All Japan Dpuble Tag Team title: Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (champions) vs Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi 6/1/93
This was the first of their many classic tag team battles. Although this was actually not one of their better matches, it was a real classic by most standards. Kobashi and Taue excnaged offense before deferring to their partners. Misawa and Kobashi got the better of Taue for a stretch, gaining a few near falls. The champions then had their way with Kobashi for a time. Taue dropped Kobashi neck-first on the ringside barricade. Kobashi countered an attempted stretch plum by Kawada with a rolling cradle for a near fall. Kawada won an exchange of kicks against Misawa. Taue gave Misawa a Saito suplex. Kobashi gained a near fall on Taue with a legdrop. The champions dominated Kobashi again, including Taue hitting a nodowa and Kawada applying a stretch plum as Taue tackled Misawa to the floor. Misawa tagged in for a huge pop and won a brutal strikefest against Kawada. Misawa knocked Kawada down with a roaring elbow but seemed to hurt the elbow in the process. Misawa applied a facelock on Kawada as Kobashi held Taue at bay with a sleeper. Kawada fought back with his kicks and tagged Taue. With Kawada's help, Taue gave Misawa a nodowa for a great near fall. Misawa hit Taue with a jumping elbow off the apron. Kobashi unleashed an offensive flurry against Taue, but Taue fought back with two boots to the face and gave Kobashi a nodowa. Kobashi and Kawada had a spirited exchange of chops. Kobashi hit a lariat on Kawada and DDTd him twice. He then DDTd Kawada a thrid time right as Misawa DDTd Taue. Kobashi moonsalted Kawada for a near fall as Taue made the save. Kobashi powerbombed Kawada for a dramatic near fall. Misawa back suplexed Kawada and gave him a top rope jumping elbow for a near fall. Kawada hit Misawa with one of his signature kicks. Taue gave Misawa a snake eyes in the corner. Misawa countered a Taue dynamic bomb with a huracanrana for a great near fall. Kobashi German suplexed Kawada for another dramatic near fall. Taue gave Kobashi a nodowa off the second rope and Kawada gained a near fall. Taue gave Misawa a nodowa as Kawada powerbombed Kobashi for a super near fall. Taue gave Kobashi a nodowa and Kawada powerbombed him and scored the pin at 29:13. A world-class final ten minutes fitting for their first of many classics. ****3/4