THE MOSS COVERED THREE HANDLED FAMILY CREDENZA

DECEMBER 3, 2001

One-Hour Matches: Best of the Best

JWP New Dimension 8 Queens Match: Aja Kong, Kyoko Inoue, Takako Inoue & Sakie Hasegawa (All Japan Women) vs Dynamite Kansai, Mayumi Ozaki, Cuty Suzuki & Hikari Fukuoka (JWP) 7/31/93

This is without a doubt the best stipulation match in wrestling history. The first 20 minutes were divided into four 5 minute segments in which one wrestler from each team faced each other. If a wrestler gained a fall during the segment, her team scored a point. Also, the segment would continue, giving the loser the chance to score a fall to even things up. The last forty minutes involved all eight women, with a point being scored for every fall won. At the end of the one hour match the team with the most falls/points won the match. A very different and complex type of match, but it worked like a charm with those involved. Hasegawa and Fukuoka started things out. Nice combination of heated exchanges, matwork, and teasing of falls. Fukuoka surprised Hasegawa with a pin at 2:33 to score the first point for her team. Great booking that showed fans that flash falls could take place. From there, the heat was fantastic for the other segments. Kyoko Inoue & Ozaki fought in the second segment with plenty of good work and near falls. Takako and Cuty were next and worked very well together during their segment, playing well to the booking of the match. Kong and Kansai fought in the last "first attack" segment, as they were called. Kong immediately gave Kansai an uraken and scored a 10 count KO win at 16:34 to even the match at one point apiece. They had a great segment with many toughwoman spots with lots of stiffness. Once all 8 women were legal, the action spilled outside the ring. Aja pinned Cuty at 23:02 after a top rope elbow to put AJW ahead 2 to 1. The next 20+ minutes saw all eight women play their roles to perfection. Ozaki was probably the best worker during this stretch, although Kansai and Kyoko were spectacular as well. Kong played her monster role to perfection. Fukuoka also had a chance to showcase her impressive agility and Cuty was cool in her underdog role. Lots of great spots and too many to account for here. The work was also great in that whenever the pace would slow, it would quickly intensify once again. The pace intensified for good around the 43 minute mark. Kansai pinned Kyoko at 50:02 after a splash mountain to even the match at 2-2. Fans were into every near fall from now on knowing that the next fall would likely be the last. Kong gained a few near falls on Ozaki before Kansai came in. Team JWP scored some dramatic near falls in the closing minutes before Takako turned things around. However, Ozaki caught Takako in her tequila sunrise suplex and pinned her at 59:55 to win the match for JWP by a 3-2 score. Fans went nuts for the finish. In place of a detailed description of spots, picture this. Picture all 8 women being at or near the top of their game, then throw in masterful booking and lots of heat and drama, and you get this match. Easily the best match in JWP history and one of the best women's matches ever. *****

This was one of the crown jewels of the 1990s glory period for joshi puroresu and the joshi interpromotional movement. What was even more amazing than the match itself was that two of the three best workers in joshi puroresu, Manami Toyota & Akira Hokuto, had nothing to do with it. There were plenty of great performances, particularly Kyoko, Kong, Kansai and Ozaki, but this was one of the matches where the quality of the match itself was a step or two above any of its participants. What helped was the uniqueness of the stipulations and the fact that the match was booked in a way that the stipulations worked, which was impressive because this was such a unique match. The match was booked in a way to exploit every individual's strengths and hide their weaknesses. You had Kyoko and Ozaki busting out the great workrate, spots and stamina, Kong and Kansai playing the role of monster threat to perfection, Hasegawa and Fukuoka chipping in athletic and graceful spots in moderation, and Takako and Cuty picking their spots perfectly. Another plus was that the match was booked in such a way that while AJW came out of it with very few adverse effects, JWP came out looking stronger than ever and gave their fans something to cheer about. In other words, the Kansai/Ozaki win at Dreamslam II was no fluke- the "little sister" could really compete with the joshi puroresu empire. A match that was so good on so many levels and in so many ways.

