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[1993-07-19-AJPW-Summer Action Series] Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama vs Toshiaki Kawada & Masa Fuchi


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  • 2 months later...

I really enjoyed seeing Fuchi work the headlock against Akiyama so well in the opening minutes. Really basic, but it feels like the most important and painful thing in the universe. Really, Fuchi gives a masters class here, which is most enjoyable when working against Akiyama because of the veteran/young guy dynamic. Meanwhile, Misawa and Kawada have the most insane brawl ever while Fuchi is just trying to have a wrestling match that ends with everyone from the ref to Akiyama taking bumps for Misawa. Can't wait to see the TC match!

 

Anyway, Akiyama and Fuchi both get pissed off and start beating the hell out of each other and this match is officially awesome. Misawa and Kawada start doing a lot of their usual spots in opposite form, ending with Misawa applying a stretch plum! Akiyama finally gets the win for his team with a Northern Lights bomb on Fuchi.

 

I love this match! Not a MOTYC or anything, but just a really great, smart, heated match.

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I'm right in thinking you discovered this much later, Ditch? IIRC, your 'tag' on your site read something like 'I thought I'd seen all the great AJPW matches from 1993... then I saw this'. My discovery of it was fairly similar, I found it tucked away on a very very grainy "History of AJPW Volume 3" VHS (or something to that effect). It actually listed the match as "Misawa and Kawada SHOOT ON EACH OTHER!" and given the intensity with which Misawa and Kawada go at each other in the middle, I'm surprised this didn't have a bit more fame. But, yeah, All Japan is the only company where a match this great could fall by the wayside. I guess Zenjo, too, but this is a better match than any US match on the set.

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There are a lot of matches like this that get lost in the mass of heavily pimped All Japan matches in the 90s. There are some that get a little pimping, like say the Can-Ams vs Kobashi & Asako that I've talked about over the years as being fun. There are some that were pimped when they happened, but quickly got lost. The Can-Ams vs Kawada & Kikuchi from early 1992 was highly rated when it popped up on tv, but within a couple of months the Can-Ams vs Kobashi & Kikuchi came along, and the earlier one become something of a throwaway. I haven't even watched it in a decade and a half, so don't even know if it holds up as being good relative to say MX vs Southern Boys.

 

This had the good angle, built to Budokan, and quickly got forgotten as one of those "fall out of bed" matches thay they had in this period.

 

John

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  • 3 months later...

It's easy to forget why I latched onto 90s AJPW when I first became a fan. Since then I've watched mountains of footage from around the world and there's still more I haven't seen. Sure, now I might prefer something like Lawler vs Dundee or Casas vs Dandy but watching a match like this is a throwback to my first days lurking internet boards. I think one of Misawa's best skills is his timing and the pacing at which he makes saves for Akiyama, eats the enzui lariat, and recovers before reentering the fray is fantastic stuff. Pushing Fuchi, Akiyama and the ref back while he lays elbows into Kawada is part of what made Misawa such an awesome face. Not to be outdone Kawada throws some mean punches to even the odds. This match also had Kawada being typically great at cutting off the ring and working over Akiyama as well as Fuchi making Akiyama his woman which is always awesome.

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  • 2 years later...

This was such a great sell for the Triple Crown match later in month. Fuchi and Akiyama did their job but I was loving Misawa and Kawada going crazy on each other. What an exchange between he two and crowd was getting so psyched each time they got in the ring against not another. Looking forward to Triple Crown match after this.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Fuchi! It's been too long. He picks up right where we saw him last, twisting Akiyama into knots. Kawada and Fuchi seem to be making up submissions on the fly at some point, with some downright lucha-esque submissions on Jun. Then Kawada clobbers Misawa from behind after he makes a save, and after selling on the outside as only he can do, Misawa barges back in and the war is on! Forearms and kicks all over the place, Misawa going crazy shoving Kyohei Wada and his own partner, and eventually the partners basically have to break things up. Misawa does most of his big moves on Fuchi, but Akiyama scores the pin in what has to be the biggest win of his short career. Slow and basic start, but still compelling because of the intensity of the holds, building to a good finish in a match that continues to establish Misawa and Kawada as genuine hated rivals.

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  • 1 year later...

Fuchi fits in here well as a cranky bastard taking that young punk Akiyama to task with some down home gritty wrestling. The kawada vs. Misawa sections here are insanely heated and really get over their hatred of each other setting up the TC match coming up. Akiyama pinning FUchi felt like his biggest win to date and one of those rewarding moments to the viewer watching his rise up the ranks. ****

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  • 4 weeks later...

I absolutely loved this match. Fuchi should be remembered as a superworker and this match is a part of that resume. 1991 to mid 1993 Fuchi was ridiculous kinds of good at being a cranky old bastard who tied the kids into knots. Honestly I think he should be required watching for any wrestler past the age of thirty. So simple, yet so effective. Kawada vs. Misawa was off the charts awesome and better than the 1995 match where Kawada chokes Misawa out and gets his due. This match being so unknown seems criminal.

