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Match 1

Magnum TOKYO, Dragon Kid & Genki Horiguchi vs. CIMA, SUWA & Sumo Dandy Fuji

Sumo tags CIMA before even making contact with Genki. Everyone except SUWA and Dragon Kid take their turns exchanging holds and working the mat early on. CIMA drops his slingshot sommersault senton on TOKYO. After a mat exchange, TOKYO uses his nice standing corkscrew splash, then a rana. They exchange armdrags, try dropkicks at the same time, then stand off. Sumo and Genki are tagged. "Come and get me!" shouts Sumo. Genki drop toehold's the big man and "surfs" on his back. A diving rana sends Sumo out. Genki feigns a dive and surfs again. Dragon Kid and SUWA are brought in for the first time, SUWA instantly using a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker on his rival. Dragon comes back with an armdrag, then a spinning headscissors takeover. SUWA goes out and Dragon feigns his own dive. He makes the mistake of posing though and CIMA dropkick's him. TOKYO is tagged and in on the wrong end of SUWA's slingshot elbow drop. Dragon returns, and goes for a knuckle lock, but SUWA sneakily dropkick's a knee from behind. Sumo and CIMA do their drop toehold/sliding dropkick combination, then CIMA hits a typically beautiful regular dropkick. The action is flowing REALLY well here. SUWA and Genki go at it, SUWA hitting an inverted atomic drop. A running dropkick sends Genki flying in and the other Crazy Max members enter.

Sumo takes Genki on a giant swing as CIMA ties his shoelaces. After several revolutions, CIMA connects with a precise dropkick to Genki on the turn. Genki sort of rana's CIMA to the outside and in the ring, Dragon takes SUWA down with a diving rana. TOKYO dropkick's a knee of Sumo from under him. SUWA and Sumo are sent out and the match goes into full gear. TOKYO and Dragon hit a truly AWESOME double dive, Dragon doing his middle buckle springboard moonsault out and TOKYO also doing a middle buckle springboard, sommersaulting out ! YAHOO ! Genki surfs in thin air and goes out with a tope con hilo to CIMA! TOKYO re-enters with a springboard dropkick to Sumo for 2. Dragon Kid connects with a corner charge spinning heel kick to Sumo and TOKYO follows in with a lariat. He sits Sumo up and brings him down with the GYRATING RANA for 2 ! Holy #### ! He savate kick's the Dandy man, then spikes him with a brainbuster for 2. Sumo escapes a waistlock with a reverse low blow, then drops TOKYO with a bulldog. He tries a running lariat, but TOKYO kicks the arm. Sumo persists with a rolling lariat for 2 1/2 ! I love that move. Sumo hits TOKYO with his nodowa elbow for 2, Dragon saving! SUWA takes out Dragon with another great diving lariat. Dragon turns a corner charge into a jumping Stunner, then hits a double springboard moonsault press to SUWA for 2 ! Repeating the trend on the show, Dragon misses his Dragon Rana and lands on his feet, but this time he is met on the turn with a lariat from SUWA, garnering a 2 1/2 count !

SUWA and Dragon Kid bow out for the moment, leaving Genki and CIMA to go at it. CIMA succeeds with his forward flying headscissors turnbuckle smash, then sits Genki up. He connects with a Venus punch, but takes too long signalling for the Iconoclasm, Genki connecting with a dropkick to CIMA's neck ! Genki hits a snap rana for 2 1/2 ! He goes for the Beach Break, but CIMA counters it with a piledriver. He goes up and gets crotched, then brought down by TOKYO with a springboard rana. TOKYO drops him with a powerbomb, leaning over for 2 1/2 ! He tries the Viagra Driver, but CIMA hops over and after a Sumo lariat, backslide's TOKYO for 2 1/2 ! Sumo and CIMA hit corner attacks on TOKYO, CIMA springboarding off Sumo's back with a Venus punch. Iconoclasm to TOKYO ! SUWA instantly follows with a diving elbow drop for 2 1/2 ! TOKYO is sat up and CIMA fires a Venus punch. CROSS ARM Iconoclasm ! He goes up for the Mad Splash, but M2K's Susumu Mochizuki appears on the apron. CIMA scuffles with him, giving Kanda time to hit CIMA with the blue box. Was this really necessary? The other Crazy Max members are mugged at ringside as TOKYO Viagra Driver's CIMA for the win !

Winners : Magnum TOKYO, Dragon Kid & Genki Horiguchi

Match Rating : ****1/2

Match Comments : HIGHSPOTS GALORE !

