Ryan Navigates '90 - #41 (6/7 - 6/8)
Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Mitsuharu Misawa, and some other stuff, I guess.
Good day!
Yes, I know that June has been slow going so far, but that’s because it’s a month densely packed with noteworthy matches, angles, and moments. Today, we’re reaching a true watershed moment as the legendary match between Mitsuharu Misawa and Jumbo Tsuruta from June 8th takes center stage.
However, while that match may cast a large shadow, we still have several other strong contests on our slate. From that same All Japan show, we’ll look at Terry Gordy putting up his newly-won Triple Crown against fellow meaty gaijin Stan Hansen. Plus, we have three more matches from Gran Hamada’s UWF, a chaotic trios match from EMLL, and another chapter in the Chris Adams vs. Steve Austin feud.
On a separate note, I have completely nuked my Twitter account. If you’re interested in following me on the social medias, I’m on BlueSky!
THURSDAY, JUNE 7th
UWF Super Estrellas ‘90, Night 4
UWA World Welterweight Title: El Hijo del Santo (c) vs. Fuerza Guerrera - We get multiple cameras and graphics this time!
Unlike some of the other lucha matches we’ve seen in Universal, this is only a one-fall match. We have a generational rudo vs. a generational tecnico, so expectations are high.
We kick off with some grappling, with Santo getting the upper hand by armdragging out of a wristlock. Santo works a top wristlock on the mat and fends off Guerrera’s attempts to bridge out of it. Moments later, Guerrera creates space with a shoulderblock, but again runs into some armdrags that transition into a pinfall reversal sequence. Guerrera sends Santo out with a dropkick, then follows and rams Santo hog-first into the ringpost! That was pretty brutal.
Back in, Santo recovers with a monkey flip and a hurricanrana, then dodges a charge that results in Fuerza going crotch-first into the turnbuckle for a bit of karmic justice. However, Guerrera dodges a blind charge and works over Santo, including a nice bridging fallaway slam for two. Guerrera then hits a kneeling piledriver/kinda Ganso Bomb, dropping Santo right on the back of his noggin! Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesus.
Santo oozes out to the floor before Guerrera could make a cover, but soon gets hit with a German suplex for two. Fuerza heads up, but Santo cuts him off with a top rope armdrag! Santo hits a pair of running bulldogs, but Guerrera blocks the third, then dispatches Santo with a dropkick. Guerrera follows with a somersault dive onto the floor!
In the ring, Santo slewfoots Guerrera back out, then capitalizes further with a nice plancha! Back in, Santo hits a diving headbutt for two, then it’s Rita Romero Special time, but it’s broken up. Guerrera comes back with kind of a Dominator-looking move, then applies the Gory Special, turning that into multiple pinfall attempts.
Santo counters into a sunset flip for two, but Guerrera slams him down and heads up. However, Santo again cuts him off and hits an electric chair drop from the second rope! Camel Clutch is applied, and Guerrera gives it up! Cue the mariachi music for the replay!
***1/4 - They had 9:40 to work with, and they crammed a LOT in there. This was highly entertaining with some wild offense, nutty bumps, a quick pace, and hard work. It really could have used a few more minutes, though, if only to allow for more selling and to let things breathe a bit.
2-out-of-3 Falls: Gran Hamada, Perro Aguayo & Kendo vs. Los Misioneros de la Muerte (El Signo, El Texano & Negro Navarro) - We’re back to the fancam for this one. Perro made nice with Hamada after their last match, and they have the extremely popular Kendo with them to wrestle a team that has been credited with making the 2-out-of-3 fall trios matches a staple of lucha libre.
“El Signo” is, of course, Spanish for “The Sign”. He was the best wrestler to share a name with an Ace of Base song, other than that brief period where Bryan Danielson wrestled under a mask as “All That She Wants”.
PRIMERA CAIDA: Los Misioneros double-team Hamada, but Texano kicks him into his own corner, allowing a tag to Aguayo. However, Texano quickly overwhelms him, pounding away at him before tagging in Navarro for a headbutt. Aguayo tags out to Kendo, who is fired up…until Texano kicks him in the back of the leg. Rude! Navarro drops Kendo throat-first on the top rope, then DANCES ALONG while the crowd chants “KENDO!”. That’s great.
