Burning vs. Hansen/Vader (AJPW - 12/5/1998)

Third

This was very un-90s All Japan-like, with a very un-90s All Japan-like finish, and I mean both of those things in the best way possible. It ruled, of course. Who knew a 19-minute borderline squash in the world of 40-minute epics would've been this much fun. There's no point going on about how I wish All Japan did this sort of thing more throughout the decade. The 90s All Japan target audience are more than happy with how that stuff went, but man, it might've just worked. Hansen and Vader are the ultimate pair of wrecking ball bastards and they pretty much annihilate Kobashi and Akiyama the entire time. Hansen is broken down yet always dangerous because he's the angriest human being to ever live, but even after a disappointing couple years in the WWF Vader feels like the most menacing presence imaginable. The way he just walks around is sort of terrifying. He's probably the more dangerous of the two at this stage of the game but he'll defer to Hansen because it's Stan Hansen and there can only be one sheriff in town. Kobashi was so great in this, from the way he takes and sells the beatings (there were many), the way he fires back, his general charisma, it was awesome. His first exchange with Vader was incredible and his KO sell for being clubbed across the ear was just perfect. Hansen holding him in place so Vader could punch him dead in the throat and nose was also perfect. Akiyama gets killed repeatedly. He tries a northern lights suplex on Vader and the way Vader just went dead weight and about crushed Akiyama's neck was insane. I don't even know how many times someone got clubbed ridiculously in the face but these were some of the ultimate Vader soup bones. Towards the end it looks like Kobashi and Akiyama might've found an inroad by going after Vader's leg, then Akiyama gets tossed outside and Vader hobbles over and squashes Kobashi's lungs with a splash. Loved how Hansen looked up at Vader after one Kobashi kickout and pointed like "okay, you can finish this motherfucker." In your more traditional All Japan fashion the last few minutes have one guy going it alone while his partner tries to crawl back into the fight, but they curveball us with the finish itself, which fucking ruled. Akiyama has been booted to the floor so many times you think there's no chance he can actually recover. Kobashi is just about dead so he has even less chance and when Vader holds him in place as Hansen adjusts the elbow pad you know it's curtains. Akiyama making his last ditch crawl up the turnbuckle and leaping off with a blind knee on Hansen was the perfect save, and it gives Kobashi the chance to follow up with the ugliest lariat to the ear you ever did see. Akiyama flings himself at Vader in his ultimate sacrifice as Kobashi seals the comeback of all comebacks, snatching victory from the jaws of murder. Vader obliterating everyone post-match feels fitting. All Japan should've done more of this.

Fucking awesome match.