AJPW '93 - King's Road Global

Results:


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Highlights – Before the Intermission:
»» Ultimo Dragon remains unstoppable in the B Block, this time defeating Richard Slinger, who’s yet to score a single point, in a good match. The Great Sasuke managed to surprise Negro Casas, effectively ending Casas’ chances to win the Block.

»» In the A Block, Fire Cat lost to Perro Aguayo in another lackluster match from Aguayo’s part. Naoki Sano and Sabu had a good styles-mix type of contest. The World Jr. Heavyweight Champion has now 5 points after his win. After the bout, Aguayo tried to attack Sano, his next opponent, but Sabu, who has beef with the Mexican legend, jumped him before he could attack Sano.

Marquee Matches – After the Intermission:
B Block Match
6. Dean Malenko (4) vs. Masanobu Fuchi (2)
A year and a half are gone from Malenko and Fuchi’s only single encounter. At the time, Fuchi was a World Jr. Heavyweight Champion for over a year, while Malenko was just another contender. This time, if anything, Malenko was the favorite to conquer the two points.
Everyone expected the match to be a fully technical clash. And it was. Naturally, the fans wanted to see Fuchi lose – at least most of them. The bout started and progressed to its later stages in the ground, with a lot of submission attempts and control shifts. Just around ten minutes, Fuchi managed to lock the STF on Malenko, and he kept the hold for a bit, leaving Malenko, perhaps, at the verge of tapping. He didn’t, though, and reached the ropes.
The STF left Malenko hurt, so Fuchi kept going for his legs and back, while Malenko himself finally got hold of Fuchi’s leg at one point, applying a long Angle Lock. In the second half of the match, both men were feeling the effects of the submission holds. As the time progressed, the motto was always the same: wrestling for wrestling’s sake. No top rope moves, like in some of the prior matches, no cheap tactics. And the crowd began having some sympathy for Masanobu Fuchi, as he lingered as the clock’s first digit was the number two, demanding Malenko to give him his everything.
As the time faded, both men were slapping each other in the middle of the ring, before Fuchi, at the 29 minute-mark, managed to get hold of Malenko’s leg, locking a Figure Four. Soon after, Malenko reversed the pressure, and Fuchi almost gave up… but the time elapsed first. It was the second time limit draw of the week.
After the match, the two men took their time getting back to their feet. When they did so, something unexpected took place: Fuchi extended his hand for Malenko to shake! Malenko did it and Fuchi left the ring right after that.
Result: Dean Malenko (5) vs. Masanobu Fuchi (3) --- Time Limit Draw --- 30:00 min.

A Block Match
7. Kazuo Yamazaki (3) vs. Yoshinari Ogawa (2)
How could the main event top a 30-minute time limit draw from Malenko and Fuchi? Simple answer: it can’t. Once again, the main event of another day of Jr. Crown League was poorly chosen, as Yamazaki vs. Ogawa, a fairly decent match in its own credit, felt a little flat.
After Ogawa’s attack on Yamazaki three days before, Yamazaki was ready to make the Tsuruta-gun wrestler pay, while Ogawa was a bit weasely at times before finally accepting to wrestle like a real man.
Very much wrestled on the ground, there were also bits where both wrestlers kicked each other like crazy – something new for Ogawa. Near the end, Yamazaki aimed at his opponent’s arm, kicking it a lot before going for the Cross Armbreaker. Ogawa tried to fight the pain, but it was unbearable. He tapped out!
Result: Kazuo Yamazaki (5) over Yoshinari Ogawa (2) --- Submission --- 15:47 min.

Results:


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Highlights – Before the Intermission:
»» The tournament action on Day 3 started with a clash between two brothers, as The Fantastics beat Jackie Fulton and Johnny Smith. After the match, both teams showed a lot of fair play, as was expected. Also in the A Block, Johnny Ace and Mitsuharu Misawa conquered their first two points, beating Wild Bunch to do so.

»» In the B Block, the underdog teams fought each other and The Youngbloods managed to win their clash against Al Perez and Giant Warrior to assure they probably will not be bottom of the group. The veteran teams of The Funk Borhters and Akira Taue and Jumbo Tsuruta had a great match, raising the bar for the two last matches of the card. Tsuruta-gun’s duo won the match after Taue’s Ore Ga Taue on Dory Jr.

