[1984-05-22-AJPW] Kerry Von Erich vs Jumbo Tsuruta

[WingedEagle]

Wanted to give this another look as a number of folks were touting it as one of All Japan's best from the 80s.

 

Really strong start with some work around holds and an amateur exchange where Kerry looks credible while Jumbo looks confident and ready for the NWA World Champion. Great butterfly suplex following Kerry's struggle to block it. Some nice arm work from Kerry follows but Jumbo counters with a crossbody for a nice near fall. Big fan of how he throws some nice wrinkles into amateur & power offense. Our first tease of the Claw comes with Kerry fighting out of a kneebar. Jumbo blocks it so he grabs the stomach and sells it well when they' standing. Enough of this feeling out -- backbreaker, jumping knees and the backdrop suplex take the first fall. Clean as possible with the challenger going over strong with clear, measured escalation is exactly how this should go.

 

Jumbo strikes in the second open Kerry up! The blood adds quite a bit of drama with Jumbo furiously looking to put him away in 2 straight falls. Really hot start here and fired up Jumbo is a great version of this great wrestler. This falls apart a bit for me as he hits a piledriver for a 2 count, and then they transition to Kerry throwing punches that set up the Claw for the finish. Just out of nowhere. After relentless Jumbo control for so long and the blood loss, I'd expect a more compelling or creative way to put Kerry on top. No real issue with the flash finish off of the Claw, but it was as though they just switched roles on a dime without showing us how that happened.

 

The third fall has the awesome work by Jumbo on Kerry's hand, just brutalizing it with strikes, stomping it, smashing it into the turnbuckle & cable. Jumbo is not waiting for a motorcycle accident in the states a few years later -- he wants Kerry losing a limb tonight. Kerry is just phenomenal here as well, selling the damage and follow up armbreakers for all he's worth. Inconclusive finish as apparently they weren't about to have Jumbo take the loss here even against the NWA Champion.

 

This was a really good match. I loved the start, the blood and the limb work. But they really missed an important beat on the second fall transition, and as great as the hand work was, it really needed a failed Claw or some similar exclamation point to seal its effectiveness but instead it didn't even play into the finish or a key spot down the stretch.

 

****1/4

[Microstatistics]

This is surely Kerry's best match? I've seen a bunch of his acclaimed Texas matches and Flair stuff but nothing comes close to this. Don't want to call it a carryjob because Kerry's selling and timing were good but Jumbo's masterful performance drives this. Incredible relentlessness, intensity and offense from him combined with great psychology and strategy. Violent and dramatic match. ****3/8

[JKWebb]

The first fall of this is great. I loved how fired up Kerry looked after the amateur exchange. Also, I don't think I've seen anyone sell the fear of the claw and pain from it (gripped on his stomach) more effectively than Jumbo. I'm not trying to slam the claw at all here, but Jumbo gave it even more authenticity in my eyes (for lack of a better term). I guess I mean that some wrestlers give a more cartoonish selling of the move. Anyway, the second fall starts out with a bang! Kerry busted open out of the gate! Jumbo with a vicious attack. The sleeper hold by Kerry on Jumbo looks awesome. Kerry looks like he's praying to the gods that Jumbo will pass out, and it's locked on super snug. Jumbo turns even more vicious with a beatdown after he powers out. The claw looks awesome again as KVE gets the second fall with it and refuses to let go for a bit. Third fall Kerry is the one that comes firing out. The match has a very intense feel. Jumbo starts obliterating KVE's right (claw) hand because he's had enough of Kerry using that as his go to... and knows that may be the only way he would lose. Love Kerry sells the damage to the hand when he tries to cut off Jumbo with a punch to the head. Both guys deliver in a big way here. The finish is what it is, but it doesn't take away from the match for me at all. This match is incredible, and I agree it is probably the best match of KVE's career.

