New Japan vs WAR - October '92 - December '92

Genichiro Tenryu & Koki Kitahara vs Shiro Koshinaka & Kengo Kimura, New Japan (10/23/92)

Oh man pretty much the beginning of the New Japan/WAR feud and Korakuen is fucking rabid throughout. Koshinaka and Kimura are just fucking bullies to the highest degree and beat the piss out of Kitahara throughout, and manage to create a nice underdog story with Kitahara trying to take the fight to both but ultimately needing TENRYU to bail him out of predicaments. TENRYU was just fucking godly in this, there's this incredible moment where Kimura walks round the ropes and tries to punk him out, and TENRYU just starts to ominously stride towards him and pushes the referee aside. TENRYU also gets cut hardway from some stiff punches, and he has at least 6 awesome blood soaked visualsa of him just looking on with both Koshinaka and Kimura with sheer contempt as blood pours down the side of his face. The seconds are also brilliant throughout in constantly trying to kill each other and in the process threatening to send the match into a wild and uncontainable massacre. TENRYU just casually murdering Kohsinaka repeatedly with powerbombs even after the match is over warmed my cockles, fuckin' TENRYU man!


Genichiro Tenryu, Takashi Ishikawa & Koki Kitahara vs Shiro Koshinaka, Kengo Kimura & Masashi Aoyagi, New Japan (11/23/92)

God damn, the heat for Kitahara was astounding. I know his tights were an insult to fashion but good grief Snitsky would have wished for this much heat when he punted a fake baby into the audience. Match is a really good addition in developing the piercing hatred that dominates both camps, feels incredibly chaotic and on the verge of a breakdown throughout with guys constantly chipping away at each other with every opportunity they get. Kimura looked to be legit wounded from an Ishikawa running knee as well, looked ridiculously brutal and appeared to be a misscommunication with Kimura leaving himself no chance to protect himself and Ishikawa running like a gazelle. Tenryu was used in small doses but what we got was the typical Tenryu greatness with some meaty strikes, incredible bumping and selling of his opponent's strikes and some pretty swank facial expressions, bit where he casually punts Koshinaka to break up a pin and then motions he'll beat the piss out of the ref if he even thinks of barking orders at him was tremendous. Tenryu's bump and shocked facial expression off of Aoyagi's spinning wheel kick near the end was inspiring, looked like he was about to fall flat on his arse out of the ring. Everyone played their part well and really got over the tension and hate that was to explode in the coming months and Tenryu got to look like the WAR world beater with the beating he was able to withstand followed by the powerbomb for the instant win. Powerbomb itself looked ridiculously brutal as well with the angle that Kimura's head snapped back off of the mat, all hail TENRYU!


Genichiro Tenryu vs Shiro Koshinaka, New Japan (12/14/92)

Really good match which made Tenryu look like a force to be reckoned with as well as giving Koshinaka a nice loyalist underdog story with him trying unsuccessfully to find ways to put down and contain Tenryu. Action is frantic and jam packed with meaty strikes and I loved how they had Tenryu take over and bloody Koshinaka without ignoring the earlier arm work which had seen Koshinaka control the opening portion. Tenryu's punts and general disgust at Koshinaka was supreme but I would have preferred to see him noticeably grimace a bit more when utlising the injured arm, and I really hated Koshinaka popping up from a DDT to continue the attack as it really didn't feel believeable even with the move being delivered by Tenryu's damaged arm. Tenryu taking the time to hold the arm after the powerbomb was a subtly nice touch however that gave a small glimmer of hope that Koshinaka's efforts had not been in vain, and the resulting crossbody roll through counter made for a tremendous false finish with Tenryu literally getting his shoulder up as the 3 count would have been made. Finishing stretch reflected the whole match with Tenryu looking impervious and well ahead of Koshinaka but still being succeptible to his own arrogance as well as the earlier arm work. Doubt it'll be close to Tenryu's best stuff in the 92-94 period but it serves as a nice continuation of Tenryu's emerging dominance over New Japan and Koshinaka being the latest victim to have no answer to the powerbomb and overwhelming destruction of TENRYU!~!

  
NEW JAPAN VS WAR - WHEN THE TIGERS BROKE FREE.