THE PWI PICKS
So, with the first ever PWI Matches of the Year, we've got two I can't really properly consider. In January '72, Bruno Sammartino finishes first in a battle royal held in Los Angeles. It's a bit of a non-starter, because as far as I know, no footage of this match exists, and even if it did, I don't enjoy battle royals to any incredible extent, especially battle royals from this era. For an example of a battle royal from this year, see this:
It's not bad. In fact, in comparison to the average battle royal in the present day this is pretty phenomenal. But, man, I can't stand the meandering. (Also, full disclosure, I can't identify, like, any of these guys, and I'd be really fascinated with anyone who really could identify every wrestler here.)
So, as far as what I know about this match, apparently Mike LeBelle held a 22-man battle royal every year. According to a poster at Wrestling Classics, the structure of this event was that various wrestlers competed in singles matches, before eventually competing in the actual battle royal. In that thread, wrestling historian Steve Yohe seems to report that the event was just alright. (Steve Yohe wrestled a bear, he knows what he's talking about.)
So for 1972 I'm kind of stuck with the PWI pick, which means...I guess I'm going to have to burn through a bunch of 1972 matches to find a pick. The first flight of matches will be something like a solid five-hour chunk of wrestling.
Meanwhile, in May of '73, Harley Race picks up his first world championship in his career off of Dory Funk Jr. For this match I was actually able to find some footage from the third fall. Obviously, it's not the entire match, but from what I can tell...no, I probably wouldn't call it match of the year. There's some good stuff, but if this footage is to be believed, the match could occasionally be fairly anemic. The finish gets a good reaction, though, and obviously it's Harley Race's first world title, so I could be wrong.
Still, I'm rejecting this one. I don't agree with PWI's 1973 pick even a little bit. Maybe I'll find a suitable replacement.
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