Navarro holds Kendo in a fireman’s carry as Signo leaps off the top with an axehandle. Signo knocks Kendo to the outside with a double-handed chop, then thumps Hamada with a forearm when he re-enters the match. Texano and Signo then do an awesome double press-slam gutbuster, and Texano hits a swinging neckbreaker for a near-fall. Hamada reaches for the tag, but Texano yanks him away.
The rudos continue asserting their will, pounding away at Hamada, then Aguayo after he tags back in. Aguayo tumbles out of the ring like it was an old “Fire Pro Wrestling” game, then Kendo re-enters and is rewarded with more punishment and a triple-team flapjack.
Texano leaps in with a flying back elbow that accidentally hits Navarro, and it’s a SIX WAY FRAY that results in the tecnicos standing tall. We then get a really impressive sequence with Hamada dodging the Misioneros’ attacks, resulting in them repeatedly hitting each other in error. Incredible timing and speed on that stuff.
Perro and Signo go at it, with the latter getting the better of the former until Aguayo comes back with some back body drops. Aguayo runs Texano into Signo to knock him off the apron, then slewfoots Texano, making him dropkick Signo! Aguayo dropkicks Navarro out and teases a dive, but the rudos move out of the way.
Kendo tags in and the fans LOVE this guy. Navarro puts him down with a forearm, though, but Kendo comes back by evading the heels’ attacks, then stymies them with repeated kip-ups!
Kendo casually strolls to his corner to tag Hamada, and it quickly breaks down into a series of dropkicks from both sides! Like the prior lucha trios match from UWF, we get the rowboat spot, this time with Hamada catching Signo with a hurricanrana in the middle. Signo kicks out, then Texano takes a huge bump to the floor, and Hamada follows with a plancha! Kendo comes in and flips around before dropkicking Navarro. Moments later, Aguayo dodges a Signo elbow and hits a top rope senton for the three and the first fall!
The crowd chants for Kendo anyway, despite Aguayo scoring the fall. Find yourself someone who loves you the way UWF fans love Kendo.
SEGUNDA CAIDA: Hamada and Navarro trade chops before Hamada gets a flying mare and a beautiful armdrag. However, Signo puts Hamada down with a clothesline, but Hamada comes back with a NICE pop-up hurricanrana. Texano comes in to interrupt, but he gets sent out by Hamada before too long. Perro and Texano come in and exchange dropkicks and trips, then Texano takes another massive bump to the floor. Again, Aguayo teases a dive, but doesn’t go through with it.
Kendo re-enters, as does Signo. Kendo again uses gymnastics to get the best of Signo and sends him for a respite on the floor. After Kendo struts around ringside to the raucous approval of the fans, Hamada takes a hot shot from Navarro, then Navarro and Texano up the ante with a double-team version. Aguayo comes in and exchanges chops with Texano…until the rudos triple-team him. Texano hits a top-rope elbow and plants Hamada with a tombstone, but Aguayo kicks out!
Signo comes in for assistance, hitting a double shoulderblock on Aguayo, then the rudos attack Kendo when he re-enters. Texano hits him with a press slam, then Navarro and Signo down him with the double hot-shot. The Misioneros land another triple-team flapjack, then it’s clotheslines in the corner and a gutwrench backbreaker on Kendo from Texano for the three and the second fall. During the rest period, Hamada gets hurled halfway across the ring by Navarro and Signo.
TERCERA CAIDA: Aguayo gets triple-teamed by the rudos until a Signo chop puts him out of the ring. Texano fakes out a dive while the heels continue posturing inside the ring.
Hamada enters and hits a quick back suplex on Texano, then they have a spirited exchange of strikes that ends with an emphatic Hamada headbutt. Texano fires back with a spinning heel kick, but Hamada blasts him with an enzuigiri. Texano replies with an enzuigiri of his own, resulting in a bump from Hamada that looks like the Flair Flop, but on fast-forward.
