Vintage Collection Chris Cooley presents the Vintage Collection Episode 103: Intercontinental and WWF Championships both on the line, plus much more!
By Chris Cooley
May 23, 2010 - 9:42 AM
Welcome to the Vintage Collection for this week. On this episode, we look at a series of matches at Madison Square Garden, from 1980.
Episode #103
MATCH#1:Greg Gagne vs. Jose Estrada
DATE OF MATCH:April 21, 1980
We begin in progress, and Gagne ends up on the outside, as Estrada shows good sportsmanship by holding the ropes, and letting him come back into the ring. Estrada ends up on the outside, and as Greg holds the ropes, Jose gets in a cheap shot, and gains control, sending his opponent to the outside.
Gagne gets sent hard into the turnbuckle, but it only leads to a two, and another pin attempt by Estrada gets the same result. Jose misses with an elbow, and this gives Greg all the momentum. Gagne gets a couple of near falls, before Estrada rakes the eyes of his opponent, and applies a side headlock. The son of Verne Gagne then regains control with a leap frog and a monkey flip, but he misses with a dropkick. Estrada misses with a knee drop, but is able to get a near fall, after falling on Gagne, after he tried to attempt a slam. Greg nails Jose with a couple of dropkicks, and this time gets the three.
YOUR WINNER:Greg Gagne
COMMERCIAL
MATCH#2:Andre The Giant vs. ‘Big Bad’ Bobby Duncum
DATE OF MATCH:April 21, 1980
Opening bell, and Duncum is on the attack from the get go, applying a side headlock on the eighth wonder of the world. However, it leads to a big boot from Andre, giving the Giant control. Andre with chops, and knocking his opponent down with a headbutt. The Giant applies a rest hold, but gets countered when he whips Duncum to the ropes, as Bobby nails Andre with a running knee. Duncum drive the shoulder into Andre, then grasps a front facelock. Bob tries a slam, but Andre suplexes him instead. The match doesn’t last much longer, as Andre splashes Duncum, and remains undefeated.
YOUR WINNER:Andre The Giant
COMMERCIAL
WWF INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP
MATCH#3:Pat Patterson (c) vs. Ken Patera w/Grand Wizard
DATE OF MATCH:April 21, 1980
This is one of the first Intercontinental Championship matches on record.
Patera taking his time getting ready, as the Grand Wizard of Wrestling talks some trash to Patterson. Pat makes the Wizard flinch, and the match begins.
Patterson gets the first shot in, and a tie-up shows Patera winning. Another tie-up and Patterson gains control with an Arm Drag takedown. The champion wrenching the arm of his opponent, and then turns it into an armbar. Ken gets back to his feet, but can’t break the hold, until he escapes with a forearm. The Olympic strongman tries to gain control, but Patterson takes the arm over, and continues putting pressure on it. This leads to a break in footage.
COMMERCIAL
We return with Patera striking the champion, before throwing him over the top rope. Both men on the outside, and Ken sends Pat into the guard rail. The strongman continues sending kicks towards Patterson, before heading out again to slam him on the outside. Patera is not allowing Patterson to enter the ring, knocking his opponent down onto the floor once again. This time, Pat makes it to the apron, the Olympian continues the attack with a forearm smash across the chest, before choking him using the bottom rope. Patterson blocks an attack, and he tries to fights back, but Ken nails him with an elbow.
Patera with a back breaker, but it only gets him a near fall. Knees to the lower back of his opponent by the challenger, followed by more pressure on the back with a Bearhug. The champion fights out, as the crowd wills him on. Patera applies the Full Nelson, but Pat makes it to the ropes. Ken looks for another Full Nelson, but Patterson slides out, and catches Patera in the face with his feet. The champion catches the leg of the Olympian, and starts with an array of punches in the corner.
Patterson sends the leg of Patera into the turnbuckle post, before kicking the same leg. This leads to the figure four leglock, and Ken fights to make it to the bottom rope. This brings up to another commercial.
COMMERCIAL
Patterson pulls him out of the ropes, and locks the Figure Four on again. The Strongman manages to make the ropes, but Pat gets some a fury of punches. Pat continuing to work on the legs in the corner, but Patera reverses. This backfires however, as he ends up shoulder first into the turnbuckle post. The champion goes for the cover, but only gets a two, as Patera gets his foot up on the ropes.
The champion with knees and punches to his opponent, but an Irish whip goes wrong, as Patera sends the future stooge into the referee, knocking the official down. Ken heads up to the second rope, and drops a knee right to the back of the champion, and gets the three, becoming the new Intercontinental Champion.
YOUR WINNER:Ken Patera
Patera leaves with some parting words for the former champion, who is livid inside the ring.
COMMERCIAL
WWF CHAMPIONSHIP
MAIN EVENT:Bob Backlund (c) vs. Samoan #1
DATE OF MATCH:April 21, 1980
The identity of Samoan #1 was unknown at the time.
Backlund in control with whips to the corners, and then works on the arm of the Samoan. Thsi continues with an arm wrench, as we find out that Samoan #1 is actually Sika. A headbutt by Sika, only breaks Bob up for a second, as he continues work on the left arm of his opponent. The Samoan tries to gain control with a slam, but the Champion is quickly able to regain control of the arm. A rake of the eyes by Sika breaks it up, before getting some control with a choke. The Samoan with a headbutt, then with another choke, and we head to commercial with Sika putting pressure on Backlund’s shoulder.
COMMERCIAL
We return with both men on the canvas. Backlund charges, but is sent over the top rope for his troubles. Sika rams the champion’s head into the apron, and gets in another shot to the head. The Samoan slams Bob’s head against the apron once more, then tries to slam him back into the ring, but Backlund counters and gets a near fall. The referee starts the count, as both men are now out on the mat. Bob gets a near fall, but it’s Sika who nails a Samoan Drop for a near fall. The Samoan looks for the Samoan Drop again, but Backlund counters into a roll up, and getting the three count.
YOUR WINNER:Bob Backlund
Next week, it’s Cruiserweight action, featuring the likes of Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio and Chris Jericho. Be sure to look out for that one, as next week is also the Vintage Collection's Two-Year anniversary. All that and a lot more in next week's edition.