This week’s “Rewind-Mania” match of the week featured The Road Warriors and The Funks in All Japan Pro Wrestling, from the City Gymnasium in Okazaki, Aichi, Japan from Oct. 20, 1986.
By 1986, The Road Warriors’ career-defining stint with the AWA had ended, and the duo had moved onto bigger and better things, in Jim Crockett Promotions. Having cemented themselves as the most popular tag team in the United States, the duo began their conquest of Japan in 1985—working for All Japan.
Meanwhile, Terry & Dory Funk Jr. began their year in the WWF—where Dory was infamously rechristened as Hoss Funk. The Funk brothers primarily worked as a tag team, even competing at WrestleMania II. Terry’s stint in the Federation ended in April, while Dory was forced to stay until August.
The brothers reunited in Japan in October—setting the stage for this veritable dream match.
The Funks’ history with All Japan Pro Wrestling stems from their father’s working relationship with All Japan’s founder, Giant Baba. Baba would send trainees to the Amarillo-based Western States Sports, which was owned by Dory Funk Sr. Legendary wrestlers like Jumbo Tsuruta and Genichiro Tenryu began their careers in Amarillo, under the guidance of Dory Funk Jr.
That relationship facilitated The Funks’ careers in All Japan, who began as atypical gaijin heels. However, the brothers quickly endeared themselves to the Japanese fans.
‘Rewind-Mania’
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Terry and Dory were the first team to take the stage, entering via the red corner. The Funks are clear favorites in this match, receiving a hero’s welcome from the fans in Okazaki.
Then, The Road Warriors are beckoned by the opening riff of Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man,” sprinting towards the ring and forcing the Funks to retreat.
Road Warrior Hawk & Road Warrior Animal had an inescapable gravity, in the ring. They weren’t professional wrestlers—they were forces of nature.
From bell to bell, this match is less than 12 minutes long. There are no dueling control-segments or hot tags. For Terry and Dory, it’s simply a fight for survival—desperately trying to escape The Road Warriors’ pull.
Even when Terry and Dory do manage to accumulate a little offense, culminating in Terry delivering a piledriver to Hawk—the latter is completely unfazed.
It’s easy to understand The Road Warriors’ appeal, though. Despite their technical limitations, they were aesthetic marvels. Terry may have been in the best shape of his life, but his physique seems meager compared to Hawk or Animal.
Much of this match’s intrigue can be attributed to Terry and Dory, who do a phenomenal job of selling for The Road Warriors. For example, after absorbing Terry’s piledriver, Hawk delivered a piledriver of his own. Terry immediately tried to imitate Hawk, pounding his chest in defiance and howling. However, Terry was clearly stunned by the maneuver, and was forced to tag out.
While The Road Warriors didn’t have many weapons in their arsenal, their offensive repertoire was effective. Hawk used a myriad of suplex variations in this match, while Animal relied on his patented shoulder tackle.
After running roughshod for nearly 12 minutes, The Road Warriors attempted to punctuate the affair with the Doomsday Device. However, Terry narrowly broke up their pinning attempt on Dory.
All four men escaped outside and began to brawl. However, their scuffle quickly escalated into full-scale riot—with the men launching chairs and tables at one another.
During the course of their skirmish, neither team managed to answer the referee’s count—resulting in a double-countout.
Admittedly, I’m not the biggest fan of The Road Warriors. I don’t understand the appeal of an inviolable tag team. This match is only further complicated by the fact that neither team is necessarily the heel here. The Road Warriors’ received their trademark “Road Warriors pop” when they entered the ring. However, the Funks were clearly fan-favorites, and yet never mounted a rousing comeback.
Still, there’s a palpable sense of tension at the heart of this contest, that it explodes in the post-match fracas.
Rating: ***¼
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