Throwback Match Reviews: Jumbo Tsuruta vs Jack Brisco II

Jumbo Tsuruta vs Jack Brisco (AJPW) 8/28/1976

The match is a 2 out of 3 falls match. The first thing I noticed with this match that was an improvement of their previous was Jumbo Tsuruta’s technical skills. They are way better than the last match between the two in ‘74. The last two matches I reviewed from Jumbo (Funk and Brisco) saw him failing to be the number one guy. He felt like the less experienced and skilled wrestler in both matches. Here he looks like he has put it all together. He looks like the top guy in the promotion. He dominates the first fall with a very impressive looking belly-to-belly suplex. This first fall establishes that Jumbo has grown since his last couple of defeats. It also established a new dynamic between Jumbo and Brisco. Whereas before it felt that Brisco was more mentally mature and experienced now they were both on equal footing. Brisco’s defensive approach also reinforces this new dynamic. He now is more cautious of Jumbo where before he was a little more cocky and confident. In the time between the first and second fall we see Brisco looking very worried and thrown off guard as Jumbo has really improved and is not anything like he was before. This reinforces the growth of Jumbo Tsuruta. 

The second fall saw Brisco take some offense back to Jumbo. Jumbo did not make any mistakes. Brisco was just the superior wrestler in this fall. This was needed to show that it wasn’t that Brisco had lost his step in the first fall more that Jumbo had improved. Brisco finished the second fall with a figure four leg lock on Jumbo. It was a great finish because it made the first fall victory by Jumbo more important and it preserves Brisco’s status as a top wrestler. After the second fall Brisco walks over to Jumbo’s corner while Jumbo is still on his back recovering, points down at him and gives him a few words. What Brisco said cannot be heard but just from his body language and facial expressions we can derive it was something along the lines of “I’m still better than you, that first fall was a mistake” as he walks back confidently to his corner. This was great because it just furthers their new dynamic established with the first two falls. The down time between the second and third falls was very important here. Jumbo recovers from the figure four but does so in a calm and collected manner. This exemplifies his development. At the same time Brisco is in his corner looking confident and eager for the third fall to begin. These are the things that need to be done during these in-between-falls time. It makes perfect use of down time that can hurt the flow of the match. 

Brisco comes out very aggressively in the third fall. The loss in the first fall and the confidence from winning the second fall put Brisco in an aggressive mood. The action here was viscous and hot. Brisco hit some great suplexes and Jumbo had some great offense as well. Jumbo starts to reverse Brisco’s move and even kind of hits a double arm suplex which was teased earlier in the match. Brisco becomes a bit desperate and goes for the figure four leg lock again. This time Jumbo has it scouted and rolls him up for the win. This was the perfect ending for the match. Jumbo demonstrates his new skill and development. He shows that unlike before he can correct his mistakes and stay calm enough to find a way to win. Jumbo comes out the better wrestler and also a better man than he was before.

Another excellent use of the 2 out of 3 falls format. The first fall established Jumbo at a new level, the second fall reinforced Brisco’s status as a champion and the third fall gave us a definitive winner and conclusion to this character arc for Jumbo. The pacing was great. The action was great. The drama in the third fall was outstanding especially for the Jumbo win. The little nuances in between each fall were instrumental to the story of the match.

Final Rating - *****

Throwback Match Reviews: Jack Brisco vs Jumbo Tsuruta

Jack Brisco vs Jumbo Tsuruta (AJPW) 1/30/1974

The match starts with some great defensive wrestling from each man. Jumbo had some great comeback spots. Brisco’s control periods were pretty good and did not feel slow at all. The finish to the first fall was a little anticlimactic but it was supposed to be since Brisco dominated that first fall. In the second fall Jumbo took more control of the match. His offense looked very good here and Brisco did a great job of selling. Here we see what made Jumbo so great. His energy on offense was so captivating. Every move he hit on Brisco looked like it could finish the match. Jumbo wins the second fall. The third fall picks up where they left off in the second fall. This match happened 22 years before I was born so I did not live through Jumbo’s career but this felt like his big coming out performance. The crowd was right there with Jumbo’s every move. Their exchanges on the mat were pretty good. The third fall had Brisco defeating Jumbo with a counter to a roll-up validating the work from the first fall and Brisco’s world champion class skill.

