The Furious Flashbacks – Available Online #1

The Furious Flashbacks – Available Online #1

Inoki battles on an island, Vader nearly loses an eye and Kobashi breaks his nose

I didn’t even know what to call this review because its not one show, which has been the norm in wrestling reviewing as long as I can remember, but rather me jumping on the bandwagon of reviewing various bits and bobs available online. This happened when I was doing a WCW Nitro review and discovered someone had tagged a Chris Jericho match from ECW on the end of the show. It seemed to fit though. Jericho was coming to WCW so it made sense to see him in action first. The concept for this column was pitched to me a while ago by Jamie Hickman (long time reader) who suggested I could review matches off YouTube so everyone could watch the good ones at their leisure. And there is a metric fuck-tonne of stuff on YouTube (and Daily Motion and elsewhere). Jamie even went so far as to give me a match listing for the first review. But I’d seen some of the matches and had others covered in upcoming WCW reviews. So I went ahead and started jotting down ideas for a dream comp tape that I’d never had the chance to buy and started looking up the matches online. It became quickly apparent that there was far more material available than I realised. Before too long I had enough for a vaguely connected column. The action in this opening review will come from 1988-1990 and be based around two men setting the world on fire at the time; Jumbo Tsuruta and Big Van Vader. If I run into any extras I’ll throw them in for shits and giggles. Hope you enjoy the ride.

All matches are available on YouTube unless otherwise stated.

16th April 1989

Jumbo Tsuruta v Stan Hansen

I’m a big All Japan fan so my first request to YouTube was the match where Jumbo first won the title. At the time there were three titles held by Jumbo and Hansen and in this unification match they were combined to form the Triple Crown, one of the most prestigious championships in wrestling. These two would look out of place in modern wrestling but they are MANLY MEN. They look like their solution to everything is to punch it in the face. There aren’t many wrestlers out there who look at Stan Hansen like he’s pussy for crying off a dozen stiff strikes to the face but Jumbo is on that list. Jumbo is so awesome here. Hansen shoulderblocks him and Jumbo’s response is to pop back up and punch Hansen repeatedly in the back of the head. Then he chops down a mountain with the edge of his hand and eats it whole. If there was more testosterone in the ring it would EXPLODE. Jumbo’s approach throughout is to be more aggressive and stiffer than Stan Hansen. That’s a hell of a tactic. Its like the Misawa-Kawada-Kobashi matches of the 90s minus the athleticism. So take out all the flippy business and just leave in the aggression. And after watching a lot of WCW recently its great to see chair shots that aren’t pulled. Or strikes. Jumbo’s crutch is the jumping knee but every time he does that it gives Hansen an opening. It’s the only time Jumbo is predictable. As the match progresses it starts getting a bit sloppy. Hansen doesn’t have the stamina for a longer bout and it means anything complex ends badly. Luckily they know their limitations and don’t attempt complicated too often. I like that the Japanese fans ride Jumbo for taking shortcuts. Most of the outside the ring stuff is booed regardless of who initiates it. Jumbo breaks out an awesome sell job on the floor though. Hansen ducking a lariat and the ring post gets it instead. Jumbo bounces off and flies over the nearest guardrail. This leads to a count out? Oh balls. This was the first match, two days before the title change. ***1/2. 15 minutes of two tough guys beating each other up. Not quite as epic as I expected but that’s because this isn’t the title change and I got the date wrong. Still, glad I saw it. Good stuff.

18th April 1989

The date on the video is 19th but having looked it up on Wikipedia (which is always right) the date is the 18th. Its probably wrong again. But hey, this is definitely another unification bout and the Triple Crown MUST be decided!

