Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match # 15: Bob Backlund vs. Stan Hansen (9/30/80)

Finally, a match where I have a rooting interest. I like Hansen. He’s tough and bad ass, and is style works for me. Backlund is a total goof who comes out here waving to the crowd like a geeky Howdy Doody. I* hope Hansen destroys Backlund, who may or may not be the WWWF World Champion here (he has a belt).

I have no idea how Hansen kept a straight face in the early going. Backlund’s facials and the way he’d get fired up cracks me. Up. The story here is Backlund finding a way to say away from the big blows of Hansen and remove the space between them. This works for a short while until the big bull smashes Backlund and heads into the Hansen rear chin lock (no daylight showing on those). There are a few sloppy moments, but nothing really bad. Backlund uses arm drags effectively in the early going. It’s odd judging a match that would be at home in WWWF Madison Square Garden on a New Japan set.

It’s fun watching Backlund somewhat frustrate the big Texan. I love when Hansen clubs a guy, then sells the guys elbow of retaliation. It gets tremendously heated once Backlund picks up Hansen in his guard and lifts him onto the top rope. Hansen isn’t amused, and they go crazy on each other for a bit until Hansen starts selling. Hansen almost comes across as the babyface, fighting out of this stuff. My knock on Backlund is that you become aware he’s creating a performance at times, where you feel like Hansen is living this.

Ten minutes in, and Hansen sure likes wrist and arm holds. That’s where we are here. The layout of New Japan matches is something I’m just getting used to, as holds (consequential and inconsequential) are a big part deep into the match. Backlund comes back with a big knee and a pile driver. Now the fans, and I, are totally into this. They run the ropes a bit, sell, and go for pins. It all works great no matter who is in control (it’s back and forth). A Backlund splash is met with Hansen’s knees. He sends him into the ropes for a jumping knee. The fight goes outside. Hansen was great at the stereotypical bar room brawl. He lets his body go. This is some intense brawling. It ends, as you might expect, in a count out at 15 minutes, with Backlund pretty beat up, but manages a horribly telegraphed chair shot. Backlund gets his hand raised, so maybe it was a DQ finish. They have an awesome brawl in the ring post-match. Hansen has a shiner when it is over. Decent match that really hit it’s stride in the last five minutes. 3 ¼ and 6.3/10.