Giant Baba vs. Gene Kiniski (JWA, 8/14/67)

The atmosphere of this match is incredible, with the outdoor seating, fans puffing cigarettes and fanning themselves off as two dudes sweat for an hour inside a small wrestling ring. It’s the kind of match you put on in a dingy hip bar somewhere and let play without any context or explanation. The no good cheatin’ Gene Kiniski against the surprisingly more aggressive Giant Baba. On a whole, this match isn’t going to burn any barns down but there are a lot of neat nuances dashed throughout, like the way Baba uses his long legs to hammer the back of Kiniski’s neck while he’s got him in the leg scissors, repeatedly pushing his own knee into Kiniski’s face. The little extra mustard behind Baba’s kicks and stomps, or how Kiniski immediately puts his knees up after a scoop slam to counter the pin attempt -- cool shit bits like that. Baba wins the first fall with a dropkick, Kiniski the second with a diving knee drop, and during the third, the two unload on each other in desperation, with plenty of brain chops and big boots from Baba, sold really well by Kiniski. After time expires, they’re given five more minutes and the lanky Baba comes out dropkicking. Kiniski delivers a backbreaker hold and a diving knee but when he tries for the coup de grâce kneedrop, Baba rolls out of the way. Smelling blood, Baba attacks Gene’s leg, trying to submit him with the single leg crab before the match ends in a double time limit draw.

Giant Baba vs. Bruno Sammartino (JWA, 3/7/67)

Going way way back to 1967 -- a very solid contest with plenty of dedicated work from both guys down the stretch. Great first fall with Baba rolling around the mat, trying to shake Bruno’s arm control before turning the game around on Bruno. Sammartino has some nifty escapes and at times, nifty Logan-esque hair. At one point, he goes for an arm drag and Baba just deadweights him to counter, reasserting his control of Bruno’s arm. The crowd digs the sportsmanship as the two go back-and-forth targeting the arms, trying to weaken their opponent’s respective offense – Bruno with the bearhug and Baba with his giant chops. After Baba tosses Bruno around for a bit, he picks up the first fall with a knee drop. They stay with the arm work for the second fall as things settle down. The match feels sluggish and repetitive at times, and the execution isn’t quite as smooth as the early goings. Bruno starts with the bear hug attempts and Baba is quick to chop his way out of harm’s way. After evening the score with a running body press, Bruno starts unloading on Baba during the third fall. Good strikes from Bruno, especially with the knees. By the end of it, they’re both past the point of exhaustion, with Bruno desperately lunging after Baba with the bearhug attempts and Baba trying to end it with chops, but due to all that prior hard work, neither is effective as the time runs out.

Giant Baba vs. Bruno Sammartino (JWA, 3/7/67)

I prefer their match the following year but this was still a solid contest, with a lot of dedicated work from both guys down the stretch. Great first fall with Baba rolling around the mat, trying to shake Bruno’s arm control before turning the game around on Bruno. Sammartino has some nifty escapes and at times, nifty Wolverine hair. At one point, he goes for an arm drag and Baba just deadweights him to counter, reasserting his control of Bruno’s arm. The crowd digs the sportsmanship as the two go back-and-forth targeting the arms, trying to weaken their opponent’s respective offense – Bruno with the bearhug and Baba with his giant chops.

After Baba tosses Bruno around for a bit, he picks up the first fall with a knee drop. They stay with the arm work for the second fall as things settle down. At times, the match feels sluggish and repetitive, and the execution isn’t quite as smooth. Bruno starts with the bear hug attempts and Baba is quick to chop his way out of harm’s way. After tying things up with a running body press, Bruno starts unloading on Baba during the third fall. Good strikes from Bruno, especially with the knees. By the end of it, they’re both past the point of exhaustion, with Bruno desperately lunging after Baba with the bearhug attempts and Baba trying to end it with chops, but due to all that prior hard work, neither is effective as the time runs out.