AJPW '93 - King's Road Global

All I'm saying is if NJPW wants to try to sign your people... gun for Shinya Hashimoto at the first opportunity LOL!

I'm going to be the dissenting voice here. I think now is time for Misawa to go. As a parting gift, have Misawa capture the titles with Johnny Ace. Then, focus on building the next Misawa. There are so many potential signings for AJPW in 1992 -- especially in the UK and in the US -- that there should be someone else ready to slot into a main event slot.

At the end of the day, stars need AJPW more than AJPW needs them.

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Championships and holders
» AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship: Mitsuharu Misawa
» AJPW National Openweight Championship: The Gladiator
» AJPW Unified World Tag Team Championship: Dan Kroffat and Doug Furnas [Can-Am Express]
» AJPW World Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Ultimo Dragon

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Pre-Show
0. Dark Match: Haruka Eigen & Isamu Teranishi & Jun Izumida def. Mighty Inoue & Mitsuo Momota & Jun Akiyama
- Eigen > Akiyama (Cradle Pin) --- 7:44
- Rating: 38

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Full-Show Recap
»» This week’s Puro Spirit TV kicked off with a warning. Regarding Stan Hansen’s attack on UWF-i wrestlers on the last episode, Giant Baba had to come to the ring to warn Hansen not to do so, as the rules Baba set for Terry Gordy will now also count for Stan Hansen: he can’t attack anyone until Power Clash.

1. Al Perez & Giant Warrior & Richard Slinger vs. Rusher Kimura & Octagon & The Great Sasuke
As much as Warrior was a differential for his team, Octagon and Sasuke both shone and propelled their team to win the opener. Octagon got his first submission victory in AJPW, making Slinger submit with the La Escalera.
- Octagon > Slinger (La Escalera) --- 10:32
- Rating: 60

2. Chris Youngblood & Mark Youngblood [The Youngbloods] vs. Johnny Smith & Tommy Rogers [The Fantastic Bruisers]
Smith and Rogers still don’t know the feeling of a loss since they’re a team. They beat The Youngbloods in a tough match that ended with… the Rocket Launcher, The Fantastics’ former finishing move.
- Rogers > Mark (Rocket Launcher) --- 12:00
- Rating: 66

»» After the match, Jackie Fulton came to the ring, seeing how The Fantastic Bruisers were staring at The Youngbloods. Trying to prevent a possible attack, Fulton was himself victim of one, while Smith and Rogers also dealt with Chris and Mark. Viciously, Johnny Smith hit the British Bomb on his former tag team colleague on the apron. Fulton immediately clutched his ribs and had to be assisted.

3. Akira Taue & Satoru Asako & Yoshinari Ogawa [Tsuruta-gun] vs. Eddie Gilbert & Gran Hamada & Ultimo Dragon
In this match, the two Jr. Heavyweights to battle it out on Power Clash proved once again very capable to work as a team like a proper mentor/student duo. Also, Gilbert got one up on Taue after proving crucial to his team’s win, jumping from the apron towards Taue on the outside with a Crossbody while Hamada pinned Asako with the very same maneuver in the ring.
- Hamada > Asako (Plancha Suicida) --- 13:18
- Rating: 78

4. Billy Black & Joel Deaton & Kenta Kobashi vs. Giant Kimala & Haku & Terry Gordy
It seems that Gordy may have finally found some allies to cope with his temper, as Kimala and Haku seem to work very well with him. Against Kobashi and Wild Bunch, the match was very interesting, showcasing the best of all the typical “lesser wrestlers” involved here.
Ultimately, The Funks’ protégés would have too much to handle and weren’t fully up to the task. At least this time. Haku hit Black with a devastating Savate Kick to get the win.
- Haku > Black (Savate Kick) --- 12:48
- Rating: 81

»» After the bell, K.Y. Wakamatsu interrupted the fan favorites as they were leaving. Speaking directly to Kenta Kobashi and ignoring Wild Bunch, he told him to find two allies to do battle at Power Clash against his rival Terry Gordy, as he has found his own allies: Savage International!
Apparently, that’s now the name of Giant Kimala and Haku’s team. And, apparently, Gordy’s issues with Kobashi aren’t yet solved.

