'Good' Pro Wres Streaming Links

[LWPD]

Jumbo Tsuruta vs Terry Funk 6/11/76

tinyurl.com/m97tb

This was a 2 out of 3 Falls match for the NWA World Title from All Japan. It's arguably one of...if not 'the' greatest matches of the decade and stands as a personal favorite. A young Jumbo was just hitting his early prime and finding his niche in the role of heir apparent to his mentor Giant Baba. Terry Funk was the then NWA World Champion and brings all of the elements that made him one of the most complete pro wres performers in the history of the business. A very well worked match that mixed the formulas of 'Crafty Gaijin Champion vs Young National Hero Challenger' and 'Student vs Teacher'...all with the sounds of traditional Japanese war drums beating in the background. A true '70's Style' classic between two legends at their best!

LWPD (former Olympian Jumbo Tsuruta was trained by The Funks and mastered the '70's style' in an extraordinarily short period of time...years later he would go on to show his versatility by mastering the faster stiffer style emphasized by booker Riki Choshu...which made his All Japan body of work even more impressive due to it's remarkable diversity)

[LWPD]

Jack Brisco vs Dory Funk Jr. 1/27/74

tinyurl.com/q5twz

This was from All Japan and was 2 out of 3 Falls for the NWA World Title. Both Jack Brisco & Dory Funk Jr. were among the two greatest pro wres performers of the 70's...with the two often reversing the roles of Champion & Challenger over the years. Here they work their standard exemplary match to a Broadway finish. This stands as one of the best surviving examples of either men performing in their prime years and remains a classic that still stands the test of time.

LWPD (it's fortunate that All Japan archived so much of it's content...it's one of the few surviving links to quality footage of performers like Jack Brisco & Dory Funk Jr.)

[LWPD]

The Destroyer vs Giant Baba 3/5/69

tinyurl.com/lj257

This was from the post Rikidozan era JWA...predessor to both the All & New Japan promotions. Baba was already working as a top face and national hero due to his size and prior baseball celebrity. The Destroyer plays the stereotypic 'gaijin heel Champion'.who uses his guile to thwart the efforts of his native Japanese challenger. Note how The Destroyer took simple spots like the head scissors and built an entire story around countering, escaping and absorbing the 'pain' of the movement. Matches like this show that Giant Baba could 'go' back when he was younger as this Broadway classic truly stands the test of time.

LWPD (Giant Baba was a phenomenal draw and footage of his earlier work serves as a reminder as to 'why' he was so beloved long after his physical prime had abated....while The Destroyer would find longevity of his own overseas as he would go on to work side by side with Baba as 'the' top gaijin for many years upon GB's founding of All Japan)

[LWPD]

Randy Savage vs Hercules Ayala 3/10/85

tinyurl.com/lratn

This took place in the WWC promotion based out of Puerto Rico. It was just before Randy Savage entered the WWF and found his path to superstardom. His opening promo shows why he was able to hit the ground running as he had already perfected his persona. Combine that with his athleticism and one can see why the Macho Man had all the tools to be a huge star in any era. Hercules Ayala was a long time staple of WWC and here plays the role of the native 'island stongman' hero. A good sampling of both performers.

LWPD (who would love to see VKM buyout whatever exists of the World Wrestling Council tape library...countless great pro wres stars have toured PR over the years)

[LWPD]

Bruiser Brody VS. Ric Flair 2/11/83

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6

This was from a sold out Sam Mushnick promoted house show in St. Louis, MO at the Checkdome. It's 2 out of 3 Falls for the NWA World Title and is catalogued in 6 parts of roughly ten minute intervals. It survives on video because the Japanese media was actually filming a documentary on Brody. Bruiser shows how athletic he was for a man his size while an 'in his prime' Flair displays his bumping, selling and stooging skills...along with a style of mat work he would later drop from his formula. A very hot crowd adds to the atmosphere of this 60 minute classic.

LWPD (the odds of a non-WWE pro wres show drawing a crowd anywhere near this size or magnitude in St. Louis today are very much nil and none)

[LWPD]

Jumbo Tsuruta vs Kerry Von Erich 5/22/84

tinyurl.com/pxe6y

This was from All Japan. It's a 2 out of 3 Falls match for the NWA World Title. KVE embarked on a brief tour of Japan during his stint as Champion and would actually end up dropping the title back to Flair during it just 2 days later. A solid match that shows Jumbo at his best and reminds just how much Kerry was capable of when he was still healthy and had the right opponent to guide him. A very hot crowd contributes to the atmosphere surrounding what was truly a classic.

