On Brand Segunda Caida: Kurisu vs. Tenta

John Tenta vs. Masanobu Kurisu AJPW 5/9/87

PAS: Awesome short match between two Segunda Caida faves. This is the second match of Tenta's pro career and legendary crowbar Kurisu is a good guy to beat you into a gang. Kurisu unloads some very heavy chops, one of his unprofessional headbutts, and some nasty cranking arm work. Eventually Tenta gets tired of this little tubby guy banging on him, and he hits a big powerslam, a killer looking chicken wing Argentinian backbreaker and a belly to belly for the pin. Kurisu is always worth watching and it is fun to watch baby Tenta figure out this whole pro-wrestling thing.

ER: This is a great example of two guys whom I didn't realized crossed paths. Tenta is not quite 24 and easily the smallest I've ever seen him in a pro wrestling ring. Tenta is downright lean, with a slender face, kind eyes not as pushed in by expanding face. Coming from sumo, Tenta was clearly a guy who had already been through some grueling training, and so of course Kurisu walks right up to him and slaps him. Kurisu works over Tenta the way he would any rookie, except this looks fascinating because I'm so used to Kurisu picking on wrestlers his own size. Kurisu laces into Tenta as if Kurisu were the larger man, and I'm not sure even Tenryu chopped Tenta as hard as Kurisu did here. Tenta is real green, and it's good (?) to have a guide like Kurisu in there, and when Tenta freezes up a bit at one point Kurisu just drags him by the ears and neck scruff and throws him through the ropes (with Tenta taking a real hard bump to the floor). Kurisu was a real prick about going after Tenta's arm (which I guess is a reason why we are here writing about this), always going back to the arm to try and force Tenta to the mat, then finally tying him up in the ropes and WAILING on him. Kurisu throws four punches to the meat of Tenta's arm that look like he's just punching Tenta as hard as he can, and Tenta reacts like some dude just punched his arm as hard as possible several times. Tenta has an awesome stretch of offense leading to the finish, with a great Canadian backbreaker, a huge rotation powerslam, and then an Albright-esque belly to belly for the win.