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Post by elliott on Jul 26, 2023 12:55:02 GMT -5
This was Hansen's surprise debut with the promotion. He wasn't returning, he was kicking in the front door announcing his arrival He worked the NJPW tag league semi-final on 12/10/81. One of the all time holy shit moments was showing up here to 2nd Brody & Snuka I didn't realise it was so close from his last NJPW appearance. I did initially write debuting, but my inner nerdy pedant kept screaming at me that I know he worked AJPW in 1975.
Hahahahah that is VERY Fair. Yeah him showing up is one of those huge moments like Luger showing up on the first WCW Monday Nitro. As I recall the NJPW tour ended & he stuck around in Tokyo & this was a major surprise kept under wraps. NJPW got Abdullah & DIck Murdoch earlier in the year so Baba responded by going after Hansen. I'm pretty sure that's how the timeline played out. AJPW vs NJPW wrestling wars over WWF vs WCW all day
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Post by AndrewGB79 on Jul 27, 2023 10:09:35 GMT -5
Last night I intended to plan my 1982 AJPW viewing, but ended up watching them all as well. Hansen brings some real energy to the promotion.
Giant Baba vs. Stan Hansen (AJPW, PWF Heavyweight Title, 02/04/82)
This was short and a lot of fun.
Both men bump for one another more than they’d probably do for most other opponents. It helps give the match a clash of the titans feel. And it also shows that Hansen’s a top guy without diminishing Baba.
If it’d gone a bit longer and maybe some blood it could’ve been a classic.
Though it was still a great match.
****½
Stan Hansen vs. Terry Funk (AJPW, 09/11/82)
It’s the 1983 match that’s regarded as the classic, but you can’t really go wrong with these two.
And this is an entertaining match. Hansen comes off maybe a little too strong, but Funk gets his share of offense in.
And in an amazing moment, Funk’s on the outside, picks up a chair, throws it over his head into the ring, Hansen catches it, and throws it right back at him.
Not at the level you’d ideally want from them, but still a good match.
***¾
The Funks vs. Bruiser Brody & Stan Hansen (AJPW, Real World Tag League Final, 12/13/82)
If the above match was the lite version of Funk vs. Hansen then this is very much the full fat approach.
It’s intense, hard-hitting, and Brody and Hansen come off as near-unbeatable monsters. It doesn’t feel too far from a less-stabby take on the Funks vs. Abby and The Sheik.
And it was building to an all-time classic. But we get a bad finish - and a disappointing one given it’s the Tag League final - before it can hit that level.
Excellent action that just needed another 10 minutes and a clean finish.
****¾
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Post by microstatistics on Jul 27, 2023 17:17:37 GMT -5
Though I'd try some PWFG and then a random lucha match: Wayne Shamrock vs. Minoru Suzuki (PWFG, 03/04/91)
How is this not better known? The first half's a fantastic exhibition of fluid, technical grappling from both men. Then it gets heated and the action gets nastier. And the last few minutes are loaded with drama as they’re tired and doing everything they can to lock in a submission. They took the crowd from silent to red hot by the end. And I thoroughly enjoyed every second of this. Shamrock and Suzuki look world-class here. They’re aggressive, they struggle over every hold, and they've got more hair than I’m used to seeing them with. Absolute top-tier shoot-style work. *****
This sounds like an awesome find, on my watchlist it goes.
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Post by AndrewGB79 on Jul 27, 2023 19:05:07 GMT -5
This sounds like an awesome find, on my watchlist it goes. Hope you enjoy it at something close to the level I did!
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Post by AndrewGB79 on Jul 30, 2023 1:04:47 GMT -5
Continuing with World Class. Though I think I'll put it on pause for a bit as it's not hitting at the level I want for GME candidates.
Ric Flair vs. Kevin Von Erich (WCCW, NWA World Heavyweight Title, 04/01/83)
This had pretty good action throughout.
Though it is a bit lightweight and hampered by a bad finish with two ref bumps, a replacement ref, and then the original ref reversing the decision.
But Flair’s strikes are impressively vicious. I enjoyed him in his brawls against Funk and I’d like to see more of this side of him.
Solid, all-action bout.
***¾
The Fabulous Freebirds & Jimmy Garvin vs. The Von Erichs & Iceman King Parsons (WCCW, Elimination Match, 05/27/83)
I think this is the first match that definitely exists - as I just watched it - that I can’t find on Cagematch. I always like to check there to make sure the dates and stipulations are correct.
