[1987-01-24-AJPW] Jumbo Tsuruta & Genichiro Tenryu vs Riki Choshu & Yoshiaki Yatsu

[JKWebb]

While this match might not be the five star classic that 01/28/1986 is, it is still great. Lots of hard striking in this match. It's not just the slaps and chops, it is so many of the moves (combined with that) that are delivered with so much force. The offense is very intense and some of the blows look devastating at times. Jumbo does not stop in this match. He's slapping Choshu in the face when he goes for the sharpshooter, he's attacking him from behind when he gets a leg up on Tenryu, and he's attacking Yatsu on the outside when they aren't legal. He's everywhere! When he is legal, he jerks Choshu up after two, because one monster lariat isn't enough punishment for Choshu. But, it ends up costing him the match. The ending felt very abrupt, so I had to check the time. This match felt like ten minutes, but turns out it was closer to twenty!

[Superstar Sleeze]

NWA International Tag Team Champions Riki Choshu & Yoshiaki Yatsu vs Jumbo Tsuruta & Genichiro Tenryu - AJPW 1/24/87

We skip forward a year to see these two teams together again. I dont want to check the International Tag Team Titles History to see if Choshu & Yatsu have been champs since February 1986 but here they are as the Champs going into this a year later. I also dont recall who won the 1986 Real World Tag League, ok let me check that. It was Jumbo & Tenryu beating Hansen & DiBiase must have been one of those Leagues that was not for the Tag Titles (which makes sense as there were two sets of titles at that point both the PWF & International Tag Team Belts). Gordy & Khan was a tag team! After their hellacious World Class match, thats pretty cool. Did any of that make tape? Look like their match against Jumbo & Tenryu did, I should check that out. Stream of consciousness to save some time:

Jumbo & Choshu to start! Jumbo wins a shouldertackle and snapmare they are tussling to start. Choshu rebounds with a  shouldertackle of his own, snapmare into a  Scopron Deathlock but Jumbo slaps out. Nice symmetry. Jumbo is red hot. Choshu gets a singles leg pick up and tags in Yatsu who elbow the knee and then right into the Spinning Toehold. Jumbo bullies him into the ropes and then slaps the taste out of Yatsu's moth. Yatsu single back heel trip into Spinning Toehold and starts paintbrushing Jumbo on the ground. Jumbo headlock takeover. Jumbo wrenches the headlock on Yastu. He tags in Tenryu and this is more a conventional start to their tag match. Yatsu scores early with a kneelft an some overhand chops but Tenryu goes to Jumbos strategy and works the side headlock. Yatsu tags out. Tenryu scores a kneelift and chops and Enziguiri for two. Swinging neckbreaker. It is a full court press from Tenryu who figure-4s the head. Choshu pops free and they tussle on the mat. Tenryu tags out. Choshu breaks free and is apprehensive watcing Jumbo. Jumbo grabs wrist control. Choshu goes for a bodyslam but Jumbo deadweights him. Great stuff there. Jumbo back to wrist control to set up chops, Choshu absorbs and fires back and he forces Jumbo into his corner. Yatsu dropkick which is a Yastu staple when he enters a match. He slaps Jumbo which seems like a bad idea. JUMBO HIGH KNEE! Jumbo chinlock. Told you it was a bad idea. Jumbo/Tenryu Double Sledge on Yastu. Tenryu lariat and smashes Choshu on the apron for good measure but Choshu doesnt sell shit. Yatsu tags out. Tenryu attacks at pass. Tenryu misses, Choshu misses. Tenryu Russian Legsweep into a cross armbreaker in an ELECTRIC SEQUENCE! Crowd is alive for this. Choshu is trying for the clasp but cant get it. Lazy transition into the Choshu Saito Suplex but I do love a good Saito Suplex. Yatsu/Choshu Double Team on Tenryu. We may have our first heat segment. Nope Tenryu tag out. Yatsu bullies Jumbo into the corner. Jumbo big boot, Jumbo Death Lariat and he got all of that one. Jumbo back elbow to break free of the Yatsu German. Jumbo holds onto the ropes and Yatsu missed the dropkick. Jumbo stepover toehold into the Inverted Indian DeathLock. This has much more the standard All Japan Workrate Tag match between these four. Doesnt have their personalities or magnitude of the previous matches. Still great but not as special. Jumbo working a standard toehold and now trying for a Boston Crab but Yatsu makes ropes and Tenryu gets an ugly German Suplex as he comes in. Tenryu clamps on a Front Chancery.

I think this is our first heat segment nope Spike Piledriver on Tenryu as Choshu tags in! Definietly more All Japan-y with the frequent tags. Choshu applies the Scorpion Deathlock three-quarters on Tenryu who is resisting in pushup position ok Choshu has it. That was a sick struggle.  Dug that. Yastu elbow drops Tenryu in the hold always a sick spot. Choshu vertical suplex on Tenryu but Tenryu gets his foot on the ropes. Double suplex on Tenryu. This is our first really good heat segment. Here we go. Yatsu Bulldog! Yatsu stomps on Tenryu in the ropes. Choshu blitzes with a reverse elbow and tries for a Scorpion Deathlock. Choshu Scorpion Deathlock but Jumbo breaks it up. Yastu Saito Suplex but Tenryu is too close to the ropes and is pretty close to Jumbo. Tenryu dropkicks Choshu and tags in Jumbo. Not the best transition. Jumbo Misses the Death Lariat they do the Double Clothesline spot that hey are fond of. Choshu Saito Suplex as the crowd starts to get into it. Jumbo tags out already. Tenryu ENZIGUIRI! Tenryu bodyslam you know what comes next, but Choshu heads him off at the pass. Jumbo Saito Suplex on Choshu. Tenryu Enziguiri on Choshu as Jumbo and Yatsu brawl on floor. Tenryu Saito Suplex. Jumbo Death Lariat on Choshu. Did Jumbo pull him up? Rewind! He did! He pulled him up! But why? Some crazy Sandwich spot gets fucked up. Jumbo and Yastu on the floor. Chosu Mack Truck Lariat 1-2-3! Jumbo looks like a fool! 

I dont understand Japanese but I am pretty sure the interviewer asked Jumbo "You had him down for three, why did you pull him up?". I think my favorite Japanese phrase is "Count to three" which they seem to use as a way to say pinfall or victory.

I wonder if the finish was to plant the seed of dissension between Jumbo & Tenryu to foreshadow their impending breakup later that year. For me this was just standard All Japan workrate tag team wrestling which is elevated by the fact that these are four of the best all time to do it, but it lacks the hooks that the first two matches had. ****