AJPW '93 - King's Road Global

AJPW Closing Stage Series Day 1 – Dec. 3rd 1992 (Attendance: 2,200 – Kanto, JP)

Results:
- Match #1: Mighty Inoue & Mitsuo Momota def. Jun Akiyama & Jun Izumida --- Inoue > Izumida (Sunset Flip) --- 8 min. [25];

- Match #2: Al Perez & Giant Kimala & Giant Warrior & Richard Slinger def. Chris Youngblood & Mark Youngblood & Rusher Kimura & Fire Cat --- Kimala > Kimura (Running Big Splash) --- 11 min. [51];

- Match #3: Dean Malenko & Kazuo Yamazaki & Naoki Sano & Ultimo Dragon def. Masanobu Fuchi & Satoru Asako & The Great Sasuke & Yoshinari Ogawa --- Malenko > Asako (Texas Cloverleaf) --- 16 min. [61];

- Match #4: Eddie Gilbert & Terry Gordy & The Gladiator def. Jackie Fulton & Johnny Smith & Kenta Kobashi --- Gladiator > Smith (Gladiator Bomb) --- 14 min. [77];

- Match #5: Johnny Ace & Steve Williams & Toshiaki Kawada def. Billy Black & Joel Deaton & Stan Hansen [The Outlaw Stable] --- Williams > Deaton (Doctor Bomb) --- 15 min. [82];

- Match #6 - title match result is in spoiler


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Highlights:
»» Title matches happening in 1992 Season Closure began to be heavily built. In the Jr. Heavyweight title picture, the super-team of Dean Malenko, Kazuo Yamazaki, Naoki Sano and champion Ultimo Dragon beat The Great Sasuke and Tsuruta-gun. Sasuke continued to show signs of being a fairer wrestler, not really liking to team up with his mates. Dragon’s team won by submission, thanks to Malenko, while Sano felt a bit out of place too (?).

»» Eddie Gilbert was also a bit out of his match, teaming up with Terry Gordy and The Gladiator. They defeated the trio of Kenta Kobashi, Jackie Fulton and Johnny Smith, though, as a Gladiator Bomb broke Smith in half. The intensity between Kobashi and his next challenger was very palpable.

»» Now we know where Gilbert’s head was… Eddie Gilbert appeared in the ring again after the match between the trios of Johnny Ace & Steve Williams & Toshiaki Kawada and The Outlaw Stable’s Stan Hansen & Wild Bunch. What for? To challenge ‘Dr. Death’ for a singles match at 1992 Season Closure, in order to prove Hansen that he can hang with the most vicious of them.
The match before was the best of the night, quite possibly. Most showed off very well, delivering an intense bout and Williams hit the Doctor Bomb on Joel Deaton to win.

AJPW Unified World Tag Team Championship – V1
6. Akira Taue and Jumbo Tsuruta [Tsuruta-gun] © vs. Dan Kroffat and Doug Furnas [Can-Am Express]
Less than two months ago, Can-Am Express dropped the belts to Tsuruta-gun, who capitalized properly on a Real World Tag League win. And in a matter of three months, these two teams were in their third match. With one win to each side, who could be the undisputed World Tag Team Champions?
Now, the set was different. Jumbo Tsuruta is the contender for the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship and one can probably say he was careless to schedule this match with just three days to prepare. It became evident. Can-Am Express were the better team from the get go and conflict arose in the midst of the champions throughout the match, with Akira Taue having to save Jumbo and the title reign in two occasions. But Jumbo himself reminded Taue who was the leader of the group after saving him from Frankensteiner by Furnas.
At that moment, they regained some composure and were able to fight equally with the gaijin duo. But both were unable of hitting their finishing moves, as Kroffat and Furnas would often counter Chokeslam and Backdrop Driver attempts. After a while, Tsuruta-gun finally had a chance to end the match, after a big Powerbomb from Tsuruta on Furnas. 1…2… but Kroffat broke the pin, maintaining the challengers alive, as if their own lives depended on regaining the gold.
A few minutes later, Tsuruta commited a mistake. As Kroffat prepared for a Diving Senton, Tsuruta met him in the turnbuckles. He tried to hit a Superplex, but Kroffat held on to the ropes before gaining control. A huge splatter shook the ring as Kroffat hit the Sunset Flip Powerbomb on the much bigger champion. 1…2… Taue tried to break it up, but Furnas was aware and Dropkicked him off the ring… 3!!!
Nobody expected it? It happened! Can-Am Express regain the belts!
Result: Can-Am Express over Tsuruta-gun --- Pinfall --- New champions! --- 21:41