Jumbo Tsuruta v Stan Hansen

They start where they left off days ago with striking but then Hansen decides that tactic didn’t work too well for him and goes with a headlock. Jumbo has NO interest in that and beats him down. Hansen goes to the arm instead and its clear he’s come in with a game plan this time after getting dominated in the first match. What he didn’t expect is for Jumbo to be able to outwrestle him too. Also Jumbo’s ring positioning is near perfect. He positions Hansen in the centre when he controls and then Hansen gets in charge Jumbo is immediately into the ropes. Awareness! With Hansen getting increasingly content on the mat Jumbo switches gears on him and hits the high knee, a move Hansen saw coming in the brawl but not here in a technical match. Jumbo’s quickening of the pace also reveals the lack of cardiovascular conditioning in Camp Hansen. Stan’s idea of working out is combing his moustache and drinking whiskey. He and Finlay would have made for a killer tag team. Hansen decides to take the fight outside in the hopes of them getting counted out again, which is a sly ploy that Jumbo sees straight through. Having upped the tempo Jumbo goes the knee again, which Hansen sees coming…again. It leads directly to the BACKDROP DRIVER…for 2. Hansen elbows Jumbo square in the nose and takes it the floor in the hopes of a count out. Jumbo is pissing blood from his face, which could have been from the elbow or a chair or possibly a bladejob. The cut is right between his eyes so if it was a bladejob it was a fucking ballsy one. Hansen rather botches a piledriver for safety’s sake. This coming a minute after he smashed Jumbo in the face with his elbow. The blood seems to impair Jumbo’s vision as the slow Hansen is able to land a high knee of his own. He senses the lariat is on but Jumbo ducks it, Hansen comically lariats the rope, falls over and Jumbo steals a pin for all the gold. ***3/4. Technically better than the last match but still littered with small mistakes that hurt the overall vibe. The first match was probably more fun but this made more sense…apart from the goofy finish, which was right out of the Sportz Entertainment playbook.

Seeing Tsuruta crowned champion made me think back to the tag titles in All Japan, which were also a combination of different sets of belts. They’d been combined the previous year in a match that also happens to be on YouTube.

10th June 1988.

Unified tag titles – Jumbo Tsuruta/Yoshiaki Yatsu v The Roadwarriors

Yatsu was an experienced amateur wrestler competing in the Olympics and would be at the 1988 summer games if it weren’t for him being banned for being a professional. Fuck, Michael Jordan played at the Olympics. David Beckham wants to play at the Olympics next year. And Yatsu wasn’t allowed? It doesn’t seem right to me. Tsuruta himself is an Olympian so they’re already popular. The Roadies were big in the NWA at the time during the NWA’s hugely successful run where everything was hot. They’re muscular and powerful and in the early going Hawk press slams Yatsu to show how the two teams differ. Of course Hawk no sells the piledriver. That never made any sense to me. It’s the Japanese pairing that brings the double teams. My favourite being the bulldog/high knee combo. Tidy. Yatsu does appear to be the weak link and is frequently overpowered. When Jumbo faces the same disadvantage he has other ways to get around it. Yatsu looks to have this in hand with a Figure Four but Hawk strolls in with a chair to break the fall. Not sure how legal that is. There’s one horrible spot where Jumbo tries to break up a hold by jumping off the top but Animal moves backwards, for whatever reason, and Jumbo misses. Oops. Animal looks suitably confused that I don’t think he did it on purpose. Hawk then misses off the top too but his is even further away from connecting and causes the crowd to groan. The Roadies lack of selling is frustrating, as they’re not being booked as megafaces here. It creates such an inconsistency between the two teams. Jumbo is desperately trying to sell stuff but eventually can’t because the Roadies aren’t going along with it. Hawk throws the ref out, which again is a blatant DQ. Hawk hits a shoulderblock off the top and another ref runs in to count 3. But wait, the original ref, which I’m pretty sure is Joe Higuchi, calls it off and proclaims the Japanese winners on DQ. Controversial Dusty-eque finish. ***. I’m surprised they didn’t re-start the match but hey, if they want Jumbo to win that cheaply then I guess its their call.

16th December 1988.

Seeing as I’m on a tag kick here’s one of the most raved about AJPW tags of the late 80s. I’ve never seen it.

