Pro Wrestling Lov vol. 59: Best of Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW, Cactus Jack, Rey Mysterio, Sandman)

Hey Yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

Pro Wrestling Love vol. 59:

The Best of Extreme Championship Wrestling

Objective:  Break up the Greatest Match Ever Project (hosted at http://gweproject.freeforums.net/) into more manageable chunks to help me build my Top 100 List for the project.

Motivation: Contribute to the discussion around these matches to enrich my own understanding of pro wrestling and give a fresh perspective for old matches and even hopefully discover great pro wrestling matches that have been hidden by the sands of time.

Subject: This fifty-ninth volume of Pro Wrestling Love is the beginning of the Top 12 countdown of the best matches to take place in Extreme Championship Wrestling throughout the promotion's history from 1993-2001. The WWE reboot and the One Night Stands are not included. This is true, blue, rude, crude and lewd E-C-Fuckin-W. Watching ECW for great matches is probably the stupidest thing you can do. ECW is great for the colorful characters, outrageous angles and promos delivered with conviction and cadence. I have really enjoyed binging on ECW Hardcore TV is a breezy, addictive 45 minute program that makes you watch more. Trying to write about 1995-1997 ECW would take forever so I am going to stick with the format that I know and you love counting down the greatest matches, but I implore to take the time and watch all the promos & angles that lead up to these matches. You can revisit past Pro Wrestling Love Volumes at ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com. You can check out the full version of these reviews in ProWrestlingOnly.com by going to the forums and finding the folders associated with the date of the match.

Contact Info: @superstarsleeze on Twitter, Instagram & ProWrestlingOnly.com.

Honorable Mentions

Rob Van Dam & Bill Alfonso vs Tommy Dreamer & Beulah McGullicutty - ECW As Good As It Gets 9/20/97
The famous Beulah vs Fonzie Bloodbath match. Probably the best pro wrestling match with two non-wrestlers.

Bam Bam Bigelow vs Spike Dudley - ECW As Good As It Gets
Sid vs Justin Credible - ECW Hardcore Heaven 1999
ECW World Champion Mike Awesome vs Spike Dudley - Guilty As Charged 2000
Squash has never tasted so good.

Mike Awesome vs Masato Tanaka - ECW HeatWave 98
ECW World Champion Mike Awesome vs Masato Tanaka - November 2 Remember 1999
ECW World Heavyweight Champion Mike Awesome vs Masato Tanaka - ECW 12/17/99
ECW World Heavyweight Champion Masato Tanaka vs Mike Awesome - ECW 12/31/99
The Awesome vs Tanaka series is like the AC/DC of pro wrestling, it is lean & mean and you know what you are going to get. Great mixture of highspots and brawling.


Rey Mysterio Jr vs Psicosis - ECW November 2 Remember 95 Mexican Death Match
Rey Misterio Jr vs Juventud Guerrera - ECW Big Apple Blizzard 2/3/96
Rey Mysterio Jr vs Juventud Guerrera - ECW Big Ass Extreme Bash '96
Between the Psicosis and Juvy series, Rey Rey had an excellent run in ECW that primed for his run in WCW that would launch him and lucha libre in the American public consciousness. Remember folks Nacho Libre doesnt happen without Paul E bringing in Rey Rey and Psicosis.

Sabu vs Lightning Kid - NWA 4/17/93
Terry Funk vs Sabu - ACW 11/6/93
Terry Funk vs Sabu - WWN 2/28/94
Not ECW per se, but theres not enough US Indy matches in the 90s to warrant its own separate column so I will throw them here. Early Sabu has a mystique like few other wrestlers have ever had.

Yoshihiro Tajiri vs Jerry Lynn - ECW 10/30/99
Yoshihiro Tajiri vs Super Crazy - ECW Hardcore TV 1/21/00 Mexican Death Match
Yoshihiro Tajiri vs Psicosis - ECW Hardcore TV 8/26/00
Tajiri & Mikey Whipwreck vs FBI (Little Guido & Tony Mamaluke) - ECW 9/2/00
There are some people that worship the Tajiri ECW run from 1999-2000 like it is fucking Flair in 1989. I know I am going to heat for not having the Super Crazy match in my Top 12. I liked Tajiri's run I didnt love. I mean having a great match with Jerry Lynn in ECW is pretty fucking amazing in my book.

Cactus Jack vs Mikey Whipwreck- ECW Big Ass Extreme Bash 1996
Just watched this an hour ago. Great sendoff for Cactus a mixture of his famous bumps and some violent offense. It is worked like an extended heat segment on Mikey's neck and so when Mikey pops off this hope spots it feels special.

ECW World Champion Raven vs Terry Gordy - Hardcore Heaven 1996
The second best ever Raven Dog & Pony show it has all the fixins to pop you over and over again. For one night, we got the old Terry Gordy back and he looked like a killer. This is the match that finished with the infamous Tyler Fullington disowning and his dad and joining Raven. "Daddy youre a drunk. I worship Raven now."

ECW World TV Champion 2 Cold Scorpio vs Sabu - ECW Cyberslam 96
Rob Van Dam vs Doug Furnas - ECW Natural Born Killaz 8/24/96
My last two cuts. It kills me that I dont have a Scorpio match in the Top 12. He is the unsung hero of ECW. He was the midcard workhorse that stayed. Benoit, Eddie, Malenko, Jericho, and Rey Rey all left but Scorpio kept on. When he did leave, it left a workrate vacuum that was not fill again for two years with Tajiri. The RVD vs Furnas is fucking sick, demented display of violent unprotected chairshots but you cant look away. Great violence.

Top 12 Matches of ECW

#12. Raven vs Tommy Dreamer - ECW Wrestlepalooza 1997

Sabu vs Taz - Wrestlepalooza 1997

ECW World TV Champion Shane Douglas vs Taz - ECW Wrestlepalooza 1997

A bit of a cop out, but it is three matches that feed right into each other. An entire episode of ECW Hardcore TV is devoted to this and it is fuckin' bitchin'. Check it out. 

Raven vs Tommy Dreamer - ECW Wrestlepalooza 1997

If you’ve never seen this before, do yourself a favor and watch this. Don’t watch the edited WWE version like I did on a WWE DVD. Watch June 10, 1997 episode of Hardcore TV on the Network devoted to this entire piece of fluid awesome TV. Heyman has a brief return to the peak of his powers after they had been slowly diminishing since 1995.

I have seen this before on a WWE DVD so I was familiar with Lupus and Chasity. They came out at the Buffalo Tag about a month prior with Richards vs Dreamer & Funk. Joey didn’t know their names. So it sounds like they didn’t have backstories. Their sole reason to exist was to replicate spots from the first Raven vs Dreamer match from over two years ago. Chasity did the hairspray gimmick and had a take catfight with Beulah nothing like the shit Francine and Beulah were doing in 1995. I remember Chasity in WCW as Raven’s sister and managing Hak aka Sandman. I can’t believe fucking Sandman and Whipwreck made it to WCW. I don’t know what happened to Lupus?

Pretty good Raven vs Dreamer brawl. The Mutants Chanting “We Can’t See Shit” during the Arena brawling is reason #69 Arena brawling sucks. As far as Arena brawling goes this was above average some good table spots and a couple crazy times the table didn’t break.

i thought this picked up in the ring. Raven does the drop toehold onto chair which is how he blinded Riggs and made him join the Flock, one of the first wrestling angles I vividly remember. The Rocket Launcher that crumpled the chair was insane. After that there was so much tomfoolery and DDTs that I can’t remember the order but Louie Spicolli got involved. I’ll leave who won as a surprise because the heat on the nearfalls was insane because the pinfall mattered so much. ****

lights out in the Impact Zone, it’s Sting up in the rafters...lol...sorry had too...RVD smoking Dreamer with the Van Daminator. Perfect booking. Dreamer, spirit of ECW, against the traitors RVD& Sabu and the invader Jerry Lawler. Amazing angle I had never see. It before wicked entertaining.

After all had failed it’s Taz that clears the ring by his presence. He wants Sabu. Fonzie bitches and Taz is about to duplex him and the match is on.

Sabu vs Taz - Wrestlepalooza 1997

Put me in the camp that liked this best than Barely Legal. Sabu had so much more energy, spring in his step, clean on his spots and good punches. He worked more on top and made Taz earn it. Sabu purposefully missing the Triple Jump Moonsault and crotching himself is peak heel Sabu. This was the Sabu I know and love. Taz missing a Somersault LegDrop from the top was a great missed spot. Sabu hit a wicked Twisted Bliss through the table for two. I didn’t love Taz pop up no sell Tazmission. Sabu does a version of Survivor Series 96 finish pinning Taz while in the move. I think this is my favorite Taz match ever. ****

ECW World TV Champion Shane Douglas vs Taz - ECW Wrestlepalooza 1997

Taz while pinned was not beat and so he unleashed his Path of Rage choking out hapless refs because this is his first loss since November 2 Remember, Goldberg before Goldberg. So Shane Douglas of all people tells Taz to scram. They make a wager. If Taz can choke out Douglas in 3 minutes or less then he wins the TV title. If he can’t Taz has to leave ECW for 45 Days. Douglas works the neck well hits these cool innovative snaps someone should steal. Tazmission of course and Taz wins! The Path of Rage continues and the Monster Babyface Push is fucking on! Great booking here as Douglas did all he could with the TV belt with Raven, Richards gone and Funk just being plain old. It was down to Douglas, Sandman or Sabu to get the belt back and Douglas made the most sense so he needed to drop the TV belt. Doing a Warrior like quick win over Honky Tonk Man here was great put Taz over strong and also gives Douglas a reason once he becomes World Champ to be scared of Taz and duck him. It also gave Taz his heat right back after the loss to Sabu and I like booking that loss as it gives something for Sabu to hang his hat on. Maybe the best one hour TV wrestling show ever! That covers a lot of ground but Paul e at his best! 

#11. Bam Bam Bigelow vs Spike Dudley - Hardcore Heaven 1997

This is the greatest Squash ever, right? I mean it has to be. Spike beat Bam Bam to set this up on TV. Spike come out all piss n vinegar during his entrance like a tiny Stan Hansen and wants to prove this is no fluke. He comes charging right at Bigelow. It ends up being legalized murder. The biel Spike took was insane. Bam Bam threw him across the ring and Spike landed hard. Spike did get a modicum of offense including the Acid Drop, but nothing doing. He gets caught and Bam Bam THROWS SPIKE DOWN WITH AUTHORITY WITH A POWERBOMB! How wicked was this powerbomb? It got a fucking Holy Shit Chant. He Akira Taue'd Spike rolling Snake Eyes but lawn darting him onto the exposed turnbuckle and Spike taps a gusher. The whole match Bam Bam had been taunting that he was going to throw Spike into the crowd and they were chanting "Over Here". He made good on his promise. He HURLED Spike from the ring, with quite gap on the ringside area. He must have thrown into at least the third row. SPIKE WENT FLYING! It was insane. Bam Bam does a cartwheel which makes me think in everyday life when Bam Bam was pleased with himself he would bust out a cartwheel. Bam Bam's weird moonsault for a sidesault diving headbutt wins it. Greatest Squash Ever! Defies rat

#10. ECW Tag Champions Dudley Boys vs Spike Dudley & Balls Mahoney - ECW 6/17/99

ECW Match of the Year, 1999

Balls says he owes the Dudz a receipt for putting him through a flaming table with thumbtacks strewn on it. Im just glad he upgraded his partner to Spike Dudley. Really tight, action-packed garbage brawl. The Dudleys have been a great heat-seeking act, but really have not been having the matches to match how good they are as asshole heels. I feel like this is the best possible Dudleys match. Great spots...loved Balls hurling Spike onto the Dudz outside the ring with force. The cheese grater stuff was violent as hell. Spike's balcony dive was a holy shit spot. The stereo nearfalls (loved the Acid Drop/legdrop combo) were cute in a very fun way that I liked. Sign Guy distracts the faces long enough to cause enough commotion that Spike eats a wicked 3D. DAMN! I forgot how badass that move could look. 3D is the one thing in ECW that is sold as death and even though match goes on for another two minutes, Spike never moves. I love that. Balls tries to fend off the Dudleys going so far as to set up the table, scatter the thumbtacks and douse it with lighter fluid, but eventually the numbers game catches up to him. Putting Balls through a flaming table never gets old!!! Marked out all over again! Double pinfall win. Great finish. Like I said super compact, never a dull moment, the finish is a great climax. ****

#9. Jerry Lawler vs Tommy Dreamer (ECW Hardcore Heaven 08/17/97)

STRAP DOWN! FLAIR FLOP! Was the spot of the match! I went bonkers for it.

