[1992-05-25-AJPW-Super Power Series] Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs Doug Furnas & Dan Kroffat

[dawho5]

This is in my top 10 matches of all time, has been since I saw it the first time.  I love me a good southern tag and this is probably the best version of that match ever.  Also, as a first wrestling match for the day it is pretty damn sweet!

There are a handful of matches where Kikuchi is at his absolute best and looks like he could weather whatever kinds of sick, murderous bumps or torturous holds come his way and keep fighting back effectively no matter what.    And of course garner as much sympathy as humanly possible.  This happens to be one of them and it kind of makes the match.

I think the thing that works for me about this match is that it takes a really simple narrative structure like the southern tag and puts a ridiculous good workrate match on top of it while staying true to that form.  The fact that Kroffat and Kobashi are in it is no surprise, since both are tremendous workrate guys who understand how to work that into the narrative of the match.  And you have one of the all-time FIP candidates (Kikuchi) to keep that crowd molten hot all the way through.  As well as the previously mentioned team dynamic that Kobashi and Kikuchi have.  So many factors converge to make this a really, really great match even if it is not exactly "King's Road style".  Which, by the way, was a thing of later years (maybe end of '93 or middle of '94 on) and, honestly, I think AJPW from 91-92 is better than the "King's Road" matches in terms of consistent match quality.

As a postscript, matches like this are a very big part of why Kobashi will continue to go to the moonsault late-match years later.  One part of AJPW booking I have always loved.

[cactus]

A ★★★★ match with a ★★★★★ crowd. Kikuchi puts in a performance of a lifetime in front of his hometown, but I thought Kroffat and Furnas stole the show as the smug American technicians, They might not be known for their charisma, but they brought it all out here. This is a great match for puro newcomers due it's American-style layout and it kills the idea that Japanese crowds are quiet. 

★★★★½