Marquee Matches – After the Intermission:
A Block Match
6. Eddie Gilbert and Stan Hansen (4) vs. Steve Williams and Terry Gordy [Miracle Violence Connection] (4)
The pre-main event of Day 3, simply put, should have been the main event of any AJPW show in the year so far. The four men delivered huge, and even though Stan Hansen and ‘Dr. Death’ were the pillars of the match, Eddie Gilbert and Terry Gordy brought their A game as well, and the result was amazing.
A hard-hitting beginning put the fans in the edge of their feet for the rest of the bout, with Gilbert getting knocked down a lot during the first few minutes, for M.V.C.’s enjoyment. In the early goings, Hansen actually enjoyed seeing his teammate get tested like that, specially days after ‘Hot Stuff’ pinned Misawa. But then it clicked: they had to win the match.
After all, the winners of the match would become sole leaders of the Block with two rounds to go. The pace slowed, and by the middle of the match, Hansen and Gilbert were back into contention and actually working together. During breaks, of course, as the former Unified Tag Team Champions were able to keep control of most of the match, specially looking to isolate Gilbert, who proved himself by kicking out of a few pinning attempts.
In fact, Gilbert’s new-shown guts was the one thing that cost his team the match. Sensing danger, Hansen tagged himself in a crucial moment, but ‘Hot Stuff’ didn’t like and contested Hansen, saying he was perfectly fine. In a matter of instants, the match was over, as Terry Gordy rushed towards Gilbert, knocking him off the apron with a Big Boot before hitting the Backdrop Driver on Hansen to end the match of the year candidate.
Result: Miracle Violence Connection (6) over Gilbert and Hansen (4) --- Pinfall --- 16:43

»» Right after the bell sounded, Steve Williams and Terry Gordy didn’t wait to get a microphone. Not the best talkers in the business, but they didn’t need to be to call Johnny Ace and Mitsuharu Misawa, their next opponents, out. Specially, ‘Dr. Death’ was very vocal when calling Misawa.
So, Ace and Misawa came to the ring. In the ring, Misawa asked Williams to hand him the mic, which he did. Then, Mitsuharu Misawa gave Williams the news he wanted to hear, guaranteeing his very next title defense will be against him, prioritizing him over Eddie Gilbert, as he had pinned the Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion earlier.

B Block Match
7. Dan Kroffat and Doug Furnas [Can-Am Express] (4) vs. Kenta Kobashi and Toshiaki Kawada [Super Generation Army] (4)
Another match to decide the top of the block so far. And boy, was the anticipation big for this one… in 1991 Can-Am Express and Kenta Kobashi had the Tokyo Sports Match of the Year. Although, instead of Toshiaki Kawada, Kobashi had Tsuyoshi Kikuchi for a teammate.
But this match was different. This wasn’t Kikuchi’s home of Fukuoka and the men that stepped into the ring before killed it. Nonetheless, the match was still one of the best in the League so far.
The technical gaijin duo had a plan: hurt Kobashi’s arms and Kawada’s legs. A smart strategy, for sure, made up for a slow start, while Kobashi and Kawada also played the technical game. It took roughly ten minutes for Kobashi and Kawada to have their period of dominance, thanks to their harmful strike combos. But Can-Am Express were ready for that, at least for the first few of them.
Red chested and all, both Kroffat and Furnas were the more experienced duo and knew how to cut the ring in half better than anyone. After all, they’re the Unified World Tag Team Champions. The match progressed and, somehow, Kobashi and Kawada looked like the underdogs approaching the 20-minute mark. By that time, Kobashi had kicked out of a Brainbuster by Furnas and Kawada managed to reach the ropes while Kroffat applied a Single Leg Boston Crab.
Then, the comeback! Super Generation’s duo fought through pain to test the champions with their double team strikes of death! Kroffat was in the receiving end of a Shoot Kick + Brainbuster combo and the match was seemingly on the books, but Furnas managed to break the pinfall, keeping the champions alive in the match. The time progressed and four minutes remained: the two teams fought each other in the middle of the ring, Kawada and Furnas were legal this time and they were left standing after Kroffat and Kobashi caught each other with Dropkicks. Kawada then surprised Furnas with a Gamengiri. 1…2… but no! Kroffat breaks the pinfall in the last second.
The match got way more heated from then on, with the crowd picking a side clearly, opposing to Can-Am Express’ strategy to break the pin attempts. The time was fading and the two teams were battling for supremacy in the middle of the ring. No one was down, but the clock stroke 30. It’s yet another time limit draw! The first in Real World Tag League.
Result: Can-Am Express (5) vs. Kobashi and Kawada (5) --- Time Limit Draw --- 30:00

»» The bell rung and the four men were still throwing forearms at each other, until the referee and AJPW’s young wrestlers managed to break them up. For a bit, they calmed them down until finally all issues were cleared. Kenta Kobashi, the calmer head of his team, accepted to shake Dan Kroffat and Doug Furnas’ hand. Convincing Toshiaki Kawada was harder, as ‘Dangerous K’ accused the champions of playing dirty by breaking pins.
Ultimately, Kawada ended up shaking their hands too, ending the show in a very respectful manner.

