Posted March 13, 200817 yr comment_5429438 All Japan Classics 146 Kabuki & Tiger Mask v. Ted Dibiase & Pete Roberts (04/23/87) - Roberts and Misawa do the pinning sequence that I saw Kroffat and Malenko do from 1989. Really nice looking stuff. This was perfectly acceptable and a decent tag but nothing made it really stand out. Misawa gets the pin onROberts after an unspectacular cross-body. Stan Hansen/Ted Dibiase v. Tenyru & Hiroshi Wajima (03/28/87) - Right as the match begins, Hansen starts throwing chairs in the ring. I was hoping we would get a pretty good brawl out of this. Once again, perfectly good wrestling with the best matchup being Tenryu-Hansen. When they go outside the ring, the intensity picks up but inside, it just wasn't evry exciting or compelling. This ends with a double countout as the teams brawl back to the locker room. Jumbo Tsuruta v. Tommy Rich (Int'l Title, 04/02/87) - Early on, both guys work out of the headlock and it reminds me of an early 80s NWA match more than a late 90s All Japan match. Of the Rich-Jumbo matches I have seen, this is probably the best one yet. Tommy gets the Thesz Press in a nearfall and that io when Jumbo wakes up and starts nailing him with the big guns... a nice clothesline, the big knee, the Sharpshooter. After having no success in the ring, Rich takes it outside and gets the advantage after ramming Jumbo on the rail. However, once they are inside, Jumbo takes over again. Rich makes a few comebacks but eventually gets dropped to another lariat. If this were the Memphis or Early NWA set, I could see a match like this making it. However, on a monster like All Japan it comes up short. Stan Hansen & Ted Dibiase v. Dory Funk Jr & Hiroshi Wajima (04/05/87) - I really don't care ofr Wajima. Maybe it is his low center of gravity due to having stubby legs and a long torso. Another decent tag that comes up short on this set. Ted and Stan dominate most of the match. However, when Stan goes for the lariat, Wajima gets pulled out of the ring by Dory and saved. THe match ends up in a double countount and no nomination.
September 9, 201015 yr comment_5455477 The Great Kabuki & Tiger Mask II vs. Ted DiBiase & Pete Roberts (4/23/87) I like Roberts as the 3rd wheel for DiBiase & Hansen. This was a solid match with everyone working hard but not enough for a nomination. Ted DiBiase & Stan "The Lariat" Hansen vs. Genichiro Tenryu & Hiroshi Wajima (3/28/87) Hansen & Tenryu were very fun here both inside and outside the ring while Wajima dragged it down of course when he was in the ring. Still this was a pretty good match nonetheless. NWA International Heavyweight Title: Jumbo Tsuruta © vs. "Wildfire" Tommy Rich (4/2/87) Rich looks better here than in the tag match days earlier as he hangs with Jumbo early even getting a quick nearfall off of a Thesz Press but Jumbo would light him with a lariat to send a message. This would lead to more good back and forth action with Jumbo being mainly on the better end but Rich would take the match to the floor where he would bash Jumbo into the railing before taking it back to the ring. Rich would be in control mostly here hitting some big moves but as he tried for another Thesz Press, Jumbo dropped him on the top rope before dropping him with a lariat to win the match. I think this was shorter compared to the 1983 match plus that match had more heat so this one falls short of a nomination. Ted DiBiase & Stan "The Lariat" Hansen vs. Dory Funk Jr. & Hiroshi Wajima (4/5/87) This was another good tag match with Wajima being the weak link.
