World of Sports 6/13/87
World Heavy Middleweight Title Match
Mark “Rollerball” Rocco vs. Fuji Yamada (c)
I don’t think I have to tell anyone reading this that Fuji would become one of the most influential and premier Junior/Cruiserweight wrestlers ever but just in case, the man eventually puts on a mask and a bodysuit and changes his name to Jushin Thunder Liger. The rest is history. Rocco on the other hand is more of a wrestlers wrestler. His praises and influence are sung by many but he never achieved the worldwide fame of say Liger.
Anyway, we got a fifteen round match to start, so let’s go.
Round one begins with the two men trading cheap shots in the ropes. Yamada follows up with a GORGEOUS Arm Drag that would make Ricky Steamboat cum violently. Rollerball tries to take control but ends up outside the ring. He returns with a couple kicks, a STIFF Suplex followed up by an equally snug Clohtesline and a Knee Drop right in the goddamn forehead. Fucking ow. Neither man takes long term control and round one ends without a fall.
Round two is all Rollerball as he works over Yamada. The round goes by without much to write home about. At the very end Rollerball locks in an Abdominal Stretch and starts heckling Antonio Inoki. I don’t know if he has a reason or not but it’s great. Ya,Ada counters the move into one of his own. Things almost break down as the round without Yamada immediately releasing the hold forcing Rollerball to throw him off.
Round three opens with Yamada becoming Liger out of nowhere. Handspring Elbow, botched Snap Suplex (Rocco goes down on his head, it looks nasty), and top rope Elbow Drop from across the goddamn ring. Rollerball takes a breather, probably legit because there’s no way that elbow felt good. The former champ takes control working over Yamadas leg while calling out Chosou Riki. He locks in a goddamn Sharpshooter to no avail. Somewhere Bret Hart blames Bill Goldberg. Rollerball doesn’t give up and keeps working the leg even after the round ends.
The crowds pretty into this…I’m pretty into this if I’m being honest.
Anyway round four. Rollerball (that’s a bitch to type over and over) continues as the aggressor with strikes and holds. Yamada tries to make a comeback but is shut down by a gorgeous, gorgeous, chefs kiss, just beautiful and smooth Spinning Neckbreaker. It only takes wrong one night of raw dogging to have a kid and it only takes three for a wrestler to win a match. Yamada catches Rocco off guard with a go-behind and a Bridging German for the first fall.
Nothing fancy in round five they just wail on each other for three minutes. Rocco needs a fall to stay in the match and Yamada needs one to end everything. While waiting for round six Rocco undoes the turnbuckle covering. He immediately throws Liger into the exposed steel three times and follows up with a Shoulder Backbreaker. Yamada slips out but Rocco maintains control…by almost killing Yamada with a Clothesline. Yamada makes a come back with a near fall but Rocco survives and catches him with his head down…literally. Rocco nails a crispy Butterfly Suplex and ties the match.
Round seven! Rocco takes things to the mat but that doesn’t work fast enough so he picks Yamada up and drops him against the top rope. Again that doesn’t work, so Rocco just starts hitting him. But that proves to be Rocco’s undoing. Yamada takes a control after a punch in the corner and pulls out some more future Liger tricks, namely a Front Dropkick and a Plancha. A Plancha that Rocco completely no sells I might add. The two trade control and Yamada tries to seal the match with another German Suplex but Rocco grabs the ropes. Rocco follows up quickly with a Tombstone Piledriver and scores the deciding to regain the title.
That was fun. The match minus entrances goes about twenty minutes but it flys by. The two work so smoothly (mostly) and it’s a such a treat seeing Liger before he was Liger. It’s lacking the pageantry we’re used to, which is a minor thing but I can see it being a turn off for fans used to that (myself included).
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