Stan Hansen vs.Terry Funk 11.09.1982

Stan Hansen vs.Terry Funk 11.09.1982

Stan Hansen and Terry Funk are two of my favourite wrestlers so I decided I was going to watch every match they had against each other. And while this is by no means their best, I do think it's one of their more interesting to write about.

I think this match's best quality  is that it's made up of a bunch of small moments that when put together create the perfect dynamics for these wrestlers.

One example of these small moments is how each wrestler handels being given flowers. The second Hansen enters the ring he locks eyes with Funk, both competitors clearly iching to get to the match, but first there both handed a bouquet of flowers. Funk and Hansen are clearly uninterested in this but while Hansen rudely swats the flowers away, Funk while keeping eye contact takes the flowers and passes it to someone on the apron. It seems silly but I really think this establishes who Funk is at this moment perfectly. While both are locked in ready to fight Funk still has common decency to those around him. I think this alongside how much the all Japan crowd in general love Funk, allows him to get away with a lot of his antics without getting booed. 

A lot of Funks acts in this match could be considered heelish, he manoeuvres the ref in between him and Hansen, he grabs at the face of her opponent, he's constantly going to the outside to create space between him and Hansen. But Hansen is such a dominant force and Funk is so sympathetic in his selling that his actions come off more scrappy than heelish. Speaking of Hansen's dominance, there is truly nothing better than watching Funk sell a Hansen heat segment. Hansen is so mean in his offence and I can watch Funk bump for hours. The best moment is Funk taking a turnbuckle bump to the outside leaving him sitting on the ground while Hansen poses on the turnbuckle looking down at Funk, a truly striking visual that really highlights that Funk can not hang with Hansen physically. 

I think another reason Funks' underhand tactics don't come off as heelish is that they often blow up in his face, he grabs at Hansen's knee pads which leads to his  spinning toe hold being denied and then gets battered for it. Shown again in the best spot in this match, and maybe one of the best spots in any match, Funk throws a chair into the ring Hansen grabs it and just pelts it towards Funk. Funk is obviously the underdog match but he never feels truly out of it, his punches are so good you always feel like he could get some good hits in and turn it around.

The matches closing stretches consists of two red bumps and interference from Ross Bass (who many are saying is the Jimmy Uso of 80s all japan). And eventually leads to a count out loss from Funk. You feel robbed of a real finish. This match is clearly building to bigger things and it accomplishes that job it leaves you wanting more. Post match a mass brawl breaks out. Many wrestlers come out to make the save, my favourite being baba throwing chops as the crowd goes wild.

While I was writing this piece, as I'm quite bad at this , I would often be scrolling twitter on which I saw a question asking what your favourite in-ring pairing was with Funk-Hansen being one of the answers given but the account proposing the question. And by watching this match you can tell why they have such incredibly effortless chemistry with each other. Two wrestlers who seemed designed to fight each other. 

Rating: **** ¼

Song it reminded me off: Up the wolves- The mountain goats