Mitsuharu Misawa vs Akira Taue (AJPW - 4/15/1995)

Seconded. Yeah. This was something that I still really liked in the middle of being disappointed by AJPW stuff on my most recent revisiting. Really the entire Champions Carnival 95 was something I really dug when I watched it last. I love the dynamic these two have against each other in general and Taue's face work really makes this stand out. This just barely missed the cut on my rough draft but I could see myself ranking it for sure.

Probably the "least" of Misawa's best singles matches vs. the other corners (6/3/1994 and 1/20/1997). It'll still make my Top 25. Taue's laser focus on the orbital bone injury ruled. Misawa's comeback is simply the greatest comeback in the history of pro wrestling and probably solidifies this as his hardest fought win.

bossrock makes a great point about sympathetic Taue near the end. Even though he was a complete asshole the whole match, you can't help feel bad for him as even though he hit the lethal combination (NO off the apron + Dynamic Bomb) after working the eye to open Misawa up , it wasn't enough and the Misawa juggernaut rolled on. Taue's last ditch eye claw is a truly transcendent pro wrestling moment.

Until I saw 6/9/95 again, I thought this was a sleeper pick for Greatest All Japan match ever and greatest match ever. Taue is on a hot streak of a lifetime. He has developed two new potent weapons: Nodowa of Death (Apron Nodowa) and the DYNAMIC BOMB~! He is more ruthless and focused than ever. Misawa has an injured eye from the Kawada carnival match. All this mixed together with Misawa's golden formula for epic matches produces perhaps the greatest All Japan Singles match of the 90s. It is just so dramatic. I love the Chop to the Orbital Bone on the Apron. The way Taue is transfixed at his hand frozen, so proud of audacity only to hit the Death Sentence of the Apron Nodowa. So many times Misawa makes that signature comeback but when the Apron Nodowa has been hit it has always signaled the end is nigh. In terms of singles matches that it has a lot of competition, but I could see it as my number one singles match overall.

Mitsuharu Misawa vs Akira Taue - AJPW Champions Carnival Final 4/15/95

There are two sleeper picks for best 90s All Japan matches of all time, this and the Doc/Misawa title change. In a world where the canon is so explicit: 7/29/93 (Kobashi/Hansen), 12/3/93, 5/21/94, 6/3/94, 6/9/95, 12/6/96 and 1/20/97, these two Misawa/Doc and Misawa/Taue stand in defiance as possible challengers to the throne. I know most people give this ***** and Loss ranking this as #14 in his best matches of the 90s is a huge win for the match. I don't know where I will rank it, but this is my favorite match of the bunch. 2012 Martin Take it Away!

I am just going to get this out of the way. This is one of the greatest matches of all time and in top 10 of the greatest All Japan matches of all time. Full Stop. Don’t pass Go and collect $200, sit your ass down and watch this match. I was skeptical of the rep this match has because I did not think Taue as a singles competitor could deliver that time of performance. Who am I to doubt Akira Taue? (2020 Martin: Jeez dont have to get hot about it. I think most people think this match is awesome. Don't worry a lot of people underrate Taue at the beginning, as long as you have seen the light, all is forgiven.)

The match begins with a series of counters to put over their familiarity with each other. Taue side-steps a Misawa flying lariat and drives him into the ground sending Misawa to the outside. (2020 Martin: The scouting here was really choice. Taue evading Elbows. Misawa catching himself on Snake eyes and armdragging out of NODOWA. Misawa takes more damage because he misses two flying moves and hits the mat hard. Also on the leaping lariat, Taue drove his face into the mat, it looked like it bothered Misawa's injured eye) All of sudden, we get Air Taue as he dives onto Misawa on the outside and Misawa chants begin in earnest. I loved this because it established that with both men so familiar with each other that they would have to wrestle outside their moveset to keep their opponent off-balance. (2020 Martin: Air Taue was a good way for Taue to get the first offensive move of the match)