 

Match 2

Masato Tanaka v Hayabusa

The match starts with matwork. Tanaka dropkick's a leg and makes a mental note of that, then uses his middle buckle springboard lariat to send Hayabusa out. An elbow suicida connects beautiful as Tanaka dives out. Back in, Tanaka goes after the leg, using various holds, including a figure-four leglock that Hayabusa is stuck in for a while. Tanaka uses a surfboard and turns it into a bow and arrow chinlock. Hayabusa does a nice wristlock takedown, then low dropkick's the arm. Tanaka does several nice arm holds, including a rolling takedown into a chickenwing armlock. Hayabusa springboard's straight into a powerslam though, in a very nice spot. Tanaka does his rope charge elbow dash, but a second elbow attempt is unsuccessful, Hayabusa hitting a rana. Hayabusa drops Tanaka with a release German suplex, and of course he stands up, then hits a lariat and does the delayed selling. Tanaka uses a nice run-the-ropes Stunner (an Acid Drop, ending in a Stunner instead of Ace Crusher). A tornado DDT gets 2 for Tanaka.

Tanaka gets caught up top and brought down with a belly to belly. A sliding dropkick sends him out and Hayabusa follows with a tope con hilo! Hayabusa throws Tanaka back in, then moves into his big spots, firstly a slingshot legdrop for 2. A fisherman buster gets 2 and a Tiger Driver goes a half count better. A diving twisting senton gets 2. A Michinoku Driver II gets 2 1/2, as Tanaka refuses to stay down from anything. He catches Hayabusa up top and brings him down with a suplex. "THUNDER FIRE!". Hayabusa hops out of the Thunder Fire Powerbomb attempt, but eats an elbow smash and then gets dropped with the TFPB for 2. Tanaka runs into a high kick when trying an elbow and is sent down with a Tiger suplex hold for 2 3/4 ! Hayabusa hits the firebird splash, but still can't keep Tanaka down! Hayabusa uses his own TFPB, getting 2. He goes up for the Phoenix splash, but Tanaka catches him. Tanaka brings him down with a TRULY INSANE AVALANCHE-STYLE REVERSE BRAINBUSTER ! WOW ! WHAT A MOVE ! He follows with a Death Valley Bomb, but now Hayabusa is playing the defiant one, kicking out. Tanaka hits another TFPB and leans over for 2 ! Hayabusa hops out of another attempt and catches Tanaka with a boot. Tanaka tries an elbow on the turn, Hayabusa counters that attempt with a rana attempt, but gets bombed down for 2. A second running Death Valley Bomb gets 2 1/2 for Tanaka.

He tries a third, but Hayabusa slips out and connects with a high kick. Release Dragon suplex to Tanaka ! Falcon Arrow for 2 3/4 ! Really good near falls. They exchange kicks an elbows, before Tanaka lands a stiff elbow on the turn for 2 1/2 ! Another TFPB gets 2 3/4 ! Exhaustion sets in and their strikes begin to lack the strength they did early. Hayabusa uses his twisting front kick, but a groggy Tanaka stays up and hits a running elbow for 2 1/2 ! Hayabusa counters a powerbomb with an armdrag. He blocks a rolling elbow, Tanaka ducks a high kick retaliation, but Hayabusa lands a shotei. Tanaka blocks a suplex lift and hits his suplex Stunner for 2 1/2 ! He tries the rolling elbow, but Hayabusa catches the arms. Hooks them... TIGER DRIVER '91 ! He quickly picks Tanaka up and drops him with a Falcon Arrow, hooking a leg for the win.

Winner : Hayabusa

Match Ratings : *****++

Match Comments : AWESOME, AWESOME, AWESOME match ! Tanaka was a MILLION DOLLARS in this match, looking great. Hayabusa was also great, but not great-great like Tanaka was great.

 

Match 3

Jinsei Shinzaki vs. Mr. Gannosuke

Jinsei leaves the ring to cut off Gannosuke backstage as he enters. They meet and fight into the crowd. Kanemura hits Shinzaki with a chair and helps Gannosuke control him. They all stand on the apron, the Team No Respect heel gods doing a mock prayer before powerbombing Shinzaki off the apron and through a table ! WOW ! I never knew they were a team ! Gannosuke uses table remnants to jab the back of Shinzaki's head, cutting it open. Back in the ring, Gannosuke smashes Jinsei's skull with another board shot. Blood trickles from the back of Shinzaki's head around to the front. Gannosuke throws kicks and punches to the wound. In one quick sequence, Shinzaki cartwheel's away from a lariat, Gannosuke avoids a side kick, Jinsei catches a leg, going for his 360 dragon screw, but is struck with an enzuigiri. YAHOO !