LWPD (Jumbo tells a great story by destroying the renowned Claw hand of Kerry....who himself is golden in selling the damage and then finding a way to work around it as the young gaijin Champion attempts to fend off the Native Legend)

[LWPD]

Dave 'Fit' Finlay vs Johnny Saint 5/21/88

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

This match was from the UK and aired on ITV's World of Sport program from Joint Promotions and is contested under a Round Scoring System. Johnny Saint was a popular technical marvel who was trained by Billy Robinson and carried the nickname of the 'Man of a Thousand Holds'. Watch as he uses complex leverage moves such as the rolling wrist snap, leg levers, the Russ Abbot & his signature the Johnny Saint Special. A youthful Fit Finley is seen in his prime...representing the stiffness and submission skills that have become his hallmark. A solid match that's indicative of the strengths of the UK/Euro style.

LWPD (an interesting pre-match promo features Finley joined by his wife at the time...the lovely 'Princess Paula')

[LWPD]

Super Black Ninja vs Prince Iaukea 11/85

tinyurl.com/q34aj

This was from the Graham Family owned Florida promotion. It's the US television debut of Keiji Muto....who would go onto fame working as the Great Muta. Iaukea plays an enhancement role. Note the incredible stand out agility of the SBN. The spinning kicks, speed elnow drop, vault over the ropes, handspring elbow and Moonsault were all very high-end moves for the time frame and made him an immediate stand out.

LWPD (Muta went on to carve quite a career for himself and was by all measures a legit success in the world of pro wres)

[LWPD]

Ricky Steamboat vs Lex Luger 7/23/89

Part 1
Part 2

This was from the WCW PPV Great American Bash 89. Luger had recently turned heel while Steamer had recently dropped the NWA World Title back to Ric Flair. Luger showed great potential in 1989 with a strong work ethic and a growing understanding of the fundamentals. Here RS carries him to a very strong singles match that played to his strengths while minimizing his weaknesses. A credit to both men.

LWPD (from top to bottom the GAB 89 PPV card was very solid and remains well worth tracking down)

[LWPD]

Carlos Colon vs Tully Blanchard 8/83

tinyurl.com/osfqy

This was from the World Wrestling Council based out of Puerto Rico. Native Legend Carlos Colon takes on the touring 'Super Brat' Tully Blanchard. TB was a phenomenal all around performer who was not only exemplary in the ring but was a solid promo man who knew how to project his persona and connect viscerally with the audience. He compensated for his lack of size with a strong work ethic, effective bumping, stooging and selling skills and the poise of a master ring general. I have seldom seen a 'poor' Tully Blanchard match. Here he plays his niche role of a crafty yet cowardly heel....a formula he would use successfully in the US for the reminder of the decade. Colon shows he could put on a good match given the right oppnent while playing well to the crowd.

LWPD (Tully still claims to have been the victim of 'blackballing'...he burned his bridge with WCW by jumping ship to Vince without giving notice...and later would fail a 'surprise' drug test that led to his WWF termination...leaving him effectively with 'no place to go' which accelerated his path to an early retirement)

[gwffantrav]

lwpd said:

Carlos Colon vs Tully Blanchard 8/83

tinyurl.com/osfqy

This was from the World Wrestling Council based out of Puerto Rico. Native Legend Carlos Colon takes on the touring 'Super Brat' Tully Blanchard. TB was a phenomenal all around performer who was not only exemplary in the ring but was a solid promo man who knew how to project his persona and connect viscerally with the audience. He compensated for his lack of size with a strong work ethic, effective bumping, stooging and selling skills and the poise of a master ring general. I have seldom seen a 'poor' Tully Blanchard match. Here he plays his niche role of a crafty yet cowardly heel....a formula he would use successfully in the US for the reminder of the decade. Colon shows he could put on a good match given the right oppnent while playing well to the crowd.

