Battle Royal Match 1980

[4.0] "Basically this was a really standard battle royal in AJPW. Some funny eliminations. Some big names eliminated early. As a match it was two-stars."

[4.0] "The All Japan battle royal formula seems to be getting better as the years have gone on here as they don't seem to quickly go from one elimination to another and create a few more key moments in the match which made this more entertaining than some previous battle royals they've had."

[4.0] "Your usual run-of-the-mill battle royal with the usual spots and lots of aimless wandering around. It got much better once it was trimmed down to the final three, but that's a long while to get there. Nice to see Tenryu picking up the dub. [**]"

[5.0] "The tactics of the participants who united to eliminate stronger opponents, participation of some wrestling legends and short duration of the match did not let me get bored. Not the most outstanding battle royal, but it was actually really not bad."

[4.0] "Some big names in this match, it's a passable battle royale. Best moments are at the end -- I enjoyed watching Bruiser Brody and Tenryu."

[7.0] "Perhaps I rate this match too highly, but I definitely like the tactical component of battle royal and the emphasis is on the "smart" side, not the in-ring side. If now the main bet is on the beauty of moves and actions, then there is a sense of intelligence and tension. Anyone who somehow makes a mistake will be knocked out of the match and this side develops perfectly during each such moment. Wrestlers are wary, don't allow themselves to be approached, and this is more like a battlefield in the best sense of the word. Tenryu, definitely, the MVP of this match and the last 30 seconds are just incredible. It's not something that you can get aesthetic pleasure from, but it definitely shows the beauty of the approach of the past and reveals all those involved as individuals. Just follow the audience's reaction to the few moments when the camera shows them close-up (***1/2)."

[3.0] "This match had a few stars involved, but a lot of deadweight in here too that were clearly there just to fill the numbers. A battle royal is only as good as its participants, so as much as I enjoy these kinds of matches this wasn't a good example of one."

[4.0] "This is par for the course as AJPW battle royals go: not essential, but offering some fun moments. A bit of Baba/Brody to tease their singles match. Of course Brody eventually just bounces rather than getting pinned. Tenryu looks pretty green here, maybe a bit greener than in some of the October 1979 stuff on tape, but seeing him get this victory is neat. **"