Texano cinches in a leglock, allowing Signo to come in and hit a senton. Texano heads upstairs, but a flipping senton misses! Navarro comes in and pounds and slaps away at Aguayo, who absorbs the blows and puts Navarro down with a single overhand chop. Aguayo hits a senton, but Signo breaks up the pin. Kendo comes in and hits a series of dropkicks on Signo to send him outside, then HE teases a dive. Hamada goes at it with Texano for a bit and actually completes a tope suicida (though he almost lands short as he clipped the ropes).
Aguayo and Signo each look for dives, but they’re both tripped up by members of the opposition. Back in, Texano hits Hamada with a quebradora for two, then a powerbomb for another near-fall. Hamada backflips out of the corner to dodge a charge, then snatches Texano with a hurricanrana for the three and the third fall!
Aguayo celebrating with a bouquet of flowers is a hilarious visual to me for some reason.
****1/4 - This was excellent trios action, with stunning athleticism mixed in with a great story and tremendous crowd heat. This felt very close to what Michinoku Pro would end up being.
The match was initially structured similarly to that Joshi trios match from last time, with the heels dominating the babyfaces in much of the beginning. Los Misioneros first teamed together in 1977, so they’d naturally have the advantage of teamwork and chemistry over a recently cobbled-together trio. However, the tecnicos utilized their agility, determination, and wits to create openings. Some of that resulted in all-time heel miscommunication spots.
Los Misioneros were LOCKED IN here, with top-tier bumping, heel tactics, clowning, and nifty offense. Texano especially impressed with his agility and execution, while Signo and Navarro were great foils for the tecnicos.
Aguayo brought the heart, and Hamada brought the quickness and impact, but Kendo was the standout here. He was so much fun to watch with his acrobatics, and he had the fans eating out of his hand. Seriously, any promoter would sacrifice their first-born to have a babyface THAT over with the fans.
UWA World Middleweight Title: Yoshinari Asai (c) vs. Negro Casas - And it’s back to multiple cameras for this one. We saw a match from them earlier in this project, and they actually wrestled each other nearly 35 years later in February 2025 for this same belt! Fight forever, indeed.
Asai has Kendo as one of his cornermen, and he’s proving to be a hell of a cheerleader, rallying the fans behind the future Ultimo Dragon.
Some kicks are teased before we get a slick opening sequence with Asai hitting a headscissors and a dropkick before Casas grounds him with an armbar. Asai escapes and goes for a crucifix pin, but Casas counters out and works a leg grapevine, which transitions into a surfboard. Casas puts Asai down with a bodyslam and gets a grounded abdominal stretch, but Asai gets out and starts working over the leg, locking on a figure four in the process.
Casas wrenches the ankle, but ends up rolling to the ropes to escape. They then get into a slapping contest that ends with an Asai heel kick and a leglock. Casas BITES at the foot (that’s not sanitary!) and twists it, but he again can’t break the move. Asai turns it into a half-crab, but Casas makes the ropes. Seconds later, Casas targets the arm, getting an armbar that he transitions into a surfboard. Asai escapes, and we hit the pinfall exchange and double kip-up sequence, earning some applause.
Asai focuses on the arm, looking for a jujigatame, but Casas blocks it, so Asai converts it into a short-arm scissors. Casas escapes and looks for a leg grapevine, but they’re too close to the ropes. After an armdrag, Asai goes back to work on the arm, fighting off of Casas’ attempts to counter. However, Casas soon regains the advantage and bars some arm. Back up, both guys again exchange chops until they both fall out of the ring. Moments later, Asai hits Casas with a spinning heel kick, but Casas dodges another attempt…but Asai clocks him with an enzuigiri immediately after!
Asai goes for a Rita Romero Special, but Casas keeps fighting it off until Asai eventually gives up on it.
Asai settles for a camel clutch, but Casas shifts his weight to send Asai to the floor. After a brief reprieve, Asai re-enters and catches Casas with a handspring back elbow. Casas bails, so Asai follows with a running pescado! Asai suplexes him back in for two and heads upstairs, but Casas catches him with an avalanche back suplex for a near-fall of his own!
Casas dropkicks Asai in the corner a couple of times, but a third dropkick misses. Asai goes for an Asai Moonsault (a Him Moonsault?), but Casas dodges! Asai hurts his knee on impact, and Casas goes to work with a half-crab. The fans encourage Asai to make the ropes, but Casas maintains the upper hand with a spinebuster and a scorpion deathlock.
