[2003-07-13-AJPW] Toshiaki Kawada vs Keiji Mutoh

[fxnj]

Fucking great big match that came out of nowhere. I've heard not a peep of pimping for this and didn't even know it happened until I opened up the video of this event, but it absolutely delivered. Match starts a little slow with them working the mat, but I enjoyed it. Kawada's gameplan initially is to ground Mutoh and work over his arm. Mutoh's selling is interesting, initially just seeming dumbfounded by Kawada's strategy but then progressing into selling legit pain as Kawada keeps going after the arm. There's this great little hope spot where Mutoh tries to stand up and turn it into a striking match, but his hurt arm means there's not enough behind his strikes and Kawada quickly takes back over. Eventually, Mutoh decides he's had enough of that and starts making a comeback by going to town on Kawada's injured knees, and that's when the match really kicks into the next gear. There's this great explosiveness behind everything Mutoh does and Kawada's selling is incredible. Really needs to be seen to be believed as I think it might be his best leg selling since the RWTL 1993 finals. The match reaches its high point during an extended figure four spot where it looks like Fuchi might throw in the towel for Kawada, but Kawada digs deep and gets to the ropes. I was popping right with the crowd for that one. Kawada gets a lucky break when Mutoh seems to injure his own knees off a moonsault, which gives him just enough of an opening to string together some big moves (while keeping up the awesome leg selling) and just barely do enough for a 3 count. ****1/2 A shame this didn't get nominated for the best of 2000's project as I imagine this sort of match would have done quite well among the people who got burned out by the NOAH stuff.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Just stumbled across this thread. I will check this out. Did you nominate it for GME?

[ohtani's jacket]

Very good match. Surprisingly grounded, presumably because of their knee problems. I would have rated it even higher if not for some goofy selling from Mutoh. Was this supposed to set up Kawada vs Hashimoto? I would have been gutted when that was cancelled.  I have to say that 2003 has been a much better year for Japanese men's wrestling than 2000-2002. It's the first year since the NOAH split where things are back on an even keel. Is it just me or does Mutoh's All Japan work hold up a lot better than you'd expect?

[Superstar Sleeze]

@ohtani's jacket, I am not too surprised about the post-2001 Muto work holding up. It is rooted in the things we tend to like and value. A consistent offensive strategy, body part psychology and pays off into logical, climatic finish run. It may not always be ***** classic, but I know prefer 21st Century Muto to 20th Century but Muto no matter the century is very mercurial. He can have classics in matches you have never heard of and then have stinkers in big time, high profile main events. 

 Keiji Muto vs Toshiaki Kawada - AJPW 7/13/03 - #1 Contender's Match

After a string of various combinations of Muto/Kawada/Tenryu, All Japan is forced to bring the last big time freelancer, Shinya Hashimoto to be champion. Hashimoto won the Triple Crown off the Great Muta earlier in the year and had a kickass title defense against Kojima the month prior. Unfortunately, it seems he got injured as Hashimoto vacated the title shortly after this and Kawada won the Triple Crown in a match against Ohtani (AJPW vs Zero-One was the big feud at the time). Interesting, they never had Kawada defend against Muto or Muta during his 1+ year title reign. We do eventually get the Hashimoto match in February 2004 in Budokan to what I think was All Japan last impressive attendance showing of 10k+ in attendance. Muto and Kawada have a low-key intriguing rivalry with the 2001 Classic in Champions Carnival, the polarizing 2002 Budokan Sellout and then this in 2003.

I dont think this reached the heights of the 2001 classic, but I liked it more than the 2002 match. I am thinking I should watch the 2002 match back at some point. The chain wrestling is a bit tepid to start, BUT something interesting does come out of it. Muto grabs a pretty deep toehold, BUT Kawada converts into a cross-armbreaker. This sets up the first hook of the match. Kawada really zeros-in on the arm. Muto being Muto means the selling isnt the best and I wish the Kawada offense had a little more zing, but it is consistent. Muto still works in his trademark Powerdriver Elbow and Kawada his trademark Heel Kick. 

My favorite part of the match was when Muto went for the first Dragon Leg Screw and Kawada pancaked him. Kawada really struggled not to let it happen and that really sold that moment huge. For someone who has watched a ton of post-2001 Muto it was nice to see an opponent sell how much they didnt want the Dragon Leg Screw to happen. 

I thought they let Muto get the Dragon Leg Screw too easily and too shortly thereafter. I would have loved to see him really earn it. Kawada sells it like death. Kawada besides maybe Savage is the best knee seller of all time. So these two go together like peanut butter and jelly. Here come the dropkicks. I liked how Kawada tried to continue to mount a comeback using head rocking kicks and head drop suplexes, but Muto was a pitbull dog on the knee. The Dangerous Backdrop Driver into the Shining Wizard was a good way to show the desperation and urgency on both men's parts. Mutoh then goes for the kill with the Figure-4. Kawada makes the ropes and again tries to Kick his way out of trouble, but Mutoh drop toeholds and into STF. Then we get TWO MORE FIGURE-4s. The heat for the 3rd one is off the charts as Fuchi is threatening to the throw in the towel for Kawada and as the ref is looking at Fuchi, Mutoh pulls Kawada away from the ropes as he is holding the rope. The heat was crazy. Muto gets frustrated that he cant put Kawada away with Figure-4. He clocks him with a Shining Wizard in the corner and the finish looks academic as Muto goes for his patented backbreaker-Moonsault combo, BUT he lands awkward on his knees and this gives Kawada the opening he needs to mount his comeback.  

Kawada's use of elbows to Muto's head to open up the comeback sequence was appreciated as well as the jumping high kicks in how he sold that. The way he did the Brainbuster and Powerbombs that polished Muto off you got the feeling he was doing it on one leg. 

From a layout perspective, I thought this was awesome. I just felt like there was something missing from the performance. They just didnt grab me by the balls. The match really kicked into gear with the barrage of Figure-4s and I was hooked from there. I just thought there were a lot of tepid stretches in the front half. A match I would say is safely great, but not a classic in my eyes. I want to rewatch the February 2002 match again now. ****