punches him again. Funk's dangling due to the blood loss, using the positioning of the toehold to just stand. He tries to spin one more time but falls over and Kozak finally calls the match. It's poetic. It protects Funk. It makes Harley look strong. Most of all, it leads to a rematch where the match can't be stopped. Amazing, amazing end to an amazing match. Race brings a lot to the table, including some failings to go along with his projected toughness and credibility, but I don't think there was ever a wrestler who understood the potential of what pro wrestling could be and who had the ability to actually reach that potential like Terry Funk.

[Minds_Eys]

What's the best way to stream the matches from an iPhone to a Google Chromecast? The chrome browser? Looking to dive back in if it's capable to stream.

[shoe]

I don't use Chromecast. I use the Tubio app and launch from my I Phone to my Roku.

[Sean Liska]

Holy God I cant wait to watch this Race-Funk match, 2017 is amazing.

[khawk20]

Any idea how the test roku app worked? I recall Bruce asking for someone with a roku to test drive something a few months back.

[shoe]

Never transpired

[shoe]

Any idea how the test roku app worked? I recall Bruce asking for someone with a roku to test drive something a few months back.

I have been using the Tubio app, and have been able to launch the video with my I phone or android to my Roku

[BruceTharpe]

Chavo Guerrero vs. Kimura for the International Junior Title from Japan is now online. Also Kick Bockwinkle vs. JYD for the AWA Title.

[BruceTharpe]

sorry - NICK Bockwinkle - typing too fast