This is part of the 1982 Champion’s Carnival tournament.
GOD BLESS THE CHAMPIONS CARNIVAL. Classic archetype of a match where a promising young gun goes for it all in one match. He’s immediately upset at Jumbo, just because. He slaps him off breaks, and there’s an incredible spot where Jumbo ducks one chop, and then Tenryu fakes throwing one to make him duck again and punks him out and laughs. Tenryu later explodes after teasing the slow start from then AND HE DOES A BEAUTIFUL TOPE SUICIDA! Jumbo slows him down to work from above. It’s a little surprising from the way Tenryu can be more naturally heelish, but makes sense based on rankings and how Jumbo WOULD control Tenryu. The young Tenryu comes back and it’s cool. Jumbo works faster and tighter here and it’s a preview of the second half or so of his career, once that hits in a few years and Tenryu’s ideas for the future become more actualized with the current crop of young boys at ringside here in ring crew (I’ve caught Misawa a few times, and MENG IS ONE OF TENRYU’S YOUNG BOYS OH MY GOD THIS EXPLAINS SO MUCH NOW HOLY SHIT). Tenryu isn’t the smoothest at some of the mat counters he tries to surprise Jumbo, which is fine, because it makes sense with his character arc. He’s NOT a technician, he’s a fighter and offensive machine, but this is the game he’s trying to fit in with. They go to a time limit draw of thirty minutes, but it’s clipped so we sadly don’t even get all of it.
***1/4
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