I always felt that 2 out of 3 falls matches were generally formulaic and uninspiring, until I started to watch these classic puro matches. Each fall plays into the other. The first fall was to set up all of Jumbo’s comeback spots in the second fall. The second fall gave people a reason to stay invested in the match because it made Jumbo into a credible threat to the world champion and showed his potential. The third fall validated all the work done by Brisco in the first fall. The third fall also reminded us that Brisco is still a world champion and his skill and experience defeated the hungry challenger. It also showed us the struggles Jumbo would have to overcome to reach that top level. All of that mixed with some really good comebacks by both wrestlers, a hot crowd and finishes that were perfect for the story of the overall match. One thing that I will criticize this match for that was persistent throughout the entire bout was the moves. Some of the moves, mostly Jumbo’s, looked a little off. With the exception of the second fall, Jumbo did not look like a top wrestler. I feel like that is counterproductive to what they were trying to do with the match. Its nitpicky but it stopped it from being a 5 star classic. Still a classic though.

Final Rating - ****3/4

Throwback Match Reviews: Jumbo Tsuruta vs Terry Funk

Jumbo Tsuruta vs Terry Funk (AJPW) 6/11/1976

This was a 2 out of 3 falls match for the NWA World Championship. It started out very slow with glimpses of fast action sprinkled in. The mat grappling was pretty good. The first fall established dynamic between the two wrestlers as being equals. Jumbo’s comeback spots were well done and gained a lot of heat. The closing stretch of the first fall was fast-paced and very fun to watch. The finish of the first fall saw Jumbo getting a quick pin with a sunset flip over Funk. While it did feel like forever, the finish paid off all the mat work leading up to it. Shortening that period a little bit might have made it more bearable to sit through. 

The mat work in the first fall continues to pay off in the second fall, this time in favor of Funk. He is able to power Tsuruta into some bigger moves. We get some teases of bigger moves that will pay off later. The finish of the second fall saw Funk and Jumbo doing the back-and-forth rolling pinning combination thing (I don’t know what it’s called) until Funk was able to keep his pin and pinned Tsuruta. This finish is similar to the finish of the first fall and both are used to advance the overarching story of the match as well as revealing the flaw that would ultimately lead to Jumbo losing.

In the third fall they start hitting bigger moves and they move away from their strategies from earlier in the match. Jumbo gets more and more erratic and Funk is able to capitalize on it when he hits the flapjack to the rope on Jumbo and Jumbo gets it on the throat. This finish 

accomplishes two things. It gives you a decisive winner and shows Funk’s cleverness. It also makes Jumbo looked flaw but with room for growth and improvement. This match was brilliantly laid out with each fall playing into each other. We see Jumbo’s frustration grow as the match progresses which played into the finish of the third fall. The holds were well done and some of the moves looked very impactful. Funk was sloppy a couple of times but overall did great. The slow start and some of the control periods dragged on a bit too long at times. Overall this was a great match.

Final Rating - ****1/2

Throwback Match Reviews: Antonio Inoki vs Billy Robinson

Antonio Inoki vs Billy Robinson (NJPW) 12/11/1975

This match was flawless in execution. Billy Robinson’s mat grappling is really fun to go back and look at. The finish was a time limit draw in a 2 out 3 falls match which saw both Inoki and Robinson each score a fall. Robinson out wrestling Inoki worked into building for Inoki’s comeback spots. Inoki was being bested on the mat and when he hit suplexes to escape the crowd fired up. Robinson’s mat work was something Inoki had to overcome. When Robinson scored the first fall with a basic roll up you see the frustration in Inoki’s face as he is disappointed with himself. In the second fall he begins to find answers to Robinson’s technical offence and it all built to the fall. Inoki makes Robinson tap out in the last minute of the match. The drama for that second finish, especially since it happened literally in the last minute, was outstanding. It also made the last 30 seconds of the match very exciting as both men just dropped their gameplans and desperately seeked to score the final fall. The moves in this match, although simplistic, were beautifully done. Although the execution was perfect and the story simple and logical, the match did go too long. The draw was perfect for the story but going an hour tends to have its problems. There were a few moments were nothing was really happening. It took me out of the match and ruined the flow. 

