AJ psychology question

[Toshiaki Koala]

I don't consider myself an expert on this stuff, but I have seen quite a few of the big AJ singles matches and there is something that has been bothering me. In many of the reviews I've seen, the crowd is said to be "climbing the walls" when a submission hold is applied. However, (from what I've seen) these matches always end with a pinfall. Why does the audience get so excited when there is almost no chance of the hold ending the match?

 

I may have been looking at this the wrong way, so feel free to correct my ignorance.

[Guest XdojimeX]

I dont know what reviews you've read but the only two submission holds really put over (among the big guns) as consistent threats in the early 90's were Kawada's stretch plum and Misawa's facelock. Misawa's facelock famously got Misawa a fall on Jumbo in a memorable tag in '91. Naturally the hold was over for quite awhile after that. Kawada's stretch plum is a bit different in that it became treated as a wear down hold that could still do significant damage (like a modern day sleeper). So while most audiences weren't anticipating a submission against a top opponent they knew it could lead to the end. The only other case of submission getting over as a legit threat in the mid-late 90's was some clever use of the cross-arm breaker (universally over in Japanese pro-wrestling) by Kawada and to a lesser extent Kobashi. But clearly, mat work was never a first priority.

[Guest wildpegasus]

It was very rare for any All Japan matches to end in submissions in Japan during the 90's. I'm not sure what submissions you're talking about but I would guess the reason the submissions that you might be talking about were over is because certain holds were percieved as lethal throughout the entire Japan wrestling universe. Also, the fact that the Japanese fans overall are educated and know when a submission is hurting. For example, a cross arm breaker would get a pop anywhere.