»» After the match, the animosity was clear between the now former champions. After some arguing, Akira Taue and Jumbo Tsuruta left the ring together and one thing was sure: now, Jumbo has to focus 100% on his title match against Mitsuharu Misawa.
And then, Dory Funk Jr. and Terry Funk came to the ring. The Funks met Can-Am Express there and Terry did the talking, remembering the new champions that their match only happened because they beat Tsuruta-gun in the Real World Tag League… «but guess who beat you folks in the League? The Funks!» So, in the 1992 Season Closure it will be Can-Am Express vs. The Funks, in a match that will symbolize The Outlaw Stable’s first-ever title shot!

Show Rating: 76

Results:
- Match #1: Mitsuo Momota & Rusher Kimura & Fire Cat def. Masayoshi Motegi & Satoshi Kojima & Minoru Tanaka --- Kimura > Motegi (Rushing Lariat) --- 9 min. [32];

- Match #2: Giant Kimala & Haruka Eigen & Isamu Teranishi def. Chris Youngblood & Mark Youngblood & Mighty Inoue --- Kimala > Chris (Running Big Splash) --- 10 min. [47];

- Match #3: Bobby Fulton & Tommy Rogers & Ultimo Dragon def. Al Perez & Giant Warrior & Richard Slinger --- Dragon > Slinger (Cancun Tornado) --- 12 min. [63];

- Match #4: Billy Black & Joel Deaton & The Great Sasuke def. Jackie Fulton & Johnny Smith & Naoki Sano --- Sasuke > Smith (Senton Atomico) --- 14 min. [65];

- Match #5: Dory Funk Jr. & Stan Hansen & Terry Funk [The Outlaw Stable] def. Dan Kroffat & Doug Furnas & Johnny Ace --- Terry > Ace (Aided Texas Piledriver) --- 17 min. [80];

- Match #6: Kenta Kobashi & Mitsuharu Misawa & Toshiaki Kawada & Dean Malenko def. Akira Taue & Jumbo Tsuruta & The Gladiator & Masanobu Fuchi --- Misawa > Fuchi (Tiger Driver) --- 25 min. [79].

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Highlights:
»» The title matches for 1992 Season Closure continued to be built. In the undercard, both Ultimo Dragon and The Great Sasuke managed to win the matches for their teams, continuing their waves of momentum.

»» The Funks, alongside Stan Hansen, as The Outlaw Stable, defeated Johnny Ace and Can-Am Express. Ace took the pinfall, following an Aided Texas Piledriver by the contenders for the Unified World Tag Team Championships. After the match, Terry Gordy stole the scene, violently attacking Stan Hansen from the back. Then, he simply shouted to him that, at 1992 Season Closure, he’ll bring some real outlaws with him for a fight.

»» The main event was an all-star one, covering the title pictures of the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship and the National Openweight Championship. Dean Malenko joined Super Generation Army for the win, as Mitsuharu Misawa pinned Masanobu Fuchi.
After the match, The Gladiator tried to attack Kenta Kobashi once again, but this time the champion was aware, ducking the Lariat attempt. The challenger retreated.
Then, a shock: Jumbo Tsuruta grabbed a mic and proceeded to note that the two previous challengers for Misawa’s three belts were discarded by their allies and lost. Alone in the build-up, they lost. However, he wants to be different. So, Tsuruta announced to his stablemates that he will not team up with them again until the 1992 Season Closure… but unlike Steve Williams and Eddie Gilbert, he will come out of Nagoya, Chubu (his hometown) holding all the gold!

Show Rating: 77

Match card for 1992 Season Closure announced
The full match card for AJPW's last show of 1992 was known in typical fashion: a press conference hosted by Giant Baba. Nine matches will take place in Nagoya, Chubu, and some have very high stakes. Here's the full card:

Bets are welcome!

BONUS QUESTION:
Who will Terry Gordy's "outlaw" partners be?
Hint: both are from USA and worked in Japan during that time period