[1985-08-31-AJPW] Jumbo Tsuruta & Genichiro Tenryu vs Stan Hansen & Ted DiBiase

[JKWebb]

I really got into this when the right arm work kicked in. Not that it wasn't good in the beginning...it just got really good. Jumbo with some nice selling and Tenryu is fired up wanting to impress Jumbo. I like how he looks to him for approval and/or adulation before hitting a big move. There's a really sweet lariat from

Hansen onto Tenryu when Tenryu tries to break up a double team. Really good match!

[Superstar Sleeze]

PWF World Tag Team Champions Stan Hansen & Ted DiBiase vs NWA International Tag Team Champions Jumbo Tsuruta & Genichiro Tenryu - AJPW 8/31/85

 

These are the two tag team championships that would be unified into the Double Cup. Only the PWF Titles are on the line as Hansen & DiBiase are the only ones that come out with titles. I like how Japanese do early tags. Both teams grab a hold and then tag out to give their partner an advantage in the match. That's good tag wrestling. The big plot point early is that Jumbo's arm is still injured. We learned this in the first Choshu tag back in June of 85. I don't know what the Kayfabe reason is for the injured arm. I thought Tenryu/DiBiase had a good reprise of their 83 classic with some good fire and bombs. While Jumbo/Hansen being teased early was good to make it a big fight feel. Hansen/DiBIase's first heat segment comes from double teaming and then they do a great job wit frequent tags and frequent pinfalls. Highspot-nearfall->tag out. That's really smart tag wrestling. I liked the double football tackle. What you learn in this match is that Americans telegraph their back body drop way too often. Tenryu gets some chops and then a bodyslam, immediate tag out. GREAT JUMBO HOT TAG! Fired up, chops, HIGH KNEE and then a piledriver. Jumbo is looking for the Butterfly suplex, but settles for sleeper. I will never understand the Jumbo is not emotional enough arguments. DiBiase crashes down on Jumbo. Hansen GOES FOR THE ARM! Jumbo chops and grabs a hold before tagging out. I loved the Double Butterfly Suplex with great deadweight struggle from Hansen. There is a great spot when Tenryu is going for enziguiri but Hansen hits a cross body and bowls him over instead. Welldone. Double atomic drop with a tag out to DiBiase. I am not digging these Tenryu heat segments. Not that great at selling and not enough hope spots either. Kinda ragdolling. Jumbo is definitely showing more energy than Tenryu. He wants that butterfly suplex again and Hansen cuts off with a big back suplex. DiBiase tags out and Hansen sets too early again. Enziguiri/Face kick combo sweet! One of my favorite spots was Tenryu throwing Hansen into ropes and hitting Hansen with an enziguiri as he runs by into a tag. Enziguiri for DiBiase and now powerbomb! Jumbo cuts Hansen off and sends him into post. Tenryu tags out. Jumbo hits a MASSIVE LARIAT! Grabs his arm! BACK DROP DRIVER! 1-2-NO! AWESOME HEAT!

 

Jumbo sends him into the corner and misses the Lariat and Hansen attacks the arm immediately. Sending it into every hard object he can find. They are merciless on the arm. Total turning point of the match that been foreshadowed early in the match. Once the gaijin got a hold of this they weren't letting go. Tenryu sensing how much danger Jumbo was in, tries to help LARIAOTOOOOOOOO BY HANSEN TO TENRYU! Hansen tries a diving Lariat to the bad arm which would have been cool if it connected. Alas! It was a pretty epic whiff. I love that He has Jumbo backs against the ropes and punches Tenryu in the head behind him. LARIAOTOOOOOOOO TO JUMBO! Crazy drama with Hansen wrenching Jumbo's bad arm in a top wristlock. You cant believe that Jumbo, the Ace, would submit but that's what happened!

 

I thought from Tenryu dishing out enziguiris to the finish that this was phenomenal! The powerbomb on DiBiase followed by Jumbo taking out Hansen to allow him to hit that Monster Lariat and Back Drop Driver was great nearfall stretch for the home team. Then Jumbo injures his arm and the gaijin just decimate the arm was great. Tenryu tries to save but Hansen decapitates him with a Lariat. The beginning was solid tag wrestling, but that last 5 minutes is what makes this special. ****1/4

[superkix]

A solid but middling first half builds to a hot backend as the gaijins start decimating Jumbo's lariat arm. Tenryu is great here as the spunky enziguiri-delivering punching bag, and the way he sells that lariat from Hansen is terrific. As they work over Jumbo, DiBiase sets up Jumbo for a "sliding lariat" from Hansen and while I liked the idea of it, the lariat misses as Jumbo's able to pull his arm away just in time. Not sure if it was intentional or just bad timing. Hansen clobbers Jumbo with a lariat and applies a crude but effective arm wrench of sorts. Tenryu's trying in vain to help his partner but DiBiase plays good enough defensive to bat him down long enough for the referee to call for the bell, awarding them the victory.