[1954-04-05 Hollywood Legion Stadium] Don Eagle vs Danny McShain

[CurtainJerker]

2/3 fall match

Danny McShain would be a 24-year vet here if the numbers are right, and Eagle 10 years. Commentator mentions that Eagle's father is Chief War Eagle. At one point in the match, the ref did not break a hold even though Danny touched the ropes- something which was brought up recently with Roman vs Goldberg in Saudi.

1st fall is what we have come to expect from most of the history of wrestling: very snug body contact, locks, holds, limb-work, submission attempts, and fight for control. Eagle looks very tall and his head scissors and shoulder pulls remind me of Giant Baba's but is more of an athletic specimen. Danny immediately establishes the fact that he's the heel and is great at getting rule breaking heat. 1950s fans were engaged in this match. I'm usually bored to tears with this style, but I didn't fall asleep because both men made it look authentic and Danny would cheat at any moment. I am actually impressed with the in-ring work even though it's tough for me to feel entertained. Danny wins with his finisher, but the film was cut.

2nd fall predictable has Eagle winning. At the end he shows off his boxing skills and shows more energy and offense, logically since he is behind. Wins with an Indian Deathlock pinning combination, although from 2022 it is debatable if he was causing Danny's shoulders to be counted out.

3rd fall like most in history is where the real excitement is, although we had to wait for the last few moments. Eagle did his wardance and seemed ready to defeat Danny, but the crafty villain was able to avoid and run out the clock (very smart). Both men were punching each other when the bell rang. This would have been great booking to build to a rematch, but I believe it was just a one-off.

Both men were pros and did their job well. Good psychology and authenticity. Obviously not a lot of highspots and bumping. I was thinking of how Mox and Danielson kind of idealize this type of mat work.