#222: Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Jumbo Tsuruta, AJPW Super Power Series (6/8/1990).
Hello, readers!
This week, my theme is all about one of the greatest wrestlers to ever step inside of a ring: the Emerald Emperor himself, the late great Mitshuaru Misawa.
Throughout the 1990s and well into the 2000s, Misawa established himself in All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling NOAH as one of the most gifted wrestlers to ever take up the craft. His understanding of the business, his psychology, and his ability to lift his opponents to his level is something that should be studied by anyone aspiring to join the wrestling business. Along with Toshiaki Kawada, Kenta Kobashi and Akira Taue, the Four Pillars of Heaven created an era in All Japan in the 90s that many wrestling promotions are still trying to keep up with today.
For Misawa, it all started right here, in the Budokan, against All Japan ace Jumbo Tsuruta. Just weeks before this, Misawa was still wrestling as Tiger Mask II, however All Japan owner Giant Baba saw the signs on the wall: the fans were really behind this young man under the mask. So, during a tag team match that took place before this, Misawa unmasked in the ring to a raucous reaction from the fans. With Genichiro Tenryu leaving All Japan, along with several other wrestlers, Baba was in need of some fresh blood in the main event scene.
The Four Pillars of Heaven would soon be born, but Misawa was the first one to make his mark in this new era of All Japan.
Misawa is led to the ring by Kawada and Kobashi, both still his allies at this time. The crowd are mega hot for him already, chanting his name in unison. Jumbo makes his entrance, but it’s nowhere near as loud as it was for Misawa.
Jumbo offers his hand out for a shake, and Misawa simply walks away. The bell sounds, and we are under way. They lock up, and Jumbo pushes Misawa away. They lock up again, and Jumbo forces him away again, taking advantage of his size. A third lock up, and Jumbo takes the side headlock. He shoulders Misawa down, then drills him with a powerslam. Misawa fires back with a dropkick, and Jumbo stops his momentum with a boot to the face. Big clothesline gets Jumbo a 2 count.
Jumbo with a hard double axe handle to the spine, and another powerslam. Misawa blocks a back suplex, and turns it into a crossbody for 2. Misawa with a baseball slide sends Jumbo to the floor. He then hits a shotgun dropkick off the apron to Jumbo. Misawa with an elbow to the head that sends him over the guardrail, in front of Baba and the announcer’s table. Jumbo gets on the apron, and Misawa elbows him back to the floor. Misawa connects with a plancha to the outside onto the All Japan ace.
Both men are back in the ring, and Misawa is keeping his eyes on Jumbo. He takes the side headlock, and then just jabs him in the face. Front facelock by Misawa next. Jumbo kicks his way free, and stretches both of Misawa’s arms behind his back. Misawa is able to reverse the pressure and put it on Jumbo. They both lobby for control now, and Misawa maintains it for now. Jumbo is able to reverse the pressure, but Misawa hits an inside dropkick to escape.
Both back away and survey the scene. Misawa takes control of the arm, and hammerlocks it. Jumbo gets to the ropes to break the hold, and Misawa slaps him across the face. What a cocky little shit! They lock up again, and Misawa pops off another slap against the ropes! Jumbo with a knee to the midsection, and the jumping Jumbo knee to the face. He applies the Abdominal Stretch submission hold next. Misawa quickly reverses out of it to apply his own, and Jumbo is able to get to the ropes and send Misawa to the floor with a hip toss. On the outside, Jumbo irish whips Misawa into the steel guardrail, and brings him right back into the ring. Double arm suplex by Jumbo, and Misawa kicks out. Jumbo goes right into a chin lock next.
He tosses Misawa straight into the air, and he lands chest first. He goes to throw him in the air again, but Misawa counters with a mid air shotgun dropkick. Powerslam by Misawa, and he goes to the top rope. Shotgun dropkick that would make Manami Toyota proud! He covers, and Jumbo is able to kick out. Back elbow in the corner by Misawa, and he follows with a gut wrench suplex. Kick to the chest, and Misawa is back on the top rope.
