Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW - 7/29/1993)

I'll second this. I preferred this over their more civil '92 match. It is a great step one in their three Act play between 7/29/93, 6/3/94 and 7/24/95. I think great Act I can be overlooked because they tend to leave the audience wanting more and that is fulfilled in the next two rematches. This wont make my list but deserves the nomination. The Closed Fist psychology is cool and becomes very prominent throughout the rest of All Japan. It really establishes Kawada as the shameless, ruthless, win at all costs and consumed by jealousy challenger to Misawa's throne.

Triple Crown Champion Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada - AJPW 7/29/93

Here we go! I know I have seen this before, but I dont remember it. I have really loved the build to this. I know because it is All Japan they arent going to let it rip right away but man I wish they kept out guns blazing and just had a 10 minute brawl after what went down in that tag a couple weeks prior.

I think the beginning of the match is very telling. Both men on rope breaks go for their signature break and the other blocks it. Neither man was coming to wrestle clean and this made apparent that Misawa was the first to do this. He was not reacting. He was instigating. Kawada was the first to lay in some leather with a Cowboy Kick off a rope break. It was a cheapshot. Misawa responds with an elbow and Kawada grits his teeth through it. Kawada catches Misawa a kick to the jaw that drops Misawa to a knee. I feel like all this psychological stuff was to make you believe Kawada was every bit Misawa's equal and willing to go the extra mile. They introduce some arm psychology which is common in Misawa matches because his elbow is such a weapon so it is logical for an opponent to want to neutralize that. Kawada wrenches the arm over the shoulder, a Japanese favorite tactic. I thought the Cross-Armbreaker was treated with respect, good struggle over the clasp and when Kawada got it in, good struggle from Misawa to escape. I liked Misawa's all kick-flurry as means to mount his comeback punctuated with a dropkick. Misawa has underrated kicks. They look good, make contact and make a good sound. Kawada catches him with a powerslam to take back over. Kawada actually starts to enter his finish run, which makes sense given that he had the lead almost lost to that kick flurry so he may be anxious to put the match away and not choke. We see his Mack Truck Lariat and an Axe Bomber after a failed Powerbomb attempt (a play off that prior July tag). He teases his powerbomb twice. I really liked the Catch of Misawa Elbow/Arm Drag/Cowboy Kick combination. I like how Misawa has to earn his Frogsplash it was not enough with just a spinwheel kick. He really needs to slug him with an elbow (great falls on his ass sell by Kawada) and hits not one but two frogsplashes. He gets the FACELOCCCCKKKKK for two. They have added some nice psychological wrinkles in the beginning. It has become a little Greatest Hits but they are definitely hitting each other with vim & vigor. Interested to see where they go in the second half.

Misawa senses it is time to go home and rocks his shit with an elbow and Tiger Driver for two. Tiger Suplex gets a big reaction and Kawada's struggle for the ropes is epic. I love that when Kawada does make the ropes he quickly gets behind Misawa once he is free and BLASTS him an Axe Bomber. Theres a great struggle for the Stretch Plum it takes Kawada three tries and specifically his specialty jumping high kick to apply it. Then comes the Powerbomb for two. I think this is the best part of the match. The Powerbomb is pretty much Kawada's finish so you are left thinking where can he go now that Misawa has kicked out of that. Kawada was clearly thinking the same thing so he just PUNCHES HIM RIGHT IN THE FACE! Well thats one way to solve your problems. He gets a German for two. Goes back to the Powerbomb and when that doesnt work, he punches him again in the face for two. Kawada is feeling empowered by the power of the punch goes for a third time this time Misawa is prepared blocked it and SMOKES him with an ELBOW! A lot of people have said why did Misawa sell after that elbow if Kawada had not worked his arm recently. I think he was trying to put over just how hard he hit him. Kawada did his powder off the elbow to put over that he was fucked up. I think they wanted to really show this was THE ELBOW that was the game changer. Tiger Suplex 1-2-NO! I think that should have been the finish. They get cinematic down the stretch. I am sure Shawn Michaels would enjoy this if you showed him. Roaring Elbow->Kawada does these limp kick outs. Kawada double legs him out of defiance. Whats weird is Kawada hits a Dangerous Back Drop Driver and his Jumping High Kick, but Misawa is the one who gets up first and just starts German Suplexing him to the death. He really folded him up on a couple of those drawing Oooooohs and Aaaaaahs from the crowd. I guess they were trying to show that Kawada had Fighting Spirit but was too spent to capitalize it was very odd. The whole Kawada deadweighting going limp as Misawa threw him one last time for the win was a little much.

The finish stretch aside I think there were a lot of cool macho psychological elements to this. I think the beginning was great about this. I think Kawada's stooping to using a closed fist three times was a very cool and I loved how Misawa adapted and overcame and showed the Power of the Elbow. I liked how they really had to earn their offense. I thought this was humming a long really well, but I found the finish stretch to be peculiar at times and overwrought. Still excellent and definitely an unsung classic because of how awesome this entire rivalry is. ****1/2