#223: Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Terry Gordy, AJPW Super Power Series (6/1/1991).
Nearly a year to the day since Misawa bested Jumbo Tsuruta in an all time upset, here he would stand across the ring from one of the most fearsome gaijin to ever stand in an All Japan ring, “Bam Bam” Terry Gordy, one third of the Fabulous Freebirds.
This match got a recent surge of interest by being featured on Gordy’s episode of “Dark Side of the Ring.”
The bell sounds, and we are off to the races. They lock up, and Misawa forces Gordy into the ropes. Gordy uses his size to slip free, and he pops off some elbows to Misawa, who responds with some of his own. Gordy with hard elbows against the turnbuckle, but here comes Misawa with some of his own! Another lock up, and Misawa takes control of the back. Gordy is able to hammerlock the arm on the mat and force Misawa against the ropes. He connects with a hard blow to the back.
He sends Misawa face first into the turnbuckle. Misawa fires back with a trademark elbow to the head. Gordy with a hard chop to the chest, followed by a front face lock. Misawa fires back with some strikes to the lower back, and a dropkick right to the face. Gordy rolls to the floor for a moment, as Misawa patiently waits in the ring. Gordy returns inside, and they circle one another. Gordy looks to hammerlock the arm once again, and he’s able to get Misawa on the mat.
Gordy drives his knee into the arm of Misawa, and then pulls him in for an ugly Lariat for a 2 count. Gordy goes back to hammerlocking the arm. Misawa manages to get to his feet, but Gordy maintains the pressure. Gordy with a chop, and Misawa quickly explodes out with some elbows, a knee to the head, and some thrust kicks as well. Running crossbody by Misawa gets a nearfall. Misawa with a chin lock next, as he drives both of his knees into the back of Bam Bam.
Gordy returns to his feet, and Misawa looks for a suplex. Gordy escapes, and grounds Misawa with more hammerlock control. Good strategy so far by the big man. Gordy with a standing leg drop to the back of Misawa’s head, and that gets him a 2 count. He whips Misawa into the corner, and before Misawa can respond, Gordy drills him with an ugly lariat to the back of the head. Gordy places Misawa on the top rope, and crushes him with a suplex to the mat for 2.
Gordy with a running boot to the head, and he smashes Misawa’s head off the turnbuckle. Another suplex by Gordy gets him a nearfall. He whips Misawa into the turnbuckle and connects with a clothesline. That gets him another 2 count. Gordy is staying aggressive, as he knees Misawa and chops him. They exchange elbows, with Gordy getting the upper hand with a headbutt. Misawa slips out of a suplex, and hits a spinning heel kick to Gordy.
Now Misawa looks to get back in the lead with this brief opening. He stomps Gordy’s head, which is now busted open from that kick! Misawa is relentless with these stomps to the open wound. Gordy rolls to the floor, and Misawa jumps off the apron with an elbow. Misawa hooks the arms and looks for the Tiger Driver, but Gordy flips him over head. Gordy attempts a piledriver, but turns it into a lariat instead. There is a speck of blood on the ringside camera lens.
Back in the ring, Gordy applies the Sharpshooter submission. Misawa crawls, and is able to get to the ropes to break the hold. Gordy, however, is relentless, and he drags Misawa to the middle of the ring, and applies the hold again. Misawa again gets to the ropes. Gordy with a spike DDT to Misawa, who is able to kick out. Misawa with some hard elbows to the head that drop the big man. He goes to the top rope, and hits a diving elbow to the jaw! He covers, and Gordy is able to kick out. Powerslam by Misawa, and he goes to the top rope. Frog splash is blocked by Gordy’s knees! Gordy with a powerbomb, and he goes for the pin, and Misawa is able to grab the ropes to break the count. Gordy whips Misawa off the ropes, and takes his damn head off with a lariat, and Misawa kicks out again. Spin kick twice by Misawa drops Gordy.
Misawa looks for the Tiger Driver, and he hits it! Gordy somehow kicks out. Misawa with a face lock submission, and Gordy gets to the ropes. Misawa blocks an attack in the corner, but he can’t block two boots to the face! Gordy with a standing splash, which Misawa blocks into a pin for a close 2 count! Elbow by Misawa, and a standing enziguri. Gordy blocks a second one, and lariats the hell out of Misawa, who still manages to kick out.
Gordy picks Misawa up, who blocks a lariat with a beautiful bridging German Suplex for a close nearfall! That popped the crowd hard! Misawa goes right into the face lock submission. Misawa explodes out of the corner, with an elbow to the head, and that’s enough for the 3 and the win! Gordy is pissed, and he has to be held back by all the seconds, as Misawa celebrates.
That was awesome. Unlike a lot of Misawa’s matches, this one felt like a straight up bar fight. That’s thanks to Terry Gordy, who’s rugged Texas style of wrestling fit right in in All Japan. I thought he had a good strategy early on, focusing on Misawa’s arm, but that went out the window as the match went on as he resorted to just hitting Misawa as hard as he could. Misawa, to his credit, toughed it out and gave it back to him in stride.
These two displayed tremendous chemistry here, battering one another for the duration of the match, and it was Misawa’s trademark elbow that would win him the day. I have to say, though, that I think Gordy won a lot of people over in the Budokan on this night. He stood toe to toe with Misawa, kicked his ass, and showcased great grit throughout. Respect is not given, it is earned, and it was earned here.