Genichiro Tenryu vs. Jumbo Tsuruta

[10.0] "Awesome match between Genichiro Tenryu and Jumbo Tsuruta, one of the best period of All Japan and Wrestling in general."

[8.0] "Watching the outings of this pairing in chronological order has been satisfying, both in terms of how Jumbo approaches his work and observing Tenryu's gradual growth in his performance against Jumbo. By effectively utilizing strategies that proved successful in his past encounters with Jumbo, such as the headlock and limb work, along with his increased offensive physicality, Tenryu has shown a natural progression in how much he can leverage against Jumbo. Although the hierarchy remains evident with Jumbo being the more dominant wrestler, there is a clear continuity in their work that demonstrates Tenryu gradually becoming more of a threat to Jumbo, and this match depicts that. The gradual evolution of this pairing is evident not only in the action itself but also in their attitudes, emotions, and demeanor. For instance, there is a remarkable moment when Tenryu demonstrates that he will not be easily overpowered; he redirects the attack towards Jumbo, backing him against the turnbuckle, then steps back and challenges him to come to the center of the ring, showcasing bravery and confidence. Conversely, Jumbo effectively conveys hesitation and trepidation to engage through both his body language and facial expressions at that moment. There are additional neat touches like this throughout the match before it reaches the final 14 minutes, where it becomes a much more physical affair. The one thing this pairing has accomplished with their non-clean finishes is leaving me eager for another encounter between them. Jumbo is an incredible wrestler; he can portray being a bully, frustration, desperation, vulnerability, and assertiveness when necessary. ****1/4"

[9.0] "A return to singles after a summer of tag rivalry, and this is pretty juicy and hate-filled. Tenryu has obviously stepped up a pace; Jumbo can't run over him anymore. Jumbo works overtime to get Tenryu over even more, subtly being grumpy, mean, and resentful. He's not simply a heel; he doesn't really foul much more than Tenryu, though perhaps he does it earlier and more casually; it's not a cartoon interaction, but something quite weighty. The work is weighty, too, and full of characterisation. Jumbo works "bigger", stronger, but also desperate - he throws out some of Tenryu's Enzuigiris, in fact. Tenryu is quicker and more explosive, but acts just a little overweighed and overpowered, though not at all overawed. The DQ finish works here; they've both been flirting with it for refusing to break on punches, and Tenryu finally loses it with Jumbo's bullying. He and Revolution storm off, aside from Hara arguing in the ring a little. Jumbo is badly battered afterwards; shades of June 1990 as he staggers up and away. Perhaps a little slow to get going, but a real classic. 4.5/5"

[8.0] "This was very very good, 2 big meaty men slapping each other a whole lot. Jumbos running knees always look devastating and Tenryu pulled off a lariat in the corner that looked crushing. I dislike the DQ finish but the story was building that Jumbo was getting more and more aggressive and scummy as the match went on and then Tenryu just broke and gave him a piece of his own medicine which unfortunately led to his loss by DQ. Wait is that John Tenta in Jumbos corner? Hi Earthquake!"

[6.0] "First time checking out either of these guys and it felt kinda disappointing compared to the other kings road style faces. Tenryu and Tsuruta for being two large hosses don't seem to actually be doing much damage and honestly just was not able to get into this match. I know I am probably in the minority but I just didn't like it and I am a big fan of many of their other contemporaries so I will check out more of their stuff and see if that impresses me more."

[7.0] "So I have the unpopular opinion that this is a good main event level match but falls below the standard these two can deliver. It has some nice intensity and some really good spots but it also has some awkwardness from both guys, some pacing issues and doesn't have that explosion of coming alive that you expect. And of course, the finish was disappointing. Still a good match but not even close to eithers best, which means, possibly unfairly, that I'm left feeling disappointed."

