Wednesday, September 17, 2014

OLD ASS WRESTLING

JACK BRISCO VS. DORY FUNK JR. (1/29/74) ALL JAPAN PRO WRESTLING


Yeeeeeah, I SAID this shit was old. So sit down and getchoself a chair, and a strong drink and a long attention span because you're gonna need it. But it's still some of the best shit you'll ever see and you should be happy it's not in black and white... actually not, cause it would be cooler.

(Speaking of which, if you feel that arcane and awesome, THIS https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWXxP_rvXryBPpjIw7Dl9Tg just showed up on YouTube. All the old Dumont Network-aired Chicago [AWA] wrestling from the '50s, before anyone decided to ever decide to dig it up and re-air it for, you know, 65 years plus. Despite the fact that it was some of the first televised film shown and recorded for posterity period. Haha... the wonders of both ancient and modern technology.)

Anyway! For someone expecting something fast-paced or having anything close to a modern highspot, this isn't for you. If you want a great match with a slow build in the NWA '70s Broadway style, it is however. Nothing but nagging tension until sudden explosions of offense by one guy who could be a cool Hemicuda-driving, half-Indian ladies man and another who looks like a supermarket middle-manager with the worse receding hairline + comb-over of all time. And it's long, and you'll fuckin' like it if you know what's good for you.

Halfway through these guys look to be working with as much as they could, though absolutely NOTHING really interesting was possible. (Sam Muchnick, the short fat man with the glasses sitting ringside, is the NWA President that is basically like the Al Capone of wrestling at this point who couldn't stand for anything to get too, well, interesting because it might "expose" the business.) These guys are working every headlock and reversal perfectly to create something the Japanese fans will silently, as always, dig right into, and please the boss at the same time. And it will to you to hopefully as they cruelly grind then suddenly, violently throw into each headlock. Every sudden burst of overhead takedowns or roll-ups feels frenzied before both men wearily peel back to size each other up. Eventually Brisco works into a series of deathlock submissions that look as legit as anything in current MMA (or in UWFi/RINGS/etc. from the early '90s) before Dory sloooooooowly retreats back to the knuckle-lock. He doesn't sell in Jack's body-scissors and I start to wonder about his ability in big matches from this period. Good offense at least with him fighting for the Boston Crab with Brisco until the unwarranted bear-hug that they quickly see needs to be left for bigger and more capable guys. We get several more clean breaks until Dory decides to start the stretching contest again. Him giving up on a butterfly suplex is pretty funny. Then we're back to working the arm from Jerry and I think we are on the second fall? This is hard to watch even for me at time (esp. between drinks).

Well nevermind, because Dory gets caught in a brutal abdominal stretch and it looks to be almost a lucha-style second fall with a sudden submission but Jr. tosses Brisco the fuck out of it looking like the ultimate TJ Maxx security guard of all times. He then fends off the 10 SUPERMOVES OF BRISCO DOOM -- basically every '70s highspot possible in a row until Dory suddenly busts his ass with the Butterfly Suplex (such a classic these days) so Jack can convulse for a minute and Mr. Middle Management can celebrate. 

(Goddamn, this is a long match.)

Okay, fuck, this file just added in some insanely creepy Mexican cartoon commercial then apparently one of those "Support Our Troops" things we see every damn day on TV. I am baffled. Please, more wrestling from before I was born?

DOS CAIDA (really? I thought it was Tercera): Dory and Jack both say "C'MERE!" Scorpion style to whop the shit out of each other. 

I lost part at this track with them going pseudo-Lucha for a minute in their work and then getting stiff with the uppercuts. It ends with probably the best way anyone's ever made one of the weakest looking submissions in wrestling ever go. 

Goddamn this is strange and I don't like to write anything about a wrestling match this long, but this one is, so, fuck it. Enjoy. Or not. If you give any kind of a shit about the history of this weird and beautiful style of physical expression and cheap carny art, then it's essential. 

No comments:

Post a Comment