[1985-11-30-AJPW-Real World Tag League] Genichiro Tenryu & Jumbo Tsuruta vs Riki Choshu & Yoshiaki Yatsu

[JKWebb]

I enjoyed a lot of this match outside of Choshu and Scorpion Deathlock City. Tenryu is excellent as FIP and Jumbo looks great fired up after the hot tag. The finish is pretty meh. Tenryu was the backbone IMO. ***

[JKWebb]

I went back and read the arguments for Choshu in the GWE threads. I thought it was an interesting point that the ScorpionDL/Sharpshooter was treated so differently at that time. Unlike how Hart/Sting used it... it didn't typically cause someone to tap out immediately... So, if you're conditioned to seeing that for years ... it can seem quite out of place the way Choshu works it until you get used to it. I do think, for my tastes, he relies on it too heavily, but its definitely possible the more I watch of him that opinion may change.

[...TG]

This isn't an all time classic but this feud is just the kind of hate-filled intense work I love. I thought Grumpy Jumbo started with the Misawa feud but we have him here on full display, and shithead heel Tenryu too. Dammit, I'm going to have to spend all my money and time on All Japan Classics watching as much of this as I can.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Jumbo Tsuruta & Genichiro Tenryu vs Riki Choshu & Yoshiaki Yatsu - AJPW 11/30/85

 

The first match in the classic trilogy between these two teams. We will be doing this stream of consciousness style because I think they will be going long. I have never watched a Yatsu match before. I know Parv has raved about him and I am looking forward to checking him out. We start with the big guns: Jumbo & Choshu. Tentative knucklelock to start. I love a good test of strength to start. Back into the ropes and it is a break. Standard collar elbow tie up. They battle for a top wristlock. I like tests of strength early. Establishes dominance, truggle and creates mini-battles. Choshu gets the first takedown with a fireman's carry and has a reverse top wristlock. Choshu bars the arm and into a front chancery. Jumbo reverses with a double leg and is thinking Boston Crab but Choshu is too strong so Jumbo settles for a Stepover Toehold. Choshu grabs the arm, Jumbo armdrag but Choshu rolls through into the ropes. Jumbo gets a standing double wristlock. Jumbo looks in total control and is looking to muscle Choshu down with an armbar. Jumbo tags out to Tenryu. Pretty pedestrian opening. Just working holds. Good struggle, but not a lot of hate or energy. Lets see what Tenryu does.

 

Tenryu/Choshu already have a better lockup than anything Jumbo/Choshu had. Lots of energy here. Two bulls locked up. Tenryu hits two over head slaps. Choshu starts kicking. Some nice slaps. Yeah business has picked up. Tenryu has wrist control. Bodyslam by Choshu to escape. Tenryu hits a back suplex and gets two. Clamps on a front chancery. Way more energy tag to Jumbo. Choshu has not tagged out yet. Choshu muscles over to tag Yatsu. Yatsu gets a rollup early and then a waistlock. Im interested to see what Yatsu can do. Jumbo waistlock, a couple stand switches. Jumbo gets an armbar takedown. Jumbo goes for the hammerlock/half nelson pinning combination. I have said this in the past I can see why people find Jumbo dry. He can be a very dry wrestler. I happen to like bomb throwing Jumbo and with the right colorful opponent Jumbo can have good mat exchanges. Nice chop exchange. Yatsu bodyslams Jumbo and then snapmare takeover. Tag to Choshu. Choshu figure-4s the head. Interesting that Choshu and Jumbo have been the two wrestlers in the most trouble early. Jumbo fires up. HIGH KNEE! Then he throws Choshu hard into the corner. Here is the Jumbo we know and love! Choshu & Yatsu hit a double suplex and then Yatsu gets an ab stretch on Jumbo. Jumbo walks over to the ropes and then hiptosses Yatsu out. Tenryu whips Yatsu into the railing. I expect a tag soon. Jumbo tags out once he cant get the suplex. Nice whip and back elbow from Tenryu. Tenryu hits chinlock on Yatsu.

 

Much slower pace than most All Japan tags from this period. I was not expecting this. Feels like it has been in first gear. Flashes of heating up but it always grinds back to a halt. Tenryu armbar, Yatsu drags out but Tenryu hangs out. Yatsu nice slaps, but Tenryu wont give up. Yatsu pushes him back into the ropes. Buries the knee a couple times in the ropes and Yatsu takes over. Yatsu is definitely the one of the four keeping shit moving. As soon as I say that Yatsu puts him in a three handled moss-covered Crendulza. Now a crucifix. Tenryu grabs a toehold in the move. I appreciate the struggle. Yatsu tags out to Choshu. Big Irish whip and Kneelift. I love a good kneelift. Big vertical from Choshu and kick out by Tenryu. Choshu is great at making everything feel so big. HOLY SHIT! GREAT Exchange from Tenryu/Choshu. Super heated. They end up on the mat pulling each other's hair. Yatsu/Choshu hit a top rope lariat/back suplex combo and then Yatsu drops the knee. Jumbo saves smartly. Yatsu works a tight headlock. Tenryu needs a tag. Tenryu gets a kneelfit and tags in Jumbo, Jumbo whip and kneelift. Greta job. Im loving all the kneelifts. Jumbo hits another one! He definitely has the best kneelifts. Jumbo with his signature bodyslam. His is the best. It looks like he is trying to bodyslam you through the mat. Yatsu gets the sunset flip for two. Jumbo slows it down with a stepover toehold.

