AJPW 20th Anniversary Special
Oct. 21st 1992
Attendance: 51,000 – Tokyo, Kanto, JP
TV Rating: 1.47 [Nippon TV – JP] + 0.07 [WGN America – US] 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
Results – Full Show:- Match #0 – Dark Match: Mighty Inoue & Mitsuo Momota & Jun Akiyama & Masayoshi Motegi & Satoshi Kojima def. Al Perez & Giant Warrior & Haruka Eigen & Isamu Teranishi & Jun Izumida --- Motegi > Izumida (Sitout Powerbomb) --- 10 min. --- [47];
- Match #1: Wahoo McDaniel’s Retirement Match: Billy Black & Giant Kimala & Joel Deaton def. Chris Youngblood & Rusher Kimura & Wahoo McDaniel --- Black > Kimura (Aided Texas Piledriver) --- 9 min. --- [54];
- Match #2: Masanobu Fuchi & Yoshinari Ogawa & Satoru Asako [Tsuruta-gun] def. Fire Cat & The Great Sasuke & Minoru Tanaka --- Ogawa > Tanaka (Figure Four Leglock) --- 11 min. --- [59];
- Match #3: Open Challenge: The Gladiator def. Giant Baba --- (Gladiator Splash) --- 6 min. --- [42];
- Match #4: Toshiaki Kawada & Kazuo Yamazaki def. Johnny Ace & Dean Malenko --- Kawada > Malenko (Dangerous Kick) --- 15 min. --- [76];
- Match #5: Dory Funk Jr. & Eddie Gilbert & Stan Hansen & Terry Funk def. Bobby Fulton & Jackie Fulton & Johnny Smith & Tommy Rogers --- Hansen > Jackie (Western Lariat) --- 14 min. --- [76];
- Match #6 – AJPW World Jr. Heavyweight Championship – V2: Ultimo Dragon def. Naoki Sano © --- (Cancun Tornado) --- 18 min. --- [74];
- Match #7 – AJPW National Openweight Championship – V2: Kenta Kobashi © def. Terry Gordy --- (Moonsault) --- 19 min. --- [81];
- Match #8 – AJPW Unified World Tag Team Championship – V1: Akira Taue & Jumbo Tsuruta [Tsuruta-gun] def. Dan Kroffat & Doug Furnas [Can-Am Express] © --- Tsuruta > Furnas (Backdrop Driver) --- 22 min. --- [81];
- Match #9 – AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship - V2: Mitsuharu Misawa © def. Steve Williams --- (Tiger Driver ‘91) --- 25 min. --- [85].
Show Rating: 82
Highlights – Part 1»» 1st match: The opener saw an American legend return to AJPW for his final match ever. Wahoo McDaniel is that legend and was unsuccessful in the last time he laced the boots, as Giant Kimala and Wild Bunch won, with the Bunch beating Rusher Kimura with an Aided Texas Piledriver.
»» 2nd match: Some of the junior heavyweights of All Japan shared the ring, with Tsuruta-gun being one of the teams in a six-man tag match. The Great Sasuke teamed with Fire Cat and Minoru Tanaka, some fan favorites. In the end, Ogawa tapped the young wrestler off with a Figure Four Leg Lock.
»» 3rd match: Wahoo wasn’t the only legend stepping up that night, as Giant Baba addressed the crowd later on and announced himself as The Gladiator’s opponent in his open challenge. The undefeated and menacing young man defeated Baba in a short match, ending with the Gladiator Splash.
»» 4th match: In a Special Tag Team Match between two liked teams, Toshiaki Kawada and Kazuo Yamazaki teamed up to beat Johnny Ace and Dean Malenko. The final part of the match was great, with Kawada and Malenko being given time. Their dynamics were interesting, but Kawada eventually avoided Malenko’s traps and surprised him with a Dangerous Kick for the win.
