[1979-09-13-AJW] Jackie Sato vs Monster Ripper

[Jetlag]

This was a stupidly effective and smartly worked skill vs. Power match. Sato is a wrestling machine, but Ripper can power out of anything she tries. Ripper even lies down for Sato to pin her and just pushs her off to demonstrate that. Ripper is so self confident here it's lovely. Ripper takes control by grabbing Sato's hand and crushing it with her grip. Ripper throws Sato around and a second has to re-locate Sato's leg at one point. The schoolgirls are in tears at this point. Sato really puts on a tremedous selling performance here and has to use stalling tactics and last ditch takedowns, making this look like Monster Ripper is the challenge of her life and not even she knows how she is supposed to win. The finish and the build to it feel suitably great, everyone freaks out and they continue to brawls afterward with all the seconds getting thrown around. This was a great piece of TV.

[aaeo_]

Watching this era of AJW is wild, these crowds are loud as hell. Monster Ripper doesn't do much but she does all those things while trash-talking Sato (and the crowd) with an evil grin, which is great. Sato working all these holds while Ripper just throws her away was super effective. And then Ripper working on top by just crushing her hand is really surprisngly effective like Jetlag said. I liked Sato trying to steal a win with a roll-up. Sato's selling and bumping is also outstanding.  Sato's comeback starts off weird with a strange tumble roll takedown but it gets good after that. She starts throwing Ripper around and wins with a backdrop. She gets the belt while Ripper yells in the background.

[Mr JMML]

I love how Monster Ripper is so effective as a heel that she made the teenage girls in the crowd cry. Awesome 70's Zenjo match.