Giant Baba vs. Bruno Sammartino (JWA, 8/7/68)

Compared to Baba, Bruno Sammartino is an Italian terrier with a bite, backing a defenseless Baba into a corner, aggressively sinking his teeth into Baba’s arm, using his boots, elbows, and knees to strike at him, before a peeved Baba ragdolls Bruno across the ring. Terrific psychology throughout the first fall, with Baba targeting the leg and Bruno really selling it as he hobbles from ringpost to ringpost. Again, the simple nuances are what really elevate this. For example, there’s a part where Baba is working the leg and Bruno starts fighting back with strikes, so Baba traps the arm but in turn, Bruno begins to assert control of Baba’s previously worked over arm and Baba has to bail out to his feet when Bruno nearly has it. Awesome stuff. Bruno wins the first fall with an impressive over-the-shoulder backbreaker rack and throughout the second fall, he keeps going back to the bear hug, which Baba is able to avoid, ultimately evening the score with a dropkick. At the start of the third fall, Bruno is still selling the leg and Baba takes notice, going back on the attack. In a great moment of stubborn determination, Bruno tosses Baba to the outside and does everything he can to prevent him from re-entering the ring, to the point where Baba has to chop his way back inside. The finish was underwhelming but played into both guys trying to get the win via count out -- Baba succeeding with a little help from a foreign object at ringside.