[1988-03-09-AJPW] Jumbo Tsuruta vs Tiger Mask II

[Superstar Sleeze]

Jumbo Tsuruta vs Tiger Mask II (Mitsuharu Misawa) - AJPW 3/9/88

Jumbo is the NWA International Heavyweight Champion, but this is non-title. He had some interesting title defenses that I do want to track down in this run. 

This match sneaks up on you. At first you are like this is a solid match and then all of sudden you are whipped into frenzy love it. This is very much proto-90s All Japan. Tons of Big Bombs and High Drama down the stretch. The first half Misawa works the headlock and doesnt deviate from this strategy. Jumbo is able to get momentary respites through kneecrushers or European Uppercuts but Misawa always clamps it back on. Misawa hits an awesome reverse crossbody headbutt that looked amazing, usually that spot looks shitty, but that was the best one ever. Great dropkick too. Then it happens. Jumbo finally DEMOLISHES him with the Back Drop Driver out of the headlock. I love a great transition and this one was juicy. Total All Japan style big highspots but here is the ticket THEY STICK WITH YOU! Thats the difference, kids. Big High Knee! Jumping Piledriver! Butterfly Suplex! All presented in such a way to let the fans sink their teeth into it. Misawa slips down the back on a vertical suplex attempt which would be become a pivotal spot in their legendary 6/8/90 encounter. Here it sets up Misawa's crazy Tiger Mask offense. He does a Springboard Top Rope Somersault to the floor and then a High, High Top Rope Crossbody to the floor, he landed on Jumbo head & shoulders instead of chest which was a crazy visual really wiped him out. Big missile dropkick! It is so, so weird watching Misawa do all this offense under the Tiger Mask guise. It is so obvious now where 90% of his offense came from. It was from being Tiger Mask. Frogsplash eats knees! Again the transitions are sold so well and mean so much. I am such a huge mark for that.  Jumbo is relentless on the abdomen. He goes for the kneelift and Misawa changes into schoolboy! He rattles off a bunch of hot nearfalls like he is Ricky Steamboat including the O'Connor Roll, Hurricanarana, and a small package on an attempted Back Drop Driver. Jumbo just keeps drilling him. Guillotining him with a hotshot which is a Jumbo staple but usually is a bump he takes. Third Back Drop Driver vanquishes Misawa!    

Very much a window into the future!  ****1/4