AJPW '93 - King's Road Global

Championships and holders:
» AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship: Mitsuharu Misawa
» AJPW National Openweight Championship: Kenta Kobashi
» AJPW Unified Tag Team Championship: Dan Kroffat and Doug Furnas [Can-Am Express]
» AJPW World Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Naoki Sano
» AWWA Global Open Championship: Terry Gordy [AJPW]

Results – Full Show:

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Show Recap:

0. Dark Match: Giant Kimala & Jun Izumida vs. Mighty Inoue & Satoshi Kojima
Kimala’s presence was felt heavily during this match, as he battered the young Kojima. However, that didn’t stop the underdog duo of Mighty Inoue and Satoshi Kojima from getting the win. And it was indeed Kojima the one to make the pin, after a Diving Elbow Drop on Izumida.
Being a dark match, the fans will see its highlights on TV.
Result: Satoshi Kojima over Jun Izumida --- Pinfall --- 7:35

1. Al Perez & Giant Warrior & Richard Slinger vs. Fire Cat & The Youngbloods
The lowest ranked competitors in both the Real World Tag League and the Junior Crown League. However, solid performers, without a doubt. Giant Warrior unlocked the match for his team, managing to neutralize Fire Cat’s dangerous flying offense. A Big Boot on Mark from The Youngbloods ended the bout.
Result: Giant Warrior over Mark Youngblood --- Pinfall --- 8:46

2. Big Titan [FMW] vs. The Gladiator
One of the most dominant teams from FMW’s last year parted ways when The Gladiator joined AJPW. Now, the two men from that team collided. In a colossal and hard-hitting clash, the American kept his singles undefeated streak going after pinning Titan following an impressive Gladiator Splash.
Result: The Gladiator over Big Titan --- Pinfall --- 8:39

3. Masanobu Fuchi & Yoshinari Ogawa [Tsuruta-gun] vs. Negro Casas [UWA] & Perro Aguayo [FREE]
What do you do with the four sneakiest Junior Heavyweights in the League? You make them face each other. That’s what happened when Tsuruta-gun faced the Mexican rudos, with Fuchi and Aguayo looking for revenge on Casas and Ogawa, respectively.
After some dirty and tainted tricks, with Fuchi being the cleanest in the room, naturally, Tsuruta-gun managed to get the win, after a Belly-to-Back Suplex from the Japanese veteran on Casas.
Result: Masanobu Fuchi over Negro Casas --- Pinfall --- 12:02

4. Jackie Fulton & Johnny Smith & Toshiaki Kawada vs. Terry Funk & Wild Bunch
In an entertaining match, Terry Funk and Toshiaki Kawada were, once again, opposites. And they had some interesting teammates, as, particularly Funk and Wild Bunch worked pretty well together.
The animosity between Funk and Kawada was seemingly gone, but the competition was still real, and Funk knew how dangerous was Kawada. In two instances, Funk’s team was in trouble due to the man. So, nearing the end of the match, Funk used his brains, slapping Kawada, making him furious. Funk took a beating in the outside, but the ring was clear for Wild Bunch to win, which they did, with an Aided Spike Piledriver on Jackie Fulton.
Result: Billy Black over Jackie Fulton --- Pinfall --- 13:00

»» When the bell sounded, Toshiaki Kawada looked at the ring and instantly realized what Terry Funk had done. Instead of getting madder, he nodded his head while looking to ‘The Funker’ on the ground. Funk smiled too. Kawada didn’t lift him up, but he offered his hand for Terry to shake while on the ground. Then, he and Johnny Smith helped Jackie Fulton to the back while Funk joined Wild Bunch in the ring, celebrating their win.

5. Dean Malenko & Can-Am Express vs. Naoki Sano & The Fantastics
An important non-title match for some gold-wearing stars. After being inches away from the Finals, The Fantastics really wanted to pin the Tag Team Champions so they could prove they belonged at the top of the contention line. As for Dean Malenko, he accepted that he couldn’t get to the finals, so, he approached this match with an open mind, trying to submit Sano, as well as Fulton and Rogers, to prove he could hang with the Heavyweights too.
The best bits of the match, however, featured Dan Kroffat and Naoki Sano, who got into interesting sequences and some fast-paced technical offense that led the fans to wonder how awesome would a match between the two be… if only Kroffat returned to the Jr. Heavyweight Division…
In the end, the Can-Am Express would end The Fantastics’ chances of getting a title shot, when Furnas and Malenko were busy with Rogers and Sano, allowing Kroffat and Fulton to engage in a series of twists-and-turns before Kroffat avoided a Dropkick and hit a definitive Sitout Powerbomb.
Result: Dan Kroffat over Bobby Fulton --- Pinfall --- 17:12

