| 1 | 16.05.2025 | LUKI-na-no-daaa | 9.0 | What I find so amazing about this match is not the archaisms- though they exist- but how much did NOT change over the past 73 years. Here, in a time before rock n' roll existed(! ) we find the roots of oudou, of u-style, even little hints of the coming junior heavyweight style! Lou Thesz was a colossal influence on Japanese wrestling, and you see it here over and over again. We also get an absolute masterclass in how to be a heel without being a cartoon character. As the match progresses, Lou really ups the cheap shots, and the partisan Chicago crowd hates him for it. Indeed, pretty much everything that needs to accelerate and intensify does so in this match down to the very last second when Verne just plain runs out of time. It's a pity so much of the first fall is missing from extant footage, but what does exist should be watched. It's black and white, it's shot with a single camera, but it's almost creepy how fresh the match feels. And as a nice bonus, the Dumont play-by-play guy is quite entertaining. |
| 2 | 27.04.2025 | Scarletsound | 10.0 | I guess the holds are too much for some people but I could watch these two apply holds to eachother for years, its just a true thing of beauty and drama and it conveys their personalities strongly as well. Maybe the best wrestling I have ever seen. |
| 3 | 02.12.2024 | SlowUnsteady | 9.0 | |
| 4 | 10.11.2024 | cal9099 | 7.0 | I respect the stamina of both men and Thesz was getting great heel heat at times, however I don't think this is a classic. Good for the time but I don't think it holds up given there's just too many rest holds. They built the drama well and the time limit draw worked as Thesz was nearly beaten, but as I often have with Thesz matches there just wasn't quite enough dynamism for me. ***3/4 |
| 5 | 02.11.2024 | onionknight | 8.0 | |
| 6 | 27.10.2024 | tommyyy1714 | 8.0 | |
| 7 | 27.10.2024 | NiesamowitePL | 9.0 | |
| 8 | 20.10.2024 | WilliamAllen | 8.0 | |
| 9 | 23.09.2024 | GonzoAppreciator | 8.0 | |
| 10 | 13.09.2024 | wingedeagle | 8.0 | |
| 11 | 27.07.2024 | exmansbroboy | 9.0 | |
| 12 | 04.07.2024 | Wrestling Forever | 9.0 | Dieses NWA World Heavyweight Title Best Two Out Of Three Falls Match ist einfach wieder Lehrmaterial für die heutige Wrestling Generation und die was sich für solche Matches interessieren werden das sicher machen. Leider ist das Title Match nicht komplett zu sehen. Da es wieder so selten ist waren ja die 50er und wie damals man Matches mit der Kamera aufnahm kann ich nicht erwähnen ist sicher viel Material verloren gegangen. Ich gebe hier (****1/2). |
| 13 | 09.06.2024 | Liam Miyahara | 7.0 | |
| 14 | 07.06.2024 | chaqudemus | 7.0 | |
| 15 | 07.06.2024 | JerryVonK | 10.0 | |
| 16 | 09.05.2024 | msteyn10 | 8.0 | Very good match with a lot of technical work done in an very realistic style. It was great to see Thesz and Gagne at their prime. |
| 17 | 04.05.2024 | ElPollo257 | 9.0 | Decided to watch this match on a whim after realizing I'd never seen a Lou Thesz or Verne Gagne match and I can safely say that was a good decision. This is a masterclass in a match ratcheting up in intensity as it goes on, with Thesz taking increasingly brazen cheapshots at Gagne as the match goes on and Gagne becoming more aggressive as he toes the line between wrestling an honorable contest and beating his frustration onto Thesz. The two men are excellent grapplers, making an extended headlock spot seem like a true battle of wills and making the most out of every single reversal, a high point being Thesz ending that torturous headlock from Gagne with a thunderous backdrop. Thesz really does his job of playing the dishonorable heel, making it so that by the second half of the match I'm popping for every single time Gagne gains the advantage or gets out of a particularly close fall. And judging by the front row clutching their pearls at these near falls, I'm not alone in that sentiment, Gagne and Verne working