This was the peak of ECW patriotism, but as others have pointed it out the only flaw was that it didnt happen in the ECW Arena, but instead of Florida so the heat just was not the same. I thought this was a really fun, popcorn brawl that was meant to pop and entertain rather than be very hate-filled and vicious. I really liked Lawler punching the pan early and then Dreamer hits him with the pan Lawler takes a King-sized bump over the top rope. Really great shine. Lawler showed a lot of ass during the crowd brawling. Great visual of Dreamer kicking ass while there is a "Lawler Must Die" sign behind him. I am a sucker for belts as a weapon in match. They are so versatile. Dreamer chokes Lawler as Lawler struggles to grab hold of fans to save himself. I love it. Dreamer goes up top with a chair and Lawler is able to shake the ropes. Lawler kicks some serious ass. I thought Lawler really carried this and he looked like he could still go. Characteristically great punches. Chair shots. Piledriver -> kick out! I would say weird, but it is ECW. It did not feel well-built to. That should have been a major false finish. I think in '97 ECW no one believes a finish unless there were run-ins. They should have saved the Lawler Piledriver for later. Lawler tearing the ECW short off and wiping his armpits and ass with it was amazing. LOVED Dreamer's no-sell comeback. In a Patriotism match that is exactly what you want! For the first time, I fell connected to Dreamer and I was rooting for him. Lawler punches him in the balls and lots of testicular violence follows. Then lights go out a bunch. Basically everytime Dreamer is about to polish off Lawler the lights go out. The first one makes sense as it is Rick Rude who was aligned with the WWF invasion. What I didnt get is why didnt he stay out there? There was the very surprising Jake The Snake, which I didnt see coming at all. But it was totally nonsensical. He DDTs Dreamer and Short Arm Clotheslines Lawler, but lets Lawler fall on Dreamer. Then Dreamer kicks out and he claps. So ok? Then FUCKING SUNNY SHOWS UP! OH HELL YEAH! Now that was awesome! She sprays Dreamer with the hairspray but here is Beluah. CATFIGHT! That was an awesome run-in and was actually useful because it got Beluah involved. Now Lawler tries to use Beluah as a human shield, but she ballshots him, TESTICULAR CLAW and Dreamer DDTs him to HELL! E-C-DUB! E-C-DUB! E-C-DUB!

#8. Rey Mysterio Jr vs Psicosis - ECW 9/16/95

Rey vs Psicosis never gets old no matter how many times you watch this and I have watched this a lot. You wanna see how to get over on your debut match watch this. This is the Touring match that they would perfect at Bash 96. They are about one week away from their greatest match ever in AAA, a match I need to see.

i think my takeaway from this viewing is that Psicosis feels like the star here. Amazing bumping. I can never get tired of watching him go ass first into things. Great high impact offense. Great rudo charisma. I thought he outshone Rey Rey until Rey started popping off ranas like nobody's business and that catapult on the apron still pops me. Rey gets to shine on the dives: stopping Psicosis' with a chair shot and then the massive dive from top rope into the crown which sealed the deal that these two were over like rover. They hit this out of the park. There were some things to tighten up. They got themselves over. There is a key difference between getting your moves over and you over. These two got their characters over that's what makes this great. It is the Tom & Jerry of Pro Wrestling.

#7. Cactus Jack vs Sandman w/Woman - ECW TV Falls Count Anywhere 1/31/95

Was not even going to bother with this match because I had seen a couple Cactus/Sandman matches and they always sucked. I thought I was just making the right choice because Woman in that tight green, leather dress was double hot. What a total fox! Then lo and behold, these two maniacs went out and kicked some serious ass. Cactus meets Sandman up the aisle with a trash can and just brutalizes Sandman. Sandman was really good at selling a beating throughout the match. Woman starts caning Cactus and finally Sandman takes over (Awesome transition #1). He does a really good job building heat. He hits a nice top rope leg drop. There is no overkill, he is still working through his own beating. Cactus is able to mount a comeback while Sandman is on the top rope (Awesome Transition #2). Cactus is rolling until he punches a trash can that Sandman holds up at the last second. (Have Mercy! Awesome Transition #3) Cactus blades his hand. Nastiest paper cut ever, folks! Sandman stomps the hand and works a great heat segment around it smashing the hand with the garbage can. Sandman is stumbling around and is so good at working through his beating. DELAYED PILEDRIVER ON THE GARBAGE CAN! My slight complaint is that Jack was fine at selling the hand, but would be a bit too quick to pop back up in general. Sandman goes for the kill, but goes flying over the top rope onto the floor. (Awwww shit, you all just love me, Awesome Transition #4) Cactus is able to get the Cactus Elbow for the three. Woman starts caning Cactus. Jack does intimidating the woman routine, but this allows Sandman to attack. Sandman canes the shit out of Cactus. Sandman lights a cigarette and then tries to BLIND CACTUS!!! Mikey Whipwreck with the save to a huge Mikey chant. Sandman/Woman cut a decent promo. Sandman has a Woman t-shirt that I need to own. Cactus cuts a money promo (which made the yearbook) that makes me want to see the Texas Death Match even though I have seen it before and didn't like it. Great, great ECW brawl with really smart transitions and great selling by Sandman.

I co-sign everything I wrote above. I would add a couple things. It is very cool how Sandman does not bump at the beginning for all the garbage can shots. He is playing it like he is out on his feet. He does a great job selling he has had his bell rung on multiple occasions while on offense. Woman required multiple canings and some distraction to really earn that transition. She was also great on the outside and yes she was looking foxy. Awesome transition #2 is actually really well-time low blow. The hand psychology was excellent as was the post-match angle with the lit cigarette and Mikey's save.

Pro Wrestling Love vol. 58: Best of All Japan 1993-1994 (Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada, Kenta Kobashi, Akira Taue, Stan Hansen, Steve Williams)

Hey Yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

Pro Wrestling Love vol. 58:

The Best of All Japan Pro Wrestling 1993-1994

Objective:  Break up the Greatest Match Ever Project (hosted at http://gweproject.freeforums.net/) into more manageable chunks to help me build my Top 100 List for the project.

Motivation: Contribute to the discussion around these matches to enrich my own understanding of pro wrestling and give a fresh perspective for old matches and even hopefully discover great pro wrestling matches that have been hidden by the sands of time.

Subject: This fifty-eighth volume of Pro Wrestling Love is the conclusion of the Top 12 countdown of the best matches to take place in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) 1993-1994. I selected 1993 because 1992 was the last year Jumbo Tsuruta was able to compete at a high level. His semi-retirement caused a major paradigm shift in All Japan's native booking. Toshiaki Kawada, Mitsuharu Misawa's top lieutenant in the Super Generation Army, decided to fill the vacancy left by Jumbo and become Akira Taue's senior tag team partner in the Holy Demon Army. This tantamount to turning heel but there was no grand heel turn, it was just Kawada shaking Taue's hand at the end of their 30-minute Carnival draw in '93. Kawada officially became Misawa's arch-rival and Taue remained the top lieutenant to the top heel. Graduating to Kawada's spot in the Super Generation Army was the fiery Kenta Kobashi. In 1992, Misawa won his first Triple Crown and 1993 was a year of consolidating him as the Ace of the promotion as he have many high-profile matches with current Ace Gaijin, Stan Hansen who replaced Jumbo Tsuruta as the long-serving tenured wrestler on the All Japan roster, native or gaijin. Stan Hansen status as respected, lovable legend was cemented during the Real World Tag League when he teamed with the beloved Founder & Owner, Giant Baba in 1993 & 1994. In 1994, Stan Hansen began to take a backseat to the 90s wrestlers as he was winding down. Finally due to Terry Gordy's unfortunate substance abuse issue, his junior tag team partner in the Miracle Violence Connection, "Dr. Death" Steve Williams was promoted to #2 gaijin, runner-up to Kawada in the 1994 Champions Carnival and won the prestigious Triple Crown ending Misawa's historic nearly two year reign as Champion. Winning the top prize in All Japan even as a transitional champion legitimized Dr. Death as a main event star in the promotion which they needed as Hansen was being phased out and Gordy's departure. Ted DiBiase & Big Bossman initially replenished the gaijin roster, but DiBiase opted for early retirement and Bossman had a great short stint but opted for more work in America. Doc's tag team in 1994 would be Johnny Ace, who has surprised in two matches as being a great worker. The year 1994 ends with Toshiaki Kawada winning the Triple Crown from Dr. Death but it is bittersweet because hanging over his head is that he is 0-3 against Mitsuharu Misawa. In all reality, 1995 really should be included in this blog, because it is 1996 when the next shake-up happens with Akiyama graduating to Misawa's tag partner and 1995 is the last year big year of Misawa/Kawada feud as they transition to Misawa/Kobashi. However, there is too much greatness to pack three year's worth of content into a Top 12 so we just have to settle for these two years, 1993 & 1994.   You can revisit past Pro Wrestling Love Volumes at ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com. You can check out the full version of these reviews in ProWrestlingOnly.com by going to the forums and finding the folders associated with the date of the match.

Contact Info: @superstarsleeze on Twitter, Instagram & ProWrestlingOnly.com.

Top Six Matches of All Japan Pro Wrestling 1993-1994

#6. AJPW Tag Team Champions Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs Holy Demon Army Super Power 5/21/94

I remember 12/3/93 & 6/9/95 clearly but this one has never resonated with me quite like those two. Lets see how it goes on this watch especially now that Ive watched a lot of All Japan.

We start with Kawada & Kobashi which is a unique pairing. Kobashi outsmarts Kawada holding onto the ropes to fake him out and then hits  a shoulder tackle. They each tag out and in a similar manner, Misawa fakes out Taue on a wristlock sequence stopping to elbow the hell out of Taue. Misawa and Kobashi have their way with Taue hitting their low-key stock spots (Senton and Legdrop). Taue gets a Tenryu-style enziguiri.  Kawada comes in and toys with Kobashi and smokes him with his Spinning Heel Kick. I thought the overconfident Kawada was about to make the cardinal mistake of letting Kobashi tag out but he ROCKS Misawa with a Boot to the face. Kawada continues messing with Kobashi as Misawa is hot. At one point, Kawada blows right by Kobashi and SMOKE Misawa with another Kick of Fear right to the face! Wicked! Then he turns around and tries to take Kobashi's head off with the same move. Kawada unwisely has his back to Misawa on an abdominal stretch and Misawa comes in and BLASTS him with elbows to a chorus of boos. Japanese fans are harsh. Kobashi tags out and Misawa is out for blood. He overwhelms Kawada with elbows. Misawa looks really good. Theres a good slingshot splash by him on Kawada. Misawa looks to spring backwards with a reverse elbow but Kawada catches him with a wicked kick! Misawa sells the back. Tag out to Taue. Taue CHUCKS Misawa halfway across the ring in the suplex position in an impressive spot. Kawada hits a senton at this point as an F-U to Misawa. I forget the how the tag out happens, but the heat segment does not last too long. Taue's throw was the most impressive thing about it. Kawada immediately quells Kobashi's fire. They are struggling over a suplex and then afterwards Kawada kicks Kobashi's knee. Unlike in 12/3/93, Kobashi does not fire back instead Kawada is able to chop him down. He tags out to Taue and this is when it gets really good. Taue is such a great henchman. He does a kneecrusher on the table and then wrenches the knee over the railing and then pins the steel gate so that knee is trapped and then starts kicking the gate. That actually looked really painful to the knee. Back then Holy Demon Army slams Kobashi's knee to the mat repeatedly. Thus far, Kawada's asshole Kicks to Misawa's face while Misawa was on the apron and the Kobashi knee work has been the most memorable. Apparently the finish stretch is when this gets really good so lets see what happens.

Kobashi's heat segment is really great. Awesome Kobashi selling as he was trying to desperately to get away from the cruel clutches of the Holy Demon Army. Misawa had to save him twice from painful holds twice to a chorus of boos, but when Taue put Kobashi in a Tree of Woe they booed that too. So they dont rule-breaking no matter who it is. The announcer even mentions the booing during the Tree of Woe which I dont think I have ever heard before. There is a great spot where Kobashi gets a hope spot in and is trying to crawl to make the tag, but Taue has his foot and Kawada charges across the ring and blasts Misawa off the apron with an elbow. Kawada is a total prick. Kawada gets in and toys with Kobashi with playful kicks, bad idea. Kobashi PUNCHES him right in the face! Dropkicks the knee! A Double Dose of His Own Medicine! Tag out to Misawa!

