[1989-10-20-AJPW] Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshiaki Yatsu vs Genichiro Tenryu & Stan Hansen

[Superstar Sleeze]

All Japan World Tag Team Champions Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshiaki Yatsu vs Genichiro Tenryu & Stan Hansen vs - AJPW 10/20/89

I watched the original title change back in July which didnt make the DVDVR set surprisingly but was bitchin' as hell! Tenryu dropped the Triple Crown a couple weeks prior. Does Jumbo retain all his gold or is Tenryu able to reclaim some glory? I didnt see the title switch back to Jumbo & Yatsu, which happened on 7/22. I might have to look that match up at some point. I am looking forward to his based on July! 1989 All Japan Tag means stream of consciousness:

Tenryu & Yatsu to start! Tenryu makes sure to chop Jumbo while he is on the apron. Already this has way more heat than the 10/14 six-man! Jumbo tags in. Yatsu counsels him first. Tenryu slaps Jumbo and Jumbo headlock. Criss-cross, Jumbo shouldertackle and Jumbo death bodyslam. I love Jumbo's bodyslam Double Chop and they try for the knee sandwich but get the double chop instead. Yatsu knee to Tenryu. Hansen tags in. Hansen has a huge bandage on his back which I assume he has been awfully quiet thus far. Hansen does seem subdued. Yatsu backs him into a corner. Hansen fights out. Yatsu is sledging the back. Hansen bullies Yatsu into his corner. Hansen/Tenryu double shouldertackle. Tenryu with some vicious stomps to head. Slashing chops to Yatsu and bashes his head into the buckles. Snapmare into the figure-4 headlock. Yatsu frees himself goes for inverted figure-4 but Hansen comes crashing into him with an elbow break it up. Hansen in and he kicks at Yatsu and a dropkick by the big man. Hansen punches Yatsu in the ropes. Hansen cant prevent the tag to Jumbo. Jumbo shoulderblocks into the ropes and Jumbo double axehandle to Hansen injured back. Hansen flails in defense and wrestles Jumbo to his corner. Tenryu slashing chops! Jumbo big boot on Tenryu! Jumbo Big Boot Gain! Jumbo is revved up and raises arm to crowd. Jumbo elbow to Tenryu . Yatsu stomps Tenryu slumped in corner. Yatsu reverse elbow on Tenryu. Yatsu belly to belly suplex. Hansen interferes and Tenryu knee to Yatsu. Tenryu Enziguiri to kneeling Yatsu. Hansen tags in. Yatsu meets him at press and slugs away at back. Hansen fires back. He tugs at the Elbow Pad early to a big reaction! Hansen comes in red hot charging but goes ass over tea kettle over the top rope to the floor, careening into the railing  injuring his already injured back. Tenryu checks in on him. Jumbo double axehandle off apron onto injured back and then whips Tenryu into railing. Very strong first five minutes. 

Stomp to the injured back. Great targeting of the injured back. It gives this tag a hook, which a lot of All Japan tags from this era sorely lack. Jumbo is relentless on the back and tears off the bandage. Tenryu attacks him from behind and Yatsu attacks Tenryu. Yatsu Bulldog on Tenryu on floor! Yatsu adds a sledge to the back of Hansen and then throws him back in. Jumbo finishes the job with a MASSIVE bodyslam! Jumbo tries to muscle Hansen over into a Boston Crab. Hansen makes it to the safety of the ropes. Yatsu continues to drub the back of Hansen like a drum. I loved wounded bear Stan Hansen the best. It is when he is at his most dangerous. Yatsu bodyslam and stomp. Yatsu is relentless attacking the back Jumbo tags in and goes up top but Hansen powders. Hansen creates space and throws wild strikes to try to keep Jumbo at bay but Jumbo just keeps coming. Hansen topples a Young Boy as he looks for quarter but Jumbo will give him none! Hansen is being out Hansne'd by Jumbo & Yastu. Hansen deadwieght to Jumbo. Hansen grabs the hair and throws a headbutt. Hansen punches Jumbos' side and based on the way Jumbo flinches he might have something. Jumbo wisely tags out to Yatsu double suplex gets two but Tenryu breaks it up. Yatsu camel clutch on Hansen. I never thought I'd write this sentence but this is great heat segment on Stan Hansen of all people. Hanse blasts Yatsu with an elbow on his knees. He is the best type of face in peril always fighting back. Another double suplex gets two as Jumbo is now in with him. Hansen keeps throwing kicks from his back. Jumbo fires back. Hansen lunging headbutt tp midsection. Jumbo pummels him down his attacks to back. Tenryu comes in and chops Jumbo. This is so different than I expected and I Love it. Yatsu double axehandle to Hansen's back from top. Single Leg Crab by Yatsu. Hansen does not look good. Yatsu applies the inverted Figure-4 but Hansen grabs Yatsu's hair and throw rapid fire headbutts but Yatsu tags out to Jumbo. Jumbo back to work on the back. Hansen starts his hulk up. Great shit! Jumbo ends the rally with an abdominal stretch boooooooo. Tenryu double axehandle crashing down on Jumbo. Enizguiri! Hansen stomps and hot tag!