 

I really don't feel like there is an overarching story. Tenryu/Choshu has been heated. Nobody has been in real trouble yet or showed themselves to be really dominant. Jumbo has an inverted Indian Deatlock on Yatsu and they are slapping the shit out of each other. Yatsu grabs the hair and Jumbo STRIKES him down. I can appreciate the work, but there is a lack of progress. I am loving the struggle within holds and having to earn your offense. OH SHIT! Jumbo/Tenryu drill Yatsu at the same time and Tenryu hits a suplex. He is looking for the Texas Cloverleaf, which he turns over. This is the first time there is a real sense of danger. Gutwrench suplex. Yatsu is taking a beating. Jumbo tags in and nice Dory Euro Uppercut. Yatsu overhand chops back. Bulldog by Yatsu. He needs a tag, but Jumbo cutsoff with a double axehandle and then a chinlock. That was good drama. Full on camel clutch from Jumbo. Chosu forcefully kicks Jumbo off of the Camel Clutch. IT IS ON LIKE DONKEY KONG. Jumbo and Choshu start throwing haymakers at each other while Tenryu sneaks in and hits a Backdrop Driver. Yatsu gets an amazing German suplex as a hope spot, but Jumbo saves. Yastu giving a top notch babyface performance, unexpected. Yastu sets Tenryu up for a modified Demolition Decapitation. Choshu finally tags in.

 

Choshu gets in his deep Scorpion Deathlock. I like how he sets it up by staying in the cross and keeping it tight before turning it over. It makes the move seem epic. Choshu sits down on it. Yastu drops the elbow on Tenryu while in the hold as Choshu deathstares Jumbo. He is daring for him to come in. Jumbo enters. Choshu drops the hold. MID-RING LARIAT COLLISON! Jumbo goes down and Choshu goes for Tenryu. Choshu hits a lariat on Choshu as Jumbo just casually walks by back to his corner. What the fuck? Choshu tags in Yatsu. Jumbo is leaving Teryu out to dry. Nice belly to belly by Yatsu for two.

 

Tags in Choshu. SPIKE PILEDRIVER~! MY FAVORITE MOVE EVER! Deep Scorpion Deathlock. Ever since Yatsu hit that German on Tenryu, this match has been gangbusters. Yatsu Bombs Away Kneedrop on Tenryu in the hold. Yatsu gets the Scorpion Deathlock on Tenryu. Cmon Jumbo do something! Choshu back in with the Scoprion Deathlock. Choshu with the trash talk is fucking classic. Yatsu drops the elbow. This is great tag team wrestling. Jumbo needs to help. Tenryu is getting slaughtered. Double suplex by Choshu & Yatsu. MASSIVE Enziguiri by Tenryu and tags to Jumbo. Jumbo is a house of fire, DEATH Lariat by Jumbo. Another one. He is trying to decapitate Yatsu. Backdrop driver. Jumbo is glorious. 1-2-NO! CROWD IS GOING NUTS! Jumbo with a Backlund-like piledriver. Dropkick by Yatsu and he tags in Choshu.

 

Choshu and Jumbo. Fast and furious. Choshu takes Jumbo over with a backdrop driver. You should see Jumbo's face. Crazy! Deep Scorpion by Choshu on Jumbo. Can he turn him over? He did! Jumbo is too strong. Nice Choshu vertical. Jumbo fights off a snapmare. Love it. They work him back in the corner. The bell rings. Probably a draw. Choshu and Tenryu start brawling after the bell. The wrestlers have to separate them. Jumbo beats up Yatsu

 

The first half of the match is pedestrian. It is four strong pro wrestlers having a good pro wrestling match. Once they start beating up Yatsu, it feels like the match is progressing. That Yatsu German on Tenryu (beautiful!) was the turning point. Yatsu/Choshu's heat segment on Tenryu was killer. Then Jumbo's hot tag ruled. Shy of being a great match because the beginning was pretty boring. ***3/4

[G. Badger]

Everything seemed right here. A precursor to the 01/28/86 match perhaps? More proof that Yoshiaki Yatsu is under rated for his AJPW work...excellent evidence for the Jumbo/Tenryu tag chemistry greatness, Riki Choshu is THE MAN for a hot tag-in. Yeah classic match in my book.