WWWA Championship: Manami Toyota (champion) vs Kyoko Inoue (challenger) 5/7/95

If I could best describe this match in one phrase, I would call it "the ultimate workrate match". These two had many classic matches in the 25 minute range, but this topped them all. For one hour, they went at nearly the exact same pace they did in their other matches! The content was every bit as breathtaking as well, with both women hitting nearly every spot in their arsenal. Toyota hit her springboard plancha at the 15:54 mark to charge the crowd up. Throughout this match both women spent a decent amount of time brawling around the ring, which gave the match a fresh feel and made it stand out from their others stylistically. Kyoko hit a pair of her running top rope elbows at 28:45. Three minutes later, Toyota delivered her top rope missile dropkick to the outside on Kyoko. Toyota gained a great near fall at 36:17 with her Ocean Cyclone suplex. For the final twenty minutes of the match, the heat generally remained at a peak level, as did the work. Toyota was going for an in-ring top rope dropkick but, in one single fluid sequence, Kyoko ran towards Toyota, leaped onto the top rope, and gave her a breathtaking belly-to-belly superplex for a great near fall at 43:00. One must see that move before it can be fully appreciated. The action continued back and forth with many great moves and near falls. Kyoko became dominant towards the end of the match and, with twenty seconds left, scored a near fall with her Niagara Driver. Toyota bounced back and was going for her frankentoyota, but time ran out as she started the move. An exhausting match for wrestler and viewer alike. Very similar content to their other classics, but more than twice the length. Undoubtedly the best 60:00 match I have ever seen. *****

I've already reviewed and commented on this match in a previous article focusing on their feud. To check out that article click HERE.

All Japan Triple Crown Title: Kenta Kobashi (champion) vs Toshiaki Kawada (challenger) 10/18/96

This was exactly what you would expect from these two in a one hour match from the time period. The workrate was fantastic, although not on the level of Toyota vs Inoue from 5/7/95 or maybe even Misawa & Kobashi vs Kawada & Taue from 1/24/95. However, this match was the most technically sound of the 3 one hour matches with the fewest flaws. From a psychology standpoint, this was outstanding, with perfect pacing. Kobashi did perhaps the best selling of his career in this match. Most of the first 20 minutes were slow and basic, but there were just enough big moves inserted to maintain a level of excitement. Kawada delivered a suplex and then a kick at 20:40 in the first exciting sequence of the match. Ten minutes later, Kobashi gave Kawada a German suplex for a near fall. In a cool spot, both men lariated each other at 33:52. What made this a neat spots was that neither man held back in their delivery, so both lariats were stiff. Kawada gained a near fall with a powerbomb at 37:34. For the last 20 minutes, the work was excellent and heated for the entire stretch, and the crowd heat finally kicked into high gear. Kawada used a backdrop driver to gain a near fall at 43:10. Kobashi took another great head bump on that move. Kobashi gained a close near fall with a northern lights suplex at 57:35. The final two minutes saw both men struggle to make pin attempts before the time ran out. What made this a great match was that, while the final twenty minutes stood out from the rest of the match, there was enough drama and near falls dispersed throughout the rest of the match to keep the outcome and the time of the match very much in doubt until the last few minutes. *****

This was arguably their best singles match against each other. They paced the match somewhat slowly since they were going so long, but included enough action sequences during the body of the match to keep the length and outcome in doubt for the most part. Kobashi finally stepped up to his emerging role as a veteran with some of the best selling of his career, even though he made no one think he would become the next Misawa. Kawada was his usual super self, and he has proven to be consistently the AJ wrestler most adept at a 60 minute match because he can tell a great story and keep fans entranced even when the match flows at a slow pace. His selling was great as usual, and the stiffness of his offense was also strong. I can only think of one complaint about this match, and that is the end result. So instead of this match being a vehicle to ignite Kobashi's upward momentum in All Japan, it served simply to stagnate the push that had been created with his TC win over Taue and his defeat of Stan Hansen one month before this match. I don't know if Giant Baba felt he had already forwarded enough stories in 1996, but most felt it was time for Kobashi to get his first singles pin on Kawada. However, that story would be held off for almost two more years, and the Kawada-Kobashi series of classics would take a back seat to other matters.