the live crowd like a fiddle so that when Gagne finally traps Thesz in the Sleeper in the middle of the ring, the crowd erupts. The only reason I don't give this the full 10 is the time limit draw ending didn't quite hit as hard as a straight up Gagne victory would have, though perhaps that's the experience viewing this match in isolation to the history that surrounds it. All in all, a fantastic match that despite its relative simplicity compared to the more bombastic styles of the 2020's still managed to elicit an incredibly strong reaction from me, as I cheered for Gagne to win it all until the very last bell. |
| 18 | 19.04.2024 | SZ1989 | 10.0 | One of the finest examples of professional wrestling that exists on film. Verne Gagne and Lou Thesz were masters of their craft. This match is an example of what happens when put two wrestling geniuses with legitimate skills in the same ring and tell them to work a masterpiece. It's not too different from something like Kohsaka vs Tamura, although both have huge stylistic differences. This isn't a shoot-style match, but you can tell both are real shooters from the way they work and they combine that with traditional babyface-heel dynamics perfectly. 1950s wrestling doesn't rely on fast mat work, but these two pull you into the struggle, and certain holds have a lot of emphasis on how difficult they can be to escape from. Thesz takes the first fall after wearing down Gagne and pinning him after a huge backdrop suplex. Gagne comes back with some babyface fire in the second round and scores the second fall after he catches Thesz with a sleeperhold. Getting Thesz in a sleeperhold must have been a huge deal then, and the crowd reacts accordingly. The third fall never comes as the two work to a time-limit draw. The finish isn't ideal, but it doesn't drag things down as these two were working around political limitations in all likelihood. In any case, this is a tremendous match and we are lucky to have this on footage. High-end ****3/4 |
| 19 | 03.04.2024 | BStin92 | 8.0 | For a 70+ year old match it was a very engaging technical match. Everything looks tight and legitimate. Has a few periods where the rest holds are a little long but considering the finish and time period it works well. Lou Thesz does a great job playing the heel, stalling and doing the little things to get the crowd behind Verne. Gagne is also very impressive with his athleticism for the time and the crowd was really behind him. |
| 20 | 17.03.2024 | rainmakerpunk | 9.0 | |
| 21 | 11.03.2024 | 12AMercenary | 8.0 | |
| 22 | 29.02.2024 | bulO4KA | 7.0 | |
| 23 | 27.02.2024 | ET87 | 10.0 | The earliest example we have of a classic 2/3 fall World Title match. This was in front of 10, 974 Chicago fans, helped establish Gagne as a nationwide contender for the belt, and a perennial headliner. Verne is the most impressive wrestler I've seen from the 50s footage, and this was the peak of it. Fantastic match. |
| 24 | 01.02.2024 | boymeetsworld | 9.0 | |
| 25 | 25.01.2024 | John Soul | 9.0 | |
| 26 | 24.12.2023 | PEW565 | 8.0 | |
| 27 | 13.11.2023 | AidanArcher | 10.0 | |
| 28 | 12.10.2023 | MrRaider959 | 10.0 | |
| 29 | 09.09.2023 | Ahmed2003 | 10.0 | |
| 30 | 17.07.2023 | Immortan Scott | 10.0 | This match is older than my parents and it's better than a lot of matches from today. What a workhorse Lou Thesz was. |
| 31 | 08.06.2023 | onibaba | 8.0 | |
| 32 | 07.06.2023 | BrokenV | 10.0 | |
| 33 | 04.03.2023 | flightaker321 | 8.0 | This match is 7 decades old so the fact that I thought it was any good at all is impressive. There are a lot of holds in this one but all of their wrestling exchanges look good, and at least when they go to apply the holds both men make it look like a struggle. Thesz plays a great heel with him taking cheap shots here and there. This rallies the crowd behind Gagne, and also builds up to Gagne scoring a fall off the sleeper which was really good and also got a huge ovation. This does drag a little bit, and most definitely isn't a Sprint but definitely worth checking out.***3/ |
