Originally this spot was going to go to Akira Taue Vs. Jun Akiyama, but due to Enzo's special request for some Hass love, I decided that a good ol classic from 1988 would suffice.
Genichiro was scouted by Giant Baba for All Japan Pro Wrestling after he had a moderately successful career as a sumo wrestler, to which he trained for since age 13. Baba had sent him to Amarillo, Texas to train with the likes of Dory Funk Jr. Which ironically Amarillo was some old stomping grounds of one Stan Hansen.
They hadn't met each other much on the Japanese circuit around this time, as Tenryu was busy forming his "Revolution" stable and feuding with the likes of Jumbo Tsuruta. My research is a little unreliable with how the match came about, but apparently it was around this time that Genichiro Tenryu was some sort of UN Pacific Double Crown champion. And of course, Stan Hansen is just a big southern brute who'd beat the shit out of you, title or not.
And so a match was made, no personal beef involved, it was all business. Tenryu was quickly becoming a world renowned Puroresu master, and after this bout 1989 became the year of Tenryu's mega push. While Stan Hansen as well would go on to compete many times for Japans prestigious triple crown. Ironically, a short time after this match Hansen & Tenryu would become tag team partners. Probably because they earned each others respect through this very match!
If your not familiar, Genichiro Tenryu was your typical master of puroresu wrestling. Stiff strikes, "head drop" style of grapple manuevers, and consistent submission psychology. Stan Hansen however was your typical brawler. He would hit you hard and often, especially in a way that make it unorthodox and hard to predict where he was coming from. It was an interesting clash of styles. Would puroresu's traditional striking overcome the roughneck style of Stan Hansen?
[yt]UWlR8GSAdMM[/yt]
[yt]PcOLoiY8cZw[/yt]
Genichiro was scouted by Giant Baba for All Japan Pro Wrestling after he had a moderately successful career as a sumo wrestler, to which he trained for since age 13. Baba had sent him to Amarillo, Texas to train with the likes of Dory Funk Jr. Which ironically Amarillo was some old stomping grounds of one Stan Hansen.
They hadn't met each other much on the Japanese circuit around this time, as Tenryu was busy forming his "Revolution" stable and feuding with the likes of Jumbo Tsuruta. My research is a little unreliable with how the match came about, but apparently it was around this time that Genichiro Tenryu was some sort of UN Pacific Double Crown champion. And of course, Stan Hansen is just a big southern brute who'd beat the shit out of you, title or not.
And so a match was made, no personal beef involved, it was all business. Tenryu was quickly becoming a world renowned Puroresu master, and after this bout 1989 became the year of Tenryu's mega push. While Stan Hansen as well would go on to compete many times for Japans prestigious triple crown. Ironically, a short time after this match Hansen & Tenryu would become tag team partners. Probably because they earned each others respect through this very match!
If your not familiar, Genichiro Tenryu was your typical master of puroresu wrestling. Stiff strikes, "head drop" style of grapple manuevers, and consistent submission psychology. Stan Hansen however was your typical brawler. He would hit you hard and often, especially in a way that make it unorthodox and hard to predict where he was coming from. It was an interesting clash of styles. Would puroresu's traditional striking overcome the roughneck style of Stan Hansen?
[yt]UWlR8GSAdMM[/yt]
[yt]PcOLoiY8cZw[/yt]