And while I was expecting a standard tag elimination format - one of my favourite match types - it was more of a battle royale - one of my least favourite.
The start’s messy with all eight men in the ring at once, but it quickly gets down to just Kerry and Kevin against Hayes and Roberts.
And it’s decent enough. But not something I’ll ever watch again.
***
Harley Race vs. Kevin Von Erich (WCCW, NWA World Heavyweight Title, 06/17/83)
A pretty good TV match.
The action was decent and picked up when Kevin injured his arm which Race immediately targeted.
But before it could really get going David comes in and gets him DQed.
Good stuff, but more an angle than proper match.
***½
The Von Erichs vs. The Fabulous Freebirds (WCCW, World Class World Six Man Tag Titles, ⅔ Falls, 07/04/83)
This had almost everything it needed to be a top-tier multiman match.
The action’s non-stop, it’s on the verge of chaos throughout, the heels cheat whenever possible, and the crowd are ridiculously hot.
What holds it back is that it’s a little basic. The action isn’t on the same level as the similar NJPW matches.
***¾
Jimmy Garvin vs. Kevin Von Erich (WCCW, NWA American Heavyweight Title, ⅔ Falls, 07/18/83)
Garvin’s a last minute replacement for Michael Hayes who hasn’t shown up.
This features some surprisingly solid grappling. Kevin impresses with his skills. Though the action stays in the good rather than great range. And, inevitably, Hayes shows up for the finish.
Some good work, but needed more substance.
***½
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Post by AndrewGB79 on Aug 3, 2023 0:59:10 GMT -5
Onto AJPW's 1983 which delivers the continuation of the Funks vs. Hansen feud and a surprise classic from Flair and Jumbo:
Terry Funk vs. Stan Hansen (AJPW, 04/14/83)
An amazing spectacle.
It’s exactly what you expect from these two. And both men are at the absolute top of their game.
The only reason I’m not giving it the full five is it was maybe a little too short and a little too one-sided in Hansen’s favour.
But other than that this was world class.
****¾
The Funks vs. Bruiser Brody & Stan Hansen (AJPW, World Tag Team League, 04/20/83)
A great match as you’d expect.
Though not as good as their bout from the previous December.
But this does have an amazing spot where Terry takes off Brody’s boot and beats him with it.
****
The Funks vs. Bruiser Brody & Stan Hansen (AJPW, World Tag Team League, 04/22/83)
I saw this on YouTube and assumed it was a date error.
But no, they had a rematch a couple of days later. I would guess it’s the final of the tag league though there’s nothing after the match to indicate it was any sort of final.
And this is more of the same. Worked a bit more even than their previous matches.
****
Ric Flair vs. Jumbo Tsuruta (AJPW, NWA World Heavyweight Title, ⅔ Falls, 06/08/83)
I skipped their 1982 match and I nearly skipped this one as well.
Would’ve been a big mistake.
As this is notably different to the other Flair matches I’ve seen from this period. It felt much closer to the NWA bouts of the 70s.
There’s more focused limb work and storytelling going on here. And it’s much, much better for it.
The first fall is an amazing match in itself. Jumbo’s got Flair’s tricks scouted and shuts him down. But Flair can dig deep and it only takes a small mistake for him to get on top.
Then in the second fall things get scrappier, bloodier, and Jumbo makes a big mistake. Both men’s selling here is excellent and it kept me on the edge of my seat.
A phenomenal piece of wrestling.
Action, psychology, storytelling, and drama, this had it all. *****
Chavo Guerrero vs. Masa Fuchi (AJPW, NWA International Junior. Heavyweight Title, 08/31/83)
I watched this just to see a younger Fuchi as I only knew him from his work in the early 90s six man tags.
And he was ok.
His work was a little sloppy, he’s no Fujinami. But Chavo impressed and Fuchi was just about able to keep up with him.
They do a good job of escalating the action. And the crowd is firmly behind Fuchi especially when they think he’s in with a chance of winning.
A pretty good juniors match.
***½
The Funks vs. Stan Hansen & Terry Gordy (AJPW, 08/31/83)
It would have been a disappointment if at least one of the Funk vs. Hansen matches hadn’t managed to hit five stars for me.
So I’m glad they did it here!
This was Terry’s first retirement match and the crowd are suitably red hot for him including a cheerleading section. Hansen seems to sell and bump a bit more here. And Gordy fits right in without missing a beat.
