Jesse "The Body" Ventura vs. "Mr. USA" Tony Atlas-Part 3/3

[Klownfist]

I also was there... the actual date of this was May 22, 1982... I still have the original program I bought at the Spectrum for a whopping $2.00... A very exciting night that was..It was also the Spectrum debut of one Superfly Snuka vs. Pedro Morales for the IC title...Bob Backlund Vs Cowboy Bob Orton,Putski Vs Adonis, Blackjack Mulligan Vs Steve Travis... those were the days...

[JIMMYLINE]

@Klownfist Thanks for the comment! I actually uploaded ALL of the matches your mentioned in this post. They are on youtube. :)

[Klownfist]

@JIMMYLINE hey do you have the Feb 20, 1982 card from the Spectrum... Backlund Vs Ventura, Putski Vs Killer Khan, 6 man tag Andre,Martel,Garea vs Fugi Saito and albano, Morales vs Valentine...dying to find this card matches

[JIMMYLINE]

@Klownfist No I do not, but would be very interested in seeing the Ventura vs. Backlund match. Not sure how to obtain it.

[rtydhg9q]

Jesse the Body, the real Govinator. That guy out in Cali is just an actor, whereas Jesse.....Oh, wait. Nevermind.

[dmect2207]

I was at this match as well, 3rd row to the right of the commentators table. This is back when wrestling was still good. I got blood on my hand from touch Tony when he got out the ring, pretty cool at the time..haha

[JIMMYLINE]

@dmect2207 that is a very cool story!

[dmect2207]

I was at this card too, I was 14. It was an awesome night and it was back when wrestling "seemed" more genuine. I was in the third row and when Tony Atlas climbed out the ring I touched him and got blood on my hand. It was awesome then.

[dmect2207]

I was at this card too, I was 14. It was an awesome night and it was back when wrestling "seemed" more genuine.

[wrestle2uk]

Awesome cruel performance from Ventura

[Carloscda40]

You could see Tony cutting himself.

3:12 you see Ventura put his blade back in his trunks. You also see him telling Tony the next move.

[bcgabba1970]

is this ventura's first wwf appearance? i believe he went back to the awa after this for a short time.

[JIMMYLINE]

this was Ventura's first run in the WWF...yes, it was. He had a feud with Backlund for the WWF championship too. Then, he left for AWA, and returned in 1984/5 to the WWF. Vince McMahon introduced him on "Superstars" in 1984/5 as making his "Debut," when in fact it was not.

[dafrog491]

I love the directing, I feel like im watching an action movie. Wrestling used to be great with badass men like macho man-hulk hogan-Jesse Ventura. Now its uncommon to see any form of chest hair...to old school for my own good, and im only 18.

[MidnightRiderEddros1]

I was at this card.....I was 15 and it was such a thrill to see the 2 in a steel cage. 4th row from ringside....thanks for the great post!

[JIMMYLINE]

can you see yourself in this video?????? I have all 3 parts posted..I bet you didn't realize that you were looking at one of the most famous pro wrestlers in the world (25 years later!)

[crcracker1]

great post, too bad the Spectrum is going to be torn down.

[stan4900]

So what any time aney wrestler. Wrestler Dick the Burser. If he lost the match the other Wrestler would run from the ring out of fear that he would be beat unconcious.

[AntietamCollect]

Thanks for posting! I was at this match!

[JIMMYLINE]

cool! did you ever think you were looking at the former governor of Minnesota?

[AntietamCollect]

Of course not! But, years later, as I was driving from Atlantic City, NJ I was passed by a nice car (a Lincoln Continental, I think) with darkened windows, and a personalized Minnesota license plate that read "The Body." I always knew that Ventura was a native of Minnesota (I think Rick Flair is too), but never in a million years thought I would hear about him outside the wrestling circle. I wonder if it was Mr. Immoral Minority himself?

[JIMMYLINE]

excellent story! I lived in Minneapolis for 4 years, and Jesse was a common joe up there. When he was mayor of Brooklyn Park, MN I asked my friend to "show me his house." Well, we drove to his house--and my friend pulled into his driveway up to his garage!! I freaked out. He says to me, "this is it!" I said "what the heck are you doing?" his house was just a normal house in a neighborhood. There were no cars in his driveway, so I couldn't tell what he drove, but he had a normal house.

[aj31313]

Damn ,  he hit Tony Atlas in the teticles

[eatpigsnot]

i was a 15 yr old mark @ this match, this is when it was so good. the announcers are Dick Graham and Kal Rudman, and as far as i know only announced the Philly shows on Prism. i now live 2500 miles away from Spectrum, but this is the kind of wrestling i miss. anything until Backlund lost (Dec '83) was worth watching

[toyotas2006]

Tony didn't sell that atomic drop very well

Ten seconds later, he was over the cage like a hurdler!

Jesse was shocked!

[destronia123]

It hate those cage matches where the goal is to escape the cage rather than score a pin or submission. They don't get either wrestler over.

[JIMMYLINE]

I've heard it argued that this type of win also implied the winner was "running" from their opponent--making them seem cowardly. The NWA allowed pins in the cage as did other promotions. The WWF (as you can see) did not. For what reasons I don't know. But, point being, you're not the first to think this way. Many others share your insight.

[elcapitano75]

Its a blast to watch these old school matches. Thx!

[HAKALOOGY]

oh good you got it on here cool,,,

[Tommygun1028]

yeah, i just recently bought a DVD w/this match and was amazed how great a cage match this was. It was an exciting match and to see 2 guys I never see bleed like Atlas & Ventura a bloody mess made it even better. It's always the same guys you see on here like Flair, Hogan, Rhodes always bleeding. This was a real treat! Thanks for uploading. Do you have Mr. Fuji bleeding in any matches? lol

[JIMMYLINE]

No, I have none of Mr. Fuji bleeding. I wish I did!

[Tommygun1028]

I love these announcers.

one of the most surprising blade moves I ever saw was Salvatore Bellomo. He was busted open by Mr. Fuji during at battle royal i was at, at the Meadowlands in 1984

[JIMMYLINE]

I have only ever seen one jobber blade--and I can't even remember his name! It was against Tully Blanchard in the NWA, when he was pushing his "taped fist" matches. Actually, Tully bladed him. When Lanny Poffo was an upper-card jobber in the WWF (before his "genious" gimmick) I saw him blade in a battle royal that was aired on SNME. But, to see a jobber blade was very rare. I never would have thought Bellomo would do that, but hey--there's a first for everything!

[photonicus]

Great vid!Never seen Jesse covered in so much

blood.Almost looked like he was gonna beat

down those announcers towards the end!

[JIMMYLINE]

Yeah, was not known as a "bleeder." But when he bladed, he really bled like a hemophiliac in a barbed wire factory.