ALL JAPAN, NWA World Championship Match
Dec. 2 1974 Kagoshima Kenritsu Taiikukan (Kagoshima)
This is one of the biggest matches in the history of Japanese pro-wrestling. Giant Baba established ALL JAPAN in 1972, and he invited many famous wrestlers from NWA. At that time ALL JAPAN was like a brunch shop of NWA. As his rival Antonio Inoki couldn't join hands with big organizations in USA, Baba gained an advantages over Inoki in the business war. Now, Baba wished to get the most authoritative belt. He thought there would be a good chance, because Jack Brisco was comparatively good at defensive wrestling. Baba's power should have overwhelmed his opponent.
At the first round, Baba showed wonderful power and took a fall from Brisco with Russian Leg Sweep. But in the next round, Brisco used his special move, Figure Four Leg Lock, and Baba helplessly gave up. And the most important last round started. Baba attacked Brisco harshly with Drop Kick, but Brisco counterattacked Baba's leg and ran to the rope. Baba tried his secret move Running Neck Breaker Drop in an instant. Brisco was hard hit on his back of the head, and referee Joe Higuchi beat the ring three times !!
When Jack Brisco died in 2010, Japanese news media hardly reported it. May be many people forgot him. But for us (PURORESU boys in the 70's) Brisco was a strangely impressive wrestler. He sometimes visited to Japan as a world champion or a former champion, but he always lost in any important matches. He was wrested the NWA belt by Baba (afterwards he got back it). He fought against Jumbo Tsuruta as a challenger of United National Championship in 1976, and he lost to Jumbo. And in 1979, he moved to NEW JAPAN and challenged Antonio Inoki, but the result of it ...
Especially this video of NWA championship is often put on the air even now, and it is giving bad impression of Brisco to young Japanese fans. I think that is very pitiful thing for the former great champion.
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