Puroresu Central

Japan/US Wrestling Summit

The Date: April 13th, 1990
The Location: Tokyo Japan
Attendance: 53,000

Greatness is upon us. As I make various changes to the site (which is always a good thing), I decided to review a card that I have been wanting to see for many years. In preparation for this, I watched WrestleMania VI, which came only 12 days before this puroresu supercard and saw Ultimate Warrior defeating Hogan for the WWF Heavyweight Championship. Back in the early 90s (until at least 1993), the WWF had a deal with All Japan (later SWS) which led to many supercards of Japanese wrestlers against American wrestlers. Why they don't do this anymore is beyond me since it would be great to see current day stars from Japan and America face off, but that's another story. This card, which pitted All Japan and WWF wrestlers against each other, would be highlighted by Hulk Hogan vs. Stan Hansen. And yes, blood would be spilt. Here is the portion of the card in which I will be reviewing:

- Jimmy Snuka and Tito Santana vs. Masa Fuchi and Kenta Kobashi
- Bret Hart vs. Tiger Mask II
- Big Bossman vs. Jake Roberts
- Mr. Perfect and Rick Martel vs. Jumbo Tsuruta and Haku
- Genichiro Tenryu vs. Randy Savage
- Ultimate Warrior vs. Ted DiBiase
- Demolition Axe and Smash vs. Giant Baba and Andre the Giant
- Hulk Hogan vs. Stan Hansen

The first three matches are from a lower quality video file I downloaded, while the last five matches are from a DVD. That is why the quality of the clips changes so much from one match to another.

Jimmy Snuka and Tito Santana vs. Masa Fuchi and Kenta Kobashi
Santana and Kobashi start things off. Side headlock by Santana, but Kobashi muscles out of it and applies a wristlock. Santana quickly gets to the ropes and Kobashi breaks the hold. Fuchi comes in, mad about something, but leaves after the referee tells him to. Tie-up, punches by Santana, Irish whip by Kobashi but Santana shoulderblocks him down. Santana goes off the ropes, leapfrog by Santana, Kobashi goes for a lariat but Santana ducks it and hits one of his own. Cover, but it gets a one count. Knee to the head by Santana and he connects with a number of punches. Santana throws Kobashi out of the ring and celebrates from the corner. Kobashi gets back on the apron, but Santana grabs him and snapmares him over. Kick to the midsection by Santana and he throws Kobashi out of the ring again. Snuka kicks Kobashi from the apron as Kobashi slowly gets back in the ring. Kobashi punches Santana from the apron and then sails into the ring with a slingshot body press for a two count. Kobashi picks up Santana and makes the tag to Fuchi. Punches by Fuchi, snapmare, and he delivers a number of mounted punches. Fuchi picks up Santana and kicks him repeatedly before hitting a scoop slam. Enzigieri by Fuchi and he tags Kobashi back into the ring. Kobashi goes up to the top turnbuckle and delivers a missile dropkick. Cover, Snuka goes to break it up but Kobashi moves so Snuka ends up hitting Santana. Kobashi dropkicks Snuka backwards, grabs Snuka while Fuchi goes to the top turnbuckle and Fuchi hits him with a missile dropkick. Back to Santana, Kobashi picks him up and goes for a suplex, but Santana reverses it into a vertical suplex of his own. Santana tags in Snuka, Irish whip by Snuka and he hits a chop. Snuka picks up Kobashi, Irish whip from the corner but Kobashi comes back with a rebound body press for a two count. Scoop slam by Kobashi, he goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits a body press to a standing Snuka for another two count. Kobashi tags in Fuchi, scoop slam by Fuchi, he applies a side headlock, Snuka Irish whips out of it but Fuchi knocks him down with a shoulderblock. Fuchi goes off the ropes, but when Snuka pancakes Fuchi trips over him and stumbles into the ropes. Kick to the chest by Snuka, Irish whip, and he delivers a chop. Snuka hits a scoop slam, goes off the ropes, but Fuchi rolls out of the way of the headbutt. Backdrop suplex by Fuchi, cover, but it only gets a two count. Irish whip by Fuchi and he delivers a back bodydrop. Snuka is up first and he tags in Santana. Dropkicks by Santana to both Fuchi and Kobashi, Irish whip on Fuchi and he hits a back bodydrop. Flying Burrito by Santana, and he tags in Snuka. Santana then slams Fuchi in front of the corner and Snuka nails the Superfly Splash off the top turnbuckle. Cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winners: Jimmy Snuka and Tito Santana

