Kawada turn

[Guest kebab]

From Barnett's site:

 

5-9-93 Kawada retrospective

Kawada's final face match

Taue/Fuchi/Ogawa v Kobashi/Kawada/Kikuchi

 

What happened with that ? Did he turn on his partners ? Or did he 'graduate' so to speak ?

[Guest Coffin Surfer]

That is correct, but in way it's slightly inaccurate. There really are no faces and heels in All Japan, or at least not in the way that you think of in American wrestling. In All Japan everything is grey, though some wrestlers are a bit more dickish than others, and thereby somewhat heels. Though the crowd still loves them, they will "boo" them when they break the rules or take a short cut.

 

After the match Kawada left Misawa's stable, somewhat buried the hatchet with Taue not soon after when the two fought to a draw, and took over Jumbo's former stable(Taue, Fuchi, Ogawa...etc.), and started fueding with Misawa's stable(Kobashi, Kikuchi, Akiyama).

 

Kawada and Co. were considerably more dickish with their cheap shots, kicks, and what not. While Misawa and Co. were more respectful and the crowd got behind them more thanks to face in peril acts and that sort of thing. (though Kobashi turned into a real asshole by the end of 93).

[Guest kebab]

After the match Kawada left Misawa's stable, somewhat buried the hatchet with Taue not soon after when the two fought to a draw, and took over Jumbo's former stable(Taue, Fuchi, Ogawa...etc.), and started fueding with Misawa's stable(Kobashi, Kikuchi, Akiyama).

Yeah, but the thing I don't get is that [if memory serves me correctly] it was decided before the match. If it had already been established, why did he team up with Kobashi & Kikuchi in that match ?

 

I haven't watched it in ages, but I seem to remember some kind of ceremony taking place either before or after the match, like it was Kawada's 'farewell' so to speak. Which would have been strange considering he teamed with future 'enemies'.

[Guest Coffin Surfer]

After the match Kawada left Misawa's stable, somewhat buried the hatchet with Taue not soon after when the two fought to a draw, and took over Jumbo's former stable(Taue, Fuchi, Ogawa...etc.), and started fueding with Misawa's stable(Kobashi, Kikuchi, Akiyama).

Yeah, but the thing I don't get is that [if memory serves me correctly] it was decided before the match. If it had already been established, why did he team up with Kobashi & Kikuchi in that match ?

 

I haven't watched it in ages, but I seem to remember some kind of ceremony taking place either before or after the match, like it was Kawada's 'farewell' so to speak. Which would have been strange considering he teamed with future 'enemies'.

Because Kawada knew it would probably the last time he would team with Kobashi and Kikuchi(and I actually think it was). This isn't the current WWE where you'll be on one side one minute, and another the next, things were usually pretty permenat. this was to be his last horray with the men he had been teaming with for the past three years. If I recall he was in tears at the end of the match, very powerful stuff.

 

Kawada couldn't refuse Baba, he knew this was a step he had to take if he wanted to challenge Misawa for the number one native position in the company.

[Guest kebab]

Kawada couldn't refuse Baba, he knew this was a step he had to take if he wanted to challenge Misawa for the number one native position in the company.

Yeah, definately agree with that, but do you know how it was explained to the fans ?

 

Since it wasn't a turn as such, and since they don't talk about backstage positions etc, how was it presented ?

[Guest Black Tiger]

I always thought that the "official" turn happened after Kawada and Taue had their draw in the 1993 Champions Carnival.

[Guest Coffin Surfer]

"always thought that the "official" turn happened after Kawada and Taue had their draw in the 1993 Champions Carnival."

 

That would be 4/18, which to my mistake actually happened before 5/9. For some reason I thought it happened on 5/18, oh well.

 

Actually I believe that 4/18 was the final nail in the casket of their fued, though their later matches suggested it still existed under the surface.

 

5/9 was the last time Kawada teamed with Misawa's boys before starting to team with Taue and the gang. So I can see how it is considered his final (face) match.

 

 

"Yeah, definately agree with that, but do you know how it was explained to the fans ?

Since it wasn't a turn as such, and since they don't talk about backstage positions etc, how was it presented ? "

 

They had press conferences where Baba would announce teams, matches, and all that jive. They also did interviews with the wrestlers and all that stuff, press coverage, and all that jive.