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  • 1 year later...

This was mostly Akiyama-Fuchi, with just enough Kawada and Misawa to change things up a bit. Looked at in those terms, it was quite an impressive bout. Fuchi toned down the nastiness significantly, but he's good enough that he doesn't have to cheat to be a handful. His wrestling sequences impressed me, but Akiyama was always just a shade quicker, as he should have been. I continue to be impressed with how naturally talented Akiyama has shown himself to be this year. If he's this good now, imagine how good he'll get as he continues to figure things out.

 

Even though we got relatively little of Misawa and Kawada, together or separately, what we saw was still hot, and it figured in the ending as Misawa knocked Kawada stiff to prevent him from interfering as Akiyama hit his finishing combination to get the win. You don't see a ton of punches from natives in AJPW, so the ones that are ​seen have a significant impact, and Misawa's was just as impressive as Kawada's was during the Triple Crown match. That's not to say that I want punches to replace knees and forearms as their strikes of choice, but if they're used sparingly, they can add another dimension to what's already becoming the most physical feud in the promotion.

 

I don't know that I'd call this one a hidden gem, particularly since the so-called "shoot" that was so heavily hyped on the commercial tape never came close to even looking like one, but it was a fine match. Add another year or so of experience for Akiyama and we're talking a classic.

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  • 7 months later...
  • GSR changed the title to [1993-07-19-AJPW-Summer Action Series] Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama vs Toshiaki Kawada & Masa Fuchi
  • 1 year later...

Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama vs Toshiaki Kawada & Masa Fuchi - AJPW 7/19/93

The march to Misawa vs Kawada in the Budokan continues. Misawa & Kawada bring two of their lower-ranked lieutenants into their fight, but that does not lessen the heat. This match is mostly famous for the brawl in the middle of the match, but lets work up to it.

Unlike New Japan, All Japan had pretty much abandoned chain wrestling in the 90s so it was refreshing to see Fuchi work a great headlock sequence with Akiyama to begin the match and to have it end with Akiyama winning a top wristlock test of strength was just the cherry on top for a great throwback exchange. Misawa and Kawada have their first skirmish nothing to noteworthy. Misawa gets the better of it and tags out to Akiyama. Akiyama misses a dropkick and Kawada tags out to Fuchi. After a quick drop toehold by Fuchi, this becomes the stretch Akiyama show every similar to the Kawada/Akiyama singles match ten days prior to this. At one point Kawada tries to mash Akiyama head and knee together it looked painful. Kawada does not take the bait the first time Misawa breaks a hold. Kawada starts unleashing his famous stiff kicks and now locks on his Stretch Plum. Misawa breaks it up and this time Kawada does NOT take too kindly to this and BLASTS Misawa from behind with Lariat. Misawa does a great sell and drops to the floor to be massaged. There's a great spot where Akiyama actually breaks free from Fuchi and is looking for the tag BUT Misawa is NOT there, very Southern and I loved it. Fuchi hits a back suplex and they are back on top. This is the part that is famous. 

Misawa is seeing RED and comes in and lights up Fuchi who has Akiyama in a single leg crab and Kawada. He is BLITZING Kawada, Fuchi tries to pull him off, KO Elbow to Fuchi. Misawa is a man POSSESSED and even his own tag partner Akiyama tries to pull him off because he realizes this excessive and Misawa SHOVES Akiyama!?! Kawada takes this moment to PUNCH Misawa and then the KO Punch and then a Fuck You Cowboy Kick sends Misawa back to the floor! Epic ***** exchange that everyone needs to see. The usually stoic Misawa SNAPS and then their tag partner turmoil and Kawada unleashes two wicked punches! 

Akiyama does use this skirmish to his advantage as he is able to string enough offense against Fuchi that forces a Fuchi tag out and gives him time to tag Misawa. Meaning MISAWA VS KAWADA~!

Red fucking hot! Kawada Kicks and Misawa responds with knees! I thought Kawada was going to OBLITERATE Misawa with a Lariat, but he WHIFFS. Elbow...TIGER DRIVER~! 1-2-NO! Nuclear Nearfall! FACELOOOOCCCCCKKKKKKK complete with FACELOOOOCCCCKKKKK call from the announcer. This little tease of an exchange ends with Akiyama tagging in. This makes you want to see Misawa vs Kawada in the Budokan bad. Akiyama hits his first High Knee which would become his trademark. Tags Misawa back in for his Frogsplash and back to FACELOOOCCKKKKK! Now it is Kawada turn to save his dumps Akiyama out but Misawa releases to SMOKE Kawada with an ELBOW! Kawada great sell of it on his ass. Misawa definitely got the last laugh in this match. Two Northern Lights Suplexes and Das Wunderkid picks up a big victory over Fuchi! Very unusual for a rookie to get the duke, very cool. 

Misawa vs Kawada light each other up! If this doesnt make you want to see Misawa vs Kawada, I dont know what will! Excellent match! ****1/4

 

 

   

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