Asai again breaks via the ropes, but Casas hits a butterfly suplex and applies the camel clutch until he lets it go. Casas hits a flying kick to send Asai to the floor, then Casas follows with a plancha. Casas then suplexes Asai INTO the crowd!
Back in, Asai catches Casas with a victory roll for two, but Casas blocks a hurricanrana with a powerbomb for another close fall. Asai counters a powerbomb with a ‘rana for two, then hits an Asai Moonsault and a straightjacket German for the three to retain!
**** - This was excellent juniors wrestling; a major improvement over their earlier match as this one felt more fleshed out and well-paced. The matwork was very strong as it truly felt like both guys were FIGHTING to apply, maintain, block, and counter each other’s moves, rather than just slap on a hold to kill time between spots. A lot of clever offense and defensive tactics were on display.
The more athletic sequences were very impressive and juxtaposed well with the technical stuff. I’d still give the nod to the earlier trios contest for Match of the Night, but this is very much worth checking out.
FRIDAY, JUNE 8th
EMLL Super Viernes
Perro Aguayo, Ringo Mendoza & Lizmark vs. El Satanico, Sangre Chicana & Fabuloso Blondy - Ringo, using a Native American gimmick, is a long-time vet, having wrestled since December 1968. He’s held an ungodly amount of middleweight, light heavyweight, tag, and trios championships over his lengthy career, and had transitioned to becoming a full-time trainer for CMLL in 2011.
Lizmark was a legend of lucha libre, helping introduce some of the flashier stuff to the style and, like Ringo, won an immense number of championships in his day. Older readers may be familiar with his son, Lizmark, Jr., who had a stint in WCW’s cruiserweight division in the late 1990s. The elder Lizmark passed away from respiratory failure in 2015.
Sangre Chicana (“Chicano Blood”) had been wrestling since 1971 and came into prominence during his famed three-way feud with Fishman and El Cobarde. We actually saw him before in Part 11 of Ryan’s Dive into ‘95, where he took the hair of La Fiera in an apuestas match. Dude had a LOT of children in the business, including:
Sangre Chicana Jr.
Sangre Imperial
Hijo de Sangre Chicana
Lady Chicana
Lluvia
La Hiedra
Keen Eddie
The Street
American Embassy
Cedric the Entertainer
The Tick
Louie
and Greg the Bunny
Blondy is Ken Timbs, a veteran of the US territories, starting off in Ole Anderson’s Georgia Championship Wrestling and working Southwest Championship Wrestling, International Championship Wrestling, and Championship Wrestling from Florida. He found his biggest success teaming with Eric Embry as the Fabulous Blondes (hence Ken’s name in Mexico), winning tag gold along the way. He had wrestled in Mexico and Central and South America for years afterward until his final match in 1997.
As an aside, look at this dog’s breakfast of a team that comprised his opponents in his final match!
Timbs passed away in 2004 at 53 years of age after a battle with cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure. Like Chicana, he had many kids, siring eight sons and one daughter. One son, Ken Jr., followed in his father’s footsteps, primarily wrestling in the southeast United States independent scene.
Lizmark wants to get him some of Blondy, who obnoxiously waves the American flag.
PRIMERA CAIDA: Blondy attacks Lizmark right off the jump, but Mendoza comes in to put a stop to that. Blondy gets ping-ponged around by the tecnicos and eats a DDT from Ringo. Aguayo runs in to dropkick Chicana off the apron and batter him on the floor until Blondy breaks it up. Mendoza and Satanico go at it for a bit until Ringo gets yanked into the heel corner for some beatings. Lizmark comes in and assaults Blondy until he seeks refuge on the floor. Aguayo comes in and wants some of Chicana, who is reluctant to enter the fray.
Satanico enters instead, and him and Aguayo trade overhand chops, pinfall attempts, dropkicks, and armdrags. Blondy breaks up an Aguayo armbar, but Lizmark makes him pay by going after the leg. Chicana breaks that up, then him and Mendoza square off again, with Chicana getting the upper hand. Mendoza gets abused by the rudo team until Aguayo dropkicks Satanico out of the ring.