Match Thoughts: Harmless, but not very good. Probably about as elementary a match you will see in a match that involves three veterans, but the 'ol language barrier thing might have stopped them from getting too complicated. The hot tag was the lamest hot tag in the history of professional wrestling, as it seemed as if they botched the move to lead up to the hot tag. Course it was early on the card so obviously they weren't expecting much from this match, but even by the low expectations I had coming in the match wasn't much. Score: 3.5

Bret Hart vs. Tiger Mask II
Tie-up to start, Tiger Mask pushes Hart into the ropes but he gives a clean break. Tie-up again, this time Hart gets Tiger Mask back against the ropes and he gives a clean break as well. A third tie-up, side headlock by Hart, Tiger Mask Irish whips out of it and hits an arm drag. Another arm drag by Tiger Mask and he keeps the hold applies before kneeing Hart twice in the arm. Hart struggles to his feet, scoop slam by Hart but Tiger Mask maintains a hold on Tiger Mask's arm and takes him back to the mat. Arm lock by Tiger Mask, Irish whip by Hart to get out of it but Tiger Mask goes behind his back when he tries an attack. Tiger Mask tries to roll up Hart by pushing him into the ropes, but Hart holds onto the ropes and Tiger Mask goes flying backwards. Dropkick by Tiger Mask, and Hart falls out of the ring. Running start by Tiger Mask, but he does his nifty fake dive when Hart moves and flips himself back in the ring. Hart charges back in, but Tiger Mask hits an arm drag and goes back to the arm bar. Hart eventually rolls out of it and gets back to his feet, and he punches Tiger Mask against the ropes. Irish whip by Hart, but Tiger Mask slides behind him and applies a crucifix pin for a two count. Back up, arm drag by Tiger Mask and he goes back to the arm bar. Knee to the arm by Tiger Mask, Hart slowly gets back to his feet and punches Tiger Mask into the corner. Irish whip by Hart, Tiger Mask rebounds back with a cross body, but Hart uses the momentum to turn Tiger Mask over and picks up a two count pinfall. Reverse chinlock by Hart, Tiger Mask struggles to his feet but Hart snaps him back down to the mat. Tiger Mask finally gets Hart into the ropes, Irish whip by Hart but Tiger Mask shoulderblocks him down. Tiger Mask goes off the ropes, Hart goes for a dropkick by Tiger Mask holds onto the ropes to avoid it. Catapult by Tiger Mask into the corner and he stomps Hart while he is on the mat. Tiger Mask picks up Hart, fireman's carry takeover and he re-applies the arm lock.

