Misawa and Kobashi vs. Taue and Kawada (AJPW - 1/24/1995)

I like this better than October version, which I know is a minority opinion. The first 30 minutes is a bit dry but the last 30 are gangbusters. The 20 minute heat segment on Kobashi rules and I think the run up to the time limit expiring is better done than in October, wont make my list, but worth a watch.

AJPW World Tag Team Champions Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs Holy Demon Army - AJPW 1/24/95

The Super Generation Army was on quite a roll having won the back to back Real World Tag League in 1993 and 1994. They beat the Holy Demon Army on 12/3/93 and 5/21/94 but drew them in the Real World Tag League of 1994. So are the Holy Demon Army getting any closer?

First 15 minutes: I really like how tags were used at the beginning. Any time one man tags out, the non-fresh man works pretty quickly to tag out to his partner to avoid a control segment being established. It is worth noting Kobashi and Kawada just went an hour Broadway 5 days prior to this and they are the ones that start out. Again to their credit they do not telegraph that this will also being going hour Broadway because they come out guns blazing. Again, it is Kawada stunned that Kobashi is standing tall after absorbing a lot of blows to the head. Misawa vs Taue is fun lots of nifty takedowns by Misawa. Misawa goes for a dive to the floor too early and eats a big boot on the floor. Before this can become a control segment he tags out to Kobashi. Kawada vs Kobashi is very scrappy and chippy, I guess it is residual heat from their Triple Crown match. Kobashi uses a closed fist. Kawada unleashes some wicked headbutts that he ends up selling and forces him to tag out to Taue who headbutts Kobashi again, before this can be a control segment, Kobashi tags out. Our first almost control segment is on Taue, but he back drops out of a Kobashi headlock and Kawada tags in. Kawada smokes him with his classic Spinning Heel Kick Kawada shows the back of his hand to Kawada in the corner and Kobashi uses a Closed Fist in response to this blatant disrespect and tags out to Misawa. We get our first Misawa/Kawada interaction and Misawa is a house afire, kicking ass and smoking Kawada. Big dive to the outside lands and then sets him up to head a baseball slide from Kobashi. Taue tries to save and eats a Double Dropkick. Misawa SPINNING PLANCHA! Diving shouldertackle by Kobashi on Kawada on the floor. First big highspots of the match! Hell Yeah! We needed big time fun babyface spots and stereo dives are great. Kobashi starts pelting Kawada with chops and stomping him into oblivion. Kobashi lands a big standing suplex and then converts into a deep Single Leg Crab. We have our first official control segment and it is on Kawada. Definitely a solid opening 15 minutes to this match and looks like the action is ratcheting up.

Second 15 minutes: This feels like a match that did not need to go 60 minutes rather they just wanted it to go sixty minutes. This middle portion is filled with three heat segments that roughly go about 5 minutes each. The leg work on Kawada is solid based around strikes and single leg crabs. Kawada's selling is better than offense and he is just awesome. Taue tries to help out on a monkey flip attempt in the corner but eats an elbow for his troubles. Misawa does his Blind Springboard Reverse Elbow but Kawada nails a Jumping High Kick. The Misawa heat segment starts out auspiciously with Taue DDT and then rolling Snake Eyes to boos on the top rope, steel railing and Kawada's good knee. Best stuff. Kawada lights up the down 'n' out Misawa with kicks & chops. Taue hits the rest holds. Kawada comes back in hits some wicked head kicks. Taue comes back and they do some Nodowa/Tiger Driver teases, which is the first time they have even teased a finisher and this is about 25 minutes in. Misawa snatches a Butterfly Suplex. Kobashi comes in and is all fired up taking both down. He settles into an abdominal stretch. When Kobashi is working holds like this, you know your match doesnt have to go so long. Misawa his a slingshot splash for two. They are definitely holding back on the fireworks. Stiff elbows and chops to Taue as he looks in dire straits as Misawa/Kobashi have him trapped in their corner. Taue throws Kobashi down in the corner. Taue fights through the chops and piefaces Kobashi! Here we go some heat! Kobashi fires up! Taue catches him in a Firemans Carry and rolls Snake Eyes! Nice! Tag out to Kawada. Well the only one who has not had a heat segment is Kobashi so I think I know where this is going.