And this was a bit more structured than the previous tag matches. Though it’s still vicious and intense. And it provides the amazing visual of Terry, face covered in blood, throwing punches while hopping on one leg.
As a bonus, Misawa eats a vicious lariat in the post match brawl. Which started me thinking how much of how good the lariat looks is down to how Hansen throws it compared to how the recipient bumps for it.
Was he being a little gentler with the Funks as they’re older and more respected? Whereas he probably had little concern for Misawa who also helps it by selling it as if he’d been shot.
Anyway, this match is a classic and a fitting farewell to Terry Funk.
Or it would have been if it really was his farewell.
*****
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Post by AndrewGB79 on Aug 7, 2023 18:25:01 GMT -5
Time for AJPW's 1984:
Nick Bockwinkel vs. Jumbo Tsuruta (AJPW, AWA World Heavyweight Title vs. NWA International Heavyweight Title, 02/23/84)
I’ve been looking forward to watching this match for a long time.
And sadly it didn’t live up to my expectations.
Plus, I can only assume guest referee Terry Funk must have lost a bet to be wearing that suit.
The first half is armwork from Bockwinkel. It’s not all that interesting, Jumbo just lays there, and ultimately it goes nowhere.
They kick things up a gear in the second half. But it’s too little, too late to save it. Though I was surprised that in a title vs. title match we got a clean finish.
**½
Kerry Von Erich vs. Jumbo Tsuruta (AJPW, NWA World Heavyweight Title, ⅔ Falls, 05/22/1984)
This started off good and by the end was great.
The first fall was perfectly solid wrestling.
Things pick up for the second fall as Jumbo’s fired up and relentless.
And they pick up further for the third fall as now Kerry’s fired up and looking to put Jumbo away. But Jumbo viciously targets the iron claw hand.
If the first fall had a bit more fire from either of them this could’ve been a classic.
Though it was still a highly enjoyable match.
****¼
Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Rick Martel (AJPW, AWA World Heavyweight Title, 07/31/1984)
I think I’ve only ever seen Martel as the Model during his WWF run so it was interesting to see what he could do here.
And he impressed.
He matched Jumbo move for move and didn’t look out of place. The action was back-and-forth and it made for a very easy to watch match.
****¼
Tiger Mask II vs. La Fiera (AJPW, 08/26/84)
This was Misawa’s debut as the second Tiger Mask.
(And is there anything behind the alliterative names of the TMs or is it just coincidence?)
It was designed to show off what he could do. And it did just that.
Little more than a collection of spots, but it was entertaining enough.
***½
The Funks vs. Bruiser Brody & Stan Hansen (AJPW, Real World Tag League, 12/08/84)
Meltzer gave this 5 stars. The DVDVR crew left it off their best of the 80s set.
It’s safe to say I’m much closer to Meltzer’s opinion than theirs. And even if you don’t like the match, it’s an important one as Choshu and Yatsu show up to start the Ishin Gundan invasion.
But why wouldn't you like the match?
It’s exactly what you expect and want from these four.
And we get a great ending as well with Brody and Hansen beating Dory with a table. So Terry attacks them - and everyone who gets in his way - with a chain.
****½
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Post by AndrewGB79 on Aug 9, 2023 14:23:59 GMT -5
Onto AJPW's 1985:
Riki Choshu & Masa Saito vs. Genichiro Tenryu & Jumbo Tsuruta (AJPW, 02/05/85)
The work’s good, if a little basic.
But what elevates this is a great finishing stretch where everyone suddenly finds their working boots. And a red hot crowd who are incredibly eager to see Jumbo take on Choshu.
And it all makes for an action-packed, easy to watch match.
****
Killer Khan vs. Stan Hansen (AJPW, 05/14/85)
They hit each other a lot. It was perfectly decent. Nothing more.
***
Genichiro Tenryu & Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Killer Khan & Riki Choshu (AJPW, 08/02/85)
Killer Khan’s a step down from Masa Saito, but Tenryu and Jumbo up their game to compensate.
They’re both more violent and vicious than normal here. They’re starting to move from their older NWA style to what would become the King’s Road style.
Jumbo wants to put Choshu away with his own lariat but can’t because his arm’s injured. His insistence lands him in trouble, he ends up covered in blood, and this leads to a hot finishing stretch.
Another great Jumbo vs. Choshu tag match.
****
Terry Funk vs. Stan Hansen (AJPW, 08/23/1985)
You know this is going to be great when Hansen opens by picking up Funk for a slam, walking to the ropes, and throwing him out of the ring.
