[1975-12-09-AJPW] Harley Race vs Giant Baba

[Superstar Sleeze]

PWF Heavyweight Champion Giant Baba vs NWA Missouri Champion Harley Race - AJPW 12/9/75

 

Harley Race is still in Handsome Harley Race mode with his bleached blond hair. During one of the long headlocks early, I was thinking about Race's tattoos and how unique they are, but do they depict exactly? They just look dark blobs on his arms.

The first half of this match is dullsville. Baba works the headlock well and anytime Race gets up it is usually chop, throw, and headlock. Race is able at one to get a kneelift to set up a chinlock, but it is not sustainable. They establish Baba's dominance especially in terms of stand up over Race. The match gets good once Harley takes over. It develops into actually the most heated 70s puro match yet, which offers an interesting departure from the consistently great Brisco matches and the escalation towards a hot finish. Harley is able to turn Baba over on his side in a headlock and bury the knee thus negating the stand up advantage.

Harley gets a pair of kneedrops to head, his headbutt and a piledriver to set up a wicked headscissors. They both worked really hard in this hold and the struggle of Baba to get out between Harley's thighs was compelling as it was a bit funny. When he came up gasping for breath and discombobulated, it was amusing. Baba sold disoriented well and they end up doing the best head collide spot yet. Harley picks up and slams the Giant, but Baba comes back with the big boot and then stands on Harley and jumps on him. Throughout the match, they used rope escapes well to protect finishes. Harley throws a beautiful suplex. Harley was definitely a trend setter. He follows Baba to the outside, which was a bad decision as Baba throws him into the post and he is left bloody.

 

Baba tries to finish off with a pair of dropkicks, but Harley hooks the ropes on the second one and he is bleeding a gusher. Again, Baba is using the chop to set up his offense like t]he Russian Legsweep which won a fall over Brisco and then the backbreaker. He is pouring it on, but Harley comes back with punch to throat, second piledriver, a pair of headbutt and now seeing this is his best chance goes for the top rope headbutt, but crashes and burns! I totally bite on this being Baba's opportunity to win the match. He starts throwing awesome overhand chops to the cut. Baba is frustrated and Harley is hanging on for dear life. Baba nails a big boot, but it is too late as time has run out.

This match definitely had the hottest finish of the 70s puro matches I have watched so far, but the first half of the match was pretty dull. I thought they did an excellent job with the headscissors, which sadly would be an anachronism in today's landscape. Harley was definitely a forward thinking wrestler taking the press slam off the top, blading and throwing suplexes and slams at will. His piledriver is not Backlund piledriver. Baba is great as hero and giant of All Japan. He uses his size well and throws a mean chop. The last half is really high quality stuff so check it out for that. ****

 

 

[War is Raw]

No, I could never figure out Harley's tattoos. They are peacocks and/or birds of paradise.

I agree. Baba's headlocks hurt me more than Harley. I was so dulled out that I was bored with the headscissors too. But considering the time limit draw finish, I guess they had to fill time. A real shame because there are many highspots in this match. Race impressed me. Lots of blood and sweat in this match. Would have been a perfect iconic brawl if it was the last 10 minutes. But the first 20? Realistic, yes, but too dependent on the time and place to be universally appreciated. There were some good spots in those 20, but the matched needed to be compressed. But the whole idea was a draw.