[2005-12-05-AJPW] Akebono & Keiji Muto vs Team 3D (Bubba Ray & Devon)

[Ma Stump Puller]

Yeah this was a entertaining goofy match that had probably some of the most random pairings in AJPW history lol. Want to see De-Von Dudley grapple with Muto on the mat? Want to see a green Akebono be big and do big-man stuff? This is absolutely the peak for those lads who just love weird freakshow matches. Team 3-D definitely aren't workrate darlings by ANY extent of the imagination but they know how to put a match together and drag things out with fun character work and interactions, even if it definitely does feel like them padding for time at times because they don't have a whole lot in their tank that isn't brawling/hardcore spots. Was surprised that Ake was the one who had to sell and bump for the two given how naturally jarring a 6'8 giant bumping for two guys far smaller always looks; then again he barely bumped for them in the first place lol. Most of it happened while Ake leaned on the ropes or laying on the floor. It was cool seeing Bubba just shout things, be they random shit, taunting, or outright calling the match, like telling De-Von to work on a specific leg or reminding people to sell the leg afterwards: this was the case for both him and D-Von, I guess they're just used to wrestling in acoustically loud crowds like ECW/WWE where that can be masked a lot easier.

Otherwise the match isn't that great; Muto and Ake trading sleepers wasn't the most compelling shit in the world and it was quite obvious that the 3-D guys were gassing out by the halfway mark so we got a lot more sitting in holds rather than interesting/goofy antics, which is unfortunate. Muto does most of the selling in the second half and bar his usual roll into dropkick sthick, he's shockingly doing very little here in terms of action. At least the finishing stretch with Ake's hot tag and 3-D bumping like troopers for the guy was fun. Despite a figure-four/splash combo by the two, eventually the 3-D lads are able to double team on both to get the win with their usual big moments, getting a surprising win to finish up the Tag League. The illusion of the sheer bizarreness of what this was only lasts for so long until you're just staring at a big green sumo guy and a coasting Muto vs two guys who had already been well past their best days.