Irish whip by Hart to get out of it, Tiger Mask goes for another crucifix pin but Hart falls backwards, slamming Tiger Mask to the mat. Forearm to the back of the head by Hart, scoop slam and he drops an elbow onto Tiger Mask's throat. Reverse chinlock by Hart, Tiger Mask Irish whips out of it and connects with a back kick. Tiger Mask then dropkicks Hart out of the ring, goes off the far ropes and delivers a plancha suicida. Back in the ring, Tiger Mask elbows Hart to the mat and goes for the cross armbreaker, he gets it locked in but Hart is too close to the ropes and he gets the break. Strikes by Tiger Mask in the corner, but the referee gets him back. Arm bar by Tiger Mask, Hart Irish whips out of it but Tiger Mask shoulderblocks him down. Tiger Mask goes off the ropes, leapfrog by Hart, but Hart hurts his ankle when he lands. Tiger Mask and the referee show concern, but Hart suddenly lariats Tiger Mask as the crowd finally gets into it. Stomp to the lower midsection by Hart and he delivers the back breaker. Cover, but it gets a two count. Hart picks up Tiger Mask and delivers an uppercut. Another uppercut by Hart, but when he goes for a third Tiger Mask sneaks in a backslide for a two count. Headbutt by Hart, Irish whip and he connects with a back elbow. Hart picks up Tiger Mask and heaves him out of the ring, as he seems satisfied that the crowd is booing him. Hart goes out after Tiger Mask and slides him back into the ring. Side Russian leg sweep by Hart, cover, but it gets a two count. Reverse chinlock by Hart, Tiger Mask gets to his feet, Irish whip by Hart but Tiger Mask reverses a move and hits a scoop slam. Hart comes back with a modified atomic drop, he picks up Tiger Mask and nails the vertical suplex. Cover, but it gets a two count. Hart goes back to the reverse chinlock, after a few minutes Hart releases it and applies an abdominal stretch. Tiger Mask reverses it into an abdominal stretch of his own, but Hart flips him down to the mat. Hart picks up Tiger Mask, Irish whip from the corner, reversed, but Hart kicks Tiger Mask when he charges in. Hart goes up to the second turnbuckle and goes for an elbow drop, but Tiger Mask rolls out of the way. Scoop slam by Tiger Mask, he goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits the flying body press, cover, but it gets a two count. Irish whip by Tiger Mask from the corner and Hart goes into the turnbuckle sternum first before falling to the mat. Cover, but again he only gets a two count. Elbow by Tiger Mask, but Hart fires back with punches. Irish whip by Hart, but Tiger Mask ducks the clothesline and delivers a cross body just as the bell suddenly rings. The result of the match is a draw.

Match Thoughts: First, this version of Tiger Mask was Mitsuharu Misawa. Most people (well, everyone) views this match as a big disappointment, and I'd have to agree. On paper, Bret Hart vs. Misawa sounds incredible, but this match certainly wasn't. Both wrestlers were wrestling as if they had no idea that there was a 20 minute time limit, or they were expected to get warned as the time was getting close. They built the first part of the match as if there was an exciting conclusion coming, but that exciting conclusion never happened. There really weren't any realistic near falls and in most time limit matches you see more pin attempts at the end. Hart did a good job here, after faking the injury the crowd turned on him viciously and he seemed to enjoy the reaction he was getting. Both wrestlers were crisp and on target, I have no problem with the action itself it just had no direction and left you feeling empty when the match ended since the conclusion was so inconclusive. If this was a build-up to a future match it would have been fine, but this was it, they never met again. Shame these two never got a chance to have a legitimate match, no doubt they would have torn the house down. Score: 5.5

Big Bossman vs. Jake Roberts
Tie-up to start and Bossman throws Roberts back into the corner. Tie-up again, wristlock by Roberts but Bossman punches his way out of it. Tie-up, wristlock by Roberts, Bossman pushes Roberts into the ropes and punches him in the stomach. Irish whip by Bossman and he hits an arm drag, but Roberts rolls out of the way of the elbow drop. Roberts goes for the DDT, but Bossman quickly gets out of it and slides out of the ring. Back in, tie-up, arm wringer by Bossman and he elbows Roberts in the arm. Roberts elbows Bossman out of the ring however, Bossman quickly gets back on the apron but Roberts drops him onto the top rope. Back in, Irish whip by Roberts but the two collide with neither man budging. Roberts goes off the ropes again but this time Bossman catches him with a spinebuster. Bossman picks up Roberts and elbows him in the back. With Roberts draped on the second rope, Bossman gets a running start and jumps down onto his back. Irish whip by Bossman from the corner and Roberts collapses upon impact. Bossman picks up Roberts and punches him in the back. Headbutt by Bossman and he delivers a series of punches to the face until Roberts falls to the mat. Cover, but it gets a two count. Bossman picks up Roberts and gives him a back breaker. Back scratch by Bossman, Irish whip from the corner and he hits the big splash. Bearhug by Bossman and he flings Roberts to the mat. Bossman drops a knee onto Roberts and chokes him with his boot. Irish whip by Bossman and he delivers a lariat. Cover, but it only gets a two count. Bossman applies a reverse chinlock but Roberts gets a foot on the ropes and Bossman has to break the hold. Back up, Bossman goes off the ropes and clubs Roberts in the lower back. Bossman picks up Roberts, scoop slam, he goes up to the top turnbuckle but Roberts rolls out of the way of the body press attempt. Bossman rolls right out of the ring after attempting the move and Roberts goes out as well. Roberts pulls Bossman into the ring post as both wrestlers get back into the ring. Punches by Roberts and he gives Bossman the short-armed clothesline. Irish whip by Roberts from the corner, reversed, but Roberts gets a foot up when he charges in. Roberts goes for a face crusher, but Bossman blocks it and throws Roberts into the turnbuckles. Bossman picks up Roberts, he goes for a slam, but Roberts slides down his back and nails the DDT. Cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winner: Jake "The Snake" Roberts