Shinzaki swerves everyone by going for his reverse body press from the middle buckle, but turning it into a painful-looking double footstomp ! OUCH ! He goes up and leaps off with his Praying diving shoulderblock for 2. He goes for the Praying powerbomb, but Gannosuke breaks the grip and uses the Gannosuke clutch for a heated 2 3/4 count ! He's unable to successfully follow up, having a leg caught and falling victim to a 360 dragon screw. Shinzaki hits the Praying powerbomb and leans over for 2 1/2 ! He goes for the Goku-Raku Gatame, but Gannosuke manages to throw Jinsei off and the priest slides out of the ring fast. Jinsei gets to the apron and Gannosuke charges him off and through (or rather, on to) a table ! Holy Crap ! Gannosuke runs the ropes, but Shinzaki re-enters with a springboard dropkick. However, a Praying diving headbutt misses and Shinzaki is spiked with Fire Thunder for 2. Jinsei stays up after two lariats, but a third to the side of his head sends him down for 2 1/2. Gannosuke hits a missile dropkick to the back and makes a slow cover for 1. A Falcon Arrow goes a count better. Gannosuke tries a Praying powerbomb, but Jinsei counters it by "clapping" Gannosuke's head. He tries a rana, but is bombed down to the mat for another 2 !

Shinzaki hops out of Fire Thunder, dropkick's a leg and applies the Goku-Raku Gatame ! Shinzaki is hit with another reverse low blow, but strikes quickly with an overhead kick ! A closed fist punch sends Gannosuke down. Jinsei hits the Praying powerbomb again, leaning over for 2 1/2 ! He goes for another, but instead raises Gannosuke into a crucifix lift, and drops him with a Black Tiger bomb, covering for the big win !

Winner : Jinsei Shinzaki

Match Rating : ****3/4

 

Match 4

Kenta Kobashi © vs. Mitsuharu Misawa for the Triple Crown

Kobashi uses power to shoulderblock Misawa down, but the challenger springs right back up and strikes with an elbow flurry. He hits a dropkick and then a sliding variation, sending Kobashi out. Misawa connects with his elbow suicida dive very early on, making perfect contact. Kobashi climbs on to the apron and is brought back in the ring with a backdrop supex. Misawa follows that with a senton bomb for 2. He goes for an early Tiger Driver, but Kobashi is aware and scrambles back to the ropes. He smartly ducks a spinning lariat and catches Misawa with a stiff knife hand chop. He follows with a savate kick and then a jumping DDT for 2. Misawa is stunned and rolls out to gather his composure. Back in, Kobashi maintains control with more chops. Misawa tries elbows, but Kobashi's chops are too strong this time, two rolling chops sending Misawa to his knees. Misawa does manage to jump out of a suplex attempt, only to be caught with a knee to the midsection. Kobashi stays focused on the gut/rib area, throwing some punches to it. Kobashi drops Misawa with a front suplex, quickly following with a bow and arrow hold. Kobashi breaks the hold and uses a diving tackle to the midsection. After some more shots, he applies a Cobra Twist, stretching Misawa. Hard chops and more shots follow. Misawa is sent to a corner, where he puts a foot out to block impact, turns, and is caught with a superkick. Misawa stays up and elbow smashes Kobashi down. He unloads with an excellent sequence of offense, an elbow, a rolling back elbow and finally a rolling spin kick, Kobashi going down after that. Misawa slows it down, standing behind Kobashi and pulling his arms back. Kobashi shows great strength, twisting Misawa's arms and swapping positions. Misawa escapes this predicament with a double mule kick. Kobashi stands and charges Misawa, trying to tackle him, but meets only an elbow! Misawa sits on the top turnbuckle and leaps off with this unique spinning mule kick of sorts. Misawa hits a double-arm suplex and follows up with elbows. Kobashi tries to counter the elbows with chops, but is overwhelmed by a flurry. Misawa comes off the second buckle with a diving elbow. He goes up again, to the top turnbuckle, and drops a frog splash for 2.

