Post by Shatter Machine on May 18, 2016 22:15:19 GMT -5
So I fell into the YouTube vortex of wrestling the other day, and I realized that I’ve never seen this match in full. I’ve seen highlights, I’ve seen rematches, but I * think * this is the first one on one match between Misawa and Kawada. The other ones have always lived up to the hype, so I’m hoping this one does as well. This is, by reputation, one of the best matches ever, and the first in an incredible series between these two. I think this is Korakuen, but I might be wrong. (A quick check of the WON archive says that it’s Budokan Hall, not Korakuen.) Meltzer gave this *****, and probably would have gone higher, but that’s as high as the scale goes.
1994.06.03
All Japan Triple Crown Championship
Mitsuharu Misawa (Champion)
Vs
Toshiaki Kawada
They start slow, as is the norm in All-Japan. They trade chops, but both guys have the other so well counted, that nothing really connects early. Kawada backs Misawa to the ropes, then hits a couple of kicks, including a nice roundhouse. Misawa hits a back suplex out of nowhere, and Kawada lays in the ropes. Misawa goes behind again, and Kawada grabs a wristlock. He takes him down with an armbar, but Misawa flips out of it and hits a stiff forearm. Really nice sequence leads to them both crashing to the floor, and Misawa catching a forearm while delivering a clothesline from the apron. Misawa sends him to the rail, but Kawada hits a clothesline. Back in, and Kawada grabs a cross-face. He starts working the back, then hits chops to the shoulders. Ouch. He gets a half-crab, but Misawa is in the ropes. Kicks to the chest, then the head. Big chops in the corner, and Kawada just lays in stiff kicks. Misawa goes down, and Kawada gets a 2 count. Misawa takes a walk, but gets nailed coming back in. Kawada gets a rear naked choke, but Misawa is close to the ropes. More kicks from Kawada, but Misawa hits some of his own, and Kawada goes down. He starts on the knee, grabbing a half-crab. Kawada hits him in the face to break, so Misawa gets a grapevine. Kawada grabs his head, so Misawa breaks. More kicks to the knee, and Kawada does a great job of selling it. Misawa drives knees to the knee, then goes back to twisting it. Finally, Kawada starts firing back, taking Misawa down with forearms to the back of the head. They fight over a suplex, but neither guy can get it, and Misawa hits a spin-heel kick. They trade elbows and chops in the corner, with Misawa just laying him flat with a shot to the head. He misses a dropkick, and Kawada hits a vicious kick to the face. Holy shit! Kappo kick! Misawa is out! That gets only 2. Kawada goes for a powerbomb, but Misawa backdrops out of it. Kawada with a dropkick to the back on the head, then a second rope knee. He sells the knee work, then the series of chops to the head and neck. That gets a 2-count. He tries for another powerbomb, but settles for a kick to the head of a bent over Misawa. Misawa gets a double-leg, then starts laying in forearms, then an enziguiri. Misawa, like a true pro, has bladed his ear. Nasty dropkick by Misawa, and Kawada gets a Tiger Driver for 2. Misawa goes up, and a top rope splash gets 2. Misawa grabs a chinlock, then turns it into a standing cross face from behind. Kawada bails out, and Misawa follows him, giving him no rest. He goes for a dive off the top, but Kawada connects with a kick. Kawada goes for the powerbomb again, but Misawa fights out. He goes again, but Misawa lays him out with a forearm. They trade forearms, and Kawada with a Cabo kick. This crowd is INSANE, especially for a Japanese crowd. Back drop DRIVA by Kawada. God damn the head dropping makes me ill now. STIFF AS FUCK powerbomb for 2, and we’re 25 minutes in. Enziguiri! Kick to the face! Release German, and Misawa goes all the way to the floor. Kawada follows him there, and throws him back in. This is going to end in the ring. Another powerbomb! Only 2! He goes for a third, and Misawa gets the ropes. Kawada goes for the Dragon Sleeper, but Misawa escapes. He tries again, and gets it! He releases it and gets a 2-count. Big forearm by Misawa to get some time. Superkick by Kawada. Misawa with another stiff forearm. Clothesline by Misawa. Release German, and Kawada is dead weight in the middle of the ring. Bridging Tiger Suplex gets 2. He goes for a waistlock, but Kawada fires back and they’re both down again. Rolling kick by Kawada. Misawa tumbles to the floor. Back in, and they just start trading shots again, with Kawada getting the best of that. Misawa fires back, though, and kicks Kawada down. Series of rapid elbows, then a big one puts Kawada down. He goes for the Tiger Driver, but Kawada escapes. Kicks by Misawa take Kawada down, and Tiger Driver ’91 finishes Kawada off at 35:50. Holy shit that was absolutely fucking amazing. *****
When I said that I hoped that lived up to the hype, I was not disappointed. That is on a par with Steamboat-Flair and Hart-Austin for me. Can't recommend it strongly enough. Wow. Just wow.
