[1968-06-27-JWA] Giant Baba vs Bobo Brazil

[paul sosnowski]

 

[Superstar Sleeze]

NWA International Champion Bobo Brazil vs Giant Baba - JWA 6/27/68

Somebody needs to do a documentary on Bobo Brazil! World Heavyweight Champion in Los Angeles when that mattered, Top Babyface Draw/Champion in Detroit at the peak of Detroit and Champion in Japan even if it was only for two days is a big deal. I would love to know more about him. 

First Fall: Very elementary. JIP to a bearhug. Bobo works a hold, Baba revs the crowd up with a comeback, Bobo goes back to a hold. Bobo's holds are bearhug, a leg lace and a sleeper/choke. Baba's best offensive work is going after Bobo's leg after the leg lace and just stomping it to smithereens. I loved Baba's selling. That really made the holds look a lot better especially on the choke. Three Coco Butts! That's all she wrote. Baba 1-0 This is not an indictment on them but something I have noticed in a lot of this 60s footage, are we sure long-term selling had been innovated yet? Like is it even a thing? If you follow pro wrestling to its logical conclusion which is to build a narrative then long term selling makes sense. If you think of pro wrestling as a simulation of combat then it does not, which is why in shoot-style there's very little long-term selling. Are we sure they were even thinking in the mindset of long-term selling & narrative-building? This applies to everything I have watched so far in the 60s.

Second Fall: Baba comes out roaring and goes after that leg again. That's pretty funny after what I just wrote, but Brazil again sells it in the moment, but not ever again, which is a point favor of my assertion in fall one. Brazil works a hammerlock. Baba comes back with a ton of chops. Dropkick 1-2-NO! Is it 1968 or 1998? You can see Baba's propensity of nearfalls and repeating finishers in high stakes matches all the way back to 1968! Very cool. Two more dropkicks! The trio of dropkicks just like the trio of Coco Butts fells the giant. That's another thing I knew Bobo was big, but he is a giant! He is just as big as Baba. That's impressive! Tied 1-1.

Third Fall: What a finish! Brazil hits a pair of bodyslams to open the fall, but cannot negotiate the pinfall. I love how the crowd pops for Baba reversal of a headlock into a hammerlock, simpler times! GIANT CHOP! Brazil catches air on the flat back! 1-2-NO! Big Boot! Brazil comes back with a pair shouldertackles. On third, Baba dropdown, tabletops him and Brazil goes careening into the ropes and GETS HIS HEAD CAUGHT IN THE ROPES! WOW! In 1968 couldnt believe it! Kinda silly finish as the ref counts Brazil out and awards the match & championship to Baba! Crowd is thrilled and throws their seat cushion into the ring as the physical manifestation of their joy & exuberance. I noticed this in a prior Baba match but forgot to mention it. I think this is a much more fun and not to mention safer way to express your joy than throwing chairs into the ring like in ECW.

I liked the finish a lot. Its elementary, but everything made sense and the finish to each fall was awesome. ***1/2