[1999-05-02-AJPW-Giant Baba Memorial Show] Vader vs Mitsuharu Misawa

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

The best Vader match I’ve seen so far in All Japan. I think it’s because they struck the right balance between making a big deal out of Vader’s size and not preventing him from all the things he can do that guys his size normally can’t. He seemed handcuffed in previous matches in a way he doesn’t here. Misawa does a great job fighting from underneath and they do an awesome job building up Vader’s big bumps. I love the psychology behind the German suplexes here. Misawa’s on Vader looked especially brutal. There are a few too many headdrops near the end of this for my tastes, but it’s a blemish on an otherwise great match. Finally, Vader looks like Vader.

[tim]

Definitely the best AJPW Vader match so far. Great, hard-hitting stuff that actually has the dynamic you want from a Vader match. In the beginning Vader just has too much size and firepower for Misawa, but he soon fights back and lands a succession of huge bombs of his own. Misawa is still fighting from underneath for a lot of the match but slowly starts hitting bigger and bigger moves to get firmly in control, and once in control he just keeps hitting bigger and bigger shots until Vader's out. The last blitzkrieg from Misawa is great, Vader gets a brief comeback but it's too late, Miswaw kicks out quickly and gets right on top of Vader and hammers down elbows. Vader tries to exchange some strikes but he's too out of it, Misawa keeps ducking and landing his own elbows before hitting a big one for the win. The kind of hard-hitting affair you want out of this match up.

[Tim Evans]

I didn't like this as much as you guys. It was good, especially towards the end where Misawa just blasts Vader with forearms. Something was off with Vader tho. It looked like he was gassed early and Misawa had to work overtime to get him going.

[soup23]

This was a great match and a critical one to keep things fresh. The shorter time helped it as well as the monster work from Vader. Vader dominated a lot here and seemed to fend off most of Misawa's offense as he had run through all the big guns. However, Misawa is still the man and the Elbow is still his weapon of choice. I think when I watched this for the first time, I didn't understand that psychology of how effective the elbow was throughout the decade, but now it makes perfect sense and this seemed appropriate and definitive at ending a big Dome show paying tribute to the native founder of the company. Excellent match. ****

[Zenjo]

Were they really in the Tokyo Dome? It didn't sound like it, with an atmosphere worthy of the occasion.

 

You had two offensive juggernauts colliding. Vader was a physical monster as well, and unleashed a devastating opening salvo. He nearly put Misawa away in record time. The longer the match went on the more it turned in the challengers favour. The champion came back again with some nasty suplay before the home hero came through to claim the gold with the running elbow of death. His 5th and final Triple Crown victory. Extremely hard hitting, high intensity and compact. Perfect for the Dome. Very exciting and the highlight of Vader's excellent tenure in Zen Nihon. Drawbacks were a little move repetition and a slightly awkward STF before the first momentum switch. One of my top bouts so far this year. I'm sure the fans would've gone home happy.

[Superstar Sleeze]

AJPW Triple Crown Champion Vader vs Mitsuharu Misawa - AJPW 5/2/99

 

Baba passed away on January 31st of the year and this is his memorial show at the Tokyo Dome drawing 50,000 and $5 million, up a million from the year previous. Vader had the incredible RWTL and then a so-so performance against Kobashi in singles in January so lets see what he does here. He defeated Taue for the vacant title in March (Kawada vacated due to the arm injury sustained at 1/22/99, his title victory).

 

The first ten minutes is a glorious Vader extended squash. He controls the match with haymakers and it just builds from there. Throwing Misawa around at will. I loved the struggle over the powerbomb on the floor. Vader earned that monstrous powerbomb on the floor. Damn! Splash from the apron connects to. So my big problem is Vader basically destroyed Misawa so badly after the first ten minutes that he really should have won the match and I felt like it hurt the credibility of the match that Misawa was able to kick out. I think Vader missing the plash from the apron would have been a nice transition. Instead once Vader is done killing Misawa for our enjoyment, he slaps on a lame STF and Misawa makes the ropes. Misawa's cue to hit rock Vader with an elbow that sends him out. Awesome diving elbow and even better plancha to a prone Vader! HUGE POP FOR THE MISAWA GERMAN! Misawa kinda runs out of steam and Vader starts throwing him around with some massive Germans. VADERSAULT CRASHES AND BURNS! Vader still gets up first that is depressing as hell. Misawa gets a superplex and then a flying bodypress. Misawa may be the greatest ever at the flying bodypress. So much impact. Super DDT! Pops Vader good with a Roaring Elbow! Vader tries to mount a comeback with those haymakers that helped him gain control but Misawa ducks and blows him away with elbows.

 

Excellent chop down the monster match. Really great display of offense by both men. I think the first transition could have been better as Vader had really destroyed Misawa. I liked Misawa first comeback only for Vader to launch him into Suplex City to set up for his big bombs then when those missed Misawa just kept coming him at him with an onslaught of elbows. Definitely proof Vader had plenty left in the tank as late as 1999 and that Misawa is still the Man. ****1/4

[PeteF3]

I think I have this as #3 MOTY so far--it's safe to say that at least for one night, the old Vader was "back." He looks fantastic here, unleashing his killer offense and also doing some of the best selling of his career. Some of that is just great bumping, but he really sells those Misawa elbows like death, both at the start of the match and at the end. Japan doesn't tend to let sentimentality get in the way of realism in its booking, but in the wake of the Baba ceremony there was no other way for this Dome main event to end.

[G. Badger]

Pretty darn good big time match that brought the offense. Nice twists and variations to standard moves. The strikes were excellent and played a key part in the match.

 

I complained in another match post (a Kobashi-Vader one) that they booked Mr. White as too much a monster but, here it looked more even. I have seen Misawa vs Vader in the '99 Carnival and their match later in '99 and an early NOAH

match (12/2000, I think) but, this is their best.

 

As much as I love the 2/2000 Kawada vs Vader, you can't go wrong with the off the top rope, dives to the outside, and variety that Misawa brings to the big man. Its a fun thing to watch every time! Probably not on par with that Kawada/Vader match but, a great match nonetheless, glad I finally saw it!

[Jetlag]

I swear I already had a review of this somewhere. Ah well.

 

It's Vader/Misawa, so you know what you are getting. Vader previously destroyed Misawa easily in a short match, now he immediately goes to town on the top guy and completely dominates him for the opening of the match, tagging him with fast combos and landing a massive powerbomb on the floor. Misawa comes back pounding Vader's head with his thrusty elbows and sending him over the rope and this is almost like a Vader/Wanz match. It gets back to AJPW soon enough as soon as Vader breaks out the first german suplex and they start running through big moves. I still have no idea how Misawa was able to take those suplex bumps and not die... well, atleast not die right then. Admittedly some of it feels a little dry, such as Misawa just casually setting up Vader on the top rope and hitting a DDT... well, Vader is more that willing to bump his ass off here aswell. Misawa pouncing on the big guy with Elbows on the ground and finishing him with a KO was great though. Just felt a little abrupt.

 

It's Vader in AJPW so it's not exactly his greatest work. He does come across as a beast though, and Misawa sold great. I think if this were a little more strike focussed this could have been epic, but they still delivered what you want from a Dome main event.