Mile Zrno vs. Ashura Hara (IWE, 5/6/79)

While I’ve seen some of Hara’s later stuff as a heavyweight, this is the first time I’ve ever seen/heard of Mile Zrno. Visually, it was a cool match but there wasn’t much substance. The matwork was interesting for the most part but not very engaging. The submissions never really felt dangerous, even when Zrno was lying back with the cross armbreaker fully applied and Hara isn’t making much of an effort to escape or counter. The lackluster selling on Zrno’s part didn’t help flesh this thing out but again, a neat-looking match. Hara’s offense looked great, his seamless side suplex into the pin, his snazzy armdrag, his double arm suplex to win the second fall and the finish to the match, with Hara catching Mile across his shoulders before delivering that exaggerated Samoan drop. I liked Mile’s legwork during the second fall, with his leaping leg drops, elbow drops, and somersault rolls. He had a beautiful leg trap takedown but there was no payoff. A swanky exhibition but little else beyond that.

Verne Gagne vs. Billy Robinson (IWE, 11/20/74)

Really good stuff here, especially during the first fall. Long, focused control segments with snappy counters. I mean, the counterwork throughout was just phenomenal and they really work the holds, even in the slower moments of the match. Gotta love ole Verne egging Robinson on with those little taps to the face before he starts laying into him with shoulders. They go back-and-forth with the side headlock takedown/leg scissors counter spot that’s become so prevalent in modern chain wrestling sequences before Verne picks up the first fall after Robinson passes out to the sleeper hold. Great selling from Robinson at the start of the second fall as he’s still a bit loopy from the sleeper hold. Gagne sends him outside with a really snug forearm shot but when he tries going back to the sleeper hold, Robinson uses that awesome backbreaker of his for the pin. The third fall saw Robinson spending a lot of time working Gagne’s back with bearhugs but then they really heat things up down the stretch with more backbreakers, a double arm suplex, Gagne’s white ass cheeks, and a double KO finish. Having never seen a Verne Gagne match, I’m definitely interested in seeing more.