Match Thoughts: Not a bad match, but pretty punch/kick without a lot of excitement. Nothing against Bossman but his offense here was pretty dull and Roberts didn't really have a long offensive period before picking up the win. Bossman played to the crowd well, however, which isn't always the case when Americans go to Japan. This certainly isn't anything you need to go out of your way to see even though it was two of the WWF's bigger stars, they only did the standard match without adding anything to make it seem special or memorable. Score: 5.0

Next we have a great promo by Hogan, as he mixes English with a few Japanese words he knows (Ichiban and "Lariat-O"). Hogan seems to have fun in Japan.

Mr. Perfect and Rick Martel vs. Jumbo Tsuruta and Haku
This is an Interpromotional Tag Team match. Perfect and Martel jump Tsuruta and Haku to start the match, double Irish whip on Haku and they hit a double dropkick. They then go to Tsuruta, double Irish whip, and they connect with a double clothesline. Perfect picks up Tsuruta, he punches him into the corner and knees Tsuruta in the face. Back up, Irish whip by Perfect to the corner but Tsuruta kicks him when he charges in. Irish whip by Tsuruta and he nails the jumping knee. Tsuruta tags in Haku, who kicks Perfect in the leg repeatedly. Chops by Haku in the corner and he hits a shoulder breaker. Cover, but it gets a two count. Dropkick by Haku, another cover, but again it only gets a two count. Haku tags in Tsuruta and they hit him with a double clothesline. Scoop slam by Tsuruta and he applies the abdominal stretch. Mr. Perfect manages to get out of it and punches on Tsuruta while he is on his knees. Chop by Mr. Perfect and Martel helps out from the apron. Kick to the gut by Mr. Perfect followed by a snapmare and a diving neck snap. Mr. Perfect picks Tsuruta up, but Tsuruta hits a scoop slam and tags in Haku. Chops by Haku to the chest of Mr. Perfect and he kicks him in the midsection. Haku then hits a dropkick but he misses the senton as Mr. Perfect rolls out of the way. Mr. Perfect manages to tag in Martel, scoop slam by Martel, followed by another one. Martel then drops a series of elbows on Haku, picks him up, Irish whip, reversed, but Martel hip tosses him down. Back up, Martel hits a perfect hurricanrana but it only gets a two count. Martel tags in Mr. Perfect who hits a double ax handle as he comes in. The two trade punches, scoop slam by Mr. Perfect and he tags in Martel. Martel enters the ring with a slingshot splash from the apron, cover, but Haku kicks out. Punches by Martel, and he slams Haku into the turnbuckle. Martel follows up with a hiptoss, goes for another rana, but Haku dumps him over his head right onto the turnbuckle. Martel tags in Mr. Perfect, who cuts off Haku from his corner. Irish whip by Perfect and he nails a dropkick. Cover, but it only gets a two count. Mr. Perfect tags Martel back in and they hit a double slam. Martel goes for the Quebec Crab and clamps it on, but Tsuruta runs over and breaks it up. Mr. Perfect is tagged back in and he applies the abdominal stretch. Haku gets out of it with an eye rake, but Martel is tagged back in and he hits a vertical suplex. Knee drop by Martel follows, cover, but Haku kicks out. Martel tags Mr. Perfect back in, Haku fights back, but Martel rakes his eyes and is tagged back in. Backbreaker by Martel, he goes for a splash off the second rope, but Haku gets his knees up. This gives him time to tag in Tsuruta, Irish whip by Tsuruta, and he back bodydrops Martel down. Scoop slam by Tsuruta, then another one, Perfect runs in, but he gets scoop slammed as well. By now Haku is back in and together they Irish whip Martel and Perfect into each other. Irish whip by Tsuruta and he nails his jumping knee attack. This sets up Martel for the Dangerous Backdrop, and Haku takes care of Perfect to allow the three count pinfall. Your winners: Jumbo Tsuruta and Haku