Final Rating - ****¼

Throwback Match Reviews: Dory Funk Jr vs Antonio Inoki

Dory Funk Jr vs Antonio Inoki (JPA) 12/02/1969

From the beginning the crowd is very hot. The match is 2 out of 3 falls and from the start you can tell they’re going long. Inoki and Funk trade holds for the first 20 minutes or so. Funk at first plays to Inoki but as the match progresses and Inoki shows his dominance on the mat, Funk begins to get frustrated. Funk begins to use some shortcuts and then is able to control Inoki. Inoki shows flashes of a comeback but is cut short by Funk. This gets the crowd strong behind Inoki, more than they were at the beginning of the match. About half an hour in the match is kind of boring. The hot crowd really saves this match. Wrestling before the 1980s to me can get really boring but this match is one of the better ones. Inoki gets in a boston crab and the match picks up the pace. This match is a good example of the era. It is a simple battle between a beloved underdog and a strong champion. The single camera captures the essence of the era perfectly. No flashy lights or production just a camera and two wrestlers fighting for supremacy. Dory Funk Sr throughout was great. He’d rile up the crowd whenever things were about to cool down. It helped Inoki garner a lot of sympathy from the crowd. The hot back-and-forths in the second half of the match were a great bridge to the finish. This match did a great job building anticipation. The work was pretty good. Most of the moves were executed perfectly with the exception of the dropkicks that both men threw. Predictably the result was a time limit draw (I did not know the result coming in). There was really no deeper story. It was simple and well-executed. It did go too long but it didn’t lose my attention as most 1 hour+ matches seem to do.

Final Rating - ***½

The Disconnect Between Vince McMahon and Society

One of the biggest problems of modern day wrestling, at least modern WWE is the fact that they are not connecting with a broader audience the way they did in the Attitude Era and during Hulkamania. The blame is put everywhere including the talent, the writing, the booking and even the audience. All of these can contribute to a bad product but the main reason for a lack of interest in WWE is Vince McMahon being out of touch. Now a lot of people are aware of this but there are some that are not fully aware of what exactly he’s out of touch with.

First let’s look at the success of Hulkamania. Hulk Hogan was a very patriotic, family-oriented and virtuous character. This character mirrored a lot of pop culture and social conflict of the 1980s. Movies like Rambo: First Blood Part II, Die Hard, Predator and the Rocky franchise depict patriotic and strong-willed individuals facing a foreign threat. Most of Hogan’s opponents were similar characters: foreigners that seem nearly impossible to defeat. This was a direct result of the Cold War that seemingly peaked in the 80s. The Soviet threat was often seen as an inevitability and Americans were prepared for destruction. 

Having larger-than-life characters like Rocky Balboa, John Rambo, Major Dutch, John McClane and Hulk Hogan overcome these insurmountable odds extracted a feeling of pride and nationalism, a feeling perpetuated by the presidency of Ronald Reagan who was arguably one of the most nationalistic presidents in the history of the USA. Vince McMahon and the WWF did a brilliant job replicating this feeling in the wrestling product which lead to massive success and mainstream appeal. 

Now let’s move on to everybody’s favorite the Attitude Era, specifically Stone Cold Steve Austin. Austin, in the traditional sense, cannot be considered a good person. He is a reflection of the times he lived in. The 90s initiated an era of moral corruption. Events like the Rodney King trial, the LA riots and the OJ Simpson trial made the general population question the integrity of our justice system. Naturally society began to revolt and they developed a nihilistic sense of thinking. 

Nothing mattered, especially traditional values. This was adopted as the major theme in a lot of the mainstream media: movies, tv, music and of course pro wrestling. The Simpsons was a show that really defined the 90s and inspired similar shows like South Park, Family Guy and Rick and Morty. Some of the show’s main characters’ lack of morality is presented as comedy, ignoring the real personality issues. Movies like Pulp Fiction, Fight Club and Reservoir Dogs made unethical protagonists the norm, much like Steve Austin was. The mixture of society’s unrest with authority and the prevalence of moral corruption was the reason why Stone Cold Steve Austin resonated with the mainstream audience. 