[9.0] "October 28th, 1988 - So in his three battles with Stan Hansen in 1988, have seen that Tenryu has cemented his rise up the card and his position in the upper ranks of AJPW's heavyweight hierarchy. But he isn't the top native Japanese wrestler in All Japan. He isn't the ace. He is still to usurp the great Jumbo Tsuruta, the NWA International Heavyweight Champion. In 1987 it was a fired up Tenryu fighting to avoid being dominated by the powerful ace figure and, although he put up a hell of a fight and actually took a count-out win, it was Tsuruta who was the aggressor. Here, a year later and having survived some absolute wars with the likes of Stan Hansen, Tenryu is a different beast. He is the aggressor. He is nasty, vicious and very visibly determined to take Jumbo's spot. After more than 30-minutes of a gruelling bout, the rivalry is now nasty and personal. Tenryu decides that he doesn't need to beat Jumbo. He just wants to send a message by f*cking him up. The finish was as spectacular a non-finish as you could ever see as Tenryu takes down the ace with such a prolonged, sustained spell of violence that he is disqualified for it. He then marches straight to the locker room, knowing that even if Tsuruta is technically the 'winner' his work has been done for the night. Their feud isn't over, but he leaves having fired a critical blow, and inexorably staked his claim to be All Japan's top gun. ****1/2"

[5.0] "Despite my rating, I do think that is a genuinely interesting match that is worth the watch if you watched to study the rivalry between these two. Most of pre-90s AJPW is definitely not my thing, alot of these matches have a really weird and slow structure to them. The first 20 or so minutes despite having good psychology and mostly good selling is also very slow and lost me a bit. But after those 20 minutes the match got better, although these issues still persisted at times. What's so great about this match to me are those last 5 minutes and that ending. Such intensity and hatred between these two that just spilled out and such a well done ending. I wished I liked the match more as a whole though."

[10.0] "There was no place for technical wrestling or other complicated grasps, Tenryu and Tsuruta were here to destroy the living shit out of each other. That wasn't a bloody brawl, but that was emotional. Every strike, every move made the crowd react. Pure magic. Tenryu was, for once, the babyface. The lad fought for his life against a bitter and merciless Tsuruta. The Grumpy Tsuruta heelwork worked so well. He disrespected Tenryu so much, and at some moment, he tasted his own medicine. Nonetheless, to Tsuruta's defense, he fought a fucking fired up Tenryu. The latter was vicious, and Tsuruta sent him back the viciousness. The absence of Manichaeism added so much. It's up to you for whom you support. It was personal, and they did everything to anger each other and unleash their rage. Some bitch slaps were thrown. Tsurauta's facial expression were gold. The man was pissed. It's a young wolf determined to take the place of the old wolf, but the latter is not going to let it happen. It was a gritty and intense fist fight. Some good locks (notably headlocks), and some great limbwork as well. The transitions and counters were cool as well. They were meant to hurt. That was chaotic, yeah. It was a masterpiece of two men who viscerally hate each other, another sense of hatred. Completely. It was certainly one of the greatest non-finish I've seen in wrestling as well. Beating Tsuruta isn't enough, Tenryu had to humiliate him. Disqualifications are rare in Japanese wrestling, so it highlighted the spectacular and emotional aspect of the DQ. Insane fight. The June '89 is certainly their best encounter (and one of the greatest wrestling fights of all-time), but this one deserves to be polish and to be seen, because it is completely different compared to June '89, showcasing their art and versatility in wrestling. It was breathtaking."

[9.0] "While their more famous June 5th bout is the better match overall thanks largely to superior pacing and structure, I do believe that this match has the advantage in some areas - notably the feeling of absolute disdain and hostility present between the two competitors. There is great intensity to the early grappling portion of the match. You get the sense that every lock up and hold really matters to these two, as Tenryu is completely unwilling to relinquish his grip on his headlock. Tsuruta responds with pure aggression, laying a violent beating on Tenryu for his insolence. But Tenryu responds in kind, and the tension continues to rise from there. I absolutely love Jumbo in this match. His facial expressions are terrific, and every movement he makes feels completely self assured. He has a spitefulness to all of his offence that really makes the match and gives Tenryu something to fight back against. I love when he escapes the leg lock by turning his body and simply pounding Tenryu in the side of his face and back of his head. The finish might be one of the best DQs I've ever seen. Not only does it look completely believable, but it's a natural progression of the story. Jumbo slaps Tenryu across the face and it's one sign of disrespect too many - Tenryu snaps, drops Jumbo to the mat with a slap of his own, then soccer kicks him straight in the groin. It's brilliant stuff. My only criticism is that I think they lost some of their intensity in the middle portion of the match while Jumbo was in control, and probably needed a few minutes shaved off to make this perfect. But that's just nitpicking really - this is an excellent match with an extremely convincing sense of hatred, and what more could you really ask for than that?"

