Buddy Roberts, Michael Hayes & Terry Gordy vs. Genichiro Tenryu, Jumbo Tsuruta & The Great Kabuki

[5.0] "We're still in the era of AJPW television where it's pretty rare to get a six-man tag that makes tape, and the fact that the natives are up against none other than the Freebirds here is definitely interesting. At least, it's interesting on paper. In execution, though, the Freebirds' particular heel schtick doesn't really translate to the Japanese audience, and they play it pretty much to the hilt. However, while he has some growing to do still Gordy was a relative bright spot so far as the heel team went. The lackluster in-ring results that ensued when Baba tried to transition Gordy into Hansen's top gaijin spot at the turn of the 1990s, as well as my general opinion on the Miracle Violence Connection, have made me perhaps a little harsher on Gordy than he deserves, because it's clear from this match that he was the only Freebird that was going to remotely work in Japan. Anyway, we get some decent work from Jumbo and Tenryu, and Kabuki is functional when he tanks offense. Kabuki ends up getting the pin on Roberts after the second-rope fist drop. **1/2"