[1997-12-05-AJPW-Real World Tag League Finals] Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama vs Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Kudos to Kawada for finding a personal hook in the Akiyama match, giving all of their interactions a more palpable hate. Taue's bump when Misawa countered the powerbomb with a rana was great. I also like how Misawa made a save when Kawada come in, but he stays out when it's just Akiyama and Taue, and ultimately that's what costs them the match. Nice couple of matches to close out the year. Not at the level of most of the series in 1996, but a really strong pair of tag matches to close out the year for the promotion.

[Kevin Ridge]

Fans aren’t booing Taue when he did his dropping opponent on top rope move. Nothing for a second attempt later in match. Taue takes a Misawa forearm and flies out of the ring link he is sliding head first into second base. Kawada and Taue are the best tag team going to me. Better as a team than Misawa/Akiyama. The tag at the end never happened and Taue/Kawada just overwhelmed Akiyama. That finish in the US would be hinting at a team breaking up with Misawa standing on the apron and not trying to make the save at the end. Got to let the kid fight his own fight at times.

[soup23]

Maybe not up to the level of last year, but a damn good match ending a perplexing year for the company. I would say the only match that really disappointed was the Kawada/Misawa 6/6/97 match but yet something feels a little off for the year and less flattering tendencies are creeping in. I enjoyed the way this match ended with a stiff kick from Taue getting revenge for Akiyama's big upset in January. Misawa finding new ways to match up with Taue/Kawada is always a treat with his rana reversals.

[PeteF3]

Excellent match that just got better as it went along. It didn't seem like they were going for an "epic" like last year, and of course the match wasn't as good--but damned if they didn't have me marking out by the end. This builds slowly by design, with the first psychological hook being Jun's bad back and then a second hook brought on by Misawa being taken out and knocked to the floor, as seems to happen so often in these Tag League finals. Misawa countering the powerbomb/chokeslam at the end was a spectacular hope spot, one of the best I've ever seen, as it caught me totally by surprised. By this point I was flashing back to Kobashi's first Budokan main event, when I was actively getting emotionally involved--TAG OUT, JUN, TAG MISAWA, DAMMIT. Jun survives some heartstopping near-falls, some with Misawa's help, but that final hot tag never comes. This was a sort-of rare AJPW tag match where anybody could conceivably have pinned anybody else, and that kept me guessing the whole way through. Don't know if this will make the MOTYC list or not but AJPW manages to close out the year on a positive note.

[The Russian Daydream]

Really good match. I like how, for the bulk of the match Akiyama was wrestling like he was on the level of the others, as opposed to the previous year when he was only able to hang with the big guys because of his heart. The finish made the point that altough he's in there league now, he's still got some way to go.

 

Kawada and Taue were at their brutal best again here. The spot where Akiyama is resisting being turned over into a Boston Crab and Kawada just starts stamping on his head repeatedly until Akiyama gives up and allows the hold to be applied is wonderful.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Holy Demon Army vs Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama - AJPW RWTL Finals '97

 

Pretty big letdown after the awesomeness of the November match. This feels like more of your typical great AJPW tag. There is always a lot of energy and drama and cool moves, but it just felt more of run of the mill. Like I have seen this AJPW tag match before, where the last match had that awesome hook, everybody just killed it in the ring.

 

Much slower start to this one, which is fine, the first big moment is Taue gets the NODOWA in the turnbuckles. Some good heat was built up on Misawa's neck. I love All Japan's use of the throw down as a counter to moves. Taue just throwing Misawa down disdainfully is great. TAUE PILEDRIVER! Taue gets greedy and wants the Nodowa off the apron. That's a really dangerous move for him and he ought to wait for when his prone opponent is trying to escape out there. By dragging Misawa out there, he does not know how injured Misawa is. It is a really high risk, high reward situation. Here he ends up off the apron and eating a somersault from Misawa. This allows Misawa to tag out. I wouldn't say Taue squandered the advantage completely but now with a fresh Akiyama it could be difficult. Akiyama is good firecracker; Taue one of the better tag wrestlers of all time muscles Akiyama into the corner. Brilliant tag wrestling, much smarter than the apron spot. Redeems himself. Fun little random amateur sequence with Akiyama and Kawada. I fucking love Kawada's spinning heel kick. Akiyama gets a dragon leg screw, but on suplex attempt, Taue hits the injured back and Kawada gets the bodyslam/kick combo. Taue has basically completely redeemed himself. He is did the outright cheap, dick thing and hit Akiyama in his bad back putting Holy Demon Army back in the drivers seat. Kawada does a great job collapsing on the way to tag Taue selling a SINGLE Dragon Screw Leg Whip. You respect the move and I will respect the match. Loved the massive suplex slam from Taue. Taue Scorpion Deathlock and Kawada stomps on Akiyama head before putting him in a deeeeeeeeepppppp Boston Crab. Misawa had saved on Scorpion Deathlock so Taue makes the heads up play to cut Misawa off at the pass here. Taue is wicked smart. Akiyama gets a desperation dropkick to Taue's knee and he is crawling and Kawada sprints over and stomps the back. AXE KICK~! Lord Have Mercy! Akiyama catches the foot and hits an elbow to tag out. Not the most exciting way to set up the hot tag.

