Michel Saulnier vs. Jean Rabut (France, 6/20/65)
Feb 11, 2023 9:12:27 GMT -5
Post by KB8 on Feb 11, 2023 9:12:27 GMT -5
Michel Saulnier v Jean Rabut (France, 6/20/65)
Or maybe this is the French Catch gateway. I thought this was incredible and just about the perfect "pure" wrestling match imaginable. Some of the exchanges were breath-taking, from minute 1 to minute 28, some of the smoothest tumbling and matwork you'll ever see. The way these guys work in and out of holds is remarkable. The speed, the precision, the ELEGANCY, by christ! It was another clean contest for the most part, but this was by no means an exhibition. It was for a title and that gave it an edge, one that on another night might've been sharp enough to cut. I loved how they built the idea of tetchiness as the match went on. After each exchange that went to a stalemate they'd give each other a pat on the shoulder, an agreement that this last gambit had gone as far as it could, that they would extricate themselves from the ropes or the corner or wherever else they'd tumbled to, that they'd stand up and take another run at it from neutral ground. For about 10 minutes it went along smoothly like that, then after one exchange Rabut slapped Saulnier's shoulder a little harder than before, Saulnier gave him a look without actually retaliating, and as he backed away into the middle for the next go-around Rabut stared at him like "you're kind of a little prick, aren't you?" The hand-slapping to gain an advantage on lock-ups was done with a little extra aggressiveness over time and you knew it would only be so long before one of them lashed out. When it eventually happened, firstly with Rabut throwing a forearm, there was always a receipt. I loved Rabut hitting a sternum headbutt as Saulnier ran the ropes, waving an arm after it like he was all but done with the niceties. Then Saulnier paid him in kind with a headbutt of his own, tit for tat like everything else they'd done. It never quite boiled over and part of me wishes it had, but the other part would tell me to shut the fuck up because every time they went back to the rope-running or holds it was tremendous. One of the best matches of the decade.
Or maybe this is the French Catch gateway. I thought this was incredible and just about the perfect "pure" wrestling match imaginable. Some of the exchanges were breath-taking, from minute 1 to minute 28, some of the smoothest tumbling and matwork you'll ever see. The way these guys work in and out of holds is remarkable. The speed, the precision, the ELEGANCY, by christ! It was another clean contest for the most part, but this was by no means an exhibition. It was for a title and that gave it an edge, one that on another night might've been sharp enough to cut. I loved how they built the idea of tetchiness as the match went on. After each exchange that went to a stalemate they'd give each other a pat on the shoulder, an agreement that this last gambit had gone as far as it could, that they would extricate themselves from the ropes or the corner or wherever else they'd tumbled to, that they'd stand up and take another run at it from neutral ground. For about 10 minutes it went along smoothly like that, then after one exchange Rabut slapped Saulnier's shoulder a little harder than before, Saulnier gave him a look without actually retaliating, and as he backed away into the middle for the next go-around Rabut stared at him like "you're kind of a little prick, aren't you?" The hand-slapping to gain an advantage on lock-ups was done with a little extra aggressiveness over time and you knew it would only be so long before one of them lashed out. When it eventually happened, firstly with Rabut throwing a forearm, there was always a receipt. I loved Rabut hitting a sternum headbutt as Saulnier ran the ropes, waving an arm after it like he was all but done with the niceties. Then Saulnier paid him in kind with a headbutt of his own, tit for tat like everything else they'd done. It never quite boiled over and part of me wishes it had, but the other part would tell me to shut the fuck up because every time they went back to the rope-running or holds it was tremendous. One of the best matches of the decade.
