Random Matches

Chigusa Nagayo vs. Lioness Asuka (01/29/1989, AJW): Crazy, crazy amount of streamers in the ring for the introductions. Like, a surreal amount. I read a review that described this match as the most "slowed down" of all their battles and, though I haven't seen all of their other matches, this did seem a little more "intensity-fueled" than action-packed. There's only so many super-snug headlocks I can see in a match before I get itchy and this match, which goes 20+, had me feeling itchy at times for sure. While Meltzer (and other writers) have (correctly? I wouldn't know) described Nagayo as the biggest women's wrestler in Japanese history in terms of popularity, its the Lioness Asuka who I tend to watch more closely for her facial expressions, stiff kicks, and nasty suplexes. Not every clothesline connects, but the last 5-or-so minutes are incredible with Asuka's kicks to Nagayo's skull being specifically tremendous. (3/5)

Bull Nakano vs. Manami Toyota (07/21/1990, AJW): For a match that goes under 10 minutes bell-to-bell (the YouTube video is about 13), they pack a ton of action in, working at a much faster and more brutal pace than in the matches that I'd (perhaps ignorantly) would call the Crush Gal Era. Toyota puts forth a great underdog performance, surviving a bunch of Nakano's best power moves and dishing out plenty of punishment of her own. I'm not sure how Nakano became the WWWA Champion, colloquially referred to as "the red belt," as Cagematch just says the title was vacated by Asuka in late 89' and Nakano became champion in January. Great stuff. (3.5/5)

"Dr. Death" Steve Williams vs. Keiji Muto (07/14/2001, AJPW): The first few minutes of this match are cut-off so it "starts" with Williams in control and Muto already selling. I really liked Muto's selling of knee damage after hitting Williams with a Shining Wizard. There's some really smart work throughout the match from both guys despite neither being at their physical peak. Williams still has enough power and snap to his offense for it to look powerful and painful, while Muto uses his cleverness to keep the fight going even after an early injury to his knee (for example, when set up for a backdrop on the floor, kicking off the post to make sure Williams suffers from the landing too). I really liked them trading "Fuck Yous" in the middle of the ring, which they probably weren't the first to do but still felt a little "ahead of its time" in 2001. Williams throws a bunch of bombs, but Muto either counters them or kicks out. Muto has to use a whole bunch of Shining Wizards to put Williams down but eventually does it. I probably would've enjoyed this more if I was a bigger Dr. Death or Muto fan overall, but because they're both guys I enjoy but am not enamored with, this was just good to me. (3/5)

Toshiaki Kawada vs. Kenta Kobashi (05/24/1996, AJPW): Based on my reading, this is not considered their best work against each other, but does have its fans. It starts out hot with Kawada getting something akin to a visual pin, the ref actually counting all the way to 3 but Kobashi clearly having his foot on the rope. As expected, there are some great kicks and some wince-inducing back suplexes where both Kawada and Kobashi land hard on their necks. Still, whether its the subdued crowd or just the somewhat lumbering, slow style, this one didn't grab me the way other Kobashi or Kawada matches have. Like other AJPW matches I've seen, things start out fairly hot, slow down a bit, and then pick up considerably for the final few minutes. Kawada's clean, dominant win was decisive, but Kobashi looked very tough sustaining all the punishment he did. (3/5)

Akira Hokuto vs. Manami Toyota (01/11/1991, AJW): An interesting match as Manami Toyota is basically a vicious heel and Hokuto is the underdog, injured babyface (she comes in with a cast around her arm that Toyota targets immediately). Toyota was ruthless in her attack, but Hokuto kept fighting back and even hitting some big moves, including an awesome somersault splash to the outside. This is a very straight-forward match in terms of story and psychology, but it is carried by intense offense, great pained expressions out of Hokuto, and Toyota's frustration and decision to go "bigger and bigger" to try to put her opponent down. On ProWrestlingOnly and Cagematch you'll find people that consider this one of the best matches of its time, but I find that praise to be a bit too high. For such a straight-forward story, I don't know if this needed to be as long as it was as Toyota should've been targeting Hokuto's arm and able to force her to tap much sooner. It's almost too competitive a contest. Still, no worse than above-average and at least different than your run of the mill "epic" battle. (3/5)