LWPD (Tully still claims to have been the victim of 'blackballing'...he burned his bridge with WCW by jumping ship to Vince without giving notice...and later would fail a 'surprise' drug test that led to his WWF termination...leaving him effectively with 'no place to go' which accelerated his path to an early retirement)

LWPD, wasn't Tully scheduled to be brought back in late 89, along with Arn, to the NWA/WCW, but it was the drug test from the WWE that caused him not to be hired?

Also, I thought in 93, he was scheduled to be brought back as well, but the $$$ wasn't right for him, so he balked.

[LWPD]

During the time frame JCP/WCW era stars would bid up their value by playing both ends against the middle. Flair, Windham, The Road Warriors, The Steiners, Lex Luger and even Dusty all would play the game. Without exception they would all go back to Turner. Why? Because the Turner money was guaranteed and the wrestlers were always paid over and above their realistic market value in WCW. Yet VKM would still successfully raid with a good 'opportunity based' offer and the guys would try their hands over there. In the end WCW didn't budget their talent costs to coincide with a profit motive...Vince did.

Tully and Arn jumped to the WWF after giving 'same day notice' to Crockett. In their final match they dropped the tag belts at a house show to the Midnight Express 'on the fly'....negating weeks of taped television build up that the company had already invested in. It was a highly unprofessional move given how much JCP had done for them....yet the two already had the deal with Vince worked out and didn't seem to care.

During their tenure in the WWF the money wasn't what they thought it would be (the difference between being paid on commission vs guarantee) and the two wanted to go back to the now Jim Herd ran WCW. Tully and Arn negotiated a behind closed doors deal with the WCW office and requested a release from Vince...who said they could leave _AFTER_ the Survivor Series.

Right before the impending release Vince set Tully up via a surprise drug test which he failed due to his cocaine use. Instead of being released Tully was fired, Jim Herd was informed by 'someone' and wound up completely withdrawing his employment offer to TB on the advice of others in the office who didn't like Tully...leaving him locked out from cashing in on the two biggest full time pay checks in US pro wres at the time.

Years later he would do some spot shows...but for the most part he priced himself out of one-shots like the Slamboree gig.

LWPD (Arn went back to WCW after his initial WWF stint with his contract offer slashed in half...lean times for a guy with a family and nowhere else to go)

[LWPD]

Verne Gagne vs Hans Schmidt 1963

tinyurl.com/mjdcs

This is footage from 1963 at the Buffalo War Memorial Auditorium in NY. Verne Gagne was a phenomenal mat wrestler and shows how adept he was at leading his larger opponent to a watchable match. Hans Schmidt played the stereotypic post WW 2 role of 'evil German' sociopath who relied on brawling and attempted to cripple his opponents. In reality HS was played by the Canadian born Guy Larose and made a good living working the gimmick throughout the mid 50's into the early 70's . A good sampling of both performers from a largely forgotten era of pro wres.

LWPD (Verne Gagne was an alternate for the U.S freestyle wrestling team at the 1948 Olympic Games and all things considered is esteemed as among the most successful wrestler/promoters in the history of the business)

[LWPD]

Jumbo Tsuruta vs Bob Orton Jr. 4/10/75

tinyurl.com/pd6b7

This was from All Japan and showcases a young trim Olympian Tsuruta who it the time had barely over a year's experience. Note how he already had a good working knowledge of the basics of the NWA 70's style as taught to him by the Funks down in Amarillo. Few before or since have matched his accelerated learning curve. A young Bob Orton Jr. himself had but 2 years experience yet shows he was very well versed in working the methodical pacing of the 'sport style'. BOJ does a good job guiding the 'youngster/would be legend' to a very capable match. Watch for the Butterfly Suplex at the finish....a tribute to Jumbo's trainer/mentor Dory Funk Jr.

LWPD (Bob Orton Jr. was a second generation star who earned acclaim for his technical prowess and in ring consistency...he would go on to carve a niche as a mid level heel/utility player throughout the late 70's into mid 80's)

[LWPD]

Jumbo Tsuruta vs Ric Flair 6/8/82

tinyurl.com/k6u6x

This was from All Japan at the time of Flair's first NWA World title run. Baba had elevated Tsururta to the point where he would receive the main event slot against any incoming gaijin champion during their tours. These were arguably the two greatest ring generals of their generation with Flair's superior showmanship skills and Tsuruta's greater depth of in ring diversity marking the key differences between between the two.