Third 15 minutes: They saved the heat segment for last! It is an absolutely delectable 15 minute heat segment on Kobashi. I loved how Kobashi made Kawada earn this control segment. They were both rocking each other with knees but both men kept firing up until Kawada chopped high! Kawada went for the knee. Kobashi responded with a desperation round kick to the knee that Kawada absorbed. Kawada fired back. Kobashi went for the dropkick to the knee and Kawada pulled out his leg and avoided. KAWADA SWEEPS THE LEG~! Kobashi sold his leg like a million bucks. So much great verbal selling and hollering. Kawada and Taue put on a fucking clinic on how to work the leg. Any hope Kobashi had they would quash. Misawa started to try to help but Kawada was out for blood. Big kick and then smoked him with a Jumping High Kick and Misawa powdered. A second time Misawa tried to help was when Kobashi looked like he has a chance to make a tag, but Kawada came in illegally and started to drag him away from Misawa. Kawada/Misawa got into scuffle and Kawada just SLUGGED him with a punch that sent Misawa reeling to the floor. This when it went from leg work to finish the punk off. Kawada TRUCKED him with a Lariat! Kawada THROWS KOBASHI DOWN WITH A POWERBOMB! This may turn out to be the biggest mistake of the match as Kawada is blind with rage goes to the outside finds Misawa and POWERBOMBS him on the floor. By the time, he gets back in the ring, it is too late to win. Taue comes in. Remember at this point, Taue has not yet innovated the Nodowa Of Death (Nodowa off the Apron) nor the Dynamic Bomb. He hits a normal Nodowa and Kobashi just freaks out. He is scrambling to get away, flailing like a fish out of water. He makes it to his corner, but there is no Misawa! High Drama! Taue hits a Super Nodowa but loses control of Kobashi in the crash landing. Kobashi powders and Taue sells. Misawa has rolled closer to Kobashi but is still hurting. Kobashi looks dead to rites and Taue has recovered and is stalking his prey. The first 30 minutes is pretty bland, but business has picked up in a big way.

Final Fifteen Minutes: I smell a Dangerous BackDrop Driver! I am right, but they dont use that as their nearfall. Instead Kawada goes back to the powerbomb and stacks up Kobashi. At the very last second Misawa bowls them both over to break it up. NUCLEAR NEARFALL! It makes sense because the first Powerbomb was broken up by Kawada going after Misawa. This time they could use the Powerbomb as a nearfall. Great way to get the most out of the Powerbomb. Kawada goes into the Stretch Plum, which makes sense while Taue tries to detain Misawa. The one problem is Taue is overwhelmed by Misawa elbows and Misawa starts firing off on Kawada. Kawada goes for a punch, but it is a glancing blow and Misawa roars back with an Elbow. After NINETEEN minute heat segment, Kobashi makes the tag. At first, I thought Misawa was going to be gobbled up the pack of hyenas, but he catches each of their kicks and ROARING ELBOW~! I was openly cheering! Misawa hits an insane over the top rope SPEAR on Kawada! He looked like a fucking heat-seeking missile. Whats weird is Misawa does not go for the Tiger Driver or the Tiger Suplex, but settles for the Facelock. Once the Facelock has played out, he teases the Tiger Suplex but cant get it and tags back to Kobashi who is ready to unleash Hell on these assholes for the 19 minutes of punishment he took. Whats crazy is that 55 minutes in we have NOT seen a Tiger Driver, Tiger Suplex, Moonsault or a Kobashi powerbomb. Kobashi goes for the Moonsault, first one results in a crash landing. An illegal Misawa ends up hitting an illegal Tiger Driver on Kawada in the only Tiger Driver of the match. Kobashi connects with the Moonsault for the first big nearfall for the babyfaces. Kawada kicks Kobashi in the back of the head as Kobashi is running the ropes and this allows Taue to tag out. Kawada Axe Kick! Misawa elbows to prevent the Stretch Plum. Kobashi gets one last nearfall by doing the rolling cradle about 57 minutes into the match which was a fun spot. They look exhausted. No Kobashi Jackknife Powerbomb. Kobashi wisely tags out. Misawa and Kawada stare each other down. Misawa leaps for diving elbow but Kawada catches him with a jumping kick. Misawa says fuck you and German Suplexes him. Misawa's first big nearfall. Misawa responds wisely the next time with a Spinning, Twisting Elbow/Headbutt Thingy From the Top Rope. He did it to avoid Kawada chance to kick him, which worked but it did look ugly, Taue saves. Taue breaks free from Kobashi and breaks up the Facelock. Time call for 1 minute left and Misawa hits a Twisting Frogsplash with amazing precision for 2. With 30 seconds left, Misawa is grappling for the Tiger Driver, Kawada is sandbagging him and Taue tackles Misawa to break it up and the bell rings for a 60 minute draw.

The first 30 minutes are not bad per se they are just pedestrian. If you joined this in progress at the 30 minute mark right at the beginning of the heat segment on Kobashi, I think you would think this was ***** that's how amazing I thought the last 30 minutes was. The heat segment on Kobashi was so compelling. I liked how it morphed from leg psychology into bomb throwing seamlessly. I liked how Misawa kept trying to intervene and Kawada just got more and more pissed off. The Second Powerbomb on Kobashi was a fucking awesome nearfall. The finish stretch was so much fun with the babyfaces desperately trying to finish off the Holy Demon Army and exact some revenge for getting their ass kicked for the previous 20 minutes. It is amazing how they actually left stuff off the table in this match...the Holy Demon Army never even attempted their Nodowa/Back Drop Driver finisher...Kobashi didn't do his Jackknife Powerbomb....Misawa did not do a Tiger Driver or Tiger Suplex. I think they could have spread things out and spiced up the first 30 minutes to make this a true classic. I cant go higher than ****1/4 given the first 30 minutes but the last 30 minutes is excellent.