Animal Warrior & Keiji Muto vs. Genichiro Tenryu & John Tenta

[4.0] "This was very sloppy and basic. Three deadlocks by minute 5, then followed by a bear hug from Tenta. Animal looks awful, Tenta is a bit better but still a shade of former self. Nothing spectacular."

[5.0] "You can kinda see how starved AJPW was at this point as their big semi-final for the Tag League PPV, traditionally full of high-impact workers is now replaced with two washed Western guys, a aging Tenryu and Keiji Muto to balance the books. I've give Animal SOME credit here as it seemed like he was trying as was Tenta to put on a good show, but they just aren't really at that point anymore where they could even if they wanted to do so. Tenta does a nice baseball slide and they get the crowd amped up with a immensely goofy sumo spot but outside of that it's all just there. Tenryu and Muto pick up the pace a bit as Muto jumps around and lands his usual stuff, including a good dive to the outside. Sadly we then go back to slow, very dull stuff here as Muto and co sit on Tenryu via chinlock for about 2 to 3 minutes here. Tenta gets in more of his big man work, which was impressive when he was younger and more mobile: here it's just him slowly doing antiquated spots (like the "big man" foot on body or the apron whoopsie) to a mostly diminished crowd. Tenta also sells a double clothesline by falling on his ass, which was funny. Muto and Tenryu pick up the pace again with some nice bits (including Muto fucking up his backflip Pele kick) but then we have to watch Animal do a lariat and a weird shoulder press for a hot tag. The lads pick up a bit with a double suplex on Tenta but then Animal tries to get Tenryu up for a Doomsday Device and Tenryu either didn't want to do the spot or just didn't like Animal, because he SANDBAGS the shit out of him when he's trying to get the guy up, so much so that Tenryu almost falls out of the ring. Even afterwards he still keeps sandbagging until eventually relenting for the spot, but then Animal has to let go because his back is fucked: complete shambles. Muto covers by no selling a brainbuster into a Shining Wizard. They tease doing the Doomsday Device on Tenta (who amazingly is now far lighter than Tenryu, who knew? ) but Tenryu gets in the way for a superplex instead. Animal and Tenta land some terrible lariats to each other before Tenryu shows them how it's done. Animal then gets bombed for some near falls: namely three brainbusters; before finally falling to a limp elbow by Tenta for the win. Pretty bad for the Animal/Tenta bits as both are just way out of their prime: Tenta is more capable and bumps like a trooper but was very much gassed out near the end. Animal was just meh mostly. Tenryu and Muto try to get the crowd amped up with big spots and showings which eventually gets them somewhat on board, but this is a rough showing that only barely gets decent near the end. Replace Animal with anyone else and this would've been 2x better."