I recap puro...

[Guest Breetai]

Okay, this is my first ever try at a rant-style match description, so I’d appreciate some constructive feedback on it. The following match is AJPW 95-10-25 - Mitsuhara Misawa vs. Kenta Kobashi. Bear in mind that I’m fairly new to puroresu myself, so I might get a couple of move names wrong, but hey.

 

I know jack all about the history behind this match, so I’ll just go with the recap. Of note is that this is for the prestigious Triple Crown title, with Misawa as the defending champion.

 

With the preliminaries out of the way Kobashi and Misawa exchange a quick handshake (classy), and the match is underway. Lockup ends in a stalemate, with neither competitor taking the opportunity to take a cheapshot. The crowd is most appreciative, which highlights one of the many differences between Japanese and American audiences. Another lockup leads to an headlock/irish whip sequence, and a shoulderblock by Kobashi. Kobashi then starts to bring out the big guns, and pastes Misawa with the LARIATOOOO~!, which pretty much sets the pace for this match: it’s gonna be brutal. Suplex attempt by Kobashi is reversed via floatover into a Tiger suplex attempt by Misawa, which in turn is reversed by Kobashi into a lightning fast armdrag/matwork sequence which ends in a posedown, and pops the crowd. Misawa seems to be favouring the shoulder. Lockup/headlock/whip sequence leads to a shoulderblock which is no-sold by Kobashi who YELLS ANGRILY~! Leaping elbow is countered by Kobashi, who slams Misawa down to the mat, and capitalises with the MOTHERFUCKING ORANGE CRUSH! For 2. So much for pacing themselves.

 

Misawa wisely decides to bail, but then sorta regrets that decision when Kobashi POWERBOMBS HIM ON THE OUTSIDE. Well, there goes mutual repect flying out of the window. Kobashi brings him back in and gets 2. Misawa finds himself on the receiving end of a full nelson (not the best place to be at this point), fights his way out, but gets his back chopped up by Kobashi who then hits the suplex for 2.5. Bodyslam by Kobashi, and after an aborted moonsault attempt, Misawa fights back with... one elbow. He’s got no gas in the tank at this point, and collapses. Another elbow by Misawa, but Kobashi does the yelling no-sell and fights back with chops. He hits his trademark cornerpost chop sequence, and just to be a dick continues it even after Misawa slumps to the ground. OOOOOHHHH. The awesomeness of this match is still not enough to stop me from wondering idly why there are little green cartoon piggies on the turnbuckle covers, but let’s continue, shall we?

 

Suplex is blocked, so Kobashi goes for a famea-.. um, Guillotine Ace Crusher, and then a legdrop to the back of the head. Top-rope legdrop misses, and Misawa bails again. Back in, and they trade blows until a missed running elbow is capitalized on by Kobashi with an armbar. Shoulder armbreaker, then another, then Kobashi chops the fuck out of Misawa’s arm. Misawa retaliates with a massive corky to Kobashi’s bicep, and he reels away in pain. Kick to the chest by Kobashi, and a series of chops followed by a DDT gets 2. Kobashi knees Misawa in the face, but Misawa’s in a no-sellin’ mood, and GRIMICES MENACINGLY! Another series of knees gets the same result, and they trade blows with Misawa gaining the upper hand with a backdrop. Running elbow by Misawa, then he starts elbowing Kobashi mercilessly, slapping him around like a red-headed stepchild. Again they trade blows, which is segued into a surfboard/standing reverse sequence which Misawa flips out of. Sleeper by Kobashi, countered by an armdrag, then back into the sleeper.

Misawa makes the ropes, but Kobashi immediately headbutts him in the back of the head, and hits the half-nelson suplex for 2. Now that was just rude. Kobashi goes to the sleeper again, this time with bodyscissors, but Misawa manages to roll to the ropes, and then to the outside. Kobashi chops him on the ring apron, and a backdrop off of the apron is teased, but Misawa dumps him off. Kobashi slaps himself a few times to wake himself up (you see, just the little things like this can really add to the feel of a match), and makes his way back in, only to be on the recieveing end of a flying lariat by Misawa. Misawa with kicks to the head, and a Tiger driver gets 2, for Misawa’s first pinfall attempt of the match. A front dropkick and then a diving elbow, both from the top rope, serves to throw Kobashi out of the ring like a RAGDOLL, and Misawa follows it up with a suicide dive through the roped. Misawa brings him back in, and hits the frogsplash for two. Tiger suplex gets 2.5. Kobashi doesn’t know where he is right now. An INHUMAN release(!) tiger suplex forces Kobashi to bail, and Misawa pulls him back in for 2. The crowd is showing a lot of sympathy for Kobashi. Misawa follows up with a couple of elbows, and Kobashi makes me proud with the SWEETEST sell of the Rolling Elbow EVER. Seriously, this is the puroresu equivalent of Rock taking a stunner. It gets 2. Another cover attempt gets 2.