5. Dan Kroffat & Doug Furnas & Toshiaki Kawada & Kazuo Yamazaki vs. Jumbo Tsuruta & The Gladiator & Masanobu Fuchi & Naoki Sano
A match that could’ve been the main event and that proves that the AJPW roster is really stepping up on TV. Needlessly to say, Sano vs. Yamazaki and Gladiator vs. Kawada were the responsible factors for the match to be that heated, as once again the National Openweight champion and challenger brawled all over the ringside area for a good portion of the match.
The Unified World Tag Team champions also showed their strengths, specially against the Tsuruta-gun veterans. But it was really the former New Japan dojo buddies to be in the ring for the big ending, as the two kicked each other’s heads off for a bit and tried to submit one another before Yamazaki rolled Sano up for a surprise pinfall victory.
Nothing happened after the match as Can-Am Express and Kawada had Yamazaki’s back.
- Yamazaki > Sano (Roll-Up) --- 18:36
- Rating: 85

6. Dory Funk Jr. & Stan Hansen & Terry Funk Jr. [The Outlaw Stable] vs. Johnny Ace & Mitsuharu Misawa & Steve Williams
Another match of the year contender? That’s right. Six men bonded by mutual respect faced off in the main event and it delivered huge. Ace and Misawa continued to prepare for a match for the Unified World Tag Team Championship that will also be Ace’s final AJPW match, while Hansen is getting ready for a Power Clash (ah!) with UWF-i’s rainmaker Nobuhiko Takada.
The match was a physical one, nonetheless, with The Outlaw Stable wanting to keep their momentum running. Although with a very powerful ally in ‘Dr. Death’ Steve Williams, Ace and Misawa had a big advantage. From the middle of the match onwards, The Funks had to sweat every time they avoided the loss, while Hansen kept his team going strong and stiff.
However, defeat was inevitable, as Ace scored what can now very be his last pinfall victory in AJPW, by pinning Dory Funk Jr. with a big Ace Crusher while both Terry and Hansen were out following some impact moves by Misawa and Williams.
- Ace > Dory Jr. (Ace Crusher) --- 18:06
- Rating: 94

»» All six men got to their feet after a while and as the Matsuyama crowd stood up. But what was a showing of respect, in which even the grumpy Stan Hansen took part of, soon became another violent incident. The UWF-i 4-man crew of Bob Backlund, Gary Albright, The Great Kabuki and Yoshiaki Yatsu attacked The Outlaw Stable and, by proxy, the rest of the AJPW guys in the ring.
Stomping everyone to the mat (which is illegal under their own rules), the UWF-i wrestlers were ruling the ring until Kenta Kobashi and Wild Bunch came to the rescue, managing to run them off alongside Ace, Misawa and Williams, the somewhat less worn out men being attacked.
This led Giant Baba to stand in front of the four invaders on the way to the ring. He told them if they want to fight, they’re once again invited to show up next week in Kushiro, but they must bring their leader Nobuhiko Takada with them for a Special Elimination 10-Man Tag Team Match: AJPW vs. UWF-i: Kenta Kobashi, Stan Hansen, Steve Williams and The Funks will defend AJPW’s honor. Eliminations can occur via pin, submission, KO forms, count-out or over the top rope.

Show Rating: 88

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Weekly Recap
»» AJPW: Unfortunately for some, Mitsuharu Misawa… isn’t going anywhere! The ace of the new generation refused NJPW’s contract offerings, re-signing with AJPW for the next four years. This marks our first bidding win over New Japan since they broke our non-aggression pact.

»» AJPW: More of a curiosity than anything… Nobuhiko Takada seems to be a team player, as he offered to job to… Ultimo Dragon!? I told him right away that being the owner of a shoot-influenced company and offering to job to other company’s midcarders who are from an inferior weight class is terrible from a business standpoint. He agreed. It’s not happening.

»» NJPW: Antonio Inoki got scalded with the way they lost the opportunity to steal Mitsuharu Misawa. So, now, they’re aiming for another big fish: Terry Funk. He’s involved in a hot angle and faction, so there’s no reason for us to let them take him.

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What a great main event that was

I'm happy you resigned Misawa, but Inoki is being really aggressive... do you have more money than New Japan?