Good Will Wrestling - 70s Live Viewing w/ Will & Parv

[JerryvonKramer]

http://placetobenation.com/good-will-wrestling-70s-live-watch/

 

 

Join Will and Parv in a live viewing of two matches from the 1970s featuring four legends:

 

Dick Murdoch vs. Pat O'Connor (12/15/75):

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwXdMjWuwhc

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWrSaEEGq5A

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl9mLMWg2V8

 

and ...

 

Dory Funk Jr vs. Jack Brisco (2/8/72):

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfGE3vpHksQ

[JerryvonKramer]

I know this past week has been real busy on the feed, but don't want this one to get lost in the shuffle.

 

I REALLY want to know what people make of these two matches. I will probably review Dory / Jack again in written form so I can take in commentary.

[Goodear]

I gotcha Parv.

 

So looking at match number one, I feel as though the match suffers from a lack of an overall plot that ties the narrative together especially when it comes to building to a conclusion. It felt as though the head scissors work that started the match was especially long and went over the same ground time and again where by the second time we had seen enough to move the match forward. But it never really did and it didn't teach us anything about either guy other than O'Connor wouldn't stop going to the headlock. The actual work once they got away from that segment was much better with Murdoch's facials being especially good although again the repetition with kicking out and going to an almost amateur style side mount was less effective that it could be if they moved on to something else. The biggest flaw I would say was that the match never seemed to get into 2nd or 3rd gear for more than a few moments before down shifting back to 1st. The feeling I had was that neither guy felt closer to winning at the end of the match than at the beginning. It just feels like such a waste of minutes to get no where.

 

In terms of Match #2, Dory and Jack seem as though they bounce around from spot to spot working holds that focus on different body parts. The work from a micro level was solid but it came off like a 70s spot fest with guys digging around a lot but the work didn't exactly flow well from section to section. The transitions were actively strong with the body scissors catch counter to the knee to the leg and then going to a Boston Crab was the highlight. I found Dory's uppercuts to be strangely off this match as historically I've seen him throw them up and into the jaw and these seemed more like they were going across the head. I think opening the match with the guys already going to spinning toe holds and figure fours could have done a good job setting a narrative but that thread wasn't really picked up as their attacks went all over the body.

 

Murdoch and Jack are obviously the more emotive of the four people we saw (with Murdoch being more subtle if he isn't going over the top) and are the top two workers of the four (putting aside O'Connor being 50) and Dory may be at the bottom of the list.

[BigBadMick]

Watched Murdoch-O'Connor this morning. I have quite limited experience of 70s wrestling (probably less than 50 matches) but certainly enjoyed it as the tempo picked up in the second half. Enjoyed the first part too - having you two for commentary certainly kept it interesting.

 

I liked Will's point about being of a certain age to appreciate older wrestling/wrestlers. I'm 37 now, can't imagine sitting through that first half 15 years ago.

[BigBadMick]

I think you both hit the nail on the head in talking about differing preferences/priorities for Brisco/Funk. Like Goodear above, I didn't see a thread holding the match together. That's not helped by being clipped obviously, but generally it was difficult to me to see it as more than random collections of moves at times. Perhaps the Solie/Brisco/mystery man commentary would help, as Parv suggested.

 

By the way, it's clear Parv and Will are as stubborn as each other, and not really going to influence each other too much. Makes for fun audio though

[BigBadMick]

Also, the AJPW match was helped by much better video quality. As was pointed out, even if Dory was being stoic, it was impossible to tell with the Florida footage.

 

I know some prefer that gritty, in-the-stands feel, but better quality footage and clear facials etc. are certainly an advantage in drawing me in.

[Matt D]

Low on time this week, unfortunately, but I'll get to this. Is that O'Connor match the poster child for matches where Murdoch inexplicably doles out the comedy in the third act after twenty minutes of really good pro wrestling? Or is that a different match with O'Connor?

 

EDIT: found my write up from January 2013 (which feels like forever ago):

 

Dick Murdoch vs Pat O'Connor AJPW 12/15/75

This is a very cool, very frustrating match. Here's the quick breakdown. Ten minutes of Murdoch putting on headscissors, O'Connor getting out, going for a headlock, getting put back in. Most of the work here is by O'Connor trying to get out and each time he makes it, there's an escalation of energy in him trying to get on top and Murdoch putting him back down. He finally takes over with a cheap knee to the face. This leads to some amazing looking arm stuff by O'Connor and then some back and forth legwork. THIS ends with a limping Murdoch being unable to hold onto the headscissors for long and punching O'Connor in the face.

Up until this point it's a really fun match. I might doubt the logic of O'Connor going back to the headock again and again but I can see it as old man's pride.

The problem is that the FACE PUNCHING leads into 6 or 7 minutes of comedy. And it's good comedy, first with Murdoch complaining about O'Connor's fists, sneaking his own, and then getting wildly out punched, and then with O'Connor escaping holds quickly as the crowd laughs and Murodch lumbering at him (including a great spot where he goes through the ropes). It's entertaining, but a minute or two before they were starting to punch each other in the face, while limping, after 20 minutes of holds. It's jarring and really, annoying. I like comedy a lot at the beginning of a match or throughout a match, but i don't think it belonged in the tail end of THIS match, even if it was all well done.

Then the time-limit is coming so they go into a pretty compelling series of pinfall attempts until the bell rings.

Well worth watching but highly frustrating.