AJPW October Giant Series, Day 18 Review (10/31/1998).

13 Nov, 2024

This is one show review I’ve been excited to do for a while now!

If you’re a fan of 1990s All Japan, well good on you, because you are someone who appreciates one of wrestling’s greatest eras. Spear headed by the Four Pillars of Heaven, King’s Road style wrestling was all the rage among the tape trading crowd in the 90s, as fans from all over America did their best to get a chance to own tapes featuring these legendary contests involving Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada, Kenta Kobashi & Akira Taue.

Being able to watch these events in their entirety today is almost impossible. They are simply lost to time, and the only things you’ll find from the heyday of King’s Road is individual matches found on YouTube. Obviously, those matches are the stuff of legend. They are rightfully considered to be some of the best that the art form of professional wrestling has ever seen. But what about the rest of the card? What did a complete event in All Japan in the 1990s actually look like? What did it feel like?

Well, today, I am proud to present to you an All Japan Pro Wrestling show review, in its entirety. I previously thought I had found a tape on eBay earlier this year that had a full show, but that’s when I learned that All Japan would release VHS tapes back in the day, showcasing highlights from specific tours. So, while you could own these classic matches in physical form – which is still fucking cool to me – actually owning the full events seems to be something only possible during the height of the tape trading days.

Thankfully, the internet exists, and I have stumbled upon several full shows from the 90s, one of which I’ll be reviewing today. This is the final event of the October Giant Series, taking place on Halloween night in 1998. The headline match for this event, and the tour itself, is a Triple Crown Championship showdown, as Kenta Kobashi defends against long time friend and rival Mitsuharu Misawa. If you know your Japanese wrestling, odds are you know how that will turn out. What I’m curious about is how the rest of this show looks.

I’m going into this completely blind, the main event aside. I watched and wrote about it already in my wrestling book, appropriately titled “King’s Road.” It’s very exciting to not know much about what I’m reviewing! Going off of Cagematch, I do recognize a lot of people on this card, but outside of the main event, I’ve not seen any of this show. Let’s see how the 16,000+ enjoyed this event from the Budokan!

1. Makoto Hashi vs. Tsuyoshi Kikuchi. Judging from his entrance, I can only assume that Hashi is All Japan’s equivalent of a Young Lion. I do know about Kikuchi, as he and Kobashi had a tag team match against Can Am Express earlier in the decade that many say has the loudest crowd in pro wrestling history.

They shake hands, and the bell rings. They lock up, and Kikuchi takes the side headlock. He pops off a huge shoulder tackle to Hashi, and stomps at him. Another shoulder tackle by Kikuchi, and another. And another! He sends Hashi to the floor. Hashi returns to the ring, and he locks up with Kikuchi. Kikuchi gets him in the corner, and unloads with forearms to the head. He irish whips him into the opposing corner, and lands a nice dropkick to the head.

He follows with a low dropkick to the chest. Kikuchi executes a very nice snap suplex, and immediately follows through with two more for a nearfall. He sends Hashi back to the floor, and follows him out there this time. He whips him into the barricade, and hits a dropkick that almost catches Hashi right on the throat. Back in the ring, Kikuchi gets a quick nearfall off of that offense. Nice powerslam, and Kikuchi follows with light kicks to the head. Hashi tries to fight back, and Kikuchi drops him with a forearm. Hashi tries to come back with some clotheslines and elbows, and a shot right to the jaw. Kikuchi forces him to the corner, and slaps the shit out of him. He follows up with hard stomps right to the face.

He sends Hashi face first into the turnbuckle. Hashi fires back with strikes and kicks that drop Kikuchi for the first time all match. He whips Kikuchi to the opposite corner, and connects with a spinning heel kick and a face crusher for a nearfall. Hashi goes to the top rope, and connects with a shotgun dropkick. Fisherman Suplex by Hashi, and Kikuchi kicks out. Hashi goes to the top rope, and hits a crossbody, and Kikuchi rolls through it and gets the pin.

Decent opening match, as Kikuchi pretty much dominated Hashi all match long. The nice thing about these kinds of matches is you get to see the fire in the Young Lions. Again, I’m only assuming Hashi was a Young Lion here. He had great fighting spirit, and he looked tough hanging in there during his ass kicking. Nice job by Kikuchi.

2. Masao Inoue vs. Takeshi Morishima. Oh hell yeah, I do know Takeshi Morishima! The future Ring of Honor World Champion, and the man who fucked up Bryan Danielson’s eye at one point, is here in the Budokan! Again, judging from the entrance, and the attire, I’d say he’s also in his Young Lion stage? At first glance, Masao Inoue looks like 1996 Rocky Maivia, but in red.

They shake hands, as the bell sounds. They lock up, and Morishima forces Inoue into the ropes. Clean break, as they separate. They lock up again, and Inoue takes the side headlock. Big shoulder tackle by Inoue, and Morishima pops off some hip tosses and arm drags. He takes control of the arm on the mat next. Inoue is back to his feet, and gets arm dragged once again. Morishima continues his work of the right arm, dropping all his weight on it, and hammerlocking it.