The hook of the match is Taue aggressively attacking the injured eye of Misawa (remember Misawa legitimately broke his orbital bone in match with Kawada earlier). Taue utilized this tactic to cut off Misawa offensive flurries and to setup his own offense. A good example of this is when Misawa slides over the back of Taue on a suplex attempt only to receive a stiff elbow to his eye. (2020 Martin: Lets break this down further, Misawa tries to trap Taue in a facelock shortly after Air Taue, but Taue grabs at the eyes and Mares him over. The attack on the eyes are the beginning was not overt but if you watch closely Misawa was wincing and touching his eye. We get Dragon Sleepers but they are not around the neck but around the eyes and nose. Taue had a game plan. As for the stiff back elbow that I did mention it is genius because it plays into the scouting aspect of the match. How many times have seen Misawa use the slide down the back on a suplex to start his Comeback, here Taue has it scouted and stiffs him right in teh injured eye. This is when Misawa really starts selling.) Misawa for his part puts on a offense clinic of his own.

Against Kawada and Kobashi, Misawa is more than willing to let them have their spotlight, but against Taue Misawa has more free reign to take larger chunks of the match to himself. Misawa actually taking so much offense is indicator to the viewer that his normal rope-a-dope strategy would not work here because the injury is that much of liability. Thus Misawa is looking to end this match much earlier rather rely on his normal strategy of extending his opponent and then taking advantage. This gives a different feel from normal Misawa matches as he is much more aggressive and urgent with his offense. After a flurry of spin kicks, elbows, two elbows dives and a ROARING ELBOW~!, they actually tease Taue losing by countout. (2020 Martin: I never give credit to Misawa for his kicks but he has some nice kicks especially his spin kick. There is a great moment where he has started his comeback and has Taue stunned but he does not immediately follow it up because hie eye hurts...once he gathers himself he hits the Spin Kick and then Elbow Suicida) I have to mention the normally stoic Misawa seems a bit pissed that Taue was so willing to take advantage of his injury. (2020 Martin: That Roaring Elbow was fucking HUGE! I have to say it caught me off guard because it came so early in the match. I can buy that Misawa wanted to get out of this match sooner rather than later because of his injury).

At around the 12:00 minute mark, all hell breaks loose as Taue claws Misawa’s eye repeatedly to stop his elbow flurries. This culminates with Taue stepping on Misawa injured eye. The Japanese crowd and announcers collectively lose their shit at the ruthlessness and audacity of Taue. I have watched a lot of Japanese wrestling and never remember a crowd actually booing a wrestler that is how heated this got. Seventeen years after the fact that spot is still fuckin sweet. (2020 Martin: I was waiting for this moment. This and when he claws at the end. I forgot how lusty those boos are. The Japanese crowd was pissed and the Japanese announcer could not believe at the shamelessness of Taue. Taue was a desperate man and desperate man do desperate things. This is the moment where Taue's strategy became overt; he was going to target the injured eye.)

Taue tries to negotiate his kill shot: the Nodowa off the apron to the floor, but Misawa elbows his way out of it. (2020 Martin: Before that Misawa fought to regain control only to be picked up from behind and hit with a back suplex off the apron. Never turn your back on an opponent especially one as ruthless as Taue. The tease of the Nodowa off the apron is an excellent spot). Misawa in desperation runs through more of his arsenal: spinkick, senton, frogsplash, german suplex, Tiger Driver, but can not garner the victory. Then we arrive at the spot of the match and maybe my favorite sequence in all of pro wrestling. (2020 Martin: I was thinking the same thing! TWINNING!)

Misawa floats over Taue back on a vertical suplex attempt and lands on the apron. UH OH! Taue immediately takes the edge of his hand and drives it into Misawa’s injured eye. (2020 Martin: I love how Taue holds his Chop Hand frozen to brazenly demonstrate to the world what he did. Was he proud or was he shocked? We will never know) Taue goozles him, but Misawa is clinging to the ropes for dear life, but Taue chops his hand to break his clasp. (2020 Martin: Shawn Michaels eat your heart out. This is how you do high drama!) NODOWA TO THE FLOOR!!!! (2020 Martin: The crowd, the announcer and me 25 years later collectively lose our shit). Now the entire ending is in doubt. Before, Misawa was the favorite even with eye injury because he was the ace and none of the Four Corners had beaten him. However, this is the move that killed Kobashi and Kawada dead. This is the move that signals the end is nigh! Either ending is totally satisfying to customer as Misawa will either overcome this adversity as before or Taue will prove to be the Misawa-Slayer. As a smart wrestling fan, I can predict 95% of the outcomes of all matches because I have just watched that much wrestling. Sometimes the journey is more fun than the ending. However, then there are matches like these when the irresistible force (Nodowa on the floor) and the immovable object (Misawa) meet and I don’t know who will win, but fuck it is going to be one helluva ride. (2020 Martin: I didnt think about it in this way, but it is true. If I was watching this for the first time and didnt know the outcome, I could buy into either finish. Great work!)

