Yatsu started hot with a barrage of headbutts on Tenryu. He then faked out Tenryu and Hansen on a double lariat to send Tenryu careening to the outside and set up the first control section of the match. Eventually, Tenryu blocked a Yatsu suplex and tagged Hansen, who immediately ripped off Yatsu's head gear. Tenryu and Hansen were not the opponents you wanted to face with a head injury and they went to town for about 10 minutes. Whenever Jumbo showed signs of trying to help, Tenryu slapped him or knocked him off the apron. Great shit. Yatsu finally made the hot tag and Jumbo just destroyed Tenryu and Hansen for a few minutes. But his partner was out of commission so the sharks finally swarmed him. Meanwhile, the seconds taped Yatsu's headgear back on and he stumbled back in looking like a wounded Revolutionary War soldier or some shit. But he threw caution to the wind and bailed Jumbo out with a crazy flurry of headbutts. Too much action to describe down the stretch, but I loved all of Yatsu's counters to the western lariat. In the end, however, Hansen was Hansen, the fucking Terminator. And he put an end to the proceedings with his big gun. Great fucking match with crazy action but also a lot of attention to little moments, transitions and such. This is a slam dunk and should make a great end to the set.

 

All Japan Classics 204

Jumbo & Yatsu vs. Tenryu & Hansen (12/6/89) (AJC 204)

- Yatsu is getting his ass kicked early on. In a cool spot, he dodges a clothesline and Tenryu goes tumbling out so Jumbo takes over on Tenryu. Now Tenryu plays the Native in Peril with Hansen coming in to constantly make the save. Tenryu finally makes the tag after blocking a suplex from Yatsu and Hansen comes in and just starts kicking and kneeing Yatsu on his protective head gear. Nice. Outside, he decides he’ll punt Yatsu in the head and finally tears it off and starts kicking him in the head. Tenryu picks up where Hansen left off and for the last three minutes, the offense has consisted entirely of kicks and knees to Yatsu’s head. Outside, Hansen tries ramming Yatsu’s head in the rail but Jumbo makes the save. Inside, more knees and kicks to Yatsu’s head. Now Tenryu is unloading with the headbutts. Good classic beatdown with Hansen/Tenryu cutting the ring off and beating the shit out of Yatsu. What a sympathetic character. Finally Jumbo comes in and cleans house, pounding the shit out of Tenryu. The Hansen-Jumbo section was a little sloppy but there is still enough going on to ignore it. Nice save by Tenryu who cuts off a tag and after attacking Jumbo baseball slides right into Yatsu’s head. With Yatsu damaged, it is like Jumbo is fighting a handicap match. As Jumbo gets his ass kicked, Yatsu now has his head taped up, making saves for Jumbo and even giving Hansen a bulldog on the outside. Awesome. Once Yatsu is tagged in, he beats the shit out of Hansen and even gives him and Tenry a headbutt to show he is not broken. Hell, Hansen is busted open and so Yatsu attacks the cut… with more headbutts. Hansen fights back with some kicks that probably knocked a couple of teeth loose. Tenryu and Hansen try a double team but Tenryu enziguiris Hansen by accident. Damn, this match rules hard!!! Fuck, that was one of the hottest endings that will be on the set with Hansen finally hitting a lariat for the pin on Yatsu. Huge Nomination. Blood, classic Southern tag formula, working the injury, huge saves, hot ending, no rest. Completely awesome and this will be in my Top Ten somewhere.

Real World Tag League - Finals: Stan "The Lariat" Hansen & Genichiro Tenryu vs. Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshiaki Yatsu (12/6/89)

 

Yatsu is still wearing the headgear here. Hansen & Tenryu really was a pretty great shortlived team and they doubled up on Yatsu's head big time here. This had some really solid action to start with both teams looking strong until the beatings of Yatsu's head started and lasted for quite awhile. They would rip the headgear off and Tenryu was a great prick here slapping and kicking Jumbo when he tried to help. Yatsu would hit a desperation German Suplex allowing him to get the hot tag to Jumbo who went nuclear on the heels for a while until the numbers game caught up to him and as this was happening Yatsu was getting his headgear taped back on. Yatsu came in looking like he just had brain surgery and went wild even hitting a bulldog on Hansen on the floor. The stretch run for this was all kinds of violent with everyone just beating ass leading to an insane finish. This was so fucking awesome and a grand slam nomination.