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[1999-07-23-AJPW-Summer Action Series] Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada


Loss

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  • 1 month later...

While I do think technically, this was a great match, it's not one I was that excited about. This rivalry is played out, and I'm not sure they needed to wrestle again after the Tokyo Dome from a booking perspective. So I did enjoy the match but it's not anything I have any desire to revisit, and I'm not sure how many more ways they can let us know that Misawa is Kawada's superior.

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  • 2 months later...

This wasn't a Misawa/Kawada standout but this was definitely still a great match. As always the strike exchanges are great, there's a feeling of it being a real competition that very few match-ups approach, long term momentum swings and tons of great big moments. I really liked Kawada countering Misawa's apron Tiger Driver attempt into a fireman's carry throw to the floor, and I like the logic behind Kawada getting a long run of offense after that -- Misawa went for a move that would have been devastating, but when it went wrong he had to dig himself out of a deep hole. Another particularly great moment was Misawa desperately struggling to get out of the Ganso Bomb. The ending really doesn't do any favors for Kawada at all though, especially comparing this match to the recent Misawa/Kobashi match.

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  • 3 months later...
  • 5 months later...

Essentially an end of an era match. I did like the compact nature, the strike exchanges, and the teases of the Ganso Bomb. I also thought the finish was fun with the TD 91 and Misawa gearing up for the elbow before Wada begging him to pin Kawada and Misawa obliging. I still think I prefer the Kobashi/Misawa feud overall but damn if Kawada/Misawa didn't produce some great output throughout the decade. ****

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  • 2 weeks later...

You wouldn't have been seeing this before 2000 had Baba still been alive. This rivalry needed to be put to bed, and in fact was done following this. Neither man was in the best of shape so they substituted some of the athletic spots with even more hard strikes. They were nailing some vicious blows to various parts of the noggin. Stale though the rivalry might have been I can't deny this was a good match. It's harder to appreciate the good when it follows the great. Comparatively compact pacing. Misawa tamed his bitch after a Tiger Driver '91. I'm not convinced that was the planned finish but for some sharp thinking from Kyo-hei! I don't praise Mr Wada enough as he was a great referee.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Gave this another watch now that the version from a Misawa DVD is up on YouTube. I had been waiting a while as this was the last Misawa/Kawada TC I hadn't seen in DVD quality.

 

I don't agree at all that this match feels stale. In fact, I think they actually work in a nice sense of progression from their previous bouts as Kawada seems much more confident and more willing to engage in long exchanges with Misawa after having beaten him in their two prior matches. I also think it's refreshing how they put so much emphasis on teases and struggle for moves and the ganso bomb reversal in particular got several rewinds from me. Kawada turning his back on Misawa after one of their exchanges and his expression when Misawa ties him up for a German is pretty cool as well. Kawada does his usual fantastic job of selling frustration and his body giving out down the stretch, but, intentional or not, there's a sense of finality with that finish and seeing Misawa have no problems giving a post-match interview while Kawada lays there knocked out. I agree that we'd already seen the feud climax with Kawada winning at the Dome then debuting the ganso bomb to win again, but this match gives a nice epilogue to their feud with them going at it one more with no surprises or injury excuses to see who was better at the end of the 90's.

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  • 1 year later...

**** is about right. I actually was kind of eager to watch this because it was the first Misawa/Kawada match in a long while where I didn't know the result going in, so that boosted it for me personally. They have some cool strike exchanges and it doesn't wear out its welcome. Maybe not anything new under the sun but an enjoyable 22 minutes. Misawa has shown some of his own touches as the man in charge of AJPW but the Observers are pointing out that he was poor at long-term planning, which may be an indication of why they want back to this as a TC match. On the other hand, from a kayfabe perspective Kawada has probably earned a chance to get back the title he never really lost.

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  • GSR changed the title to [1999-07-23-AJPW-Summer Action Series] Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada
  • 1 year later...

AJPW Triple Crown Champion Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada - AJPW 7/23/99

I wasn't even aware this existed until a few weeks ago. I wouldnt say I am a hardcore AJPW fan, but I consider myself pretty knowledgeable and I am surprised I never heard of this. I agree to an extent that if Baba was booking they would have waited until 2000 before another match since they did the title switch in January. I will say since Kawada had to vacate the title due to injury, it is logical to give him a title rematch sooner rather than later. I enjoyed their 98 and 99 match so I was curious to see what this was like. 

They dont really break any new ground. I would say they substitute some of the athletic workrate of their earlier matches with brutally stiff strikes. Both men were going head-hunting but it was Kawada that was getting the best of it trying to kick Misawa's head off. There was a nice cutoff where normally Misawa stops himself going into the buckles and turns around and smashes someone with an Elbow but Kawada cut if off with a Yakuza Kick. Misawa made his first mini-comeback, elbow immediately into Tiger Driver for nearfall and then Elbow Suicida. Awesome transition when Misawa attempts the Tiger Driver off the apron only to be thwarted and Fireman's Carry off the apron. Very nice exchange and strong transition. Kawada sticks with the kick, punch, knee Misawa in the head game plan. Misawa gets a couple licks in but Kawada stays in control. Kawada tries for Powerbomb but Misawa Elbows his way out of trouble. I got to admit there's not much in the way of highspots. They are working a strong, brutal style thats lean and compact. That Left Elbow was BRUTAL and Kawada's jelly leg sell was perfect!

Misawa's comeback doesnt last long and is met a Jumping High Kick. Brainbuster and Powerbomb in short succession give Kawada a strong nearfall. Misawa pants almost come down in the Misawa-Rana. Misawa DRILLS Kawada in the back of the head with an Elbow, fixes his pants and Tiger Suplex. The home stretch is red hot. Misawa just absorbs every stiff to the head including a Closed Fist and returns fire with brutally stiff Elbows. TIGER DRIVER '91~! Misawa is poised to Elbow again, but Kawada never gets back up which is a weird, anti-climatic ending. 

 It is a retread and I think I prefer their 2005 Dome Greatest Hits Nostalgia match to this. I do think it is better than Overkill 97 match but yeah this is the second from the bottom. I still wish 98% of wrestlers could construct such a smartly laid out match around strong, meaningful transitions and building to a home stretch. Every transitions was money and the heat was still there, but this was basically hit each other as hard you can in the head. It is a great match but not one of their classics. ****

 

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