ALL JAPAN PRO WRESTLING 30
November 30, 1997
1. 1997 Real World Tag League: Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue vs Kenta Kobashi & Johnny Ace
Taue attacked Kobashi’s knee as footage began. Kawada gained a near fall on Kobashi with a back suplex. Kawada landed some kicks to Kobashi’s left leg but Kobashi fought back with a dragon screw. Ace hit a lariat on Kawada and gave him a rocker dropper for a near fall. Ace hit a couple short lariats and a neckbreaker on Kawada for a near fall. Kawada fought back with a kick and lariat on Ace. Taue gave Ace a lariat, Kawada gave him a high kick and Taue German suplexed Ace for a near fall. Kawada and Taue gave Ace a back suplex/nodowa combo and Taue gained a near fall. Ace jumped off the second rope but Taue met him with a high kick. Taue hit a nodowa and attempted a second but Ace countered with a DDT. Kobashi whipped Kawada into the barricade. Kobashi hit a jumping knee on Taue and a back suplex. Kobashi hit both opponents with roundhouse chops but Kawada fired back with a jumping kick. Kawada gave Kobashi a backdrop driver and high kicked Ace off the apron. Kawada powerbombed Kobashi for a near fall. Kawada applied a stretch plum on Kobashi and gained a near fall. Kobashi fought back with a spinning mule kick and a lariat on Kawada. Ace attempted a cobra clutch suplex on Kawada but time expired at 30:00 (8:00 aired). Looked like an excellent match in the **** range.
2. 1997 Real World Tag League: Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama vs Hayabusa & Jinsei Shinzaki
This was a shockingly great match considering that Hayabusa and Shinzaki are not the most polished workers around. Misawa and Akiyama almost completely hid their weaknesses and carried them to their best match ever. There was little to no heat early on, but that was because noone gave Hayabusa and Shinzaki a chance of winning. Hayabusa worked over Misawa's arm as television footage began. Misawa dropkicked Shinzaki out of the ring. Shinzaki superkicked Misawa and gave him a Vader bomb for an early near fall before applying a nerve hold. Hayabusa flew over the top rope and legdropped Misawa. Akiyama came in but Hayabusa came off the tope rope with a bulldog. Akiyama gave Hayabusa a northern lights suplex and a piledriver for a near fall. Hayabusa got the better of Akiyama outside the ring. Misawa came in and he and Akiyama dominated Shinzaki for a stretch. Hayabusa gave Akiyama a springboard elbow and a spin kick for a near fall. Akiyama came off the second rope with a knee to Hayabusa. Misawa gained a near fall on Hayabusa with a lariat. Hayabusa gained a near fall on Misawa with a German suplex. Shinzaki and Hayabusa did a series of top rope moves on Misawa ending with a top rope headbutt by Shinzaki for a near fall. Misawa turned a Shinzaki powerbomb into a huracanrana. Akiyama gained a near fall on Shinzaki with a northern lights suplex. Shinzaki hit Akiyama with a backwards dropkick for a near fall. Hayabusa gained a near fall on Akiyama as Shinzaki knocked Misawa out of the ring with a top rope missile dropkick. Hayabusa gave Misawa a superquebrada and Shinzaki followed with a space flying tiger press. Hayabusa gave Akiyama a firebird splash for a near fall. Hayabusa then gave Akiyama his phoenix splash for a great near fall. Akiyama gave Hayabusa a top rope elbow for a near fall. Those two traded more dramatic near falls before Akiyama gave Hayabusa an exploder and scored the pin at 21:34 (15:30 aired). The body of the match was solid and the last five minutes compared favorably to any All Japan classic. ****1/2
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