[1990-06-05-AJPW-Super Power Series] Jumbo Tsuruta vs Terry Gordy

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Childs]

I know it's semi-blasphemous to criticize Terry Gordy, but he rarely strikes me as a great singles wrestler. I wouldn't say he did anything wrong here. His lariats and power moves looked perfectly credible as he went toe-to-toe against Jumbo. He just didn't do anything to put a real stamp on what was supposed to be a huge win for him. I think that came across in the reaction from the Chiba crowd, which seemed thrown off when he put Jumbo away. Some of the blame goes to Jumbo as well. He didn't show any great desperation to hold onto his belt. A Triple Crown change should at least be match of the night, but I thought Doc-Hansen was easily better than this.

[Loss]

Fundamentally sound, but lifeless. Jumbo drops the Triple Crown to Gordy, and it seems like a pretty uneventful switch. It's not a match I can point to and say specific things are wrong with it. Jumbo even survives the hot shot. I think the bigger issue is that it didn't really rise to the occasion.

[PeteF3]

Definitely listless, if you can describe two guys really smacking each other with some of the strikes and lariats as "listless." This borders on indy 2.9-ness at times, and I didn't quite buy Gordy's comebacks nor did I buy the finish. I mean, I SHOULD buy a DDT as a one-shot kill, but this is AJPW where that move isn't a Jake Roberts-level knockout. The AJPW announcer loses his shit after the 3-count and this had to be seen as a pretty major upset, so that and the post-match celebration with Doc were nice. I was particularly amused by a contingent of Japanese fans proudly holding up a Confederate flag.

[Ditch]

Both guys run through their (remarkably similar) movesets so Gordy does something different (DDT) and wins.

[soup23]

Since we got the food analogy thread, this felt like the wrestling equivalent of chicken fingers. Serviceable but uncreative and unmemorable. My favorite section was Jumbo surviving the hot shot and the celebration at the end with some Japanese fan having a rebel flag.

[shoe]

The body of the match was just there. Nothing offensive just not really going anywhere. The finish built up some steam and got me into the bout at the end.

[Kevin Ridge]

Misawa hanging out in the back watching the match. He even gets interviewed as match is going on. Seems very unlike AJPW to not have the full focus on the match itself. Gordy wins with a DDT! Was expecting the Powerbomb a few moves before hand to be the finish. Thought it was alright but figured be a better match. The length of match is noticeable to future Triple Crown match times.

[jasch]

Someone here can smarten me up, did Gordy at least win a bunch of big matches with the DDT to build to this?

[Cox]

This started slow, and I thought it would eventually build into something, but instead Gordy hits the DDT and it just sort of ends. I did like the post match with Freebird playing and Doc celebrating with Gordy, and the Japanese dudes in the crowd proudly waving the rebel flag, but this wasn't anything I'll ever remember watching again. Oh, and I was kind of hoping PS and Buddy Jack would run out with a bottle of Jack for the post match. Alas.

[garretta]

I think everybody was expecting Jumbo to retain in order to set up the big match with Misawa three days later, so this really felt like an upset, especially since the finish was unspectacular, to say the least. Like Pete said, there was nothing wrong with it, but it didn't really have the main event feel that we're used to from Jumbo matches. The celebration with Doc was fun to watch, though, and a Confederate flag in Japan is always a sight to behold, regardless of circumstances.

 

I've seen AJPW interview wrestlers before matches and invite guys to sit in on commentary, but this is the first time I've ever seen a guy interviewed during another guy's match. Title change or no title change, it's obvious that the Misawa/Jumbo match three days later was seen as a much bigger deal than this match was.

[drew wardlaw]

the confederate flag in the background got a big reaction from me. Totally out there. Maybe this match is a victim of context, one of those ones that would be incredible if it were on wcw tv or something, but "All Japan Triple Crown title defense" raises the expectations a bit more. I'm trying to remember now why Hansen beat Gordy three days later. Gordy was maybe sick or something? I can't remember the details.

[Jetlag]

Fairly generic bomb throwing contest. It is fun to watch these two big dudes clansh into eachother, but it was a fairly uneventful affair overall.

[Superstar Sleeze]

All Japan Triple Crown Champ Jumbo Tsuruta vs Terry Gordy 6/5/90

Two all-time greats just sleepwalking their way through a match. There was some great moments, but there no hook or anything to sink your teeth into. The transitions especially Gordy's were very weak. Gordy does this wicked sell off of a high knee from Jumbo tumbling to outside, but then he just comes back in and shoots Jumbo off the ropes and hits a lariat. Pretty weak transition. Heat segment was pretty much hope spot->lariat cutoff->resthold. It was not all that interesting. Then it was the Jumbo finish run and he hit A THESZ PRESS! I POPPED! Great piledriver and powerbomb. Gordy lariat. Gordy does his finish stretch powerbomb and such. Gordy hotshots Jumbo. Jumbo sets way too early for the DDT and that's the finish. Just like this match very mediocre.