6. Eddie Gilbert & Stan Hansen & The Great Sasuke vs. Johnny Ace & Mitsuharu Misawa & Sabu [FMW]
Eddie Gilbert is, technically, an AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship contender. And Stan Hansen loves every chance he gets to pummel Mitsuharu Misawa’s head. The Great Sasuke had a big test, taking on some big names, and Sabu, being crazy as usual, was also an attraction, specially when working with Hansen and Gilbert.
The match was great for the loves of all-around wrestling, featuring some brawl bits, some flying offence and even some playing out to the crowd, as Gilbert rejoiced almost every time he had Johnny Ace controlled. However, his ego may have cost him the match, as he mocked Misawa for the win in the Real World Tag League before trying to hit the Hot Shot on Ace. The ‘Dynamic One’ managed to escape and surprised Gilbert with an Ace Crusher, but the pin was too close to the ropes.
In the end, Sabu had taken out both Gilbert and Hansen, as well as Ace, in the outside, with a Springboard Crossbody. That left Sasuke alone with Misawa in the ring. The fans were in awe after a Frankensteiner that set up the Senton Atomico. Could Sasuke beat Misawa? No way! The champion got his knees up and then hit a Tiger Driver for the win.
Result: Mitsuharu Misawa over The Great Sasuke --- Pinfall --- 12:56

Junior Crown League Finale
7. Kazuo Yamazaki vs. Ultimo Dragon
The best of each Jr. Crown League Block met in the ring to decide who’s going to challenge Naoki Sano for the AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Championship next. And despite being given a shot by Sano already, there is no way Kazuo Yamazaki will be happy with being second best.
Kicks and risk-taking melted in this match, as the technical ability of both wrestlers renders the bout a promising one. But as pretty much everything in the Junior Crown League, it fell under its own potential, as the crowd didn’t expect a technical masterclass at that point.
Yamazaki worked the legs of Ultimo Dragon, kicking his thighs and shins to prevent him from flying, which worked, to an extent, but Ultimo had more to him than flight and his Suplex game was on point. As the match progressed, however, the match got grounded further and further and seemed more like a catch-as-catch-can contest sometimes.
When standing, however, Yamazaki couldn’t hit a definitive kick on Ultimo, and Ultimo’s quickness to dodge him was the key: dodging a mean Roundhouse Kick, the masked luchador hit an Asai DDT out of nowhere and finished the match with a Cancun Tornado. No kicking out from that! Ultimo Dragon wins the first ever Junior Crown League!
Result: Ultimo Dragon over Kazuo Yamazaki --- Pinfall --- 21:45

»» After the match, Ultimo Dragon celebrated, rightfully, with his trophy, following an handshake from Kazuo Yamazaki. Then, he was met by, of course, Naoki Sano. The World Junior Heavyweight Champion promptly congratulated Dragon on his tournament win and told him he’s waiting for him on October 21st in the 20th Anniversary Special, with the title on the line… and he plans on beating him, as he promised Yamazaki his own title match.


AJPW National Openweight Championship – V1
8. Kenta Kobashi © vs. Salman Hashimikov [UWF-i]
A huge test for Kenta Kobashi. Salman Hashimikov, a former IWGP Heavyweight Champion and one of the top wrestlers of UWF-i had crossed the forbidden door to challenge for the new AJPW National Openweight Championship.
Knowing the Kazakh, we were expecting him to want to settle things in the shorter time possible. Kobashi knew it as well, but it’s not easy to prepare for that, and in a matter of four minutes, the match could’ve ended after a Water Wheel Drop. Luckily (or was it strategy?) the champion rolled under the ropes to the outside. When Hashimikov got Kobashi in the ring, he couldn’t get more than a 2-count.
Only after that Kobashi could fight properly with his challenger. For one’s Suplexes, the other had strikes, but the champion can hit some hard impact Suplexes too, and he was close to beat Hashimikov in his own game with a Leg Hook Belly-to-Back Suplex.
In the end, Kobashi had the upper hand and had the challenger down. He climbed the ropes, maybe to hit a Diving Leg Drop, but Hashimikov stopped him, trying to surprise him with another Water Wheel Suplex, this time from the top rope. It would have been it, if Kobashi wasn’t a machine. He hung to the ropes and chopped Hashimikov, who fell like a tree, allowing Kobashi to hit the Moonsault. 1…2… but no! So Kobashi got up and got his opponent up too: Vertical Drop Brainbusterrrr! 1…2…3! Kobashi beats Hashimikov!
Result: Kenta Kobashi over Salman Hashimikov --- Pinfall --- 13:11

