Tenryu Had Some Hits and a Few Big Misses, He gave 'Em Hell and Got a Few Stitches

Genichiro Tenryu & Hiromichi Fuyuki v The British Bulldogs (All Japan, 1/25/89) - FUN

This was like 85% Bulldogs. You maybe expect them to run riot over Fuyuki, but Tenryu gave them a ton as well and that meant he never really got to stretch out on offence. When he did fire back he was pretty subdued. I don't think he threw any unnecessary chops to anybody's throat and nobody got kicked in the eye. Dynamite looked a little broken down at this point, but Davey's stuff mostly looked good and chucked Tenryu onto a table with a big gorilla press slam. The last five-six minutes took an interesting turn when Tenryu wound up with a split chin and the Bulldogs started working over the cut. It's a pretty unusual body part to work over, not like a cut on the forehead where you can bite and claw in obvious fashion, but Davey noticed it and went after it straight away. At one point he even started biting Tenryu's chin which was pretty awesome. Finish didn't come off too great as there was a bit of miscommunication, but Fuyuki bridging Davey Boy for about eight hours after hitting the German was sort of impressive.


Genichiro Tenryu & The Road Warriors v Kevin Sullivan, Steve Williams & Mike Rotunda (WCW Clash of the Champions V: St. Valentine's Massacre, 2/15/89) - SKIPPABLE

This was mostly nothing. I hoped we'd maybe get a little Tenryu v Dr. Death but Tenryu's involvement was mostly limited to matching up with Rotunda. It seemed like a conscious decision for that to happen as well. Like, when Tenryu was in there Rotunda made a point of being the guy on the opposite end. I watched the version that aired in Japan so it was amusing hearing the commentator flip for Tenryu hitting a dropkick and an enziguri while the crowd barely reacts. Some bullshit happens with Sting, Hayes and JYD being unlocked from a cage and hitting the ring and a there's a big pull apart DQ and WCW was a hell of a place.


Genichiro Tenryu & Toshiaki Kawada v Abdullah the Butcher & Great Kimala (All Japan, 3/3/89) - FUN

Fun little novelty. You probably know what you're getting out of this when you see it on a match list. Kawada isn't yet the Kawada who hated everyone and kicked them really hard in the face, but it's still sort of surreal seeing him get stabbed in the head and conked with a big mahogany mask. Kimala was biting the cut and drinking his blood and Kawada was just crawling around helplessly. Tenryu coming in off the hot tag and lacing into a couple fatties is what you wanted and I loved him getting sick of all the stabbing and going ape shit with a chair. This was like seven minutes long and worth it for the oddball factor of a cannibal from Uganda abusing Kawada.


Complete & Accurate Tenryu