Morishima hyperextends the arm, and Inoue is able to kick his way free. Nice back body drop by Inoue, followed by some stiff stomps to the body. Powerslam by Inoue, and that gets him a nearfall. Inoue goes for a Boston Crab next, and he gets it applies. Morishima does his best to crawl, and he’s able to get to the ropes. Inoue hammers on the back, and whips Morishima into the ropes. Morishima is able to get a sunset flip pin off for 2.

Morishima whips Inoue into the corner, and connects with an elbow and some punches to the head. Nice dropkick to Inoue, and that gets Morishima a nearfall. He goes to the top rope, and hits a shotgun dropkick. He gets another nearfall off of that. Big suplex to Inoue, and Morishima is back to the top rope. Diving shoulder tackle to Inoue, and that gets another 2 count. Inoue takes control of the back briefly, until Morishima dropkicks him.

Inoue gets irish whipped, but boots Morishima away. He connects with a big lariat, and Morishima kicks out. He lifts Morishima up for the Torture Rack, and Morishima submits. Inoue wins. Decent match. More fire and fighting spirit by Morishima, and it was a little more even than the opening match. Inoue gave as much as he took. Nice showing from the future Pro Wrestling NOAH star Morishima.

3. Haruka Eigen & Masanobu Fuchi vs. Mitsuo Momota & Rusher Kimura. Not super familiar with the men in this match. Everybody looks old as fuck, though. An All Japan Dad’s match! Eigen and Momota start things out, as Eigen is playing to the crowd. Momota is on the top rope, playing to the crowd as well. Eigen forces him to the corner, and then chops Kimura just because. Both men run the ropes, and then lock up. Eigen takes control of the back briefly, and then they lock up again.

Fuchi tags in, and takes control of the arm. Kimura tags in, and stares a hole through Fuchi. Fuchi with a quick slap to Kimura, who doesn’t look like he’s ever known what “play time” is. Kimura plays along and does a Karate Kid stance. Fuchi takes control of the hands, and kicks Kimura in the midsection. They lock up, and Kimura hits Fuchi in the midsection. He gets a single leg takedown on Kimura, and fakes him out on stomping on his midsection.

Fuchi looks for the Cesaro Swing next, or a variation of it. Eigen pops off one of his own on Kimura. Momota tags in, and works on Eigen’s midsection. He and Fuchi fight on the outside. Kimura tags back in, and forearms Eigen, who spits something in his face. A clubbing blow to the chest, and Eigen spits something into the crowd. Fuchi kicks at Kimura’s face repeatedly, and Kimura just kind of takes it like it’s nothing.

Momota with a back slide pin on Fuchi, and Eigen breaks it up. Eigen tags in, and slaps Momota, who responds with slaps of his own. Fuchi tags in, and takes the arm of Momota, who drags him back to his corner, and tags in Kimura. He throws Fuchi to the floor, and Fuchi responds by pounding on his chest. I think he’s trying to get him to spit. Kimura ain’t doing it. Back in the ring, Fuchi gets a Lou Thesz press on Kimura for a 2 count.

Eigen is back in, and he misses an elbow drop. Kimura tags Momota back in. Momota kicks Eigen and looks for a suplex, but Eigen turns it into a small package for a 2 count. Backslide by Eigen to Momota, as Fuchi holds Kimura off. That’s enough for the 3 and the win. Holy shit, that was terrible. Next.

4. Johnny Ace, Johnny Smith & Maunakea Mossman vs. Jun Izumida, Takao Omori & Tamon Honda. I recognize Tamon Honda, as he had a pretty decent match with Kenta Kobashi in Pro Wrestling NOAH over the GHC Heavyweight Championship. I also recognize Johnny Ace, aka John Laurinaitis, the man who would play a role in Vince McMahon being outed for sex trafficking a poor woman through the upper echelon of WWE. Not excited to be watching him wrestle, I’ll tell you what.

The bell sounds, and Izumuda starts things off with Mossman. Jun takes control of the arm, and Mossman is able to escape and take control of Jun’s arm. They exchange control for a moment, until Jun gets a drop toe hold on Mossman. Jun has his arm hammerlocked, but he’s able to escape and tag in Honda. Mossman looks like a discount Yuji Nagata from a distance. Honda misses an elbow in the corner, and Mossman takes him down by hammerlocking his arm.

Ace tags in, and stomps on the midsection of Honda. He chops Honda against the ropes, and connects with a spinning elbow for a 2 count. Stretch from Ace follows. He drills his back with his knee, and then tags in Smith. Hammerlock suplex by Smith gets a nearfall. Honda powers Smith to his corner, and here comes Omori. Several uppercuts, and midsection shots follow. Nice dropkick right to the face by Omori. That gets a nearfall.

