[1987-08-31-AJPW] Jumbo Tsuruta vs Genichiro Tenryu

[GOTNW]

A fun match but not an all time classic or anything, really brought down by Jumbo's lackluster performance. Interesting opening with them teasing some bigger moves and stealing each other's signature stuff, the graplling wasn't much but there were some interesting holds, the matchw was really made by them smacking the shit out of each other. I really dislike the way Jumbo sells immediate impact, it feels like something I'd see from a modern indy guy and all I can think of when he does are countless debates about limbwork on DVDVR re: Tanahashi title matches from 2009, I think it's overly expressive for japanese wrestling and don't think it enhances the match in any way. The big bombs were fun but the nearfalls on them weren't very convincing (it was too obvious they were gonna go for rope breaks). On the other hand you get awesome stuff like Tenryu pulling out a surprise Small Package and a huge German Suplex, great, dramatic counters that got great pops. There was some legwork here but Jumbo didn't sell it at all, actually he reacted to it by doing a bunch of enzuigiris which felt totally out of character for him, it was interesting when he did it in the beginning of the match to tease Tenryu but by the time he did a third one I was completely sick of them. Finish was very interesting and dramatic though I do wish they hadn't done the legwork as it felt the finish was more of an end result of accumulated and a coincidence than the legwork finally coming into play. 3+ star-ish.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Couldn't disagree more about Jumbo's performance as he was totally fired up for this bout against his new rival, Tenryu. He was intense throughout and wanted to defend his turf. The way he reacted to Tenryu stealing his high knee. He came to play and he was going to fight through any pain to win this match and prove why he is the ace. The first enziguiri made sense because Tenryu was holding his bad leg and he used that counter into an enziguiri. From there, he was selling through the back drop drivers. I had no problem with it. If anything, Tenryu's selling during Jumbo's shine was lackluster.

 

NWA International Champion Jumbo Tsuruta vs NWA United National Champion Genichiro Tenryu - AJPW 8/31/87

 

It is the story as old as time. The sidekick wants to step out of the shadow of the hero so Tenryu begins his revolution. Off the heels of the native vs native success of Jumbo's Army vs Choshu's army and with gaijin talent drying up, Baba shifted his entire booking paradigm by pitting Jumbo against Tenryu in a feud for the ages. Jumbo was fired up for this match to prove why he was/is the Ace. Tenryu is at his dickish best early on slapping Jumbo and stealing his high knee. Jumbo responds by slapping the shit out of him in an absolute fury and destroying him with a high knee. The whole match felt like a total war and they set that tone right from the outset. This was not a friendly rivalry. These two plain did not like each other. Jumbo stole Tenryu's enziguiri to be a dick to him. I loved the Jumbo crashing into Tenryu recklessly with a high knee in the corner and driving hime through with the bulldog. Jumbo started off the hotter of the two pouring the offense on climaxing with a piledriver and a HIGH KNEE OFF THE TOP ROPE, but when he went for the back drop driver to polish him off, Tenryu quickly salvaged the match for himself with a German Suplex. That is Jumbo's modus operandi when facing challengers to his throne. To start off hot and try to embarrass them by beating them as quickly as possible, but Tenryu managed to stave off defeat with the German following up with a powerbomb. Jumbo backdropped Tenryu over the top rope. Jumbo came off the middle rope onto the floor just hurling his body at Tenryu. JUMBO IS FEELING IT!!! You truly believe this match is the most important thing in the world to Jumbo because of the chances he is taking. Jumbo goes for the high knee in the corner again, but Tenryu side steps and yanks down the turnbuckle cover sending Jumbo's knee into the exposed steel. Good knee work by Tenryu as this looks like his big opening as he applies a single leg crab, but Jumbo makes the ropes. Tenryu goes for a kneecrusher, but as he is holding the bad leg, Jumbo uses the good leg to enziguiri him. Brilliant! Jumbo fights through the pain and hits two back drop drivers, but he is too close to the ropes. Jumbo is clearly worse for wear as his bodyslam does not have its usual oomph. They end up outside on a botched crossbody that should take them over the top rope. Tenryu hits a kneecrusher on the table outside. They trade enziguiris on the apron where Jumbo gets his knee caught in the ropes for the countout finish.

