Like a Full Steaming Train Helping to Lay Tenryu's Own Track, Bring on the Storms and the Rain, Ain't Nothing Holding Him Back

Genichiro Tenryu v Koji Kitao (WAR, 12/4/94) - GREAT

This was like the best possible version of a rounds-system RINGS fight between an old disgruntled ex-sumo wrestler and a younger, fatter ex-sumo wrestler. I mean I've watched a stupid amount of matches comprised of five three minute rounds the last few years. Some from RINGS, some from UWFi, some of them shoots, some of them not, but none of them this much fun. Tenryu looked every bit as great in 1994 as he did in 1993 and some of his selling was absolutely phenomenal. He sells Kitao's first flurry of Vader-ish soup bones likes he's been concussed, rolls out the ring grimacing after a leg kick, eats shots like he very much did not expect to be eating shots; he's one of the best sellers ever and always brings an awesome, subtle hint of realism to things. Of course he also wallops the dogshit out of Kitao. At one point he had him in the mount throwing forearms and punches, rasping his displeasure at Kitao having the audacity to cover up, so he just started choking him with the collar of Kitao's own gi. I liked how they started incorporating more of the pro-style elements round to round as well. In round one the closest thing to your pro wrestling was a Tenryu chop. In the second round he thumped Kitao with an absolute bastard of a lariat, a koppo kick that connected with both heels straight to the cranium, and Kitao hit a huge uranage. By the third round you had Tenryu trying to powerbomb him and Kitao hitting a fucking Michinoku Driver! Kitao's ax kick at the end about had me on the floor and Tenryu selling it like it shattered his clavicle is why he is the very greatest of them all. If Kitao has a match that's better I'll be surprised because this was just absurdly fun.


Genichiro Tenryu v Genki Horiguchi (Toryumon Japan, 7/13/03) - FUN

This was Tenryu beating up an Ultimo Dragon trainee for five minutes. The ceiling for that is never going to be sky high but the floor is pretty much always something fun, and this was a fun five minutes. Genki is one of the more tolerable guys from the Dragon Gate system and was always a decent face in peril back when I paid attention. He was here to take a hiding and a hiding he took. The crowd were red hot for him as well and when Tenryu started booting him in the eye they sure voiced their displeasure. Genki's running buddies got involved briefly as they all took turns flying at Tenryu in the corner, then Tenryu chopped them all and punched Genki in the face. A big blue tray was thrown in at some point and as Genki went to pick it up Tenryu put a foot on it, looked at him like "not today, motherfucker," and conked him over the head with the big blue tray. When someone chucked about a kilo of powder in Tenryu's eyes and Genki caught him in the backslide I actually wondered if they were going to run the upset. We one and all wondered no longer after Tenryu took the wee fella's head off with a lariat.


Complete & Accurate Tenryu