Smith avoids a corner strike, and Omori goes crashing shoulder first into the ring post. All hell breaks loose, as both teams start brawling. Ace sends Omori back into the ring, and Smith begins his work of the arm. Mossman makes the tag, and he and Smith double team Omori with two elbows to the head. Mossman drives his knees and kicks into the midsection, before exploding with forearms. Ace tags in, and gives a chop and an Ace Crusher. Jun kicks him to prevent a cover. Ace drives his elbow into the back of the head, and then tags in Smith. Smith holds Omori down on the mat, controlling both of his arms.

Hammerlock powerslam by Smith, and he stays on the arm like a hyena. Jun comes in to kick him and break up that offense. Smith sends Omori to the floor, and Ace is there to continue the assault. He goes for a piledriver, but Omori back body drops him. Ace is right back up, and he powerbombs Omori on the thinly padded floor. Ace irish whips Jun into the barricade, and Smith brings Omori back into the ring. He’s able to get a nearfall.

Jun tags in, and is a house of fire on the opposing team! He and Mossman go at it strike for strike, with Jun getting the upper hand with a lariat and a diving shoulder drop for 2. Nice middle rope brainbuster from Mossman gets a 2 count. A German Suplex is block by Jun, but he can’t block the overhead belly to belly, and it gets 2. Ace tags in, and he chops away at Jun’s chest. Jun with chops to the head, and Ace just levels him in the corner with a clothesline. He gets a nearfall.

Jun catches a boot from Ace, who tries to fight back with a chop, and Jun hits the Dragon Screw Legwhip, Tanahashi style! Honda tags in, and zeroes in on the injured leg, applying the STF! Smith and Mossman come in to break it up, and now both teams are fighting on the floor. Ace is able to get to the ropes to break the hold. Back elbow by Ace, and Honda pops off a nice German Suplex that gets a nearfall.

Ace with a back suplex to Honda. Smith is in, and he and Mossman double team Honda. Inverted atomic drop, followed by a big lariat for a 2 count. Honda headbutts Smith’s chest, then trips him and headbutts his chest again. Omori tags in, and walks into a beautiful scoop slam by Smith for 2. Shotgun dropkick from the top by Smith, followed by a neck stretch submission. Smith clotheslines Jun, then hits a German Suplex to Omori, and then looks for the Dragon Sleeper. Honda breaks it up.

Omori with a nice Dragon Suplex to Smith, and the pin gets broken up. We get more brawling from both sides again. Triple team offense on Mossman, as each man takes turn attacking him in the corner. Beautiful spinning heel kick by Omori, and Smith is able to kick out. Omori goes to the top rope, and hits a missile dropkick. It gets him a nearfall. Powerslam by Omori, and Mossman cuts him off on the top. Jun kicks Mossman down, as Smith geos to the top rope. Honda headbutts his ass.

Smith unleashes forearms on Honda, who puts him on the top with Omori. Lo Down by Honda, and a diving knee by Omori gets the 3 and the win. That wasn’t too bad of a match. Good effort, fun strike exchanges, and some impressive performances by Omori, Mossman and Smith. If Johnny Ace wasn’t a real life scumbag, I’d probably seek his All Japan work out more, because he was objectively a highlight of this match.

5. Gedo, Jado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Giant Baba, Jinsei Shinzaki & Naomichi Marufuji. I recognize five out of the six people in this match, but Shinzaki sounds really familiar. After further research, Shinzaki is Hakashi from the WWF! I thought he looked familiar.

The bell sounds, and Marufuji dropkicks Kanemaru immediately. Another dropkick follows, and Marufuji fakes Kanemaru out on the outside. Dropkicks to Gedo and Jado as well, before springboarding backwards off the ropes. Man, this Marufuji kid might end up being great or something. Gedo tags in, and elbows Marufuji, before applying a side headlock takedown. Shoulder tackle by Gedo, before Marufuji hip tosses him to the mat. Here comes Shinzaki, who connects with a thrust strike. Superkick knocks Gedo to the mat. A middle rope splash gets him a nearfall. Gedo strikes low, and gets the tag to Jado. They double team Shinzaki with a double shoulder tackle. Jado rakes his face across the top rope, and tags Kanemaru back in.

Shinzaki with a powerslam, and he tags in Baba. He looks in rough shape, and he passes away only a few months after this match. Still, the crowd loves him. He chops Kanemaru against the ropes., and kicks him on the mat. Baba drags him back to his corner, and Shinzaki tags back in. He walks the ropes, Undertaker style, and comes down on the arm. Marufuji flies off the top rope with a dropkick, and Shinzaki gets a 2 count off of that.

Marufuji makes the tag, and misses a dropkick on Kanemaru, who tags out and here comes Gedo with a powerslam. Gedo with a standing frog splash to Marufuji’s back. Jado tags in, and kicks Marufuji in the gut. Jado pulls back on the neck, while driving his knee into the spine. Kanemaru tags in, and comes off the top with an elbow. Back body drop follows, and that gets a nearfall. Gedo is back in, and he puts the Boston Crab on Marufuji.

