[1989-09-02-AJPW] Dan Kroffat & Doug Furnas vs Toshiaki Kawada & Ricky Fuyuki

[Superstar Sleeze]

All Asia Tag Team Champions Dan Kroffat & Doug Furnas vs Toshiaki Kawada & Ricky Fuyuki - AJPW 9/2/89

All Japan was quite the tag team promotion in 1989. The first match had a huge rep and underwhelmed me. I have an open mind going into the rematch. I am on the tail end of my night shift and I am starting to think it is a fool's errand to try to keep up with late 80s All Japan so we will do this stream of consciousness style:

Furnas does some really impressive splits to limber up during the ring introductions. Strong boos for Footloose in the introduction as Japanese crowd reactions continue to bewilder me. Kroffat continue their heat from the previous match. They have a nose to nose staredown. Fuyuki tries to separate them so Kroffat slaps Fuyuki. Fuyuki tags in to big boos. The announcer brings up the boos. Fuyuki forgets to lock w up when Kroffat locks up. Fuyuki gets his receipt with a slap in the corner. Fuyuki tags in Kawada. These two hate each other I am not sure why. Kroffat tags out to Furnas. Middle rope Hart Attack gets an early nearfall for the Can-Ams. I didnt love the build to that. Furnas works a headscissors. Krofatt tags in. Dropdown and leapfrog gets a double dropkick on Kawada. Lock up and tag to Fuyuki who grabs the side headlock. Criss Cross when with a mule kick by Kroffat. Russian Legsweep by Fuyuki into the cross-armrbeaker. Sold like a resthold because it is 1989 sadly. Korffat gets on his belly and turns into an Indian Deathlock and bridges back into the full Mutalock. He turns on his side so he can last longer and inflict more pain. He relinquishes the hold. He cartwheels out of trouble but Fuyuki is a heat-seeking missile Lariat. Great spot!  Kawada is in and hits a wicked spinning heel kick to the midsection. Suplex struggle Kawada takes a gnarly sandbag brainbuster, more like a DDT as announced by the announcers. Spinning heel kick by Kroffat. Kawada throws some of the best kicks I have ever seen thrown. He throws two wicked ones to the head. Kroffat sells it like has his bell rung. Furnas comes to save him from a consucsision. Kroffat's selling is perfect. Kroffat stumbles for a tag but Furnas is not there. So he tumbles out of the ring and then collapses at ringside. Meanwhile Furnas has Kawada in a Full Nelson and swings him around. He checks on Kroffat and tags in. Kroffats selling wick wicked good. Easily the best part of the match.

Furnas re-does the Swinging Full Nelson which is a great spot. Fuyuki saves and a brawl breaks out between those two. Fuyuki throws him out of the ring. Furnas gets back into the ring. Kawada headlock brings him over to Fuyuki. Footloose corner spot. Fuyuki running Lariat and Kawada Spinning Heel Kick. Kroffat saves. Fuyuki sleeper on Furnas. Furnas elbows out but Fuyuki comes back tighter. Fuyuki Full Nelson but Kroffat decks him! Furnas inventing the dropsault in 1989 against Kawada. Double DDT by the Can-Ams. Fuyuki saves by stomping Kroffat in the head which he is still selling. Kawada does the Yes Kicks but way more vicious and varied. He wraps one around Kroffat's head who sells it like a million bucks. Kawada is just coming at him. Amazing kicks by Kawada throughut the match. Kroffat single leg takedown immediately and then a straight kneebar. Fuyuki threatens to come in and the crowd boos makes him think better of it. Fuyuki gets the most heat I have ever seen, native or gaijn. FURNAS TACKLES FUYUKI when he tris to interfere. Running Samoan Drop by Kroffat. Middle rope Senton but Fuyuki breaks up the pin. FUYUKI SAMN NEAR TAKES HIS HEAD OFF WITH A LARIAT! Kroffat collapses into a tag for Furnas while Kawada is really selling his ribs hard. I dont know if there was any one spot that triggered this, perhaps it was Kawada eating the senton. Furnas throws him down with a  bodyslam. Awesome selling by Kawada and Kroffat in this match. MILITARY PRESS FROM A STANDING POSITION! Furnas is freaky strong! He pelts Kawada's ribs and back with kicks. Kawada spinning heel kick affords him the opportunity to tag in Fukyuki. Furnas catches a top rope Crossbody from Fuyuki, Hart Attack but Korffat did a Spinning Heel Kick that was awesome! Dangerous Back Drop Driver slowed down Furnas. Missile dropkick by Kawada. Kawada selling the ribs like nobody's business and he cannot capitalize. Furnas finally tags in Kroffat. Kroffat rips into Kawada. Kawada sell of the thrust kick in the corner! He s so good. Korffat applies the Figur-4. Kroffat relinquishes. Tags in Furnas. Double shouldertacle. FURNAS GETS TWO. Furnas powrslam! Fuyuki saves. Furnas tags in Kroffat, Fuyuki dives on Kawada to absorb the blow of Kroffat's splash.Korffat small package. Korffat chop on Kawada. Kawada throws Kroffat down on monkey flip attempt. Kawada misses the Footloose Corner Lariat but Kroffat attacks Fuyuki so Kawada does not miss the follow-up out of control lariat again. Fuyuki and Furnas tumble over the top rope. Kroffat's kicks to the bad misdection send Kawda careening to the floor. The end feels nigh. Furnas tagged n. Fuyuki Crucifix Pin gets two! Argentine Backbreaker by Furnas, Kawada saves, Fuyuki backslide gets two. Kroffat Tope Suicida on Kawada! The two injured dudes are toast. Furnas cannot hold  the Argentine Backbreaker indefinitely. Kroffat chair shot to Kawada. Third time s the charm and Furnas forces Fuyuki to submit to the Argentine Backbreaker.  

Due to Kroffat & Kawda's selling I actually preferred this one to the June where I thought only Furnas really rocked it. Furnas was still an amazing offensive dynamo. Fuyuki was the heat-seeking little shit. Kroffat sold his bell was rung and had a better offensive performance. I loved Kawada's selling and unleashed some brutal kick. This a damn good way to spend some time. ****

[Clayton Jones]

This was really good and had an interesting dynamic with the Can Ams not really playing babyface but still clearly having strong fan support. I'm probably in the minority on this but I thought Kawada was the weakest of the four in this one. That's not a big knock considering everyone brought their A game here. But at times he reminded me of an annoying character from a Nintendo game, jumping all over the place spamming kicks, then crumpling the second he got hit. Fuyuki was full of piss and vinegar and this was yet another great AJPW performance from Kroffat and Furnas. I liked the pace of this and really dug the finishing stretch.