[1985-03-17-WWF-MSG, NY] Greg Valentine vs Tito Santana (Lumberjack)

[Superstar Sleeze]

WWF Intercontinental Champion Greg Valentine vs. Tito Santana - WWF, MSG 3/17/85 Lumberjack Match

 

Here is the fun, popcorn match of the series. Don't get me wrong, there were plenty of hard blows from each men, but this was definitely more of a crowd pleaser until the ending. Valentine cheapshotted him at the beginning, but Tito came back and just popped Valentine really good right in the face. The Hammer was dazed and confused. TIMMMMMMBBBBBAAAAHHHHH! Santana just poured it on in the early going to the delight of the crowd while Valentine tried to figure out ways to get by the lumberjacks. Big John Studd was a helpful ally, but The Dragon quite the thorn in his side. I really liked Valentine trying to leap over the lumberjacks and the railing to get through the crowd. Valentine was really hamming it up in this one. Santana was on fire in terms of offense until he charged in and ate a hard knee. Valentine went to work on the leg. Santana and the babyface lumberjacks really sold the peril Tito was in. I liked when Santana was trying to mount a comeback that Valentine just starting trying to cave Tito's face in with these vicious forearms. He was fucking smoking Santana. I like Hammer's two prong strategy of working the leg and levelling him with big, heavy blows. There is a cool transition with Tito dropping down and popping up with his legs so Valentine lands face first into the turnbuckle.

 

Absolutely awesome slugfest. Great camera angle of Santana's left jabs right into the face of Valentine. TIMMMMMBBBBBBAAAAAHHHHHH! Suplex from Tito, but it takes a lot out of him. Santana knee drop right to Valentine face and some really great detailed selling by The Hammer on. Santana thinks figure-4, but Valentine yanks the hair and bails, but the lumberjacks do their job. Flying Burrito and Valentine falls backwards and he applies to the figure-4! HUGE POP! Big John Studd pulls The Hammer to the ropes. Santana goes after Studd and Valentine comes crashing down with a forearm. Another heated slugfest leads to them knocking head and Valentine falls on top for the win.

They were forced into a tough corner. They needed a finish and they wanted Valentine to go over to continue the feud into the summer. Not the best finish, but not a horrible one. It was representative of the war of attrition that these matches are. I think this is right in the same ballpark as most of the Santana/Valentine matches. I think the cage match & 6/16/84 stand out of the pack. This is more of the fun one. Besides teh October return/revenge match, I thought this was the most fun shine and the figure-4 got a huge pop. Another humdinger of a match in one of all time favorite feuds! ****1/4

[JKWebb]

These guys deliver the goods again and again and again... I could watch these two punch each other all day. Valentine is off the charts with his selling in this match. This might be the best lumberjack match I've ever seen? I can't recall one better of the top of my head anyway. I agree it's not the best of their feud, but it is still great, and really fun. I think if this match at happened at WrestleMania, it would be more remembered by the "WWE Universe." They should have put these two on that card against each other in some way. I love Valentine smacking Santana in the face while he works on the leg, and the frustration he shows when he can't put Santana away. I felt like the three count was pretty fast at the end? Still, it was awesome. ****