The Destroyer v The Spirit (All Japan, 7/25/75)
Lovable asshole vs hatable asshole is a pretty damn fun concept and this was a pretty damn fun version of it. I think this is actually the first time I've seen our man Karl Kox as the Spirit and naturally I wouldn't be opposed to seeing more. With two men of such questionable character in there you knew there would be some SHENANIGANS at some point, but before they got to that I liked the fight over the extended hammerlock, how they both tried to wrench on that thing and use leverage, both of them contorted while maneuvering themselves awkwardly in order to make it doubly so for the other guy. Neither refused to give the thing up for several minutes and you could see the struggle in it, the precariousness of their positions, where relenting to reset might as easily lead to the other seizing an advantage. When it does lead to a stalemate it's Destroyer who dabbles in the shithousery first, kneeling on Spirit's throat while protesting with the ref' about something or other. It's also Destroyer who throws nasty punches and body shots first. So you can maybe understand why the Spirit decided to load up the mask and start throwing headbutts. You can't give someone like the Destroyer an inch because you know fine well they'll take a mile. Destroyer bleeding through the white mask will always be a cool visual and I love the way he sold how rocked he was, stumbling forward while trying and failing to grab the ropes, that blood stain blooming with every shot. I also love how the crowd knew immediately that he was getting ready to fight fire with fire in that second fall. Spirit never should've let him duck out the ring to recuperate. A young Jumbo Tsuruta as Fuerza Guerrera facilitating all of Destroyer's chicanery ruled and in an alternate universe it was Beyer who took Jumbo under his wing rather than Baba and King's Road became a wonderful amalgamation of Monterrey and Memphis. The third fall being about who can use a hidden object in the meanest way without being caught was pretty great. Many an exceptional headbutt was thrown. And Jumbo acting as the world's greatest Harvey Wippleman is a fun way to finish. I guess where brawn doesn't work, brains will.
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