[1986-05-14-Joint Promotions] Steve Grey vs Ritchie Brooks

[GSR]

Brooks is a 21 year old who has only been in the business a couple of years at this point.  A side headlock and arm lever from him as he has some early dominance.  Full nelson which Grey breaks and releases himself from and Brooks is back to working the side headlock which Grey handstands and flips his way out of.  He tries to throw Brooks, but the youngster cartwheels through it.  An arm lever which Brooks nicely escapes from before a back hammer and wristlock by Grey to close out the round.  Round two and a quick schoolboy attempt from Grey.  A cravat and headmare before a full nelson.  Grey whips Brooks into the ropes, he ducks looking for the back body drop but Brooks goes over for a sunset flip, folding press by Grey and Brooks spins him out.  Grey hooks the leg but Brooks sits down on him, reverse double leg nelson, countered with a folding press by Brooks but instead of going over he holds a headstand position for the first fall.  Round three is cut from the broadcast, and Grey starts to work on Brooks' arm in the fourth.  Backdrop and headmare from Grey but a quick roll up from Brooks gets him a two count.  Brooks this time focusses his attention on Grey's left arm including throwing both a dropkick and head butt to it; he goes for a second dropkick but Grey steps out of the way.  Boston crab by Grey but he gives up on the hold when it's clear to him that Brooks wont submit and with Brooks in pain from the crab attempt he looks for the surfboard submission, but the round ends before he can fully apply the hold.  In to the next and a posting from Grey followed by a headmare and with Brooks clearly suffering with his back Grey again tries for the surfboard.  This time he is in the centre of the ring and with plenty of time remaining is able to apply the hold getting the equalizing submission.  The sixth and final round and Brooks is still selling his back.  After his success in the previous round Grey goes for the surfboard, but Brooks struggles and fights the attempt to the point that Grey gives up on the hold.  Over the shoulder backbreaker but he can't quite get Brooks up and he continues to concentrate his efforts on the weakened back of Brooks.  Brooks gets a brief advantage returning his efforts to Grey's left arm even managing to execute a straight arm lift.  He goes to post Grey but it's reversed and Brooks crashes into the turnbuckle.  He fights off another surfboard attempt, but Grey grabs the double leg and turns it into a Boston crab.  The timekeeper announces sixty seconds left and Grey decides to give up clear in his mind that Brooks wont submit to that hold.  With the time limit expiring he goes for one last surfboard but no luck, and the bout is declared a draw.

I thought Grey did a tremendous job on this one and Brooks more than played his part.  Grey gave him enough early and made Brooks seem like a credible threat to the point that when he rolled Grey up in the fourth, I genuinely thought Brooks was winning 2-0.  As the match wore on the experience of Grey showed, whilst Brooks still had his hope spots.  Brooks selling of the back was really nice, although you could question the over reliance on going for the surfboard (though it is a Grey staple), whilst there was a sense of a real struggle and fight over the hold in the last round.  It also made a change to see Grey in the role of the veteran here working with a young and up and coming wrestler.  Good stuff.

[Clayton Jones]

GSR did a fantastic job writing up this match so I don't have a ton to add, but man this was good. Part of it was Brooks who was a total revelation, not content to let Grey overshadow him or eat him up for one second. Opponents like that that bring out a slightly nastier edge from Grey are my favorite types of match ups for him, and he doesn't disappoint in the impressed but unflappable babyface veteran role in the slightest. Every round of this match had me hooked, I could have watched them go as many as it took to get to a finish. Although it did feel like Brooks' youthful exuberance had him reeling late and it was a matter of time before Grey put him away. Great match, great performance from both guys.