Exciting stuff. They played drum music on the "tape recorder" for the champs. First time I've heard music in Portland (past Roddy's bagpipes). Bonnema says the fans are chanting "Indian Power." Bonnema mentions Steamboat again too, talking about Jay's past and I wish we had him here instead of Lightfoot. Ah well. Oliver and Youngblood to begin. Youngblood teases a punch in the ropes, but does a clean break and then they go right into an arm drag and arm work, first an arm bar and then a nice looking hammerlock. Oliver tries to grab hair or choke or clubber or whatever he can do to get out. And this is really the story of the first part of the shine here with Lightfoot coming in and taking over. Eventually, after a brief rope-running segment, Oliver manages to tag Buddy in. Lightfoot screws up the back body drop-land on his feet again. Buddy recovers well again and slaps on a headlock. Lightfoot eventually tosses him off (after he garners a chant) and ducks down so Buddy runs right into a blow from Youngblood just in off the apron. This lets Youngblood finally get in with him and they go into a headlock base. Eventually they go into a really great rope-running bit, some lightning quick dropdowns, ending with a Sunset Flip by Jay and Oliver coming in to break it up and then tag in. He takes over with a headlock of his own. Lightfoot is the world's least interesting Robert Gibson on the outside. They go in and out of the headlock with Oliver cutting off hope spots with power moves. They manage a good sense of struggle here. At one point, Jay almost has it reversed but Buddy turns him over from the outside. Masterful stuff, perfectly timed. Youngblood finally gets out and presses Oliver against the ropes but Buddy blind tags in and hits a huge back body drop followed by an even huger press slam. He celebrates afterwards, deservedly. Buddy misses a seat drop on the ropes, however, and Oliver tags in and cuts off Jay at the last second, before grinding down with a chinlock. Jay gets his arm up at two, but Oliver knees him to the back of the skull and grinds it back in again. Great camera shot of Youngblood reaching for the tag, but they get him back into the corner and Buddy comes back in with another huge lawn dart throw and then the big flying back elbow. Lightfoot breaks up the pin but the heels use the distraction to doubleteam. Jay fights back but Oliver cuts him off with the taped thumb. Great FIP. Buddy hits the Robinson backbreaker out of nowhere, but Youngblood is able to just drape his foot over both the rope and Barr. I've not seen anyone ever get out of that before, which shows how protected it was and how protected they were keeping Youngblood here. Oliver holds his knee out and Buddy walks over to drop him on it with a backbreaker. he hits another one in the center of the ring and that's the three count for the first fall. Long fall but they kept it varied and interesting. Good stuff.
Lightfoot massages Youngblood's back between falls. Awww. Anyway, it's Buddy and Jay to start the second fall. Buddy stalls by complaining that Lightfoot was bouncing up and down on the ropes from the outside instead of how he should be standing. Then he mocks Indians and finally blindsides Youngblood, going for the big slam again. Jay drops down and rolls him up for two, but Buddy gets up and takes over on the back again. Oliver comes in and keeps it up, finally putting on the bear hug as the fans chant for Jay, who sells it all well before headbutting out. Right back to the back with a double axehandle though and a tag in to Buddy. Big double back body drop on Youngblood. He's pretty damn good at this role. Back to the Oliver bearhug. He rears back for the BIIIIIIG chop but Buddy grabs his hand from the apron to cut it off. Nice little touch. Lightfoot is dangling over the top rope to try to get the tag, but Buddy goes for an ambush and Lightfoot leaves his spot to chase him off. Youngblood goes for the tag. Lightfoot isn't there. Buddy taps his head like a genius. Buddy in. Youngblood fighting out of the corner, but Buddy grabs his foot and Oliver runs in to stop it. Lightfoot comes in to complain. Heels do an illegal switch. It's an art form, even when Barr doesn't allow it. They go for the double back body drop again and Youngblood hits a double sunset flip, but gets caught in the corner by Buddy again. He hits an inverted atomic drop out of it and the fans go nuts. He stumbles around, fights off Oliver, until he eats the thumb to the throat again. Man, I thought he was going to tag there. This is really good. Oliver stomps away and then goes for the Argentinian backbreaker over the shoulder. It looks great. Lightfoot had enough and runs in to break it up but Buddy just comes right in. He misses an elbow though, and Youngblood in three or four moves outfinesses and out toughs him and makes the tag as the place comes UNGLUED. After a dropkick Lightfoot tags Jay (not selling) back in. They hit a double chop and Jay hits a flying big splash type chop off the rope for the pin. I'll call that one adrenaline and let it go. Jay's selling post pin, with Lightfoot bracing him as he celebrates around the ring. Hell of a first two falls. That's how you really ramp a crowd up.
Third fall starts with the heels trying to start with Oliver and when that doesn't work, they complain about the double judo chop. Jay sells the back. Buddy is cautious. Lightfoot is bouncing around clapping. Buddy has a "Jack Lemmon in the Great Race" thing going here with the dark hair and the mustache. Lots of feeling out til Buddy does an ambush kick and tosses Youngblood out. Oliver slams his back into the pole and then they drape him over the bottom rope against the apron, leaving him for dead. We're right back to heat on Youngblood. Awesome. Youngblood fights back and they collide together. Heat and hope, but Buddy grabs his leg and drags him out of the ring, doing a bearhug charge into the post again. Youngblood (Still selling huge) fights back finally and makes the dive into the corner. Lightfoot back in, and then right into Buddy's knee in the corner. Oliver in as they keep trying to put Lightfoot away. Apparently there's only two minutes left. Lightfoot rolls up Oliver and Buddy makes the save. It all breaks down after that, with Youngblood dragging Buddy out and draping his arm over and over against the pole. It's the same arm that Buddy injured on Youngblood a few years ago which Bonnema points out. Meanwhile, Oliver and Lightfoot are scrapping in the ring. Oliver finally grinds him down using the thumb to the throat repeatedly, even as Youngblood keeps destroying Buddy's arm on the outside. Faces drape the heels arms over the top rope in unison as the bell rings due to the time.
Yeah, this was great. Tag matches don't HAVE to be structured this way but it sure helps when they are.
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