Misawa rolls baby! Looking for that Tiger Driver after some elbows. Diving Elbow through the ropes onto Taue. Kobashi kneecrusher on Kawada on the outside. Kobashi is pissed. He really wants Kawada to feel his pain. Kawada starts kicking Misawa in the head from his back and a Jumping High Kick stuns Misawa long enough to tag out to Taue. Taue rolls Snake Eyes. Misawa smokes Taue with an elbow, but Taue sidesteps the next move and DRIVES Misawa head first into the mat. He is thinking Nodowa but Kobashi comes in and Taue owns him complete with a kick to the bad knee. I love Taue. Taue gets in on the fun and Kick of Fear to Misawa's face and Bulldog. Tag out to Kawada who Chops the Shit out of Misawa's neck. All the focus is now on the head & neck of Misawa. Kawada slaps on the Stretch Plum which is logical for the current strategy. Misawa starts to hulk up and when Kawada does Kawada Kicks, Misawa unleashes the beast and the crowd pops huge. No-Selling is awesome. It can be a cheap heat trick but when done right it can create those goosebumps. They trade some WICKED Elbows! Both of them Pop the other Huge in the face with elbows! Misawa wins and Kawada ends up on his ass. Misawa tags out to Kobashi. I wouldnt say there have hit the finish stretch yet. That was pretty solid heat segment on Misawa and it felt like a great breakdown to a thrash metal song but he have not hit the fiery outro just yet.

Kobashi trade chops with Kawada. Kawada really wants to go toe to toe with these dudes. Kawada hits a wicked Short Spinning Heel Kick to bail himself out and tag out to Taue. Kobashi & Taue is when the finish stretch begins. Things get really heated in the corner. Kobashi chops and Taue throws his ass down. Rinse, lather, repeat. They sure worked the crowd into a lather. Kobashi turns the tide especially on a DDT, but his knee is fucked. He is punching, desperately trying to get it to work. He goes for the Moonsault and the crowd comes alive! Moonsault but his knee is fucked. Epic sell by Kobashi. The finish run has officially begun and it is INSANE! I just let it wash over me and went along for the ride, it was killer. I am going to rewatch it now.

Kobashi wisely tags out to Misawa, Taue unwisely stands up and eats a DIving Elbow from Misawa and Spinning Clothesline and Misawa is grooving. Misawa flicks the sweat from his eyebrows, shit is on folks. Misawa hits that the springboard reverse elbow. Misawa FACELOOOOOCCCKKKKKKKK! Kobashi rushes in to cut Kawada off at the pass. Sleeper. Kawada breaks free to break it up. Kobashi wrangles him back in the sleeper and they roll out. Misawa FACELOOOOOOCCCKKKKKK! Taue is fading. Kawada smokes Kobashi on the floor with a lariat. Misawa bodyslam and you think he is going for the routine Frogsplah but Kawada BOLTS over there and heads him off at the top rope. Taue joins in and hits a Superplex. They start Feeding Misawa to each other. First it is a Kawada Lariat, but Misawa armdrags out of NODOWA and Kawada runs over and TRUCKS HIM WITH  A LARIAT! DANGEROOUUUUSSSSSSS BACKDROP DRIVER! KOBASHI SAVES! THIS IS INSANE. NODOWA~! ON KOBASHI! POWERBOMB ON MISAWA! 1-2-NO! I CANNOT STOP TYPING IN CAPS LOCK! KAWADA POWERBOMB! KOBASHI LAST MINUTE LUNGE AND BOWLS KAWADA OFF MISAWA!

Kobashi suplexes Taue on the floor. Kobashi saves Misawa from certain doom when he lariats Kawada to stop a powerbomb. Misawa shifts his weight on a Back Drop Driver. Misawa elbows and ROARING ELBOW~! HE OBLITERATED KAWADA! Kawada dropkicks Kobashi's bum leg! KOBASHI IS PISSED~! He rattles off a ton of kicks to Kawada and Back Drop Driver on Kawada. Kawada Sweeps The Leg! To tag Taue! Taue Powerslam! 1-2-NO! Taue lifts Kobashi in a Firemans Carry and Misawa comes in and elbows Taue. Kobashi German gets two. They play Pinball with Taue. TIGER DRIVER~! Kawada saves Taue! This is ferocious!

Bodyslam. FIst Pump. MOONSAULT! Shitty cover because his knee is fucked. Kobashi feels like shit, he NEVER GIVES UP! Moonsault, BUT CRASHES AND BURNS! Kawada comes in illegally and Back Drop Drivers Kobashi. Misawa says Fuck You but Kawada dumps him to the outside.

DAAAAANNNGEERRROUS NODOWA/BACK DROP DRIVER COMBO! 1-2-NO! That was insane. I thought Kobashi was dead. Misawa saves the second time. Misawa Germans Kawada as Taue NODOWAS Kobashi! Misawa kicks Taue in the head to break up the pin. Kobashi covers after a Baba-style neckbreaker lariat, but Kawada saves. JACKKNIFE POWERBOMB! Bodylsam. Fist Pump. Moonsault. 1-2-3! Kobashi has now pinned Kawada and Taue.

The Kobashi push is on. Lots of growth from Kobashi here. On 12/3/93, Misawa basically handed Kobashi the pin on a silver platter with a barrage of elbows. Here, Kobashi had to survive his hurt knee, which he injured further on a Moonsault, survive Kawada/Taue's double team finish and then on his own mount a comeback. Yes Misawa held Kawada at bay, but it was Kobashi who never gave up overcame the obstacles and overwhelmed Taue on his own. Huge Moment for Kobashi! On top of that, Kobashi had the most epic save of the match on the second Kawada powerbomb that looked like curtains for Misawa but Kobashi in a last minute save he bowls Kawada over. That would have been Kawada's first pinfall over Misawa and major momentum going into the Triple Crown. Here's the wrinkle, Kawada still has confidence going into 6/3/94 because if Kobashi does not save then Kawada wins. Kawada thinks he can win in a singles bout. Kawada as fully embraced being a dick heel in this. In 1993, it was like trying on a new pair of pants but he has broken them in and is kicking fools in the face left, right and center. Taue is a great henchmen but he kinda took a backseat in this one. Misawa was terrific in this. He would light Kawada up when it called for it and he would be that game-changer, but he also let Kawada get one up on him in the finish run which in turn let Kobashi shine. Personally, I liked 12/3/93 better. It is more of a sprint, efficient and I really liked the the chaos caused by Kawada's knee injury. I thought Kobashi's knee injury was an interesting revenge plot by Holy Demon Army but it was not as pervasive as Kawada's knee.  ****3/4

#5. Stan Hansen vs Kenta Kobashi - Champions Carnival 4/16/93

Greatest rivalry of all time for my money. These two just have insane chemistry with each other. Kobashi has that "live by the sword, die by the sword" mentality. It is almost like he made a promise to himself "I am going to leave it all in the ring and throw everything I have at this Grizzly Bear". They do such a great job setting this tone right from jump. There is this wild brawl that breaks out and Kobashi just dropkicks him. Kobashi ends up outside the ring and he rushes back in and dropkicks him again. Kobashi would NOT BE DENIED! I really feel that is the story of this match. It is Kobashi's tenacity. He was absolutely relentless in his drive to move forward. Hansen tried everything. You named it Hansen tried it. Sleeper/facelocks, throwing wild strikes like bearpaws,elbows & kicks, he tried diving tackles, and he tried powdering, but for 15 straight minutes Kobashi kicked his ass. This was a fucking mugging. Only two things kept this competitive: Hansen's aura (the fact he is damn near unbeatable and that Kobashi has not defeated him yet) and Hansen's constant struggling. I loved during one pinfall attempt Hansen was writhing in pain so Kobashi actually had to wrangle a wriggling Hansen into a cover. (And yes I am proud of myself for getting three "wr" words in the same sentence :p)

While Hansen was giving a stellar underneath performance and really making Kobashi EARN that offense, Kobashi was putting on a fucking offensive clinic. Early in the match while they were tussling in the corner, Kobashi snapped Hansen's arm across the top turnbuckle. Kobashi became laser-focused. I mean this was unlike any Kobashi I have ever seen. He zeroed in on that arm like he was an Anderson. Nothing was going to stop him. All those Hansen tricks I mentioned in the first paragraph, Kobashi mowed through them and then got right back on that arm. Dropkicks to the arm, strikes to the arm, holds, he was crushing it. He went for a cross armbreaker three times. Each time, Hansen got more and more desperate at making a comeback. The third and final time saw Kobashi kick his ass on the outside. Then a funny thing happened. It all went horribly awry.

There was one weakness is Kobashi's full court press strategy. It left him vulnerable to mistakes. When you constantly pouring on offense, it cane be reversed or countered. Up until the 15 minute mark, Kobashi was wrestling not only a clean match, but a low-risk match. He had wrist control for the majority and his offense was being executed in close quarters. However, he took an unnecessary risk when he dove off the apron trying to shouldertackle Hansen, Hansen evaded and drove Kobashi to the cement floor. Then Hansen BOWLED Kobashi and cemented his advantage with a brutal chair attack. I fucking love this match! Now it is Hansen's turn to kick some ass. He just pummels him. Everything is to Kobashi's head. It is all LOW-risk offense: boots, exposed knee, elbows. Kobashi gets a quick hope spot, Hansen immediately quashes that. Grabs him by the hair and POPS him with an elbow. I love it. Kobashi gets a flurry going and hitting a dropkick. I have never seen Kobashi hit so many dropkicks, he started the match with a dropkick. It is explosive and generates enough momentum to set up more offense.

I loved the next sequence. Kobashi wants to sap the Big Man of energy goes for a sleeper. Hansen sells desperation and grabs the hair and rips Kobashi over. Hansen starts throwing desperate swings. He looks like he is rearing up for a Lariat when Kobashi wrangles him into a sleeper! He really cinches it in this time. Way to make him earn it! Great series of nearfalls follows: off the sleeper, then off a furious onslaught of legdrops and then a DDT.

Bodyslam->Fist pump->MISSED Moonsault! Again, this has been Kobashi match to lose. He was wrestling again very clean. "Live by the sword, die by the sword". Hansen bowls him over with his charging body weight and then busts out his own dropkick. Kobashi will not be denied and hits a Lariat for 2. Crowd is going bonkers. Kobashi comes charging in and Hansen uses his momentum against him to drive him into the top turnbuckle and then scoop him up into a VICIOUS Back Drop Driver! This is the second time Hansen has used Kobashi's overzealousness against him. He only gets two. Wants the powerbomb, Kobashi sits down on him! Kobashi looks to come off the middle rope. LARIAOTOOOOOOOO! HOLY SHIT! 1-2-3!

The best part is that Lariat fits the psychology narrative perfectly. This was the third time Hansen used Kobashi overzealous offense against him. Kobashi dominated this match by full court press, suffocation offense. He was all over Hansen, but in doing so would often come in charging with reckless abandon. Three times Hansen used that against him. On third time, it spelled the end of Kobashi. Did Kobashi come closer than ever to beating Hansen? Yes. It proved it was going to take a combination of all-out offense and intelligence to beat one of the fiercest wrestler ever! Awesome, awesome match!

#4. AJPW Triple Crown Champion Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada - 6/3/94

I am writing this part after I have written my review. I think what makes this match so special is that build to the First Powerbomb I rave about below. I think the whole pro wrestling business, wrestlers & fans alike, have been chasing that Nearfall high for 26 years now. I have not seen this match in 7-9 years. I remembered three things: Misawa's Insane Elbow Barrage, Tiger Driver '91 and that Powerbomb. That Powerbomb had Hydrogen Bomb Heat. You will see the very first people to ever chase that Dragon were Misawa & Kawada  when Kawada after a couple more moves hit a second Powerbomb. Didnt have the same heat, brutha. Only mistake in the match. They chased the Dragon. They didnt need to. Ever since the Japanese style has been imported to America, Americans have been chasing that Dragon, man. Let me tell you something, no one is coming close to that Powerbomb.

The Greatest Match Ever? I have seen this probably ten times over the course of 2006-2011. I dont think I've seen it 9 years and definitely not in 7 years. It has a huge reputation and I just watched 5/21/94. Lets fucking go!

They trade bombs to start. Kawada catches with Misawa with his famous Spinning Heel Kick, but Misawa counters into a Back Drop Driver. Kawada is left clutching his head on the apron. Kawada decides to slow the pace down with an arm bar. Sensible given that he could have lost the match with that Back Drop Driver and so I understand being tentative. Misawa clocks him with an Elbow. Misawa is decidedly more offensive-minded. Perhaps he was spooked by Kawada taking him to a draw in April and that Kawada almost pinned him on 5/21. This plays against Misawa who sends Kawada packing. Misawa is on a fast break. When he dives off the apron and Kawada nails him on the chin! A common Misawa transition that I believe at the time is novel. We saw this in April. Kawada trucks him with a Lariat on the outside. Kawada focuses on the neck and head. Lots of various kicks to Misawa's face and wicked & nasty. I missed the kick that caused it but as Misawa takes a powder, you see Misawa's ear is bleeding. Kawada was blasting him. Kawada just keeps kicking Misawa and finally Misawa has enough starts kicking the shit out of Kawada's knee. From a kayfabe standpoint, very smart as it takes away Kawada's best weapon and you could tell he was pissed about how much he was getting kicked. From a non-Kayfabe perspective, very smart because Kawada is absolutely sublime at selling the knee.

