#224: Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Toshiaki Kawada, AJPW Summer Action Series (7/24/1995).
This is for Misawa’s Triple Crown Championship.
This is a pivotal match in the long standing rivalry between former friends and allies, turned bitter enemies, in Misawa and Kawada. Up to a certain point, Kawada had never beaten Misawa in any fashion – not in singles, not in tags, not at all. Kawada was obsessed with becoming the Ace of All Japan, but that was hard to do when standing across from you is your better half, arguably in the prime of his career.
That all changed on June 9th, 1995. After the greatest standard tag team match of all time, Kawada and Akira Taue defeated Misawa and Kenta Kobashi to win the All Japan Tag Team Titles, and in the process, Kawada pinned Misawa for the first time ever. It was a monumental moment that caused the fans to explode in elation for Kawada, despite him spending the prior 40+ minutes being a total dickbag to his opponents.
Since Misawa was also Triple Crown Champion at this time, Kawada’s pinfall over him meant that Dangerous K was next in line for a title shot. The question on everyone’s mind was whether or not Kawada could follow up on his incredible momentum from that tag and finally beat Misawa for the Triple Crown, or if Misawa would once again find himself at the end with his hand raised in victory.
During the introductions for both men, they each receive a LOUD reaction from the fans. I’d give the edge to Kawada, though.
The bell sounds, and the crowd erupts again. They are loud tonight in the Budokan! They circle each other, sizing the other up, before locking up. Kawada forces Misawa against the ropes, and gives him a clean break. They lock up again, and Misawa takes the side headlock. He blocks a side suplex attempt with elbows. Kawada avoids the shotgun dropkick, and kicks Misawa in the face. Misawa blocks the Enziguri, and they separate.
Both men are working tonight with a sense of urgency.
They lock up, and Kawada takes the side headlock. He blocks a spin kick, and tosses Misawa aside. Misawa flips him to the mat, and Kawada responds by kicking him really hard in the face twice. Misawa goes to the floor, and attempts to return to the ring, but Kawada is right there waiting to kick his face in. Misawa eventually returns to the ring, and he shakes off the cobwebs. They circle again, and Kawada kicks Misawa in the leg.
They exchange elbows, until Kawada elbows him right in the eye. He stomps viciously at Misawa’s face, and hits a Helluva Kick, Sami Zayn style! Kawada isn’t playing around tonight. Kawada kicks by the inventor himself, and Misawa is down again on the floor. Kawada follows him there, and just massacres him with a powerbomb on the floor. The thin ringside mats mean nothing for Misawa’s back. Kawada returns to the floor and brings Misawa inside.
Misawa tries to elbow, and Kawada just kicks him in the face. Kawada with a head crank on the mat next. Another Kawada kick to the face, and a roundhouse kick to the chest and head in the corner. Misawa is blocking them now, and we have another hard elbow exchange. Rolling elbow by Misawa drills Kawada to the outside! Kawada returns, only to eat a flurry of elbows from the champion. Misawa goes to irish whip Kawada, and he collapses. Misawa decks him with an elbow once again.
Nice German suplex by Misawa. He makes the cover, and Kawada is able to kick out. Misawa hooks the arms for the Tiger Driver, and Kawada fights it off. Misawa instead hits a German Suplex out of nowhere. Kawada attempts to stand right back up, but he collapses again, and rolls to the floor. Misawa brings him back into the ring, then goes to the top rope. Kawada rolls away to avoid the attack. Misawa with a drop toe hold into a front facelock submission.
Kawada manages to get his foot on the ropes to break the hold. Misawa continues his onslaught with forearms to the back. Kawada with a throat chop, and a lariat to the back of the head, as he looks for his comeback. Running boot to the head, and a huge clothesline off the ropes gives Kawada a nearfall. Kawada applies a Rear Naked Choke next. Misawa is out, and they exchange elbows and chops again. Kawada explodes with chops to the neck, and a drop toe hold. Kawada just stiff kicks Misawa right in the face.
Misawa is brought to his feet, and hit with a back suplex onto his neck. Kawada lifts him up and hits another for a 2 count. Misawa blocks a powerbomb, but he can’t block this neck submission that Kawada has on, and tight. He cranks on it some more, then chooses to go for the pin. Misawa kicks out. Kawada looks for the Folding Powerbomb, but Misawa blocks it and drills Kawada with an elbow. Kawada fires back with the Gamengiri, followed immediately by a German Suplex.
Quick Kawada kick, followed by the Folding Powerbomb! Kawada covers, and Misawa is able to kick out! He looks for it again, but Misawa is blocking it. Kawada instead hits a powerslam, and a kick to the back. Kawada hits the Folding Powerbomb again, and once again, Misawa kicks out! The crowd are absolutely nuts right now. They’re so loud! Kawada looks for a back suplex, but instead hits the Gamengiri to the back of the head.
Misawa reverses the suplex into a crossbody. He eats a boot to the face for his troubles. Running elbow by Kawada, and now he mounts him with more strikes to the head. They exchange elbows once again, and then boots right to the eyes. Rolling elbow by Misawa drops him! He covers, and Kawada kicks out. Kawada quickly hits a kick to the leg, then drops the champion with a high back suplex. Misawa blocks the Gamengiri, and elbows the shit out of Kawada!
Nice German Suplex by Misawa, and Kawada manages to get the shoulder up. Tiger Suplex into a bridge for a pin, and Kawada kicks out again! Misawa goes to grab him, and Kawada drills him with an elbow. A boot and an elbow to the face, but Misawa fires back with a discus elbow! Kawada goes to rush him, but he collapses. Release Tiger Suplex by Misawa! He makes the cover, and Kawada again kicks out!
Another release Tiger Suplex by Misawa, who towers over his rival. Discus Elbow to the head, and a running elbow. Misawa makes the cover, and that’s enough for the win!
What an outstanding clash between two rivals who fucking hate each other. This was one of the more stiff All Japan matches I’ve seen, and that’s saying something. Both men came to play, Miz style, and they were not holding back. Kawada came to knock the shit out of his rival, and capitalize on his first pinfall over him a month prior. He had malice in every strike, and he was shooting to kill. Misawa, however, maintained his composure and measured his strikes a little better. He didn’t let the emotion of the situation get to him, and he hung on as Kawada exhausted himself by match’s end.
There’s not much here in terms of psychology or storytelling. The only story you really need to know here is that Kawada hates Misawa. That really shows here, as these two didn’t hold anything back in their striking. It was a total bomb fest. Misawa winning the way he did – with a simple running elbow – makes me think that Kawada simply ran out of ideas to hold Misawa down, while Misawa was determined to elbow Kawada until he stayed down. It worked for him in the end.
A real barn burner of a contest, and one of the best these two ever had with one another.