Genichiro Tenryu, Koki Kitahara & Masao Orihara v Shiro Koshinaka, Kengo Kimura & Masaji Aoyagi (WAR, 10/21/92) - GREAT
So this is where it all began? I've said the WAR/New Japan feud is the best in-ring feud in wrestling history probably two dozen times on this stupid blog, but I'd never seen the match that kicked it all off. There were some teething problems in the first half, but by the end it was fairly rocking and gave us what we all wanted. WAR show or not, this was New Japan country and that crowd was a thousand percent behind their boys, even getting red hot for Aoyagi while booing Tenryu. Not that the WAR guys being booed on their own shows was a rarity. Kitahara was jeered mercilessly everywhere he went and I guess guys like Fuyuki had the All Japan connections, but Tenryu was mostly bulletproof unless he was especially obstinate (which was often, tbf). Team WAR were awesome in this, though. Orihara might've been my MVP. He was itching to fight straight away and Tenryu had to grab him by the bowl cut that his ma gave him just to settle him down. You knew there was going to be a point where the New Japan guys took turns beating on him, and that section was great, but my favourite part was when he recovered. The tag was there to be made and that was the first thing on his mind, but at the last second he decided to go back and slap Kimura about the face a few times before taking his leave. And by the end his underdog performance had basically flipped the crowd, the people cheering for him to do the unthinkable when a few minutes earlier they'd been all over him just for the logo on his jacket. I thought Aoyagi was clearly the best guy on the New Japan end. He was winging his crowbar kicks and headbutts but it was his willingness to actually give ground that put him above the other two. Kimura and Koshinaka weren't exactly sandbagging, but Koshinaka in particular wasn't really up for playing ball with anyone other than Tenryu. That sometimes added to the grittiness of it all, especially with Orihara who was determined to get his licks in either way. But they both kind of treated Kitahara like a scrub and that sucks because Koki is awesome. Tenryu was fired up from the outset and ready to go at anything. On some of the smaller shows he could be content to hang back a bit and let his lower-ranked teammates shine, but this was the launchpad and he was out to get this thing over. He even got himself a little colour on top of all the throat-chopping and such. There was one awesome moment where he charged Koshinaka in the corner and Kosh jumped out the way, but Tenryu took it in his stride and turned around to lariat him across the neck. The choppy first half probably stops this from getting the full EPIC point, but it was sign of things to come and gave them something to build on. And man did they ever.
Genichiro Tenryu v Yoshinari Ogawa (NOAH, 7/18/05) - FUN
Well hey, I had no idea Tenryu was on the card that night Kobashi and Sasaki chopped each other stupid for an hour there. It's hard to fault Ogawa for trying to shithouse his way through this. It's in his nature regardless, but you couldn't see him surviving the old man trying to wrestle straight up. As soon as he asked for that handshake we all knew what was coming. Tenryu probably did as well but he played along anyway. Ogawa's horse shit was pretty fun, especially in how it escalated. He snuck in a cheapshot after the handshake and took Tenryu down with a top wrist lock, but Tenryu just punched him in the ear from his back (awesome spot). Ogawa went after the leg for a bit and even rolled out a sort of ringpost figure-four. Tenryu still punched him in the ear but at least Ogawa was making some progress. Then he tried to get too cute with the WAR Special and that was about all the old man could stomach. The final lariat was pretty tame considering it came after two corkers beforehand and a disgusting brainbuster, but if nothing else you bought Ogawa being out.
Complete & Accurate Tenryu
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