Triple team effort on Marufuji, and Jado applies the Crab again. Kanemaru with a snap mare to Marufuji, followed by a surfboard lock. Good frequent tags from his team, as Marufuji is isolated from his corner. Powerslam by Kanemaru gets him a 2 count. Marufuji is able to fight Kanemaru off, and finally get the tag to Baba, who grabs Gedo from behind. Gedo tries to low blow him, but Baba easily dispatches of him.

Kanemaru explodes on Baba, who’s able to kick Jado away. Gedo and Kanemaru try to double suplex Baba, but he counters into a double DDT. Shinzaki with a springboard forearm to Gedo, and a diving shoulder tackle. That gets a nearfall. He applies a Camel Clutch of sorts, and fights Kanemaru and Jado off with Dragon Screw Legwhips. Shotgun Dropkick by Kanemaru gets a nearfall. Jado cuts Marufuji off on the top rope, but he’s able to come down with a leg scissors and an arm drag to both Jado and Gedo.

Kanemaru with a low blow to Shinzaki, who responds with a quick scoop slam for a 2 count. Jado with a low blow to Shinzaki, and he launches Kanemaru into him, for a 2 count. Kanemaru launches himself over the apron with a DDT to Shinzaki, and follows up with a dive back into the ring for 2. Middle rope moonsault gets a nearfall. Shinzaki lifts Kanemaru up and drills him to the mat with a powerbomb for the pin and the win. That was a chore to get through, and I’m not really sure why. The action wasn’t bad, but I don’t think it needed to be 16 plus minutes.

At this point, I must admit that getting through this show so far has been a challenge. Undercard tags on Japanese shows aren’t always highlights, and this one – even in this era – is no different.

6. Jun Akiyama & Kentaro Shiga vs. Satoru Asako & Yoshinari Ogawa. Now Akiyama is someone I’m very familiar with! I know a little about Ogawa. Zack Sabre, Jr. adores him.

Akiyama turns down the handshake offer from Ogawa, as the bell sounds. Baba has joined commentary following his match tonight. Shoulder tackle by Shiga, and a back body drop by Asako. Nice fast paced action to start things out. Asako boots Shiga out of the corner. Both men flip each other around and land on their feet. Good grappling from Asako, who takes control of the arm. Ogawa tags in, and sends Shiga into the turnbuckle. Dropkick by Shiga, and that gets a nearfall. Akiyama tags in, and he and Ogawa exchange hard forearms. Asako tags in, and gets a snap mare off on Akiyama, who responds with a forearm and a drop toe hold. Akiyama applies an STF of sorts, as Shiga tags in, and stomps away at Asako. Ogawa tags in, and looks to whip Shiga into the steel barricade, but it’s countered, and both men end up back in the ring.

Akiyama tags back in, and stomps hard on Ogawa’s chest. High back body drop by Akiyama, followed by an attempt at a Boston Crab. Shiga sneaks in and drops an elbow on Ogawa during this as well. Asako breaks up the submission. Akiyama with a boot to the face, and he goes to dive off the middle rope, but Ogawa avoids it and tags Asako in. He connects with a senton for a 2 count. Akiyama elbows Ogawa to the mat.

Shiga tags in, and he hits a swinging neckbreaker to Asako for 2. Snap mare by Shiga, and a neckbreaker get another 2 count. Good frequent tags between Shiga and Akiyama, as they slowly wear Asako down. Shiga with nice stomps in the corner to Asako’s chest and jaw. More strike exchanges between the two, as Akiyama tags back in. He connects with hard strikes in the corner. Big irish whip, and a missed diving forearm sees Asako make the tag to Ogawa.

Nice swinging neckbreaker by Ogawa, and a powerslam to Akiyama. With the referee distracted, he low blows Akiyama. Snap suplex, and Ogawa goes to the top rope. Shiga shakes the ropes, and Ogawa is crotched. Ogawa fights back quickly with a roll up attempt. Akiyama drops him midsection first across his knee. Shiga tags in, and double stomps Ogawa. Asako tags in, and takes out both Shiga and Akiyama.

Nice hurricanrana by Asako, and he and Shiga exchange nearfalls. Beautiful overhead suplex by Asako. Akiyama back suplexes Asako off the top rope, and Shiga connects with a swinging DDT. Ogawa tags in, and gets forearmed for his trouble by Shiga. Enziguri by Ogawa, followed by a back suplex for a 2 count. DDT by Ogawa, and an enziguri to Akiyama. Back suplex into a bridging pin on Shiga, and Ogawa is able to secure the pinfall. This was relatively inoffensive, but like much of this show so far, I was just waiting around for it to end. It’s probably my favorite undercard tag on the show, as it is.

7. Gary Albright & Giant Kimala vs. Stan Hansen & Wolf Hawkfield. Do my eyes deceive me, or is that not the Kamala from WWE? It’s not. I know the name Gary Albright, and Stan Hansen is a name every Japanese wrestling fan knows. Wolf Hawkfield? What an interesting name.