Match Thoughts: While the match was laid out in a somewhat simple fashion, I was actually impressed by Martel as he whipped out some moves that you didn't see too often back in 1990 (such as a slingshot splash or a hurricanrana with pin) and seemed extremely motivated for whatever reason. Tsuruta wasn't in the ring too much, which is a shame, but this was a fun match that was hot from start to finish. It wasn't overly complicated, but it didn't need to be to showcase the American wrestlers to the Japanese fans. Score: 6.4

Genichiro Tenryu vs. Randy Savage
After dancing around a bit, they tie-up, Tenryu goes for a vertical suplex, Savage lands on his feet, but Tenryu assaults him with a variety of chops and punches much to the crowd's delight. Savage finally falls down in the corner, and as Sherri distracts Tenryu he is hit from behind by Savage. Savage chokes on Tenryu with the help of the bottom rope and punches him right in the face. Irish whip by Savage, reversed, and Tenryu hits him with a vicious lariat. Irish whip by Tenryu, he goes for a back bodydrop, but Savage kicks him in the head when he puts it down. Savage charges Tenryu, but Tenryu bodydrops him over the top rope and then hits a crossbody from the apron down on Savage. Sherri hits Tenryu from behind when he gets up, which allows Savage time to hit him from behind. Savage tosses Tenryu over the guardrail and battles with him at ringside. Finally he brings him back to the ring and delivers a series of punches. Irish whip from the corner, but Tenryu gets his foot up when Savage charges and then hits an enzigieri. Savage fires back with a clothesline, cover, but Tenryu kicks out. Mounted punches by Savage and he pushes down the referee since he had tried to stop him. Cover by Savage, but it only gets a two count. More choking by Savage, Irish whip, and he hits the clothesline. Cover again, but again it only gets two. Another Irish whip by Savage, Tenryu gets caught in the ropes, but Savage clotheslines him anyway. Savage chokes on Tenryu while he is down as Sherri gets in another cheap shot as well. Tenryu rolls to the outside, so Savage comes off the top turnbuckle with an ax handle. Savage drops an elbow while on the outside and as he gets back in the ring, Sherri hits Tenryu with her shoe. Savage goes back out to get Tenryu (as Sherri hits him again) and finally tosses him back into the ring. Savage goes up top and hits another ax handle. Cover, but Tenryu kicks out at two. Scoop slam by Savage and he hits a knee drop. Cover, but it only gets a one count. Savage ascends to the top turnbuckle and nails his big elbow drop, cover, but Mr. Puroresu manages to kick out. Eye rake by Savage, he goes up top again, but this time he gets punched in the stomach when he jumps off. Tenryu goes for a powerbomb, but Savage back bodydrops him to get out of it. Savage goes up top once again and this time hits a flying crossbody. He comes up lame however following the move, allowing Tenryu to nail him with an enzigieri and finish him off with a powerbomb. Your winner: Genichiro Tenryu

Match Thoughts: Shorter then I would have liked, but a very good match. Tenryu is simply incredible, and the crowd ate up everything that he did. Savage took it all from Tenryu, including the stiff chops and the clotheslines. I could have done without the constant interference from Sherri, but obviously the storyline here was that Savage knew he had no chance of defeating Tenryu himself and was trying to get all the help he could get. Especially considering that it is unlikely they had a lot of practice with each other in the ring, the match was about as good as one could hope for. Score: 7.0