Genichiro Tenryu/Toshiaki Kawada v Stan Hansen/Terry Gordy

Kawada is 25 but looks much younger and still has that babyfaced chub about him. He also has weird animal print trunks that completely freak me out. Hansen is a little too savvy to get caught with Kawada’s big kicks but Kawada has other things in his arsenal and nearly catches the big man with a sunset flip. Gordy on the other hand simply can’t cope with Kawada’s speed and impact moves. Tenryu seems to think he can go toe to toe with Hansen, which doesn’t go well for him. I never really saw Tenryu as being on the same level as Tsuruta and while Tsuruta had no issue with getting into a fight with Hansen the same can’t be said of Tenryu. He can trade off with Gordy though, which shows where this match is going. Gordy can’t seem to deal with either opponent. Hansen isn’t going to take any shit today though and he just cuts off everything the natives attempt. Gordy meanwhile gets beaten up continuously and bumps too early half the time. The other he gets himself stiffed. Not brilliant on the timing our Terry. I’ve always felt Tenryu was a bit of a dick and he clotheslines Hansen across the nose during this one, drawing the ire of the veteran. He picks his shots though and waits a while before punting Kawada in the back of the knee. DAAAAAMN. That looked painful. Tosh’s knee problems may well stem from the stiffness of Stan. Kawada makes the mistake of going after him and Hansen fucks that knee up AT LENGTH. He’s doing it off camera and every time they go to a wide shot you can see him still kicking away. This allows double teaming on Tenryu. Gordy’s timing allows Hansen to air shot on one of his patented chest slaps. Kawada is toast and a close up shows him writhing in agony, his tights torn around the knee area from Hansen’s assault. Not content with that he attacks Kawada with a chair but Kawada is BACK UP and making the save. On one leg! This displeases Stan Hansen who destroys the knee with submission holds. Tenryu attempts a revenge attack on Hansen’s knee, perhaps forgetting he caused Hansen’s angry Southern rampage in the first place. Gordy decides he wants a piece of the action, which basically involves him accidentally dropping Kawada on his head. How do you head drop someone going after the knee? So the numbers game continues with Tenryu trying hard to fight off both Americans. Hansen gets a receipt with a knee to the face and MURDERS Tenryu with a lariat for the win. Shouldn’t have elbowed him in the face, mate. ****1/4. Perhaps a little too one sided but the storyline with Kawada’s knee was great and Hansen’s revenge campaign for that stiff shot in the early going was beautiful.

Meanwhile, in New Japan…

I was never a big New Japan fan. I tended to watch their cruiserweight stuff almost exclusively and only dabbled in their heavyweight division in the 90s. Despite this I’m a fan of a load of their name guys from that era. Perhaps I just didn’t dig Inoki’s constant attempts to sensationalise or legitimise wrestling rather than letting the wrestlers get on with it like AJPW did. Speaking of Inoki, when I searched for his original title victory over Masa Saito the first thing YouTube threw up was somewhat unusual.

4th October 1987.

Ganryujima Island Death Match: Antonio Inoki v Masa Saito

I looked up the island and it was the scene of a famous duel, which could explain the choice of location. You should know Inoki but Saito worked in the WWF for many years as Mr Saito, Mr Fuji’s tag team partner so you might know him too. He’s a surly looking fucker. There doesn’t appear to be an audience but there is a ring! Its set up in the middle of nowhere and the first camera shots are by helicopter. There are photographers on hand, as they get everywhere, but there’s precious little to see. All spectacle? More like all waiting for Inoki to finish lunch! Most of the footage is of an empty ring and two tents that are substituting for locker rooms. When he finally deems it necessary to appear in his own match he stops off in the bushes for what appears to be a dump while Saito shouts abuse. Its basically like this:

Saito: Get in here!

Inoki: No.

Saito: Really, get in here, we’re supposed to have a match. Come on, man.

Inoki: No, maybe later.

Saito: People are watching. I look stupid. Do me a favour here.

Inoki: Oh, alright then…

Saito: Really?

Inoki: Psyche!