Misawa locks on a Single Crab and in a great moment Kawada kicks him right in the mush with his free leg. Talk about body control that was unbelievable. Still Misawa stays on top of him. There's a great almost Super Tiger/Fujiwara like spot from Misawa where Kawada is so tentative on the stand up that Misawa just fucking picks him apart with a three kick combination that leaves Kawada laying. It is the closest thing I have seen from All Japan shoot style. Genius. Misawa is living Kawada's head rent-free. The best part is Misawa just walks away as if to say. Count his ass out like if it was a shoot fight. Misawa looks for single leg pick up and Kawada cracks him in the back of the head/neck to level the playing field. Seems like a good time to take a break from the review. I dont agree with people that say Misawa was desperate in this match. I see a Champion that's cool as a cucumber. The Misawa-Jordan comparison is so apt. They are just two champions of supreme confidence. I didnt see the knee work as desperate. I saw it as STOP FUCKING KICKING ME YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE! He was more pissed than anything else. I see Kawada's action as far more desperate. Thats the difference between the two. It is not talent. It is what is going on between the ears. Being able to maneuver behind Misawa and deck from in his weak spot was genius and shows Kawada still has his wits about him. I remember the finish stretch quite well, but it is murky how we get there so lets see what happens!

They meander a bit after this until they get to this point when Misawa pops off his first Elbow! Down goes Kawada! Down goes Kawada! Then theres this cool moment when Misawa dropkicks Kawada, but he doesnt get all over it, it is more like a shove than a strike. Kawada rebounds off the ropes and SMOKES him with a boot to the face. He follows it up with a Jumping High Kick and Misawa is out! Down goes Misawa! Down goes Misawa! Kawada even checks him. Picks up his head and Misawa slumps back down. Kawada covers for two. Then begins one of the most epic struggles in history to hit a move. Kawada tries for the next 5 minutes or so to hit a fucking powerbomb. Misawa does everything in his power to avoid this powerbomb. It is such great pro wrestling. Kawada first attempt, his knee is still fucked. He who hesitates is lost. Misawa back drops out. Kawada responds with a dropkick to a Misawa who is on his knees. Misawa just goes full dead man's float on us. For the first time, since I have started my All Japan re-watch Misawa looks fucked. Like I have no idea who is going to overcome. Great selling by both men after Kawada's knee drop. Kawada goes to town on Misawa's neck with chops still only two. Kawada goes for the powerbomb a 2nd time still nothing doing. Kawada Kicks Misawa and rifles him with a Cowboy Kick. Frustration is building in Kawada. Goes for the Powerbomb  a 3rd time, Misawa double legs him and STOMPS him in the head. Very similar to the attack on Kawada's knee. This screams to me STOP KICKING ME IN THE FUCKING HEAD, YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE! They have a big stand up fight. Looks like Kawada has more left when Misawa snaps off a kick to the face ala Kawada and he is bleeding from the ear more profusely but the Ace is back in charge. Now it is Misawa turn to be thwarted bot for the Tiger Suplex and Tiger Driver. Kawada goes for his great equalizer the Jumping High kick and Misawa blocks with his arms. Great Dropkick to the mush and it is Misawa, NOT Kawada that lands the first big bomb. A Tiger Driver for 2. Now a Frogsplash for two. Has Kawada choked the match away? Misawa FACELOOOOOCCCKKKKK. Misawa releases. Kawada just rolls out to the floor because he is spent. Misawa sends him back in. Then...

As Misawa is coming off the top rope, Kawada leaps up and hits that signature Jumping High Kick, his version of the Roaring Elbow. It took everything Kawada had to hit that.  Misawa still wont go up for the Powerbomb. Punch to the face. Misawa comes back with a freakin' elbow. Kawada has to FIGHT THROUGH MISAWA'S VAUNTED ELBOW BARRAGE to finally STEAMROLL him with a Lariat. WOW! EPIC! DAAAAANGGGGGGEROOOOUSSS BACK DROP DRIVER! KAWADA THROWS MISAWA DOWN WITH A MASSIVE POWERBOMB! 1-2-NO! The greatest nearfall in the history of pro wrestling. The way they built to it in this match and playing off 5/21 where Kawada had Misawa beat with the Powerbomb, but Kobashi saves together makes this the best nearfall. That nearfall is why this is a ***** classic. That nearfall embodies everything great about 90s All Japan.

My complaint is here and it is super nitpicky, but they kept Kawada on offense. There was no way they could recapture the magic of that powerbomb. Misawa should have started his comeback immediately and in America, he would have had. In All Japan, they can go a little long. A couple more Jumping High Kicks, A WICKED German, a second Powerbomb and Stretch Plum none of it feels as heated as the first Powerbomb. It is a all great work. Misawa bump on the German is amazing he just goes limp and lands on his head. Then sells it like a million bucks. Awesome work! Stretch Plum is so logical given the head/neck. It is super nitpicky but I think Misawa needs to go back on offense sooner. I think you do a second Kawada finish run after the Kappo Kicks.

Misawa starts rattling off those elbows. Spinning clothesline. He is getting into that groove. He feels like a Tom Brady-led Patriots squad driving down the field with two minutes left ready to break the heart of the opposing team. German Suplex! Kawada is folded in half. Kawada is just a deer in the headlights. It's happening. Brady will break you. Tiger Suplex 1-2-NO! Even Tom throws an incompletion now and then. Misawa is not too worried as he fixes his Elbow pad. Loved Kawada's desperate struggle to avoid the German suplex, chop to the neck, KAPPO KICK! The Kappo Kick popped me huge in Dr. Death match and it did so again here. There's life in Kawada! Kappo Kick again! Misawa rolls to the outside. Misawa looks fucked.

The moment where Misawa is standing on the outside and Kawada is on one knee in the ring and they are staring daggers into each others' eyes is just epic. Both men know what they need to do. Misawa looks like a more confident. Kawada BLOCKS the elbow. Kawada bullies him in the corner. Kawada is going all Vader on Misawa but with Kicks. Misawa EXPLODES OUT OF THE CORNER WITH A HUGE ELBOW! ROARING FUCKING ELBOW! HOLY FUCKING SHIT! HOW IS KAWADA NOT KNOCKED THE FUCK OUT! MISAWA WITH AN UNGODLY, UNHOLY ELBOW BARRAGE! MISAWA BLOCKS THE KAPPO KICK! ELBOW TO KAWADA! TIGER DRIVER '91~! FOR FUCKS SAKE!

I still think Tiger Driver '91 looks gnarlier than the Ganso Bomb! How the flying fuck was Kawada still conscious after all that. Misawa was fucking furious! All Japan is so good at working finishing stretches that take you on this roller coaster ride. The build to that first Powerbomb was great. Then the build to Misawa's win was great because those Kappo Kicks came out of nowhere. When they fought, they fucking went after each other. That was the stand up fire fight we wanted to see since they brawled in the middle of that tag match with Akiyama and Fuchi. So is this the greatest match of all time? I dont know. It is definitely a contender. What hurts it is the beginning. I am a big believer in the beginning of the match is just as important as the end. That first 15 minutes is not wrestled at *****-caliber. There are other matches in totality I think are better, but from that build to the Powerbomb to the Insane, Ungodly Misawa Elbow Barrage it is hard to find something better. Definitely going to have a think on this.

#3. Stan Hansen vs Kenta Kobashi - Summer Action 7/29/93

Greatest match ever? That's the million dollar question, aint it? I certainly seem to think so back in 2013. I voted Flair vs Morton in the cage as my greatest match ever because I was only voting based on matches that I have done full reviews on and I hadnt done my All Japan rewatch yet. So here we are. Is this the Greatest Match Ever?

The difference between now and 2013 is I have seen pretty much every Hansen vs Kobashi match up to this one. I thought the '91 match and the '93 Carnival match from just a  few months prior to this are also classics and contenders for a Top 100 match. The key is the dynamic. It is 100% centered around the Kobashi victory. Kobashi does not need revenge. He does not need to hurt him. He just needs to pin him or submit. It is so pure. Kobashi is such a pure and human pro wrestler. Anyone from any time period and any culture will understand Kobashi because he is the epitome of the human condition: the emotion, fire, desire, passion, agony, disappointment, dedication, willpower, distraught everything all wrapped up in one superball of human energy. Then you have Stan Hansen who is not just a man. This is a Grizzly Bear. a Killer Whale, and a Bull IN A China Shop, all mixed into one human. There's no humanity to Stan Hansen. He's an Animal, a Beast. When you wrestle Stan Hansen it is not Man vs. Man, it is Man vs Nature. Kobashi had proven he could survive in previous encounters but could he ever conquer Hansen?

Now that I've seen the '93 Carnival match this really is an extension of that match. There are some differences but for the most part they follow the same layout of Kobashi dominating the first 10 minutes or so. Big transition. Competitive finish run and a Massive Lariat finish. So lets breakdown the differences.

This match Kobashi is more focused on attacking the head of Stan Hansen as opposed to the arm in the previous match. I like how this is set up. Hansen is stomping a young lion and Kobashi rushes over takes advantage and kicks him in the head. This immediately rings Hansen's bell and it is clearly from Hansen's selling he is at an immediate disadvantage. Kobashi cements this with a DDT on the outside. There are a lot of DDTs and legdrops to the head in his match. Hansen just a couple bearpaw swings but Kobashi is immediately overwhelming him with firepower. There were a lot of chops, BIG TIME Lariats, and blow to the head from Kobashi. I did like Kobashi using the Cowboy Kick to get back at Hansen. This was an all-out offensive assault from Kobashi. It was a full court press where he never let up on Hansen. Much like the Carny match, it was a low-risk offense targeting setup with facelocks, combine that with dogged determination Kobashi it just overwhelmed Hansen. Just as mentioned in the '93 Carny match, the mystique of Hansen is obliterated in this match. Kobashi has taken him to task and Hansen is left a wounded Grizzly. Now a wounded Grizzly is a dangerous grizzly, but he is not the hellraising Bull In The China Shop we are used to.

Then comes the moment that has been burned me in my mind since I have first watched this match some 15 years ago. Hansen is slumped down in the corner battered and bruise. Kobashi comes charging in for the kill and Hansen just gets a straight boot up and CLOBBERS Kobashi in the face. Kobashi just crumples into a heap with the perfect glassy eye sell and I love how he just flops out of the ring. Just like the entire complexion of the match changes. Hansen dives onto Kobashi from the apron, then it is the Super Famous Powerbomb onto the concrete, another spot etched in my memory and then the elbow drop off the apron.  Hansen was using his body weight and gravity do the work against Kobashi. Hansen is not able to activate Hellraising, Chaos mode, but he is 100% in command and this creates that dynamic we love. Kobashi the underdog taking on the Force of Nature. Can the human spirit overcome?

They do a great job down the stretch duking it out for control. They beat the dog shit out of each other but those last 5 minutes or so are just perfect. Hansen just back suplexed Kobashi and he tugs on the elbow pad. I love this. I love when little things like this elicit such a big crowd response. Kobashi uses a drop toehold to evade and immediately leg drops the back of the head. It was so urgent. It was so electric. Then comes the barrage of leg drops because this is here chance. He was getting the shit beat out of him and now he is not going to let go. He just keeps crashing down with leg drops, climaxing with one from the top rope. 1-2-NO! Awesome nearfall. Then we gets the classic Fist Pump->Moonsault->Connects! 1-2-NO! HUGE NUCLEAR NEARFALL! Kobashi goes full Ricky Steamboat just going for a ton of quick pinning combinations desperately trying to win. At this point in his career, it was moonsault or bust, so you can really feel his anxiety and fear. He shot his best shot and Hansen still kicked out. Like the what the fuck can he do? What I love about Kobashi is that he doesnt give up. He just keeps trying. He just keeps throwing shit at Hansen. It maybe a basic as fuck schoolboy rollup but goddamnit that's all he has got. Kobashi realizes he can try to hit the Moonsault again as a way to win the match. After all if you at first dont succeed, try, try again.

This leads to the iconic finish, where Hansen blasts Kobashi off the top rope with one wild swing of his bear paw and the underdog is vanquished once again, but his flame is not extinguished. He got closer than ever before.

