[1991-01-15-AJPW-New Year Giant Series] Toshiaki Kawada vs Akira Taue

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

This has always been one of my favorite matches. A total war, with Taue covered in blood and the two hating each others' guts by this point. They swing chairs and are out to really hurt each other instead of winning a match. Taue gets a hard time, but he works his ass off and puts on a great performance here. All Japan's version of the lucha brawl.

[Ditch]

My favorite thing isn't even the brawl aspect. It's how effective Taue is in control and how smart the cut-offs are. Kawada gives him most of the match and both guys come out stronger in the end.

[Phil Schneider]

The match description intrigued so I check it out. Very good stuff, and the kind of thing I wish AJ did more later in the decade. Really loved the constancy of the brawling, Kawada kept flinging wild kicks from the ground, Taue kept slipping in headbutts, not setting up spots, just digging in and fighting.

[Ditch]

Also, I have this in the top 50 AJ matches for the '90s. It finished 38th in the poll I did five years ago. Great stuff.

[shoe]

This was tremendous and a total war.I loved how Taue grabbed Kawada's leg on the outside and smashed it into the guardrail. I don't usually think this, but I would have helped get over the battle and finish the way it ended abruptly.

[soup23]

Agree with all the comments here. Really unique match for All Japan in the 90's and more of a blow off brawl. 12 minutes of going to down. Kawada has fully transformed into the prick we know him as.

[PeteF3]

As great as the AJPW epic is I think the promotion was worse off for the (more or less) disappearance of matches like this. This is a total out-of-the-box-for-its-time war based on blood and hate as much as bombs and near-falls, though we do get those two towards the end. I don't know if it will come through on this yearbook yet but I love how Kawada's enzuilariato becomes a recurring element of his matches this year after its insta-KO appearance here.

[Childs]

This is a desert island match for me -- loved it the first time I saw it and have only grown to love it more. Kawada was great, but Taue was the revelation with his headbutts, kicks to the spine, etc. You'd have thought he was the Tenryu protege. All-Japan would have been better off keeping short, hot brawls in the mix for the balance of the decade. As it stands, I'd probably rank this in the promotion's top 20 for the '90s because it stands out as so unique.

[Kevin Ridge]

These guys matching up in the tag matches in 1990 had some spirited fighting against each other so eager for this one. Starts off great with Taue attacking Kawada before the bell. Kawada ends up doing a 10 count smash on the railing which busts up Taue good. Really liked the little sequence when Taue kicks Kawada in the back in a okay now get up to your feet. So he reaches down to grab Kawada by the hair and of course Kawada kicks him in the head. Taue responds with kicking Kawada in the back. Short match as a whole but what a nice little brawl between the two. Favorite match so far.

[soup23]

Really feels like the most grudge match type Memphis hate match I can think of in Japan. Love seeing the blood as well.

[Zenjo]

The blood feud continues, literally. Back in the days when wrestling used to be gritty and not available in HD. They brought great intensity and hatred. Taue bled like a man and both ended up splattered with the red stuff. In retaliation he did plenty of knee damage. Lasted under 12m yet felt a lot longer because they fitted so much in. I've seen NJ matches like this but it stands out as unique in an AJ setting. These two were bitter enemies before they earned the others respect through their battles.

[Rock_Of_Jericho]

Had never seen this one before somehow. But I loved this. My favorite match so far of 1991. The intensity was off the charts and loved the brief shot of Jumbo watching from the back. Taue had always struck me before as kind of a bland wrestler, but I might have to reconsider finding some more of his stuff outside of the epic tags he was involved in...

[Smack2k]

Agreed with everyone else....but will add....What a fucking clothesline from Kawada at the end...he KILLED Taue with it.....

 

Also, Taue dropping Kawada knee first on that table was brutal to...he hit it HARD!! Being a pretty green Puro watcher, that shit looked REAL hard to me compared to North American stuff...and WAY better.

 

GREAT BRAWL....just right amount of time.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Taue immediately bullrushes Kawada knocks him off the apron hard onto the railing. That spot sets the tone for the rest of match: Total War. I loved how relentless Taue was in this match forcing Kawada to work the entire match from underneath and put on one of his gritty, scrappy performances to best the larger, ferocious Taue. Also, the fact the crowd was right top of the action added to that claustrophobic feel. Taue was suffocating Kawada as he right on top of him never letting up on offense. Kawada in desperation was able to grab his leg at one point and ram his head into the railing busting him open. However, Taue catches one of Kawada's kick and in one fluid motion whips that leg into the guardrail. Taue zeroes on that knee with fierce tenacity: wicked kneecrusher onto table, wrapping it around the post, chairshots to it. I love that Taue sort of realizes in a leg lace or a toehold Kawada is able to kick him in the head really hard so he tries the figure-4, which will tie up that free leg. One of my favorite moments, is when the camera zooms in on Taue trying to pick up Kawada and all of sudden you just see a flash of yellow connect with Taue's heads. Kawada is just fucking tremendous from underneath with all these kicks. I love how they work in Taue's size as he is able to reverse a press slam off the top and a powerbomb by just landing on top of Kawada. I actually bit on the powerbomb reversal finish as Taue really crashes down on top of him. If Kawada has kicks, Misawa elbows and Kobashi chops, then Taue should have kept the headbutts as they look way better than any of his punches or forearms. Kawada's out of nowhere Axe Bomber for the finish was the perfect end to this war. Taue unleashed his entire arsenal and Kawada had to hit that sudden bomb to secure the victory. I will echo all the other comments; All Japan could have added a lot of variety by sprinkling some short 10-15 minute brawls with the 30+ epics. Kawada and Taue brought the hate in this match and this is one of the all-time best blood feud brawls.