And so on. Inoki’s psychology of doing nothing extends into the tie up, which he seems wary of. DEATH MATCH, BABY! Saito’s desperation to get his hands on Inoki doesn’t seem to extend to actually touching him, which is awkward. Saito gets a single leg and Inoki’s ‘doing nothing at all’ approach continues as he lets him take the leg and then lies there in a leglock doing nothing. Is this the famed Rope-A-Dope? I guess not because Saito is expending no energy at all. Oh, if you loved the psychology behind Royce Gracie’s brutally long mat-based fights in the early UFC’s then you’ll love this. Its literally one hold for 8 minutes at a time. I remember criticism of the Shawn-Bret Ironman match from Wrestlemania 12, which I love, because of time killing rest holds but those made sense. I mean, what’s the point in flying them both out to this island so Inoki can put a headlock on Saito for 4 minutes at a time? They could have done that ANYWHERE. Fuck, you can headlock in a car. What did were you wanting the rest of the island for? Setting? Ambiance? Inoki’s 4 minute headlock is followed up by Saito’s 4 minute headlock retort during which Inoki accidentally catches him in the nose drawing blood. IT’S A WAR! In that its long, drawn out and lots of people are going to die…of old age watching this. After about 20 minutes Saito finally realises that there’s no ref so he can do whatever the fuck he wants and starts using the ropes. Having bailed out the ring the pair now opt to circle on the grass, which is about as interesting as circling in the ring was. And then it occurs to me; does this match have a time limit? Because it sure as fuck looks like they’re going broadway. Then I looked up the actual time of the match.

Oh dear lord.

I’ll come back to this later.

9th March 1985.

Tiger Mask II v Kuniaki Kobayashi

TMII is Misawa. I need something fast paced after that last match. Which incidentally I still have running in another window. I’ll check back in from time to time to see what’s happening. Damn, Misawa was skinny back then. He looks like Shiga. Misawa looks overly enthusiastic during the opening exchanges; giddy as a schoolboy. Kobayashi slows him down with a piledriver but Misawa doesn’t stay down selling it or anything and this is SO different to the last match. I flick over to check on it and they’re still circling but now they’re back in the ring. Misawa gets a sloppy receipt on the piledriver front so Kobayashi backdrop drivers the poor guy. It was a receipt! Misawa is still doing nip up’s and shit. Selling wasn’t in his vocabulary at this age. Back on the island Saito is working a prolonged headscissors. To give you an idea of how little Misawa sells in this match; he misses a pescado and lands HARD on concrete and then pops back up and into the ring. This all happens in about 4 seconds. Kobayashi misses a tope in response and just about stays down for long enough for Misawa to hit him with a tope. Hang on, this is 1985! This feels like an X division match! On the island Inoki has settled into an armbar. That’ll be on for a while. Meanwhile Misawa is still bumping like a lunatic and he takes a fisherman buster INTO THE ROPES. The ring just can’t contain them. Misawa takes a back suplex on the floor but beats the count. Kobayashi is still down and gets counted out. Man, Misawa just would not sell ANYTHING in this match. ****. This match used to be one of the benchmarks for innovation and excitement but its not aged well. Not like Flair-Steamboat or Savage-Steamboat from the years following this or Dynamite Kid-Tiger Mask that are still awesome today.

Back on the island Inoki has a headlock…on the grass. It’s a still headlock man. Saito manages a nice counter where he slips out and drives Inoki’s face into the ground. This match has gone so long that Saito’s nosebleed has stopped and the blood is completely gone. The match is bladejob proof! Its THAT long.

31st January 1990.

Jushin Liger v Naoki Sano

Having dipped into AJPW’s awesome 80s cruiser division lets skip ahead to NJPW’s awesome 90s cruiser division. Sano is the champion and Liger the challenger. Liger starts aggressively thus provoking Sano into a piledriver on the floor and then one in the ring before he goes after Liger’s mask! Mask tearing heel dickery is the staple of a great cruiserweight match (Eddy-Rey). Not only does he tear half the mask off but Sano takes it further and BUSTS HIM OPEN. Liger is half a mask and blood everywhere. The crowd seems stunned by the brutality of this because cruiser matches generally don’t have this level of violence. You know how Misawa didn’t sell much in that last match? Well in this one Liger sells his predicament like death. He’s face down on the mat and has to be picked up. But he keeps kicking out and fighting his way through submission attempts. Wait a sec…Sano just hit a Pedigree! Over on the island its starting to get dark. Back again and Liger is too. SUICIDE DIIIIIIVEEE and Liger goes kidneys first into the guardrail. He’ll be pissing blood out of two places tonight. Sano just isn’t ready for this and gets caught in a surfboard. He figured it was just a matter of time before he won but its gone wrong. Liger was bloody, tired and slowed right down. In order to restore that Sano starts stomping on Liger’s head thus drawing even more blood and with his mask hanging off Liger is a MESS. Fisherman suplex…for 2. How is he kicking out? German suplex…for 2. Sano just can’t believe Liger’s resilience. On the island they’ve started lights torches so the wrestlers can see after the sun goes down. Not normally an issue in wrestling matches. Dragon suplex…for 2. Sano is going to try every fucking suplex there is until Liger stays down. I love how Sano tries to duck under the koppou kick but just ducks into it. Still Liger gets exhausted just hitting one move and can’t follow up. Liger looks like he’s been in a car crash with his mask hanging off and blood everywhere. But he still has surprises in store for Sano and counters a superplex, falling on top…for 2. Sano blocks the Ligerbomb but that gets 2. The false finishes continue. Tiger suplex but this time Liger just barely gets his foot on the rope. I think Sano is getting tired from dishing out this level of ass-kicking for so long. He uses the remainder of his energy trying to finish the match, which gets him caught in the Ligerbomb. He kicks out but gets hit with the SSP and Liger wins the title! ****1/2. Barnburner from these guys. Absolute ass-kickery all round. Liger bled for his art!

