This match made the Bowdren list ahead of others that were far better. But it had its virtues, the chief one being the huge amount of punishment dished out by all parties over 29 minutes. Tenryu didn't play the in-peril role often in 1987, but he took about 10 straight minutes of fearsome punishment from Hansen and Gordy, who dominated the first half of this match. Tenryu ate on-the-button knees, elbows, punches and kicks. I thought his tag to Hara seemed way too casual after all that. It should have been a real moment. And then Tenryu seemed fine 30 seconds later, another strike against the match. On the other hand, it was a lot of fun to watch him and Hara turn the tide and beat the piss out of Hansen. And the end, with all kinds of chaotic violence in and out of the ring, came off really well. In the final spot, Tenryu had Gordy clamped in an abdominal stretch until Hansen invoked the nuclear option, careening into both guys with a western lariat that left bodies strewn all over the ring. The match didn't connect at the highest level but carried enough violence and big-match heat to earn a place on the set.

 

All Japan Classics 162

Real World Tag League: Terry "Bamm Bamm" Gordy & Stan "The Lariat" Hansen vs. Revolution (Ashura Hara & Genichiro Tenryu) (12/11/87)

 

This had some really good back and forth hard hitting action but it didn't pick up until Hansen gave Tenryu a piledriver on the floor. Gordy would then post Tenryu forcing juice and the gaijin would work on the cut with Hansen giving him a kneedrop after pulling down his kneepad among other strikes. Gordy would fold Tenryu up with a backdrop suplex and Tenryu is just getting punished here but he would get the tag to Hara after a desperation enzuigiri on Gordy. Hara would get thrown into a corner by Hansen who would miss a running shoulderblock and went flying over the top rope to the floor giving Revolution the opening they needed to work over Hansen. Tenryu would lock on the cobra twist and Gordy was doing whatever he could to break it up but Hara would cut him off so he brought the bullrope into the ring with Hansen picking up the bell and nailing Tenryu to get free. Gordy would tag in and this started the stretch run as Gordy was using whatever he could to get Tenryu pinned but he would kick out everytime. Tenryu would fight back before he & Gordy would spill to the floor where Tenryu would go for the cobra twist on Gordy then hit Hansen with an enzuigiri but this freed up Gordy to get in the ring. Gordy then tried to suplex Tenryu back in but he would reverse it into a cobra twist with Hansen hitting a lariat to break it up sending them back to the floor. This time Joe Higuchi would count them out and we get the obvious finish. This was a helluva match and an easy nomination.

Tenryu/Ashura Hara vs. Stan Hansen/Terry Gordy, 12/11/87 (AJC 162)

- Small bursts of action early on but not much going on early. The Americans take control and spend their time abusing both natives. I was sort of disappointed in Gordy not selling Hara’s headbutt that broke up his Scorpion deathlock. I don’t know what about this match I don’t like but I am really disinterested in the actual work and execution when the Americans are in control. Well, Hansen kicking Tenryu in the face off the apron while Tenryu was on the floor was cool. At this point, it does seem like they start pounding Tenryu in the head and he was in legit danger. When Hara makes the hot tag, he makes a tried and true babyface team comeback. At this point, Hara and Tenryu start working over Hansen’s back. Let’s see if they keep it up. Hansen in peril sounds weird but he is selling his ass kicking as well as he can. And Tneryu keeps on the back with an ab stretch and a version of the octopus. Hansen gets the tag and the crowd comes alive as Tenryu and Gordy battle. Solid stretch run with Tenryu hooking Gordy in the ab stretch only to receive a Hansen lariat that knocks him ou and creates a countout. This started slow but ended up pretty epic. Strong Nomination.