[1983-07-12-AJPW] Terry Funk vs Nick Bockwinkel

[Microstatistics]

Excellent technical match with awesome leg selling by Terry and aggression by Bock.

[JKWebb]

This was really awesome for as long as it lasted. The version I have may have been clipped a little bit. Terry's selling was off the charts!

[Superstar Sleeze]

I think the only version available is clipped.

AWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Bockwinkel vs Terry Funk - AJPW 7/12/83.   This is a Non Title match.

Oh Bock, how I have missed you! JIP. The first available ten minutes is just great NWA-style holds and struggle within the hold. I could see people complaining Bock just sat in that headlock, but I think there was a lot of struggle and technique in the side headlock. The last ten minutes is fierce. Bock sent Funk out with a back suplex. King of the Mountain in Japan baby! The World Over, Bock is The King! Just don't let Lawler find out. Bock targets the knee of Funk with ferocity. Funk sells the knee for the rest of the match superbly and Bock is just a hawk. The holds, the strikes everything looks great from him. There are some many cool trips and leg pick ups and ankle picks that are just great. Eventually you got Funk working the leg and even gets close to a Spinning Toe Hold. Funk collapsing on the suplex attempt due to the bad knee was great. My favorite spot was Funk grapevining Bock's leg while standing and transitioning into an earned Russian Legsweep. Texas Cloverleaf by Funk but he turns Bock into the ropes. Bock counters with a beautiful figure-4. Great struggle from Funk. They roll into the ropes. Bock is relentless on the knee on the apron. It is a race against the count. Funk throws him out to win the match by countout.

Just a great old school encounter. Funk's selling was great and his determination to work his way back into the match was gripping. Bock looked so damn good. They don't make em like they used to that's for sure! ****

[conker8]

Even the Skddt version had those two first minutes cut. But we do have the entrances.

[Richeyedwards]

Terry Funk vs Nick Bockwinkel 1983

This was given to me by Matt D in the secret santo review trades.

Most of my experience of Bock is from his work in AJPW such as his matches with Jumbo and RWTL runs the 83 match with jumbo is one day after this match. I have only seen the really big matches of his in AWA such as vs Hennig vs Wahoo etc. Funk I have seen much more of and I like.

This would be just before Terry’s first retirement and he is very over with banners declaring him forever number one which is nice.

We start with a couple of mins clipped off with some nice rolling on the mat dueling hammerlocks, leglocks and the like. Lots of struggle here, there are no ‘restholds’, there is clear effort put into every hold. Bock has a mean headlock in really looking like he is crushing Funk's face. Funk starts to attack the leg to get out but bock is in complete control and brings him back to the mat still holding on to the headlock. Several attempts at a backdrop and Funk gets free with leg pick and he begins working the right leg. The work on the leg is not very violent but more methodical and precise. Bock starts clubbing Funk's back while in a Funk leg lock but then we get a cut and now Bock has a leg lock.

Backdrop, so odd for me, a largely 85-onwards AJPW fan to see a back drop that is not screamed about by the commentators here they don’t even mention it. Funk bails and is on the receiving end of some nasty knees and is pushed back out. King of the mountain and bock goes to work on Funk's right leg, unlike in the first section Bock is nasty with his leg work, no carefully applied leg locks just stomp and clubbing blows while in holds. Funk's transition into a Russian leg sweep is neat really, great counter.

Funk collapses on an attempted brainbuster leading to screams from the crowd, Texas cloverleaf rope break. Bock locks in a figure 4 good facial expressions from Funk's putting across the pain without being hammy, roll to the floor and if you have watched any AJPW from this period you know what is happening next. Funk wins by count out. After some annoyance from Bock we get a handshake.

This felt like a bit of a singles exhibition for Funk on his farewell tour and a show of how mean and tough bock can be before his AWA title match with Jumbo. I thought it was as the other reviews on the page have said a match with a clear set divide, the first half is very mat based exchanging of holds with bock having the advantage most of the time. This leads onto the second half with a backdrop and from there it is not a full-fledged brawl but is far more brawly with nearly all of the strikes and attempted throws coming in this section of the match. The finish was what it was but that was AJPW at this time. The selling of both men was good with Funk's leg-selling being very compelling. But to me the star of this was Bock who in everything I have seen of him impresses me more. He has the air of superiority and brilliance around him and everything he does looks good. The thing that hurts this match is the cuts but even then they are only a few mins. This was a great match ****

[EnviousStupid]

Yesterday marked the 40-year anniversary of one of my favourite matches, so I decided to revisit it and, big shock, I still adore it. Very technical and mat-driven with all the holds applied being so hard-fought and gritty. Neat little ideas like Terry grape-vining the leg whenever Bock applies a hold to not give him much leverage, sometimes failing early on before it finally leads to him working over the leg. Or how Bock will apply a Headlock that's sold like it sucks the energy out of his opponent, with Funk having to throw knees into the back of the legs in an attempt to break out of it. Bock eventually starts doing his own knees to lead into working Funk's leg and he does a fantastic job of making it distinct from the way Terry worked over the limb: lot of cheap tactics and rabbit punches before really torquing it in painful ways. Of course, with these two kinds of wrestlers, you know the kind of selling and general reactions they'll have, all having a cumulative effect on moves done and choices made thereafter. I think it's a match that teaches one a lot about the kinds of wrestlers these two are; what they stand for and represent, the strengths they tend to lean on in matches, as well as what they're willing to do when put in desperate situations. It's also a match that had to end the way it did - in classic AJPW fashion - knowing where both Funk and Bock were at this time in their careers. Some might have wanted something more, but the work on display impressed me in so many little ways that I feel grateful that we have (most of) it on footage. Two of my all-time favourites putting on one hell of a contest.