This got better as the match went on. The best part about the match is just the fact it's these two guys facing each other. I thought it was good/solid. Nothing here really blew me away. ***

I agree this match is mostly just great because of the fact that exists.

 

Genichiro Tenryu vs Ricky Steamboat - AJPW 2/23/84 Vacant NWA United National Championship

 

Nice Memorial to David Von Erich at the beginning. David was the previous United National Championship. His death left the title vacant. This is the match to determine the new champion.

 

On the same show as Jumbo finally winning the big one against Bock, Tenryu/Steamboat, a dream match, deliver a solid undercard match. Up until the figure-4, it was pretty ho-hum. Very face vs face. Steamboat controlling with quickness and Tenryu with the grind. Tenryu definitely used light roughhousing to get his way. Steamboat's figure-4 came out of nowhere, but they rolled to the outside still in the figure-4. From there, definitely got a better and more heated. They were lighting each other with chops. Loved the roll-up-Boston Crab-roll up sequence pretty novel. Tenryu's enziguiri was great! Steamboat's selling in this was very good. I thought he made all of Tenryu's offense look really good. Tenryu hits his reverse elbow, BUT he was not supposed to so Steamboat does not sell. LOL! Tenryu is 2 for 2 with hilarious fuck ups. I guess that was more Steamboat's fault for not getting out of the way in time. Steamboat gets high crossbody for his nearfall. Tenryu gets Steamboat in the banana split rollup to win the match and retain his title. Biggest victory of Tenryu's career at this point as he wins his major singles championship.

 

Pretty pedestrian opening, picked up towards the end. Mostly cool just because it is Tenryu vs Steamboat, but it never becomes TENRYU VS STEAMBOAT~! ***1/4

Sleeze, I am telling you that you need to see Flair vs Tenryu from October 6, 1981!!! It was awesome. Flair's first title defense in Japan!!!