Genichiro Tenryu vs. Keiji Mutoh (06/08/2001, AJPW): I'm not super-versed in the story here, but based on my minimal research, this was not only a highly-anticipated bout - as it was the culmination of a major AJPW vs. NJPW storyline taking place following Misawa's exit from All-Japan and creation of NOAH - but has become widely regarded as one of the best matches of the decade. I'm not sure I'm as high on it because I'm just not the world's biggest Keiji Mutoh fan (he's good, great even, but there's something that doesn't *click* with me the way it does for others), but this was undeniably thrilling from beginning to end. There's a slight "jump" on the YouTube video I watched after Mutoh's initial Shining Wizard, but its a small complaint of an otherwise excellent 20-minute viewing experience. Speaking of the Shining Wizard, between Mutoh never putting anyone down with a single one in the matches I've watched (though I've heard and read there are plenty of instances where it is treated like a killer finisher) and years of watching it used as a transition move in WWE, TNA, and AEW, I'll admit to "missing" the big deal of seeing him multiple ones in a match. All these small gripes aside, this was a heck of a match and I can even understand why the Observer voters named it 2001's Match of the Year. It is action-packed and there are some awesome, gnarly spots in the ring and out of it. For a match that goes 20 minutes, there's very little downtime and absolutely no "feeling out" period. The psychology is sound too as Mutoh focuses his attack on Tenryu's legs and Tenryu essentially turns it into a game of "Can You Top This?" (as Todd Pettengill used to call it), mirroring some of Mutoh's offense while also hitting him with stiff shots and neck drops. I can understand the criticisms of the lack of long-term selling as the match goes on, but I'm sorta used to that style 24 years later. (4/5)

Shinya Hashimoto vs. Masato Tanaka (03/02/2002, ZERO-1): This took exactly a third of a second to be great, which is unsurprising considering Hashimoto and Tanaka's styles. The slap exchange in the early going is awesome. Tanaka's clothesline minutes later is nasty and flying forearms have great energy. Hashimoto comes back with a big dropkick that sends Tanaka out of the ring and then delivers one of the craziest falling double stomps I've ever seen before delivering some of his trademark kicks. Minutes later he does another one off the top rope and while its not as devastating, its close. Tanaka shows incredible resilience by kicking out of a DDT but then eats an elbow and an awesome senton that gets a huge reaction. Hashimoto hits another DDT for 2.9 but Tanaka looks totally beat. Hashimoto goes for a brain buster but Tanaka slips through and clobbers him with a spinning forearm! Great nearfall there. Tanaka attempts a sleeper but Hashimoto basically just stands up and shakes him off. Hash nails him with a HUGE kick to the chest and yells at him a bit before delivering a dropkick and then a hellacious brain buster! It is over. Goddamn. Despite this being something of a "squash," this was awesome. My only gripe is that they even bother with fleeting limb work which ends up being cast aside and undersold anyway. This is a battle of badass wrestlers delivering devastating strikes and while most any match is going to feature at least a little bit of mat wrestling and submissions, its wholly unnecessary here. Hashimoto is terrific. Tanaka's selling and facial expressions and few comebacks are excellent. This is one of the best sub-15-minute matches I've seen. (4.5/5)

Yoshinari Ogawa and Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima and Muhammad Yone (02/22/2015, NOAH): This one seems to be all about showcasing Zack Sabre Jr. as he is in the ring for the bulk of the match. Ogawa is a wrestler I really enjoy watching, but he is muted here. This starts off very "exhibition-y" with showy technical grappling that lacks realism. It doesn't feel like a fight until we start getting the real strikes and suplexes and the speed picks up about halfway through, at which point things get pretty good. Even an "average" Sabre match can be a breath of fresh air because of how much his style stands out. (3/5)

Hayabusa and Jinsei Shinzaki vs. Mitsuharu Misawa and Jun Akiyama (11/27/1997, AJPW): As someone not versed in the history of AJPW beyond knowing that Misawa was the ace, Akiyama was his protege and "next in line," and that Hayabusa and Shinzaki were coming in from FMW, something of an "outlaw" promotion that partnered up with AJPW in the mid-90s to do some talent sharing. The mix of styles here pulled me in early as Hayabusa and Shinzaki bring more energy and high-flying to the mix while Misawa and Akiyama try to slow things down and work this like your more traditional AJPW tag match. To me, it works, though there is a lull in the middle and things don't really pick up until the last third or so when we start seeing the big suplexes and nearfalls. I wasn't surprised to read that Meltzer gushed about this match in The Observer, though most reviews of this match do note that it is not as good as the Hayabusa & Shinzaki vs. Taue & Kawada match from earlier in the year's Real World Tag League tournament. I guess I'll have to check that one out next as I thought this was pretty good. (3/5)

