Buddy is still rocking the ridiculous white mask/wig. Some lady gives Martel flowers before the match. Oh man! It's so Buddy can destroy them. So carny. Sandy Barr throws the belt down in disgust. It's a ploy so Buddy can get in and ambush Martel who chases him but Rick gets the upper hand quickly and Buddy has to take a powder. Great start. The females in the crowd are erupting and Barr is still selling it like Rose committed some blasphemy. It finally settles down with Martel locking on a headlock but the crowd is still riotous. This is some of the most excited I've ever seen a crowd for an extended headlock, but Martel really grinds it in and Buddy's trying desperately to calm them down (Which just makes them stay loud, of course). Every time Buddy goes for Martel's hair or something we get more noise. Buddy pushes him off the ropes and they do this amazing dueling shoulder block/super-fast sunset flip spot. It's great. Then Martel locks back on the headlock. Did Martel pop the territory with females or something? I feel like I'm watching an 84 RnR match in mid south or something. They keep building to Buddy trying something and Martel doing something big (in this case a frankensteiner) before locking the headlock back on. This feels a lot more like AWA Martel with a base that they go in and out of and Buddy's a great foil for him. The crowd is hotter for Martel here than any AWA crowd I can think of which is a testament to how he's been booked, to Buddy, and to the Portland atmosphere. It's adding a lot to what would otherwise still be a very good first fall. Buddy finally gets out and goes for a dropkick but Martel catches him and I think Buddy does the most amazing sell of a catapult into the corner I've ever seen.
Martel goes into the corner to come off with the headlock again but Buddy turns it into a back suplex. Buddy's hurting but takes over with his usual nice looking offense, focusing on the back. The fans are really rallying for Martel here. He hits a Calf Branding but does it into the square of the back instead of the head. Holy crap. Then a huge Robinson backbreaker and that's the fall and the fans are irate. GREAT first fall. Extremely straightforward but just absolutely beautiful pro wrestling. If that was the entire match it would be a great match.
Second fall starts with Buddy hammering in on the back still (because that's how Portland falls work), including absolutely brutal kicks as Martel is up dangling in the corner. He ends up falling over the ropes and according to Bonnema hit the apron on the way down. Buddy keeps on the back using the ring post. Martel sells like a king. Buddy goes for an abdominal stretch but Martel reverses it. Buddy uses the hair to hip toss him off. Martel's selling huge so Buddy gets up first and starts right back on the spine, including a nice elbow drop, after which he pins him and counts along with the ref arrogantly. Buddy goes for a gutwrench suplex but Martel reverses it. Buddy is up first as Martel is selling but Martel reverses a front vertical suplex as well. Buddy is up first again but this time Martel's ready and he hammers Buddy with a forearm (selling the back afterwards) and then a whip into the corner (still selling), before unloading with fists. He hits a slam (and hey! he sells again). This lets Buddy get back up and try for a whip. Martel reverses it into the sleeper though! That's the fall. I loved the way Martel's comeback built and how he kept selling even to the point that it built into the finish. It was a short fall but it was great. Of course, Martel has to wake up Rose after the fall. Martel is a dick about it though. He finally does it with Buddy spasming accordingly.
Third fall starts with Buddy screwing with the turnbuckle. Martel's still selling his back. The fans are shouting and pointing so Barr goes and checks it out. Martel kind of whips around the ring, never letting Rose out of his gaze to check it out too. It does give Rose the rest period he needs and he starts out on Martel only to get reversed into a backslide near fall. Martel unloads in the corner, is reversed in a whip, goes for a reverse body press off the ropes, but hits hard as Buddy ducks. Buddy starts on the back of the neck and then goes for HUGE punches but Martel reverses and they're slugging at each other in the corner now until Martel gets the upper hand. He hits a mare and goes for an elbow drop but misses. Buddy stomps the midsection and goes for a splash but lands on the knees. This is really back and forth but everything is measured and has weight. Martel hits a few shots to the midsection, tosses Buddy into the corner and locks on the sleeper again! Sheepherders come in, nail Barr, and then start on Martel with the flag. Piper and Dutch savage make the save.
I don't know. I think this was probably a better match than the April one. I know that one's more highly touted but this was just a beautiful, beautiful match. The first fall was really tight and so well worked. The second fall had a great story that I loved and it was executed brilliantly and then the third fall had a less satisfying finish than the april match but was a more complete, exciting fall, if that makes sense. They're both amazing matches though.
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