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Post by fxnj on Jul 24, 2018 4:24:21 GMT -5
I've seen a few other Hansen/Misawa matches nominate, but I can't find a thread for this. This is the one that's historically been the main one that gets pimped, though I'd need to rewatch their other matches to see how it stands up.
From my watching thread:
This is a lot more formulaic than I remembered. Pretty much Misawa formula with Hansen dominating most of the much until the champ slowly manages a comeback in the last third using his elbows to cruise to victory. Still, this is a very well done formula match with lots of chaos and unpredictability in the early going to set up for Hansen taking over. The work from Hansen on Misawa's elbow is pretty basic and I would have liked for Misawa to try more attempts at countering the holds, but Hansen still manages to carry that section pretty well with his charisma. It really stood out to me how reactive the crowd was to submission attempts and near falls off of lower ranking moves here. Once Misawa makes his comeback, they go nuts several times for him when he applies his facelock, which surprised me after watching so much from the latter half of the decade. Some neat psychology in play as well with Misawa relying on using the facelock with his fresh arm as his main offensive move while saving the elbow for the knockout blow at the end. Not as ground breaking as I remembered, but still holds up as an excellent match today. ****3/8
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Post by elliott on Oct 3, 2019 14:07:39 GMT -5
Pretty much the match that solidified Misawa as The Ace in AJPW. Hansen vs Misawa has the stain of years of people saying they lacked chemistry and didn’t have an all time great match, but this a fantastic match. Closer in quality to Hansen vs Kobashi 7/93 than that crappy Hansen vs Kawada from February.  This starts off hot with these two blasting each other and then settles into a long segments of Hansen working over Misawa’s arm. After years of having his lariat arm worked over, Hansen really knows how to work over someone else’s arm. This doesn’t just work as a smart way to fill time in a match. Misawa beat Hansen with an elbow to win the Triple Crown and Hansen isn’t going to let that shit happen again. Hansen is great working over Misawa and swatting aside his comebacks. When Misawa finally makes his big comeback the crowd is just bonkers. Hansen has yet another all time selling performance. This is the classic people always say they wish these two had together. |
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Post by bossrock on Oct 3, 2019 18:58:02 GMT -5
Second.
I've always thought the Misawa-Hansen series was severely underrated even if they never had quite the classics of the other AJPW feuds. Very physical match with a pretty consistent pace yet never overstays its welcome despite the long-ish run time. I'm not quite as high as I once was on the '93 CC final, but this one more than makes up for it and is a pretty close second to best Misawa-Hansen match (the best being the '90 Triple Crown match).
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Post by nintendologic on Jun 19, 2020 13:30:21 GMT -5
Third.
Misawa and Hansen are two of the greatest wrestlers of all time (some would say THE two greatest), but they never really had chemistry with each other. This match is their best with each other by a significant margin due to having a much stronger psychological hook than their typical outings. Misawa’s elbow is by far the biggest threat to Hansen, so he makes a point of trying to neutralize it starting about nine minutes in when he catches Misawa in the ropes with an armbar. Hansen usually isn’t thought of as a master technician, but he employs an impressively varied arsenal of submissions. Of course, he also clubs Misawa’s arm with a TV monitor. This ends up as a clinic on how to sell an injured limb while still using it effectively. Misawa’s elbows have plenty of zip on them even with an injured arm, but he has to take time to recover every time they connect. One time, it takes him so long that Hansen is able to take him down with a Fujiwara armbar before he can go back on offense. As the match progresses, Misawa resorts to wearing Hansen down with facelocks to give his arm a break. Misawa is often described as stoic and expressionless, but I that that’s a bit of a bum rap. He was perfectly expressive when he needed to be, as this match shows. You can hear his vocalizations of pain when Hansen works him over and see the exertion on his face when he applies a surfboard or a facelock. This doesn’t have the kind of epic finishing run you usually associate with a classic Triple Crown match, but the ending is beautifully executed with Misawa catching a kick attempt, spinning Hansen’s leg away, and landing a rolling elbow in one fluid motion.
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Post by tetsujin on Jun 20, 2020 5:46:59 GMT -5
Muy favourite match between them by a mile. Actually I might agree with the "better than Hansen/Kawada" take. 1993 is a year with tons of motyc (and a couple of all time great matches), and you can perfectly add this one to the list.
Also, iirc this is the first time Misawa was pinned since becoming champion, and the first ever kickout to the Western Lariat.
