[10.0] "Nah, this was amazing idc. I usually watch matches on my laptop, but today I decided to put it on the TV, and wow--this one was brilliant. The psychology in the match was on point, and that kind of storytelling always clicks for me. Everyone was fun to watch, but I have to give it to my man Terry. He's just endlessly entertaining. Probably the most fun wrestler to watch, period. The way he sells, the way he gets frustrated and ends up doing the most ridiculous stuff--it's the perfect amount of over-the-top. The only thing I felt was missing--the one element that could've taken this match to an even higher level--was a better crowd. For some reason, they just weren't that hot for this one. At first, I thought maybe it was because I was watching on TV instead of my usual setup with headphones. But then I checked out another match I watched earlier (Brisco vs. Baba) and that crowd was on fire, so nope, it wasn't the TV. Even with that minor gripe, the match was still so damn good. Super entertaining. Super compelling. It started out like two singles matches happening simultaneously, then slowly morphed into a full-blown team vs. team war--and it was done brilliantly! I've heard so much about those classic Southern-style tag team matches, but I haven't actually reached the 80s yet. Now I can't wait to experience the evolution of tag wrestling in general. Because if this is the starting point, and I'm already this hooked, then I can only imagine how much I'm going to love the stuff that came later. (Though I've already seen a lot of Kings Road tags from the 90s and I love them to death.)"
[8.0] "The 1st fall starts off with Jumbo and Dory so we got some awesome wrestling to start this off, and I thought Baba role throughout this of being portrayed as a monster was very good usage of him. After Terry hits a pile driver on Jumbo on the outside, Dory hits a brain buster to score the 1st fall. The 2nd fall was quick and to the point with the Funks double teaming Baba, and we also had a ton of great striking before Baba hit a big boot on Terry. The last fall both teams are going back and forth and the way they executed the draw was excellent, with both members of each team brawling it out.****"
[7.0] "Fast fast fast for this time in AJPW. Everyone did a good job here but my MVP of the match was Terry. He was the fastest and the best seller of the bunch. I'm hoping to see him vs. Jumbo in a singles match soon but overall this was a good match and even though I think the Funks should have taken this based off of their skill I get this is still AJPW and they were facing Baba and Jumbo."
[8.0] "A rematch from their encounter in Texas the month before, and a massive improvement at that. A great tag team match that met every expectation the pairing up of these two teams creates. The Funks are always good but especially here and especially Terry Funk, who is an absolute delight in this match. Pretty much every single thing he did got a pop out of the crowd and out of me. Dory is still the better worker out of the two, and that is evident in this match, but Terry just oozes personality and is one of the few wrestlers who I find genuinely funny in the ring. Tsuruta and Baba are great in their own right, especially Tsuruta who shoulders more of the workload. All four guys are in sync and have a chemistry that just wasn't present in the Texas match. The layout of the match is great, particularly the finish to the third fall, which aside from being clever was executed to perfection. A good match layout, good pacing and action, all four guys meshing well and clicking in a way not seen in the previous match, a ruckus crowd and a particularly good Terry Funk performance. What else can you ask for?"
[9.0] "This is for the NWA International Tag Team Championship. The Funks have been champions since September 26, 1973. Jumbo has been wrestling for less than two years at this point. A much faster paced match than 10/9/73, which obviously isn't surprising given it was half the length. In the first fall, Terry and Dory hit a double suplex on Jumbo, followed by Terry dropping some big knees to his face. Baba tags in, hits Terry with knees, and a dropkick, followed by a backbreaker and a big boot for the pin. (12:16) The second fall had a annoying finishes, as Baba got worked over the entire time but survived, forcing Jumbo to come in totally frech just to get pinned after a vertical suplex from each brother. (6:30) The third fall got off to an excellent start as everyone wrestled with urgency. Terry is in form, focused on the wrestling that he was testing his skills against Jumbo. At the end, Dory attempts to brainbuster Jumbo in the corner, but Jumbo holds a headlock and pins Dory. (5:23) Very solid match, Dory vs. Jumbo was again the strongest combo, but Terry's offense was very good. Jumbo Tsuruta wins the first championship of his career. (****1/4)"
[6.0] "Another very solid match between these two teams, the shorter pace helped and kept things moving. Baba was in there a lot of the time though, which hurt it in some ways, but the shorter length and tag format does keep some of his limitations more hidden."
[9.0] "This is a rematch for the (AJPW) NWA International Tag Team Championships, which the Funks dropped to Baba and Jumbo the previous month in Amarillo. This is really quickly paced, so much so that one might in fact consider it rushed, but while a longer match might have been a MOTDC I'm just fine with what we got. Not only is this even better than I remembered, but while I've got a couple more to rewatch, I think this might be the best iteration of this match, as well as the best tag match that All Japan had held to this point. Amazing Jumbo/Terry-centered first fall, which presages their 1976 singles classic quite well. A Terry piledriver to Jumbo on the outside primes Dory for a sequence of big moves to get the first fall. Baba is more involved in the second and third fall, so as always this may be a problem for some, but I think he does well and is used effectively. Nice finish if I understood it correctly; Baba's down after a double suplex, but as Dory hits a brainbuster on Jumbo it lands weird, with Baba grabbing his ankle to held facilitate this result, and Jumbo has the cover as they get down for the win. Nice postmatch bit as Terry loses his temper and lifts Higuchi up for a suplex, though he lets him down as someone throws a chair in. It's weird to remember a time before the Funks had been accepted as babyfaces by the All Japan crowd. Essential early Jumbo. ****1/4"
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