AJPW tape question

[Guest Black Tiger]

The 1999 AJ Summer Action Series has two parts to it, part one sounds like the better of them.

 

Can someone who's seen them both tell me if they're any good and which one is more worth going after.

[Guest wolverine]

They both suck.

[Guest Evil Ash]

I got both on one tape, but part two is screwed.

 

Still, unlike Wolverine, I enjoyed the first part. The first match on the list kinda blows, but Kawada vs Misawa was fun (nowhere near their classics, but still fun), as was Vader/Albright vs Kobashi/Akiyama. It's good to see big men bump, as well as deliver a hurtin'. I'm a big fan of Hase, and I thought his match with Taue was altogether OK. Kawada kicking the crap out of Takayama was good for a laugh. And Kobashi vs Some UWFi guy was as interesting as a relatively long match with one guy standing no chance of winning could be.

[Guest wolverine]

The only AJPW match from the 1998-1999 period that everyone needs to go out of their way to see, is the Kawada vs. Kobashi 6/12/98 match. There's some other good stuff during this period (but not much), and most of it isn't necessary, unless you're a die-hard fan or completist like me.

[Guest Black Tiger]

Thanks for the input Wolverine and Evil Ash. I'm looking to get some All Japan from mid-late 1999 up to the split. The only tapes I know for sure that I want to get are the October Giant Series 1999, Excite Series 2000, and Champions Carnival 2000. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

[Guest wolverine]

Those three tapes are pretty good, with ES 2000 being the best one listed.

 

OGS 1999 has a very good Misawa/Ogawa vs. Kobashi/Akiyama match (but I have lots of problems with Ogawa) and a good Misawa-Vader match.

 

CC 2000 is worthwhile for the Kobashi-Omori final, which is the best Omori match I've ever seen (but that's not saying THAT much though). Fun.

[Guest wolverine]

Just as an addendum to this, let me put in a strong caution to avoid New Year's Giant Series 1998. I knew I didn't like it before, but when I put on that Misawa-Akiyama match today, god, what a piece of shit. I haven't laughed at a closing sequence of an AJ match as hard as this, since the Misawa-Kobashi 10/25/95 farce. It was just UNBELIEVABLY STUPID watching Misawa absorb everything Akiyama was throwing at him and still come back to win. I mean, Akiyama must've used his whole moveset and then some (shit like a pedigree, a tombstone on the mat outside, "Akiyama" Driver - which is his version of the Tiger Driver, brainbusters, I think even a Kobashi Orange Crush, and then the most hilarious spot was an attempted powerbomb turned into a slingshot sending Misawa face first into the top turnbuckle).

 

Sheez, no wonder AJ went to Hell.

[Guest XdojimeX]

"There's some other good stuff during this period (but not much), and most of it isn't necessary, unless you're a die-hard fan or completist like me."

 

In the minority I reckon but I enjoyed the Kobashi-Akiyama TC that year a good deal. Not a MOTYC but lots of fun. The usual Kobashi goofiness but he reigns himself in enough to not kill the match and even manages to work in a decent storyline with the knee. A good deal better than their Noah carwreck that's for sure.

[Guest wolverine]

It's been awhile since I saw that Kobashi-Akiyama match, but I also enjoyed it when I first saw it. It's probably the best singles match of Akiyama's career at ****1/4, though I need to rewatch it to see if that rating holds up. And yes, it's far better than their NOAH match.