[Superstar Sleeze]

NWA World Heavyweight Champion Kerry Von Erich vs Jumbo Tsuruta - AJPW 5/22/84

 

Nothing puts a big smile on my face quite like typing 'NWA World Heavyweight Champion Kerry Von Erich". Seen this match twice before and loved it. Lets watch this one again. I love that classic NWA Championship build with the collar-elbow tieups, the circling, the caution, the tests of strength. It allows you to settle into the match and really get into it. Jumbo is not shy about throwing bombs in a championship. He made it to the promised land in February against Bock so he has that monkey off his back. He is free to go for broke. I love little things like the struggle over the Irish whip with Jumbo kicking Kerry in the gut and after lots of struggle hoisting him in the air for the butterfly suplex. Kerry's response to immediately retreat to the ropes. Kerry's reactions to everything in the first fall was pitch perfect. Kerry tries to make in roads on the arm but instead eats a cross body for two. Jumbo shoots in with ease and gets an ab stretch. Kerry is used to Dallas where is an overwhelming favorite. Now he is in Japan where everyone loves Jumbo. Kerry needs to fire up because Jumbo is dictating this match. Banana split rollup. Kerry forms the Claw hand. I get excited. The struggle over the claw was AWESOME! Both sold the drama of it so well and the crowd was right there with a Tsuruta chant. Kerry gets the stomach claw. Kerry is able to pick Jumbo up and seat him on the top rope. Something Jumbo did to him earlier to show him up. Now things get chippy! Pride is on the line. The handshake that started the match has been replaced by shoving. It is Jumbo that comes out the winner with TWO big high knees. Kerry's sell of the second one is so damn good. Kerry is left on the outside, but gets a sunset flip back in for two. ENZIGUIRI BY JUMBO! BACK DROP DRIVERRRRRRRR! 1-2-3! Jumbo up 1-0.

 

Jumbo looked great in the first fall besides the Claw, Kerry looked lost what to do with a firing on all cylinders Jumbo Tsuruta. Things got worse for Kerry before they got better. Jumbo pressed his advantage. He was taking no prisoners. He just starts pounding on Kerry's head with fists until it literally starts bleeding. Kerry's selling in this match is fucking awesome. Some of the best I have ever seen. He looks down and out being held up by the turnbuckles, but has just enough fight left in him. He gets a sleeper, which stops the bleeding figuratively because literally his face is now a crimson mask, but Jumbo gets out. Jumbo risks DQ by pounding on Kerry some more in the corner. This is a brutal Jumbo. Even the crowd that wants Jumbo to win does not seem happy with these tactics. The ref does not want to DQ the Japanese hero, but backs him up. Jumbo needs to get Kerry off his feet because Kerry is doing the smart thing by standing in the corner. Jumbo gets him out hits a suplex and then a piledriver. Miraculously Kerry kicks out twice. I was actually thinking to myself after the piledriver. Kerry needs to be thinking Discus Punch/Claw. He needs a home run. Lo and behold, Kerry starts firing off those big, looping Texan rights. SPINS AROUND CLOCKS JUMBO WITH THE DISCUS PUNCH! Jumbo bounces off the ropes CLAW~! Jumbo goes down, fights it off, back to his feet, Kerry with all his Texan might drives Jumbo's head back into the mat for three count. Incredible second fall. Totally believeable way to get Kerry back into the match. Tied 1-1.

 

I liked how they have taken advantage of the fact that Jumbo will be over no matter what to have him play the roughhousing heel and Kerry do what he does best play sympathetic babyface. 1. Because it is more natural for both 2. It is unexpected. You would expect in Japan to play Kerry to play subtle heel. So it is a nice wrinkle. Kerry refuses to let go of Jumbo with the claw. There is a great visual of Jumbo being attended by all the young boys while Kerry stands alone in the corner bleeding. They comes out. Jumbo is still selling the effects of the claw as Kerry looks spry floating around like Muhammad Ali just tagging Jumbo with rights. He goes for the kill with the CLAW! Jumbo resists. Kerry runs into a knee. Jumbo says enough of this fucking claw and just DESTROYS Kerry's hand. This is the hook of the match. This is what everyone remembers. Jumbo's utter decimation of Kerry's right hand. Just watch it. It is beautiful pro wrestling. Kerry is awesome selling it and even throws a punch then grabs his hand. Kerry is able to get a suplex out of an armbreaker then a piledriver, but misses a reverse elbow from the top which bother his bad hand. Jumbo wastes no time and hits a Big Time Jumping Knee and immediately applies the Boston Crab. Kerry flexes all his muscles and powers out of it. They end up on the outside and Kerry applies the CLAW, but Jumbo hits a backdrop driver. It is a moot point as the ref counts to ten. Double Countout. Jumbo raises Kerry's hand.