»» 5th match: The Southern style blended well with the british technique in a good eight-man tag team match (Eddie Gilbert/Stan Hansen/The Funks vs. Jackie Fulton/Johnny Smith/The Fantastics). While the winning side was predicted by most fans, the bout was nonetheless appreciated, as it was one of the best of the night. Hansen’s Western Lariat on Jackie gave his team the win. And then…
Highlights – Part 2»» After the match, Terry Funk asked for a microphone, and he was given one and the music was cut promptly. So ‘The Funker’ talked about how the four men in the ring are outlaws and have been «some of the outlaws of American rasslin’ since the beginning of their careers.» Even Eddie Gilbert, who Funk didn’t like at first. Then, Terry called two other wrestlers to come to the ring: Billy Black and Joel Deaton, the Wild Bunch!
Stan Hansen got the mic and introduced the crowd to The Outlaw Stable, a new faction that is naturally forming: «a group of mentors and young prospects who will bring the outlaw spirit to the rest of the 90s.» He explained that Wild Bunch will be mentored by The Funks, while… he… is looking for a protégé!
Eddie Gilbert looked at Hansen in shock, shouting at Hansen’s face. But he listened when the former Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion explained that he won’t accept Gilbert as his protégé officially, as Gilbert needs to understand that he’s not yet ready for a title match against Mitsuharu Misawa, even though he is granted one. Hansen added: «Eddie, if you get that idea out of your head, you’re officially an Outlaw. It’s your choice, buddy!»
Gilbert spat at Hansen’s feet and left to the backstage, fuming, while The Outlaw Stable drank their first beer together in the ring.
AJPW World Jr. Heavyweight Championship – V4
6. Naoki Sano © vs. Ultimo DragonNever has a challenger for the AJPW World Jr. Heavyweight Champion been so legitimate. Dragon won the first-ever Junior Crown League and Sano knows his reign can be cut short. If that’s the case… it’s been some cool six months.
The match was great, one of the best Junior bouts of the year, working like a chess game in the first four or five minutes, but then… no brakes were pressed. Sano tried wearing the challenger down, getting him to the ground, hitting some kicks, as Ultimo tried to catch the champion off guard multiple times.
Sano tried to hit his Running Sole Kick various times, but to no avail, as Ultimo avoided it, and his later work of trying to hurt Sano’s back, stretching him with a Dragon Sleeper at one point, worked, making Sano vulnerable and hitting an Asai DDT! Instead of pinning Sano, he thought that wouldn’t suffice, so he went for the Cancun Tornado… but Sano got his knees up, and then he rolled him up! 1…2… but Dragon kicked out.
Not more than two minutes later, Sano and Ultimo were contesting a strike battle that Ultimo thought he’d won… until he finally got hit with the magical Sole Kick! But it was really nearing the ropes, so the challenger took a tumble to the outside, and Sano couldn’t make the pin. When Ultimo got up, Sano caught him with a Suicide Dive and threw him back to the ring: 1…2… but no!
Then the momentum shifted back and forth, with some high-impact moves being shrugged off, until Sano looked ready to hit a Tiger Suplex… but Ultimo avoided it, hitting an Enzuigiri that stunned Sano completely! Then… Asai Moonsault! Even more stunned, the champion couldn’t help but to be pulled back up… Asai DDT! If there was a moment for Dragon, this was it! He lingered to the turnbuckle… Cancun Tornado! 1…2…3!!! Ultimo Dragon is the new champion!
Result: Ultimo Dragon over Naoki Sano --- Pinfall --- New champion! --- 18:04»» After the bell, the two wrestlers struggled in getting to their feet. When they did, Naoki Sano was a good sport, shaking Ultimo Dragon’s hand in sign of respect, but left him a warning: he will come back for the belt!
AJPW National Openweight Championship – V2
7. Kenta Kobashi © vs. Terry GordyThe most aggressive rivalry leading to the 20th Anniversary Special pit Kenta Kobashi against Terry Gordy, who gave up his seemingly-dead AWWA Global Open Championship to challenge for the National Openweight belt.