And though I’m not sure the work’s quite as good as their very best from the previous couple of years, this felt like the better, more complete match. As it’s wrestled more evenly. And while we still don’t get a clean finish, it’s a satisfying finish.
So I can’t really give this anything other than top marks.
*****
Ric Flair vs. Rick Martel (AJPW, AWA World Heavyweight Title vs. NWA Heavyweight Title, 10/21/1985)
They go all out for this one.
There’s technical work, brawling, bomb throwing, and blood.
Though I didn't feel like the match had an edge to it. It all felt a bit too nice, especially given it was not just title vs. title, but promotion vs. promotion.
Still a great match, but a little heat or ideally a little hatred, could have made it a classic.
****½
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Post by AndrewGB79 on Aug 10, 2023 0:48:30 GMT -5
Spent a while putting together a list of Michinoku Pro matches to watch.
And for some reason ended up filling in another gap in my RINGS viewing:
Tsuyoshi Kohsaka vs. Mikhail Ilioukhine (RINGS, World Mega Battle Tournament Second Round, 11/20/97)
This was a great grappling exhibition.
But that’s really all it was.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that. And I did enjoy it.
But their match from the following year is the must-watch.
****
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Post by AndrewGB79 on Aug 14, 2023 11:25:50 GMT -5
Onto AJPW's 1986 (plus a couple of deathmatches):
Jumbo Tsuruta & Genichiro Tenryu vs. Riki Choshu & Yoshiaki Yatsu (AJPW, NWA International Tag Titles, 01/28/86)
This benefits from an amazing crowd and atmosphere.
Which is a good thing as I didn’t think the action in the ring ever hit the level these four were capable of. It was great, but not as great as it could have been. It never quite seemed to get going, except for a quality finishing stretch.
That said, this was still a highly entertaining match.
****¼
Jumbo Tsuruta & Genichiro Tenryu vs. Riki Choshu & Yoshiaki Yatsu (AJPW, NWA International Tag Titles, 02/05/86)
Now this is the match I wanted from them.
It’s more vicious, more intense, and the action’s better.
****¾
Tiger Mask II, Jumbo Tsuruta & Genichiro Tenryu vs. Riki Choshu, Kuniaki Kobayashi & Yoshiaki Yatsu (AJPW, 06/05/86)
A fun, lightweight match with everyone getting a chance to shine.
Though it does build a bit of heat at the end between Tenryu and Choshu. Including a spot I can’t recall seeing before. Tenryu whips Chushu into the ropes, but before he can come back, Kobayahsi grabs him round the waist stopping him.
Fun stuff.
***¼
Masa Fuchi vs. Hiro Saito (AJPW, AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Title League Match, 06/12/86)
Considering this was a junior match it was less Liger vs. Sasuke and more Funk vs. Abby.
Saito attacks Fuchi before he even makes it to the ring. Fuchi’s ear’s bleeding and Saito targets it relentlessly.
It’s maybe a little too repetitive for me to call it a great match. But I did enjoy it. And Fuchi’s selling and comeback were great.
***½
Riki Choshu vs. Killer Khan (AJPW, Deathmatch, 07/31/86)
You know this is going to be something special just from the way Khan stares at Choshu after he takes his entrance gear off.
And it is. It’s an excellent clash of the titans match.
It’s simple, intense, bloody, and dramatic. It plays perfectly to both men’s strengths while avoiding their weaknesses.
This might just be my favourite of this type of match.
*****
Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Stan Hansen (AJPW, NWA International Heavyweight Title, 10/21/86)
I was ready to be a little disappointed by this, but it ended up massively exceeding my expectations.
It starts out like a 70s title match. Hansen’s cautious as he knows he can’t steamroll Tsuruta. And when he tries, Tsuruta matches him strike for strike. So he brings the bodypart work instead.
Then when Tsuruta starts his comeback the match changes into a violent, blood-soaked brawl.
I thought both parts of this were amazing. Hansen’s bodypart work was top-notch. Not as technical as a Brisco or Robinson type, but varied and vicious. Then when they both end up covered in blood it becomes dramatic and intense.
Maybe not an absolute top-tier match for either man, but considering their work that’s not really a knock, and it does more than enough to get the full five from me.
*****
Jumbo Tsuruta & Genichiro Tenryu vs. Riki Choshu & Yoshiaki Yatsu (AJPW, NWA International Tag Titles, 10/27/86)
Similar to their February match.
It’s heated and vicious.
