[1971-12-04-JWA] Antonio Inoki vs Dick Murdoch

[paul sosnowski]

Inoki defends the NWA United National Title, 2/3 falls.   Talk about it here

 

[Superstar Sleeze]

NWA United National Champion Antonio Inoki vs Dick Murdoch - JWA 12/4/71 Two Out Of Three Falls

After the Five Star Classic between Inoki & Jack Brisco on August 5th, I was salivating at the prospect of this match (ok, it has been two years since I watched Inoki/Brisco, work with me here). I am a big Dicky Murdoch mark and Inoki is someone I usually enjoy. I thought was very good, but did not quite hit the spot, but it was definitely solid and worth a watch. 

First Fall: Symmetry to start with leg dives and a handshake. Inoki gets an armbar, but Murdoch fireman carries out. Murdoch gets an armdrag out of a collar & elbow, but over-rotates into a headscissors. They work that for a while. Murdoch works hard to escape. He goes into a rope running spot and eats an armdrag. This leads to the story of the first half of the first fall. Murdoch starts to rush and pay for it. It is interesting in the 70s that the wrestler supplying the energy tends to be the one that comes out on the losing end. Murdoch is creating the motion, but in his impatience ends up eating the armdrag or ending up in the hold. This is far more realistic. I see this style along with the Flair style as a way for the "heel" to show he is overwhelmed, anxious at the prospect of losing and impatient. They start trying to use motion to create chaos and find an opening. They end up on the losing end. We see Murdoch ball up his fist in a top wristlock. Then he uses the trunks to shove Inoki off into the ropes. He is using more short cuts, his frustration and/or anxiety is rising. Inoki blows a headscissors takedown, but they cover for it organically and he hits minutes afterwards which is a much smarter way to cover a blown spot. I didn't love the transition to Murdoch's heat segment as I love big, epic transitions, but that is my personal, subjective tastes. Murdoch just kneelifts Inoki. I cant say I love Murdoch's reliance on the nervehold, but I did like how much he choked. I think it was the home stretch that Inoki did get the headscissors, which was a better place for the spot anyways. He nails a very nice uppercut dropkick. He misses the second time and on that crash & burn, Murdoch pounces and scoops him up into a Brainbuster (more like a vertical suplex). My favorite fall of the match. I really liked the beginning story and how they worked holds. Murdoch's heat segment was not as clinical in its proficiency & efficiency as I have seen in the past. I thought the finish run was big time. Murdoch 1-0. With New Japan ready to start in 3 months, I think Murdoch has a distinct shot of winning here, that I otherwise would not have. 

Second Fall: Per usual, the shortest fall of the three. We get some big bombs. Murdoch atomic drop & backbreaker. Inoki gets his big Abdominal Stretch. Murdoch hiptoses him over the top rope and they both go tumbling ass over tea kettle to the floor. Inoki bulldogs his head into the post was for the countout victory. Solid little bridge. Tied 1-1.

Third Fall: Inoki is FIRED UP! Rips into Murdoch throws him face-first hard into the buckles and canvas. He quite literally knocks the snot out of him. We see that cool Murdoch sell of eating canvas. I liked Murdoch getting his elbows up on the lateral press dive. Murdoch goes back to choking. MURDOCH BRAINBUSTER 1-2-NO! Murdoch hooks him up again, but Inoki reverses into his own BRAINBUSTER FOR THREE! Is it 1971 or 2021? The whole big finish of the first fall not working in the third fall and then the finish steal left a bad taste in my mouth.  I am more annoyed with the former. The first fall is worth it alone and the rest of matches has plenty of big bomb eye-candy to keep one engaged. ***3/4