Misawa tries a camel clutch next, but Kobashi doesn't have too much trouble getting to the ropes. Misawa snapmare's Kobashi down and quickly applies a patented stepover facelock. Misawa breaks the hold and throws some jumping kicks to Kobashi's face. Kobashi catches a leg on one attempt and throws knife hand chops to each side of the head. Misawa uses more elbows and Kobashi gets the fans riled up with one of his defiant fighting spirit phase-outs. They exchange running high kicks, then Kobashi tries some kneelifts, but once again Misawa's elbow smashes are too strong, another flurry sending Kobashi down and out. Misawa charges and flips over the ropes to the apron. Kobashi is ready and grabs a leg, but Misawa kicks him off. He follows with an apron dive elbow, but finds only a rail! Misawa slowly ascends to the apron, only to be sent back into the rail with a vicious lariat. Despite referee Wada's protests, Kobashi goes out and throws Misawa back in, then covers for 2. Kobashi hits Misawa with a dropkick in the corner, then takes Misawa to the outside. Noticing Misawa's elbow injury, he looks to disable the challenger's attacking arm, sending it into a steel rail. He puts the arm over the rail and ruthlessly brings a leg down on it. Back in the ring, he stays on the elbow, using some well placed stomps. Kobashi brings the arm down on the turnbuckle supporter several times, Misawa in agony. Kobashi takes Misawa down with a jumping armbreaker and quickly transitions into a cross armbreaker. Misawa is able to use his free arm to block it and finds the ropes with a leg before any major added damage is done. Since he's been so focused on the arm, Kobashi throws some knife hand chops to Misawa's head to ensure that he's still dazed. He uses more armbreakers to work over the arm, and when Misawa tries a comeback with the elbow, he instantly regrets it and clutches the arm. Kobashi goes straight back to work on it, and when Misawa tries to roll out for a way of escape, simply follows. Out there, Misawa hits another elbow, but Kobashi just throws him straight back into the ring, confident. He strikes with two running kicks, but a third backfires, Kobashi running into a back elbow. Unfortunately for Misawa, the elbow pain is still too much and he can't follow up. THAT is good.

Kobashi abruptly drops Misawa VERTICALLY with a half-nelson suplex ! WOW ! Kobashi goes straight back to the arm. He applies a stepover armbar and the fans go wild. Referee Wada does a great job, scrambling around Misawa and making it seem like the challenger might tap at any second. Misawa forces a rope break, finding brief comfort. He throws another elbow, but a second is countered by Kobashi with a wakigatame ! Misawa is unable to break it, having to absorb the pain until Kobashi himself ends the hold. He hits another armbreaker and again drops Misawa, this time with a release German suplex ! HOLY #### ! Misawa, in an act of bravado (and stupidity), springs up and charges... straight into an ipponzei ! I KNOW THAT THROW ! I DID IT IN JUDO ! After the shoulder throw, Kobashi instantly locks on a cross armbreaker, Misawa unable to block it this time! After he breaks the hold, Kobashi throws more attacks at the arm, including a big rolling chop. Misawa tries a rolling spin kick to come back, but Kobashi catches the leg and throws Misawa backwards, dumping him on his head for the third time with an unnamed suplex. Kobashi backs into the corner and readies his arm. He charges with a lariat, but Misawa gets a boot up. Kobashi tries another, but Misawa elbows the arm. This is constant. Kobashi is in sheer agony, rolling out of the ring and screaming. Misawa connects with a baseball slide dropkick, sending Kobashi into the rail. Misawa follows with a corkscrew pescado ! WOW ! Back in, Misawa covers for just 2. On his second attempt of the move, Misawa hits a spinning lariat and tries to shake off the elbow pain. He hooks the arms for a Tiger Driver, but Kobashi quickly escapes it. Misawa blocks a lariat by lifting his arms and Kobashi lets out another scream of anguish. Misawa capitalizes on Kobashi's shock with a release German suplex ! He scoops the champion up and hits a Tiger Driver for 2 ! WHAT A NEARFALL ! The strain of lifting Kobashi apparently hurt Misawa's elbow some more, as he clutches it and rolls to the apron. He stands and Kobashi tries a comeback, but his chop is weak. Misawa sends Kobashi straight back down with a couple of elbows.