But it just needed a little something extra - and ideally a better finish - to get to five stars.
****¾
Terry Gordy vs. Killer Khan (WCCW, Texas Deathmatch, 11/22/84)
I said I’d finished with World Class, but it turns out I lied.
This was the top-voted 80s WCCW match over at DVDVR and given how much I enjoyed Khan’s match against Choshu I thought I’d give it a go.
And it started off well with quality, intense action. But it ended far too early, just as it was really picking up steam and on its way to being a classic.
****¼
Shuji Ishikawa vs. Masashi Takeda (BJW, BJW Deathmatch Title, BloodRayne Deathmatch, 06/30/13)
This started out on the sluggish side and I was worried it was going to be no good.
But slowly and steadily the violence ramped up. And before too long both men were bumping big and covered in blood.
It made for an impressive spectacle and some of the bumps were wince-inducing. But it needed more energy and urgency. Especially in the first half. Though it was still a must-watch for any deathmatch fan.
Though I’ve still got no idea what a BloodRayne deathmatch actually is.
****½
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Post by AndrewGB79 on Aug 16, 2023 21:05:26 GMT -5
Onto AJPW's 1987, not exactly a banner year for match quality unless I'm missing some, but it looks like things pick up massively for the last two years of the decade.
And as my list was getting close to 100 matches I removed all the 4.5 star matches so now it's only 5 and 4.75 star matches.
Jumbo Tsuruta & Genichiro Tenryu vs. Riki Choshu & Yoshiaki Yatsu (AJPW, NWA International Tag Titles, 01/24/87)
This was full of quality action.
It didn’t quite hit the level of their best matches from the previous year, but there’s still plenty to enjoy here.
****½
Jumbo Tsuruta & Genichiro Tenryu vs. Riki Choshu & Yoshiaki Yatsu (AJPW, NWA International Tag Titles, 02/05/87)
This was a great match.
But at the same time it felt a bit like they were just going through the motions. So it probably was the right time for Choshu to head back to New Japan.
Especially as by this point Tsuruta and Tenryu had not only taken the best elements of Choshu’s style, but they’d surpassed him.
****
Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Genichiro Tenryu (AJPW, 08/31/87)
This started off like it was going to be an all-time classic.
The crowd’s red hot, Jumbo couldn't show any more disdain for Tenryu, and the early exchanges are excellent. They’re blocking each other's moves and struggling to hit their bombs. It feels like a precursor to the big 90s matches.
But instead of building from there, it fades. And the finish was ugly.
A promising start to the feud.
****¼
Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Genichiro Tenryu (AJPW, 10/06/87)
This was similar to the above but not as good.
And an even worse finish that made it look like no one knew what was going on.
Still a good match, but not really acceptable from these two.
***½
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Post by AndrewGB79 on Aug 21, 2023 23:43:55 GMT -5
Now onto AJPW's 1988. A pretty good year for the promotion.
Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Tiger Mask II (AJPW, Fierce Tiger Seven Game Trial Series Seventh Match, 03/09/88)
The headlock match!
TM realises he can’t go toe-to-toe with Jumbo. So he decides to wear the big man down by keeping him in a headlock.
While the headlock work’s not all that interesting it does make sense.
And it leads into a red hot finishing stretch where Tiger throws everything but the kitchen sink at him.
****¼
Stan Hansen vs. Genichiro Tenryu (AJPW, PWF Heavyweight Title vs. NWA United National Title, 03/09/88)
Less a match of two halves and more a match of two wrestlers.
Hansen wants to put on a great match. He’s as relentless and violent as you want from him.
Whereas Tenryu phones it in. He doesn’t put any effort into his selling or offense. So it’s amazing that this is still a great match. Hansen’s single-minded brutality elevates it far above the norm, making it one to watch.
****
Jumbo Tsuruta, Great Kabuki & Takashi Ishikawa vs. Ashura Hara, Toshiaki Kawada & Ricky Fuyuki (AJPW, 03/11/1988)
At first I thought I’d picked a zero-effort house show match to watch.
The announcer tries to get through the names as quickly as possible. And as they’re being announced the wrestlers barely acknowledged it.
But that couldn’t have been further from the case.
The action starts off good, but things quickly move up the gears when Fuyuki makes the mistake of repeatedly low-blowing Jumbo. He’s targeted for a vicious beating and the action never cools off.
Unless I’ve missed one, this looks like the first high-end 6-man tag from AJPW.
And thankfully it’s far from the last.