Jinsei Shinzaki & Hayabusa vs. Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (11/23/1997, AJPW): I dig the theatrics of Hayabusa and Shinzaki's entrance, which, because of their ring gear, was so much more vibrant and colorful than the super-serious, sports-like presentation of the Four Pillars and the other stars of AJPW I've checked out over the past couple years. Hayabusa and Kawada start things off and Kawada goes right for the strikes, but Hayabusa cuts him off with a beautiful kip-up and then a dropkick and then a springboard dropkick soon after. Kawada strikes back with a body slam and a kick to the back and then tags in Taue (so Hayabusa tags in Shinzaki). Shinzaki strikes first with a heel kick and goes for a rope-walk but Taue pulls him down and nails him with a clothesline off the ropes. Kawada comes back in but doesn't get much offense in as the FMW guys take a breather on the outside. Kawada hits some stiff kicks to Hayabusa and nails a vertical suplex moments later before slowing things down with a headlock. Hayabuse escapes with a neckbreaker and then applies a front headlock of his own. Kawada powers out by lifting him up and putting him on the top rope and then tagging in Taue, who nails him with a huge kick! Wow. Hayabusa rallies, though, hitting a spinning kick of his own and a DDT before tagging Shinzaki back in. Shinzaki hits an impressive scoop slam and then a Vader Bomb for 2 before applying a nerve hold on the neck of Taue. Hayabusa comes back in with a slingshot legdrop and then delivers another dropkick. Taue bulldozes him into the corner and tags in Kawada, who unloads a number of stiff chops to Hayabusa's chest. Hayabusa manages ot shake them off and we get an awesome Big Boot Party sequence leading to Kawada dropping a knee and then dumping Hayabusa out of the ring for more punishment from Taue (who whips him into the guardrail). Taue exposes the concrete and hits Hayabusa with a DDT on the floor before sending his lifeless body back into the ring for a 2 count. Taue hoists Hayabusa up and drops him neck-first on the top rope but Shinzaki breaks up the pin. Kawada comes in and applies a Boston Crab and Shinzaki tries to break it up but Kawada holds onto it. Hayabusa reaches the ropes and Kawada tags Taue back in. Taue delivers a stalling vertical suplex for another nearfall as Hayabusa gets his foot on the rope. Taue hits a release atomic drop for another 2 count and then tags Kawada back in. Kawada hits more of his devastating kicks and attempts a powerbomb but Shinzaki breaks it up. Kawada with more kicks to Hayabusa's head and then attempts a powerbomb by Hayabusa counters it into a hurricanrana and Shinzaki nails him with a superkick! Hayabusa makes the hot tag and Shinzaki delivers  a big splash and then a headbutt from the top soon after for 2! Shinzaki goes for a piledriver but gets booted by Taue and Kawada nails him with a spinning heel kick before tagging out. Taue with a huge boot off the ropes and then a pair of big short-arm clotheslines for another near fall. Taue goes for the chokeslam to finish him off but Shinzaki backflips out of it and leg whips him! Hayabusa and Shinzaki hit a double bulldog! Shinzaki with a big body slam and Hayabusa follows it up with a senton! Shinzaki with a springboard knee! Hayabusa with a springboard moonsault! Superkick by Shinzaki into a German Suplex by Hayabusa! Hayabusa goes up top once more and hits a friggin' 450 for 2! Shinzaki brings Taue to his feet and we finally get some rope-walking, but Taue slaps the taste of his mouth and executes another neck-first drop on Shinzaki. In comes Kawada and he hits a pair of boots but Hayabusa saves his partner with a forearm from the top and Shinzaki hits a Pele Kick! Wow. Taue breaks the count. Kawada goes for a piledriver but Kawada back body drops him. Hayabusa with a flying forearm off the top and then takes out Taue with another. Shinzaki hits the powerbomb but he only gets 2! I love how they built up to that moment with so many attempts but that it ultimately was not the "match ender." Chopfest! Kawada hits a trio of jumping keel kicks to the back of Shinzaki's head! Kawada with a running boot off the ropes and then a submission, but Hayabusa breaks it up. Kawada hits a huge lariat off the ropes for 1...2....kickout by Shinzaki! I thought that was it. Kawada hits a powerbomb off his own and lays on top with a deep, deep pin to put an end to this. This was an excellent match that delivered everything it needed to; Hayabusa and Shinzaki got to show how tough they were and also, to some degree, what "the future" looked like, while Taue and Kawada played the tough-as-nails veterans who were still "the now" and knew how to handle business using the techniques that worked for them in the past. (4/5)