Match #48
Leon Fortuna vs. Jackie Robinson
World of Sport - April 12, 1975
ugggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
It's not even worth the Francis face because it's not going to be a bad match by any stretch. It's just going to be really dry, and really dull. There's like 20 of these old World of Sport matches on the wheel and none of them is going to be enjoyable. Let's get this over with.
Six five-minute rounds, one fall to a finish, and Fortuna is from Tonga. We do get an early attempt at a crucifix pin by Robinson, which is something. He at one point has Fortuna between his legs and I feel it's going to be the setup for a powerbomb or a Pedigree or something. No, he's just trying to establish control for a wristlock. A hammerlock, and Fortuna taps the mat... I wish tapping out were a thing in the 1970s. Fortuna now gets to lock the arm. Robinson gets his leg grapevined for a good while, does manage to take Fortuna down with a headscissors, but is hopping afterward.
You know how you call tell that wrestling's meant to be a serious sport without any entertainment in this era? The commentator is quieter than a golf commentator would be. Doesn't help the atmosphere any. Robinson claps Fortuna's ears with his legs in what's probably the closest thing to a strike we'll see. Robinson, in the Union Jack trunks, keeps working the left arm until Fortuna gets a leg whip. Robinson starts to work the knee a bit before the round bell rings for end of round one.
At the start of the second round something threatens to actually happen as Robinson hits a monkey flip, followed by both guys trying to roll into pins in short order. Robinson gets a series of snapmares before Fortuna trips him and he's left dangling close to the outside! Fortuna tries to grapevine a leg again but Robinson spreads his opponent's legs so the hold breaks. Fortuna trips, compresses the leg, and twists the ankle around as commentary suggests that he might go for a Figure Four. Yes please. Robinson grabs Fortuna's ankle, and there's a bit of laughter as the wrestlers seem to forget which foot belongs to which leg, causing the ref to break it up.
Robinson looks to have the opportunity to go for a half crab but instead wraps Fortuna's leg around the back of his neck for some reason. Three times in a row Robinson tangles Fortuna's legs, Fortuna kicks out, but Robinson cartwheels away. The third time, Fortuna trips Robinson. This gets a laugh too. Fortuna goes for a schoolboy but Robinson locks the outstretched arm. He then battles for control of the other arm but loses the first one. A bodyscissors (which Robinson can't break out of no matter how much he rolls) finishes round two. Crowd seems amused.
Third round time and Robinson's straight in with a jumping bodyscissors. He looks like he could go for a guillotine from here but instead just tries to twist Fortuna's chin. Fortuna gets him down and applies spiking elbows to try and fail to break the hold. He instead tries to go for a Boston crab but Robinson flips him against the ropes, where Fortuna looks to have tweaked his knee on the bottom rope. So, naturally, Robinson works that leg. Fortuna tries to apply a headlock but Robinson lifts him up for a kneeling... kneebreaker? Let's go with that. Robinson tries to cradle up so Fortuna can never get both shoulders down, to which Fortuna's response appears to be to elbow him in the arse. Like legitimately, the elbow looks like it's trying to go up him.
Robinson gets some sort of crossface hold in, and the facials of Fortuna trying to get out are actually pretty funny. "Do a somersault", says a granny in the crowd. In response, Robinson flips Fortuna and stretches both arms. He then slaps on a pretty long headscissors, which Fortuna slips out about a second after realising the TV cameras show that he's not putting it on fully. Fortuna sends Robinson flying across the ring with a hip toss just as round 3 ends.
The fourth round sees Fortuna keep going for a full nelson. Robinson manages to break out, though, bounce off the ropes, and get Fortuna in a really unique pinning combination. Fortuna gets a headscissors and Robinson tries to do the handstand counter to it, so Fortuna goes for the logical solution, grabs his opponent's torso, and drives Robinson's head to the mat. That amuses the crowd, and I'm actually not hating this match. Fortuna drags Robinson all around the ring while still in the headscissors.
Robinson flips out and goes for a Boston crab, but this just leads to another series of rolling pin attempts that never gets a 1-count until it collides with the ropes.
Fortuna once again seems to be getting "over-familiar" with Robinson's backside. Robinson whips Fortuna to the ropes and then spears him against them! This is actually a match! He goes for it again but Fortuna dodges and Robinson just eats shit.
Robinson goes for a Figure Four but puts his second foot in the wrong place, and there's an awkward moment as he realises he's just scissored his own legs between Fortuna's. Once again, the referee's forced to work out what the hell's going on with these feet. And then Robinson, from his crouched position, does that Russian kicking dance!
I had no idea this was going to be a match with actual comedy in it. Fortuna attempts a Boston crab several times but is ultimately unsuccessful, as fround 4 comes to a close.
Round 5 has a great moment. They're shoving each other against the ropes, the referee tries to separate them, so Fortuna pushes the referee. He just dusts himself off in a way that gets a Genuine Smile from me. Robinson gets a dropkick, but not all of it. He then runs the ropes, screams as he realises Fortuna's dodged him, then gets briefly rolled up. Fortuna does a strange move that reminds me of Eddy Steinblock's "Pedigree" attempt. He then gets a backslide for the surprise three-count! I really thought Robinson was going to win that one on flow alone.
You know what? I actually enjoyed watching this. Was the first World of Sport match I watched just really boring or something?