Is this the Greatest Match Ever? No. It is for a weird reason. We all advocate for watching more wrestling to give us context and a flesh out the narrative of a match, but for the first time, this may have backfired. I think the '93 Carny match exposed some flaws in this match that I had never seen. I think the opening ten minutes of this match are too easy for Kobashi. I think Hansen is much more active in playing defense in the Carny match and making Kobashi earn his offense. In this match, Hansen is content playing ragdoll. I think the Carny match having arm psychology allowed for a more focused Kobashi offensive effort. Now what the Carnival match lacked where big spots. The Foot in the Face in the Corner, The Powerbomb on the Floor, The Legdrop Sequence, The Moonsault and The Iconic Lariat finish are all very famous. In the Carny match Kobashi gets a shit ton of offense, but he does not get The Legdrop or Moonsault nearfalls which are nuclear. I think the Lariat finish off the top rope is one of the best finishes of all time. In fairness to the Carny match, the Lariat to Kobashi coming off the middle rope fit that match better. I think it comes down to do you prefer minimalism or maximalism. I am a Maxed out guy so I prefer this match to the Carny match slightly but I love well-done minimalism and that the Carny match exposed enough flaws in this match that I dont think either of these matches are the Greatest Match Ever. Both will finish in my Top 50 of all time for sure. I think if you take the first ten minutes of the Carny match and marry it with the last ten minutes of this match with some slight edits then you could say thats The Greatest Match Ever. It is ***** all the way but sometimes you gotta pick those nits.

#2. AJPW Triple Crown Champion Mitsuharu Misawa vs Steve Williams -  7/28/94

All Japan Match of the Year, 1994

My sleeper pick for the best All Japan match of the 90s. Incidentally this match was the subject of my first post at PWO 7.5 years ago. How time flies! Also history does render certain things murky I thought for sure it was to defend the awesome Brock Lesnar vs Triple H match from Summerslam 2012, but nope it looks like this was the match inspired me to join PWO, which I am ever grateful for. Besides the my initial viewing of wrestling and WrestleMania XIX (which brought me back into the fold permanently), I dont think there was a more important moment in my pro wrestling fandom than finding and joining Pro Wrestling Only. Thank you Loss (Charles) & Goodhelmet (Will) for founding such a badass, invaluable website.

What makes this match special in my opinion is how Dr. Death is able to combine speed, power & precision into one unique explosive package. I think what makes Williams different from Hansen is Hansen has a lot of energy, but he is not as quick to snatch someone. I think thats what it is that Doc is quick whereas Hansen is energetic. Also, Doc's amateur and athletic comes into play in how fluid, precise and coordinated his attacks are. The way he can gobble Misawa up and with one of pop of the hips turn that into a Spinebuster is crazy.

I compared this to Kobashi/Hansen and how Kobashi approach was bullheaded offense. Whereas Misawa's approach was to try to contain the explosive Doc with the facelocks. I really liked the struggle within these holds. It would be easy for this portion of the match to become boring or listless, but it never does because they are always working within the hold. They are always flexing and struggling. You can see how much strain it puts on Misawa to restrain the explosiveness of Dr. Death. On the flips side, you can see Dr. Death work hard to throw off the shackles. You see that the first time Doc is able to make a dent in Misawa is when he bullies him into the turnbuckles hard and Misawa is left clutching the back. Doc hits a great dropkick back into the turnbuckles and then a bodyslam with a HUGE running elbow and then a Cowboy Kick. I think another thing this match does exceptionally well is how they set up Doc's offense so that he looks like an absolute monster.

Twice Misawa goes for running/charging offense and twice it is converted into either a MASSIVE powerslam or spinebuter by Doc who snatches Misawa up and turns these into big time power offense. This works well with Misawa's preferred method of working which is underneath with a lot of hope spots that build to a grand finale. Now Misawa did get more offense in than just front facelocks in this front half. Anytime it did look like Doc was going to run away with the match, Misawa always had his trusty elbow. This is another thing that made Doc look like a monster was his ability to absorb these massive elbows and keep on tickin. Misawa hits his Elbow Suicida and the diving elbow from the top. In fact Misawa looks like he strung enough Elbows together to make short work of Dr. Death. However, Doc back drops out of the Tiger Driver. This is when that aforementioned Spinebuster took place. This is what makes Doc so lethal. That rare combination of size, strength, power and speed when you mix that into a concoction it becomes explosive. We are left at the 15 minutes with Dr. Death decidedly in control as he pops off a wicked belly to belly suplex. Then in a great moment that I cant believe I forgot, he does Oklahoma Stampede on the outside using the Steel Ring Post. Again working that back, so much happens in the next five minutes.

Dr. Death works a heat segment that everyone wishes they could work. It is focused, varied and energetic. Focused on the back. Slamming Misawa into turnbuckles, trying for the Oklahoma Stampede, a massive powerslam, Boston Crab, a huge Stinger Splash in the corner, Backdrop Driver teases, Suicide Dive to the floor (yes Doc did that!), top rope shoulder tackle and an explosive DoctorBomb for a red hot nearfall. It was incredible and it feels so urgent. Misawa for his part was selling well but also really struggling. He was scrambling for the ropes on the Oklahoma Stampede and the Back Drop Driver. When Doc deadlift pressed him high over his shoulders, Misawa caught the ropes before Snake Eyes and turns around SMOKED Doc with an Elbow. It was just enough to stun Dr. Death, but he started to make in-roads. Here comes the Misawa Elbow combination only for Doc to resort to a four or five loopy right closed fists to put Misawa down. Really excellent burst of energy from both men in this 5 minutes.

Dr. Death mimes the Back Drop Driver to the audience and there is a big reaction. Misawa hooks the leg and this trips Doc causing him to land hard on the back of his head and this knocks him loopy. Misawa is able to take advantage of this with his Trusty Elbow. Tiger Driver gets two. I think what makes this match work so well is because Misawa's reign was over 700 days old at this point so when you enter this portion of the match theres a certain rhythm to it. A comfort. That all will be well in the world and Misawa will reign victorious. It is the same rhythm Patriots fans feel when Tom Brady would drive down the field with two minutes left to win the game. So we get the Frogsplash 1-2-No, thats ok Senton, Frogsplash another 2 count. Everything is under control. It is time for another Tiger Driver. Doc deadweights. That's fine, Misawa will blow him away with a bunch of Elbows and we will get out of here. First elbow, Misawa winds up for the BIG ONE and Doc ducks under and in one fell swoop HOISTS MISAWA OVER FOR A DAAAAANNNNGGGGGEROUS BACK DROP DRIVER! You ever want to hear 16,000 people collectively lose their breath at once watch that spot. Brady threw an interception at the goal line and everyone is in shellshock.

Misawa's sell is terrific. The way limply collapses to the outside. Now the game is only tied so Dr. Death has to complete the drive down his field on his own. As you would expect that first Back Drop Driver was not enough. Misawa had too much time to recover. It was the beginning of the end. Misawa got token elbows to give the fans some hope and half-countered the next Back Drop Driver, but when Doc hits the Oklahoma Stampede and then a final Back Drop Driver, the historic Misawa Triple Crown reign was over. The unlikely, burly Oklahoman had unseated the Ace!

Steve Williams sure as hell picked a great time to have the match of his life. He was explosive throughout the match. He worked an excellent heat segment that was the perfect combination of focus, energy and variety. It built to a great climax with the Doctor Bomb and then Misawa's Back Drop Driver Block. It lulls you into a false sense of security. Thats what this match does so well. You believe you have seen this story before. You fully believe Misawa will comeback and win. It was actually an Elbow that did Misawa in. Throughout the match, Doc had been quickly and explosively countering Misawa and we see it here when he ducks under and in one motion drops Misawa on his head in the single greatest Back Drop Driver spot. Dont make me choose between all the classics. Just know this match is right up there with 6/3/93, 7/29/93, 12/3/93 and 5/21/94. It should be a match known by its date, 7/28/94 the day Dr. Death shocked the world!

#1. Holy Demon Army vs Mitsuharu Misawa - Real World Tag League 12/3/93

Vacant All Japan World Tag Team Championship

All Japan Match of the Year, 1993

The match is famous for Kawada's sublime knee selling. I think what enhanced it this go around for me is watching the Holy Demon Army vs Doc & Bossman tag match that precedes this by two days. Knowing that Kawada is coming in with an injury rather than it happening in the middle of the match was a game changer.

In their first tag match together and in their six-mans, traditionally it is Kobashi vs Taue that starts off. Misawa starts off this time. Very strategic. Misawa & Kobashi know that Taue cant tag out because Kawada is injured so this allows them to put heavy hitting Misawa in there first. They immediately reap rewards. Misawa smokes Taue with an elbow. Double Dropkick! Kobashi baseball slide! Misawa diving elbow! Great babyface shine.

Holy Demon Army's only hope really is for Taue to get an advantage have Kawada come in and consolidate & isolate one of them preferably Kobashi. We see Taue able to knock Kobashi down. Kawada wisely goads Kobashi into a chopfest wins and that and hits his famous Spinning Heel Kick. He nails, but if you watch carefully he comes up gingerly which I think I missed. This brings me to my favorite part of the psychology of this match...Holy Demon Army try to sprint to the finish line. This is not la dee da lets build to finish. This Kawada's knee is fucked...lets get the hell out of Dodge.

So we get Kawada's Mack Truck Lariat (good knee sell from Kawada here too, great subtlety) and Stretch Plum and the SIngle Leg Crab with Kawada stepping on his head. We get Snake Eyes galore from Taue. We get the bodyslam on the floor. We bodyslams and Cowboy Kicks! This was a ferocious ass kicking Kobashi took. It all made sense. The idea was to hit every bomb and get the win as fast as possible. This made for a very urgent match which I love. The game changer is Kawada lets his foot off the gas. This time it is a clear hubris flaw. He thought he had it in the bag so he playfully kicks Kobashi in the head. He chops the neck but Kobashi fires up. As Kawada would he snaps off a kick to Kobashi's leg. What is the immediate, natural response, Kobashi rifles Kawada's injured knee. Kawada flies into a FURIOUS RAGE! That is incredible. Kobashi has SPOOKED Kawada as much as he has hurt him. Kawada knows he is vulnerable and needs to snuff this out. Kawada translates that fear into ANGER and unloads on Kobashi pelting him with illegal closed fists. It is an amazing moment. Once the initial anger subsides, Kawada is left hobbling & powerless and Kobashi POUNCES on him and starts punching the hell out of the bad knee. This is one of all time favorite sequences. So awesome and emotional!

Taue tries to stop the bleeding by knocking Misawa off the apron, but Kobashi traps Taue and Misawa knocks him out and Kobashi tags in Misawa with Kawada still on his ass. Kawada looks like easy pickin's. Kawada tries to fire up and tries to potato Misawa. Misawa absorbs and smokes him with an Elbow. Tiger Driver gets two, Taue saves Kawada on the Tiger Suplex otherwise it may have been a short day at the office for the Holy Demon Army. This affords Kawada the opportunity to hit a Lariat and crawl to make a tag. Taue is rolling Snake Eyes on everything that moves. Misawa and Kobashi are just feeding him. Taue looks like a world-beater and he understands the dire straits his team is in. NODOWA/BACKDROP DRIVER COMBO! Gets two! Not as hot of a nearfall as I was expecting. I thought it was red hot in my living room. Kobashi saves. Taue hits a powerbomb on Misawa, but it is not quite the Dynamic Bomb so it is only a 2 count. He feeds Misawa into Kawada's lariat. Kawada's selling is so, so good. Kawada tries to feed Misawa in for a Nodowa, but Misawa elbows out of trouble and tags in Kobashi! This match rocks!

Kobashi is a house ablaze...chops...DDTs...he even Snake Eyes Taue! Which I popped huge for! I think the fans hate that move so much they didnt pop for it, but I loved Kobashi throwing that in Taue's face. Taue has used that move SIX times in this match. It was high time he got a taste of his own medicine. We also found out that Taue is a load. Kobashi had a hard time getting him up. Leg Drop...MOONSAULT! 1-2-NO! This match has been at a break neck pace but everything still feels logical, earned and it is breathing. Really incredible. Taue chops and lariats his way out of trouble. Here comes Kawada. Lets see what he can do on a bum wheel. Taue bough him about 5 minutes to recover will that be enough?