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Post by tetsujin on Jun 20, 2020 5:55:35 GMT -5
Oh shit this is NOT the Carny match!!! I need to rewatch this then dammit
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Post by superstarsleeze on Jul 3, 2020 20:01:22 GMT -5
Sorry Elliot & Co., not feeling this one. I enjoyed the front half...specifically the TV to the arm, but I found the back half to be aimless & meandering. Those missed lariats by Hansen were comically bad. If we are going to try to defend this rivalry, I think the Carnival Finals match from earlier in the month that Tetsujin is a better one to go with. If I can offer my thoughts why I think this was a bad match up. Misawa is a rather inflexible worker. He likes to take heat and build to his extended epic comeback. Hansen is a Bull in a China Shop, a tornado. He doesnt work as a grinder like a Bret Hart. He is a jolt of energy. Bret Hart vs Misawa would be glorious. Misawa forces him to grinder, which is not his forte. They do have great matches but they do have probably have the worst main event in 90s All Japan where their October '93 Anniversary Show was a clusterfuck of epic proportions.
AJPW Triple Crown Champion Mitsuharu Misawa vs Stan Hansen - AJPW 5/21/93
Misawa's Magic Elbow was established in his Triple Crown victory over Hansen in August of 92 when he basically KO'd him with one Elbow. At the Carny Final, Misawa's elbow brought Misawa within a half-count of winning and almost rendered Hansen's lariat arm useless. Hansen gutted through it and a desperation lariat and then a powerbomb got him the win. This is the rubber match. Misawa's elbow has become a focal point of the rivalry and now we see Hansen doing the smart thing and working over it.
I liked the very beginning. Hansen bumrushing Misawa trying to bully him. Thats what he would do to Kawada or Kobashi, but I think in the past he has been a little more cautious with Misawa. Misawa fights through this early onslaught and sends him packing. Hansen connects with a suckerpunch when he gets back in. This is a short-lived advantage as Misawa hits an ELBOW~! Hansen crumples but it is too early for Misawa to pin him. This next section is pretty uninspired. Misawa is content to work holds and at one point Hansen starts to work the leg because thats the limb he has access to. It kinda feels like Misawa should hit his diving elbow to the outside twice but they never really tease it. The match picks up when Misawa unwisely goes to the ropes when Hansen is on the outside. Hansen snatches Misawa's arm and yanks down on the top rope. He pulls him to the outside and beats down on the arm. The climax is smashing a TV into the arm. I loved that! Back in the ring, he works the arm. Misawa hits an elbow but is in too much pain to capitalize and Hansen takes him down with an armbar. He uses the exposed knee and Cowboy Kick on Misawa's injured elbow. He drags him to the apron and does an arm stretcher there. Hansen's big climax to this heat segment is he gets a nearfall with a Powerbomb this is a play off of the Carny Final win. The arm psychology has definitely been the best part of this match thus far. It will be interesting to see how Misawa overcomes this or if Hansen's new strategy will pay dividends with a three count?
It does pay off in the short term. Misawa is a tentative in his counters. When he goes for his spinning lariat or diving elbow, Hansen is able to counter because Misawa is not 100% committed due to his bad arm. The worst part of this match is all the lame ways Hansen comes up with to miss his Lariat. He tugs at his elbow pad which makes the crowd react. At one Misawa shakes him off like a pitcher would baseball. Almost as if to say, too early bro, Hansen proceeds to miss his lariat in comically bad ways, taking exaggerated tumbles to the outside. Misawa all of sudden wins suplex battles on the floor. Misawa becomes obsessed with his facelock or a sleeper. If only we had the 10/92 announcer screaming "FACELOOOOOOCK!" to make this interesting. They do a little ring around the rosie and Misawa SMOKES him with an Elbow! Crowd pops for that! Misawa now really locks on his Facelock and then hits Macho Man Elbow (hey why didnt he do that more often?). Hansen just starts slapping Misawa. This entire finish run has been really weird. Lots of false starts and weird transitions. Hasen swings wildly and misses the Lariat in a normal way. Back to FACLOOOCCCCKKKKK Hansen again counters and slams him on the top rope and knees him. Only for Misawa to hit a crossbody. This is bizarre. Misawa counters Hansen's kick with a ROARING ELBOW~!
Greatly prefer August 1992 and Carny Final 93 match to this. I am kinda surprised this is generally considered the best of Hansen/Misawa. The finish stretch is a mess. I liked the arm psychology and I can get behind the Facelock psychology to sap Hansen of his energy but the transitions were so weird. Its still a good match, but not quite as great as the other Hansen/Misawa matches. ***1/4
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