This was actually pretty fun. Nakano kept slapping Jumbo and Tenryu early to show his fire or something. Jumbo retaliated by almost throwing him through the mat, and Tenryu hit him with as hard a chop as I've ever seen. I mean, the crowd let out a sickened ooh at impact. Anyway, the match continued at a decent clip with Yatsu trying to show he could be the top guy on a team after years of being second banana. He worked toward his leg submission again, and though I'm not a fan of it, at least the top guys sold it. Tenryu took steam out of the match by beating Nakano with a sort of casual power bomb. This isn't something I'd go to the wall for, but I liked it enough that you guys should at least take a look.

 

All Japan Classics 149

Jumbo Tsuruta/Tenyru vs. Yatsu/Nakano, 4/23/87 (All Japan Classics 149)

- When Tenryu is in, he allows the other team to get in some offense early on but Jumbo is in grumpy mode because he just destroys the young guys early on. This changes when Jumbo has Nakano in a Boston Crab and Yatsu goes up to him and slaps him in the face. Eventually, Jumbo gets distracted where he allows Nakano to give him a leglock. Well, that didn’t last long. However, when he gets in there with Yatsu, Yatsu ends up in control and Jumbo plays Ace in Peril. Eventually Jumbo has enough and tags in Tenryu who lays Nakano out with the enziguiri and powerbomb. I enjoyed this tag but I don’t think it stands a strong contender compared with some of the other tags on the set. It also doesn’t have that novelty wrestler appeal that may allow a Bulldogs or Road Warriors tag to make it. Low level nomination.

Genichiro Tenryu & Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Shinichi Nakano & Yoshiaki Yatsu (4/23/87)

 

Choshu left All-Japan almost 2 months earlier so Yatsu was leading the charges and young Nakano was definitely motivated here as after eating a great looking shoulderbreaker by Tenryu, he fired back with a backdrop suplex. Nakano then tries slapping Tenryu in the chest so Tenryu fires back with a hard ass chop sending Nakano right to the mat. Yatsu sees this and tries slapping Jumbo around so he paintbrushes him in retort and the crowd is loving this. Nakano then wants some of Jumbo so he slaps him around until Jumbo just throws him to the mat with one hand then kills him with a high knee. Nakano is a spunky little fuck as he keeps slapping Jumbo with Jumbo just pounding him in retort forcing Yatsu to take up for his partner. Yatsu would finally get Jumbo in the PRISON LOCK who again sells it like death and the crowd is going nuts before Nakano comes in to work a half crab. The legwork would continue until Jumbo would get the tag to Tenryu but Nakano caught Tenryu with a big running lariat. Nakano would have Tenryu on the ropes before missing a missile dropkick then eating a powerbomb to end the match. This was a blast and moves forward easily with Nakano being great as the catalyst.