Post by Moore on Nov 8, 2023 21:06:26 GMT 1
AJPW 1993 Champion Carnival Day 7
April 2nd 1993
Attendance: 10,000 – Takamatsu, Hokkaido, JP
TV Rating: 1.67 [tv Asahi – JP] + 0.16 [ITV – UK] + 0.06 [Fox Sports Networks – US]
Championships and holders
» AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship: Mitsuharu Misawa
» AJPW National Openweight Championship: Cactus Jack
» AJPW Unified World Tag Team Championship: Dan Kroffat and Doug Furnas [Can-Am Express]
» AJPW World Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Ultimo Dragon
0. Dark Match: Haruka Eigen & Satoru Asako def. Isamu Teranishi & Minoru Tanaka
- Eigen > Tanaka (Cradle - Pin) --- 7:10
- Rating: 43
Full-Show Recap
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1. Billy Black & Joel Deaton (Wild Bunch) & The Great Sasuke vs. Mighty Inoue & Rusher Kimura & Octagon
A pretty decent opener started the Day 7, with Octagon teaming up with two of AJPW’s beloved veterans in a losing effort against Wild Bunch and Sasuke. Deaton pinned Kimura following an Aided Texas Piledriver.
- Deaton > Kimura --- (Aided Texas Piledriver - Pin) --- 8:36
- Rating: 61
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2. Al Perez & Giant Warrior & Naoki Sano vs. Dan Kroffat & Doug Furnas (Can-Am Express) & Kazuo Yamazaki
Non-tournament matches were on fire, honestly, and this one ended up being an highlight. Once again, Yamazaki and Sano were in opposite corners. This time, Yamazaki got the better, but neither of them were involved in the pin. Yet, both played a role in the finish as both were kicking each other’s limbs off when Can-Am Express finished Al off with their trademark Doomsday Missile.
- Kroffat > Perez --- (Doomsday Missile - Pin) --- 11:50
- Rating: 79
»» After the bell, Kazuo Yamazaki and Naoki Sano were stopped from beating each other up further by some Projects who couldn’t detain them… until something major happened: the Unified World Tag Team Champions were ran over by two way bigger men. Savage International were in Takamatsu and attacked Kroffat and Furnas. Kimala body-pressed Furnas off the ring and Haku hit a Thrust Kick on Kroffat.
Then, the savage duo made the champions sure of their intentions: they are out for definitive revenge after their early Team Carnival loss and want the belts. They lifted both belts over the fallen Kroffat.
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1993 Champion Carnival – A Block Match
3. Johnny Smith vs. Terry Funk (2 pts.)
The League matches of the night started with a soon-to-be underrated gem. Once again, the British Frantastic Bruiser showed off his best wrestling skill against a great dance partner in veteran Terry Funk.
The two worked a more technical style, but it was Funk’s resiliency and brawling which did the difference here. Funk kicked out of a Death Valley Driver, just like Hansen some days ago. In the end, Funk would surprise the standing Smith with a Funkin’ Moonsault. He kicked out too, but he wouldn’t kick out of the Texas Piledriver that followed.
- Funk (4 pts.) > Smith --- (Texas Piledriver - Pin) --- 13:28
- Rating: 79
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1993 Champion Carnival – A Block Match
4. Jackie Fulton vs. Stan Hansen (6 pts.)
The pep talk of Day 5 did some effect on Fulton, as the young wrestler showed up for a fight against Hansen, who had to give the kid an ass-whoop to take the two points.
He did, throwing some stiff shots at the younger Fulton and letting him know the mat from up-close. Jackie kicked out of some pin attempts, but when Hansen hit the Western Lariat, that was it.
After the match, the leader of The Outlaw Stable recognized Fulton’s effort, extending his hand for a shake and a pat to the back.
- Hansen (8 pts.) > Fulton --- (Western Lariat - Pin) --- 12:32
- Rating: 73
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1993 Champion Carnival – A Block Match
5. Cactus Jack (w/K.Y. Wakamatsu) (2 pts.) vs. Kenta Kobashi (4 pts.)
Absolute banger and it’s safe to say both Cactus and Kobashi are having some great matches in the 1993 Carnival. K.Y. at ringside made, of course, sure that the match would be a 2-on-1 when possible, as he was successful getting in Kobashi’s nerves.
That made him eat one of Kobashi’s chops at ringside and in the minutes that follow, the bout was actually a 1-on-1 between two great distinct wrestlers. Both hit hard and Jack’s sloppier style ended up melting nicely with Kobashi’s immaculate in-ring skill. In that period, Cactus was close to beating Kobashi with a Middle Rope Elbow. Then, when Wakamatsu was back in full-effect, he got his hands on his head seeing Cactus almost fall victim of a Burning Lariat. And then of an impressive Brainbuster.
