Bruno Sammartino vs Ivan Koloff (WWWF, 12-15-1975)

WWWF at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

Sammartino No. 2! Bruno had actually lost the WWWF title to Koloff back in 1971, ending his first reign as champion, when Koloff was used to pass the belt to Pedro Morales. This is a steel cage match, with Bruno defending the title again.

David Bixenspan said on Twitter today, “WWE style cage matches, with escape rules, exist solely because they perfectly fit Bruno Sammartino’s in-ring persona. That he would beat the heel from pillar to post, then leave them in a bloody heap as he was able to exit the cage unimpeded, disgusted yet triumphant. The reason that WWE escape rules cage matches rarely worked past, say, 1980 is that they worked uniquely well for Bruno Sammartino…and nobody else. It’s no coincidence that most of the best ’80s WWF cage matches include Bruno.”

Koloff attacks Bruno as soon as Sammartino enters the cage, but Bruno fights him off and sends him crashing into the steel cage. Punches in the corner, then Koloff whipped to the other side where he hits the buckles hard. Sammartino with a bunch of knees and punches, rams Koloff’s head into the turnbuckle, then into the cage.

Koloff whipped to the ropes, he hits face-first and bounces off the cage. Sammartino just mauling “The Russian Bear,” as Vince notes that Koloff was favored coming into this match. But Sammartino is just destroying him.

Koloff finally lands a kick to the midsection, his first offense of the match. And then Bruno is sent crashing into the cage. Forearm, kick, Sammartino back down. Bruno puts his foot up to block a run into the cage, and sends Koloff back off it again. Big forearm drops Koloff.

Stomp to the back of the head from Sammartino. Koloff comes back. Sammartino comes back. The flow of old wrestling didn’t always make the sense it does now, when the flow of wrestling matches is often criticized largely because things move too fast.

Koloff tries to climb out of the cage — it’s escape rules — but Sammartino doesn’t let him. More of Koloff getting his head rammed into the cage. Not going down. Just absorbing the punishment. Koloff gets a foot up in the corner, knocks Bruno down, and immediately goes to climb again. Koloff drops a knee to the gut from the top rope. Koloff busted open now.

They fight some more. Sammartino with a kick to the stomach, then back to the cage for Koloff. Koloff charges, misses, and flies into the cage. People fuckin love it. Back to the cage again on teh other side. Then back to the cage. Then back to the cage. Koloff still not falling. Let’s try it again. How about another Irish whip to the corner? Sure.

Koloff randomly decides to climb again with Sammartino just fine below him, so Sammartino yanks him down again. Right hands from Bruno, then he rams Koloff’s head into the ringpost. Sammartino stepping on Koloff’s head and grinding his boot in, real kinky shit. Koloff sent into the other ring post and the cage some more. Koloff really busted open now.

He’s down and bloodied, and Sammartino walks across the ring. He looks back, raises his fist, and exits the cage door for the win.

Rating: 2.5/5. It’s short enough (about 10 minutes) to not be laborious, but it’s your standard repetitive, overly simple match of the time and place. I give crowds a lot of weight, and this one is certainly into the match, but they can’t carry Koloff getting his head rammed into the cage 48,000 times in a row.