Misawa is awesome here. So much fire on those elbows love him catching Kawada spinning heel kick and THROWING HIM DOWN! Massive rana out of Taue powerbomb. Armdrag out of Nodowa. It is two on one, but Misawa don't give a fuck. Misawa is here to win. Misawa runs through his opening salvo of finish shit until Kawada hits that reverse kick on a German attempt. You cant German suplex Kawada. Taue hits a massive dropkick upon entering the ring and then when Misawa goes for a diving elbow, he throws him down on the mat. Taue has way more of a presence in this match. Misawa pops up and elbows Taue to tag out to AKiyama. It is transitions like that are robbing this from being an all-time great match. Akiyama's does really well with strikes, but cant do suplexes. This allows Taue to tag in Kawada. Akiyama MANS UP and hits Exploder on Kawada. Misawa & Akiyama are in the same bad spot as last time. Akiyama's back is fucked and Misawa had his one shot to win basically and blew it not hitting that German suplex on Kawada. Misawa hits a Tiger Driver on the constantly interfering Taue to give Akiyama some breathing room. Akiyama tags out. That's pretty smart. Lets see if Misawa can pull it off this time. Misawa is fired up and is barking out orders. I love this Misawa. Really cool sequence where Akiyama hits a German and then Misawa back rolls him into another German. American Alpha should do that. Taue comes in and hits a NODOWA on Misawa. That's the problem really for Misawa & Akiyama. Holy Demon Army are so good at turning tag matches in to handicap matches. Kawada tags out and Taue Nodowas Misawa into Akiyama, great spot. Akiyama act as a screen for Misawa elbow and Misawa tags out. I just don't feel like that is wise. I think Misawa should have tried to hang in there longer. Akiyama does well against Taue even hits a German and Misawa is there to cover him by firing off elbows to Kawada. Then Taue just throws Akiyama on that German. Ruh roh. Quick tag out by Taue very smart and Kawada pounces on that back with nasty knees and a wicked back drop driver. DANGEROUSSSSS! Kawada folds him in half with that powerbomb. Oh Kawada how I have missed you! Kawada hits an enziguiri on Misawa and STRETCH PLUM that's how he won the last match. Kawada lariat, Tag out, Dynamic Powerbomb, Misawa saves. I feel like Misawa is over selling. Like what he has really taken that is causing him to be so useless kayfabe. I like he flips both over on the Nodowa/Powerbomb with an armdrag/rana at the same time. ELBOWS GALORE! He is barking at Akiyama to make the tag, NODOWA ON AKIYAMA! Where the fuck is Misawa? Akiyama Exploder is last gasp, Big Time Nodowa and a BIG High Kick and Taue wins!?!?!?

FInish came out of nowhere. Felt really abrupt. Where the fuck was Misawa? if I was Akiyama I get a new partner too. From a kayfabe strategy point of view, Misawa fucking blew it. Way to trigger happy to tag out to the injured Akiyama and then does not save him. Maybe Misawa was like me and was actually shocked that was the finish! Great, entertaining match, thought some transitions were weak kinda like hey this segment has gone on long enough lets go to next one. Back work was typically great and so was Akiyama's selling. Kawada was a monster again and Taue was the MVP of the match. What it came down to is there is no tag team better at turning a match into a handicap match like Holy Demon Army. They are the ultimate front-runners. They get a lead and they don't squander it. It is the exact opposite of Kawada the singles wrestler, the ultimate choke artist. By putting the team in a hole by maiming one wrestler, it makes the uninjured wrestler work doubly hard and ultimately he cant overcome both Kawada and Taue. Leaving Kawada and Taue in the winner's circle again and again. Great showcase for what makes Kawada & Taue great as a team, but leaves a lot to be desired. ****1/4

[Zenjo]

1997 was an inconsistent year for All Japan. At one stage it looked like it might be a disappointment. However the strength of the RWTL made up for any shortfall from the middle of the year.

 

Early on there were frequent tags. The balance was even and it took quite a while for the first beatdown to start. Jun was the unlucky man. I liked the pacing through all the stages and the structure had solid foundations. The longer it went the better it got with an excellent stretch. The earlier damage came back to haunt Akiyama as he was clinging on for dear life. He showed great resilience and Misawa was doing what he could to help. In the end Akiyama had just been in there too long without a tag. He didn't fall due to the power of the final move, it was accumulated damage. The first time I watched this I was perplexed like some people here, but it does make sense in this context. His energy bar was down to 1% and the kick took it to 0. An excellent bout worthy of the occasion.