[2006-10-09-NJPW] Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Hiroyoshi Tenzan

[Superstar Sleeze]

IWGP Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Hiroyoshi Tenzan- NJPW 10/9/06

Twenty years to the day! Perfect booking coming out of the 2006 New Japan reset. You strap your hottest young talent have him beat the big, bad gaijin. Now you put against biggest traditional native star of the last 2-3 years. Follow that up with a defense against his major generational rival, Nakamura. The big 1/4 Dome show you go to the most obvious play in the puroresu interpromotuonsl against All Japan and the most recent ex-Triplr Crown Champion, Taiyo Kea. Then drop the title to a former Ace, Nagata, to set up a big inter generational rivalry. Thats pro wrestling booking 101 right there. Simple but oh so effective. 
 

If you were judging this match off points, Tenzan wins a landslide. But it ain’t about who dominated the match, it is who got the pin. It is who can win the ugly game. Who has the heart of the champion? This was perfect booking of a young champion. It is one thing to get to the top, it is another thing to stay on top. It is not like over night Tanahashi became this world beating sensation. He is still young and against a hard hitting bruising veteran like Tenzan he is the underdog. He is cast as such. Tenzan is a mountain for the plucky Tanahashi to climb and scale it be would. 
 

I have grown fond of the lunkheaded Tenzan the ultimate Nasty Boy. I loved him just letting Tanahashi bounce off him like a pest. Walking through all of Tanahashi’s offense. Every time Tanahashi was defiant he would blast him with a head butt and tell him with a Mongolian Chop. It was Tenzan in all his clubbering glory. Tanahashi play the role of plucky counter wrestler well. Almost every Tenzan submission was countered instead of a rope break. There was a smattering of roll ups and cradles as well. He tried his hand at clubbering but that didn’t go his way. I liked how Tenzan escalated from clubbering and submission to riding Tanahashi down like a surfboard into the railing and from the top. Hurling his body at Tanahashi with a spinning heel kicks. 
 

Tanahashi was still finding himself. There was no knee work. There was a Kojima style Ace Crusher, a Mutoh Shining Wizard, Kawada Enziguiris and a crazy Capture Suplex. There was still a barrage of Sling Blades a uniquely Tanahashi strategy but we were still watching him evolve into the Ace of the Universe which is really cool. 

Tenzan Driver into Anaconda Vice was a good near fall so to speak. Tanahashi moves out of the way of Tenzansault and as Tenzan was reeling from that. BANG~! Shining Wizard! That felt like a major turning point. Tenzan would get one more Anaconda Vice but after that head rocking knee Tanahashi shows him his ability to use guile and speed to turn the match in his favor. He ripped him down with a sick capture suplex which you never see from him. Sling Blade barrage this time we do see the High Fly Flow for the win. 
 

The 2004 match of theirs is the classic but this is still great. Veteran vs Youbg Lion match done to a tee. Tenzan establishes himself as a mountain to climb and wrestles King Sized here. Tanahashi is finding himself and what works for him and wrestles a great plucky counter wrestlers match he finds a Shining Wizard and a Capture Suplex late and never looks back. Really strong stuff **** 1/4