Wrestling Potpourri #2

This is a review a while ago for probably my favourite match of all time. It's not the same style of review I write now, but I thought I would be fun to dig it out. Enjoy.

Misawa/Kobashi vs Kawada/Taue

6/9/1995 - All Japan Pro Wrestling

Kobashi and Taue start off. Taue gets the early advantage and twists on Kobashi’s arm. Bashi slowly reverses, only for Taue to kick him in his bandaged up leg. RUDO! Kawada is in to receive some delicious Kobashi chops. He resists being whipped across the ring for ages, before running across to kick Misawa right in the face. Haha Kawada is so awesome. This is made even better by Kobashi thinking ‘Oh shit’ and going over to check if Misawa is okay. Misawa wants in now. He and Kawada exchange all sorts of chops, elbows and kicks until Kawada turns around and boots Kobashi right in the face and off the apron. I LOVE KAWADA. Taue tags in and gets worked over by the face team. He escapes to the outside and Misawa fakes a tope, only for Kobashi to hit a lariat from off the apron. Kawada runs in and is introduced to Misawa’s big fucking elbow. Misawa decides he actually will do a tope and flies into Taue. He is brought back into the ring and gets worked over again. Kobashi comes off the second turnbuckle, but Taue rolls away and tags out. Kawada now mercilessly attacks Kobashi’s bad leg and Bashi sells like a champ. Heels viciously work over the leg and it is great. Kobashi’s selling here is fantastic. He escapes the beating and tags Misawa who unleashes on Taue. Misawa ends up putting Taue into a crab, which leads to Kawada casually walking up and kicking him in the face. This is why I love Kawada. He tags in and goes to town on Misawa. Breaks down into a four-way but Bashi can barely walk. Misawa takes on both guys and does well for himself. Then in the greatest move ever, Taue chokeslams Misawa onto Kobashi’s injured leg, which Bashi’s sells by acting like he’s been shot. Kawada then double knee drops it from the second rope. So, so awesome. Heels work over Misawa, then after what seems like fucking ages Kobashi gets back in the ring, but Taue fucks him up by taking him back outside and dropping his leg on the guardrail. He comes back again and looks pissed. Lariat on Taue! Kawada tries to beat him down, but they end up hitting lariats on each other at the same time. This is so great. Kobashi ends up going kick for kick with Kawada and just won’t stay down. KOBASHI RUSH! He goes for a moonsault but gets cut off. Misawa gets the hot tag and hits a tiger driver on Taue for two and our first near fall. Kobashi is tagged back in and hits Taue with a german suplex. Another moonsault attempt is blocked. Kawada tries in vain to backdrop Kobashi and then eats one himself. Really breaks down here. After many failed attempts Kobashi hits a moonsault on Kawada but only gets a two count. Misawa the tags in and kills Kawada with a german. Tiger Suplex is bridged and only gets two, and a Tiger Driver pin is broken up by Taue. Taue then proceeds to place Misawa on the top rope and give him a big fucking chokeslam from it. At this the point the Japanese announcer is losing his voice, which makes this even more awesome. Chokeslam from the apron to the floor, by Taue on Misawa! Ouch. Kobashi now tries to lie on top of Misawa to protect him. Kobashi is so awesome. Bare in mind he is still selling the fuck out of his injured leg. Kawada is determined to get the pin on Misawa, but he keeps slipping away, and Kobashi keeps trying to protect his partner by sacrificing himself for him. The heels pull Kobashi off Misawa and hit a chokeslam/backdrop double team. Kawada hits a sick backdrop driver on Misawa, but he still kicks out. Kawada then hits a powerbomb for the pin at around 42 minutes. That was so, so great. Everyone did there job perfectly and it all came together. Possibly the best tag match I’ve ever seen. Kobashi sold his leg like a motherfucker and Kawada was brilliant in his desperation to get a pinfall over Misawa. Unreal.