 

Jumbo's identity as the Ace was being questioned and he responded with fury exactly as he should. In that fury, he had the bad break of ramming his knee into the exposed steel. He looked on pace to recover, but once outside it became anyone's game and Tenryu was able to get the last laugh. It was smart booking as Tenryu definitely needed the win more, but they were able to protect Jumbo's position as the Ace of All Japan. The first 3/4s of this was pitch perfect. Tenryu was the dick and Jumbo was pissed. After the big turning point (the knee into turnbuckle), I thought they did lack something, maybe some more Tenryu violence. I think Jumbo took a little too much of this match when all was said and done. A really awesome Jumbo performance and you can see Tenryu coming into his own as Jumbo's archnemesis. ****1/2

[JKWebb]

Yeah, I actually thought Jumbo did a good job with his selling and I didn't really see anything lackluster about his performance at all. There were a few times I thought Tenryu looked blown up or just exhausted actually, but it didn't take away much from the match for me. Felt like a war to me and great way to kick this thing off!

 

****1/4

[superkix]

This is Jumbo working in dominant fashion, with Tenryu fighting to get in every lick of offense. He tries to wear Tenryu down with a hard-hitting onslaught of moves, including an awesome diving knee strike, and that recurring Cobra Twist. Tenryu gets in a knee here or an armbar takedown there but Jumbo's firmly in control early on. Tenryu is able to pull off a German suplex hold and powerbombs Jumbo a little too close to the ropes. Late in the game, he starts picking apart Jumbo's leg, surviving a pair of backdrop suplexes, before the action spills outside. Tenryu tries to take him out with a kneebreaker onto the time keeper's table but Jumbo is able to make it back to the ring. However, after they trade enziguris, Jumbo finds himself tangled in the ropes and can't get back to his feet before the referee calls for the bell, awarding Tenryu the victory. A good spirited showing from Tenryu against the more experienced and confident Jumbo.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Rewatched echo most of my statements. As I mention in my review, things did Peter out after the tremendous Knee to the exposed turnbuckle. Everything about that spot is so hot. Jumbo signaling to the crowd he is about to crush the upstart, the excitement in him. Then the desperation of Tenryu who not only falls to avoid the move but rips the cover off the turnbuckle. This is a spot that should be stolen as it is genius. I thought Tenryu work immediately after was solid as were the Jumbo backdrop drivers. The body slam was lukewarm and the botched crossbody left a lot to be desired. I thought the brawling on the outside was lackluster. It is cool that Tenryu that got the countout victory instead of the double countout. If the match ends directly after the Knee to the turnbuckle I’d see this as a ****3/4-ish match. I really liked the body of the match. There’s an interesting point early where Jumbo does not give a clean break. Instead it is stiff back elbows to Tenryu. He is the first to do it. This is not in response to a dick thing Tenryu did in this match. Jumbo is the clear aggressor. I think that’s very interesting. I think Jumbo saw this match even happening as an affront to his seniority. I loved Tenryu meeting disrespect with disrespect by CRACKING Jumbo with a slap in the immediate aftermath. As I stress in my original this was a very Jumbo not only does he has the big run of bombs In the middle he is the more aggressive and more emotional of the two. I think this match was to prove Tenryu could take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’. Tenryu proved his mettle surviving the cavalcade  of offense and managing to hit his power bomb. Very strong opening salvo in the feud. 

[The Man in Blak]

I wouldn't say that everything falls off a cliff after the turnbuckle spot, but they certainly have a hard time finding their way after the botched crossbody. The ending, in particular, is a trainwreck. (How many enziguiris on the apron does it take to set up a countout win?)

I do like this early glimpse at Grumpy Jumbo, though, and Tenryu's stoic determination is a perfect counterpoint.