Taue runs through his offense (German, DDT, Atomic Legdrop) and punctuates this run with a DYNAMIC BOMB~! MISAWA KICKS OUT!!!! O SHIT!!!! NUCLEAR NEARFALL! Built so well in this Carnival! That was the payoff to Taue pinning Kobashi and Kawada. What a payoff! The ending is a great illustration of why Misawa one of the best ever. John Cena would have hulked up and ran through his offense to get the win, but Misawa presents his twist on the babyface comeback. (2020 Martin: 2012 Martin is wrong. Cena became the Misawa of Comebacks in WWE. More apt would have been Hogan. I am sorry for my ignorance in 2012). Misawa strikes with his elbows, but with each elbow he is falling down or powdering. He is using these desperation elbows to create breathing room for himself to recover. (2020 Martin: You nailed it, 2012 Martin) You get the feeling as a fan that he just did not stop being injured or fatigued, but that he is fighting through it. Taue is both dazed by these vicious elbows and fatigued from running through most of his offense. Taue is still able to kick out of a german suplex and a Tiger Driver. Taue, sensing that the end is near, tries one last ditch effort by clawing at the eye and the crowd is molten with heat at this. (2020 Martin: Another iconic moment in an iconic match) Misawa elbows through the claw and TWO Tiger Suplexes finish it for Misawa! Misawa perseveres and overcomes!

One of the greatest matches I have ever seen. (2020 Martin: Damn straight!) It is one of those matches where you feel like you reached a Pro Wrestling Nirvana as a pro wrestling fan. This is one of the best individual Misawa performances I have ever seen as he puts over Taue as a force to reckoned with and himself as a resilient wrestler that overcomes adversity with his heart and elbows. Taue stepped up his game huge throughout the Carnival and there was no brighter moment than this match where he ate Misawa’s offense well and was totally ruthless against the eye. This match represents what pro wrestling should be: the simulation of human struggle. Taue is struggling to step out from Misawa’s shadow and is willing to do anything to finally end his “Reign of Terror”. (2020 Martin: I think added element of this is Taue is plagued by self-doubt. He is driven to shameless, ruthless tactics because he does not believe he can best Misawa on his own merits. He needs to exploit a weakness with illegal tactics. Clawing the eyes is illegal regardless of health. This was not merely taking advantage of an injury, this was combining cheating with kicking a man while he is down. It is offensive and should be resoundingly condemned as unsportsmanlike conduct and savory. The beauty of this is the levels. Taue does not come out attacking the eye. It is only after he struck with a vicious Roaring Elbow. It is out of survival and lack of self-confidence to get the job done that he resorts to these blatantly disgusting tactics. He is desperate because he does not believe in himself. He is shameless because he values the victory over human decency. Desperation + Shamelessness = Ruthless. This is best type of heel work.) Misawa is struggling with overcoming his broken orbital bone and an opponent willing and able to exploit it. (2020 Martin: Misawa is the valiant hero overcoming two big obstacles and ultimately triumphant. It is not his offense but rather his selling that wins him the day. His decisions to pause and and take the time and let us know his pain allows to become a part of his journey. He let us in and in doing so made us all the more invested. Vulnerability humanizes and the humanization process creates empathy & understanding. Misawa tapped into that. If Taue's performance is the greatest heel performance, then Misawa's was the greatest babyface performance) When pro wrestling is done right, I do not think there is a greater medium of entertainment. On April 15, 1995, Mitsuharu Misawa and Akira Taue did pro wrestling right. The only question is this the Greatest Match of All Time? The answer is I dont know, but it is in the Top 10 of all time. *****

Still the best 90s AJPW match ever to me.