[1983-06-17-WCCW] Jumbo Tsuruta vs Ted DiBiase

[paul sosnowski]

This is for Jumbo's United National Title. We are at Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas. The champinship proclamation is read by Fritz Von Erich. It appears this is the only time that DiBiase ever appeared in WCCW. They have faced each other before, in All Japan five years ago. There is a handshake before the match.

 

Ted tries to lock up with Jumbo, but Jumbo circles around him, reverses and escapes. Ted gets a single leg takedown and immediately rolls up Jumbo for a one count.. They lock up again, Jumbo drops Ted with a fireman's carry into an armbar, but now Ted quickly escapes. Ted takes control of Jumbo's left arm. Ted with a shoulderblock, Jumbo with a hip toss, Ted takes him down again with an armdrag. Jumbo rises to his feet, but Ted clamps down on it, Jumbo tries to break it with 3 chops to Ted's chest. Ted answers back with two elbows to the face and a kneelift. He gets Jumbo with a chop of his own, but Jumbo comes off the ropes with a kneelift in return. Jumbo grabs a standing headlock, Ted tries an atomic drop, but Jumbo holds on and takes him down to the mat, but Ted rolls him up twice, for a one count. They get to their feet, Jumbo nails Ted with 3 big knees to the face, and an elbow to the head, Ted tries to fight back, but is met with the running kneelift. Jumbo backs Ted into the ropes and slaps him in the face! Tempers are flaring now. DiBiase returns the slap and drops some hammerfists to Jumbo's back, followed by a slam and a kneedrop to the face for a 2 count. Ted whips Jumbo to the ropes and gets him with a big knee to the gut, he climbs to the second rope and comes off with an elbow to the head. Ted gets Jumbo in a headlock, Jumbo breaks it and hits a shoulder tackle, attempts a sunset flip but Ted drops on him for a 2 count. DiBiase backs him into the ropes, but instead of a clean break, Jumbo is met with elbows and gets his head thrown into the turnbuckle. DiBiase piledrives him but only gets a 2 count!!! Jumbo brainbuster suplexes Ted in the middle, gets a 2 and follows with a Russian leg sweep. At the ten minute mark, Jumbo suddenly hits a Thesz press for another two. Ted is definitely getting frustrated, punches Jumbo in the gut and the head and takes him into the turnbuckle again. Jumbo whips Ted to the opposite corner and goes for the flying knee, but DiBiase moves out of the way. He starts working on Jumbo's knee, dropping his own knee onto it six consecutive times before going for the spinning toehold. Jumbo fights out of it, gets back to his feet, Ted kicks the leg from under him three times but is met with a dropkick from Jumbo. Jumbo hits some chops to the head and gets a big back bodydrop suplex on DiBiase for a 2 count, but Ted's foot was on the ropes. Ted takes Jumbo up for a suplex of his own. DiBiase drops Jumbo on his knee, goes for the spinning toehold again and Jumbo kicks him over the top rope. Jumbo meets Ted on the way back in with hammers to the back, attempts a suplex, but Ted kicks the leg out and goes for another spinning toehold. Jumbo cradles him and gets the pin at 14:02.

 

This was really fun and better than I was expecting. 3 1/2 ***