1994.06.03
All Japan Triple Crown Championship
Mitsuharu Misawa (Champion)
Vs
Toshiaki Kawada
They start slow, as is the norm in All-Japan. They trade chops, but both guys have the other so well counted, that nothing really connects early. Kawada backs Misawa to the ropes, then hits a couple of kicks, including a nice roundhouse. Misawa hits a back suplex out of nowhere, and Kawada lays in the ropes. Misawa goes behind again, and Kawada grabs a wristlock. He takes him down with an armbar, but Misawa flips out of it and hits a stiff forearm. Really nice sequence leads to them both crashing to the floor, and Misawa catching a forearm while delivering a clothesline from the apron. Misawa sends him to the rail, but Kawada hits a clothesline. Back in, and Kawada grabs a cross-face. He starts working the back, then hits chops to the shoulders. Ouch. He gets a half-crab, but Misawa is in the ropes. Kicks to the chest, then the head. Big chops in the corner, and Kawada just lays in stiff kicks. Misawa goes down, and Kawada gets a 2 count. Misawa takes a walk, but gets nailed coming back in. Kawada gets a rear naked choke, but Misawa is close to the ropes. More kicks from Kawada, but Misawa hits some of his own, and Kawada goes down. He starts on the knee, grabbing a half-crab. Kawada hits him in the face to break, so Misawa gets a grapevine. Kawada grabs his head, so Misawa breaks. More kicks to the knee, and Kawada does a great job of selling it. Misawa drives knees to the knee, then goes back to twisting it. Finally, Kawada starts firing back, taking Misawa down with forearms to the back of the head. They fight over a suplex, but neither guy can get it, and Misawa hits a spin-heel kick. They trade elbows and chops in the corner, with Misawa just laying him flat with a shot to the head. He misses a dropkick, and Kawada hits a vicious kick to the face. Holy shit! Kappo kick! Misawa is out! That gets only 2. Kawada goes for a powerbomb, but Misawa backdrops out of it. Kawada with a dropkick to the back on the head, then a second rope knee. He sells the knee work, then the series of chops to the head and neck. That gets a 2-count. He tries for another powerbomb, but settles for a kick to the head of a bent over Misawa. Misawa gets a double-leg, then starts laying in forearms, then an enziguiri. Misawa, like a true pro, has bladed his ear. Nasty dropkick by Misawa, and Kawada gets a Tiger Driver for 2. Misawa goes up, and a top rope splash gets 2. Misawa grabs a chinlock, then turns it into a standing cross face from behind. Kawada bails out, and Misawa follows him, giving him no rest. He goes for a dive off the top, but Kawada connects with a kick. Kawada goes for the powerbomb again, but Misawa fights out. He goes again, but Misawa lays him out with a forearm. They trade forearms, and Kawada with a Cabo kick. This crowd is INSANE, especially for a Japanese crowd. Back drop DRIVA by Kawada. God damn the head dropping makes me ill now. STIFF AS FUCK powerbomb for 2, and we’re 25 minutes in. Enziguiri! Kick to the face! Release German, and Misawa goes all the way to the floor. Kawada follows him there, and throws him back in. This is going to end in the ring. Another powerbomb! Only 2! He goes for a third, and Misawa gets the ropes. Kawada goes for the Dragon Sleeper, but Misawa escapes. He tries again, and gets it! He releases it and gets a 2-count. Big forearm by Misawa to get some time. Superkick by Kawada. Misawa with another stiff forearm. Clothesline by Misawa. Release German, and Kawada is dead weight in the middle of the ring. Bridging Tiger Suplex gets 2. He goes for a waistlock, but Kawada fires back and they’re both down again. Rolling kick by Kawada. Misawa tumbles to the floor. Back in, and they just start trading shots again, with Kawada getting the best of that. Misawa fires back, though, and kicks Kawada down. Series of rapid elbows, then a big one puts Kawada down. He goes for the Tiger Driver, but Kawada escapes. Kicks by Misawa take Kawada down, and Tiger Driver ’91 finishes Kawada off at 35:50. Holy shit that was absolutely fucking amazing. *****
When I said that I hoped that lived up to the hype, I was not disappointed. That is on a par with Steamboat-Flair and Hart-Austin for me. Can't recommend it strongly enough. Wow. Just wow.
