AJPW '93 - King's Road Global

Sorry about the bad rating, but the Dome card is absolutely great!

AJPW Summer Stardom – July 14th 1992

AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship - V3
Stan Hansen (c) vs. Mitsuharu Misawa

AJPW Unified Tag Team Championship - V3
Steve Williams & Terry Gordy [Miracle Violence Connection] (c) vs. Kenta Kobashi & Toshiaki Kawada [Super Generation Army]

AJPW World Jr. Heavyweight Championship - V2
Naoki Sano (c) vs. Masanobu Fuchi

Special Tag Team Match
Akira Taue & Jumbo Tsuruta [Tsuruta-gun] vs. Hulk Hogan & Johnny Ace

Texas Death Match
Jake "The Snake" Roberts vs. Terry Funk

Special Tag Team Match
Animal & Hawk [Legion of Doom] vs. Dan Kroffat & Doug Furnas [Can-Am Express]

Special Jr. Heavyweight Singles Match
Dean Malenko vs. Kazuo Yamazaki

Special Jr. Heavyweight Singles Match
Ultimo Dragon vs. Yoshinari Ogawa

20-Man Stardom Rumble for a future Triple Crown Title Shot: Dory Funk Jr.

AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship - V3
Stan Hansen (c) vs. Mitsuharu Misawa

AJPW Unified Tag Team Championship - V3
Steve Williams & Terry Gordy [Miracle Violence Connection] (c) vs. Kenta Kobashi & Toshiaki Kawada [Super Generation Army]

AJPW World Jr. Heavyweight Championship - V2
Naoki Sano (c) vs. Masanobu Fuchi

Special Tag Team Match
Akira Taue & Jumbo Tsuruta [Tsuruta-gun] vs. Hulk Hogan & Johnny Ace

Texas Death Match
Jake "The Snake" Roberts vs. Terry Funk

Special Tag Team Match
Animal & Hawk [Legion of Doom] vs. Dan Kroffat & Doug Furnas [Can-Am Express]

Special Jr. Heavyweight Singles Match
Dean Malenko vs. Kazuo Yamazaki

Special Jr. Heavyweight Singles Match
Ultimo Dragon vs. Yoshinari Ogawa

20-Man Stardom Rumble for a future Triple Crown Title Shot Hulk Hogan

Wow Piper in 90s All Japan would surely be fascinating

Championships and holders:
AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship: Stan Hansen
AJPW Unified Tag Team Championship: Steve Williams & Terry Gordy [Miracle Violence Connection]
AJPW World Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Naoki Sano
AWWA Global Open Championship: Terry Gordy [AJPW]

Results – Part 1:

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Show Recap – Part 1:

0. Dark Match: Dory Funk Jr. & Haruka Eigen & Isamu Teranishi vs. Mighty Inoue & Mitsuo Momota & Rusher Kimura
The veterans of AJPW were in a six-man tag team match before the broadcast could start (but the match can be seen in the replay). They were given some time and Rusher Kimura conquered the pin over Isamu Teranishi, following the Rushing Lariat.
Result: Rusher Kimura over Isamu Teranishi --- Pinfall --- 8 min.

#1. Jackie Fulton | #2. Eddie Gilbert [FREE] | #3. Satoru Asako | #4. Joel Deaton | #5. Bobby Fulton | #6. Giant Kimala | #7. Giant Warrior

#8. The Gladiator | #9. Johnny Smith | #10. Tommy Rogers | #11. Atsushi Onita [FMW] | #12. Mark Youngblood | #13. Billy Black | #14. Chris Youngblood

#15. The Great Sasuke | #16. Giant Baba | #17. Richard Slinger | #18. Fire Cat | #19. Al Perez | #20. The Great Kabuki [FREE]

