[1985-12-12-AJPW] Stan Hansen & Ted DiBiase vs Riki Choshu & Yoshiaki Yatsu

[Superstar Sleeze]

Stan Hansen & Ted DiBiase vs Riki Choshu & Yoshiaki Yatsu - AJPW 12/12/85

I have a sneaking suspicion they are going to do a 30 minute draw so I am going to break this up into halves. 

First 15 minutes: Ted DiBiase is just weird in All Japan. He looked lost. There was that weird backdrop/sunset flip from Yatsu at the outset that crowd openly laughed at. The constant chinlocking. He just did not fit. From a kayfabe point of view, he constantly lost the advantage that Hansen would garner. Hansen was fucking awesome. Everytime he tagged in DiBiase, DiBiase would end up on his back before you knew it I think Ted's best offense was sending Yatsu to the outside for Hansen to beat up. This is one of those matches that you can point to Stan Hansen single-handledly elevating by his sheer force of his will. That opening lock up with Choshu was electric. I loved how Hansen fought out of the double team. How active he was on the apron, he yanked Yatsu during one rope running segment and bulldozed Choshu in the Scorpion Deathlock in the other both times bailing out DiBiase's sorry ass. The Japanese team was solid. It was a typical All Japan tag. There was a lot of action, but not too much in the way of narrative. The captains looked strong and the junior partners took the heat. So far it has been good wrestling and an inspired Stan Hansen.  

Welp, I called it. A 30 minute draw. Anytime four greats meander for the first 15 minutes, it just reeks of a draw.

 

Second 15 minutes: Last ten minutes pick up in a big way. Pretty everything after Hansen smacks Yatsu in the head with a rotary phone is gold. Rotary phone that is not something you see too often. They hit a spike piledriver on Yatsu and milk the countout win. Hansen misses the Western Lariat and Yatsu hits a big time dropkick. Choshu & Yatsu work over Hansen's lariat arm and actually babyface him with the crowd chanting his name. Then the finish run is total fun, energetic All Japan chaos. Choshu is nailing lariats on everybody. Hansen eats a spike piledriver at one point. Hansen is actually a pretty good babyface. Hansen is selling his arm and fatigue. He sort of half collapses-half Lariats Choshu while he has DiBiase in the Scoprion Deathlock.  An important note since this is part of the Real World Tag League, a draw means Hansen/DiBiase win the tournament thats why Choshu/Yatsu are pouring it on and the gaijin team is content with just playing defense. The bell rings just as Hansen elbows Yatsu while he was covering DiBiase.

JIP to the last ten minutes of this 30 minute draw and you will find a rowdy, energetic match, but the first twenty drag. It is cool to see Hansen vs Choshu, but other than that it is just a good match. ***1/2