Champion Carnival 1996 First Round Match: Toshiaki Kawada vs. Akira Taue - AJPW Champion Carnival 1996 - Day 8 31/03/1996
This was always going to the limit but this was still pretty good at sucking you into the match. Kawada kicked Taue’s ass for the most part with Taue being the one to weather the storm. Kawada went for the arm slightly but his main focus was unleashing tons of kicks to knock out Taue. In typical All Japan fashion this built until it turned into a pendulum swinging closing stretch with Taue almost making the comeback over his partner. Not today, Taue. ***1/2
Champion Carnival 1996 First Round Match: Kenta Kobashi vs. Mitsuharu Misawa - AJPW Champion Carnival 1996 - Day 8 31/03/1996
Great match. Initially I thought they were going for a time limit draw once again but not this time. Kobashi finally got his win over Misawa (Kawada still has yet to do it though *side-eyes*) and got points in the Carnival. It was a competitive back and forth match with no real let up on the stuff that you'd expect from a big time Kobashi/Misawa matches. Tons of suplexes on necks and moonsault being hit. Kobashi even attempts to hit a powerbomb on the outside. So them not playing up to the small arena was appreciated but unfortunately the popping up and no-selling aspects didn't really feel earned to me. They were just there and not impactful, good or bad, on the match. Only thing that keeps it from that MOTYC level. ***3/4
Gary Albright, Johnny Ace & Toshiaki Kawada vs. Super Generation Army (Jun Akiyama, Kenta Kobashi & Mitsuharu Misawa) - AJPW Champion Carnival 1996 - Day 21 20/04/1996
This was a really good six man tag to get all the guys involved. We got some more Akiyama/Kawada greatness with Kawada initially bullying Akiyama and then not respecting Akiyama’s attempted displays of defiance. Kobashi had his shining moments of the match towards the end with his great selling with Albright on the offensive side. Johnny Ace overshot a moonsault and Misawa disappeared entirely. ***1/2
Champion Carnival 1996 Final Match: Steve Williams vs. Akira Taue - AJPW Champion Carnival 1996 - Day 21 20/04/1996
Just incredible really. I love that the match had a big chop exchange. And not a normal one in the mould o Kobashi/Sasaki. The chops were more testing than anything, especially from Dr Death’s side. And of course, the bombastic closing stretch - their read and utter - was tremendous. The crowd was biting on every attempt at a big move. Great match. ****1/4
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