POWER OF BACK DROP

Inoki defeated Ruska with Back Drop (1976)

I will mention Back Drop, but at the beginning, I don't know whether this name of move is right. I'm sorry, but I can't understand English at all, (^^; and I have to go ahead timidly. At any rate, I want to tell about the special trick of Lou Thesz 'Back Drop', at least we call it in that name in Japan. Someone taught me it is called 'Belly to Back', but I think that means German Suplex Hold. In Japan, Thesz's Back Drop and Karl Gotch's German Suplex are regarded as the two greatest special moves of pro-wrestling.

Because I am too young (in fact I'm not so young), I could not see the best days of Lou Thesz. However, I watched the wonderful veteran Thesz several times. When Antonio Inoki established NEW JAPAN, Thesz visited to Japan and formed a tag team with Gotch. They, what is called the team of gods, fought against Inoki and Sakaguchi in 1973. And as a single player, Thesz fought with Inoki in 1975. At that time Lou Thesz was over 50 years old, probably nearly 60, but these fights were very impressive for me, an elementary school student.

They say Thesz's Back Drop made a beautiful bridge, and I think so, too. And I remember that Thesz often used another Back Drop which was very low and speedy. That speedy Back Drop was not striking comparatively, but I thought it was more powerful, and Thesz may have aimed at knock out with that trick. Every time Thesz used the low and speedy Back Drop, I felt my spine go cold.