Kawada back drops Kobashi immediately. Trainer helps him work out his leg. His second attempt on the Back Drop Driver his knee gives out causing him to smack the back of his head on the mat hard. What a nice touch! Kobashi has the opening to tag out. Kawada grits his teeth through out and hits trusty Spinning Heel Kick to stun Misawa but his knee is all sorts of messed up. He cant hold on the German Suplex bridge. He has to release the Stretch Plum gets two. The Powerbomb ends up with Misawa sitting on his face. It was all bad for business. Kawada is trying to be a gamer but he is fucked. Kobashi dropkicks the knee. This is the first time Kobashi can really get a hold of the knee. Misawa is more sporting perhaps or maybe more pig-headed that it is elbow or death. Kobashi has no shame and dropkicks the knee to a smattering of boos I believe if my ears dont deceive me. Kawada the babyface who wouldve thunk it. Kobashi throws the Single Leg Crab complete with stomps to the head back in Kawada's face and then switches to a Texas Cloverleaf. Great stuff! Jackknife Powerbomb for two! WOW! Kobashi crashes & burns on the moonsault!

Kawada desperately needs to tag out, but Kobashi drop toeholds Kawada. Instead Kobashi is the one that tags out, oh shit! Misawa sention...frogsplash...TIGER SUPLEX! 1-2-NO! Misawa exits like he has taken a beating, lol, dude you dont know the half of it and here comes Kobashi. Kobashi lunging flying shouldertackle eats THE JUMPING HIGH KICK! One more, but Kobashi hits the Lariat that is not yet Burning! Kawada has had two cracks in the sky but cant get that tag out. Stereo Germans! It doesnt look good. Misawa ROARING ELBOW TO TAUE! ROARING ELBOW TO KAWADA! Kawada goes full limp seel on German Suplex. Misawa Diving Elbow. Backdrop Driver and Kobashi gets the pin on Kawada! They win the Real World Tag League and the Double Cup (World Tag Team Championship)!

Can you say greatest match ever? Because I sure can. Ok, maybe a little hyperbole, I had have to give it a good think. It is definitely Top 20 all time and probably Top 10. It is my 1993 Match of the Year over either Hansen/Kobashi. Kawada's knee selling is so sublime, but it is so much more than that. It is Kawada/Taue urgently trying to close this out early. It is Kawada's reaction to the first kick to the knee. It is Taue desperately trying to salvage the match. It is Kawada trying to be a gamer and grit through this. It is Kobashi trying to close it out and prove he belongs. Outstanding.

Pro Wrestling Love vol. 57: Best of All Japan Pro Wrestling 1993-1994 (Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada, Kenta Kobashi, Akira Taue, Stan Hasen, Steve Williams)

Hey Yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

Pro Wrestling Love vol. 57:

The Best of All Japan Pro Wrestling 1993-1994

Objective:  Break up the Greatest Match Ever Project (hosted at http://gweproject.freeforums.net/) into more manageable chunks to help me build my Top 100 List for the project.

Motivation: Contribute to the discussion around these matches to enrich my own understanding of pro wrestling and give a fresh perspective for old matches and even hopefully discover great pro wrestling matches that have been hidden by the sands of time.

Subject: This fifty-seventhvolume of Pro Wrestling Love is the beginning of the Top 12 countdown of the best matches to take place in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) 1993-1994. I selected 1993 because 1992 was the last year Jumbo Tsuruta was able to compete at a high level. His semi-retirement caused a major paradigm shift in All Japan's native booking. Toshiaki Kawada, Mitsuharu Misawa's top lieutenant in the Super Generation Army, decided to fill the vacancy left by Jumbo and become Akira Taue's senior tag team partner in the Holy Demon Army. This tantamount to turning heel but there was no grand heel turn, it was just Kawada shaking Taue's hand at the end of their 30-minute Carnival draw in '93. Kawada officially became Misawa's arch-rival and Taue remained the top lieutenant to the top heel. Graduating to Kawada's spot in the Super Generation Army was the fiery Kenta Kobashi. In 1992, Misawa won his first Triple Crown and 1993 was a year of consolidating him as the Ace of the promotion as he have many high-profile matches with current Ace Gaijin, Stan Hansen who replaced Jumbo Tsuruta as the long-serving tenured wrestler on the All Japan roster, native or gaijin. Stan Hansen status as respected, lovable legend was cemented during the Real World Tag League when he teamed with the beloved Founder & Owner, Giant Baba in 1993 & 1994. In 1994, Stan Hansen began to take a backseat to the 90s wrestlers as he was winding down. Finally due to Terry Gordy's unfortunate substance abuse issue, his junior tag team partner in the Miracle Violence Connection, "Dr. Death" Steve Williams was promoted to #2 gaijin, runner-up to Kawada in the 1994 Champions Carnival and won the prestigious Triple Crown ending Misawa's historic nearly two year reign as Champion. Winning the top prize in All Japan even as a transitional champion legitimized Dr. Death as a main event star in the promotion which they needed as Hansen was being phased out and Gordy's departure. Ted DiBiase & Big Bossman initially replenished the gaijin roster, but DiBiase opted for early retirement and Bossman had a great short stint but opted for more work in America. Doc's tag team in 1994 would be Johnny Ace, who has surprised in two matches as being a great worker. The year 1994 ends with Toshiaki Kawada winning the Triple Crown from Dr. Death but it is bittersweet because hanging over his head is that he is 0-3 against Mitsuharu Misawa. In all reality, 1995 really should be included in this blog, because it is 1996 when the next shake-up happens with Akiyama graduating to Misawa's tag partner and 1995 is the last year big year of Misawa/Kawada feud as they transition to Misawa/Kobashi. However, there is too much greatness to pack three year's worth of content into a Top 12 so we just have to settle for these two years, 1993 & 1994.   You can revisit past Pro Wrestling Love Volumes at ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com. You can check out the full version of these reviews in ProWrestlingOnly.com by going to the forums and finding the folders associated with the date of the match.

Contact Info: @superstarsleeze on Twitter, Instagram & ProWrestlingOnly.com.

Honorable Mentions

Mitusharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs Giant Baba & Stan Hansen - 11/30/93

AJPW Tag Team Champions Misawa & Kobashi vs Giant Baba & Stan Hansen - 3/5/94

The two biggest overachieving matches of these two years. Somehow a broken Baba still works in the workrate heavy realm of All Japan. It really shows the magic at the fingertips of Misawa & Kobashi that Baba's nearfalls are still red hot. It really helps that all the crowds totally buy into Baba. The 11/30/93 match is the more touted one but I actually slightly preferred the World Tag Team Title rematch in Budokan with Misawa getting a pinfall victory over the legendary Baba, wicked hot finish run. 

Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (AJPW 06/01/93)

Holy Demon Army (Toshiaki Kawada, Akira Taue) & Yoshinari Ogawa vs. Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi - AJPW 6/3/93

Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi, Jun Akiyama vs Holy Demon Army (Toshiaki Kawada, Akira Taue, Yoshinari Ogawa) - AJPW 7/2/93

Toshiaki Kawada vs Jun Akiyama - AJPW 7/9/93

Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama vs Toshiaki Kawada & Masa Fuchi (AJPW 07/19/93)

AJPW Triple Crown Champion Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada - AJPW 7/29/93

The build to the first Misawa/Kawada with Kawada as a native heel member of the Holy Demon Army was built really well through a series of tags. 6/1/93 is the first ever Four Corners of Heaven Tag Team match and is needed to be seen to appreciate 12/3/93, 5/21/94 and 6/9/95. It is a great crash course into the workrate bonanza that is King's Road. Highly recommend the Akiyama/Fuchi tag because Misawa/Kawada absolutely let it rip on that one and it looks almost like they are shooting on each other. It all builds to the big match at the Budokan, 7/29/93 it pales in comparison to 6/3/94 (aka what many people consider greatest match of all time), but it is still excellent and the second to last cut to make the Top 12.

Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs. Dr. Death & Big Bossman - AJPW 11/24/93 RWTL

Holy Demon Army (Kawada & Taue) vs Dr. Death & Big Bossman - AJPW 12/1/93 RWTL

Big Bossman was an absolute treat in All Japan. He fit the style like a glove because he is an atheltic hoss and that's who does really well in the style. His uppercut was the great equalizer and loved watching him pop the Four Corners with it especially Taue who took it like a champ. 

AJPW Tag Team Champs Misawa & Kobashi vs Steve Williams & Johnny Ace - 07/22/94

Originally this was slated to be 12th up until the last match I watched which is a perfect segue-way to Misawa & Koashi vs Doc & Ace rematch that takes its place...

Top 12 of All Japan Pro Wrestling 1993-1994

#12. Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs Steve Williams & Johnny Ace - RWTL 12/10/94

Vacant All Japan World Tag Team Championship

Between this and the July match, I don't know guys, I am starting to think Johnny Ace is pretty damn good at this wrestling thing. I was coming in expecting him to be Brutus Beefcake but he can keep up with the workrate and on top of that adds some nice American heel touches. The crowd doesnt bite but if he was in the South this would have killed. The Scorpion Deathlock, Kobashi comes to break it up, Higuchi sends him out so Doc kicks Misawa in the head while he is in the Deathlock is the most Southern thing I have ever seen in a Japanese ring. On top of that, we get Ace laying in shots while Misawa is stradling the ropes, we get a double team on the outside, Ace is the first to knock Kobashi off the apron then Doc follows suit and we get Ace setting up a Tree of Woe so he can go outside the ring and choke Misawa. It is top notch heel stuff. Like I said he can definitely keep up with the workrate and stiffness (at least in his chops) so definitely a worthy addition to these main event matches.

Early on, they were really trying to push Doc/Misawa as a hot feud. Slapping the shit out of each other. They end up pulling each other's hair. They let Kobashi in for a minute and then it is Misawa vs Ace which seems like the biggest mismatch on paper but Ace gets a boot up and next thing you know we get like a 12 minute Misawa face in peril. I covered most of the heel shit they did to Misawa. Doc got some nice nearfalls on him with a Spinebuster and a top rope shoulder tackle. They were working holds and cheating for the most part. It was very Southern and very appreciated. Kobashi is great on apron. Kobashi is the most suited for American style wrestling because he is the most emotional. So he won't take any shit lying down and keeps coming over to protect Misawa even if it ends up hurting Misawa. He is very active and I like that. I feel like Kobashi was an easy sell on Doc/Ace calling an American style match even if the Japanese crowd is not reacting as strongly to this.

JOHNNY ACE STOLE KOBASHI'S MOONSAULT SPOT COMPLETE WITH FIST PUMP!!! ALL THE STARS! LET THE SNOWFLAKES FALL! IT'S A BLIZZARD! I have long thought the Kobashi fist-pump->moonsault is the ultimate in babyface spots. I never thought someone should steal it for heel heat because that's just not how Japan works, BUT Ace doing that was so fucking awesome! I popped huge and was pissed at the same time. It was so perfect. He does connect (it is a damn good moonsault, not a sidesault), Kobashi kicks out. Amazing sequence! It is official Johnny Ace is my new favorite wrestler.

There is a great sequence prior to this when Misawa fights out of being double team with WICKED Elbows! He was just nailing people. In the fracas, he grabs Ace into a Tiger Driver, Doc bowls him over. Kobashi comes in does his business, as he turns his back to go to his corner, Doc just SPLASH him with all his body weight and then chucks him with a WICKED GERMAN! WOW! Great stuff. Then Ace/Doc do a Double Team Back Drop Driver! Misawa is fucking insane. These Back Drop Drivers he is taking are disgusting. We all know what happens so it is hard to watch. Misawa does kick out. Kobashi shows us shades of 6/9/95 then way he desperately tries to save Misawa from the Oklahoma Stampede and the Second Back Drop Driver by grabbing Dr. Death's leg. I lap that stuff up with a spoon. After what I think was 20 minutes, Misawa finally tags out to Kobashi.

I love that Kobashi's first thing is to measure Doc up for a HELLACIOUS LARIAT! The Lariat is approaching Burning. Then he immediately goes for the Moonsault. Fucking smart to start throwing bombs and red hot. Doc is not beat up enough to stay down and he bullies Kobashi in the corner. He tags out to Ace. ACE CRUSHER~! How do I know the move name because Ace is a Hip Hop OG and shouts out the name at the top of his lungs! Which is great marketing! This is when Ace does the Kobashi moonsault steal. Rocker Dropper and a DoctorBomb by Ace. Lost Super Worker of the 90s, Johnny Fucking Ace! Misawa saves. Kobashi hits his moonsault and Johnny Ace kicks out because he is a stud. Ace has kicked out of the Tiger Driver in July and the Moonsault now. Kobashi tags out. I smell Misawa smoking Ace en route to win. Ace teases Ace Crusher on Misawa after Doc interferes. Kobashi looks like he really rings Doc's bell with a Spinning Back Chop. The fans bite hard on Misawa German nearfall, Frogsplash + Tiger Driver win it for the good guys! It should be mentioned by the virtue of this victory and the fact that Baba & Hansen beat Holy Demon Army on the same night, Misawa & Kobashi won the Real World Tag League and regained the World Tag Team Titles that they had vacated prior to the tournament.