The success of Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin can be mostly credited to one thing: recreating a feeling that was present within the general population. When you are able to do that the quality of the product does not really matter. Just look at both 80s and 90s WWE. When you are able to capture that feeling, the casual audience will welcome anything. Vince McMahon in 2019 is trying to recreate a feeling that is no longer the spirit of this era and that is never more apparent than with the way he pushed Roman Reigns. 

Our current times have become more complex than ever before. Economic and political issues have become more common and destructive. People feel like they are stuck in their current standing whether it be economically, socially or even personally. There is a desperation to try and move up. I’m not saying this was not present before but it is more common than before. There is also a rise of individualism. People are more focussed on how they can better themselves rather than a whole group. These two ideas go hand-in-hand. Shows like Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead and Stranger Things depict protagonists who are stuck in an unfortunate situation and have to make drastic changes to overcome it. A lot of the MCU movies present the idea of individualism. Iron Man, Thor, Captain Marvel and Black Panther all featured protagonists who were stuck in the ideas they were raised with but then developed their own thoughts and beliefs. The reason Vince McMahon cannot connect with the audience today is that he is a billionaire who does not experience economic and social distress. Often it feels like Vince not only doesn’t see the value of characters like these but also sees them as losers. A lot of his babyfaces are presented with the same level of contempt as a Roman Reigns. Wrestlers like Finn Balor and Dolph Ziggler are presented as losers for trying to change themselves and grow as competitors. Sami Zayn and Daniel Bryan are heels because they care about things. It is almost as if Vince McMahon is purposefully being a contrarian because society does not match his own values.  

You never get the feeling that Reigns has struggled the way the working class struggles. He gets awarded title matches despite not earning them and at times even after losing. His actions often go without consequence making him seem privileged and entitled. His “2kewl4skewl” attitude is really not one that resonates with even the younger audience as there is more appreciation for education in today’s society than let’s say in the 90s. He fails to accept defeat and instead of acknowledging that he needs to improve, he instead puts the blame elsewhere. In the Brock Lesnar feud he lost multiple times against Lesnar and he lost clean. He then started to blame referees and Heyman and Lesnar but was not willing to look within himself to find the real issue. He is a sore loser. He did not learn from his experiences and stuck to his old habits. The lack of growth of his character conditioned the audience that nothing will ever change with him and that it is pointless to keep watching and hold out hope that things will be different. This is why the modern audience does not get behind him. He is the antithesis of what the mainstream consumer is looking for in their protagonists.

There was a point where Vince McMahon was pushing the right man, even if it seemed accidental. Daniel Bryan started to break the barrier of the mainstream audience because he encapsulated everything that they were feeling. Bryan was stuck in the mid-card despite his great talent and fan support. This was both true in and out of storyline. He never received the title matches he felt he deserved but instead of complaining and blaming everything else, he found within himself the means to succeed in WWE. The audience noticed this and demanded he get pushed. The fact that Vince McMahon did not think that Daniel Bryan was a relatable star in these times proves that he just does not know how the audience feels. 

With the way the ratings and attendance are going for WWE, it seems like pro wrestling will never reach the heights of before. There is hope however. AEW seems like they are more in touch with what the modern audiences want. NJPW is about to reach the climax of their arc with Tetsuya Naito, who is the perfect example of what an American audience could resonate with. Too bad the exposure is not there. The people of Japan certainly care about his story and his massive popularity proves it. It can be done. Maybe WWE will realize that it is possible to have people care about protagonists and will take the right steps into making people watch again. 

New Blog

So this is a new blog for wrestling that I am starting. I used to have a wrestling blog on Tumblr but I grew tired of the site and deactivated the account. Now I will mainly post reviews here and some other pieces. I will be posting some pieces that I've written this year just to have something on this blog. I really enjoy wrestling and writing about it makes me think about in a more critical sense, which contrary to popular belief is a good thing.

I will also be posting things like match of the year, wrestler of the year, rivalry of the year etc at the end of the year.