AJPW Royal Road Day 5
Nov. 20th 1992
Attendance: 35,000 – Kobe, Kansai, JP
TV Rating: 1.09 [Nippon TV – JP] + 0.04 [WGN America – US] Mitsuharu Misawa
» AJPW National Openweight Championship: Kenta Kobashi
» AJPW Unified Tag Team Championship: Akira Taue and Jumbo Tsuruta [Tsuruta-gun]
» AJPW World Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Ultimo Dragon
Results – Full Show:- Match #1: Jackie Fulton & Mitsuo Momota & Masayoshi Motegi & Satoshi Kojima def. Isamu Teranishi & Johnny Smith & Jun Akiyama & Jun Izumida --- Fulton > Izumida (Eagle Driver) --- 9 min. [49];
- Match #2: Bobby Fulton & Tommy Rogers & Kazuo Yamazaki & Minoru Tanaka def. Giant Kimala & Fire Cat & Richard Slinger & The Great Sasuke --- Yamazaki > Cat (Cross Armbreaker) --- 11 min. [66];
- Match #3: Billy Black & Dory Funk Jr. & Joel Deaton & Terry Funk [The Outlaw Stable] def. Chris Youngblood & Dan Kroffat & Doug Furnas & Mark Youngblood --- Dory Jr. > Mark (Aided Texas Piledriver) --- 11 min. [67];
- Match #4: Kenta Kobashi & Mitsuharu Misawa & Dean Malenko & Ultimo Dragon def. Eddie Gilbert & Masanobu Fuchi & Satoru Asako & Yoshinari Ogawa --- Kobashi > Asako (Vertical Drop Brainbuster) --- 16 min. [73];
- Match #5 – Royal Road Cup 3rd Round: Steve Williams def. Naoki Sano --- (Backdrop Driver) --- 19 min. [88];
- Match #6 – Royal Road Cup 3rd Round: Toshiaki Kawada def. The Gladiator --- (Dangerous Kick x2) [KO] --- 11 min. [80];
- Match #7 – Royal Road Cup 3rd Round: Jumbo Tsuruta def. Akira Taue --- (Backdrop Driver) --- 19 min. [80];
- Match #8 – Royal Road Cup 3rd Round: Terry Gordy def. Stan Hansen --- (Powerbomb) --- 21 min. [82].
Show Rating: 82
Non-Tournament Recap:»» This show featured a pretty decent undercard, almost event-like. The Outlaw Stable had another victory against Can-Am Express and The Youngbloods, with the latter team proving they’re still not on par with some of the other teams in AJPW. The match will, however, be mostly remembered for Doug Furnas’ shoulder injury after a botched Superplex by Billy Black.
»» Eddie Gilbert had to team up with Tsuruta-gun’s Jr. Heavyweights against a star-studded team. Kenta Kobashi, Mitsuharu Misawa, Dean Malenko and Ultimo Dragon got the win following Kobashi’s powerful Brainbuster on Asako.
After the match, Yoshinari Ogawa teased Gilbert on the outside, telling him he could have done more. The #1 Contender for the Triple Crown Championship didn’t react well, getting back in the ring and Piledriving Asako before leaving.
Kenta Kobashi accepted Masanobu Fuchi’s challenge: the two men will clash for the AJPW National Openweight Championship in the Royal Road Finale next week.
Tournament Highlights
X 
5. Naoki Sano vs. Steve WilliamsMany people probably thought: “there is no way this match will be topped tonight” after it ended. Naoki Sano put on a great performance in his best bout since joining AJPW and showed the world this was way more than a mere Heavyweight vs. Jr. Heavyweight clash for ‘Dr. Death’ to step through on his way to the semi-finals.
And Williams, of course, was the usual ringmaster. In the first few minutes, Sano really made people forget he was the underdog there, as Williams had some trouble dealing with his fast pace. But when he started to hit hard, he was pretty difficult to stop.
From then on, the resiliency of Sano dictated the course of the match, with the shorter wrestler having some hope spots here and then, eventually even trying to hit a Sole Kick, only for ‘Dr. Death’ to duck. Then, he spelt, well… death… for Sano, with a big Backdrop Driver to an already hurt back of the Junior.
Steve Williams won the match and advanced, but the whole crowd felt sympathy for the New Japan-born Naoki Sano. And even the winner made sure Sano knew he respected him, shaking his hand after one of the best matches of all year.
Result: Steve Williams over Naoki Sano --- Pinfall --- 19 min.
X 
6. The Gladiator vs. Toshiaki KawadaAfter seeing him eliminate Kenta Kobashi, few were the ones doubting that The Gladiator could beat Toshiaki Kawada as well. And they were prepared for a hard-hitting war with more grit than glitter.
And as soon as the bell sounded, the two men jumped each other. Chaos erupted and before the fourth minute, The Gladiator had a busted nose with blood pouring over his mouth after a flurry of kicks by Kawada. So Kawada thought kicking Gladiator to oblivion was the way to go.