1. 20-Man Stardom Rumble for a future Triple Crown Heavyweight Title shot
A groundbreaking match in Puroresu. Jackie Fulton and the debuting Eddie Gilbert started the match. Some members of the midcard and lowcard entered in the early goings of the match but business picked up when The Gladiator entered at #8. He made an impression eliminating Giant Warrior almost as soon as he got to the ring.
Coming at #11, the first true graduate of the AJPW dojo came back! Atsushi Onita, the man behind FMW, joined the Rumble for a huge pop, and he eliminated Giant Kimala in a matter of moments.
A little later, The Fantastics teamed up to eliminate Billy Black from the Wild Bunch. Then, Johnny Smith and Eddie Gilbert accidentally eliminated themselves while trying to eliminate each other on the apron.
Another big pop was heard when #16 came out: Giant Baba! Baba got to eliminate Fire Cat, who entered moments later. At #20, another legend got to the ring: The Great Kabuki was the final entrant in the match and eliminated Al Perez, as well as Baba himself, for a heartbreaking crowd reaction, alongside The Gladiator who was in an elimination spree, eliminating five other competitors (the most in the match).
The elimination of Baba took place after Onita eliminated Sasuke with a Thunder Fire Powerbomb, a move both men share. And after that, Onita, Kabuki and The Gladiator were the final three men in the ring. Onita was in a handicap situation, but managed to throw Kabuki over the ropes. The final clash with The Gladiator took a bit more time and effort, but Onita eventually managed to escape a Gladiator Bomb attempt and push the bigger man out of the ring to get himself a match with the winner of the main event for the Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion!
Result: Atsushi Onita won, lastly eliminating The Gladiator --- 32 min.

2. Ultimo Dragon vs. Yoshinari Ogawa
The first singles match in the history of Summer Stardom: Ultimo Dragon and Yoshinari Ogawa wrestled a very technical match, with Ultimo not afraid to fly, as usual. In a contested bout, the masked wrestler had full crowd support and their pops during a flash pin sequence motivated him to beat the Tsuruta-gun Junior.
In the end, Ogawa beat Dragon on the mat before trying to take a page off his rival’s book and going to the top turnbuckle. However, an Enzuigiri stopped him from diving. Then, Dragon climbed the buckles himself and hit a majestic Dragonsteiner for the win.
Result: Ultimo Dragon over Yoshinari Ogawa --- Pinfall --- 12 min.

3. Dean Malenko vs. Kazuo Yamazaki
Probably the two biggest Jr. Heavyweights in the roster not in the title match. They felt like they needed to shine and their rivalry, although a respectful one, demanded that too.
For fifteen minutes, this match fit the “technical masterclass” description well, having been contested mostly on the mat, as the two gifted submission wrestlers had submissions locked in multiple times. The kicks from Yamazaki to Malenko’s arms while trying to wear him down for the Cross Armbreaking were hard to watch. At the same time, Malenko would work on Yamazaki’s legs both to make his rival’s kicks weaker and to set up for some of his trademark locks.
The third attempt of the Texas Cloverleaf, one with extra wrenching, did it, as Malenko successfully submitted Yamazaki after pulling him away from the ropes.
Result: Dean Malenko over Kazuo Yamazaki --- Submission – 15 min.

4. Animal & Hawk [Legion of Doom] vs. Dan Kroffat & Doug Furnas [Can-Am Express]
No feud between both teams at well. Not even a confrontation happened prior to this match that is purely an exhibition between two of the best gaijin teams in the history of AJPW. WWF’s Legion of Doom wanted a win after both men failed to dethrone Terry Gordy as AWWA Global Open Champion. As for the Can-Am Express, they wanted to get back on championship contention.
Early in the match, Animal and Hawk’s brute force was prevailing over the tougher but shorter Kroffat and Furnas. However, their technical ability was definitely a match for LoD’s physical valences.
And in the end, it showed: Furnas was held on Animal’s shoulders for the Doomsday Device, however he tried a Reverse Frankensteiner, ducking Hawk’s Flying Lariat. Animal didn’t go down, but he did, with the help of Kroffat, who then pushed Animal to ringside. After that, the Can-Am duo wore Hawk down and Kroffat quickly managed to lift Hawk (although awkwardly) on his shoulders in an impressive feat. Furnas then hit a Missile Dropkick and pinned Hawk: 1…2…3! An upset win?
Result: Doug Furnas over Hawk --- Pinfall --- 16 min.