Aguayo again dares Chicana to face him, but he gets Blondy instead. Timbs uses a couple of stiff shoulderblocks to down Aguayo, who comes back with a flying clothesline. A high knee puts Blondy on the floor, then Ringo unleashes a series of dropkicks on Satanico.
Ringo grounds Satanico with a stretch on the mat, and Lizmark flies off the top with a HUGE torpedo headbutt onto Chicana! Perro knocks Blondy off the apron and hits him with La Silla from the apron. Satanico likely gave up in Mendoza’s hold, resulting in Mendoza, Aguayo, and Lizmark taking the first fall.
SEGUNDA CAIDA: Chicana beats Aguayo down on the floor, then Blondy chokes away at Lizmark on the mat. Satanico and Chicana double-team Ringo, with Satanico applying a mousetrap for the quick pin. Blondy traps Lizzy in a spinning toehold, then locks in a half-crab for the submission. The rudos waste no time in securing the second fall.
TERCERA CAIDA: Lizmark kicks the crap out of Blondy’s leg in retaliation while Aguayo renews hostilities with Chicana on the floor, at least until Satanico gets involved. Lizmark continues pounding away at Blondy until the latter spills out of the ring. Satanico comes in and plants Lizmark with a DDT and goes for a surfboard, but Mendoza comes in and applies one of his own. Chicana comes in and locks in a submission, but Aguayo interrupts. Sangre lays in some chops, but Aguayo fires up!
Aguayo downs Chicana with a chop of his own, and drops an especially spiteful senton onto his torso! Blondy breaks the cover, so Lizmark dropkicks him out of the ring in a fun bump. Satanico comes in to pummel Lizmark, but Lizzy comes back with a flying bodypress. He heads back upstairs, but Blondy shakes the ropes, causing Lizmark to take a NASTY bump to the back of the head.
Lizmark is out cold, and Satanico accosts Blondy for his underhanded tactics. Blondy then attacks Satanico! Mendoza wants to stop Blondy from assaulting Satanico, but Aguayo stops him! Aguayo cheers Blondy on, so Ringo decks him!
Mendoza and Aguayo slug it out until Blondy interjects, resulting in him and Aguayo working together! What IS this match?!? Chicana looks to get involved, but Blondy shoves him away, so Chicana attacks Blondy! Mendoza and Chicana now double-team Aguayo! This is nuts.
After a bit, Mendoza and Aguayo continue brawling on the floor in a pretty neat little scuffle.
While this is going on, Lizmark is getting attended to by medics, with assistance from Satanico. Moments later, Chicana comes over to back up Mendoza, while Aguayo calls Blondy over to even the sides.
The match pretty much ends in a schmoz, but the official decision was a DQ win for Lizmark, Aguayo, and Mendoza.
***1/2 - While it didn’t really hit the level of some of the more recent trios matches, this was still a lot of fun. The action was generally solid throughout, but it was all about the character interactions. The third fall was pure insanity with all the teammates turning on each other.
Aguayo was so deep in his distaste for Satanico and Chicana that he was willing to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Blondy. Satanico being on the heel team was interesting because he spent much of this year on the babyface half of the divide, but him objecting to Blondy’s tactics and staying with the injured Lizmark confirms that he wasn’t a complete bastard.
Timbs was really fun to watch here. He seemed to be of the late-80s Adrian Adonis/“Playboy” Buddy Rose mold, being a pudgy blonde sleazeball who bumped like crazy and drew sizeable heel heat. Lizmark’s flying was great, as was his insane bump that kickstarted the chaos. The sequences between Chicana and Aguayo were heated, Ringo brought rock-solid work, and Satanico was typically outstanding.
AJPW Super Power Series 1990 - Tag 19
Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship: Terry Gordy (c) vs. Stan Hansen - I apologize to any vegans reading this, but we’re going to be making a brief pit stop in Meat Town. Gordy had just taken the belts from Jumbo Tsuruta three days earlier while Hansen lariated past Bam Bam's Miracle Violence Connection partner, “Dr. Death” Steve Williams, on that same show.
We’re clipped a ways into the match as we pick up with Hansen dodging a corner charge and hitting a lariat to send Gordy to the floor! After some abuse, Hansen deposits Gordy back in and resumes the beating with the crowd firmly behind him. Gordy ducks another lariat and DROPS Hansen with the championship-winning DDT…but Stan kicks out!