Hansen taunts Albright immediately, as the bell rings. They lock up, and quickly break apart. Albright with some chops to the chest of Hansen, who responds by punching the shit out of him. Albright brings Hansen to the mat, and kicks him to the floor. Back in the ring, Albright takes control of the arm. He elbows Hansen in the ribs, then brings him to his corner. Kimala tags in, and drops a leg on Hansen. I’m still bewildered that 90s All Japan has a fake Kamala on this show.

Hansen kicks Kimala in the back pretty damn hard. Hawkfield tags in, and he forearms Kimala in the head. He takes the side headlock, and grips it tight. Hawkfield shoulder tackles Kimala, who doesn’t budge one bit. Kimala does the same, and Hawkfield stands his ground. He poses, and the crowd goes...mild. Big shoulder tackle by Hawkfield. On the outside, Hansen starts beating the hell out of Kimala.

Hansen tags in, and drives Kimala’s head into his exposed knee. Hawkfield tags in, and he and Hansen double team Kimala. Hawkfield with a diving elbow drop for a 2 count. Side Russian Legsweep by Hawkfield, and Kimala kicks out. He and Hansen exchange tags, and continue to double team Kimala. Big splash in the corner by Hawkfield, followed by a DDT for a 2 count. Kimala and Hawkfield collide in the middle of the ring, and both are down. Albright tags in, and throws Hawkfield around with very little ease!

Albright with an arm bar next. Double suplex by Hansen and Hawkfield to Albright. Hansen suplexes Albright, who’s right back up to toss Hawkfield off the top rope. Double arm suplex to Hawkfield, followed by an arm bar. Hansen comes in, and chokes Albright off of him. They exchange strikes, before Albright and Kimala throw Hawkfield into the air. Kimala with a splash, and Albright with an elbow to the chest. Hansen breaks up the pin.

Kimala and Hansen fight on the floor, and Albright drills Hawkfield down with a huge powerbomb for the win. Another inoffensive tag match, with Albright being a big highlight for me. He came off like a big deal in this match. Plus, it’s always nice to see Stan Hansen in an All Japan ring.

8. Akira Taue & Toshiaki Kawada vs. Masahito Kakihara & Yoshihiro Takayama. The Holy Demon Army is here! Kawada and Kakihara start things off. Kawada takes him down, and goes to tie up the legs immediately. Kakihara traps Kawada in a leg lock. Nice Ankle Lock, Ken Shamrock style, to Kawada. They’re back to their feet. Kakihara kicks at Kawada, who seemingly blocks with his knee! Taue tags in, and eats some light kicks from Kakihara. Spin kick and a dropkick to Taue, who takes it and starts chopping at the head.

Kakihara grabs the leg, and drags Taue to his corner, where he tags in big Takayama. They exchange chops to the skull, and Taue gets a drop toe hold to Takayama. Kawada tags in, and chops Takayama hard in the corner. Hard and stiff exchanges between two of Japan’s toughest bastards. Kakihara is back in, and he kicks Kawada hard in the chest. Kawada takes top position, and forearms Kakihara into the mat. Kawada goes for a takedown, but Kakihara avoids it.

Taue tags in, and throws Kakihara to the floor. Kawada whips him into the steel barricade. Nearfall by Taue next. Taue with a neck crank next. Takayama comes in, and uses his long legs to kick the submission free. Kawada drops a knee onto the head, as Taue tags back in. He applies an abdominal stretch next. Taue takes a shot at Takayama, before applying a Half Crab. Takayama is here, and in Taue’s face. He knees the ever loving shit out of him for his troubles.

On the floor, Takayama drops an elbow on Taue, and Kakihara is there to kick him some more. Takayama is in, and he connects with a dropkick to the side of Taue. He takes a shot at Kawada, and he and Kakihara double team Taue by driving his knees into the mat. I’m sure Kenta Kobashi appreciated that spot. Kakihara tags in, and kicks directly on the knee cap. Nice tags from this team, as they work to keep Taue as far away from Kawada as possible.

Double kicks to the chest and the legs by Takayama and Kakihara, and it gets the former a 2 count. Big clubbing shot to the back, followed by a German Suplex for a 2 count. Big leg drop by Takayama, and here comes Kawada to kick his head in. Taue fights back with a hard slap, and here comes Kawada in following a tag! He drives his boot into Takayama’s head, who catches him in an Exploder Suplex! Stretch Plum by Kawada, and Kakihara breaks it up. Kakihara is the legal man now, and he traps Kawada in an armbar! Kawada is able to get his foot on the ropes to break the submission.

Nice hard slaps by Kawada, and a powerslam, and then a hard kick to the spine. Taue tags in, and here comes Takayama as well. Taue grabs his arms, and suplexes him overhead! Taue looks for the Chokeslam, but Kakihara is in to break it up. He gets tossed into the ropes. Taue throws Takayama into the turnbuckle repeatedly, then boots him in the face. Taue with a German Suplex. Kawada kicks the fuck out of Kakihara, and then kicks Takayama in the face!

