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[1974-12-05-AJPW] Giant Baba vs Jack Brisco


Superstar Sleeze

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NWA World Heavyweight Champion Giant Baba vs Jack Brisco - AJPW 12/5/74 2 out of 3 Falls.

 

Baba had won the NWA World Championship from Brisco three days prior so I presumed this would be switch back to Brisco, but I was wrong which made for a very surprising finish. It always fun when these historic matches finish the opposite from what you expect. Now I have robbed that from anyone who reads this review. Well hopefully, you just skip to the bottom see the ****1/2 and skipped the whole review so you can be just as surprised.

 

Jackie B tries a different tact in this match working the side headlock rather than leg takedowns, which I think is a horrible approach against GIANT Baba. Baba is just too long and will use his leverage advantage to break via top wristlock. This happens on two occasions. Brisco tries to cheat, but to no avail and digs himself into an early hole with Baba working the arm. Brisco tries to create movement, but Baba stymies him with shoulder tackles and arm drags. Baba has a great armbar takedown into a really neat submission. Brisco picks the leg and looks to go to work. There is a really cool moment when Birsco is riding high in a deathlock and Baba looks to pull back in a chinlock and Brisco bridges out. Nothing comes of the Brisco leg work. Airplane spin by Baba! Baba looks to win with the same string of moves from the previous match hitting a Russian Legsweep for two and then looks to follow up with the falling clothesline, but Brisco has seen this movie before and NAILS him with a beautiful dropkick. This sets up the belly to back suplex to send Brisco up 1-0.

Brisco starts hot with elbows to the back of Baba's head, but this is not sustained. Brisco misses a kneedrop and this is the demise of Jack. We get to see more selling from Brisco than in the previous match and this seems to be an area where he excels. It is too bad more babyface stuff does not exist. Baba is relentless on the knee ultimately setting up the Boston Crab into the backbreaker. Brisco is really good working underneath and selling. Baba is an effective monster. It is too bad they fought exclusively in Japan.Russian Legsweep only gets two! Swinging neckbreaker ties it at one a piece

 

With it all knotted up and Brisco in a bad way, Baba looks to press his advantage at the start of the 3rd fall, but Brisco tries to use the outside to break his rhythm. I am loving this urgency It turns into a slugfest, which I don't love between these two. Brisco's big weakness is his working punch/forearm, which looks to miss by a mile everytime. Baba's overhead chops are fine given his size, but they are not the best either. Both wrestlers start going to the well to finish their opponent off but their opponent is able to block (Brisco dropkick and Baba's swinging neckbreaker). Baba is really pouring it on and I don't see how Brisco can win this. Baba pushes off ropes on a Brisco back suplex (winning first fall combination) to land on top and win. The finish was a little botch.

Again another great 70s style match, but still missing that extra gear that really gets my blood pumping. I liked this one for Brisco getting to sell more and I loved the move psychology. Brisco countering the falling clothesline with a dropkick to win the first fall was cool as all get out. The Brisco missed kneedrop was a great transition in fall #2. The third fall was a perfect culmination of everything before it. Excellent match, I would say about the same as their first match, but I give this one the nod. ****1/2

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