Results:


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Highlights – Before the Intermission:
»» It became even clearer that the A Block is a two-horse race, as Kazuo Yamazaki didn’t flinch and beat Fire Cat. However, it took two straight Roundhouse Kicks to do so. In the opener, Sabu beat Yoshinari Ogawa, making it clear this is definitely a tournament to forget for Ogawa, who was perhaps seen as a possible breakout star before it all began.

»» In the B Block, The Great Sasuke continued his redemption from a bad start, defeating Richard Slinger after targeting his hurt back for a long portion of the match. He is eliminated from contention, though. Negro Casas and Dean Malenko had a technical match, one of the best of the night… and Casas won with the La Casita. Which means Malenko could be top of the Block, but isn’t… and if Ultimo Dragon wins the main event, Malenko says goodbye to the chance of heading to the finals.

Marquee Matches – After the Intermission:
A Block Match
6. Naoki Sano (5) vs. Perro Aguayo [FREE] (4)
Perro Aguayo gave the AJPW fans a hard time in his first three matches of the League, so, Naoki Sano had the herculean task of making him look good. Surprisingly, he did. Although he carried the Mexican legend, the match was the best of the night.
Aguayo did good in his role of being a bastard and playing it out to the crowd, though, trying to surprise Sano with some pinning moves. So, the World Jr. Heavyweight Champion had to be aware. And he struggled while trying to go for his kicks, as Aguayo started to hurt his knees.
However, during the later stages, Sano realized he had to fight the pain, as Yamazaki won his match, and the A Block may have to be decided on winning times. So, Sano managed to avoid a La Silla, then connecting with a Running Sole Kick to win the match!
Result: Naoki Sano (7) def. Perro Aguayo (4) --- Pinfall --- 14:08 min.

»» After the match, Kazuo Yamazaki, the only other contender in the race to the top of the A Block, came to the ring. Respectfully, he shook Naoki Sano’s hand and both NJPW graduates hugged.

B Block Match
7. Masanobu Fuchi (3) vs. Ultimo Dragon (6)
The main event was given to a quest: the quest of former Jr. Heavyweight ace Masanobu Fuchi to try to stay alive in the Jr. Crown League. Against the leader of the B Block, that could win it with a match to be wrestled, due to Malenko’s earlier defeat.
Two very similar wrestlers in terms of technical abilities, although Dragon’s agility and flying prowess gave him an edge during most of the match. At first, Fuchi resorted to some cheaper moves and rope strategy to give him a slight lead at times. But as the crowd disliked it, he changed his gameplay. Specially because if he had something to prove, he could only do it by playing fair.
So he began taking the match to the ground, where he’s still superior to Ultimo. But Ultimo’s quickness was hard to control and he had Fuchi in danger sometimes. From then on, the veteran knew he had to lock the STF. The masked wrestler escaped two times, but third time was the charm: the Dragon was trapped! But he wouldn’t quit, and after a while, he reached the ropes.
And then dirty Fuchi was back. He had to! Several kicks to the damaged leg of Ultimo set up the Bridging Belly-to-Back Suplex. 1...2…3! And the B Block will be decided in the last day.
Result: Masanobu Fuchi (5) over Ultimo Dragon (6) --- Pinfall --- 19:47 min.

»» After the bell, Ultimo Dragon had some trouble getting up. When he did it, Masanobu Fuchi was waiting for him. He wanted to say, to his face, that he was alive in the fight to get what was his for almost three years: the World Jr. Heavyweight Championship.
And then, Dean Malenko interrupted the scene, getting to the ring as well. Malenko, a loser tonight, made sure his rivals knew he was not down. Specially Ultimo Dragon, with whom he’ll main event Day 5 of the Jr. Crown League.

Results:


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Highlights – Before the Intermission:
»» The B Block top spot will be fought for in a 3-team race (at least, hypothetically, until the later stages of tonight’s event), as Akira Taue and Jumbo Tsuruta won their match and so did Kenta Kobashi and Toshiaki Kawada. After the latter’s match, Tsuruta-gun’s duo came face-to-face with them to let them know they plan to go to the finals… and in Day 5 both teams will share the same ring. Can-Am Express can’t fail either from now on, or the champions are out.

