Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match #88: Rip Oliver vs. The Great Kabuki (2/3 Falls) (6/24/85)

Cornette manages Oliver, while Sunshine manages Kabuki. If those two go at it there’s a chance I might completely over-rate this thing.

A very slow start where Kabuki shows he is the master of the tight leg scissors. Oliver looks fine selling it and attempting to get out. Kabuki takes the first five minutes, and there isn’t much to say other than Cornette is great at ringside. Kabuki’s stuff is full of interesting punches and basic martial arts work. Oliver goes up for a few moments, but Kabuki hits his thrust kick and wins the first fall.

Kabuki goes after Cornette, and Oliver takes advantage of the opening. Second fall has some good back and forth work, and when Kabuki comes back he throws a killer thrust kick and another to the back of the head. Neat ending to the fall as a thumb in the eye from Oliver on Kabuki gets the refs attention. With hi9m admonishing Oliver, Cornette hits a hard racket shot on Kabuki. Looks like Oliver is going to take this fall, but Sunshine grabs his foot on a suplex attempt and Kabuki falls on top. Kabuki gets the pin.

Not often you see a win in two straight falls, so that was kind of cool. This had it’s moments, and I really liked the finish, but the words “serviceable” and “decent” were made for this match. I don’t have the affection for Kabuki that others might as I was part of the Muta era, so neither participant meant much to me. Average match. 2 ½ stars and 5/10