Texas Death Match
5. Jake Roberts vs. Terry Funk
Far less barbaric than one would think of after Funk’s cowbell attack three weeks ago. The use of foreign objects was very sporadic, probably due to AJPW’s concern with crowd reception. However, this was still violent and brutal.
Jake Roberts scored the first fall of the match early on when he surprised ‘The Funker’ with a D.D.T. after four minutes. But Funk got up at the count of eight. Still, that D.D.T. was enough to remind him that once he was on the receiving end of another one, he’d be done for the night.
The match continued and Funk eventually retrieved the cowbell from under the ring and moments later he was busted open when ‘The Snake’ avenged Funk’s attack. Once again, Roberts pinned Funk, but Funk got back on his feet, this time much earlier.
Then, the ringside became the primary “playground” and there Funk choked Roberts with the rope of the cowbell in a Sleeper Hold position. Then he pinned his nemesis. At the count of 7, however, Roberts managed to get to his feet at cost.
Minutes later, Funk retrieved the timekeeper’s table and positioned it near the apron. After some fight, the two got to the apron. ‘The Snake’ was close to hit a D.D.T. there, but it would be Funk the one creating a gasping moment once he hit a Piledriver on Roberts on the table, which… did not break (“I am the table!!!”). Funk scored the pinfall. 8…9…10! Unable to move at ringside, Roberts lost the match and Funk successfully thrived in his environment, in the match his dad created.
Result: Terry Funk over Jake Roberts --- Pinfall + Ten Count --- 14 min.

AJPW World Jr. Heavyweight Championship – V2
6. Naoki Sano © vs. Masanobu Fuchi
After an almost 3-year reign, Fuchi had to challenge Sano for a rematch less than three months after losing the belt and that happened when Sano threw the belt to the floor after being attacked by Yoshinari Ogawa.
So, the veteran wanted to teach Sano some respect, even though the crowd understands that the champion threw the belt in a fit of rage. During the early stages of the match, Fuchi humiliated Sano whenever he had the champion on the ground, stomping him and kicking him.
They say wisdom comes with age, but Sano, as the younger and fitter competitor, was able to kick some sense into Fuchi too and by the seventh minute, Fuchi’s nose was bleeding. The technical aspect of pro wrestling was forgotten about at first, but then the match became more technical with both wrestlers being very mature.
Submissions, Suplex variations and pin attempts became a staple. The difference being that every time Sano hit, he hit hard, taking a toll on the former champion and living legend. But Fuchi was aware of the danger of Sano’s Roundhouse Kick, that cost him the championship. So he ducked it, almost by instinct at first. And then, he countered it, catching Sano’s leg and locking the STF. The more he wrenched the harder it got for the champion to get to the ropes, but… he did!
Fuchi tried locking the move again, but to no avail. Sano knew he had to get up and he did. After a while, he was able to use his legs properly again, but his Suplexes were the real weapon at that point. In the end, a series of kicks paved the way for Sano to hit a major Tiger Suplex. Instead of pinning Fuchi, he quickly understood that Fuchi was on his knees and ran to the ropes to hit a big Sole Kick on the bloodied face of his opponent. 1…2…3! Sano retains!
Result: Naoki Sano over Masanobu Fuchi --- Pinfall --- Still champion! --- 18 min.

»» After the match, Masanobu Fuchi had to be assisted and helped to the back by Satoru Asako, the Tsuruta-gun rookie. However, he briefly stopped and simply stared at Naoki Sano for a moment, although he didn’t say a word or made a gesture.
Then, as Sano prepared to leave the ring, Dean Malenko made his way towards him. Both met on the ramp and the spotlight was there. Then, Malenko simply pointed at the title belt. Sano nodded positively with his head, meaning that the challenge was accepted. Both shook hands and actually left together.

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Prediction Contest - Results (so far):
1. marc91 - 4/6
- Purotastic - 4/6
3. Asaemon - 2/6