 

Kobashi tries to fight back with chops, but they have no force behind them and Misawa kicks him down. Misawa goes for the running elbow, but Kobashi counters with a scissor sweep and a legdrop to the shoulder. You see: they set this up right at the beginning of the match, and now Kobashi’s comeback is more believable. Kobashi ducks a spinkick, and then hits the UGLIEST GERMAN SUPLEX IMAGINABLE for 2. Seriously it landed Misawa RIGHT on his shoulder, and made me wince. Kobashi charges Misawa into the corner, and Misawa begins a selljob that is so good it’s SCARY. Seriously, the first time I saw it I thought that he was hurt legit. I’m still not 100%, as the ref checks on Misawa with obvious concern.

 

Kobashi then proceeds to show the true spirit of sportsmanship by headbutting the shit out of him, and hitting a LAZY BOMB~!. Kevin Nash would be so proud. Misawa climbs his way up the ropes, but Kobashi dropkicks him in the shoulder for 2. More headbutts, and a bridging powerbomb gets 2.9. Bodyslam, two legdrops, a RUNNING legdrop (Great, now he just has to hit an Outsider’s Edge and he’ll have the entire N.W.O. covered), and a moonsault gets 2. Kobashi tries for another moonsault, but Misawa’s turned over and is on all fours, which winds Kobashi and fucks Misawa’s shoulder up even more. Enzuiguri by Misawa, but Kobashi smacks him down with a LARIATOO~! ANOTHER Lariat is followed by a running elbow and another ugly german, Misawa fights back with DELAYED SELLING ACTION, but is hit with a dropkick for 2.

 

Powerbomb is reversed into a ‘rana, and Misawa begins his comeback with shoulders to the stomach, and a rolling elbow to the back. It gets 2. Released tiger suplex gets 2.9. Kobashi is pretty much fucked at this point. More elbow strikes, but Kobashi still keeps getting up. Kobashi chops back, but there’s nothing left in them and Misawa elbows him out of a backdrop attempt. Back body drop by Kobashi, but Misawa hits anther Rolling Elbow, sold slightly less awesomely than the first one. Misawa at this point decides “fuck it”, and hits the mighty TIGER DRIVER ’91 for the pin, at 35 minutes and 51 seconds. Owwie. Misawa retains! Both wrestlers are attended to, and Kobashi’s attendants scrape up what’s left of him and carry him down the aisle, but not before Misawa checks on him and gives him a hug, just to show there’s no hard feeling. Misawa thanks him as he’s going down the aisle. Classy.

 

My opinion? ***** Yes, I know that there have undoubtedly been much better matches, but I can only go by what I’ve seen, and this was a ***** effort. Brutal, BRUTAL match, no technical masterpiece, but a pleasure to watch, and if I wanted to introduce a friend to puro or wrestling in general, this is the match I’d show him.

[Guest Dangerous A]

You are doing well in the Baisden/Black Tiger vein of reviewing move for move.

 

Misawa and Kobashi's better matches were in 97 and 98. By 99, they lost it with mindless head drops and overall staleness to their matchup.

 

If you want a brutal match that is fun to watch and doesn't need a ton of backstory that you could show a newbie, go with Misawa vs Kawada 7/24/95.

[EL DANDY~! 0]

I think people try to be too much like Baisden or Black Tiger when doing puro. I know that whenever I review something, I try not to get really excited, unless it's a REALLY REALLY BIG MOVE (i.e. Burning Hammer, Tiger Driver '91, etc...). If I can say something...if you can try and get into the psychology a little more, I think that you'd get a lot more people interested. I mean, people LOVE big LETTERS and stuff, but if all you got is that, nobody will want to read future reviews. The key to this...is content. GOOD IMPORTANT content. None of the LARIATOOOOOO stuff (no offense to Baisden, because he does that anyways) but try and get deeper into what's happening in the match.

[Guest Thunder Rising!!!]

Pretty fine effort IMO.

 

Just a point to make not regarding the recap, i feel Scott Hall has the perfect sell to the stunner because he sells it like he is well... "stunned". Rock oversells it big time as he flips around the ring.

[Guest Breetai]

Not wanting to needlessly bring up a dead post or anything, but I was wondering: for those who have seen it, about what star rating would you give it? I'm pretty new to puro and I'd like to get a feel for the general range of match quality as opposed to the US style.

[Guest nWoScorpion]

Not to be a jerk but this should be posted in Smark Krew folder.

 

Great Review btw. (Thumbs up torwards camera)

[Guest Pegasus Kid]

Heh... this reads a lot like my earlier work before I learned to cut down on my PbP.

 

Fun read, it's been ages since I watched this match and I never reviewed it. It's on the lower scale of their big singles matches but still great. ****1/4? I think I'll watch this tomorrow.