****½
Stan Hansen vs. Genichiro Tenryu (AJPW, PWF Heavyweight Title vs. NWA United National Title, 03/27/88)
This is the match their previous bout should have been.
Hansen brings the violence. Tenryu brings his A-game this time. And he also starts with a cut above his eye and soon it’s pouring blood.
A weak finish is the only reason this didn’t get the full five.
****¾
Toshiaki Kawada & Ricky Fuyuki vs. Shunji Takano & Shinichi Nakano (AJPW, All Asia Tag Titles, 07/19/88) This was solid, but nothing special to start with.
Then Fuyuki attempts a crossbody, hits raised knees, and plays face in peril.
And the action immediately picks up. Takano and Nakano do a great job at controlling him and keeping it exciting. Then they take everything up another step for a great finishing stretch.
A really fun tag match.
****
Genichiro Tenryu vs. Stan Hansen (AJPW, PWF Heavyweight Title & NWA United National Title, 07/27/88)
More of the same from these two.
Hansen’s relentless. Tenryu’s trying to survive.
Not quite as intense as their previous match, but benefits from a better finish.
****½
Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshiaki Yatsu vs. Ashura Hara & Genichiro Tenryu (AJPW, AJPW World Tag Titles, 08/29/88)
The first half felt a little aimless, but the action was good.
Things really pick up when Hara and Tenryu focus on Jumbo’s leg. As there’s a clear story and it makes the action much more meaningful.
Then the action further ramps up for a red hot finishing stretch.
If only they’d have a rematch where they fix the faults with this and I think they’d have a classic…
****¼
Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshiaki Yatsu vs. Ashura Hara & Genichiro Tenryu (AJPW, AJPW World Tag Titles, 08/30/88)
And here is that rematch from the very next day.
It’s more intense, more violent, and more focused.
And it’s everything you want from these four.
A classic All Japan tag match.
*****
Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Genichiro Tenryu (AJPW, 10/28/88) Though I’m still waiting for the classic singles match between these two.
The action’s great, neither man is holding back here. Jumbo in particular seems to be channeling his inner Hansen and lands some amazing looking strikes.
But he was far too dominant, taking most of the match until the back-and-forth for the finish.
****
Genichiro Tenryu & Toshiaki Kawada vs. Stan Hansen & Terry Gordy (AJPW, AJPW World Tag Titles & Real World Tag League Final, 12/16/88)
Just from looking at who’s involved you can probably imagine how this one’s going to play out.
And you’d be right.
But even with the predictability of Kawada being the weak link, this is still a classic match.
It tells a great story - Kawada’s downfall isn’t that Hansen targets his leg, it’s that he makes the insane decision to get revenge on the Texan, so Hansen ends him. Then Tenryu’s left the unenviable task of taking on the two big men by himself.
And the action’s a little more basic than the August World Tag Titles classic, but it’s still intense and hard-hitting.
Top-notch tag team action and storytelling.
*****
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Post by fxnj on Aug 22, 2023 11:02:11 GMT -5
Glad you dug Tenryu/Hansen. I never got why people went nuts for Hansen/Colon but ignored that series.
The psychology around the headlock in Tiger/Jumbo is interesting to me. I think if you watch Tiger/Kabuki beforehand it comes across more as him trying to prove he has it in him to keep Jumbo in a headlock than just using it to wear Jumbo down, which makes that section of the match more compelling.
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Post by AndrewGB79 on Aug 22, 2023 12:22:36 GMT -5
Glad you dug Tenryu/Hansen. I never got why people went nuts for Hansen/Colon but ignored that series. I'm yet to see the Colon matches. I'll get to them after I finish the decade with All Japan. Though I'd be surprised if they're as good as his work here because from what I've seen Colon's not exactly on the same level as the likes of Funk, Tenryu, or Jumbo. Thanks for the context.
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Post by AndrewGB79 on Aug 25, 2023 2:06:15 GMT -5
I had to watch something to mark Terry Funk's passing:
Hiroshi Ono & Terry Funk vs. Nobutaka Araya & Shoji Nakamaki (IWA, Hair vs. Hair, No Ropes Barbed Wire Fire Deathmatch, 11/13/94)
A pretty amazing spectacle.
With almost all of it due to Terry Funk.
He picks up a flaming rag and runs at Nakamaki with it, he hits the flaming lanterns with a chair making for a great visual, and he gets the win by piledriving Nakamaki into fire.
But outside of his shenanigans it’s nothing special.
***½
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