[2000-09-02-AJPW-Summer Action Series II] Genichiro Tenryu & Stan Hansen vs Steve Williams & Toshiaki Kawada

[soup23]

A strong tag match to end the show. Overall, a very good show for All Japan. This set up Tenryu vs Kawada as they really went after each other. Tenryu and Williams interacting is fun to see as they haven’t interacted since 1990. Hansen is certainly winding down and he has only five more matches after this. A couple of moments saw Doc being visibly light with him which takes the match down overall but Hansen is still there in the big moments and he ends up getting the final pin with the lariat. Hansen overall is going to be tough to gauge when I do my top 100 wrestlers list. Really all four of these men are. The punches Doc threw against Tenryu were much more vicious than the stuff he threw at Hansen. Tenryu had a few awkward moments himself but nothing that glaring considering the source. Overall, this probably would have been a MOTYC four years before but Doc/Tenryu and especially Hansen have lost just enough steam that it peaks out in the very good range. ***1/2 (7.1)

[ohtani's jacket]

The All Japan split has made what would have been a pretty average year for Kawada a heck of a lot more interesting. The irony of it being Kawada who's left to pick up the broken pieces of Baba's dream certainly isn't lost on the viewer. Unfortunately. he gives a fairly listless performance here. He had this amazing dynamic with Tenryu served up for him on a platter but he couldn't generate the type of heat you'd expect from such a key match-up. Tenryu tried a few tricks but Kawada wasn't up for it. Hansen was slow and plodding and looked gassed most of the time. Williams spent most of the time close to the mat in an effort to avoid doing any real work. You wished those two would just disappear and let us have Tenryu vs. Kawada. This should have been electric but it ended up being pretty disappointing. Perhaps I've been spoiled by Kawada's artistry in the past but I really expected more from him. He's got some work to do in the next couple of months if he's going to leave a positive impression on his calendary year.

[Tim Evans]

Even though he was old and probably shouldn't have been in the ring, Hansen can still throw a hell of a lariat. I thought the Tenyru/Kawada moments in this were good but just way too much Dr. Death for my liking. He was real boring when he wasn't punching guys in the face. Hell Hansen was better in this cause he was used better.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Genichiro Tenryu & Stan Hansen vs Toshiaki Kawada & Steve Williams - AJPW 9/2/00

The forgotten Budokan main event of the Post-Split 2000 run. It surprised me that replacing Mossman/Kea with Dr. Death would produce a less heralded match, but I agree with the consensus that the first Budokan Main Event Post-Split is significantly better than this. At first, I thought it might have been the electricity of the Prodigal Son, Tenryu, returning home but it is not just that, the work is better in July. They also do a switcheroo here. They split up the natives and gaijins on this go around,  I assume to give everyone a preview of the October Budokan Main Event of Tenryu vs Kawada. They go for an 80s vs 90s feel here with the old timers (Tenryu & Hansen) taking on the not exactly young bucks in Kawada & Doc. 

I feel like this is a throwback to the 80s All Japan style tags and I can see Meltzer or anyone who prizes action liking this. Those that value character work or narrative might find something to be desired. I still thought this was very good, but falls short of being great. Unlike 90s All Japan this is far from the fireworks shows that those guys would put on. The first 10 minutes, Kawada/Tenryu is the highlight. They light each other up. Kawada spinning heel kicks looks particularly vicious and loved Tenryu's lariat follow-up. Hansen has noticeably lost a step. He is more of a brick wall than a bull in a china shop, but he makes it work. Some structure comes in when Kawada is able to work Tenryu over on the outside to set up the Doc control segment on Tenryu. 

I will say you dont associate great punching with Japanese wrestling but we get some great potatoes here. Doc unloads on Tenryu. Hansen breaks up a submission attempt with a great punch to Doc. Tenryu's HAULS OFF AND CLOCKS DOC! Some real good stuff. Always loved the Oklahoma Stampede. Kawada gets his fair share of offense in. Nice Axe Kick. It is very action-heavy not very sticky so I am just remembering highspots as they come to me like the suplex battle on the apron that leads to Kawada getting suplexed from the ring to the outside which always looks gnarly, a Tenryu powerbomb. My favorite sequence is the Doctor Bomb on Tenryu and Doc cheerleading Kawada to put him away with the Powerbomb but only gets two. We get a couple Stretch Plums as is normal. 

The finish sequence as I remember it is Doc comes in and splashes Tenryu a bunch. Goes for the Backdrop Driver but Hansen breaks it up. Doc gets the Spinebuster. I remember Sumo Slaps by Tenryu! Kawada gets bulldozed by the double shoulderblock by the old timers. LARIAT~! by Hansen on Kawada eliminates him. Tenryu/Hansen work over Doc. Top Rope Reverse Elbow. Powerbomb. LARIAT~! Hansen falls on top for the win. 

Given that Hansen's last match would be the next Budokan show in October, I am a bit surprised he went over here. All the talk about Post-Split All Japan is about how Kawada remained, they bring in Tenryu and then Mutoh, but it is interesting how Doc is overlooked. He wins the RWTL in December, he gets a prime spot at Dome show against the new #2 gaijin Mike Barton, which maybe shows how far the gaijin talent has fallen. He does get his last Triple Crown title shot at the Budokan in July then just falls off. I guess Mutoh bringing his New Japan crew sort of rendered Doc obsolete. Anyways, at 25 minutes I enjoyed but I dont think it is something I will remember next week. *** 1/2