Frog splash by Misawa, and Jumbo kicks out. Misawa goes to dive at Jumbo, who catches him, and drops him face and neck first against the ropes. Piledriver by Jumbo, and Misawa is able to kick out. Thesz press by Jumbo, and Misawa will not stay down. Jumbo is starting to look bewildered. He drops a knee on Misawa’s head, as the Emerald Warrior looks like he’s seeing ducks. Single leg dropkick by Jumbo, and Misawa once again kicks out.
Big boot by Jumbo to the head, and Misawa kicks out. No matter what Jumbo throws at this young man, he won’t stay down! Jumbo goes to the middle rope, and comes down with a boot to the head. He hooks the arms, and then knees Misawa in the face. Powerslam by Jumbo, and he’s back on the top rope. Misawa cuts him off with a chop, and then looks for a middle rope suplex. Jumbo punches him back to the mat, and then hits a missile boot to the face! He covers, and Misawa again kicks out.
Jumbo looks for a powerbomb, and he hits it! He covers, and Misawa kicks out! Nothing will keep him down. He hooks the arm, and Misawa slips free into a back slide pin for 2. Elbow to the head of Jumbo, which knocks Misawa on his ass as well. Jumbo rolls to the floor, and Misawa connects with a baseball slide kick to the face. Misawa goes to the top rope, and hits a nice crossbody to Jumbo on the floor! Back in the ring, Misawa with a front axe kick to Jumbo a few times, and he looks for a German Suplex, but Jumbo blocks with an elbow to the head.
Misawa rolls Jumbo up for a quick 2 count. The crowd are at a fever pitch right now. Kick to the head by Misawa, and he’s back on the top rope. Frog splash is blocked by knees! Jumbo covers, and Misawa kicks out! Powerslam by Jumbo, and he applies the Boston Crab submission. Misawa gets to the ropes to break the hold, and Jumbo looks frustrated. Huge lariat by Jumbo, and Misawa gets his shoulder up at 2.
Another lariat by Misawa, who once again kicks out. Jumbo with a clothesline to Misawa against the turnbuckle. He hits a back suplex, but Misawa uses the turnbuckle to cause Jumbo to fall and hit his head on the way down! Misawa with a bridging German Suplex, and Jumbo somehow kicks out. Misawa hooks the arms, looking for the Tiger Suplex, but Jumbo reverses it into a pin attempt for 2. Jumbo knee connects, and Misawa is down.
He kicks Misawa in the gut, then whips him to the opposing corner. Misawa leaps off for a crossbody, and Jumbo catches him with an elbow to the head! Misawa blocks a diving dropkick against the ropes, then looks for a suplex. Jumbo reverses it, and Misawa rebounds with a back suplex attempt, which Jumbo also turns into a pin! Misawa kicks out, and turns over onto Jumbo to pin him for the 3! Misawa has beaten the All Japan Ace in a massive upset!
As far as the in ring stuff goes, I wouldn’t call this an all time classic. It had a hot finishing stretch, but the majority of the match was very subdued in my opinion. There was a lack of urgency in the opening half of this contest that didn’t really pick up until the final 10 or so minutes. Misawa was still very much new in his role as a main eventer, and Jumbo’s best years were certainly behind him. The back half of this helped a lot, as it was full of momentum and false finishes, but it did borderline on repetitive.
None of that matters, though, because the historical significance of this outweighs anything that happened in the match. Like Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 14 in 1998, this match will be remembered for the massive moment of Misawa beating Jumbo in the middle of the ring. That was Baba’s message to the audience that he was ushering in a new era for the promotion, and that Mitsuharu Misawa was the new face.
According to legend, Baba didn’t make the final call on who would win this match until the day of. He had been listening to the fans, and he’d been watching the merch tables for weeks, and he realized something: the fans really loved this Misawa guy. So, the day of the event, he messaged to Jumbo that on this night, Misawa was going over by pinfall. Jumbo allegedly tried to talk to Baba and change the finish to a countout, to which Baba simply replied “No.”
Baba knew that Misawa was his Ace in the hole, and on this night, Misawa was crowned as the leader of the next generation of All Japan Pro Wrestling. So, while I wouldn’t call this match an all time great for the work, it is essential viewing for anyone wanting to learn more about Japanese wrestling, because this is the match that kicked off the reign of the Four Pillars that would dominate the 1990s, and usher in one of the greatest in ring eras of wrestling of all time.