JIP with Tenryu hitting a Russian legsweep. The match picked up when Dibiase busted Tenryu open with multiple chairshots on the outside. Ted spent the next few minutes working the cut with fist drops and good-looking punches. When Tenryu rallied, he popped the crowd with a rare tope that signaled the start of a long finishing run. They did a standout job of mixing brawling with nearfalls and teases of the dreaded double countout. They avoided the drastic my-turn-your-turn feeling by keeping their transitions logical and consistently selling fatigue from a long, brutal match. It ended in a draw after Ted kicked out of a last-second powerbomb, which looked really neat because Tenryu had to struggle like hell to get him up for it. The clip hurts this but it was still the best Dibiase singles match I've seen in All-Japan and a worthy contender for the set.

 

1986 All Japan TV Disc 7

Genichiro Tenryu vs. Ted Dibiase, 3/31/86 (TV 7)

- JIP with Tenryu taking over on offense. Ted escapes a head scissors and he gains the upper hand by going to the outside and brawling. Yep, Technical Ted is a myth. Much better at ramming dudes into the ringpost and punching them in the face. And sure enough, he throws some nice punches to Tenryu’s face. Tenryu’s bleeding but not gushing blood. He regains control briefly and sends Ted flying out with an enziguiri… a little theatrical on that bump. They continue to brawl outside the ring after sending each other out whatever chance they get. I don’t mind because I would rather see Ted brawl outside. The enziguiri has been Tenryu’s main weapon In his effort to put Ted away. It ends as a draw however as neither guy did enough to pull out the win. I liked the match but the JIP, inconclusive finish and lack of any discernible story make it a hard sell. Low level nomination at best.

NWA United National Heavyweight Title: Genichiro Tenryu © vs. Ted DiBiase (3/31/86)

 

This is JIP a pretty good bit as both men are pretty sweaty when we pick it up. DiBiase would bash Tenryu with steel chairs on the floor which busted him open and then Ted worked over the cut viciously. Tenryu would come back hitting an enzuigiri sending DiBiase to the floor then breaking out a tope suicida which he didn't use a lot before bashing his head on a table. Tenryu would stuff him with a nice piledriver when they returned to the ring but DiBiase followed up with a backdrop suplex. They went back to the floor for some brawling before Tenryu hit another enzuigiri sending DiBiase right back to the floor where they brawled some more before again going back to the ring which was some interesting psychology. The action went back to the ring where both men got some nearfalls with Tenryu looking like he was getting the win with a powerbomb but time expired. Like I said some of the psychology here was interesting and the clip hurt as well but this was still a really good match and I think it moves forward.