[1979-10-31-AJPW] Harley Race vs Giant Baba

[Superstar Sleeze]

NWA World Heavyweight Champion Harley Race vs Giant Baba - AJPW 10/31/79

Having seen a handful of Harley's matches from the 70s and another dozen or so from the 80s, I think his entire wrestling psychology can be captured by one particular bump as he takes a huge flat back bump off a Giant Baba chop but still maintaining his forward momentum. It looks ridiculous and awesome at the same time. Race believed in bumping big, always keep the action moving and the babyface is always right. This has led to some less that stellar matches that ought to have been classics, but on this one night the stars aligned Harley Race pulled off his personal masterpiece.

 

The beginning of the match was what you would expect Baba working a headlock, Race working an angle up against the ropes not giving the clean break, but ultimately when he tried to create movement succumbing to the headlock. You get great bumps off a big boot or a back drop out of the piledriver. It is established that Baba is a better wrestler and it is a consistent thread. Eventually, Race is able to combine some offense off work in the ropes working the neck with a swinging neckbreaker, piledriver, knees to head and neck and then a head crank. This has been a drawback of Race is his ADD in the ring where he will just throw out spots and bumps willy-nilly. Here was working more focused and more vicious as we will see. Going for the gutwrench suplex was a deviation from strategy and Baba made him pay with one of his own. When Race put his foot on the rope, Baba came back with a huge double stomp. Race takes a great tumble over the ropes remsicent of HHH (so thats where he got it from!) and then takes a back drop on the outside. Baba misses a dropkick, which is a favorite Race transition move.

Race unloades heavy knees to the forehead and busts Baba open who rolls to outside to escape the punishment. Race works the cut efficiently with fists and even diving headbutt, but Baba rolls out again. Baba bleeding profusely, This time, Baba slams Race's head into the post and busts him wide out. DOUBLE JUICE! Race is bleeding all over his arms. Baba swats him multiple time with huge double chops which Races sells like gunshots! Awesome! The violence of this match is really carrying the day over the usual Harley Race spotfests. Harley Race gets one more hope spot, but is press slammed off the top. Baba riles up the crowd, running clothesline for the 1-2-3 and crowd goes wild as Baba wins the World's Heavyweight Championship for the second time.

 

Harley was able to focus his offense more and the blood helped him ratchet up the violence. A lot of his matches will feature a lot of throws without struggle so by focusing on one body part and working a cut it lent itself to more drama. Baba is a great opponent because he is so large and such a force of nature that you can buy all of Harley's ridiculous bumps. The finish stretch brought this match way up, but still could have used more struggle, right about the level of most the top tiered All Japan stuff from this era that I have seen. ****1/2