All Japan Classics 148

 

Tenyru/Wajima vs. Tiger Jeet Singh/Gene Lewis (05/30/87)

- No

 

Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Yoshiaki Yatsu (Int'l Title, 04/24/87)

- After watching Fuchi-Roberts, the mat game here just isn't very interesting. After awhile, they decide to thorw away the meaningless mat work and start wrestling. One of the things that bothers me is Jumbo shrugging off the work Yatsu does on him. Yatsu rams him in the ringpost and whips him into the rail yet Jumbo just shrugs it off when he re-enters. I don't know where Yatsu was in the pecking order but it just felt like Jumbo did not take him seriously. Later in the match, Jumbo takes it outside and ends up busted open for his troubles. At this point, the match really picks up and they start hitting big moves and the crowd is really behind the match. Yatsu puts Jumbo in a leg lock and Jumo sells it like death. In the end, both guys keep attacking each other and the referee tries to get inbetween the fight. Both wrestlers end up shoving the ref away and the match is called off. This started off slow but really picked up at the end. I want to nominate it for the purpose of discussion.

 

Genichiro Tenyru vs. Yoshiaki Yatsu (UN Title, 05/09/87)

- Really nice match here where neither man can capitalize when they hav an advantage. After an enziguiri, it looks like Tenryu is going to hit his falling elbow. Instead, he gets a back suplex off the ropes for his troubles. When Yatsu is in control, he gets hit with a backdrop driver out of nowhere. Outside, Tenryu whips Yatsu into the rail, charges and gets dumped in the front row. I enjoyed this match but I can't see putting this on there in front of most of the other stuff I have nominated including the Jumbo-Yatsu match. No vote.

Tenryu and Yatsu had a hellacious match in SWS, that Tomk and I reviewed in Segunda Caidia, I mean just a fucking war, so I want to see what they did against each other in the 80's

This wasn't a war. At no point, did I ever feel like these guys hated each other. However, now I want to find the SWS match.

Here is what Tom and I wrote about it

 

Genericho Tenryu v.Yoshiaki Yatsu SWS 10/29/91

 

TKG: So Phil gets this SWS card with a disappointing Orient Express vs. Sano/Orihara match, disappointing Haku/Nakano vs. somebody and Fuyuki, disappointing Takano v. Barbarian, Bestia carrying Asai to a nice juniors match , and I guess a the Hara vs. Warlord match which exceeded expectations. And then there was the main event. And Fuck I need to see every time these two guys match up. What did Tenryu do to Yatsu to deserve this? What did Yatsu do to Tenryu? What in hell are these two guys doing to each other. This starts with Yatsu slapping the dogshit out of Tenryu's ear, and then Yatsu just looks to be going after the ear, forearm right to the ear, stiff enziguri right to ear, etc. Its like he wants to bust his eardrum. Yatsu is sick of the women being drawn to Tenryu on the dance floor and has decided to fuck Tenryu's balance up permanently. Tenryu crawls around the ring and sells. Damnit bitch its my jherri curl that draws the women not my dance steps you ugly fuck. Tenryu chops the fuck out of Yatsu chops him right on the throat, enziguri's him in the back of the head, etc. But this is really the Yatsu show as he goes on these huge runs of offense were you legit believe that Tenryu is concussed or at least been rendered near imobile. I think my favorite spot is the first rope flying battering ram headbutt that Yatsu throws. He follows this up with just a really nasty Terry Taylor type chinbreaker except he executes it with this kind of complete disregard. Like Steve Williams throwing a dangerous suplex, except its a chinbreaker. Chinbreaker 91~!

 

PAS: Yatsu had all the really great offense in this match, Tom didn't even mention the bulldog on the floor or the running shoulder block off the apron, but Tenryu was bringing some sick violence to the show. Laying in the Kawada kicks right to Yatsu's eye and face, there was a section where Tenryu kicks him directly in the kidney and Yatsu kinds of rolls on the mat clutching it in pain. Then Tenryu just starts kneeing and punching him right on the kidney, and you get the sense if Tenryu lost his equilibrium after this match, Yatsu wasn't able to drink coffee or liquor ever again. I think there were multiple parts in this match where you figured they would have to stop the match and get a doctor. I thought Tenryu was concussed by an early Yatsu lariat, thought Yatsu had lacerated his spleen. Just an epic amazing shockingly violent train wreck of a classic match.

Genichiro Tenryu & Hiroshi Wajima vs. Gene Lewis & Tiger Jeet Singh (5/30/87)

 

JIP and this is bad.

 

NWA International Heavyweight Title: Jumbo Tsuruta © vs. Yoshiaki Yatsu (4/24/87)

 

This had a slow start but it would pick up as Yatsu started taking it after Jumbo basically disrespected him for most of the match so after being taken to the floor, he would post him twice forcing Jumbo to juice. The fans are getting hot now as both men start breaking out the big guns starting Jumbo just drilling Yatsu with a backdrop driver for a nearfall. Yatsu would soon fire back with a big German suplex for a nearfall so he would come back with the PRISON LOCK!!!!!!! and Jumbo is selling like crazy with the fans going nuts. They would go back to the floor and this time Jumbo would post Yatsu starting off his comeback and he goes off on Yatsu. The referee tries to break them up but they just keep pounding on each other and the ref too enough so he calls for the bell. The brawling continues until they are pulled apart and this was great stuff. This moves forward.

 

NWA United National Heavyweight Title: Genchiro Tenryu © vs. Yoshiaki Yatsu (5/9/87)

 

Yatsu attacks Tenryu with a dropkick at the bell and keeps it up for a bit until it goes into tit-for-tat mode with both men getting offense but not able to string it along because the other makes a comeback. Yatsu would finally get the advantage and started working over Tenryu's right leg hard but Tenryu would get his chance after countering a bulldog into a backdrop suplex. Tenryu was still selling his leg hard though so Yatsu still would maintain control. Tenryu kept trying though as he took it back to the floor where he threw Yatsu into the railing 3 times and they battled until Joe Higuchi called for the double countout.