As soon as the referee started the match, we got to understand Gordy’s game plan was to run Kobashi over and try to win as soon as he could. So the first few minutes seemed like a survival game for the champion, with Gordy even hitting a Piledriver and a Powerbomb for two separate near-falls.
Then, Kobashi could recover, partially. Able to fight the challenger, except when he hit his back and neck hard. Despite the match being way slower than in the beginning, the champion didn’t waste his chances and went for some big moves when he could. A Kentucky Bomb (Sitout Pumphandle Powerbomb) shook Gordy and led to a near-fall as a follow-up to the Machine Gun Chops.
Both were hurt going into the final third of the match and it was anyone’s fight to win or lose. And while ‘Bam Bam’ didn’t seem capable to hit the Backdrop Driver on Kobashi, the Japanese fan favorite’s back worked against him every time he tried to go for a Brainbuster, or any other power move. Until he understood that the best way to knock the big man down was by surprising him with a fast move: enter the Running Bulldog! Stunned, Gordy got up while taking kicks to his face and chest. When he got up, he got down instantly following a Burning Lariat… and another one! He was down, Kobashi had his chance and climbed the turnbuckle… Moonsault! 1…2…3!!! Kenta Kobashi slays the beast and retains!
Result: Kenta Kobashi over Terry Gordy --- Pinfall --- Still champion! --- 18:37AJPW Unified World Tag Team Championship – V1
8. Dan Kroffat and Doug Furnas [Can-Am Express] © vs. Akira Taue and Jumbo Tsuruta [Tsuruta-gun]The Tsuruta-gun duo are two great first challengers for Can-Am Express. Bigger in size and looking to avenge the only loss they’ve suffered in the Real World Tag League (against the champions), it was fair to say about 60% of the fans thought Taue and Tsuruta were favorites.
The match started respectfully, with both teams locking up and playing fairly, shifting momentum. Kroffat and Furnas proved they were no underdogs. But whenever power was to be put at play, they were struggling. Then, the double teams: fair and brief. But Tsuruta-gun got smart and started using tags more often when Doug Furnas was legal, keeping him in the ring for a long time and exploring his back.
That started to make the champions anxious, but they were able to avoid being affected as they targeted Tsuruta, not allowing the fresher Taue to tag in. And at one point, an impressive Tiger Driver by Kroffat on the former Triple Crown champion awed fans and gave them a near-fall.
Tsuruta-gun took it personally and started to take advantage of the rules to gain control, and the illegal man would come to play whenever the champions had some momentum. And then, the defining moment: when Furnas was getting near tagging Kroffat in and, out of nowhere, Taue knocked the Canadian with a Dynamic Boot that sent him flying against the guardrail.
Doug Furnas was now alone, probably for some minutes, with two bigger opponents. Sure, he had guts, but was that enough? He endured Tsuruta’s offence and Taue’s too when he tagged in. With Jumbo legal again, Furnas had some hope. Specially when Kroffat got back to the ring and jumped Tsuruta, with the crowd popping… only for Taue to pop Kroffat’s head off again and finishing him with an Ore Ga Taue. Tsuruta used the distraction as a veteran would… and a Backdrop Suplex later… 1…2…3!!! Tsuruta-gun beat Can-Am Express, making their reign an uneventful one.
Result: Tsuruta-gun over Can-Am Express --- Pinfall --- New champions! – 21:10»» After the match, Doug Furnas rolled to ringside, where Dan Kroffat was already. Tsuruta-gun had a hell of a performance and they had time to celebrate. So, Jumbo Tsuruta grabbed a microphone. He didn’t need to say a lot, but he told the fans that he was right when he said AJPW were about to witness a golden era for Tsuruta-gun. And now, they will dominate the tag team division at Unified World champions!
AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship – V2
9. Mitsuharu Misawa © vs. Steve WilliamsFor many, Mitsuharu Misawa’s definitive test came at his second defense. ‘Dr. Death’ Steve Williams looks as threatening as a challenger can get, even more when he’s been as focused on conquering the gold.