| 34 | 22.02.2023 | No One | 10.0 | |
| 35 | 30.12.2022 | sion316 | 7.0 | |
| 36 | 31.10.2022 | Etai | 7.0 | |
| 37 | 29.10.2022 | RedShow | 7.0 | |
| 38 | 01.09.2022 | conker8 | 10.0 | |
| 39 | 21.07.2022 | OneOfTheBeatles | 10.0 | Loved the match. The build-up to the second fall is masterful. The crowd was really pulling for Gagne to win. Would prefer if the match had a winner, but at least there was a story of Gagne beating Thesz if only he had more time. |
| 40 | 22.06.2022 | jameswarrington19901 | 9.0 | |
| 41 | 16.02.2022 | Geo93 | 8.0 | Lou Thesz playing the heel this time against Verne Gagne, the younger wrestler who the crowd is definitely behind. Thesz gets a lot of heat in this match and Verne keeps going for that sleeper (the crowd exploding everytime he almost gets it). A great match from the old days of wrestling. |
| 42 | 25.10.2021 | lukeless | 8.0 | Great old school match. The headlock by Verne was worked for too long but Thesz's heeling is so good. |
| 43 | 02.09.2021 | texasyosh | 8.0 | |
| 44 | 19.06.2021 | AndoCommando | 8.0 | Really great match from the 50s. Everything's gritty and grounded in the technical side of wrestling, all while conveying a dramatic sense of struggle over the course of the match. Thesz as NWA champion makes great use of some subtle heel work in the early going. All the cheap shots between rope breaks and stalling seem accidental at first, but gradually pile up to where it's not just a coincidence. This all serves to shift any fans of his in the crowd to rally behind the challenger, with Gagne eager to get his hands on him. Gagne works remarkably well as a lively babyface for such a long match; engaging when fighting from behind and exciting as he's ripping into the champion. It's definitely more a marathon than a sprint, but I can't say it wasn't earned by both these guys here. **** |
| 45 | 07.03.2021 | Real Deal JRH | 7.0 | Truly a hidden gem of a match that is worth seeking out. This match was a great technically sound affair with a great mix of holds and quick fluid movement. The spry 25 year old Verne Gagne truly is the biggest highlight of the match, with his true babyface fire all the way until the end when Thesz just escapes at the time limit. Rating - *** 1/2 |
| 46 | 04.02.2021 | Caas | 9.0 | |
| 47 | 30.01.2021 | Headdrop | 7.0 | I've never been a huge fan of Verne Gagne, admittedly, but Thesz brings something incredible out of him. One of the best matches of this era. |
| 48 | 18.01.2021 | MagnusD | 7.0 | Pretty good match for the era, though perhaps one too many rest holds. Its to be expected in a match this long though and indeed from this era, but it is still a really interesting match and worth your time. |
| 49 | 03.01.2021 | Makai Club | 9.0 | I was surprised by how easy it was to watch it. No adjustment period whatsoever. It honestly wouldn't be out of place if you put this on random show today. Loved Thesz being the classic NWA champion, being the subtle heel, doing the little things to get the crowd to turn against him and into Gagne. The grappling was exceptional too. Everything was tight as a vice, rough and gritty. The counters and cuts offs were done really well and the timing of everything was spot on. A few uninteresting bits here and there but generally really engaging. Great stuff. ****1/4 |
| 50 | 06.08.2020 | Joshieboy010 | 7.0 | Fun match, with a lot of great moments and the crowd is massively behind the baby face Gagne. The match can drag in some points with a lot of rest holds. |
| 51 | 14.07.2020 | Mizzle Assault Ant | 10.0 | Another fantastic old match well worth digging up, allows you to appreciate the classic talents of both Thesz and Verne Gagne, the latter of whom shows incredible longevity when you realize he was great this early in the 50s and went all the way to the early 80s. |
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