But the big man wanted to keep his streak intact, and was close to do so following a Diving Lariat, but Kawada kicked out!
Both threw kicks, forearms and all, but after 11 minutes, the crowd was shocked! A Gamengiri stunned The Gladiator and Kawada followed it up with a Dangerous Kick, forcing his opponent to kneel: and another followed! The referee checked on Gladiator and ruled for the bell to sound! Gladiator was out! He was beaten for the first time and Kawada advances!
Result: Toshiaki Kawada over The Gladiator --- KO --- 11 min.
X 
7. Akira Taue vs. Jumbo TsurutaCould this match divide Tsuruta-gun? Surely not? But a lot of fans still foresaw Taue vs. Tsuruta with anticipation. The two big men had a great bout, with the leader Jumbo Tsuruta working a more technical approach, trying to cut down the tree that Taue is. While Taue, of course, wrestled his usual power-type of wrestling, because “the bigger they are, the harder they fall”.
The two had faced each other in this year’s Champion Carnival as well, and that match had a fair-play aura. But as this one progressed, we understood that this would be different. Taue and Tsuruta got heated after a while, and the leader of the pack slapping his protégé was a big mistake, as Taue fumed with the happening.
From then on, Akira Taue controlled most of the match, even applying the Nodowa Otoshi, but a clumsy one, as Tsuruta managed to stop Taue from fully overpowering him, meaning he could escape the pin attempt.
Finally, in the end, Taue’s nerves got the best over him, as he couldn’t keep his calm after missing a Dynamic Boot. Tsuruta then won an exchange, finally hitting a Backdrop Driver for the win.
Result: Jumbo Tsuruta over Akira Taue --- Pinfall --- 19 min.»» After the match, the air was very heated. Akira Taue got up but refused help from Jumbo Tsuruta to do so, even slapping him afterwards as Tsuruta was trying to shake his hand. Taue left the ring. Masanobu Fuchi, Yoshinari Ogawa and Satoru Asako (this one a mere supporting figure…) came down the aisle, trying to intervene and call Taue to reason. He finally did shake Jumbo Tsuruta’s hand and Tsuruta-gun left together.
X 
8. Stan Hansen vs. Terry GordyCould this match top the hoss fight of The Gladiator and Toshiaki Kawada early on? Could this be the best of the night, topping the size clash of Naoki Sano and Steve Williams? It was, at least, very different.
A proper main event, amounting up to 21 minutes of awareness and hard hits. Awareness described the first half of the match, where barely any big moves took place, but the intensity only kept growing. And then, chaos and violence took over.
Gordy stated to dictate the pace, surprising Hansen with a Big Boot on two different occasions, rocking Hansen and even hitting a Backdrop Driver on the Texan, who, surprisingly, kicked out at 2! Recomposed, Hansen fought hard and gave his own warnings, first with a DDT, then with a Texas Piledriver. But as he went to the Lariat, Gordy avoided it.
Nearing the end, the two men were exhausted, bruised and battered and both knew they were inches away from securing a win or from causing their own loss. Gordy had Hansen stunned and he tried going for a big Poweromb… Hansen countered it with a Back Body Drop… as soon as ‘Bam Bam’ got up, Hansen went for yet another Lariat! But Gordy, immovable, met Hansen with a Lariat himself. Neither fell down! And both went back to bounce on the ropes… Lariat by Hansen… but Gordy’s Boot met Hansen’s face first! Powerbomb! 1…2…3! Terry Gordy is heading to the Semis!
Result: Terry Gordy over Stan Hansen --- Pinfall --- 21 min.
AJPW Recap from the Road:»» Johnny Smith’s contract was almost expiring and I opted to renew it. He’s never going to be a key player, but he’s a pretty decent fit to the roster, capable of delivering in midcard matches and in tournaments. He’s now exclusive to AJPW, and signed for another year.
»» There’s some troubles in Japan. Not envolving us, thankfully. UWF-i refused to accept more developmental workers from NJPW and so their partnership and relationship is over. Considering we had Salman Hashimikov in UWF-I recently, I wonder if Antonio Inoki thinks we have something to do with it.
»» Japanese and NJPW legend Masa Saito hung up his boots.
The card so far - Nov. 28th 1992:AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship - V3Mitsuharu Misawa (c) vs. Eddie Gilbert
AJPW National Openweight Championship - V3Kenta Kobashi (c) vs. Masanobu Fuchi
Royal Road Cup FinaleWinner of Semi-Final #1 vs. Winner of Semi-Final #2
Royal Road Cup Semi-Final #1Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Steve Williams
Royal Road Cup Semi-Final #2Terry Gordy vs. Toshiaki Kawada
Prediction Contest - Results:marc91 - 3/4
Purotastic - 2/4
The winner is:
marc91! Who double-crossed Purotastic, having his revenge at the first opportunity he could!
Thanks for reading!
