[2001-09-08-AJPW] Genichiro Tenryu & Yoji Anjoh vs Keiji Mutoh & Taiyo Kea

[Superstar Sleeze]

AJPW World Tag Team Champions Genichiro Tenryu & Yoji Anjoh vs Keiji Mutoh & Taiyo Kea - AJPW 9/8/01

I have not seen Anjoh in forever! How the hell are you brutha? Dude is good craic, I should see him more often. 
 

Tenryu & Anjoh won the tag team titles from Kea & Johnny Smith. Kea has upgraded his partner to the reigning Triple Crown champion Keiji Mutoh. This headlined the September Budokan show with 12,800 in attendance not a bad figure and the only undercard support of note was Kawada & Nagai taking on Chono & Barton. 
 

Surprisingly for a Budokan main event, this is clipped we get 11 minutes of a 20 minute match. What we saw is very entertaining but without seeing the first 9 minutes I don’t feel comfortable rating it. 
 

We open with Kea on control of Tenryu but he tags out to Anjoh. Oh there’s a funny bit before the match begins where Tenryu big times All Japan President Stan Hansen when handing over the belts but Anjoh very quickly relinquishes them and bows to Hansen, I immediately love Anjoh again. 
 

So Kea is in control and takes exception to some Tenryu interference. Tenryu throws a tantrum over Kea whacking him, trying to grab the announce table but Hansen stops Tenryu. Tenryu gets his revenge by pulling down the top rope on Kea and then whipping him hard chest first into the railing. Anjoh hits a piledriver into a cross-armbreaker. Be still my beating shoot style heart. Anjoh drops a knee on bicep. This whole stretch was awesome. I really enjoyed the heat segment on Kea. 
 

Kea gets an enziguiri on Tenryu and Mutoh comes in and it is 2001 so you know the drill dropkicks to the knee, dragon leg screw and figure-4. Anjoh breaks it up and starts throwing Mutoh around with Saito Suplexes. Mutoh is able to wrest control and it is stereo Figure-4s! Doesn’t matter if it is Greensboro or Tokyo that shit is over. 
 

It is funny Mutoh is clearly feeding his chin to Anjoh on the second Figure-4 attempt but there’s a pregnant pause before Anjoh realizes he is supposed to clock Mutoh to stop the Figure-4. Mutoh gets his frankensteiner on the incoming Tenryu. Tag out to Kea. 
 

Kea gets the big near fall run with a Powerbomb and his patented kick combination. Funny moment Kea gets Tenryu in a Triangle and Anjoh wraps Mutoh into submission but realizes if he doesn’t relinquish and save Tenryu the titles are lost. His face tells a perfect story. Anjoh with kicks and elbows sets Tenryu up to polish Kea off with a Powerbomb and Brainbuster. 
 

I like 2001 Mutoh a lot but he played a very small role in this. I really enjoyed the Tenryu & Anjoh team. Great chemistry, they really complement each other well. Kea took a lickin and kept on tickin. This felt 3.5 +/- 0.25 star. Very entertaining would watch the whole thing.