Double boot to Takayama, and Taue connects with a chokeslam for the three and the win. That was easily the best match on the undercard. A nice, crisp and action packed battle between four great wrestlers. I didn’t know much of Kakihara coming into this, but he impressed me. His style reminds me of something you’d see in UWF, or RINGS. Nice little match.

9. Triple Crown Championship: Kenta Kobashi © vs. Mitsuharu Misawa. Of the Four Pillars, my personal favorite combo is Misawa and Kobashi. Not only did they work exceptionally well as a tag team, but they also provided immense chemistry as rivals. Unlike Misawa’s rivalry with Kawada – which was deeply rooted in hatred and jealousy – he and Kobashi were rivals for one simple reason: they each wanted to be the best. There was no animosity, or violent rage between them. They each had great respect for the other, and both men sought to not only ascend to the top of the mountain, but to stay there as well.

Without that context, however, you’d be forgiven if you thought they hated each other after watching their matches. The contests between these two are some of the most violent and hard hitting not only in All Japan history, but in the history of the business. The amount of damage each man would take in their matches is certainly unheard of today. By the late 90s, All Japan was starting to adapt a dangerous style into its matches: the art of the head drop. In layman’s terms, that means a lot of these dudes are getting dropped on their craniums.

It wasn’t a new thing, either. The famous Misawa/Kawada match from 1994 ended with arguably the most famous head drop in wrestling history. Still, it was becoming something of a horror show around this time. The Pillars often took suplexes that caused them to land awkwardly on their heads and necks – and no two men exemplified this philosophy quite like Misawa and Kobashi. It added a new level of brutality to the King’s Road style – unfortunately, at the expense of the competitors.

Given the in ring history already present between them, and the prevalence of head drops, this Triple Crown showdown between Misawa and Kobashi was looking to be another classic between them – one that might scare the hell out of fans everywhere. Fittingly, it was the main event on Halloween night. The bell sounds, and this contest between two of the Four Pillars begins! The crowd is mega hot for this already, and they haven’t even touched! They lock up, and exchange control in the ropes. Clean break, as Kobashi backs away first. Huge respect between these two coming into this battle. They lock up again, and Misawa strikes first with an elbow. Kobashi responds with a hip toss. He tackles Misawa to the mat, then catches an aerial Misawa with a scoop slam for a quick 2 count.

Misawa takes the back and brings Kobashi to the mat. The champion is quick to take control of the left arm of Misawa, as he drives his knee into the arm while in a hammerlock position. Kobashi stretches the arm away from Misawa’s body next. Back to their feet, Misawa attempts to counter out of this by hitting a forearm to the head. Kobashi responds with chops to the chest, and both men back away from one another.

Drop toe hold by Kobashi, who once again takes control of the arm. Misawa gets back to his feet, and Kobashi flips him around back to the mat, maintaining control of the arm. He hammerlocks it behind Misawa’s back. Misawa tries to escape on several occasions, but Kobashi gets a small Chicken Wing on him and drops him with a leg sweep for a 2 count. Kobashi grabs the wrists and pulls Misawa’s arms behind his back now, adding even more torque to the shoulders.

Kobashi adds to the pressure by putting his boot firmly into Misawa’s spine. Misawa is able to flip himself inside out to kick Kobashi away, but the Iron Man quickly comes rushing forward with a hard shoulder tackle. In the corner, Kobashi unloads with signature chops to the chest, followed by a back elbow in the opposite corner. He runs Misawa into the ropes, then drives his knee into his midsection. Kobashi lifts Misawa up for a delayed Suplex, and that gets a 2 count from the referee.

A chop to the back of the neck follows. Kobashi grabs Misawa’s chin and pulls back on his head, all while his knee is driven into the back of the challenger. Misawa escapes, and Kobashi just chops his head like nothing. Both men are up, exchanging hard forearms in the middle of the ring. Kobashi gets the advantage with two spinning back chops to the head. Back in the corner, Kobashi drives his shoulder into Misawa’s midsection. He irish whips Misawa to the opposite corner, and he looks for an aerial attack, but Kobashi just drives his shoulder into the back.

He places Misawa on the top rope, who knocks him back to the mat. Misawa with a shotgun dropkick off the top to Kobashi, who responds with a shoulder tackle. Misawa is up with a forearm and a spin kick, which sends Kobashi to the outside. Misawa misses a springboard dive to the outside, but knocks Kobashi down anyway. A baseball slide by Misawa sends Kobashi crashing into the steel barricade. Then, Misawa flies to the outside with a corkscrew dive!

He tosses Kobashi back into the ring, then scales the top rope. A senton from Misawa gets a 2 count. Misawa comes off the ropes with a flying clothesline that gets another nearfall. Standing senton follows, and that also gets 2. Misawa goes for the sleeper hold now, as he looks to slow down the freight train known as Kobashi, who manages to get his foot on the rope to break it. Standing knees to the face from Misawa, followed by hard forearms. A standing Stunner gets a 2 count, as Kobashi continues to fight back.

