a dedicated thread to posting awesome matches from wrestling history

there's quite a lot of blogs and stuff quite high up on google for 90s AJPW, of varying quality ofc

http://internetisinamerica.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/misawa-vs-kawada-060394-20-years-later.html

that one is specifically about the match, i haven't read beyond the opening para or two but it gives some background to how things started between Misawa and Kawada

https://puroresuspirit.wordpress.com/2011/01/11/wrestling-heavenly-road-1990s-ajpw/

this one is a pretty decent overview of the period i think

tytytyty

Japanese commentary has never been a distraction for me, and even without understanding anything (other than the names of the moves) you can following the story of the match by listening to the cadence and excitement in their voices. I think the emotion of the call, when done right, knows no language barrier.

Here is a good overview of the Misawa vs Kawada feud, right up to and including the AJPW/NOAH split:

http://www.ichibanpuroresu.com/kawadamisawa.html

I think that people who call this match the best ever tend to think that Kawada should have won.

The fact that he didn't win only helped build the drama for matches like the June 1995 Misawa/Kobashi vs Taue/Kawada tag title match, which BTW is my all-time favourite match and not something that will be surpassed anytime soon, IMO.

yeaaah that's the article I was looking for earlier, really great stuff

i recently remembered reading in powerslam magazine as a teen that ajw in the mid-90s was the best wrestling ever, so i decided to check some out. if gnarly borderline-sadistic intensity is your thing, this is a must-see

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0fIGg4mIUY

That was an amazing match. I've also heard all the good stuff about 90's AJW, but have seen very little outside of some Manami Toyota matches.

This thread got quiet all of a sudden. Let's fix that with one of the rowdiest Japanese crowds ever:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x14srq4_the-can-am-express-c-vs-kobashi-kikuchi-ajpw-05-25-92_sport

This is a fairly famous match (WON match of the year 1992) but is now overlooked somewhat IMO, probably because the non-Kobashi people in the match never meant much outside of a few years in the 90's. They're all good workers but not the people who usually top end of year lists.

The match is for the AJPW All-Asia tag titles, and the crowd is rabid for Kikuchi especially (the match takes place in his hometown). Did I mention that the crowd goes APESHIT for everything?

Mike Awesome vs Masato Tanaka - Heatwave '98
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x50s8r_5-star-match-mike-awesome-vs-masato_sport

I saw these two in Queens a couple of years later

Haven't watched yet cause I cancelled my subscription but I feel like this is the thread for it regardless - apparently WWE has unearthed a thoroughly decent quality video of THE LAST BATTLE OF ATLANTA (!!!!!!!!!!!) and put it on the Network now. Cool! I will probably torrent it soon

19 years ago today on May 22, 2001 at the Sapporo Green Dome, Hayabusa won the WEW Title from Tetsuhiro Kuroda in a Exploding Barricade Death Match with Kodo Fuyuki as the referee. This was an awesome match that concluded their 6 month feud and the last time FMW looked healthy. pic.twitter.com/IChVBvjo83

— Bret (@BAHUFMW) May 22, 2020

I mean, I feel that this is technically a match. A wrestlers vs. house match. One of my friends randomly sent this to me yesterday, and they don't even watch NJPW

道具を使わずに己の肉体だけで家をひたすら解体する新日本プロレスのレスラーたち。橋本真也・獣神サンダーライガー・野上彰・天山広吉・金本浩二・小島聡@retoro_mode pic.twitter.com/cNdDD86WkR

— JUNK (@XMbHWFpbX) January 10, 2021