[1989-04-16-AJPW] Stan Hansen vs Jumbo Tsuruta

[Superstar Sleeze]

PWF & United National Champion Stan Hansen vs NWA International Champion Jumbo Tsuruta - AJPW 4/16/89

I was had! I thought for sure this was the Triple Crown unification match but turns out that is two days later. This is still a banger. I dont know if it was the finish but this didnt deserve to be outside the Top 100 for the All Japan set at all. 

This was just two big muthas throwing hands and everything but the kitchen sink at each other and barely bumping. Both dudes laying everything in and there are a ton of stiff shots. Jumbo owned Hansen early. I dont think I have seen Hansen so thoroughly beaten up ever. It was stand & bang to start. Jumbo is the one that threw him to the floor. Jumbo used the chair first and jabbed him with it and got a good shot. Jumbo RAKED THE EYES! Top Rope High Knee! Then he used closed fists! Jumbo is working outright heel and Hansen is over as the babyface this crazy. Hansen was still throwing flailing wild shots but Jumbo was in complete control, never seen this before. Hansen puts together a strike combination and hits a quasi-Western-Lariat to ring Jumbo's bell. Now Hansen mercilessly beats down Jumbo. I love how Jumbo doesnt bump for shit. He just takes his beating like a man. Hansen gets a chair and beats the shit out of Jumbo with it. Thats when I was like I liked this match but now I love this match! Jumbo trying mounting a comeback 90s Misawa-style with all the elbows but Hansen snuffs that out with another quasi-Western Lariat. The finish stretch is so fucking good. Hansen hits a bunch of jumping elbow drops but eats knees. As is tradition in a Hansen match, his weakness is his soft underbelly well actually it is his midsection/ribs but I just wanted to say soft underbelly. He rolls to the outside. Jumbo pummels him with the chair. The ref makes him relinquish it and Hansen fucking throws the chair at him! Ok, this match just straight up rules! Shame on everyone for now voting this higher. Jumbo stays in control and signals for the Jumbo Death Lariat on the outside and he WRAPS HIS ARM AROUND THE POST! He goes flying over the railing! Everyone flees. Hansen tackles him! They are fighting in the crowd, all the chairs are knocked over, they are picking up random chairs and attacking each other! In the melee, the ref calls for the bell as I am totally confused because I thought this was the unification match, but instead it was a barnburner brawl with stiff shots, awesome transitions and a shit ton of chair shots! I love in Japanese wrestling when all over sudden they are just throwing chairs at each other. Wild kickass match! ****1/4