Nick Bockwinkel vs Wahoo McDaniel (AWA - 8/28/1983)

Second

Very strong chance this makes the latter half of my list. These are two of my favorite 70s/80s wrestlers and they just go to war. Wahoo brings out another layer in Bock. I'd put this along side just about any brawl, especially in the US. Its a gritty, well executed, pacy match that you can't turn away from.

Bock rules and will be well-represented on my list. This is in my rewatch pile. Bockwinkel in a fire fight what's not to love.

AWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Bockwinkel vs Wahoo McDaniel - AWA 8/28/83



I am so glad we have this on tape. There is no commentary and I dont know why we do, but it is so awesome. It was really cool to see Bockwinkel in this stiff, violent brawl. I have gotten to see very little, but what little I have seen, I liked a lot and am so grateful that we have a classic like this on tape. Bock ain't playing around, he has his fists taped up, but Wahoo is here to kick some ass. He targets the leg and and throws some tomahawk chops. The crowd seems pretty pro-Wahoo. Bock retreats to the outside where he grabs a chair and clobbers Wahoo. HOLY SHIT! He sends Wahoo into the post and then drives his head into a steel pole that holds up the ropes near the fans. Wahoo is bleeding, but comes firing back with chops. You can hear the crowd fine, but there are no sound effects so we are robbed of the dulcet cacophony of flesh on flesh. Wahoo is delivering a deliberate and measured ass kicking. Bock is the best at this kind of split-legged dazed selling or falling to his knees and rocking back and forth after every chop to the head. Bock rakes the eyes and throws Wahoo to the outside, but Wahoo meets him at the apron to chop him in the head and Bock falls on his ass in some great selling. Bock relentlessly tries to grab his famed Oriental Sleeper, not once, not twice, but three times and his head driven into the turnbuckles. Wahoo gets some payback on the outside cracking Bock's head off hard objects. Bock and Wahoo crack heads and Bock ricochets outside the ring. The finish sees Wahoo trying to go through the ropes to get Bock and is nailed with the chair. My one complaint that keeps this from being an all-time classic is that I did not feel like they were earning every inch. I thought Bock was complacent in selling and bumping, but Wahoo and not fighting back enough. It is a small complaint, but one that kept me from marking out to the fullest extent. Still Wahoo vs Bock lives up to the hype as one of the best violent brawls of the 80s. ****1/2