Gordy continues pounding away at Hansen, who desperately clings to the bottom rope like a tobacco-chewing octopus. Hansen finally crumbles to the floor, so Gordy tosses him back in and goes for the powerbomb, which Hansen blocks by grabbing the leg. Hansen tries to counter another one with a back body drop, but ends up collapsing forward with Gordy landing on top of him! After a two-count, Gordy goes for a corner lariat, but Hansen ducks and gets a ROLL UP for two! Technical wizard STAN HANSEN.
Gordy slugs away in the corner and tries a short lariat, but Hansen ducks and pops Gordy with his own lariat! Hansen collapses on top for the pin and the title!
Steve Williams comes out to check on his partner, then soon ATTACKS Hansen! Stan the Lariat fights back, but Terry re-emerges and assists in a two-on-one assault. Post-match attacks like that weren’t exactly something that happened a lot in this era of AJPW, so it was pretty surprising.
For the match, I can’t fairly rate it as we got only about 6-7 minutes, but the action here was quite good. It definitely felt more urgent than the Gordy/Tsuruta match, and Hansen’s desperation here was well-portrayed.
At three days, Gordy holds the dubious distinction of having the shortest reign as Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion, a record that still holds up as of April 2025.
Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Jumbo Tsuruta - Well, it’s the BIG one for this issue and one of the most crucial matches in the history of Japanese wrestling. I’ve seen this one a few times in compilations over the years and always loved it, so I’m interested to see how it holds up, especially now that I’ve gotten to see some of the events leading up to it.
After Misawa took off his mask and shed the Tiger Mask II persona on May 14th, he immediately set his sights on Jumbo, AJPW’s current top guy. The young lion (well, tiger in this case) endeavored for a one-on-one match with Tsuruta, looking to prove his main-event mettle and stake his claim as the NEW ace of All Japan Pro Wrestling.
Throughout the Super Power Series tour, Misawa and Tsuruta competed in tag and trios matches with varying partners on each side. Misawa got one of his first major pinfall victories against Jumbo’s side on Night 10, and their teams would trade tag match wins until this night.
With Terry Gordy upending Jumbo for the Triple Crown only three days prior, there’s no way that Tsuruta’s going to be upset TWICE in such a short span, right? RIGHT?
The fans chant for Misawa as both guys circle to start. Jumbo levels Misawa with a shoulderblock, then puts the upstart down with a bodyslam that pretty much says, “know your place, you little bitch”. Misawa dodges a flying knee and hits a dropkick, but Jumbo catches him with a big boot! He then blasts Misawa with a lariat for two, then clubs away before going for a backdrop driver, but Misawa shifts his weight for a near-fall. Misawa dropkicks Tsuruta out of the ring, then follows with a dropkick off the apron!
Misawa cracks Jumbo with an elbow smash that sends him over the railing. Tsuruta makes it back to the apron, but Misawa cuts him off with more elbowing, then hits a running pescado to keep the ace off-balance.
Jumbo makes it back in, where Misawa again rattles him with elbows before wearing him down with a front facelock. Tsuruta escapes and gets a double-wristlock, but Misawa reverses into one of his own.
Jumbo tries a reversal, but Misawa reverses that reversal and maintains the hold. Jumbo manages to successfully reverse into one of his own this time, but Misawa mulekicks out of it. Misawa grabs a hammerlock, but Jumbo makes the ropes…and Misawa SLAPS HIM. Oh, shit.
Another break in the ropes results in another slap, so Jumbo makes him pay with a knee to the guts and a JUMPING KNEE. The announcer shrieking “JUMPING KNEEEEEEE!” will never not pop me. Jumbo locks in an abdominal stretch, but Misawa turns it into one of his own. Jumbo makes the ropes and hiptosses Misawa out of the ring in the process.
Jumbo punishes Misawa on the floor, then hits a butterfly suplex in the ring for two. Tsuruta grounds his prey with a sleeper before hitting a flapjack, but a second flapjack is countered into a dropkick! Misawa heads upstairs and hits a lovely missile dropkick for two.
