[1980-09-30-NJPW-Bloody Fight Series] Bob Backlund vs Stan Hansen

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Superstar Sleeze]

WWF World Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund vs Stan Hansen - NJPW 9/30/80

 

Stan Hansen with a sunset flip in this match!

 

These two just never had the classic they should have had together. I remember liking this a lot more before than this go around. The beginning of the match is all about will Hansen ever successfully execute an elbow drop on Backlund who is always moving. He goes for the Lariat early, but misses and Backlund almost cold cocks him on the ropes to show he will brawl. Backlund uses technical acumen and speed tat first until Hansen runs backwards into him with an elbow and finally looks poised to take control. Backlund uses his strength to sit him down on the top rope and slaps him. Usually, I say this is a bad idea, but Bob Muthafucking Backlund and he can do what he wants when he wants. It breaks down into a great brawl trading eyerakes and slugging it out. Then a Hansen armbar happens, which is pretty boring. If they just brawled this could have been an all-timer. I loved the Backlund high knee then piledriver combo. They knock heads and they do a series of cover kickout with the other man covering now, which is a favorite Backlund spot. Hansen shotos him in and crowd gasps thinking Lariat, but it is a High Knee. They brawl on the outside with Hansen Lariating the post, OW! The brawl continues and the ref throws the match out as a double countout. Backlund hits Hansen with a chair and chases him off to make sure everyone knows he is the Man!

 

Very good match, besides the armbar every entertaining just never gets to that next level. ***1/2

[Matt D]

I liked this a lot. These two are uniquely matched against each other as both like to take a bunch of the match if you don't stop them. Sometimes (like when Mil and Brody interact) that goes poorly. With these two, it worked and felt like a real struggle. At points they really went at it too. The Backlund high knee, piledriver, and headbutt were some of the best things I've EVER seen out of him. I absolutely loved that Hansen got a revenge high knee later on. (I saw this clipped, btw, and what I saw started with the armbar which made for a slighter match but a better one. That's a weird argument for editing I guess?). Every missed Hansen lariat was just massive and I liked some of the outside stuff towards the end plenty. It's worth a watch.

[SAMS]

1980-09-30
NJPW - Fan Appreciation Super Fight
Bob Backlund (c) vs. Stan Hansen
WWF Heavyweight Title Match
Nippon Budokan, Tokyo, Japan
Card
★★

Immovable object vs unstoppable force, but in the worst way. The early arm work by both men didn’t go anywhere, meaning the first half was essentially just filler, and I just had the impression that they constantly reached points where they had no idea where to go next. 
Both men were used to overwhelming their opponents and willing them into submission. For Hansen this would be an eye rake or something, Backlund usually just retaliated enough times until his opponent stops attacking and allows him to take back control. Here it kind of felt like a child with two toys, smashing them into each other again and again without rhyme or reason. 
However, Hansen blinked first, taking a high knee, and we had our first point of real vulnerability. I’ll admit the finishing stretch redeemed this somewhat. Bob followed up with one of his beautiful piledrivers (all the more impressive hitting it on a guy Hansen’s size) and we finished up with a mad flurry on the outside, including a couple wild Lariat whiffs from Hansen, one of which clocked the ringpost. I believe the official decision was DQ on Hansen for throwing Backlund over the railings. I’m not sure I’ve seen that finish before and wasn’t aware that this was a rule in New Japan. Is this their equivalent of the NWA over-the-top-rope rule? Anyway, I hope that these two work out the kinks for Hansen’s upcoming run in WWF.