#124: Rikidozan vs. Fred Blassie, WWA (3/28/1962).
This is a 2 Out of 3 Falls Match for Blassie's WWA World Heavyweight Championship.
This is my first time ever seeing "Classy" Freddie Blassie wrestle, and I was a little excited. My only exposure to Blassie are his voiceovers for WWF video packages in the 1990s, as well as that one segment in 2001 when he stood from his wheelchair to motivate Team WWF against the Alliance - a move that led to "the old" Stone Cold Steve Austin to come back and kick everyone's ass.
Blassie with a punch to the head to start out. They lock up, and Blassie pulls the hair and gets a cheap shot in. He chokes Riki against the turnbuckle, then breaks away. Riki with a takedown, and a rolling face lock.
Blassie throws his hands up like he wants to fight, which Riki has no problem with. Blassie grabs the back and gets a side headlock in. He may be looking for a choke hold. Riki with chops to the chest, and Blassie runs to the apron.
Riki threatens to strike him in the corner, and Blassie is asking for a time out. Riki chops him any way. Another hard chop by Riki, as Blassie cowers in fear. Blassie runs around the Ring, and Riki retains the pressure. Blassie grabs him by the throat and rakes the eye.
He chokes him on the mat next. Blassie pulls and tugs at the eye socket. What a heel. Riki knocks him right on his ass, and chops him a few times. Hard Irish whip by Riki destroys Blassie. He hits low and gets the upper hand on Riki again.
He chokes him against the turnbuckle. A kick to the back, followed by more choking from Blassie. Big shoulder tackle sends Blassie rolling, and he's all tied up in the ropes!
Big chop to the neck sends Blassie to the apron, and then into the ring post. I think Blassie got counted out, and Riki took the first fall! I couldn't tell. These older Matches are hard to pick up on sometimes.
Oh, so Blassie running out of the Ring gave Rikidozan the first fall. That's fucking wild.
Second fall starts, and Blassie immediately gets Riki into the ropes. He responds with a hard chop, and Blassie is on the apron. He better not run away, or he'll risk another fall!
Blassie with the side headlock, and he pulls on Riki's hair. Nice shots to the head by Blassie, then he bites on the head like a true heel. Then, he does it again. Riki is back up and he's not taking Blassie's shit no more. He throws him across the Ring.
Blassie quickly fights back with a punch to the head. Couple of rakes to the eyes follow, and he bites Riki's head again! Blassie keeps cornering Riki and biting him. It could be the quality of the video, but it looks like Blassie has blood seeping from his mouth.
Nice back hand to Blassie's head gets a 2 count. Blassie gnaws at the head once again. Someone feed Fred Blassie food, or else he's going to eat Rikidozan. Riki, busted open and all, is back on the offensive for a moment, until Blassie fights back with strikes and bites him again!
Riki corners Blassie and chops him hard in the chest. Blassie tries to stand, and Riki knocks him down again. Blassie with more raking and pulling of the face, as he looks to literally tear Riki's head open. More biting!
Both men exchange hard strikes in the middle, with Riki's chop getting him a nearfall. Blassie drops several knees to Riki's head, and that gets a nearfall. Blassie with more biting of the head. Seriously, take this man to a buffet.
Blassie with more punches in the corner. Riki fights back with a shoulder tackle, but Blassie is tenacious. He picks and tears at the head, and continues biting away. Riki with closed fist punches to Blassie, followed by a powerslam for 2.
Both men are on their knees, exchanging shots and headbutts. A chop by Riki gets a 2 count. Blassie chokes Riki into the corner. Looks like he had a nerve hold in. He bites the head once again, and drives his knuckles into the open wound.
Riki with some chops, and then he throws Blassie across the Ring. Riki wants more, and Blassie hits him low. Blassie brings him down and bites his head again. Blassie chases Riki around like a predator, until Riki catches him with a shot to the back.
Riki unloads with chops and slaps in the corner. They exchange blows back and forth. Blassie goes back to the tried and true method of eating his opponent. Riki is back up with a back elbow to the head. He covers, but Blassie's feet are on the ropes.
Back and forth blows between both men. Neither man can get the advantage. Blassie eats a chop and goes to choke Riki, who responds with a hard slap. They scrap in the corner, and the bell sounds.
This ends on a curfew time limit draw. I don't know if that means that it was curfew and everyone had to leave, or if that was just what they called time limit draws at the time. I hope it's the former. Anyway, Riki wins since he had the only fall.
This was disappointing. The match was incredibly repetitive as it went on, and I just sighed every time that Blassie went to bite Rikidozan's head. Plus, the title changing on a draw is a questionable choice. It makes the title change to Rikidozan feel not as special.
Still, I did enjoy the individual performances. Rikidozan was more human here than any of the other matches I saw of his, and that's likely because his opponent here was a fucking maniac.
Seeing Fred Blassie circle the ring like a madman was crazy to see, especially considering my only experiences with him prior. He definitely played the villain part well here, as he kicked the shit out of Rikidozan and very nearly ate the poor guy.
Give it a better structure with less repetitive spots, and I think you've got something here.