#116: Bruno Sammartino vs. Stan Hansen, WWWF (8/7/1976).
Hello readers!
This week, we are taking a time machine back to the old days of wrestling: the 1970s and 1980s. It was a time when wrestling was, well, a lot different than what it is today. No where to be seen was social media, crazy high spots, flips, and dives. Instead, it was a simpler time, full of grappling, hard strikes, and a clear dynamic of who was the good guy and who was the bad guy.
Up first is a match featuring a legendary wrestler that I have never seen before: the great Bruno Sammartino, famous for holding the WWE Championship longer than anyone in history: seven years! Take that, Roman Reigns! Here, he defends the WWWF Championship against future All Japan great Stan Hansen, inside of a Steel Cage. 22,000 fans have jam packed Madison Square Garden to see these two boys go at it. Bruno had broken his neck thanks to a Hansen attack previously, so this was his bout for payback.
Hansen attacks Bruno as he enters the cage. He boots and stomps him hard to the mat. He misses an elbow, and Bruno kicks him and sends him into the cage. This crowd is loud! Another shot to the cage by Bruno.
He kicks Hansen in the face and unleashes hard uppercut punches to the head. He chokes Hansen against the middle rope. Hansen strikes back with an elbow to Bruno. He kicks Bruno in the chest, and drives his boot into the throat.
They exchange hard blows to one another, and Bruno hits Hansen with his knee. He then sends him into the steel wall, and Hansen uses that momentum to try and escape. Bruno pulls him back in.
Bruno twists Hansen's neck against the ropes. Hansen returns the favor with a boot to the face. He trips Bruno, and gets double kicked in the chest for it. Nasty looking punt kick to the face by Bruno, and he follows with a choke to the neck with his boot.
Bruno kicks Hansen in the gut. This crowd is seriously losing their mind for this match. Bruno throws Hansen shoulder first into the cage. It's his lariat arm! Hansen tries for a standing elbow, and Bruno avoids it again.
Bruno drives his knees into Hansen's kidneys repeated, then he applies the Boston Crab. Quick right hand jabs by Bruno, then he just drops Hansen with a stiff strike. He stands on Hansen's face, using the cage for leverage.
Hansen kicks Bruno in the chest, and he goes for the cage door. Bruno pulls him back inside, and we see a shot of Stan Hansen's ass! Bruno chokes Hansen as he lays across the middle rope. That's a spot I've never seen before.
Hansen gets back on the offensive, and tries to climb over the cage wall. Bruno grabs his boot and forces him back to the mat. Bruno spreads his legs and kicks Hansen right in the Texas longhorns.
Bruno sends Hansen into the cage again, but Hansen overpowers him. He goes for the Lariat, but misses and hits the cage. Bruno with a knee to the head, and Hansen with an elbow to the head. He goes for the door again, but Bruno catches him just in time.
Hansen rakes the eyes and hits Bruno across the back with those big arms of his. Hansen goes to escape the cage again, and Bruno grabs his trunks. More of Hansen's ass! Bruno pulls him in between the cage and the ropes, and throws him into the steel, then rakes at his face.
Hansen is busted open now. More strikes by Hansen, who once again tries to escape. Hansen is tangled in the topes, as Bruno uses, I think, an elbow pad to keep him down. Hansen's leg is trapped in the ropes. More shots by Bruno.
Hansen is hanging limp on the ropes. Bruno makes his first escape attempt of the match, and goes through the door to win.
Man, that was wild. My first impression of that was that it was like watching the two biggest bullies in school meet on the playground, and they just throw airplane punches for 15 minutes. This wasn't a technical classic by any means, but it worked as a Pier 6 brawl. Hansen showed great heel work here, trying to escape at every chance he got. But, Bruno was too much for him to handle, and in the end, the bully got his ass kicked. I appreciate that Bruno's only attempt at escaping the cage was the attempt that won him the match. He showed valor here, and honor, in wanting to settle things with Hansen before leaving the ring.
This was way different than anything I've seen prior, but I liked it a lot.