I was thinking I liked the July match a little more because it was more upbeat and then the Moonsault spot happened. I will give a nod to this match, but both matches are awesome and underrated. The July is more the standard great All Japan workrate tag. This one has more Southern elements, Kobashi desperately trying to save Misawa showing shades of 6/9/95, wicked hot finish stretch especially the Ace moonsault and the final hurrah! Dont sleep on this!

#11. Stan Hansen vs Akira Taue - Champions Carnival 4/11/94

If there's anyone that can babyface Stan Hansen, it is Akira Taue. In the Hansen/Kobashi match a day prior, Hansen injured his ribs by doing a diving shouldertackle from the apron and connecting with the guardrail. When Hansen enters, there is only one whip of his bull rope and he is walking not running to the ring clutching his ribs.

I will say this there's a talking point, which I believe to be asserted by JDW that no one else could have had this match by Taue which I believe to mean that he was absolutely laser focused on the ribs. I do take umbrage with that slightly as a Kobashi fan. I think Kobashi fan acquitted himself well the night before with a lot of body shots, kicks, dropkicks all to the ribs and even shouldertackles to the ribs to set up the moonsault. Were there leg drops and sleepers? Yes, but Kobashi was committed to the ribs until the very end of the match. Just like Taue used the ribs to set up his finish. Two very different matches and both phenomenal, but I just want to point this out. Kobashi is NOT this scattered-brain, "get my stuff in" wrestler that some people say. The criticism that Misawa could not work this match because he would want to sell and make his extended comeback I would agree with. I think Kawada would also be fine and well-suited for a match like this. This match is about Taue who is undersung anyways and we should let his spotlight get stolen by the other three.

Taue and Hansen both rock pretty hard in this. I know Hansen lariats with his left hand but I am not sure if he uses an Unorthodox stance because I have seen him punch right. Anyways he uses an Unorthodox stance here to keep his left side (injured side) further away from Taue. I always love touches like that. Taue ultimately crowds Hansen in the corner. Hansen does his best to bully his way out, but the bully got bullied here and Taue started unloading on the left side with some good shots. If there is one thing that Japanese fans cant stand, it is when Taue "hotshots" opponents on the top rope or railing. It always draws boos. Even though they were chanting for Taue at the end, I found that interesting. Some great work here from that standpoint. Hansen is a big mutha trucker and for Taue to get him up and launch him in such a way that it was his abdomen that landed on the railing and top rope was impressive. That's a tough bump for Hansen to take even if his ribs arent actually injured. We of course get stomach claws and abdominal stretches. Hansen tried this cat and mouse strategy luring Taue to the outside and then getting back in the ring to the get the high ground. Still Taue fought through his King of the Mountain by attacking the left side. All in all, excellent work. I liked the transition to Hansen on offense. Taue misses an elbow drop from the top rope and then Hansen hits a trademark lunging shouldertackle that sends Taue flying to the outside. Perfect. Hansen BOUNCES a chair off Taue! Perfect. DDT on the exposed concrete. Perfect! Cant suplex him on exposed concrete because of the injured ribs so he settles for wrenching his head into the railing. Perfect, Perfect, Perfect!

Hansen's selling through his comeback is sublime. You never lose sight of the fact he is in tremendous pain but that means he is also tremendously furious. Exposed knee. Two WICKED Stiff, Swift Cowboy Kicks! The way he has to gear himself up for the a suplex and then ultimately a Powerbomb. The sell after that powerbomb is tremendous. Hansen gets two and then tugs at the elbow pad to let everyone know whats coming. Taue kicks him right in the left side and gets a powerslam for two. NODOWA~! Great struggle there with Taue earning it. Hot nearfall and the crowd is clearly behind Taue. Hansen shifts his weight on a back suplex. Gnarly headbutts from Hansen and SMOKES Taue with a diving right elbow to the point where I bit on that nearfall even though the crowd didn't. I thought it was his way of doing a lariat without using his left side. He goes for the Lariat by holding Taue's head but Taue is able to punch the left side repeatedly and NODOWA~! 1-2-3!

If someone wanted to say this is their favorite 90s All Japan match or even the best, I would not bat an eye. King's Road is not for everyone. I happen to generally like the style and do think it is my personal favorite style. For those that like a more minimalist approach with heavy emphasis on body part psychology both from a laser-focused offensive perspective and a great selling perspective this match meets those needs. Hansen's stock is really rising in my book (he was already in my Top 5 wrestlers of all time) he has so many more layers than a Bull in the China Shop brawler, really effective seller and more than one-dimensional tool. Taue (also in my Top 25) really showed his ability to carry a singles match on top here. Taue is a man of efficiency. We saw that NOAH where he had great singles bouts with Misawa, Nagata and Kobashi. This was a very efficient and tidy match. It is not one of the more pimped matches so if you have not watched it ever or in a while, I definitely implore to give this a watch.

#10. All Japan Triple Crown Champion Steve Williams vs Kenta Kobashi

Summer Action II 9/3/94 

Well they picked a helluva night to go long because it looks like it is a hot one in the Budokan is fanning themselves.

Your mileage may vary but as someone who loves big, beefy power wrestling with a heaping side of macho posturing this is pretty damn great. Besides the cuteness of the Rolling Cradle, this match is made of Mighty, Mighty Man's Stuff. It has all the trappings of testosterone-addled, dumb jock wrestling: the staredowns, flexing through chops, a HUGE test of strength, the shouldertackles. It is all Manly Glory. Kobashi launches himself at Dr. Death and knocks Doc off his feet. DDT on the floor, legdrop on the railing and crossbody block to the floor. Doc comes back with a wicked Brainbuster and starts kicking ass on the outside. The first 15 minutes is very, very simple compared to the hyper-workrate culture of All Japan, but I think it delivers an engaging performance if you like the hoss, beefcake style.

I really love how they are pacing this match. They are not just throwing out 40 minutes worth of highspots. They are really building. Doc works a strong heat segment built around his power. Great spinebuster. Look at his ridiculous power chucking Kobashi overhead on a Bearhug that was insane. He gets caught charging out of a three point stance with a Baba-Style Lariat. I love how Doc takes this bump he really kicks his feet out. Lots of great manliness here. Loved Kobashi potatoing Doc right back after Doc used a closed fist. Lots of head shots from Kobashi with DDT and loved the immediate Lariat response after Doc takes him over with an explosive armdrag. It is not quite Burning yet but Kobashi's lariat is progressing nicely. There are a lot of good spontaneous blocks and Doc is really making Kobashi earn his offense. Then Doc just EXPLODES out of the blocks with a lunging tackle. Kobashi tries to come right back and meet fire with fire and fucking Doc just upends him and sends him ass over tea kettle in an insane spot that I am not sure how Kobashi does not have a broken neck. THEN DOC JUST FUCKING THROWS KOBASHI OUT OF THE RING VIA MILITARY PRESS! BATSHIT INSANITY~! Doc just starts flying around and it is awesome. He wipes Kobashi out with an out of nowhere shouldertackle from the apron and then there was the TOP ROPE BELLY TO BELLY SUPLEX! Kurt Angle eat your heart out. That just gave me a though imagine Barbarian in 90s All Japan. O my God, someone build a time machine pronto. SNATCH DOCTORBOMB~! 1-2-NO! Doc knows whats up! He wants the Back Drop Driver, big tease, then he goes for the Oklahoma Stampede and that gets blocked too. Kobashi hits an enziguiri and dropkick to the knee. Budokan pops huge! Doc did a great job his knee buckled convincingly and he really sold it. We get the first moonsault attempt, but Doc still has too much juice left. We are at the 30 minute mark and they plenty of gas left in the tank. I dont see them as going long just for the sake of going long. They are organically building a meathead's dream match.

Kobashi really pours it on to secure the chance to hit the Moonsault. He really earns the Back Drop Driver but Doc is a load and it is more of a normal back suplex. Doc does take a wicked German suplex for two. MOONSAULT~! Only gets two. Doc moves out of the second one and Kobashi crashes and burns. I thought for sure they would transition to Doc since Kobashi got his big nearfall. Williams sidesteps the first dropkick, but the second dropkick finds its mark on the injured knee. Doc powders and is doing a great job writhing in pain. Kobashi keeps pressing, he cant negotiate the brainbuster, but he does hit a Jackknife Powerbomb. Then is a great moment when Doc is too far away for Kobashi's Top Rope Legdrop. Doc rolls over one body width and is in perfect position. Doc is the Real MVP! Then in what is the story of this match when you least expect it DOC EXPLODES~! This time Kobashi turns his back on Doc and he just lunges at him steamrolls him. Great spot. Doc hits his big splash in the corner and IMMEDIATELY pops off a wicked Belly 2 Belly that almost wipes out the ref. Crazy power. 1-2-NO! Backdrop Driver time. Kobashi fights back. Kobashi has been using the Spinning Back Chop throughout the match. Doc ducks and DAAAAAAANNNNGGGGGERRRRRROUSSSSSSS BACK DROP DRIVER! That was wicked! Obviously that should have been the finish, but it is not. The match only goes two minutes longer so I cant complain too much. Kobashi dropkicks the knee again and Doc sells it well, but it is too little, too late. Doc hits the DANGEROUS Back Drop Driver on the TURNBUCKLES! Death Wish Kobashi! Doc hobbles over to the disoriented, crawling Kobashi to hit one last Back Drop Driver to win.

How do these two manly men cap off their glorious match? With what else but a big 'ol manly hug! I loved this! Could it have been shorter, yeah sure, but never did I feel they ran out of ideas or were they throwing out too much. The first 15 minutes is very rudimentary but it establishes the tone and narrative that this is a hoss fight. Doc was in such a zone offensively in 1994. He was popping off suplexes like it was nothing and coming with creative ways to shouldertackle. Kobashi was great at selling all this and firing up. They were both great at making one another earn it. The first nearfall wasnt until the DoctorBomb around the 25 minute mark and Kobashi's first moonsault attemtp was not until the 30 minute mark. It is like this was a 30 minute finish run. It was a 10-15 minute finish run which built really well and showed some innovation from Kobashi (Top Rope Legdrop, Spinning Back Chop) and his resiliency. I dont really feel they went long for the sake of going long, they had a story and the momentum to go this long. When people say "When Men were Men", they are referring to September 3, 1994 in Budokan Hall: when Dr. Death and Kenta Kobashi clashed!

#9. Toshiaki Kawada vs Steve Williams - Champions Carnival 4/16/94

The match that is a part of the classic core of the All Japan canon that I never really got. I always saw this match  as a great match but never quite at the level of the other vaunted All Japan matches. Let's see what fresh eyes and having really enjoyed the 3/29/94 lead-in does for this match.

This is the final for the 1994 Champions Carnival, which is difference than the previous year's #1 Native vs #1 Gaijin in Misawa vs Hansen. Here they go with #2 Native vs #2 Gaijin, I think thats a conscious decision to build up two challengers for Misawa and the fact that Hansen was slowing down. The 3/29 lead-in round robin match between the two went to a draw. Doc showed his power but did not hit his Oklahoma Stampede or his Back Drop Driver. Kawada hit his best shots: lots of head kicks, powerbomb, Stretch Plum even threw in a Fujiwara Armbar but couldnt get the job done. Lets see what happens here.

They stick in the first 15 minutes to the story I really liked in the first match, it is Williams' power advantage against Kawada's Dangerous Head Kicks. Doc steamrolls Kawada early with some tackle. He is feeling confident and goes for the Back Drop Driver early. This always elicits a good crowd reaction and announcer reaction. I love early finisher teases makes believe that the wrestler wants to win. Kawada scrambles and punches/slaps Williams in the head and then hits his own Back Drop Driver. Great combination of a head shot and head drop from Kawada. Thats what it comes down to. Is Kawada needs to contain Williams' explosiveness by constantly rocking the head. Once Doc gets a head of steam on Kawada it is over for him. We see a lot of counter punching from Kawada that is focused on head kicks. What I didnt like about this is that Kawada seems to like set up transitions to Doc by taking his foot off the gas pedal. I dont know if this is supposed to be a kayfabe character flaw or if this is just not having a good transition but I didnt like it.

