So it wasn't until a few after the fact that I saw this incredible match between Jumbo and Tenryu. I had always heard about it and knew that Dave Meltzer had given in 5 stars. But when I saw it, I knew it was one for the ages, and certainly one of the greatest matches I had ever seen. And just recently my friends at Death Valley Driver voted it the greatest All Japan match of the 80's! And re-watching it now, I can see nothing to make me change my mind.
The match holds up incredibly well. In fact, we start to the this match lay the foundation for later big All Japan matches, from the location, to the pre-match look as the wrestlers await their entrance, to the huge crowd with incredible heat, to the stiff and violent match in the ring.
The setting for this classic is Nippon Budokan, usually known as Budokan Hall, on June 5, 1989. As we discussed, their last championship match apparently ended early with Tenryu being knocked out by a potentially botched spot, that being a bad power bomb. We noted how the two were a great tag team for a long long time, and over the past two years, Tenryu has been trying to emerge from Jumbo's shadow. The crowd here knows the history between the two and is electric from the start. One of the best and most involved crowds I have ever seen, as they know they are viewing an epic encounter between two gladiators. Two huge personalities, two of the biggest stars in Japanese wrestling putting together something incredible.
As in the last match, Tenryu avoids a Jumbo handshake to start and the two go at it almost instantly with brutally hard strikes (that just stiffen as the match goes on). When Jumbo goes for a running knee almost instantly and Tenryu ducks and then hits a German Suplex for a nearfall, we know we are on! The two build upon their previous match with a great attempt by Tenryu to avoid the Jumbo power bomb. The match is filled with amazing spots all over and I could write pages trying to capture them. Instead, I encourage everyone to watch this match and bask in how amazing it is.
An important aspect of the match is that when Jumbo finally does start hitting his big power moves (throwing bombs is how I have referred to them when I appear on various podcasts), they are building off of the end to the last match. Multiple times he again appears to knock Tenryu out. Tenryu doesn't appear able to kick out, but it is always close enough to the ropes that he escapes pinfall.
An important aspect of the match is that when Jumbo finally does start hitting his big power moves (throwing bombs is how I have referred to them when I appear on various podcasts), they are building off of the end to the last match. Multiple times he again appears to knock Tenryu out. Tenryu doesn't appear able to kick out, but it is always close enough to the ropes that he escapes pinfall.
As I noted, the atmosphere is electric and the two build the match almost perfectly, with the last five minutes being an incredible display of nearfalls that keep the crowd (and me too!) on the edge of their seat. When Tenryu hits a lariat, enzuigiri and then a power bomb of his own, the crowd becomes completely unglued. Jumbo kicks out and Tenryu must go to the well one more time. Another power bomb and this time he has done it, Tenryu has defeated his former mentor and climbed to the top of the wrestling world. With Stan Hansen there to watch and congratulate him, Tenryu then blows off Jumbo one more time, once again refusing the shake the hand and figuratively snubbing his nose at Jumbo attempting to pass the torch to Tenryu as the new man within All Japan.
This match is everything I love about pro wrestling. The build, the crowd, the emotion and the brutality of the encounter. I like the current product as much as anyone and have really come to enjoy many of the high spot oriented matches of today. But I will take a more traditional big match like this over anything else. This might not be my favorite match of all time, but it would certainly be in my top 2-3. Just flawless in nearly all aspects. Go watch this match!