Misawa locks in a neck crank next, and he transitions into what looks like Cattle Mutilation! Nice! Kobashi gets to the ropes to break it up. Both men are back on their feet, throwing hard forearms at the other. Kobashi lifts Misawa for a suplex, and Misawa escapes and hits a dropkick that sends Kobashi to the outside. Misawa fakes a dive, then comes off the apron, and Kobashi counters with a dropkick to the midsection. Both men are down on the outside.

Kobashi lays Misawa on the barricade, then hits him with standing Axe kicks to the back of the neck. Another one follows with Misawa against the middle rope now. Kobashi with a back suplex that drops Misawa on his head! He follows with an even sicker looking one, and Misawa somehow kicks out! Kobashi has a guillotine in now, and Misawa gets to the ropes. Kobashi drives a knee into the midsection, then applies a sleeper hold of his own.

Misawa is back to his feet with a forearm, and Kobashi immediately drops him with a German Suplex. Back to the sleeper hold once again, and Kobashi’s huge arms are doing a ton of damage. Kobashi nails a nice drop kick to the back, then hits a nasty chop to Misawa’s face! Ouch! That gets a 2 count. Kobashi’s powerbomb is countered by a hurricanrana attempt by Misawa, but Kobashi holds on to the legs and gets a modified Boston Crab in! Misawa crawls to the ropes to break the hold.

Back to their feet, Kobashi places Misawa in the corner, and unloads with Machine Gun Chops to the chest. He irish whips him into the opposite corner, and chops at the neck. Misawa fights back with boots to the face. He comes off the top and lands in Kobashi’s arms. The champion attempts a half nelson suplex, but Misawa is able to escape and send Kobashi face first into the turnbuckle. He goes for a spin kick, and Kobashi catches it. Misawa uses his free leg to kick Kobashi in the face. A hard swinging forearm keeps Kobashi to the mat.

Misawa runs off the ropes and forearms Kobashi off the apron to the outside. A diving forearm to the outside sends Kobashi into the barricade. He rolls Kobashi back into the ring, then comes off the top rope with a diving tackle. Misawa makes the cover, and Kobashi is able to kick out. Misawa goes for the Tiger Driver, and Kobashi reverses and flips Misawa on his back. Both men exchange hard slaps to the face, and Misawa hits a German Suplex. Kobashi attempts to rush Misawa, who counters with a forearm. Tiger Driver connects, and Kobashi kicks out!

Misawa goes to the top, and connects with a splash that Kobashi is able to kick out of. Back to the top, Misawa attempts a flying clothesline, and lands right into a clothesline from Kobashi. Both men are down now. The fans are chanting for both men in unison. Kobashi drops Misawa on the apron face first, then hits the half nelson suplex, which drops Misawa right on his head! Kobashi goes for a powerbomb next, and quickly turns it into a buckle bomb, dropping Misawa back first into the top turnbuckle! He quickly grabs Misawa and hits a DDT. Next, Kobashi hits a Dragon Suplex, and Misawa kicks out.

Kobashi goes for a suplex, and Misawa slips out with a forearm. Kobashi is quick to hit a Lariat, followed by a Falcon Arrow for a close 2 count! Kobashi goes to lift Misawa for his ultimate finisher, the Burning Hammer, and Misawa is able to land on his feet! Kobashi with another quick lariat for another close 2 count! A DDT keeps the challenger down, followed by a leg drop to the back of the head. Kobashi goes to the top rope next, and he hits a beautiful leg drop to the head again! Somehow, Misawa survives that attack.

Back to their feet, Kobashi’s Lariat attempt is blocked by Misawa. He goes for another Buckle Bomb, and Misawa is able to hit a hurricanrana instead, sending Kobashi head first into the turnbuckle! Misawa rolls to the outside to catch his breath. Kobashi meets him there, and brings him up to the apron. He tries for the half nelson on the apron, but Misawa fights out of it. Then, he lifts Kobashi up for the Tiger Driver and sends both of them flying to the floor below! Misawa was able to land on the padding, but it looked like some of Kobashi’s upper body landed on nothing but concrete.

Misawa is back in the ring, and Kobashi is slow to return to his feet. Now in the ring together, Misawa strikes first with a forearm. Kobashi with a chop next. Spinning back elbow hits Kobashi squarely in the ear! Leg drop flips by Misawa keep him grounded. Misawa lifts Kobashi up for the Tiger Driver 91! But just like in 1997, Kobashi somehow kicks out of it! Misawa, normally stoic, looks on in disbelief.

Out of the corner, Kobashi rushes out with a huge clothesline! Kobashi crawls and gets his hand over Misawa’s chest for a cover, and the challenger kicks out. Back up, Kobashi with a spinning back chop to the head, and Misawa responds with a spinning back elbow, followed by a discus forearm to the head! Kobashi kicks out again, somehow, someway! Once again, Misawa looks on in total shock. He grabs the arms of Kobashi, and hits a nice looking Tiger Suplex, and Kobashi barely kicks out! Misawa with a running forearm out of the corner, and Kobashi again kicks out! What is this guy on? Misawa with a series of hard elbows to the face that drops Kobashi back to the mat, and that’s enough to keep the Iron Man down for 3. Misawa is once again Triple Crown Champion, as the fans in the Budokan stand in approval.

