| Simon Watches AJPW - 1990s; ELBOOOOOOOOWWWWWW | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jul 20 2009, 03:25 AM (6,027 Views) | |
| Big Tuna | Jan 6 2013, 12:59 AM Post #101 |
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The Master and Ruler Of The World
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Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Yoshihiro Takayama, 9/4/1999 Not as great as Kawada's match with the kid, but Kawada was better than Misawa by this point at elevating young guys, so it makes sense. This is also much more of a classic AJPW style match with the matwork going into striking and big bombs, so it lacks the unique vibe that Kawada/Takayama had. Still, Takayama steps up well and they deliver. Not anywhere near as good as they'd do in NOAH in 2001-2002, but Takayama wasn't on the level here that he was there. Misawa puts together an elbow combination and then the Running Elbow for the win. ***1/4 Kenta Kobashi vs. Mike Awesome, 9/4/1999 HOLY SHIT THIS RULED. In terms of Mike Awesome matches, it's probably only second to whichever Awesome/Tanaka match a given person saw first, since they're pretty much all the same, albeit great. This is a spotfest in that vein, but seeing as this is AJPW, there's less chair and table stuff and more insane head drops. Both guys hit all their big bombs and it escalates very smartly. Awesome's control is great, and then yeah, typical fireworks display for the finishing run. Kobashi counters an Awesome Bomb with a Huracanrana and hits a Lariat to win. ***1/4 Mitsuharu Misawa/Yoshinari Ogawa [c] vs. Kenta Kobashi/Jun Akiyama [AJPW Unified Tag Team Championship], 10/23/1999 Misawa and Ogawa have started calling themselves the Untouchables, and it's pretty hilarious that of all the Misawa teams, dominating tag divisions with Kawada and Kobashi and the great team with Akiyama, this gets a name like that. I'm hoping some of the other Japanese teams make a big impression when I do that next, because Misawa and Ogawa are creeping into the Top 50. This is great, again. Probably better than in March, as this is less about that ratty little fuck Ogawa proving himself as worthy and more about him being a cheating little shit who helps Misawa survive when Akiyama and Kobashi both dominate him one on one. This created the amazing opportunity for Outgunned Misawa, which is some of the best stuff ever. Finishing run had too much Misawa/Kobashi, as Misawa/Akiyama is so much fresher at this point. Still, it's the focus now, ugh. Kobashi breaks out the BURNING HAMMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH~ for the first time to pin Misawa for a title. **** Mitsuhuaru Misawa [c] vs. Vader [AJPW Triple Crown Championship], 10/30/1999 This is my favorite of their three 1999 matches. It's the shortest and simplest, but it plays so well off of the first two. Vader got caught with a lucky elbow in match #1, and in match #2, he went outside his element. So here, he does what he has to do, which is stick to what he does and allow no openings. It's a complete massacre from the start, and Misawa's desperation and utter impotence in the face of Vader's attack, and his knowledge of this, is glorious. Misawa tries, but Vader stays on him to cut the comebacks off. Awesome Misawa facials as he recognizes his defeat, but tries to fight it off. Vader ends his final AJPW title run with a Powerbomb. FUCK YEAH VADER. ****1/4 |
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| Big Tuna | Jan 6 2013, 01:25 AM Post #102 |
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The Master and Ruler Of The World
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Kenta Kobashi/Jun Akiyama vs. Akira Taue/Stan Hansen [1999 REAL WORLD TAG LEAGUE FINALS], 12/3/1999 This is Stan Hansen's last hurrah, replacing an injured Kawada as Taue's partner. They look and act a lot like the old Hansen/Baba team, due to Taue also getting old too, and this being the first RWTL ever after Baba's death, they are the sentimental favorites. The emotion is such that FUCKING KOBASHI GETS BOOED! Hansen shines huge as a desperate wild old animal. Tons of awesome nearfalls, and one of the hottest crowds on record makes this a fitting end to the 90s. The old men cannot withstand the onslaught of the young superteam, sadly, and Taue loses after the Wrist-Clutch Exploder. **** |
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7:02 PM Jul 10