Misawa vs Kawada

[Guest Black Tiger]

You can find this, and other tape reviews on Pegasus Kid's website http://www.rollinggermans.8m.com.

 

MITSUHARU MISAWA vs TOSHIAKI KAWADA (05/01/1998)

 

The night of 6/9/95 was one of the greatest for Toshiaki Kawada, he got his first pinfall over Mitsuharu Misawa. The match was a tag team match so it "didn't count". In 1996 Kawada took another shot at Misawa and the Triple Crown, he lost again. The 1997 Champions Carnival rolled around and the end saw a tie between Kenta Kobashi, Misawa, and Kawada. On that night Kawada got his first pinfall over Misawa in a singles match, but like 6/9/95, it was tainted.  Misawa had just gone through a 30 minute war with Kobashi. It is now 5/1/98, Zen Nihon Puroresu is holding their first ever Tokyo Dome show. The main event is Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada, for the unified PWF, NWA International, and  United National titles...The Triple Crown.

 

Both wrestlers circle each other to start, Kawada gets Misawa on the ropes and appears to break clean, then he fires off a knife edge chop to Misawa's chest, its no sold and Misawa fires off one of his elbow smashes. They circle again and Misawa fires off another elbow, Kawada no sells this one and he starts to fire off stiff kicks to the back of the legs, Misawa starts to follow suit and Kawada is down again. Misawa tries to capitalise with a german suplex, but Kawada blocks it and does a back leg kick to stun Misawa before he drops him with a running high kick, Misawa gets up and walks into a ganmengiri. Kawada now finally has control of the match.

 

Kawada puts on a side headlock and keeps Misawa on the ground, Misawa gets to his feet and Kawada hits him with a kick to his back, Kawada tries a vertical suplex but Misawa escapes it and hits an elbow smash, Kawada no sells and now they start to trade elbow smashes, Misawa wins and uses a twisting backdrop to get Kawada down. Misawa goes up to the top and hits his front dropkick, Kawada rolls to the floor to get his marbles together. Misawa gets Kawada back in slaps on the facelock, the crowd isn't popping like usual, I'll attribute that to this not being in Nippon Budokan. Kawada gets to the ropes, so Misawa pulls him back and puts it on again, Kawada gets to the ropes again. Misawa attempts to use a tiger driver, but Kawada blocks, Misawa beats on him for a minute and tries again, Kawada gets to the ropes so Misawa has to break. Misawa sends him off the ropes, but Kawada reverses it and kicks him square in the face.

 

Kawada puts Misawa on the top for a superplex, but Misawa does his escape, IN MID AIR and charges for a comeback elbow, Kawada hits a high kick to stop it. Kawada picks Misawa up and drops him with a brain

buster. Kawada puts on a triangle choke to wear down Misawa. Kawada picks him up after a minute or so and tries his high angle powerbomb, Misawa reverses it into a rana. Kawada stops the comeback elbow with a high kick for the second time in this match. Kawada picks him up to try to powerbomb again and Misawa blocks it. Kawada does the shin kicks  and then throw Misawa into the corner and charges with a running high kick. Kawada follows up with knee shots to the face and Misawa starts to no sell, Kawada drops him with a kick but Misawa comes back with his third try at an elbow, and this one hits. Kawada sells and drops him with a high kick, Misawa no sells and fires off another elbow, Kawada no sells so Misawa fires off one more, Kawada stays down for that one.

 

Misawa fires off a german suplex and Kawada takes the bump on his head and shoulders. Kawada gets back up and Misawa fires off a few elbows and tries the big rolling elbow and Kawada ducks and fires off his own german suplex, Misawa takes a sick bump on his head and no sells it. Misawa charges Kawada but it hit by a ganmengiri, just like the in start of the match. Both men are down and seemingly out. Kawada slowly crawls to his feet and picks up Misawa for the Dangerous Backdrop. Misawa looks totally dead after the move, Kawada goes to put the icing on the cake and Misawa fights back with elbow smashes and tries the tiger driver, but Kawada blocks, so Misawa has to settle for the german suplex, it only gets a two count and Kawada jumps up, like to charge for his kick but instead he falls out of the ring. Kawada is back in and Misawa goes for the kill with elbow smashes and the tiger driver, for a two count. Misawa hooks the arms for a tiger suplex, the move he used to defeat Kawada in their first ever Triple Crown title match in 1992, Kawada gets to the ropes to protect himself. Kawada starts to kick at Misawa's legs, as Misawa fires off elbows to stop him, Kawada hits Misawa with a dragon screw leg whip.

 

Misawa's knee now ripe for the picking (RIP Gorilla) Kawada does a single leg boston crab to wear it down. Misawa gets to the ropes, Kawada works the knee by stomping his foot on the back of the inside knee, like on the AKI N64 wrestling games. Kawada goes for the figure four and Misawa is writhing in pain, Misawa pulls back for the ropes, Kawada pulls him back toward the middle of the ring, Misawa pulls back and gets the ropes for the break. Misawa, hopping on one leg fires off an elbow with the right arm, Kawada blocks it, but Misawa knocks him down with one from the left arm, (a nice psychology bit from Misawa vs Hansen with Misawa playing Hansen and the elbow playing the lariat). Misawa picks Kawada up for the tiger suplex, 1...2...2 1/3!  Misawa throws an elbow, Kawada blocks with a ganmengiri but Misawa blocks that. Misawa hits an elbow, Kawada rebounds off the ropes and hits a running high kick. Kawada tries to slap on a Juji-Gatame but Misawa is holding on to his other hand. Kawada gets the Juji-Gatame but Misawa gets the ropes, Kawada begins to work the arm with arm wrenches over his shoulder, Misawa stops him with an elbow and tries the tiger driver, Kawada flips it over into a pin, Misawa rolls out and hits the tiger driver but it only gets two. Kawada blocks an elbow, and fires off a kick, Misawa stays up, Kawada tries again, Misawa stays up again. Kawada uses a lariat to keep him down and pins him for two.

 

Kawada tries the stretch plum, reversed into a german suplex for two, Misawa avoids the ganmengiri but a rolling kappo kick knocks him right on his face, as he gets up Kawada charges with a ganmengiri and Misawa drops, Kawada covers him. 1...2...2 1/2. Kawada tries his famous powerbomb but its blocked, so he uses a german suplex for another two count. Misawa is groggy, Kawada stands him up an hits a ganmengiri, Misawa didn't even TRY to block it. Misawa is just playing possum and hits an elbow, Kawada answers with a kappo kick and then another ganmengiri, Kawada goes for a powerbomb with a lean, instead of his usual folding one, it only gets two. Kawada picks up Misawa and hits a full high angle powerbomb with the fold on the end of it. 1...2...3!!!!! Toshiaki Kawada has won the triple crown, from Mitsuharu Misawa in a fair match, nothing to taint it. The play by play man is going crazy, he's screaming "COUNTO THREE!" and "SHIN CHAMPION!"

 

The crowd was dead for much of this match, I'll attribute that to this match being in the Tokyo Dome instead of Nippon Budokan, where most of their classic matches were held. ****1/2

 

Conclusion: This match is looked down on, since its not as great as the others in their series, but the chase is almost always better than the payoff anyways. This match also had almost no head dropping bumps in it,

as well as some great psychological elements. This match gets a high recommendation from me

 

Black Tiger

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