This was on the DVDVR All Japan 80s set under a different (I guess incorrect) date. At the time I wrote that it had a nice opening and a fun post-match but the rest of it was disappointing. Almost 13 years later I would agree with the first two parts but disagree with the rest of it being disappointing. What can I say, sometimes I get it wrong. I've always tried to avoid retreading ground on this here nonsense blog and writing about the same match twice, but when I miss like this I feel it only RIGHT and JUST that I offer a new perspective. I'm sure all 12 of you are absolutely buzzing. Anyhow, the start really was awesome. Hansen was a terror and riled up about something on the night, swinging a chair at a reporter on one side then storming across the way and hurling another chair at someone in the crowd. These All Japan crowds knew better than to hang around when Hansen was on one and you better believe Stan gave them cause to scatter. When the match starts properly they smack each other dead in the face inside three seconds. This was surliness of the highest order and I love how Hansen would almost stare in astonishment at someone slapping him before cracking Tenryu in the ear with a wild palm strike. Hansen's piledriver is a thing both beautiful and terrifying, stumbling backwards as he hits the mat while Tenryu lands almost side on. How he was able to move his fingers after it is anybody's guess. Tenryu was more intent on treating this like an actual wrestling match and would go after Hansen's arm to neutralise the lariat. Hansen was interested in none of that and every chance he got he'd throw Tenryu to the floor and whip him into the barricade or throw furniture at him. At one point he just chucked a full table on top of Tenryu's semi-conscious body. It's strange watching Tenryu work a slow cross-armbreaker to not much reaction given that over in New Japan even a hint of that move being applied would result in nuclear heat. Eventually Hansen realises his strategy might not be the best strategy and fights fire with fire by going after Tenryu's arm. This still meant taking it to the floor at points, but rather than haphazardly throwing things or rushing Tenryu he'd take his arm and wrap it around the metal railing. Tenryu making his comeback with a desperation dropkick ruled and I've never bought him winning with the top rope elbow more than I did here. Even the double count-out wasn't deflating on account of them trying to maul each other and Hansen smashing Tenryu's head into the floor.
Genichiro Tenryu & Yoji Anjoh v Koki Kitahara & Arashi (All Japan, 1/14/02) - SKIPPABLE
There wasn't a lot to this, which is a shame when you consider the astronomical levels of shithousery you could be getting from a Tenryu/Anjoh team in 2002. Tenryu was the grumpiest bastard on the planet that year and he was damn near affable in this! Anjoh never pouted and pranced around like a goofball or kicked anyone in the willy even once! The Kitahara stuff was good, at least. If Tenryu was in an uncharacteristically good mood then Kitahara tried to snap him out of it by kicking him in the sternum a dozen times. In the end Arashi bit the bullet after a couple mid-level lariats and I think even the crowd were expecting a bigger finish.
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