Genichiro Tenryu vs Jerry Lawler

[elliott]

Lawler finished 10th in 2016 and Tenryu finished 13th. BUT! Tenryu had a higher average vote 17.51 to Lawler's 18.76. Some similarities, some differences. One thing they have in common is they're two of the best ever. Who do you prefer??

[Boss Rock]

I have Tenryu comfortably ahead, but there are quite a few similarities between the two. Neither were good athletes yet neither out-kicked their coverage. Both have great matches against a litany of opponents regardless of skill level. Both guys' offense were good for how they wrestled and both were great sellers. I personally just think Tenryu could wear more hats, had higher peaks, and had more volume.

[WingedEagle]

Tenryu is a top 20 candidate while Lawler will not rank.  

[Matt D]

9 minutes ago, WingedEagle said:

Tenryu is a top 20 candidate while Lawler will not rank.  

Show your work.

[DR Ackermann]

Really a toss up depending on the day. Both guys along with Bockwinkel come the closest to overtaking Funk as the goat for me. I lean towards Tenryu because I plain just like him more and also feel he was more versatile in the different roles he could excel at compared to Lawler. I'm not a big fan of Lawler's hide-the-chain heel work or when he tries to work a straight, non-brawl. On the other hand, Lawler's got some great performances as a heel in the 70s, fared better in Japan than Tenryu did in the US and has maybe the most longevity of any wrestler ever when it comes to quality output, understanding what they're still good at it and making it work. But Tenryu in his prime through at least the WAR-New Japan feud is the closest to giving me everything I want out of wrestling. Great heel, great face, sometimes in the same match. Super violent and also super giving to his opponent. I don't think Tenryu gets enough credit for his creativity in 87-91, all the little things he tries in his matches which only a few years later he's going to be physically unable to do.

[elliott]

I went with Lawler. It was easier than I thought it was going to be. Its reallly close. So close that a straight up comparison against Lawler is one of the few times I feel like Tenryu's slow early start to his career really comes into play. Once I sort of realized that was the main difference between the two as candidates it became a deciding factor. 

[ohtani's jacket]

How did Lawler fare better in Japan than Tenryu did in the States? 

[elliott]

Neither matters for me. 

[DR Ackermann]

The Fujinami match from 88 is better than anything I've seen from Tenryu in the US. Very small sample size but also inconsequential.

[Matt D]

1 hour ago, DR Ackermann said:

The Fujinami match from 88 is better than anything I've seen from Tenryu in the US. Very small sample size but also inconsequential.

We watched a Buddy Rose tag a week or two ago and that was fun because you could see what he might have been like as an ethnic fiery babyface working a total American style in the 80s, but it was just a good TV match.

Plus it's pre-transformation Tenryu, though it's a good example of that (sumo strikes, rolling cradle, etc.) transposed into a different environment. It makes you think that Tenryu might have actually worked better in the states as a babyface, weirdly enough.