Real World Tag League Finale
9. Akira Taue & Jumbo Tsuruta [Tsuruta-gun] vs. Steve Williams & Terry Gordy [Miracle Violence Connection]
Two of the most disliked teams in AJPW got the main event spot – of course, as the Real World Tag League trophy was on the line – with M.V.C. having the chance to three-peat the League win.
The match started calmly, with Terry Gordy’s temper getting toned down in the first minutes after realizing Akira Taue and Jumbo Tsuruta wouldn’t let their own heads boil. Steve Williams was clinical, taking down his opponents and securing the early dominance to his team. Both teams also excelled in cutting the ring in two and, in the early goings, the legal men were the only ones getting a piece of the action.
Then, as the impact moves started to become more frequent, things changed, as Taue knocked Gordy down after sensing Tsuruta was in danger following a hard Big Boot. Moments later, Gordy broke a pin on Williams following a German Suplex by Taue.
That led to the most stellar moment of the match: Taue and Gordy fought all over ringside, throwing punches, forearms and big boots while Tsuruta and ‘Dr. Death’ butted heads, showcasing a piece of wrestling perfection for some four minutes. First, it was Tsuruta who looked close to win, with a Diving Knee. Then, Williams, with a big Exploder Suplex. But the veteran was alive!
The match progressed to its later stages with Gordy tagging in and capitalizing with a Lariat on the end of an Irish Whip by ‘Dr. Death’. Taue was unable to tag in, and Williams, smartly, lured him to another ringside fight, that actually ended with Taue managing to leave his opponent down with a Dynamic Boot.
But Taue was hurt too, and in the ring, Gordy had controlled Tsuruta and climbed the rope, calling him up, for ‘Bam Bam’ to hit a Diving Lariat! But all of a sudden, Taue got to the apron and hit Gordy with a big forearm, allowing Tsuruta to quickly make the tag then. Taue was legal and had Gordy in a dangerous position on the turnbuckle. So, he got hold of Gordy’s throat: Nodowa Otoshi!!! From the top turnbuckle! 1…2…3!!! Tsuruta-gun have won the League!
Result: Akira Taue over Terry Gordy --- Pinfall --- 21:25

»» With the bout over and Miracle Violence Connection at ringside (Williams helping Gordy), Akira Taue and Jumbo Tsuruta received the trophy. After a few words of Tsuruta warning Can-Am Express they’re coming for the gold on the 20th Anniversary Special, the Unified World Tag Team Champions came to the ring for a face-off. Then, they left and Tsuruta told the crowd they are only seeing the beginning of a glory era for Tsuruta-gun, leaving afterwards.
Then, Terry Gordy got up, arguing with his partner Steve Williams and leaving him, going to the backstage alone. ‘Dr. Death’ was then met on stage by… Mitsuharu Misawa! The AJPW Triple Crown Champion assured Steve Williams he was a man of his word: «Tonight, you didn’t win. But you pinned me at Starting Point and I don’t forget that. I didn’t forget it when I told you you’d be my next challenger. Now, you get to know when it is: October 21st… the 20th Anniversary of AJPW: Misawa vs. Williams!»
Steve Williams nodded his head, butting foreheads with the champion. Then, he was about to shake his hand but… Terry Gordy comes running like a train, hitting a huge Big Boot on Mitsuharu Misawa as soon as he turned around! A speechless ‘Dr. Death’ turns vivid in a matter of moments, getting in his partner’s face for his actions, before Gordy left him, again, talking to himself. Is this the end for M.V.C.?

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Prediction Contest - Results:
Asaemon - 5/9
marc91 - 7/9
Purotastic - 7/9


The winner is: no one! Another draw? Seriously, guys? Wow!

Thanks for reading!