All Japan Classics 172

 

Stan Hansen & Dan Kroffat vs. Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson (10/26/88)

- RNR are pretty over which is something I did not expect. The first 5 minute is Kroffat vs. Morton and I have no complaints. When Hansen gets in the ring, he just manhandles the RNR except for an RNR hope spot where Hansen injured his arm on the ringpost. The RNR work on the arm for a bit but that didn’t last long before Morton and Kroffat went back to their match within a match. These two worked really well together except for a noticeable flub where Morton was down for three but the ref didn’t count it so the pin could be reversed. There is some nice stuff with the RNR double teaming Hansen before he end sit with a lariat. Not a high-end tag but worthy of a nomination.

 

Jumbo Tsuruta & Hiroshi Wajima vs. Abdullah the Butcher & Jimmy Snuka (8/20/88)

- This started off fun with the wild Abby brawling but when it settled into a straight tag, it wasn’t that interesting.

 

Stan Hansen vs. Jumbo Tsuruta (PWF/UN vs. International Title) (10/17/88)

- Really quiet early on with both guys trying to make this a mat game. It is a really somber tone but there is some neat stuff if you pay attention. Watch the forearms and fingers and you occasionally see some nasty Steven Regal type stuff. However, there was a lot of dead time. The strength of these guys is their brawling and fighting and creating a big fight atmosphere. This felt like the touring house show match on the 2nd show of a back to back where the guys play it light because they are tired. They try to pick up the pace later on but this one doesn’t come close to other much better matches.

Stan "The Lariat" Hansen & Dan Kroffat vs. The Rock n Roll Express (Robert Gibson & Ricky Morton) (10/26/88)

 

Kroffat makes his AJ Classics debut here and the R&R is quite over here at Korakuen. The story here is that Hansen tries to beat Morton's ass throughout the match but most of the time Morton avoids him. Morton & Kroffat have really good chemistry here and really takes a pounding in full FIP mode but there was never a hot tag and it turns into a 4-way brawl with Morton eating a lariat for the finish.

 

Jumbo Tsuruta & Hiroshi Wajima vs. Abdullah the Butcher & "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka (8/20/88)

 

There was wild brawling before and after the match but the actual match wasn't any good.

 

NWA United National/PWF Heavyweight Titles vs. NWA International Heavyweight Title: Stan "The Lariat" Hansen © vs. Jumbo Tsuruta © (10/17/88)

 

Let's face it these guys are getting older and sometimes they take it a little easy in some matches due to injuries or just being in a bad mood and this is one of those matches. They work a lighter pace for them to start working more holds before they go into their formula and even though it gets pretty good later, this just felt like an uninspired effort from two guys who we have much better from already on the set. Not a nomination.