Misawa gets a running elbow in the corner, then lands a gutwrench suplex on his much larger opponent before hitting a back kick. Misawa hits a frog splash for two, then goes for a crossbody, but Jumbo drops him throat-first on the ropes for a near-fall. Jumbo drills Misawa with a piledriver for two as we get some unique birds-eye view camera shots of Misawa laying prone on the canvas. We saw a few of those during the Hanson/Gordy footage, too. I really enjoy that kind of production.
Jumbo hits a Thesz press for two, then soon lands a dropkick for another near-fall. A big boot nets another near-fall, then Jumbo ascends to the second rope. Misawa goes to cut him off, but Jumbo blocks that with a knee. However, Misawa fights out of a butterfly suplex, so Jumbo settles for a bodyslam and heads back up, but Misawa cuts him off and looks for a superplex. Jumbo again blocks and knocks Misawa off the ropes, then flies off with a top rope knee, but Misawa kicks out!
After much resistance, Jumbo hits the powerbomb, but Misawa again kicks out at two! Jumbo makes another go at a butterfly suplex, but Misawa turns that into a backslide for two. Misawa gets a desperation elbow to create space as Jumbo rolls to the floor. Misawa catches him with a dropkick, then follows with a huge plancha!
Jumbo makes it back in, so Misawa peppers him with kicks and manages a bridging roll-up for a CLOSE near-fall! A spinning hook kick puts Tsuruta on the mat, but a second splash hits knees! Tsuruta covers and Misawa BARELY kicks out. Jumbo applies a Boston crab, but that’s broken up due to Misawa being near the ropes. Jumbo then welts Misawa with a lariat for another two-count. An even nastier lariat gets another near-fall as the crowd is coming seriously unglued!
A corner lariat from Jumbo sets up a back suplex, but Misawa pushes off of it, causing both guys to be downed from the impact. Misawa hits a massive German suplex for a close fall, then Misawa goes for a Tiger Driver, but Jumbo backdrops out! Tsuruta hits another jumping knee and whips Misawa into the corner. Misawa rebounds off with a crossbody…but Jumbo wrecks him with an elbow! AWESOME.
A Tsuruta dropkick is dodged, resulting in Jumbo crotching himself the ropes! Jumbo goes for a suplex, but Misawa escapes! He scoops Jumbo up, but Jumbo shifts his weight and falls on top for two…but Misawa rolls Tsuruta over into his own cover and GETS THE THREE! MISAWA WINS!
The atmosphere is absolutely electric as Kenta Kobashi and Toshiaki Kawada hoist a triumphant Misawa onto their shoulders.
The camera picks up Tsuruta, who is shaken and dejected by the loss.
***** - Yeah, there’s no way this wasn’t getting anything else. This is one of the most beloved and important matches of all time.
The in-ring wrestling was excellent, with a simple story executed beautifully through hard-hitting physicality, facial expressions, and body language. Misawa was the underdog and the overwhelming sentimental favorite with the audience, while Jumbo was the veteran ace who wanted to put the impudent youngster in his place. Both guys played their roles to perfection. Misawa used his quickness and high-flying to disorient Tsuruta, while Jumbo harnessed his size, power, and experience advantages to ground and humble his opponent.
What REALLY elevates this one to all-timer status, though, was the emotion, atmosphere, the overall story, and the sheer impact on the business. When you have people in the crowd opening weeping with joy, you truly have created something special.
There’s a bit of a legend surrounding the finish of the match. The original plan going in was that Jumbo would win. However, on the night of the show, Giant Baba apparently sat near the merch stand and watched in amazement as Misawa vendibles flew off the shelves. Baba listened as the fans fervently chanted Misawa’s name while filing into the arena. The fans spoke loud and clear about who they wanted to be the next big star of All Japan.
So, before the match, Baba pulled Tsuruta aside and informed him that Misawa would now be going over. Depending on who you hear it from, either:
Jumbo asked something akin to, “So, I’m going to be counted out, right?”, and Baba was like:
or Jumbo tried to convince Baba to go with a double countout or draw finish, but Baba stuck to his guns.
Regardless, Jumbo went out there and did business, cementing Misawa as a made man, solidifying the future of All Japan, and helping set the company up for years’ worth of stellar box-office and critical acclaim.