Misawa tries a missile dropkick, but Kobashi steps aside and lariat's Misawa as he flies down! Kobashi can't follow up instantly because the lariat arm is of course his bad arm, and the delay means he can only get a 2 1/2 count. Kobashi covers again, this time neutralizing a leg, but can only get the same result. Kobashi goes for a powerbomb and after two blocks, lifts Misawa and drops him with a high-angle powerbomb, leaning over for a 2 3/4 count ! ALmost. He goes to set up another, but Misawa pushes him away. However, Kobashi persists and drops a leg to Misawa's neck. Kobashi backs into a corner and runs, landing another legdrop. He applies a front neck lock and stands with the hold still applied. The fans understand what he's going for, the buzz rising as he lifts Misawa. Orange Crush! Kobashi covers for 2 3/4 ! HOW CLOSE CAN THEY GET ! A sense of desperation sets in for Kobashi as he covers again, this time only getting a 2 1/2 count. Kobashi picks Misawa up and goes for a Burning lariat, but Misawa blocks it and Kobashi topples down, even more damage added to the arm. Kobashi is up first though, Misawa still trying to recover from the effects of Orange Crush. Kobashi takes Misawa to the apron and lifts Misawa for a powerbomb off it, but Misawa counters the bomb and rana's Kobashi to the floor ! FUCK ME ( SORRY ) ! Misawa grabs his right leg, obviously in pain. Both roll back in, exhausted and hurt. Misawa throws an elbow and lariat in quick succession. He gets revenge on Kobashi from earlier, dropping him with a release German suplex. He doesn't get much force on the suplex though, and clutches his elbow as soon as Kobashi is released. He persists with a rolling elbow, the risk again questionable as the elbow continues to trouble him. He hits a second rolling elbow and again just stands after hitting it, his own pain stopping him from capitalizing as quickly as he would like. Misawa goes for a third, only to have it countered with a Burning lariat ! Both stare at the lights and slowly struggle up. Kobashi absorbs some elbow smashes and in an act of desperation, drops Misawa with another release German suplex ! They are slow up again, Misawa throwing another elbow. Kobashi tries a charge, but Misawa just kind of drops down and throws his shoulders into Kobashi's midsection. He stands and lands another rolling elbow, this one to Kobashi's neck ! Misawa hooks one of Kobashi's arms behind his back, but Kobashi uses his other arm to cling on to the top rope, knowing what's next. Misawa breaks his grip and Kobashi is helpless, being dropped with a release Tiger suplex ! Misawa slowly rolls over, covering for 2 1/2 ! This is truly wonderful to watch.

Misawa ducks a rolling chop and quickly pushes Kobashi down and grabs the arms. TIGER DRIVER '91 ! Misawa covers. 1, 2... and 9/10 ! Kobashi kicks out of the TD91 ! Misawa lifts Kobashi and the challenger throws a lariat that is weak, but that is enough to temporarily rock Misawa. The same thing happens again. But Misawa ducks a third, then applies a half nelson and crossface. Kobashi has a split second to understand what's about to happen to him. TIGER SUPLEX '85 ! HOLY MOTHER OF THE LORD ! Kobashi is just out of it, but uses his remaining strength to stand. Misawa is up before him and ready. He charges and knocks Kobashi out with a running elbow ! Misawa drops down and covers, winning the match.

Winner : Mitsuharu Misawa

Match Rating : **********

Match Comments : This WAS the greatest match ever. If you have not seen it, do not argue with me, if you have, then agree because that is all that you can do.

[Guest TopSecretMan]

GOD THANKS FOR THE INSIGHT

[Guest Jubuki]

INDEED

 

It's funny...last night, I was watching an Akiyama/Kikuchi v Patriot/Eagle throwaway match, and it was making me think more than usual, so I did a search on Bloom's Taxonomy, which I couldn't quite recall fully, outside of the 'six levels of thinking' bit.  It's great (though strictly in an "amuse Chris with their horrible effort" way) to see people try to talk about a match, and they go from levels 1 and 2 - knowledge and comprehension, as in "this is a TD 91," and "Hey, I just saw Misawa use the TD 91" - skip all the shit in between, and go straight to level 6 - evaluation: BEST MATCH EVER AND YOU CAN'T ARGUE WITH ME OH MY GOD HOLY FARKING SHIZNIBIDIZIAT~~!!~~!!  

 

Just felt like sharing.

[Guest wolverine]

"Match Comments : This WAS the greatest match ever."

 

It's in my personal top 5.

 

"If you have not seen it, do not argue with me, if you have, then agree because that is all that you can do."

 

I have, and it's not the greatest match ever.  Try Toyota/Yamada vs. Kansai/Ozaki 11/26/92.  Misawa vs. Kawada 6/3/94, Misawa/Kobashi vs. Kawada/Taue 6/9/95, and Misawa/Akiyama vs. Kawada/Taue 12/6/96 are all better than 1/20/97 Misawa-Kobashi as well.