Back on the island Saito is bloody again. This time from a more conventional head gash. Torches now light the ring and both guys are so exhausted when Saito bails out for a breather Inoki just lets him. At least with all the bleeding the deathmatch aspect has officially kicked in. Saito looks to have a gusher on the go. Inoki bleeds all over the place too after a close encounter with one of the torches. With the heavy blood loss it does more resemble a duel to the death (or until one man can’t continue) than the 5 minute rest holds of earlier. Eventually Saito can’t stand and Inoki strolls off with a lone spotlight following him across the lawn. It’s a bizarre match and one of those experiences that you rarely get in wrestling; something unique. Its more like a movie than a match and, ready for this, runs to 125 minutes. So better free up some time before attempting the whole thing. I’m not going to rate it but you’ll probably like it you’re into Ironman matches. Imagine one of those, only twice as long with no crowd and no ref. Its borderline whether this was Inoki’s insanity or genius. He does have moments of both.

5th June 1989.

Back on track then and here’s another Jumbo Tsuruta bout from the height of his powers. A Triple Crown defence against the companies other top star…

Triple Crown – Jumbo Tsuruta (c) v Genichiro Tenryu

This is one of those matches that set the trend for the company going forward. Its faster paced with more high impact spots. It was the first real sign that there were wrestlers in Japan capable of carrying a company without a gaijin to battle. During the 80s Japanese wrestlers had been improving but these guys were taking it to another level. Jumbo dominates the early going with his size and power. Tenryu meanwhile thinks he has Jumbo’s spots scouted and gets to block an early high knee so Jumbo just kicks him in the face. The crowd get pissy with Jumbo for being such an asshole and he heels it up a treat. Tenryu’s counter is to take it to the mat where he can work a body part and stop Tsuruta’s aggression. But it doesn’t. Jumbo won’t be kept down and as soon as he’s back up he’s able to grab Tenryu and throw him around. The first third of the match makes it look inevitable that Jumbo will retain. So much so he starts looking for big finishing moves. He thinks its one more move and Tenryu is toast. But Tenryu has other thoughts and starts wrestling out of big holds. Like getting an armbar to escape the abdominal stretch. So Jumbo starts being a dick and elbows Tenryu in the ear. Tenryu is still avoiding the finish but Jumbo starts landing set up moves. However when he goes for the backdrop driver Tenryu kicks off the buckles thus headdropping both of them. Nice counter. He fucked himself up in the process but you can’t make a double backdrop driver headdrop without breaking your own head. He only buys himself time though and Jumbo scores with a lariat and a bulldog for near falls. Again it seems inevitable that he’ll retain. Only the ropes prevent a Bomb’s Away kneedrop finishing. Jumbo’s insistence at hitting THREE of them cause the crowd to really switch over its support to the challenger. The crowd is the extra piece in the puzzle for Tenryu who channels them to survive a Thesz Press AND the backdrop driver. Its after that spot hits that Jumbo starts to look vulnerable. His finish didn’t work and his energy levels are depleted. A follow up Thesz Press is countered into a Hot Shot and Tenryu has the first signs of hope. Tenryu is tired too but seems more at ease with his condition. He uses the ropes to prop himself up while hitting the gamengiri. Jumbo is so tired by this point that a lariat has little impact and he collapses attempting a suplex. He might still have a game face on but he’s too tired to put Tenryu away. He wasted too much energy earlier in the fight and he’s punched himself out. Tenryu sucks it up meanwhile; POWERBOMB…FOR 2. Crowd losing its mind on the kickout. Tenryu goes for another one and has to go deep into the well to get it…FOR THREE. Crowd goes BATSHIT. ****3/4. If it wasn’t the same year as Flair-Steamboat it’d probably be full boat but this match just isn’t on that level. Its still an epic though.

