AJPW '93 - King's Road Global

Complete Results:

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Full-Show Recap:

1. Al Perez & Giant Kimala & Giant Warrior vs. Mighty Inoue & The Youngbloods
As the Champion Carnival Tour ended, Mighty Inoue tried to capture a win once again, this time facing the team of Giant Kimala, who bottomed the A Block. Nonetheless, Kimala was the one to win the match, pinning Inoue after a Big Splash.
Result: Giant Kimala over Mighty Inoue --- 7 min.

2. Dean Malenko & Kazuo Yamazaki & Ultimo Dragon vs. Satoru Asako & The Great Sasuke & Yoshinori Ogawa
Three members of the Jr. Heavyweight “pack” to come to AJPW earlier in the year faced the non-favorite team of Sasuke, Tsuruta-gun’s Ogawa and the heelish Asako in a fast-paced match. During the course of the match, Malenko and Yamazaki seemed a bit competitive between them, but nothing unhealthy. However, their team lost when Yoshinori Ogawa pinned Ultimo Dragon with a backslide.
Result: Yoshinori Ogawa over Ultimo Dragon --- 11 min.

3. Can-Am Express & The Fantastics vs. The Funk Brothers & Wild Bunch
Like in the match before, some same-team competition was seen here between Can-Am Express and The Fantastics, perhaps due to some jealousy by the latter team, still due to the Team Carnival. The Funk Brothers were the realest threat coming from the opposite corner.
In the end, the fan-favorite team actually paired together to isolate Billy Black of the Wild Bunch who fell victim of the Rocket Launcher.
Result: Tommy Rogers over Billy Black --- 10 min.

Special Singles Match
4. Bret Hart [WWF] vs. Dan Spivey
A mismatch on paper, maybe, but it has been proven that Bret Hart doesn’t have mismatches and Dan Spivey has been raising the bar too and the result was phenomenal. Once again, Bret tried to “chop down the wood” against a far taller opponent.
Aiming for his legs, the focus shifted to Spivey’s spine after the big man began causing a lot of damage to Hart with some power moves. The few times Hart managed to have Spivey on the mat, he made up for it, putting him in a great deal of pain.
In the end, the match was very divided and Spivey tried to use the apron (as he did against Misawa e.g.) to hurt Hart. It ended up being a mistake, as Hart saved himself and hit a Piledriver on the edge of the ring, out of nowhere. ‘The Hitman’ then rolled Spivey further away from the ropes where he got the three count.
Result: Bret Hart over Dan Spivey – 13 min.

Special Eight-Man Tag Team Match
5. Akira Taue & Johnny Smith & Steve Williams & Terry Gordy vs. Johnny Ace & Kenta Kobashi & Mitsuharu Misawa & Toshiaki Kawada
Poor Johnny Smith, having to be paired with three men of questionable principles against Mitsuharu Misawa’s Super Generation Army and frequent ally Johnny Ace. Nevertheless, Smith, as well as his partners, wanted a win, and so, they managed to coexist.
The match was great, a heavy match of the night contender, frankly. The eight men stayed fresh throughout the match, which allowed for many big impactful moves to be hit. Some animosity was felt between the World Tag Team Champions, Miracle Violence Connection and the duo of Kenta Kobashi and Toshiaki Kawada, and the four traded the hardest shots of the bout.
In fact, they were busy with each other on the outside when an Ace Crusher from Johnny Ace floored Akira Taue. Then, all Misawa had to do was to hit the Tiger Driver on Smith to get the win for his team.
Result: Mitsuharu Misawa over Johnny Smith --- 16 min.

»» After the match, Akira Taue left to the back as soon as he got up. In the ring, the attrition between Steve Williams & Terry Gordy and Kenta Kobashi & Toshiaki Kawada wasn’t done. Misawa and Ace let their teammates defend themselves when confronted by Miracle Violence Connection.
Things got heated when Gordy slapped Kobashi and Kawada and Williams butted heads. And then…
«Uuuuuuuuuuooooooooohhhh! WHAT A RUSH!!!» The crowd in the Osaka jo-Hall popped hard for the return of The Roa… oops, The Legion of Doom, Animal and Hawk, who came to the ring, siding with Kobashi and Kawada. The duo didn’t need help, but they enjoyed seeing Williams and Gordy in shock. Before things got physical, some officials calmed things down and Miracle Violence Connection left the ring. The Legion of Doom then shook hands with Super Generation Army and Johnny Ace.