[tim]

Wow this was awesome. The brawling was great and I loved Taue going after the knee: targeting in on a body part might not seem like normal pro wrestling "brawl" convention but it makes total sense in a fight, and Taue just desperately went at it with no finesse, grabbing on as if debilitating Kawada was his only ticket to survival; and Kawada was always right there throwing wild kicks trying to get out of it on the mat. The homestretch was great too, full of hot exchanges and counters but not really in the over-the-top way you usually get out of AJPW matches, just a relatively short burst of action with some really cool spots like Taue backing Kawada into the corner with palm strikes and proceeding to hit the DDT off the ropes. And the ending was sick as hell, beautiful stuff. Oh and the blood, yeash, Kawada's face covered with Taue's blood from the headbutts is one nasty visual.

[Zoo Enthusiast]

This was fucking great. I get all anti-blood in wrestling (current day, that is) and then I watch a match like this and feel like an idiot.

[garretta]

Not much else to cover here. This was a tremendous brawl, probably the best native Japan brawl of the Yearbook series so far. Who knew that the second bananas on the Misawa/Jumbo feud despised each other as much as the captains did? Taue's work on Kawada's knee was as stiff as could be, and that ten-count on the railing by Kawada opened up one of the nastiest cuts that I've ever seen outside of a weapons or cage match. I was surprised that we didn't get more spots with the referee checking the cut; I think they would have added some drama, not that this match needed any more.

 

The ending was a shock, so much so that I had to rewind in order to see exactly what the finish was. But Kawada's leg is so damaged that he's the one flat on his back afterward. Was this win a fluke? Can Kawada score another win when Taue's not half-dead from blood loss? I'm sure we'll find out before too long.

 

I liked Jumbo and Misawa peering out from behind the curtain to watch their teammates go at it, but not rushing down to ringside and trying to interfere like they probably would have been booked to do here in the U.S. The message being sent is that while this match is important in the overarching Misawa and company/Jumbo and company feud, both men respect their partners enough to let them go at it on their own. They'll have their time again soon enough.

[drew wardlaw]

To make a musical comparison, the big of the decade like 6/3/94 are like late-era Black Flag while this match is Negative Approach. Both ultimately expressing similar emotions, but while 6/3/94 is broad in scope, a lot more complex, and "better" in certain respects, this is the pure concentrated essence of hatred and it's such a cool match for the context. I always love re-watching this one, it's probably one of my top 5 AJ 90s matches. The classic narrative of working on Kawada's leg, put into a sprinty brawl, the shots of Jumbo and Kobashi looking on in the back, with Jumbo gazing in approval and Kobashi looking on in fear, seeing the storm that lies ahead. Taue being a total ass beater and one of his strongest performances in my opinion. The brawling style really works well with his lanky, somewhat sloppy nature. Pure hate, the end.

[JKWebb]

http://placetobenation.com/countdown-top-500-matches-of-the-90s-250-201/2/

 

#207

 

Loved this! Man, I loved Taue nailing those headbutts. Such a great brawl. Agree with other comments ****1/2

[ShittyLittleBoots]

Just an excellent hate filled war. Freaking awesome. ****1/2

[JKWebb]

I watched this again tonight, and I think I love it even more. I love how the knee goes out on Kawada for the nearfall at the end. That nearfall ruled me. The finish was so damn stiff. The brawling and out of control aspect of the entire thing has been discussed, but this really is an AJ 90's favorite for me.

[Jetlag]

Yeah this match never stops being awesome. Gritty blood drenched tooth and nail fighting from start to finish, including awesome use of the guardrail. Kawada making a savage comeback where he bloodies Taue only to have his leg smashed was such an epic moment. Taue has all kinds of big spots but also awesome stomps and headbutts, and you know his headbutts are great because he leaves Kawada covered in blood too. I love the huge bump Kawada takes for Taue's simpel facebuster and the brutal back brain KO finish was sick. Both guys looked great here.

[dawho5]

One of my favorite AJPW matches of the 90s. I know they get "better" and all, but something this simple can be just as incredible to watch when well-executed. And these guys are already at a level that rivals some of the best Stateside brawls I've ever seen.

[superkix]

Unexpectedly tumultuous, with an uncharacteristically brutal and bloody-faced Akira Taue. Even before the streamers are let loose, Kawada is throwing chairs and repeatedly ramming Taue’s forehead into the guardrail, busting him open after a few jabs of the chair. The blood only seems to invigorate Taue, who counters Kawada’s kick by just shoving his leg into the guardrail, and then goes to work on it. I love how Kawada uses his boots in submission situations but when he tries booting the back of Taue’s head, Taue says “fuck this” and starts peppering Kawada with slaps. Taue’s legwork is real grunty but effective, as he uses the timekeeper’s table or a chair to fuck up Kawada’s leg. Kawada’s selling is almost non-existent throughout but it doesn’t really matter because Taue keeps cutting off his rebuttals, headbutting him or spiking him into the canvas. Kawada finally snaps in the end, shitkicking Taue on the mat and then clobbering him with the enzui-lariat to pick up the win. Loved this!