[1982-12-15-Joint Promotions] Steve Grey vs Sid Cooper

[GSR]

This was fought over six three minute rounds and was the semi-finals of the 'New Year's Day Knockout Tournament'.  Cooper starts out on top with some headmare attempts that Grey rolls through on, he tries to throw him off the ropes but again he just rolls through.  When he tries that a second time Grey reverses and throws Cooper across the ring, he then tosses him out of the ring much to the amusement of the crowd.  Cooper with a side headlock that Grey handstands out of and follows up with a finger interlock.  He whips Grey into the ropes then crouches down attempting to trip him as he comes back, but Grey skips over him and gives him a kick in the backside which again brings laughter from the crowd.  As the end of the first approaches Cooper starts to lose his cool, first with a bit of hair pulling and then with a closed fist punch to the face.  Double arm stretch by Cooper which Grey kicks out of and Cooper is complaining to the referee and gets him to check his forehead.  Grey reverses a Cooper reverse double knee hold into a body scissors, posts Cooper and backdrops him for a near fall.  Cooper responds with a punch to the mid-section out of view of the official, slips on a side headlock and as Grey is about to escape, a quick pull of the hair and he's back in it.  Grey reverses a double finger interlock and Cooper punches him in the back.  Cooper then continues after the bell has rung claiming he couldn't hear it because of his cauliflowered ears.  As the crowd are on his case he flicks water from his bottle at them!  Cooper opens aggressively in the third.  He attempts to post Grey who blocks it, ducks between Cooper's legs and lands two dropkicks which lead to some nice facials and selling from Cooper.  Grey rolls Cooper up, but some more hair pulling sees him escape and he then catches Grey with a backslide for the first fall.  At this point Cooper starts blowing kisses to the crowd and then leaves the ring heading to the back, maintaining that he thought it was just a one fall contest!  Cooper has the early advantage in the fourth and a crossbody attempt by Grey sees Cooper catch him and run him into the turnbuckles.  Flying tackle by Grey is again caught by Cooper who slams him to the canvas, Cooper then comes off the ropes, but Grey is up and leaps over him with a sunset flip for the pin.  Cooper attacks Grey after the equalizing fall and throws him out of the ring getting his second and final public warning in the process.  A Cooper backbreaker is followed with a backhammer that Grey flips over the back of to escape.  Cooper shoots him into the ropes and Grey goes for a roll up, whilst another dropkick from him sends Cooper tumbling out of the ring.  A body check from Cooper and Grey nips up, headbutt to the stomach, Cooper whips Grey into the ropes and in a carbon copy of the first fall, Grey leaps over Cooper with a sunset flip double leg nelson to advance to the final.

I thought this was a decent match and Cooper had some nice touches that added to it.  Not one that I would say is essential viewing, but in the same boat you won't come out of it thinking you've wasted your time if you do decide to give it a watch.