ALL JAPAN PRO WRESTLING TV

April 18, 1993

1. Steve Williams vs Terry Gordy

Gordy triped to apply a sharpshooter but Williams reached the ropes. Gordy stomped Williams. Both men attempted suplexes but neither man would budge. Williams applied a Fujiwara armbar on Gordy and kneedropped his arm a couple times before reapplying the armbar. Gordy finally reached the ropes after a couple minutes. Williams stomped Gordy and gave him some chops. Gordy gave Williams a lariat. He kicked Williams and went for a powerbomb but Williams countered with a northern lights suplex for a near fall. Williams whipped Gordy into the corner and went for an Oklahoma stampede but Gordy held onto the ropes before Williams could powerslam him. Gordy fell on top of Williams. Williams blocked a powerbomb attempt but Gordy back suplexed him for a near fall. Gordy attempted a back suplex but Williams fell on top of him for a near fall. Gordy missed a lariat and Williams gave him a backdrop driver. Williams kicked Gordy and powerslammed him for a near fall. Williams gave Gordy a backdrop driver for a near fall. Williams attempted an Oklahoma stampede again but Gordy held onto the ropes. Williams stomped Gordy in the corner and tackled him in the corner. Williams ran into a boot and both men traded high kicks. Gordy gave Williams a lariat and hit a flying bodypress for a near fall. Gordy attempted a powerbomb but Williams held onto the ropes. Gordy hit a short lariat and gave Williams a second lariat. Gordy powerbombed Williams for a near fall and pinned him after a second powerbomb at approximately 24:20 (12:36 aired). When footage began, the match was pretty lifeless and boring with no heat at all. About 4:00 into the footage I was really disappointed with both men's efforts. Then they turned things up and worked a good closing stretch with some near falls. One thing that took away from the pacing but that did add to the psychology was that they spent much time struggling to do many of their big moves. Since they had been regular partners for three years, such struggling made sense. Overall a solid effort, but barely even good and definitely disappointing. Both men had turned into very good workers, but mainly against smaller opponents or opponents with different styles than themselves. **1/2

2. Toshiaki Kawada vs Akira Taue

Kawada countered a powerbomb with a backdrop as footage began. Kawada gave Taue some kicks to the head and a roundhouse kick. Kawada landed a high kick and vertical suplexed Taue for a near fall. Kawada slammed Taue and kneedropped him for a near fall. He threw Taue out of the ring and DDTd him on the floor. Kawada gave Taue a bunch of chops. Kawada blocked a facedrop but Taue threw him to the mat. Kawada gave Taue a high kick but Taue responded with a kick and powerbombed Kawada for a heated near fall. Taue applied a sleeper but Kawada reached the ropes. Taue gave Kawada some chops to the head but Kawada fired back with some elbows. Taue gave Kawada some slaps but Kawada responded in kind and rammed Taue into the corner. Taue blocked a kick and shoved Kawada to the mat. Taue charged but Kawada gave him a jumping kick. Kawada powerbombed Taue for a near fall and applied a chinlock. Taue reached the ropes but Kawada then applied a sleeper in the middle of the ring. Kawada gained a near fall and gave Taue some light kicks to the head. Kawada chopped and kicked Taue and gave him a high kick. Taue blocked a second high kick but Kawada countered a nodowa by grabbing his arm. Taue then countered with an enzuguiri. Kawada countered a nodowa attempt and caught Taue in a Fujiwara armbar. Kawada gave Taue more kicks to the head and a lariat for a near fall. Taue countered a powerbomb by falling forwards on top of Kawada for a near fall. Kawada countered a nodowa attempt by going to the ropes. Taue landed a couple chops to Kawada's head and gave him a nodowa for a heated near fall. Kawada caught Taue with a punch and both men clotheslined each other. Taue applied an octopus (I think) on Kawada and DDTd him. Taue hit a rare top rope dropkick on Kawada for a near fall. Kawada blocked a nodowa attempt and tried to apply a stretch plum but Taue countered with a hiptoss. Kawada took out Taue's leg with a stiff kick and applied a stretch plum. Kawada slammed Taue and gave him a top rope elbowsmash for a near fall. Taue countered a powerbomb with a backdrop. Kawada ran into a high kick and Taue gave him a nodowa for a great near fall. Kawada gave Taue a svate kick and applied another stretch plum. Kawada gave Taue an enzuguiri but Taue blocked an attempted stretch plum by lunging for the ropes. Kawada gave Taue some knees to the head and powerbombed him but time expired at 30:00 before he could make a pin attempt. The last 15:02ish aired, and it was definitely an excellent match. Actually, this might have been a near-classic when it took place, but both men have had much better singles matches after this, including a couple against each other. Still, this match built well and was a great conclusion to their official rivalry as they would form a now-legendary team a month later. Lots of good counter sequences back and forth, and with much better and faster pacing than Williams-Gordy. Taue was a pretty smart worker and it seems like he would've been a hall of famer had he come along ten years earlier, as his style wasn't as spectacular as those of his peers. Kawada looked great and showed many glimpses of the stiffness and psychology that would become his trademarks in the very near future. ****1/4

3. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Kenta Kobashi

Misawa elbowed Kobashi and gave him a cross bodyblock as footage began. Misawa attempted to apply a facelock but Kobashi reached the ropes. Misawa snapmared Kobashi but Kobashi blocked another facelock attempt. Misawa went for a tiger driver but Kobashi backed him into a corner. Misawa pounded Kobashi but Kobashi countered a tiger driver attempt and mule kicked him. Misawa caught Kobashi with a sleeper and turned it into a facelock. Misawa slammed Kobashi but Kobashi blocked a top rope clothesline. Kobashi clotheslined Misawa for a near fall and hit a dropkick to the back of his head. Kobashi legdropped Misawa twice for a near fall. Kobashi applied a sleeper but Misawa quickly escaped and tossed him. Kobashi went for another sleeper but Misawa again countered with an armdrag. Kobashi kicked and chopped Misawa, then applied a sleeper. Kobashi spiked Misawa with a DDT and slammed him. Misawa caught Kobashi on the top rope but Kobashi kicked him away. Kobashi hit a flying bodypress for a near fall and a powerbomb for another near fall. Kobashi slammed misawa and moonsaulted him for a heated near fall. Misawa prevented Kobashi from going to the top rope so Kobashi gave him some punches. Misawa elbowed Kobashi and went for a back suplex but Kobashi fell on top of him for a near fall. Kobashi went for a top rope shoulderblock but Misawa elbowed him in mid-air. Misawa hit Kobashi with a running elbow in the corner and gave him a tiger driver for a near fall. Kobashi countered a second tiger driver attempt but Misawa gave him a couple elbows. Kobashi caught Misawa and powerslammed him. Kobashi back suplexed Misawa twice. Both men countered suplex attempts, then Kobashi back suplexed Misawa with a bridge for a near fall. Misawa whipped Kobashi into the corner and kicked him. Kobashi grabbed Misawa's leg when he attempted another kick but Misawa hit a jumping kick with his free leg. Misawa hit a top rope splash for a near fall. He elbowed Kobashi and gave him a tiger driver for a great near fall. Kobashi landed a couple chops but Misawa elbowed him. Kobashi countered a tiger driver with a backdrop but Misawa landed on his feet and gave Kobashi a tiger suplex for the pin at about 21:20. The last 9:37 aired, and it was an excellent match. However, the heat wasn't strong until the end and wasn't as sustained as the previous match. Also, the spots were better than Kawada vs Taue, but didn't seem to mean nearly as much here. The closing stretch did have a number of good near falls and exchanges, but something was missing in the drama and fan reaction. Not nearly as dramatic as their matches during the second half of the 1990s were, but still an excellent match, and a fine effort since this was before they would become a team and long before they would become rivals. In other words, they didn't have much of a background story to build on. ****

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