One of the recurring tropes of 1990 is the passing of the torch. A new star would be anointed, carrying the mantle of the promotion in place of the wrestler who carried the company throughout the 1980s, with varying degrees of success. We saw that when Ultimate Warrior captured the WWF Championship from Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania VI, and we’ll see another example of this from the NWA in the coming weeks. However, by far the most successful iteration of this was Jumbo doing the honors for Misawa for the reasons described above.
All the way back in Part 7, I looked at the top ten matches of 1990, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards. Jumbo vs. Misawa finished in second behind Jushin Liger vs. Naoki Sano. While I’d put Misawa/Jumbo at the top of my personal list up to this point, I wouldn’t argue against anyone that picked Liger/Sano, that aforementioned AJPW trios match, or the incredible El Dandy vs. Angel Azteca match from June 1st.
Will Misawa vs. Tsuruta hold on to the number one spot by year’s end? We’ll find out in due time, but we still have much more excellent wrestling ahead of us.
USWA Challenge (Dallas)
“Stunning” Steve Austin vs. “Gentleman” Chris Adams - This may seem like an anti-climax considering what I just reviewed, but I’m always up for more stuff from these guys.
Steve taunts Chris from ringside, asking, “Where’s your bimbo wife at?” while he takes his everloving time entering the ring. The crowd erupts when Toni Adams runs in and scraps with Jeanie! Austin clubs Adams down and yanks Toni off, but Adams takes him back down, allowing the ladies to catfight once again!
John Brozell comes in and stops the madness, telling the men to hold back their respective ladies. The crowd loudly chants for Toni like she’s Kendo in Hamada’s UWF. Brozell lays down the law, saying the matches are signed between the men, not the women, and threatens lifetime banishment from the Sportatorium should more outside interference occur.
After much arguing, the ladies finally exit the ring, and the match proper starts with Austin taking a big back body drop and a kneedrop from the Gentleman. After some karate thrusts, Adams rains down some corner punches and continues mauling his student.
Austin goes to punch Adams, but he decks referee Bronco Lubich instead! Adams sweeps the leg and hits a second-rope clothesline, but Jeanie interferes! Adams snags Jeanie and spanks her, while Austin intercepts an intervening Toni and ties her up in the ropes behind Adams’ back!
Austin and Jeanie double-team Chris, and Jeanie then diverts her attention to Toni…but Toni gets loose, and IT’S BACK ON!
Adams again pulls Toni off and tosses her aside, then Austin holds Adams in place for some unabated slaps…but Toni again takes Jeanie down! Austin dumps Adams out of the ring, rips Toni away from Jeanie, casts her aside, and ushers Jeanie to the backstage area. Toni gives chase while Adams makes his way backstage through the fans. The official result is a double disqualification.
The match was only a couple of minutes, if that, so I won’t rate it, but this was such a dynamic segment. I like how the women are involved and are actually the best part of this storyline so far. The fans hate Jeanie and love Toni, and the scraps they got into were really heated. Austin continues to look like a future star.
THE TUGBOAT TRIBUNE
As always, the news comes courtesy of Dave Meltzer and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Yoshinari Asai, who we saw earlier, is apparently in talks with New Japan Pro Wrestling to be the next Tiger Mask.
He’d definitely be famous for wrestling under a mask, but not as Tiger Mask.
Genichiro Tenryu recently met up with WWF executive JJ Dillon to negotiate a deal where Hulk Hogan would wrestle on the debut SWS show, set for October 20th.
Tenryu also signed Shunji Takano away from AJPW, which isn’t exactly a big coup because of Shunji’s back injury.
Shunji’s brother, George Takano, tried to jump ship, but AJPW threatened to sue him and Tenryu’s company if he went through with it.
The Road Warriors were initially thought to be joining the WWF as heels, which is kind of nuts.
Common sense prevailed as The Fed is fully committing to the heel turn for Demolition instead.
Speaking of the Demos, Brian Adams is being brought in from Portland to join the fun, making Demolition a three-man unit.
Ax is experiencing some heart issues, so the future Crush will help ease some of the workload.
NEXT TIME: Another Saturday Special with more from Jerry Lawler and Snowman, tons of storyline developments from USWA Dallas, and much more!
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