Ultimate Warrior vs. Ted DiBiase
Tie-up to start, and Warrior pushes DiBiase towards the corner. Tie-up again, and again Warrior pushes DiBiase down to the mat. A third tie-up, headlock by DiBiase, but Warrior picks him up and tosses him off. DiBiase finally gets the upperhand with a slew of punches, a side headlock is applied, but Warrior Irish whips out of it and they crisscross off the ropes. DiBiase gives up first and dives down in front of Warrior, but Warrior jumps over him, bounces off the ropes again and shoulderblocks DiBiase to the mat. Warrior goes off the ropes again, ducks the clothesline, but DiBiase catches him when he dives for another shoulderblock and drives him down. Kick by DiBiase to the head of Warrior and he chops him to the mat. More punches by DiBiase, Irish whip, and he nails Warrior with a clothesline. Cover, but Warrior easily kicks out. Knee lift by DiBiase and he rakes Warrior in the eyes. DiBiase chops Warrior in the corner, but Warrior fires back with punches, stunning DiBiase. DiBiase regains the advantage though and hits a snapmare and an elbow drop. Vertical suplex by DiBiase, cover, but again Warrior has no trouble kicking out. DiBiase nails a piledriver on Warrior, cover, but it only gets a two count. Chops by DiBiase on Warrior, but Warrior seems to have reenergized and shoulderblocks DiBiase down. Warrior then hits the trio of clotheslines followed by a body splash and he gets the three count. Your winner: Ultimate Warrior

Match Thoughts: Too short to be offensive, but too short to be good. I guess they figured that Japanese fans would see right though Warrior's lack of in-ring skill and opted to just have them do more of an exhibition match then a real wrestling match. Which is fine, in a way, since it allowed them to highlight Warrior's strengths without getting into his weaknesses. Like I said though, the match was only around six minutes which obviously is not enough time for two wrestlers of Ultimate Warrior and Ted DiBiase's caliber and I would have liked for them to have gotten at least ten minutes. Score: 5.5

Demolition vs. Giant Baba and Andre the Giant
Wow. This is really going to be painful. Baba and Smash start things off. Tie-up, knee to the gut by Smash, Irish whip, reversed, and Baba chops him down. Smash rolls towards the wrong corner and Andre smacks him. As Smash lays against the ropes, Baba twists on his arm before releasing it. Baba wrenches on Smash's arm again, but Smash pushes Baba against the ropes and Baba chops him in the head. Side headlock by Baba is applied and he tags in Andre. Andre punches Smash down and stands on his midsection. Another punch by Andre and he pulls on Smash's arm. Smash manages to get out of it though and tags in Axe. Axe clubs on Andre's back and chest then tags Smash back in. Smash then clubs on Andre as Axe did, but Andre punches him so Smash tags in Axe. Axe chokes Andre against the bottom rope and tags in Smash, who continues the same move. Again, Andre sneaks in a punch and again this leads to Axe being tagged in. Punches to the back by Axe and he drops an elbow. Axe twists on Andre's arm, but Andre leans over and tags in Baba. Baba kicks Axe in the stomach and chokes him in the corner. Axe fires back with punches and tags in Smash. Demolition pounds on Baba together, but Baba hits Smash with a chop. Baba then kicks Smash in the stomach and hits a swinging neckbreaker. Cover, but Axe breaks it up. Baba tags in Andre, who punches Smash in the stomach. Smash tries to fight back, but Andre absorbs the blow and punches Smash down. Axe is tagged in, but Andre chokes him in the corner. Shoulderblocks by Andre in the corner follow, but Smash runs in to stop it. This brings in Baba, but he doesn't do too much and Axe tags in Smash. Smash bounces off the ropes and gives Andre a clothesline. Punches by Smash follow, but Baba comes in and chops him in the back of the head. Axe runs in, so Andre and Baba Irish whip them into each other. Baba then hits the big boot on Smash, Andre follows that with a big elbow drop, and he gets the three count victory. Your winners: Giant Baba and Andre the Giant

Match Thoughts: It could have been worse. I guess. Giant Baba and Andre were both well past their primes at this point (which is putting it mildly) and Demolition are not capable of carrying them to anything worth watching. Hell, I wish I could see Flair and Steamboat against Baba and Andre just to see what would happen. The crowd was really into it though, which is always a plus. Other then that, a rather awful match that was obviously more about making the crowd happy then putting on a "good" wrestling match. Score: 3.0

A nice short promo from Hogan follows, as he gets ready for the main event.