The match definitely picks up when the powerful Doc traps Kawada in a double chickenwing and hoists him over in a Tiger Suplex. Great sell by Kawada they get the nearfall and then further milk it by having Kawada powder. Doc misses a top rope splash. Kawada hits his famous Spinning Heel Kick to the head. Nice middle rope kneedrop. I liked that when Doc struggled against the suplex Kawada quickly changed gears into a Fujiwara Armabr takedown and a nice callback to the 3/29 match. The transition back to Doc was a little too telegraphed again with Kawada seemingly letting up for no reason and Doc hitting a Spinebuster. Great stuff from Williams here. I liked the scramble on the Oklahoma Stampede with Kawada going for the ropes immediately. So Doc switches gears, hits his BIG Splash in the corner and then SNATCHES Kawada into an explosive Powerslam in a way he completed the Oklahoma Stampede for two. The way he snatched Kawada and took him over in that Powerslam was Brock Lesnar-esque and it was explosive!

Again it is the combination of two head-kicks that rock Dr. Death enough for Kawada to command with a Stretch Plum which I think is smart. A hold like this will do a better job containing the explosive power of Doc and also sap his energy than head kicks. Kawada Kicks! Doc No Sells them because he is all man. Kawada is pissed about this and goes for an illegal Closed Fist, but Doc blocks and tees off on him with his own! Epic Kawada fall on his ass sell! The ref admonishes him but Doc throws a couple right jabs and a looping left knocks Kawada out. Where was that against Bart? Big Press Slam onto the top rope and the crowd is solidly behind Kawada chanting his name. Williams applies the Octopus Stretch.

The match gets really, really good here. Doc has had the momentum ever since he punched Kawada's lights out and has built up enough momentum to go for the Back Drop Driver. Kawada furiously fights out and Kawada hits a Jumping High Kick to the head. Doc sells this like he is out cold. Total limp, dead man's float sell. Really puts over the kick. Kawada winds up like he is going to deliver his Mack Truck Lariat. Doc ducks and BACK DROP DRIVER! Only Doc cant capitalize because of the head kick and Kawada wisely rolls out of the ring. Very effective way to pop the crowd but also protect the move. Now because they took the starch out of the nearfall by milking all the damage they wisely have Doc hit the Doctor Bomb for a hot nearfall. Now you have gotten a little bit of everything. You explain why Doc couldnt capitalize the head kick. You explain why Kawada still has a shot, the head kick. You still get the Back Drop Driver because instantly the fans are like Oh Fuck. The realize both men need to sell. You get the great visual of Kawada rolling out of the ring. You protect the Back Drop Driver. You still get the hot nearfall from the Doctor Bomb. Really genius.

Now of course Dr. Death wants to hit the Back Drop Driver again, big scramble to the ropes. Williams rips him off the ropes. There's this great drama is he going to hit it or not. Kawada has his leg grapevine and then all of sudden Kawada breaks free, Spinning Back Hand Chop to the head and then ROLLING KAPPO KICK TO THE HEAD! I marked out so hard for this. They do all the necessary nearfalls but for all intents and purposes it was over. A Stretch Plum, some more head kicks and Three Powerbombs (last Powerbomb was the best from a power stand point).

I really liked the story they told. Kawada was outclassed in the power department, but he is an excellent counterpuncher and just kept kicking that head. All this only works if Doc sells. Misawa's elbow is only as powerful as his opponents make it. So it is important that Doc did NOT oversell in the beginning, but when the time was right he sold the right head kick as death. In the lone rung it protected him and his finish. The Rolling Kappo Kick was the cherry on top. It was a different style and Kawada pulling deep from his bag of tricks but it fit the theme of the match, keeping kicking the powerhouse in the head. I definitely see the appeal of this match now, excellent match.

#8. Stan Hansen vs Toshiaki Kawada -  Excite Series 2/28/93

Man when Youtube really started to get going in what like 2005/2006, this was one of my favorite matches to watch again and again. I had read so much about All Japan through the late 90s and early 2000s. I was so excited to finally see it and it delivered in spades. Funny though I have not watched this match in a good ten years I would say. It is matches like this that remind me I did have some damn good taste as a teenager. :P

There are two things I remember about his match the beginning and the end. This maybe the greatest bar room brawl in the history of pro wrestling. This is match pretty much universally praised, I have run across some criticisms of it being disjointed and/or aimless. I would replace those words with "chaotic" and "mayhem". This is what a bar room brawl should feel like. If you are caught flat footed, someone is going to bowl you over. Hansen is the king of that. Anytime Kawada thought he was safe, Hansen would just lunge at him and wipe him out. Kawada was fighting for his life in there against Hansen at the outset. There was a great Kawada sell. He was trying to bottle Hansen up with a front facelock, but got clipped by a punch and just went down on his ass. Even though at first, it felt like Kawada was fighting for his life against the human version of the Tasmanian Devil. Soon Kawada turned the tables on him. At first, it was something like ramming his head into the post. You knew Hansen was hurt because he was stomping around outside. Kawada kicks him in the brutally in the ropes. Then it was Kawada going for the leg. This however backfired and inspired Hansen to target Kawada's leg. This was Kawada's second great sell around his knee which is his bread and butter. There was some great verbal selling in this from Kawada. Kawada ends up kicking him off his leg and sending him crashing into the railing.

I just need to say this somewhere. This match is crazy fucking stiff. Especially those KICKS! Each men was just rifling the other with these crazy stiff kicks. It sounded like gunshots going off.

When Hansen starts going for pinfall attempts after punting Kawada in the mouth a kick I knew Hansen was in trouble. It sounds counter-intuitive. Hansen was not his usual confident self. When Hansen goes for a pin, it is usually over because he has kicked so much ass. Here, Kawada gave him a helluva fight and it feels like Hansen wants to get out of this match with the win rather than mauling his opponent. Hansen's heat segment here feels more like a normal monster heel (big move, cover, big move, cover) less of his style of Bull in the China Shop.  Hansen gets more and more desperate. Busting out a dropkick and then A SUICIDE DIVE THROUGH THE BOTTOM ROPE! HOLY SHIT! MARK OUT CITY! You really get the feeling that Kawada has pushed Hansen to the limit forcing him to take these high risks. Hansen wants to slam Kawada on the exposed floor, but Kawada blocks and it is Hansen that is slammed on the floor! Amazing selling from Hansen...clutching the ribs and verbal selling. Kawada hits a stiff clothesline to the back of Hansen's head on the apron. Kawada's clothesline is so wicked. Hansen sells it like he is KO'd. Hansen has really put Kawada over. 

Kawada knee drop 1-2-No! See these pinfalls feel different. This feels like a man in the dominant position looking to get the win. STRETCH PLUM! A great one at that. Looks really tight! Kawada Kicks! Anyone who says Stan Hansen cant sell, needs to watch this match and tell me that. Kawada SLAPS THE TASTE OUT OF Hansen's mouth. So Hansen punches him right in the face! KAWADA IS OUT COLD! Great Kawada sell #3!

Honestly that should have been the finish or shortly thereafter the Western Lariat. My slight criticism of this classic is they go a little overboard in the finish making sure you know that Kawada is just inches away from beating Hansen, but I think it was clear in the body of the match and we didnt 5 minutes to remind us of that.

Hansen throws down the defiant Kawada head first multiple times and then delivers a big time Powerbomb! He signals for the Western Lariat, but we get all sort of evasions. This is what I mean it was a little much. Kawada was throwing clotheslines and kicks at Hansen trying to win, but it seemed too much. The one spot I remember from this match that I still think is epic is when Hansen hits that first Lariat and he hits it so hard that he is going flying out of the ring. He was so out of control! You knew the end was nigh. Hansen comes up selling his head so well. Kawada again puts up token offense (his patented Spinning Heel Kick to get two) but Hansen nails him in the back of the head with a right handed lariat.

The first twenty minutes of this is just excellent. It is a 5 minute bar room brawl sprint that feels uncooperative, chaotic and like a shoot. Then as each man becomes fatigued it becomes a slugfest first trying to take out each other's legs and then just hitting each other as hard as possible. Hansen sold his ass off for Kawada and really busted out some neat stuff. Kawada felt like a superstar in this match. He was at a disadvantage and turned it around and made you feel like Hansen was the one that was surviving. I think they could have cut out 2-3 minutes of the last 5 minutes of the match and tightened it up. One nearfall for Kawada would have been plenty. Regardless, this match is epic and really shows Hansen's range all in one match and how much of an asskicker Kawada is. ****3/4

#7. Stan Hansen vs Kenta Kobashi - Champions Carnival 4/10/94

The beginning of this match has a Hansen vs Kawada 2/28/93 vibe to it although not quite as stiff. What do I mean by that? There were a lot of momentum shifts and there were not a lot of highspots. It was just a lot of general pummeling and attrition selling. There were also not a lot of pinfall attempts. Kobashi was going to the thrust kick a lot. There were some whips into the railing. Hansen was using a lot of head shots, elbows and what not. It was just a lot of strong brawling, but not much in the way of story. There were excellent moments like Kobashi fighting through Stan's kicks as Stan was on his back near the apron and Kobashi was trying to enter the ring. Kobashi fights through it and slaps him a ton. Hansen FIGHTS through that and starts headbutting. I am a mark for sequences like that. Anytime people are fighting through offense, I love it. Kobashi has sort of control with some leg drops and the sleeper. Hansen ends up bowling him over with a lunging tackle. Hansen really starts to rock Kobashi with those headbutts, we get a glassy eyed sell that pops the announcer and Baba. He slams Kobashi's head into the steel post. Then he slams a chair off his back. I love a Hansen chair shot. Slams him into the table and THROWS THE TABLE DOWN ONTO HIM! POWERBOMBS KOBASHI ON THE EXPOSED CONCRETE! He has whipped the crowd into a frenzy and the crowd wants to kill Hansen. Hansen ends up diving off the apron on a shouldertackle only to eat the railing. This has turned into an excellent match. Looking forward to the second half and seeing if Kobashi can make the comeback and get his first win over Stan Hansen?

Absolutely TERRIFIC ENDING! Call me a mark for the series all you want, but fuck that was awesome and this shit right here is why I am pro wrestling fan and why pro wrestling is the greatest thing ever. Hansen has been a total prick to Kobashi and honestly should have been DQ'd because of the chair and table throws. The crowd was pissed. When Hansen clutching his ribs tries to enter the ring, Kobash shows NO MERCY, illegal closed fists to the ribs and a lot of hair pulling. Fuck that prick and Kobashi lights him up. Kobashi turned Hansen's drum into a punching bag at one point. There was a great suplex struggle where Kobashi kneelifts the injured abdomen and is able to hoist Hansen over. Kobashi DECKS Hansen with a lariat for a hot nearfall. I mean Double Hot! The whole building was ringing out with "KO-BASH-I" chants! Hansen's selling here has been sublime. This is on the order of Kawada doing his best knee selling. Just great work from Stan. Boston Crab from Kobashi and punts Hansen in the ribs. You can feel it and you know Hansen had one more run left in him. You knew to ratchet up the drama you needed that and they did a great job picking when it was. It came right after this once Kobashi had gotten his nuclear nearfall.

Hansen reverses an Irish Whip hard into the buckles such that Kobashi takes the Bret Bump. Big back suplex. Crowd oooh and aaahs and gets a little worried. Hansen gets a good nearfall here. He tugs on the elbow pad. You can tell the crowd is anxious. They have seen this story before. It felt different because Hansen had seriously injured himself but it looked like it was going to end the same with Hansen crushing Kobashi. Kobashi evades the first Lariat but Hansen gets the back suplex. Hansen decides for the powerbomb, but Kobashi back drops out to a big pop. Hansen lunging elbow to the head gets a nearfall. Curiously Hansen wants the big splash from the top even though his ribs hurt. Great selling from Hansen who manages to fight through the pain and Powerbomb Kobashi again only two. Crowd breathes a sigh of relief. Hansen goes for the big splash from the top. Eats Knees! Me and the crowd go fucking apeshit! This is best part here. Because I totally thought Kobashi was going to fire up win, but NO out of nowhere Hansen swings that BIG BEARPAW LARIAT! It was such a great catch you out of nowhere spot. Took my breathe way, but this time was different. He did NOT have as much Oomph behind he was the one hurting. It was defense mechanism and Kobashi absorbed the blow and just kept marching forward.

That bodyslam and that little fist pump. God, I was emotional then and I am man enough to admit I am emotional now. What a powerful moment! You could tell how badly the crowd wanted it. You could tell how badly he wanted it. It took two Moonsaults but Kenta Kobashi finally got his victory over Stan Hansen. Kobashi is my favorite Japanese wrestler of all time and definitely in my top 5 overall, I was so happy for him fucking 26 years later it is crazy. I am so glad he got that moment. Hansen knocked it out of the park. He was an ornery, sadistic prick then sold his ass off like a champ and still had that compelling finish run to make you doubt the feel-good ending. Nobody in my opinion is better at transcending language, culture and time to elicit emotion than Kenta Kobashi! Yet another sublime performance from in my eyes the undisputed GOAT of pro wrestling history.