Sidenote: I’ve actually seen and reviewed that before, going full boat in the process, but that was a lifetime ago. I’m not sure how many matches I’ll get the chance to revisit as I’m keen on covering some new ground. Although after having reviewed this match I go ahead and revisit another that I’ve seen, and reviewed, before.

At the top I mentioned I’d be covering Tsuruta & Vader and I’ve blatantly not gotten around to any Vader matches so IT’S VADER TIME!

10th February 1990.

Stan Hansen v Vader

These two start smacking each other around before the bell rings thus setting the tone. This is STIFF! Like brutally so. The crowd start reacting to every single punch because of how savage they look. Hansen then brings an elbow down onto the top of Vader’s head and Vader responds by punching Hansen right in the eye. They’re literally just grabbing each other and laying in with punches to the face. And none of that ‘worked’ bullshit! Vader takes one too many elbows to the face and pussies out into an armbar. Its at this point that he takes his mask off so he can push his eye back into the socket. Yes, I did just type that and it did happen. It’s a horrific injury that ended up requiring surgery and Hansen, being a perfect bastard, doesn’t let up AT ALL. He smacks Vader clean across the face with a forearm and this is right after he’s seen him push his eye back in. Don’t you think he’s had enough? Hansen, being a gent, just stands there for a while to let Vader get a few receipts in. IS HE FUCKING SMILING? Yes, ladies and gents, this is how Stan Hansen gets his jollies. A close up on Vader reveals the full extent of the horror as his right eye is virtually swollen shut, which is probably for the best because the orbital bone is broken and the swelling is the only thing stopping his eye falling out. Oh, and the match CONTINUES. Vader needs a few more receipts before we can finish. He goes for breaking Hansen’s ribs, because that’s as good a receipt as anything. Fuck me, this is brutal. Remember that Hansen-Tsuruta match earlier that was extremely manly? This match makes that one look like Lance Storm v Rey Mysterio. Occasionally Vader has to grab his face to make sure its still in one piece. Vader just gets his ass kicked in this match. Like Hansen saw this stiff guy join the company and looked at him like “oh, you think YOU’RE stiff”? POW. Just when the match seems to have calmed down they start smacking each other in the face with unprotected shots again. Eventually they both get counted out after brawling into the crowd but let’s face it, after that war neither guy would want to lie down. ****1/2. One of my favourite matches, ever, and one of the most singularly brutal bouts in the history of the sport. When searching for this you can find it under “infamous eye pop out match”. That speaks volumes, really.

Sidenote: I’ve seen a match with Vader v Riki Choshu from later in the year where Vader’s eye gets all busted up again. This match had a massive lasting effect on Vader and became a weakness that allowed a legit injury to become part of the work.

24th April 1989.

Shinya Hashimoto v Vader

Hash broke someone’s cheekbone in an earlier match and this is a one night tournament final (winner taking the vacant IWGP title). Referee is Lou Thesz and the commentary is in English but its in the Tokyo Dome. Vader comes in with a bad arm, which gives Hash an opening and Vader is overly protective of it. But Vader is SUPER TOUGH so he mans up and BACKFISTS Hash with his good hand. He starts using his bad arm to just hold Hash in place so he can hit him. Hash naturally retorts by kicking the bad arm. This establishes the basis of the match; Hash trying to kill Vader’s limb and Vader smacking him around in a defensive and offensive manner. It’s a tidy story because it allows the crowd to believe in Hash’s chances. When he slaps on the cross armbreaker you have people jumping up and down in the crowd hopeful of a Hash victory. Vader just smashes him in the face. And that’s the difference maker. Hash might be able to beat Vader with kicks but Vader can beat Hash with just one arm. Vader just keeps unloading with strikes until Hash can’t kick out of a lariat and a confused Lou Thesz eventually counts three. ***1/2. Nice psychology around the arm but Vader was the immovable object. I’m sure when he took this belt the audience must have thought he’d hold it forever.