AJPW World Jr. Heavyweight Championship – V12
6. Masanobu Fuchi © vs. Naoki Sano
It was October 1989 when Fuchi won the AJPW World Jr. Heavyweight Championship for the third time. Two years and a half later, here we are with Sano, a former champion in NJPW, playing the role of Fuchi’s hardest challenge yet.
The highly technical role was also very fast-paced, with the veteran champion having to adapt to Sano’s higher speed and agility. In the beginning, it was all fun and games, but in the second half of the match, Fuchi insisted on taking the action to the mat, betting on submission wrestling whenever possible. After 12 minutes, the champion was close to another successful defense after locking the STF on Sano. However, he did not give up and the crowd popped when he reached the ropes.
From then on, Fuchi became a little desperate and Sano took advantage, almost pinning him with a Tiger Suplex that led many fans to believe it was all over. It wasn’t. Some minutes later, though, Fuchi was in real danger with Sano looking way fresher. After resisting for a while, he was victim of a big Butterfly Suplex. Fuchi tried to get back to his feet, but: High-Speed Roundhouse Kick! 1…2…3!!!
Finally, the longest reign in the history of the Junior Heavyweight division is over!
Result: Naoki Sano over Masanobu Fuchi --- New champion! --- 18 min.

Champion Carnival 1992 Finale
7. Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Stan Hansen
Time for the main event! By one corner, the winner of the A Block and the Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion, Stan Hansen; by the other, the man who toppled the B Block, Jumbo Tsuruta. Both men were only beat once in the round-robin stage, by Mitsuharu Misawa and Akira Taue respectively.
The match started slow, with both wrestlers looking very cautious. After all, it Hansen needed to win the Carnival to prove a point, Tsuruta needed to win it to have another (perhaps the last) opportunity at the title that was his just months ago.
Hansen tried to shake things up, surprising Tsuruta with a DDT, going for the first pin of the match. But the ace was resilient. And his resilience kept showing up each and every time Hansen hit a big move. Even when he tried the Brazos Valley Backbreaker (Boston Crab), Tsuruta, although in a world of pain, refused to tap out and reached the ropes.
That resiliency prompted the fans to start cheering for Tsuruta at times, as they usually did during the course of the last two decades. He got fired up and began pummeling Hansen, taking control of the match. Notably, after a big Lariat of his own, Tsuruta got near-falls with an Exploder Suplex and, immediately after, a Piledriver. The crowd was fully invested and Hansen was shaking.
Still fired up, Tsuruta went for a Powerbomb that could possibly end it all after 19 minutes. But… no chance! Stan Hansen countered it with a Back Body Drop to the outside. Then, he followed the former champion and, as soon as he got up: Lariat!
The champion rolled him to the ring and went for the pin: 1…2… but no!!! Tsuruta still has a bit of fight left! Hansen lift him up from his back and then went for another Lariat on the back of his neck, but… Tsuruta ducked! Backdrop Dr… but Hansen avoids with a big Elbow. Western Lariat!!! 1…2…3!
Hansen did it! Stan Hansen is the Champion Carnival 1992 winner!
Result: Stan Hansen over Jumbo Tsuruta --- Champion Carnival winner! --- 21 min.

»» After the match, Stan Hansen couldn’t help but look proud and cocky about his accomplishments – after all, he had three belts on his shoulders and a giant trophy waiting to be lifted. But before that, he grabbed a mic and bragged about it: «Everything I say I can do, I go and simply do it! I said I was winning the Champion Carnival while a Triple Crown Champion and I won the damn thing!»
Then, he added: «And right now, there’s no one meaner, tougher and better than this old folk they call ‘The Lariat’. No Jumbo Tsuruta, no Giant Baba… where has Baba been? *ah ah ah*, no Mitsuharu Misawa – he doesn’t have what it takes yet… – no one.»
And just like that… Mitsuharu Misawa’s music hit. In the ring, he stared Hansen, grabbed a mic and congratulated the gold-covered gaijin. Then, he added: «Hansen, I give you all the merit for winning Champion Carnival. But remember… I beat you just ten days ago. So I can already beat you. And I want to do it again.»
Stan Hansen adjusted the belts on his shoulder while listening to Misawa: «You won the Carnival, you have no challenger for Summer Stardom, the next July 14th… but… I’ve beat you… so I want to be the person to step up and challenge you. And you know, Stan, I’m the only one who has the right to do so right now!»
After a moment of silence, Stan Hansen took the belts off his shoulder, laid them in the mat between both wrestlers and, for the first time, he lifted the Champion Carnival trophy above his head, showing off to the crowd and then, to Misawa. Then, the champion said: «There is one person who beat you recently too and I feel he’s worthy of a shot at me first. May 21st, there’s a Triple Crown Special and I’m defending against my friend Dan Spivey. Then, we can talk.»
Misawa nodded positively, assuming Hansen will accept his challenge. He then left the ring, leaving the champion celebrating.

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Prediction Contest - Results:
1. Asaemon - 6/7
2. marc91 - 5/7