[2004-03-21-NJPW-Hyper Battle] Genichiro Tenryu vs Tadao Yasuda

[Superstar Sleeze]

Genichiro Tenryu vs Tadao Yasuda - NJPW 3/21/04

I was in Ireland last week for work and got out of the habit of watching and reviewing wrestling. Going to the Carolinas next week. Hope to get back in the habit soon. 
 

Yasuda would be gone from New Japan in 6 months and this is one of his last ten matches in NJPW. It seems like he was booted from Makai Club after this and started teaming with Tenryu. The writing felt like it was on the wall for during this match. He was not treated like a star.

The beauty of Yasuda is that a fucking huge ex-Sumo dude that chokes the shit out of people and moves awkwardly. He forces conventional pro wrestlers out of the their comfort zone and to work differently. If you take that away from him, his matches aren’t very good. That’s what happens here. He is effectively an old school Southern heel that relies on Makai Club interference to gain an advantage so that he can try to choke Tenryu out. Once Tenryu feels like Yasuda has done enough, he brushes him off and polishes him off. There is no sense that Tenryu is in danger, that Yasuda is a real threat or that Tenryu has to treat Yasuda differently. He pulverizes him to start. Only Hoshino interference allows Yasuda to have a chance to choke him. Then Tenryu at the end rattles off a dragon leg screw, lariat and a couple gnarly looking elevated DDTs (like a 3/4 Brainbuster) kinda sick to win.

I think the story was Yasuda gets beaten soundly to explain him get turfed by Makai Club but leaves for a very uninteresting match and disappointing for both men. 

[Ma Stump Puller]

Would suggest Yasuda/Nishimura from this year if you want to see him pretend to be a Catch wrestler (and fail epically)