Jumbo Tsuruta vs Genichiro Tenryu Classic Feud DVD

10/28/88 Yokohama Bunka Taiikukan: Tsuruta vs. Tenryu. Tremendous match. Great execution, build, excitement, drama, psychology, and heat. Excellent performance by both men. This is everything a big match should be, and more. ****3/4

4/89 Triple Crown: Tsuruta vs. Tenryu. Tsuruta drops Tenryu nastily on his shoulder and head with a powerbomb at 15:45, and Tenryu is unable to continue. This was only very good because the injury caused it to end before it got hot. The heat wasn’t as good as the previous match, but the result turned the powerbomb into one of the deadliest moves in the country. ***1/2

6/5/89 Tokyo Nippon Budokan Triple Crown: Pretty much a flawless match that rates right up there with the best men’s heavyweight matches of all-time. Both men play their roles to perfection. Great psychology, build, execution, timing, near falls, and stiffness. Really heated. Tenryu takes the TC. As far as I can tell this is the best heavyweight match of its decade. *****

10/11/89 Yokohama Bunka Taiikukan Triple Crown: Tenryu vs. Tsuruta. Another great match, but not as action packed as in the past. Slower paced, slower building, and not as heated as their past bouts. These guys stiffed the hell out of each other though. Jumbo regained the TC. ****1/4

4/90 Triple Crown: Tsuruta vs. Tenryu. This was known to be their last meeting because Tenryu has already signed with SWS. It started out really hot with Tsuruta pummeling Tenryu with big spots and it was a sprint, so it stayed hot most of the way. The match didn’t have the build or psychology of their previous matches, but the work was great and the match was certainly different from the other four. Tenryu left the ring quickly after Jumbo put him away and Hansen came out and destroyed the ring boys then got into a fight with Jumbo, thus taking all the focus off the departing Tenryu as the key feud was switched to Jumbo vs. Stan. ****