Before I close the book on this opening column I feel the urge to throw in one of the many, many, many awesome 1990s battles involving the superstars of All Japan. Here a six man where all the Big Four compete and to keep it tied in to the theme Jumbo is also present…

19th October 1990

Mitsuhara Misawa/Toshiaki Kawada/Kenta Kobashi v Jumbo Tsuruta/Masa Fuchi/Akira Taue

Misawa has already recorded his famous victory over Jumbo thus making him the Man of the 90s but has yet to claim the Triple Crown having been bested by Stan Hansen. Kawada and Kobashi haven’t gotten sick of his spotlight hogging yet so they’ve got his back against the establishment. Taue is eager to prove himself and makes a point of starting. Kawada looks UNIMPRESSED. I mean, he is nonchalant as a motherfucker before casually kicking Taue’s legs away. He feels he can beat Taue with no effort whatsoever. Jumbo eventually gets tired of watching Kawada & Misawa treat Taue like a bitch and gets a blind tag. Jumbo’s ability to control Misawa, although he’s lost to him already, is what changes the match. Kawada & Kobashi have a decent handle on the other two guys so its all down to whether Misawa can make a habit out of beating the legendary Tsuruta. Although his team have other ideas, not wanting to rely on Golden Boy, and opt to KILL TAUE instead. But that backfires as he catches an overconfident Kawada napping. Kawada’s whole approach to the match is a little laid back. “You’ve got me in a half crab? I’m not sure I care. Let me just lie here and think about it for a bit…nope, don’t give a fuck”. But he sure does love kicking people. If he could Kawada would be kicking YOU, right now. Yes, you! In the face. But then the whole match just changes when Kobashi breaks his nose taking a DDT off Taue and starts covering the ring in his blood. Jumbo is relatively supportive of his junior opponent and lariats him across the face. Being a prize dick himself, Fuchi wants in on this action and, I kid not, stabs Kobashi in the nose with the edge of a chair. He follows that up by stamping on Kobashi’s face, repeatedly. I actually have to hold my nose in a display of sympathy for the pain he must be going through. That does seem to be Fuchi’s purpose in this one; to act like a magnificent asshole. Kobashi totally Ricky Morton’s his heat segment to really pour that sympathy on but Team Jumbo are certainly not taking it easy on him. I like how Kobashi occasionally checks to see if he still has a nose or whether his face-pain is coming from impromptu surgery from Jumbo’s big boot. When he finally tags out you can see the pent up aggression come pouring out of Kawada. His sense of injustice flowing through kicks. I think he’s just pissed off that someone broke a bone and he didn’t do it. Misawa’s injustice is EVEN GREATER and he wails on Jumbo with massive elbow strikes. Team Jumbo takes exception and ITS BREAKING LOOSE IN JAPAN! Kobashi nearly scores the win with a moonsault but Team Jumbo breaks that up. Then he nearly pins Fuchi too. Jumbo is a different matter so Misawa comes in and Jumbo elbows him in the face. POWERBOMB on Kobashi…and he kicks out! Jumbo stunned, crowd losing their shit, and Kobashi trying like hell to actually WIN with his broken nose. Fucking FUCHI has to save Jumbo thus leaving Kobashi exposed for the BACKDROP DRIVER and KOBASHI KICKS OUT OF THAT TOO! Jumbo UNIMPRESSED X50 and hits another one for the win. ****3/4. Awesome match with Kobashi just starting to show what he was capable of in terms of babyface sympathy and main event athleticism. Misawa and Kawada looked incredible and it was only a matter of time before these guys would take over and start having the greatest matches EVER.

The 411: NEXT: Vader loses, Owen Hart v Liger, Steamboat v Misawa, more Jumbo, more Hansen and more awesome. I leave you with a question, based on this week’s viewing; is Vader the greatest big man wrestling has ever seen?
Final Score:  8.0   [ Very Good ]