These guys are some of the toughest men I’ve ever seen in professional wrestling. Their ability to take the amount of damage they did during this time period is truly incredible. To the surprise of no one, Mitsuharu Misawa and Kenta Kobashi delivered another instant classic together, building off of their previous bout from January of 1997 by having a blistering match full of layers of storytelling.

Just like before, they continued to tell the story of Kobashi’s attempts of overthrowing the Ace Misawa as the top guy in All Japan, and just like before, he came ever so close to making it happen. For the majority of this match, he was kicking Misawa’s ass from pillar to post, and whenever Misawa tried for a comeback, Kobashi cut him off with brute strength. He delivered punishing offense to the Emerald Warrior, and looked more than once to have this match won.

But just like before, Kobashi wasn’t just in there with anyone: he was standing across from Misawa, the top man in the best promotion in Japan. And one of Misawa’s many strengths as a performer is his resolve. He took blow after blow after blow, but he kept his cool and slowly worked his way back into control of the match. It didn’t matter how many clotheslines he took, or how many times he was dropped on his damn head – Misawa kept coming forward, and just like before, Kobashi’s offense simply wasn’t enough.

Kobashi looked like a badass for kicking out of the Tiger Driver 91 once again, but by that point, it was Misawa’s match to win. The Tiger Driver from the apron to the floor was the nastiest looking spot in the entire match. How either man was able to continue is beyond me, especially Kobashi, who took the worst of it. Another big time loss to an Ace would normally destroy a wrestler’s perception in most other companies, but in All Japan, Kobashi failing to beat Misawa in a Triple Crown title match once again only added to his stock.

Because just like last time, he got even better in this match, and that’ll set him up for success later down the road. It’s not about who goes over – it’s about who gets over. And in a match like this, there are no real losers. Both Misawa and Kobashi put on legendary performances in this contest, and proved once again that you don’t need a big, shiny hate-filled story to get a match over. Sometimes, all it takes is two guys striving for the top of the mountain. Nothing more, nothing less.

And with that, we are at the end of this review! All in all, I have mixed feelings about this show, if I’m being honest. It’s very much your typical Japanese wrestling show – a meaningless, inoffensive undercard with one selling point in the main event. Overall, I thought the undercard was solid. The first two matches showcased great Young Lion fire. The first six man tag match was good, with Johnny Smith and Mossman being standouts for me. The second six man tag was fine, with great performances specifically by Jinsei Shinzaki & Naomichi Marufuji, but overall it really dragged on for some reason. From there, you have really good performances in the tag match featuring Jun Akiyama and Yoshinari Ogawa, as well as a genuine standout performance from Gary Albright in the next. It’s always nice to see Stan Hansen in All Japan, and the semi-main featuring the Holy Demon Army against Takayama and Kakihara was wildly entertaining.

Of course, the best match on the card was the main event, and really, when it’s Kobashi against Misawa, that’s not a surprise. This card could’ve been loaded Wrestle Kingdom style, and that still would’ve been the undisputed highlight. It was a barbaric, stiff, and violent hoss fight between two all time greats. Kobashi dominated Misawa for much of it, but the Emerald Warrior kept finding ways to hold the Iron Man back. It was a match less focused on psychology, and more focused on how much pain each man could put their opponent through. For that reason, it’s probably my 4th favorite of their singles matches. I think the January 1997 was a better technical wrestling match, the 2003 match in Pro Wrestling NOAH was an emotional farewell to King’s Road style wrestling, and the June 1999 match they had is both men at their absolute peak, and is essential viewing in my opinion. This match here, while not as highly regarded as the other three, is still pretty damn good, and much better than a lot of wrestling out there. I just like some others more than it.

As a full show, I wouldn’t call this event a must see for wrestling fans. The main event is essential, sure, but you could probably miss the rest of this show and your fandom won’t suffer for it. That said, do I still think you should go out of your way to see it? Yes! Why? Because how many chances do you get to see a complete All Japan Pro Wrestling event from the 1990s like this? It’s pretty difficult to find them online, and don’t even bother trying to buy tapes. The real collectors will never let those out of their sight.

You should see this show simply for nostalgia, and for a chance to see a great wrestling promotion at the height of its powers. It’s full of names that would go on to bigger things in wrestling, as well as some of the company’s biggest legends. It even features some wrestlers that may take you by surprise, just like they did for me. And best of all, you feel a sense of accomplishment sitting through this 9 card show, because then you get to the main event between Kobashi and Misawa, and you see just how important those two were to this promotion.

All Japan, and King’s Road wrestling, is a world of its own, and every wrestling fan owes it to themselves to have a taste of what that era meant to the history of Professional Wrestling.