LWPD (the Flair/Tsuruta series took place over the course of several years....yet for whatever reason the two never meshed together on the level of Jumbo's programs with Harley Race, Terry Funk, Nick Bockwinkel or Rick Martel....even the Kerry Von Erich match was at a higher level)

[LWPD]

Tsuruta/Tenryu vs Choshu/Yatsu 1/28/86

tinyurl.com/zvyql

This is from All Japan. In 1984 Riki Choshu left New Japan for AJPW and in the process took many of the top young wrestlers with him. His group of renegades were labeled as Choshu's Army and the outsider faction helped to take the company to a new period of prosperity by ushering in a faster stiffer in ring style. Storyline wise Choshu played the role of top heel...with the former Olympian Yatsu serving as his loyal lieutenant. Tsuruta still worked as the promotions ace while a young Tenryu served as his loyal junior. It's the old guard facing the renegades in what many have labeled the Tag Match of the Decade.

LWPD (Choshu would jump back to New Japan shortly after this match...which would eventually force Baba to turn Tenryu heel and set the stage for the legendary Tsuruta/Tenryu program)

[LWPD]

The Funks vs Nick Bockwinkel & Blackjack Lanza 9/21/78

tinyurl.com/okwlx

This is from All Japan and makes for an excellent 'compare and contrast' with the tag match above as it shows a clear evolution in working styles while featuring the wrestlers/bookers behind said styles in action. At the time Terry & Dory Funk Jr. not only served as performers...but they worked behind the scenes in a creative role for Baba. A younger than usually seen Nick Bockwinkel works smoothly in the Team Captain role while Lanza...who made his bones as a tag wrestler...does a good job of playing the utility man. This was a well worked 70's style match....NWA vs AWA with three former World Champions...an encounter that was politically untenable in the US at the time.

LWPD (looking back it's amazing to see how the demographics of what constituted the All Japan audience changed over the years...the same can be said in regards to what content the audience would 'pop for' in later years)

[Pete]

Continuing the Youtube goodness...

I present a truly awesome find: the "$500 a punch" angle from January 1984. The setup comes when AWA Champ Bockwinkel comes to Memphis to defend the belt against Jerry Lawler.

The scriptwriting hacks in charge of WWE Creative should be tied to a chair and forced to watch Bockwinkel's promo in Part 1, Clockwork Orange-style. Lawler has two response promos and does not disappoint, either.

Part 1.

Part 2, Lawler's response.

Part 3, highlights of the match and post-match fallout.

[gwffantrav]

Pete, great thread. I still remember that from 82-83. I've put this before, but it's a shame many fans today only see the Jerry Lawler who is drooling over big boobs, etc.

Jarrett made the right move in switching to the AWA from NWA. While Flair was great, and had the one memorable angle with Lawler, Bockwinkel really played his role well as AWA Champ in Memphis

[LWPD]

Jumbo Tsuruta vs Genichiro Tenryu 4/20/89

tinyurl.com/hl7jy

This was from All Japan. To put this in context the All Japan Triple Crown Title was created just 2 days prior when for the first time ever Tsuruta unified all of the AJPW singles titles with a victory over Stan Hansen. As a 'compare and contrast' with the previously posted 70's style Tsuruta matches one will find less in the way of surfboard struggle spots and similar wear-down moves with a movement toward a stiffer more punishing style. The Choshu era had left behind a legacy of faster pacing, more high end moves worked in before the finish....with an emphasis on 'knowing what to do and when to do it'. It was a difficult working style which Tsuruta had come to master. A few years later the Big 3 of Misawa, Kobashi & Kawada would find a way to 'follow in the footsteps' of the high standard Jumbo had set and the 3 would lead AJPW to it's most prosperous era. At the time Tenryu was no slouch in this regard either and was arguably among the best wrestlers in the world. This a battle between the standard bearer and his former protege...which was well on it's way to being epic....until a botched high angle power bomb legit injured Tenryu and led to a rushed finish.

LWPD (the previously posted 6/5/89 match was the next singles match in the Tsuruta/Tenryu program...a true classic that shows both men at their peak)