Posted February 27, 200817 yr comment_5428689 All Japan Classics 126 Nikita Koloff & Krusher Kruschev vs. Yoshiaki Yatsu & Isamu Teranishi (1/1/86) - When the Russians are in the ring, Ivan Koloff should be one of them. Squash. Mil Mascaras vs. Takashi Ishikawa (1/11/86) - I am really digging Mil’s ground game. The crowd didn’t really give a shit but I thought it was pretty neat. Sometimes it is just refreshing to have a change of pace from the typical All Japan matches. You know Mil is older than dirt but the guy really stayed in shape and never seemed to be off his game. Maybe I am off my rocker but I think this at least deserves a second look from you guys. Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Higo Hamaguchi (3/13/86) (13:50) - This is a great David & Goliath match up. You can notice Jumbo getting frustrated because it appears like this should be a match that he controls but Higo keeps getting the best of him. However, when Jumbo does punish him, he stops Higo cold. Still, Higo never gives up. For example, Jumbo hits him with a nice piledriver, but when Higo recovers, he executes one as well to show that turnaround is fair play. The end was really hot and there were points you thought Higo could pull off the upset. However, Jumbo ends it with a Thesz Press of all things. Great match. Genichiro Tenryu vs. Ole Anderson (4/5/86) - This is classic Ole Anderson just destroying Tenryu’s arm. He rams the arm into the turnbuckle. He takes him outside and rams it into the ringpost. He throws Tenryu over a table and starts smashing it with a chair. When Tenryu makes a comeback, he even gets Ole to take a face first bump off an enziguiri. This sets up the Tenryu powerbomb. Damn, this was short but so great. If I ever make an Ole Anderson comp, or my postponed Tenryu comp, this goes on there. Stan Hanson vs. Jumbo Tsuruta (4/5/86) (AWA/PWF Title v. Int'l Title) - This is similar to other Jumbo-Hansen matches where Jumbo ends up working on the Lariat arm and Stan responds by brawling or keeping him grounded. What makes this stand out is Jumbo’s enthusiasm. In some of these matches, you can see Jumbo going through the motions but when he is fired up (like in the Higo Hamaguchi match), he is just great to watch. I was enjoying the hell out of this before a countout ending.