Ready for a war, both men stared at each other for a while after the bell. Then, the battle started. Neither man had the intention of giving an inch in the first few minutes, hitting hard, but absorbing every blow… until ‘Dr. Death’ caught Misawa with a Scoop Powerslam. But he didn’t even try pinning the champion. He knows who he was facing, so he let Misawa get back to his feet. The crowd applauded.
But Mitsuharu Misawa felt disrespected, so he brought more power into the next strike battles and attempted to go for a German Suplex, but Williams sensed it and avoided it, tackling Misawa with a Three Point Stance. Again, he demanded the champion to get up to his feet. And from then, we saw a different match: for some minutes, it seemed like Williams was the fan favorite and Misawa was the douche one, taunting his opponent whenever he could get him on the ground.
Thanks to that strategy, Misawa had the first near-fall of the match, following a quick Brainbuster. Then it was the gaijin feeling disrespected, and the tension began rising, so much that a mean Lariat from the challenger left Misawa with a bloody nose. Stunned, Misawa even felt the impact of a Backdrop Driver! 1…2… but Misawa kicks out! And if he was going to kick out from a Backdrop, he’d kick out from almost everything? Right?
But the truth was: Steve Williams had the match in his hands for a few minutes… if he was wrestling any other guy. Misawa was different, and he managed to shift control back to his side by locking a Crossface rapidly. Wrenching hard, ‘Dr. Death’ had to endure a lot of pain before he reached the ropes. Then, when he finally got back up, he received a huge receipt with a forceful Rolling Elbow… and then: Tiger Driver! 1…2… at 2.8, Williams lifts his arm! What a match!
The match entered later stages, and now the focus of both men was the same: hitting their definitive move: Misawa’s Tiger Driver ’91 and Williams’ Doctor Bomb. Each tried it when they had the control, but the other was prepared. So, they battled to wear each other out further… and Misawa did it! Having the control and Williams on the ground, he climbed the top rope waiting for him to get up again, preparing a Crossbody… that never happened. Steve sensed it and clubbed the champion, then throwing him to the mat hard with a huge Belly-to-Belly Superplex!
The crowd got to their feet, and Williams got Misawa to his: Doctor Bo… but Misawa magically escaped it! Rolling Elbow! And… Tiger Driver ’91!!! 1…2…3!!! The champion passed the test!
Result: Mitsuharu Misawa over Steve Williams --- Pinfall --- Still champion! --- 25:09»» After the bell, both men were laid on the canvas The crowd’s clapping hands were the only thing heard. Until Mitsuharu Misawa moved. Finally up, the champion waited for his rival, who got back up alone, holding his neck in pain. Then, Misawa extended his hand… and ‘Dr. Death’ Steve Williams shook it, before slapping it and leaving the ring.
Misawa was left in the ring with his three belts and a mic. He was responsible for the send-off of AJPW’s 20th Anniversary “party”, so he gave a speech of how much it meant to him being the Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion in the company’s 20th anniversary.
And then… enter Eddie Gilbert! ‘Hot Stuff’ interrupts Mitsuharu Misawa and asks for a mic for himself. Then, he lets Misawa know he does want his title match and when: «You see, the Royal Road Cup is approaching… but I’m having no part of it. I don’t need that to get a title shot… I have a pinfall victory over you, champion! So… at the Royal Road Finale, November 28th, it’s going to be Misawa vs. Gilbert. And I’m going to prove you, the fans and… Stan [Hansen] that I’m ready. The question to everyone is: ‘are YOU ready?’»
Prediction Contest - Results:Asaemon - 6/10
johnnyboombatz - 5/10
marc91 - 8/10
Purotastic - 8/10
The winner is:
no one! I'm starting to think that marc91 and Purotastic agree to draw every single time...
Thanks for reading!
X 
X 
X 
X 
