Baba/Dory vs. Jumbo/Tenryu (AJPW - 12/12/1985)

What the hell. I watched the match from 1983 between these teams and thought that these teams had a much better match in them, but this match easily made up for that disappointment and far exceeded my expectations. It has to be on the short list of best matches from 1985. Compared to 1983, Baba has slowed down slightly but this blows away that match in every other facet. Dory looks motivated from the beginning, both teams have much better synergy, Tenryu feels more mature as a performer, the crowd/venue is way better, and the match has a MUCH more thoughtful layout. It's made even more fun by how all 4 guys are clearly having a great time from start to finish, including one camera shot of Jumbo in a Baba headlock where he can't hold back his smile. It's a slow burn match with the first half mostly devoted to establishing the roles in play. Dory is the wise old man with loads of tricks up his sleeve, Jumbo is the student wanting to show he's surpassed his masters, Tenryu doesn't care about respecting his elders, and Baba is just doing lovable Baba things. Once things get going we're treated to some incredible near falls, which have some very creative setups that go beyond the usual "guy hits big move while his partner tries to stop interference." It also develops the themes established in the first half with Tenryu getting pissed off at Baba and Baba having to resort to some vaguely underhanded things to stay ahead of the youngsters.