[2001-04-11-AJPW-Champions Carnival] Genichiro Tenryu vs Taiyo Kea

[Superstar Sleeze]

 Genichiro Tenryu vs Taiyo Kea - AJPW 4/11/01 Champions Carnival Finals
 

First Champions Carnival since the split. Tenryu has been the Triple Crown Champion since October 2001, but came up short in the RWTL in December. He successfully defended his Triple Crown against Kea in March. So this a pretty high profile rematch. Kea is currently Tag Team Champion with Johnny Smith. Mutoh and Kojima are NOT yet All Japan 4 Life so Kea is getting pushed pretty hard as the rising star to complement Tenryu and Kawada. I think Kojima's official signing and Kea's injury ultimately derail his push. 

Like the Triple Crown match, this match is also clipped. We get about the last 7-8 minutes of a 17 minute match so I will not rate this match. I will say I really enjoyed their 2002 Budokan main event match and I do think they have good chemistry. This is Tenryu's wheelhouse grumpy old vet takes on rising young lion. I really enjoyed Kea's offense here. We JIP to them in a stand up exchange and Kea hits a big enziguiri that really rocks Tenryu's. The best part of Kea's offense is his kicks. Tenryu's really sells it like he has had his bell rung. Kea piledrives him. So I am immediately loving this. Like how is the old grumpy bastard going to respond. Interestingly, Kea's switches to a more Mutoh-based offensive strategy dropkicking the knee and locking on a Figure-4. I LOVED Tenryu's response to a second figure-4 attempt by PUNCHING HIM RIGHT IN THE FACE! HE CLOCKED HIM! Kea looks staggered but he goes head-hunting too with a sick kick to the back of the head. I am digging it. Kea misses a top rope splash. This leaves him open to couple lariats. Tenryu PULVERIZES him with a stiff punch and Northern Lights Bomb which should have been the finish, but a third and final lariat finishes him off. I thought Tenryu's comeback was a bit too quick and unearned. Kea had really strung together an impressive offensive combination so I would have liked more out of Tenryu to dig himself out of that hole. That punch-Northern Lights Bomb combo was pretty sick. I'd like to see the whole version of this. I thought this was better than the March 2001 Triple Crown match based on what we saw of each.