Hulk Hogan vs. Stan Hansen
The crowd is pumped as they circle each other prior to hooking up. Hogan applies an arm wrench, but Hansen quickly gets out of it and the two shove each other. Drop toehold by Hogan into a front facelock, Hansen struggles to his feet though and slams Hogan into the turnbuckle. Tie-up once again, arm wrench by Hansen, but Hogan gets to the ropes. Both men are back in the middle of the ring, tie-up, and Hogan takes down Hansen into a chinlock. Hansen rolls through it however and both men are back up once again. Hansen pushes Hogan into the corner and they trade punches before Hansen backs off. Kick to the gut by Hansen and they trade blows once again. Hansen elbows Hogan in the head and sends him to the outside. He tries to slam Hogan into the ring post, but it is reversed and Hansen tastes steel. Hogan continues punching on Hansen and he tosses him into a table at ringside. Hansen is bleeding by now, as Hogan pounds on the cut. Back in the ring, Hogan hits a back suplex. Cover, but it only gets a two count. More punches by Hogan to the forehead of Hansen, cover, but its another two count. Hogan gets Hansen in the corner and punches him to the outside. He eventually follows Hansen out and tosses him back into the ring. Hogan applies the abdominal stretch, but Hansen hip tosses out of it. Hogan punches Hansen in the corner and delivers some stiff chops. Hansen again tumbles out of the ring, but this time Hogan follows him and punches him over the guardrail onto a table. Hogan goes over himself and scoop slams Hansen onto the table, partially breaking it. Hogan gets back in the ring to celebrate as Hansen lays bloody at ringside. Hogan kindly goes back out to get him and rams Hansen into the ring post. Finally Hogan tosses Hansen back in, cover, but Hansen kicks out. Irish whip by Hogan and he hits a running clothesline in the corner. Hogan kicks on Hansen while he is slumped in the corner, picks him up, and hits more chops. Irish whip by Hogan, but this time Hansen gets his foot up when he charges and shoulderblocks Hogan down to the mat. Cover by Hansen, but it only gets a two count. Hogan rolls to the outside, but Hansen quickly follows him and throws him over the guardrail onto a table. Grabbing a chair, Hansen cracks Hogan right in the head and then chucks the chair at the referee. Hansen then climbs on top of the guardrail and hits a double ax handle on Hogan, who still was lying on the other side. Up quickly, Hansen grabs the now bleeding Hogan and rolls him back into the ring. Elbow by Hansen, cover, but it only gets a two count. Kick to the head by Hansen, cover, but again it gets two. Hansen hits another elbow on Hogan, cover, but Hogan kicks out. Back up, Hansen pounds on Hogan until he falls down, cover, but Hogan kicks out at two. Frustrated, Hansen kicks Hogan out of the ring and whips him with his bull rope. Hansen then tosses Hogan back in and delivers a series of mounted punches. After choking Hogan with his knee, Hansen sends Hogan for a ride and signals for the Lariat, but Hogan knocks him down and gets pumped. Hogan goes for the big leg drop, but Hansen cleverly rolls out of the way. Cover by Hansen, but it only gets two. Irish whip by Hansen, but Hogan gets the better of things with a crossbody for another two. Hansen tries to roll up Hogan, but Hogan holds onto the ropes. Hansen then charges in, but Hogan gets his boot up and then finishes Hansen off with the axe bomber for the three count. Your winner: Hulk Hogan

Match Thoughts: As you can see, this is a side of Hogan that many American fans have not seen. Not only was it a fun brawl, but Hogan actually whips out some real wrestling moves (drop toehold, back suplex, crossbody, etc.) that are not in his normal moveset when he wrestles in America. It is almost frustrating to see him demonstrating wrestling ability when he so rarely uses his full arsenal here in the States. Hansen was of course his usual crazy self, and overall I think this match was quite enjoyable. No, it wasn't a technical masterpiece, but it was a fun match and both wrestlers cut lose to make it memorable. Score: 7.0

Final Thoughts:

My gut instinct was to give this PPV a "recommended," since it was real fun to see All Japan and WWF stars mixing it up in the ring. Particularly the Hogan match was a spectacle to behold, and if the popularity of Tenryu was ever in question this event would prove just how over he was. Unfortunately, most of the matches were pretty simple and only those two matches are worth going out of your way to see. If you want to watch something different though or take a small step to getting into puroresu, this might be a good place to start.

Mildly Recommended

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