The fact that Cactus kicked out of a Brainbuster in itself is even more impressive, but Wakamatsu knew his time was running out… so he got the kendo stick! And when the ref was distracted, he tried hitting Kobashi with it, but the ‘Orange Crush’ caught the kendo stick and handed it to the referee, who got into K.Y.’s face!
The National Openweight Champion tried to seize the distraction and went for a Double Arm DDT, but Kobashi held on to the ropes, causing Cactus to fall solo. He got straight back up, but ate a Burning Lariat! Wakamatsu was still dealing with the referee, so Kobashi climbed the top turnbuckle: Moonsault! 1…2…3! The referee counted on K.Y.’s face as Cactus suffered yet another League loss.
- Kobashi (6 pts.) > Cactus (2 pts.) --- (Moonsault - Pin) --- 16:18
- Rating: 88
»» After the match, K.Y. Wakamatsu was distressed, as was Cactus Jack. By now, it seems that Cactus has a lot of patience with his manager, who failed to got him the win again. Enter… Terry Funk.
The veteran has beaten the National Openweight Champion one week ago and defeats against Nobuhiko Takada and Kenta Kobashi can mean that Cactus’ face is in a «Wanted: Dead or Alive» sign, with three possible challengers after the Carnival. Well, Funk called shotgun. Terry told Cactus he doesn’t believe in either’s chances to win the A Block, as both have lost too many points by now, while mathematics still make it possible. So, Funk laid out the challenge: «If neither of us wins the whole thing, Cactus… I want you to be a man and give this old dog the chance to bite you again and to steal that golden bone from you, because I want to be champion one more time.»
Cactus told Funk he’s been one of his idols, and just like that, he’d be happy to put him out of his misery: «The deal is done, old man: if none of us gets to the decision, at the Finale, it’s Cactus vs. Funk, and I won’t just be out to defend my championship, I’ll be out for revenge too!»
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1993 Champion Carnival – A Block Match
6. Nobuhiko Takada [UWF-i] (6 pts.) vs. Toshiaki Kawada (4 pts.)
Time for a huge main event… and a huge main event it was. Coming after an incredible match was hard enough but the two absolute killers in Takada and Kawada could pull it off, right?
The bout started slow and both guys studied each other for some ten minutes, like it was an UWF-i Rules match. Only that if it was, Kawada would lose for point deduction before those ten minutes. It wasn’t though, and the downs weren’t that major for Kawada’s ambitions in the match.
Then, it got heated. Suplex after Suplex and stiffer kick after stiffer kick with some slaps to season the action further up, we were witnessing a two-man melee. Controlled melee, but painful even to watch at points. Only when the two felt they actually had a chance to pin each other did they try it, Takada trying it first after a brutal High Knee that opened Kawada’s brow and Kawada giving it a shot after a surprising Folding Powerbomb. Two kick-outs at two.
The match progressed, the crowd was pulling for Kawada, their own man, who got further and further into Takada’s game. The submission attempts followed from part to part. Takada set a target on Kawada’s legs, going for a Cross Kneelock and an Ankle Slicer. Kawada didn’t tap out but he was lingering and less effective on his leg-based offence, so much that a Gamengiri didn’t get him more than a one-count.
After 24 minutes, the match was still alive and close to being 1993 Carnival’s longest so far. It passed that mark and both became desperate when the five minutes to go was announced, even though Takada seemed cooler with it, as he has more points. When Kawada’s desperation led him to a mistake, the UWF-i boss seized, locking him in a Guillotine Choke. That would be it, surely! Kawada was locked for a while, but his constant movement let the referee know he was conscious, and a last-resort Deadlift Powerbomb proved it!
Kawada was back in the game with two minutes left. A striking battle started with the sequence lasting for what seemed like way too much. Takada went for a Roundhouse Kick, but Kawada ducked and hit his own Roundhouse instead! Takada fell on his knees and Kawada went for the Stretch Plum, but there were only six seconds left! Time expired! It’s a draw!
- Time Limit Draw: Takada (7 pts.) & Kawada (5 pts.) --- 30:00
- Rating: 80
»» After the bell, Kawada released Takada and fell to his feet. Both men were on the ground for some moments while the crowd cheered for a hell of a match. Then they got up, with Kawada telling Takada he was very close to a win. Takada didn’t take it lightly and invited him to continue fighting until one is down for good. They tried, but the Projects stepped up.
And then… Stan Hansen stepped up too to restore some order in the ring. ‘The Cowboy’ got to Takada’s face, as they have a match coming up at Day 9. Both stared with a defiant look, but Kawada felt like he belonged in the picture as well, shoving both men. Cooler heads prevailed, ending the show with some contained tension.
Show Rating: 81
A Block League Field
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