Tenyu slashing chop. TENRYU MACK TRUCK LARIAT! He toesses Jumbo to the floor. Hansen chops Jumbo on the floor. Hansen headbutts Yatsu. Back in ring, Tenryu BLASTS Jumbo with a Footlose Lariat in the corner. Sick Lariat. Hansen exposes his knee in exact sweet revenge kneeing Jumbo in the head. Hansen falls back under the weight of Hansen as Jumbo is left clutching his head. This is killer. Jumbo inside cradle! Tenryu reverse for two! Tenryu keeps attacking head and gets two count. Bodyslam by Tenryu. Hansen elbow drop for two. COWOY KICK! Wicked knee to head by Hansen. Jumbo no sells a double shouldertackle in a weird moment. DANGEROUS BACK DROP DRIVER BY JUMBO! Weird way to get to it, but i like the move as transition. Hot tag to Yatsu! 

Yatsu stomps away at Tenryu. Hansen comes in and gets promptly bodyslammed by Yatsu who will not be denied. Yatsu is a one man gang fending off everyone. GEATEST SPOT EVER! Hansen throws Yatsu off on a  bulldog attempt and Tenryu TRUCKS HIM WITH A LARIAT! 

Yatsu dropkick gets him back in contention. Hansen comes charging across the screen and knocks Yatsu off the rope and takes a nasty tumble to the floor. Hansen beats him up on the floor and throws him in. Double suplex by Hansen and Tenryu. Hansen drives and grinds his knee into Yatsu for two. Yastu backdrops out of Spike Piledriver attempts and press slams Tenryu off the top. Hansen lunges and crashes down on Yatsu as Tenryu knocks the injured Jumbo off apron. They steal Jumbo & Yatsu's Spike Piledriver and do it in their corner! Add insult to injury. As Hansen Is pinning Yatsu, Jumbo and furiously slaps the shit out of Tenryu. Jumbo kicks Hansen into the head repeatedly is all revved up. Hansen fires back and it is on. Hansen throws Jumbo out. It leaves Tenryu and Yatsu alone. Hansen whips Jumbo into the railing. Tenryu & Hansen double team YATSU WITH THEIR DOUBLE POWER FINISH FOR TWO AS Jumbo saves! WESTERN LARIAT BLASTS JUMBO! Hansen misses Lariat on Yatsu and elbow and Tenryu misses the Enziguiri. We miss the Lariat that does Yatsu in, which is a shame. This fucking ruled!   

Take the awesome workrate you already know youre going to get from these four but then add in a Hansen back injury hook that carries the front half of the match and explains why Hansen is not his usual wrecking ball self. Then on top of that add a great heat segment on Jumbo where he has had his bell rung and he can never shake the cobwebs loose again which leaves Yatsu easy pickins for the Tenryu/Hansen superteam. Next time I watch this I want to see what caused the Jumbo head injury. The finish run was excellent, the shove off the Bulldog into a Monster Lariat could have been the finish. Stealing the Spike Piledriver. Jumbo pissed but not really able to do anything about it. The Double Powerbomb! The Monster Lariat to knock Jumbo out of contention once and for all. The only thing I wish was a little bigger was he actual finish finish but that might just be since we miss it on camera. Excellent match from a matchup that people should talk about more! ****1/2