[1995-06-30-AJPW-Summer Action Series] Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi & Satoru Asako vs Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue & Tamon Honda

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Ditch]

The last really great AJ 6-man, at least from what we get. We can hope this will eventually air on classics in full, because I doubt they were just chinlocking for ten minutes. Gotta be the best match Asako was ever in, and it's the first time Honda looked worthwhile. That plus continuation of the Best Match Ever makes this a gem.

[Loss]

Factoring out that the ***** WON rating is nuts, this is still a great match. We only get the last 15 minutes or so, but what's shown is pretty all-action. Kawada is the star of this, coming after both Misawa and Kobashi pretty strong. Honda brings a lot more to this than Asako, especially in his exchanges with Kobashi, so I guess they always worked well together. Honda going headbutt-crazy on him when he breaks up a pin attempt on Asako was terrific. Really nice finishing sequence involving everyone, although it peeved me to see Honda take the fall. Put the Holy Demon Army over again and let do-little Asako take the pin. Anyway, it is a little odd that I've never heard more about this match, but I guess this is a crowded year for high-level matches in All Japan. More great in a 1992 All Japan way than a 1995 All Japan way.

[Ditch]

Because it's JIP by 50% it doesn't get serious MOTYC consideration aside from the Meltzer rating. If it's the same intensity/quality throughout (if we ever find that out...), then maybe it deserves that level of hype.

[jdw]

Anyway, it is a little odd that I've never heard more about this match, but I guess this is a crowded year for high-level matches in All Japan. More great in a 1992 All Japan way than a 1995 All Japan way.

 

"NOTE: I'd add the following: 06/30/95 Misawa & Kobashi & Asako vs. Kawada & Taue & Honda

It's probably the last great AJPW Korakuen Hall TV six-man tag main event. I dug it a ton. Not Top 20... but worth tracking down for AJPW fans, and a good example of how the lower ranked workers are mixed in well in the six-man tag format."

-jdw, AJPW Pimpin' Ain't Easy

 

 

I suspect that in other, later walks through 90s AJPW that it got some discussion as well. Ditch's comment back in October would seem to indicate he's given it some run in the past. One or the other of us must have pimped it in the 1995 suggestions thread.

 

For the most part, very few six-mans get regular run because the Singles and Big Tags do. When talked about, they tend to get praise. When Dave reviewed everything, he gave them good snowflakes. But the way of the world usually is for six mans to get less run than the singles and big tags.

 

 

John

[Tim Evans]

Awesome match that doesn't feel like the usual All Japan "epic' style and just guys beating the crap out of each other. Kawada and Kobashi were the stars of this but everyone played a part in it. Kawada going from Kobashi to Misawa and punching them in the face ruled. Really enjoyed this.

[PeteF3]

Terrific sprint with everyone looking good (well, Asako's just kinda there). Honda with his headbutt-centric offense is pretty fun, and the back-and-forth between Misawa and Taue is one of the longest, most dizzying arrays of moves and countermoves you'll ever see. It's not ***** or even a major MOTYC if only for the clipjob, but you can easily see why Meltzer would have gone nuts for it.

[Zenjo]

13:30 of 24m aired. The JIPage might have been beneficial, who knows? An ideal 6 man because it provided a highly entertaining contest in itself whilst also developing storylines. I loved the interactions between Misawa and Kawada. Likewise with Taue vs Kobashi. It's no coincidence those were the two big singles bouts at the end of the tour. You also had a fun cameo from the fired up Honda. He was a headbutting Wildman. Sambo wore bright green, but did not bleed this time. Really fun action. I'd say this was the best AJ 6 man from the second half of the decade.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi & Satoru Asako vs Toshiaki Kawada, Akira Taue & Tamon Honda  - AJPW 6/30/95

I have seen Asako once before in a random six-man tag, besides his unique lime green trunks, I dont remember much about him. Honda would become more famous in NOAH especially for a great Kobashi match. Honda shows a lot of personality here and actually gets over pretty big with Korakuen crowd for his headbutting barrage. I think if he filled out a little more (he was a bit boxy and young at the time) he could have been pushed right along with Akiyama, but as his heel antithesis. 

We lose about ten minutes but this is still worthwhile. It is All Japan at their peak workrate, bomb-throwing, sprinting style. There's some creeping in of the style that would inspire the 2010s workrate style with the overly elaborate sequences. I did really like the sequence where Misawa does his stock spot of sliding out the back of a suplex but Taue immediately wrangles him into DDT only for a Misawa to do a Northern Lights Suplex. There are times after this where they get a little too fancy for their own good in some spots. The majority of what we is Kawada in a heel in peril segment. Great suplex struggle win by Kobashi to see it. Kawada had some real zip behind his elbows. You can see how Taue is a veteran and Honda is a rookie. When Kawada gets Kobashi to the floor, Taue immediately pounces and throws Kobashi in the railing. Taue always looking to win Henchman of the Year knows exactly what to do. Just like when Kawada ends up knocking Kobashi off the apron, Misawa comes in and attacks Kawada. These are vetrans that know how to help their partners out of a jam and not let the match get a way from them. The last 5 minutes or so is a blur of action. I think the real highlight is Honda just going wild with headbutts. There is one sequence on Kobashi where he gets a nearfall that he is over like a rover. There's amazing Roaring Elbow from Misawa at one point on Kawada. Kawada goes head-huntin' and SMOKES Misawa in his bad eye. Great sell and the ref checks Misawa, but I would have liked Misawa to get a little more pissed in his retaliation. The finish is a great suplex barrage, Tiger Suplex on Kawada and German on Taue with Kobashi hitting the winning Dragon Suplex on Honda. 

Really fun action-based sprint, I would say Kawada and Honda are the standouts. Honda gets over way bigger than push due to his crazy headbutt onslaught and his physical charisma (great uptempo energy). Kawada was in the majority of the match and did a great job selling & kicking ass. It did not get as heated as 6/9/95. I would have liked Misawa to have gotten more pissed at the head-hunting. It is hard to rate missing nearly half the match. I bet it would be around ****-*****1/4, Dave was out to lunch with his ***** talk.