»» Two shocks for most: the undercard of A Block’s Day 4 was an interesting one. The impromptu duo of Jackie Fulton and Johnny Smith won their first match, beating Wild Bunch. As for Eddie Gilbert and Stan Hansen… they are now knocked out of contention, as The Fantastics managed to beat them in one of the best matches of the night. Eddie Gilbert may have a Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship match waiting for him… but he was pinned by Bobby Fulton. Hansen was not happy… and The Fantastics are still chasing the top spot.

Marquee Matches – After the Intermission:
B Block Match
6. Dan Kroffat and Doug Furnas [Can-Am Express] (5) vs. Dory Funk Jr. and Terry Funk [The Funk Brothers] (2)
The Funks’ Real World Tag League story is similar to Masanobu Fuchi’s in the Jr. Crown League, as they too are in a quest to prove they can still hang with the best duos in puroresu today. This time, they had a match with the Unified World Tag Team Champions.
The first part of the match was a battle of brains, as both teams stuck to their strategies: Kroffat and Furnas cut the ring in half and played the technical game, while The Funks went for their opponents’ legs (and Furnas’ back), trying to set up for the Spinning Toe Hold that could win them the match.
As the action progressed, Dory Jr. and Terry’s resiliency was put to test further and further… and of course, the crowd began to feel some sympathy for both, again. Specially after the champions broke two pinfall attempts, just like they had done in their last match. When Dory Funk Jr. broke a pinfall attempt after a Frankensteiner by Furnas on Terry, the crowd erupted.
In the end, the champions had done a lot, but they couldn’t seem to pick up the win, so they went for the Doomsday Device, a page they took from Legion of Doom once. But, Terry Funk stopped Furnas from diving, allowing Dory Jr. to escape.
The tag was made after Dory hit a Chop Block on Kroffat and both brothers applied Spinning Toe Holds. Then, Dory left and Terry, out of nowhere, pulled Kroffat to spike him with a Texas Piledriver. 1…2…3! The Funks have pinned the champs!
Result: The Funk Brothers (4) over Can-Am Express (5) --- Pinfall --- 16:46

»» After the match, the announcers made it clear: the race for the top of the B Block will be a two-horse one. The Unified World Tag Team Champions are out of contention, meaning that only Akira Taue and Jumbo Tsuruta, as well as Kenta Kobashi and Toshiaki Kawada can win the Block.

A Block Match
7. Johnny Ace and Mitsuharu Misawa (2) vs. Steve Williams and Terry Gordy [Miracle Violence Connection] (6)
Ace and Misawa were already out of chances to win the League. But, Misawa being the Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion and ‘Dr. Death’ the next challenger, this had to be the main event.
In all fairness, the term ‘two-men show’ can be used to describe this match, as Misawa and Williams were the stars of the bout and both Ace and Gordy played the second-fiddle role. More of a preview for the upcoming Misawa vs. Williams match than anything, the match was still probably the best in the whole evening.
Instead of trying to wreck the opposition from the early stages of the match, M.V.C. were a little bit more controlled. They had to. But once Ace slapped Gordy back at one point, the whole hell broke lose, as ‘Bam Bam’ threw the former ‘Dynamic One’ all over the ring and at ringside, booting him against the guardrail and leaving Misawa for himself throughout the majority of the rest of the match.
At first, the champion struggled, but then he had a chance and, above all else, a chance to stick it to his next title contender as well, as he was very close to defeat Williams after a Rolling Elbow. But ‘Dr. Death’ wasn’t going down as easily.
The meaning of the Triple Crown Championship, however, would dictate the end of the match, as Misawa got a bit distracted with Williams, allowing Terry Gordy to stay alone in the ring with a broken Johnny Ace. He avoided a Backdrop Driver, but he was hit with a huge Lariat to the back of his head, and then, a Powerbomb. There was no getting up from that. M.V.C. are still undefeated in the league.
Result: Miracle Violence Connection (8) over Johnny Ace and Mitsuharu Misawa (2) --- Pinfall --- 21:09

»» After the bell, Mitsuharu Misawa had no other choice but to leave the ring, helping Johnny Ace, while being looked at by an imposing ‘Dr. Death’. Then… The Fantastics came to the ring. Once overlooked, Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers are now the only two men that can prevent Miracle Violence Connection from going to the Real World Tag League Finals.
The two teams stared at each other, with Terry Gordy butting heads with both Fantastics. Things got heated until Steve Williams, once again the cooler head, prevented his teammate (again) to hit their next rivals.