'88 - 01/06 - 08/06 (Demolition vs Strike Force, Revolution vs Olympians, Glamour Girls vs Jumping Bomb Angels)

WWF TV Taping - 01/06/1988

WWF Tag Team Title Match: Demolition (Ax & Smash) (c) vs. Strike Force (Rick Martel & Tito Santana)

I think this was pretty awesome. There is something magical about the WWF tag team formula that even in its simplest form, there is often a quality match to be seen. If anything, it makes me wish the whole promotion was a tag team promotion. This was fast and full of energy with momentum switches and great heat sections. Rick Martel had a strong section where he dominated the champions with a simple arm-wringer, using a mix of speed and technique to overcome potential power. Only did Fuji’s use of the cane allowed Demolition to gain the advantage. And from there the match worked to its finish. And the finish was a great use of the count outs. Demolition used a chair and the Demolition Decapitation on the floor to get the count out win, protecting the former champions while giving the champions great heat. ***1/2

AJPW Super Power Series 1988 - Day 15 - 02/06/1988

Takashi Ishikawa & Yoshiaki Yatsu vs. Revolution (Ashura Hara & Genichiro Tenryu)

This was dry in a house show sort of way, but it’s good in a sense where you see four guys stiffing each other and riffing for about 15 minutes. Naturally Tenryu pins Ishikawa for the three. ***

AJPW Super Power Series 1988 - Day 17 - 04/06/1988

PWF World Tag Team Title Match: Revolution (Ashura Hara & Genichiro Tenryu) (c) vs. Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshiaki Yatsu

A good opening to the match with a solid pace that used stiff strikes and small moments, like Jumbo’s vicious cravate to Tenryu to establish the intensity of the match. Ashura Hara, as always, played an understated role early on where he (I believe) was the first to attack Jumbo’s leg, something Tenryu would follow up on, but deliver small but effective hits on the company’s ace. And I love the brutal smack he gave Yoshiaki Yatsu when Yatsu had Tenryu in the prison lock and Yatsu became the victim to the double team work by Revolution as a result. The match’s physicality and intensity begins to grow when Jumbo returns to the action and sends Tenryu and Hara on the defensive. Tenryu takes a great beating here, taking a brutal jumping knee and then a double variation by the Olympians. The closing stretch isn’t as high key as one may expect, but it’s still wonderfully crafted with great momentum switches and small moments that work to create as much drama as necessary. And seeing Yatsu get the winning pin after the jumping knee/bridging german suplex was a terrific moment in the match. A great and toll-taking match. ****1/4

AJW - 08/06/1988

Crush Gals (Chigusa Nagayo & Lioness Asuka) vs. Etsuko Nishikawa & Suzuka Minami

This was a bit of an extended squash, but it was mighty fun, and enough was given the the young rookies to give it a little edge. The Crush Gals aren’t afraid of being dominant despite their image, and love to toy with Nishikawa and Minami, keeping them in the match just long enough to almost lose it. Good match. Worth seeking out. ***1/4

WWF World Women's Tag Team Title Match: Jumping Bomb Angels (Itsuki Yamazaki & Noriyo Tateno) (c) vs. Glamour Girls (Judy Martin & Leilani Kai)

Glamour Girls were ROUGH early on with the nasty hair pulling and dirty spots they’d pull on the JBA. In fact, this was much more violent in general than their WWF matches which was workrate heavy. Here, I think Yamazaki bleeds from her nose and there is a lot of violence in general. It was an effective match and a perfect piece to fit into the Glamour Girl v Jumping Bomb Angel feud. The finish had a slight confusion as it seems that it was a double count out but I believe it was Judy Martin who was able to make it into the ring, winning the match and therefore the WWF Women’s Tag Team Titles back in a shock, and they rightfully celebrated. ***1/2