All Japan Double Tag Team title: Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (champions) vs Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi 10/15/95

This was the big rematch from their epic four months earlier where Kawada pinned Misawa for the first time. Not at the same level of that match, but close. In terms of pacing and how the match was laid out, the work was flawless. Misawa folded Kawada up with a tiger suplex early on. Taue hit a tope suicida on Kobashi and then gave Misawa a nodowa off the apron to the floor. Misawa sold the nodowa like he was dead. Kobashi dominated Taue for a stretch but Kawada got the best of him on the mat. As Misawa came to and stood up on the floor, Taue attacked him and gave him a DDT on the floor. Taue dominated Kobashi, giving him a stun gun on the ropes and gaining a couple near falls. The champions continued to dominate Kobashi for several minutes. Misawa tried to intervene, but Kawada flattened him with a lariat for his efforts. Taue gained a near fall on Kobashi with a powerbomb at 21:38. Kawada gave Kobashi a backdrop driver for a near fall. After one aborted comeback after another, Kobashi finally tagged in Misawa. Misawa lit into both champions with a flurry of offense and gained a near fall on Taue with a tiger driver. Kawada attempted a comeback, but Misawa elbowed him in the knee, which Kawada sold huge. Misawa locked Taue in a facelock while Kobashi locked Kawada in a sleeper. Kobashi DDTd Taue on the exposed wooden floor using the ringside barricade as a launch pad. Kobashi powerbombed Taue for a dramatic near fall at 30:07. As Misawa was dominating Taue, Kawada locked an armbar on Kobashi for a brief time. Kobashi sold as if his arm had been injured. Misawa and Kawada then had their signature world class exchange, including Kawada gaining a heated near fall with a powerbomb. Kawada locked a cross-armbreaker on Kobashi in a dramatic submission attempt, and Taue also focused his attack on Kobashi's arm. The champions continued to work on Kobashi's damaged left arm until Misawa tagged in. Taue attempted to chokeslam Misawa off the apron again but Misawa blocked the attempt. Taue hit a released German suplex and a nodowa on Misawa for a super near fall. Kawada locked Misawa in a stretch plum for a long time. He went for a powerbomb but Misawa countered with a huracanrana. Kawada tried to attack Kobashi's injured arm but Kobashi countered with a dragon screw, revisiting the storyline of Kawada's injured knee from earlier in the match. Misawa hit an elbow suicida on Taue at 47:00. Kawada German suplexed Kobashi but hurt his knee in the process. Kobashi moonsaulted Kawada for a dramatic near fall. Misawa German suplexed Kawada twice for a near fall. Taue tagged in and got the better of Misawa, giving him a nodowa for a near fall. Misawa countered a Taue dynamic bomb with a huracanrana and gave Taue a tiger driver for a near fall. Misawa also gained a near fall on Taue with a tiger suplex. Kobashi gained a near fall on Taue after a powerbomb and a German suplex. Kawada hit a released German suplex on Misawa for a near fall. Kawada gained a near fall on Kobashi after a koppo kick. Taue gave Kobashi a nodowa on the floor at 56:45 in a desperation move. Kobashi fought back and dragon suplexed Kawada for a near fall. Misawa gave Taue almost a cobra clutch-like German suplex for a great near fall at 59:00. Misawa gained another near fall but time expired at the 60 minute mark. One of the two best 60 minute matches in All Japan history due to its flawless layout. The psychology involving everyone's "injuries" worked like a charm and all four took the audience on a great emotional ride. Kawada and Kobashi were arguably the stars, but Misawa and Taue also made significant contributions. *****

