[1983-10-23-GCW-Last Battle of Atlanta] Jake Roberts vs Brett Sawyer

[shoe]

It looks like Sawyer is selling a leg/hammy injury into the match. I am a jake guy. I might not like the match, but their is usually something Jake does that is fascinating or interesting. He's the epitome as bullet proof. I met him once and didn't really care for him as a person. Sawyer on the arm early. They do a real good job here of paying off the spots, and getting good responses from them. Love Jake using his height to gain leverage on Sawyer. Love Jake's little looks to the audience. Again we get a great payback to the leverage spot. Now Jake targets the hammy. Love Sawyer using the wrist control to set up the arm work. Jake suckers him in and we get him destroying the leg. Jake is just nasty destroying the leg. Sawyer is so good selling the leg being dismantled. The crowd heat has been great. The crowd is so behind this Sawyer comeback only for Jake to cut it off and get heat. Sawyer is bloody, Jake is ultra violent here. The crowd is nuclear. Wrestling 2 is out,Ole too and even Buzz.  Buzz is a heel, but he's worried for his brother. The match gets thrown out. We get a Buzz and Jake tease of a fight. This might have been better than the cage match later on. A truly epic Jake performance. 4 1/2*

[ohheylook]

More people need to watch this ASAP. The whole show is fun, and it’s kind of a shame the full release didn’t receive the same hype as the actual LBOA match, but understandable. A couple of weeks since it came out and I think Charles’ review here is the only one I’ve seen.

ANYWAY this match fuckin rules. This is one of my favorite early 80s US matches I’ve seen in ages. A total annihilation and assault from Jake here on Brett, think GOOD Minoru Suzuki or similarly sick minded limb specialists. The whole thing is a bit uncomfortable and packed with heat, the crowd really molten for just about the entire show. If you like limb work or good heel work or hot crowds, this is a must watch and an easy new to us classic. 

4.25 easy.

[PhilTLL]

This is fantastic, and I liked it quite a bit more than the actual Last Battle. That was a good bloody brawl, but this is an excellent wrestling match that turns into something truly wild. 

I cut out a detailed summary here because you should see it for yourself, but this is the best thing I've seen in a long time, an absolute career match for both guys. At first interesting and then exciting all the way through. The heat just builds and builds until it boils over. I could maybe ding the offbeat finish (note there is a finish here, it's not actually thrown out like it says above) but it completely works in the context and sets up a rematch. I think this could win a GCW 80s poll and finish top 5-10ish in an "all future JCP/WCW". It's the full monty for me. 5*

[Matt D]

It’s the Jake we were always promised but never really got.