[10.0] "Holy hell these two do not hold back. And there's no fighting spirit bs - these blows land, they hurt & they stop you in your tracks. It's also that rarest of instances where a chaotic DQ finish enhances the match *****"

[8.0] "This is just an absolute fight between two guys who were determined to show they were the ace. I actually enjoyed the fuck finish for once with it going to DQ for Tenyru being too violent. My only complaint is they lost me a few times in the middle portion of the match and maybe could have shaven a few minutes off."

[10.0] "One of the best rivalries AJPW has to offer & here you can see exactly why. These two blew the roof of the venue this match. It's 30+ minutes of a phenomenal fight."

[10.0] "I think I may actually like this better than their more famous match the following year, though it's very close. These two were battling for the future of AJPW and really put over not only the gritty nature of their war, but also the strategy and the selling was great stuff."

[10.0] "The hatred they have for each other in this match is unreal and I could've happily watched it forever. It's probably a notch below their classic match the following year, but you could make an argument this is a close runner-up, if you can stomach the slow start. In the months previous to this Jumbo and Tenryu have been involved in several great tag matches where its obvious they can't stand the sight of each other. Jumbo is the squeaky-clean All Japan ace, but the mere presence of Tenryu turns him into a violent grumpy bastard who will do anything to destroy those who question his place. Tenryu has been almost singularly focused on cutting Jumbo down and has made a point of disrespecting and humiliating him at every chance. Stylistically this is a great example of the hard-hitting chaotic brawling that All Japan was all about in 1988, and if you like that style then you're in for a treat. The way Tenryu sells for Jumbo is amazing in particular. It never feels too choreographed or predictable, and it really puts across that Jumbo is top of the food chain. The fact that this match ends in a DQ for being too violent is pretty suitable for their rivalry, and about as satisfying as a non-clean 80s finish gets too."

[9.0] "This was full of fire and fury. Tenryu really knows who to piss Tsuruta off to the point that Tsuruta kicks the heck outta him. Tenryu throws some niggling kicks and punches that won? t hurt anyone too much but inflicted annoying pains that are hard to really describe. You know them when you feel them. Great brawling mixed in with great technical wrestling as well with Tenryu attacking Tsuruta? s leg withTsuruta replying with some solid work himself. But of course, the violence took precedence aoe everything, even the rules, leading to a double dq. ****1/2"

[10.0] "A great fight. I felt the whole hate and the story that went from reality to wrestling. Arrogant Tsuruta and tough Tenryu. Tsuruta, physiologist, he perfectly repaired the injury to the leg. I loved it when Tenryu started to get angry at the end of the match after the huge amount of Tsuruta's elbows. I want to praise the commentator. He made me worry more about the performers. I didn't really like the ending, because I thought that after two matches, they would reveal the winner, but no. Let's continue."

[10.0] "This is the third of the seven-match series Jumbo and Tenryu would have in this era. It's also their first singles match in nearly thirteen months, as for most of 1988 their singles feud took a backseat to gaijin stuff, and then the broader Olympians vs Revolution tag series. However, even if the OvsR tag series had declined somewhat after its twin August peaks, that's not reflective of this match, which is handily the strongest of the series thus far. Both men are at their very best here. Grumpy Jumbo gets to come out here at some really satisfying junctures, even though we're not quite at the point where Tenryu is the babyface in the dynamic; the finish definitely makes that clear as the match falls apart in violence. That, along with the length, is the big problem I could see one having with this match. I was just fine with both, though, as I felt that they were appropriate considering the broader feud. Of course, 6/5/89 is the bout from this series that has ascended to the consensus canon of professional wrestling. And that's not undeserved. But this is an excellent match that deserves to be more widely known. ****1/2"

[10.0] "The greatest match. Tenryu and Tsuruta make the audience react to their every move, which definitely shows their skill and responsibility for the next Chapter of their big story. The work of Genichiro over the foot was some kind of magic and the correct, consistent and logical and also played a role. Their reverses were great. Jumbo, who suddenly made enzuigiri and then hit Tenryu with his knee from the third rope, made me scream. The climax, when Tenryu begins to get really ANGRY and all this takes on consequences, is worthy of this diamond work. Jumbo got his first win over him, but the disqualification obviously didn't satisfy his ego. A legendary match and a decent last stop before main matches for the Triple Crown (*****)."