Back in their January 1995 60:00 draw, the main focus was on Kobashi, who would struggle for extended periods of time to hold on since partner Misawa was knocked out of commission during the match. Because of Kobashi's impending TC title shot in ten days, this time such a storyline would not unfold. If anything, this could have been Kobashi's big push to look strong before his big match. Also, he and Misawa were looking for revenge after their title loss in June, so this was almost a guaranteed classic. In terms of action content this was on par, or maybe slightly better than their previous 60:00 effort. However, it was the storyline content and pacing that made this match great. The injury stories worked better because there was the outcome was more often in doubt during this match. Also, the pacing was more even than in the other match, which seemed to slow down after the 30:00 mark and it was obvious they would go to a draw. During the closing minutes of this match, that result became obvious as well. However, this time as a fan I didn't care. I just wanted to see what would happen before the finish. The work, psychology and pacing were such that this was clearly, to me, a better match. While the end result wasn't a solid victory for either team, that was fine. It was too soon for another title change, and Misawa still needed motivation by not winning the tag team title (if he did, he would be guaranteed at least one title coming out of his TC match with Kobashi). Also, this rivalry had emerged as being so evenly matched and so great that one almost didn't want an end result, one would've wanted the feud to continue. Also, the fact that this was their second 60:00 draw against each other (and third for Kobashi & Kawada!) in 1995 made this match something special. Out of the All Japan 60:00 matches, this is my favorite.

All Japan Triple Crown Championship: Toshiaki Kawada (champion) vs Kenta Kobashi (challenger) 1/19/95

This was the expected world class match with really good heat, although it was just a notch below their sequel on 10/18/96. The pacing here was definitely slower and the move set less spectacular. Both men did a good job of selling the grueling nature of the match, especially Kawada. The first several minutes were slow with neither man getting a sustained advantage. Kawada German suplexed Kobashi at 10:11. He then dropkicked Kobashi's knee and further worked on his leg. Kobashi gave Kawada a cross between a legdrop and an axe kick. Kobashi dominated the next few minutes, although he did sell the damage to his knee exceptionally well. Both men stiffed each other with their chops. Kobashi chopped Kawada several times in the neck before knocking him down. Kawada powerbombed Kobashi at 26:00 but came up limping slightly. He managed to give Kobashi a backdrop driver. The two briefly fought outside the ring. Kobashi came off the top rope but ran into a kick to the stomach. Kawada also hurt his leg doing that move. Kobashi then focused his attack on Kawada's damaged leg over the next several minutes. Kobashi used a sharpshooter to attempt a submission. Kawada dropkicked Kobashi's weakened leg and so both men were hobbled. Kawada stiffed Kobashi with a series of kicks and chops. The action picked up soon after that as Kobashi gave Kawada a backdrop driver. Kobashi missed a moonsault. Kawada floored Kobashi with his trademark kick and gained a dramatic near fall with a powerbomb. Kawada gave Kobashi a backdrop driver and applied the stretch plum. Kobashi used a rolling cradle for a near fall. He gained more near falls with a powerbomb, lariat and a moonsault. Kawada gave Kobashi a vicious dragon suplex for a great near fall. Kobashi gained a near fall with a German suplex. Kawada went to powerbomb Kobashi when time ran out at 60:00. Super psychology oriented match that was better on a second viewing. *****

In terms of action content, while this match had its share of great spots it clearly trailed their 1996 classic. This was a slower paced match, and was actually slow paced for the most part. In other words, this was the type of match that most current fans of U.S./WWF wrestling would probably find boring. This was more of a story match than action-based. The actual psychology in this match was simpler than in their 1996 match, but it worked as well if not better in front of this particular audience, since the heat was really good most of the time. One of the main aspects of their selling was the grueling nature of the match. This worked in part because much of their offense, particularly the strikes, was very stiff, even in the later portions. From a storyline perspective, this was an important match. It was Kobashi's second title challenge, and the fact that he could hang with the champion for a full hour proved that he had progressed on the AJ depth chart in the eyes of the fans. With the end result Kobashi still did not hold a singles pin over Kawada, but this match showed that such a result, theoretically, was within reach. It would prove to be arguably the apex of Kobashi's push in 1995, as his momentum would stagnate for much of the rest of the year.

NEXT ISSUE: Rey Misterio Jr. vs Psicosis: The Hottest Lucha Libre Feud Ever

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