Unification Match 3

Six months after their last attempt at unification, we once again have NWA United National & PWF Champion Stan Hansen and NWA International Champion Jumbo Tsuruta battling to unify the titles. The setting April 16, 1989 in Korakuen Hall.

This match is much more of a brawl than their last match. The moment the bell rings, the two are at it, and Jumbo gets in a fair amount of offense against Hansen. The highlight is perhaps a knee to Hansen's face off of the third rope. The match goes about 15 minutes and is almost entirely chops, kicks and chair shots. Frankly, I don't remember what went on between the two over the previous six months, but something must have, as these two battled non stop for the whole match, with little to no wrestling.

Eventually the two take it into the crowd with their fighting, using many of the ringside Korakuen chairs. This leads to a count out and to their famous rematch that occurs two days later. As in the first match, nothing is settled and the drama and build continues.

This is a fun match. It feels about the same as their last match, certainly not epic in scope, but more enjoyable and fun. By today's standard, a 15 minute main event is too short and the double count out is weak. And even then, both Jumbo and Hansen were capable of more. But as a part of the overall story, this is fine, even though short. And Hansen is certainly at his best when trading strikes instead of headlocks, which makes it slightly better than the first match.