 

Incredible offensive performance from Jumbo. He did not care about being a dick. He wanted to be World Champion again. All is fair in love and war. Kerry was in his element selling his ass off. The blood added a lot as Kerry really did look overwhelmed. He survived long enough to win the stand up war with some nice punches and the claw. When it came time for Jumbo to sell, he did a great job too. The hand work is all-time great stuff. I want to give this ***** so badly, but the finish just does not do it for me. I don't mind the double countout, but want something more chaotic. Still up until that, they absolutely killed it. Two of the all-time greats putting on one helluva championship wrestling match. ****3/4

[WingedEagle]

Love seeing you go through these classics again, Sleeze. 80s AJPW was so freaking incredible so any reminders and fresh takes are always fun.

[superkix]

Kerry’s a Texas boy and wrestles that American-style to a capital T but it works well against jumbo babyface Tsuruta. It takes a minute for them to find their footing but the first fall had its moments. The double arm suplex struggle, with Kerry backing toward the ropes but Jumbo delivering it anyway or Kerry trying for the Iron Claw with Jumbo writhing on the mat, pushing back. Once Kerry sets Jumbo up on the top turnbuckle, things get a little more heated with Kerry shoving Jumbo and Jumbo responding in kind. After a beautiful enziguri, Jumbo pins Kerry following the backdrop suplex. He comes out at the start of the second fall clubbing and punching, busting Kerry open with a right-hand. He blocks Kerry’s punch and smacks him, then he starts unloading on him in the corner and the ref’s trying to pull him away but fuck it, Jumbo’s fired up and the crowd’s firmly behind him. Kerry makes his comeback after a piledriver, delivering the Tornado Punch + Iron Claw combo, and while Jumbo struggles against it, Kerry ultimately pins him to even the score...but he doesn’t let go. Fantastic selling from Jumbo as the young boys pour water on his head and he’s headbutting the canvas. This third fall starts out great, with Jumbo targeting Terry’s claw hand, stomping it, slamming it against every part of the ring, eventually working in a cross armbreaker. The finishing stretch kind of falls off the rails as they trade offense and Jumbo applies a random crab hold. Kerry locks in the Iron Claw on the outside but Jumbo can’t make it into the ring before the count. He thinks he’s won but Joe Higuchi is like “no way, sir, put your arm down.” I’m not a big Kerry fan but this was fun and cool environment to see him work in.

[Makai Club #1]

This was a much needed improvement from anything else Kerry has done this year. Jumbo is the hometown hero and Kerry worked well as the foreign champion, putting Jumbo over with his selling. The whole first fall is him getting outclassed by Jumbo and the second is Kerry getting his ass beaten with strikes and slams. Jumbo unloaded with stiff punches, cutting Kerry open heavily making it very likely that a Jumbo will get a second straight fall but Kerry survives the big onslaught to hit a discus punch and then lock on a claw to regain some footing by winning the second fall. Kerry heels it up big time by keeping hold of the Iron Claw after winning, getting an unfair advantage. And then he does an awesome cocky dance before hitting a few punches and then Jumbo blocks the Claw attempt and then works it over, making him pay for that piece of arrogance. Jumbo can be a bit of a dud personality wise (I love Jumbo too) but he brought tons of fire and intensity in the 3rd fall. Jumbo’s face of fury before slamming Kerry’s hand into the turnbuckle was amazing. His whole performance is what gave the match the dramatic oomph it needed. The finish, if you’re familiar with NWA title matches, was a fairly typical finish. A double count out to protect the home town ace. Super good match. ****