AJPW Summer Action Series I 1990
Kenta Kobashi vs. Stan Hansen - AJPW Summer Action Series 1990 - Day 1 - 07/07/1990
No matter the year, put these two together and you’ll get greatness. This was too short to be a 1990 MOTYC but it’s a kickass match. Hansen shockingly doesn’t squash the young lad who gives Hansen a run for his money, getting a good few nearfalls in. Hansen puts Kobashi over in a small way but he does hit the quick lariat for the win. ***1/4
Super Generation Army (Mitsuharu Misawa & Toshiaki Kawada) vs. Tsuruta-gun (Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshiaki Yatsu) - AJPW Summer Action Series 1990 - Day 1 - 07/07/1990
The first big match of the Kawada/ Misawa partnership. Not their first televised match together but this is likely the true start of Kawada being Misawa’s #2 and he serves him well. Kawada is still in a Junior Heavyweight phase, hitting a bloody moonsault of all things onto Jumbo Tsuruta as well as a springboard cross body but he’s starting to mature in the striking department. Early on, he whiffed a few spinning heel kicks but when Yatsu came in, Kawada transported himself two years into the future and blasted him with precise, violent kicks and a lariat. Jumbo bounces back after losing to Misawa, blindsiding him on the apron at the first chance he got, then attacking his knee before besting Kawada in the finish. He and Yatsu were on their last days as a unit but they worked well as the heel side, despite Jumbo’s clear popularity. Yatsu offensively was solid but his role was to establish Kawada most of all. I do wish that we got more wars between Yatsu and Kawada as the fighting #2s but Taue wasn’t a bad choice (replacement?), I suppose. Misawa is red hot but his performance is probably the most flawed as his selling isn’t too great and he got outshined by Kawada a little. But he gets protected in the loss, so it was good booking by Baba. ***3/4
AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Title Match: Masanobu Fuchi (c) vs. Tsuyoshi Kikuchi - AJPW Summer Action Series 1990 - Day 5: Bruiser Brody Memorial Night - 12/07/1990
KIKUCHI! KIKUCHI! Korukuen Hall is rabid for the Junior Heavyweights tonight as we JIP to what looks like a really hot match. Kikuchi has some hope spots but Fuchi’s grind and grind style is too much. Awesome from what we see. ***
Jumbo Tsuruta, Mighty Inoue & The Great Kabuki vs. Super Generation Army (Kenta Kobashi, Mitsuharu Misawa & Toshiaki Kawada) - AJPW Summer Action Series 1990 - Day 5: Bruiser Brody Memorial Night - 12/07/1990
Another JIP but I believe we get a fairly decent bitesize of the match. Everyone was on fast forward, hitting their moves in a fast and furious flurry - Misawa and Jumbo have their hot exchange, Kawada and Kabuki steal the show with their potato punch/kick exchange and Kobashi and Inoue just try to keep up, in the end leading to Inoue tying Kobashi up in a cradle. But I’m serious, give me more Kabuki, now. ***1/4
Triple Crown Title Match: Stan Hansen (c) vs. Terry Gordy - AJPW Summer Action Series 1990 - Day 9 - 17/07/1990
Gordy regains the Triple Crown title (only to lose it within a week due to *personal issues*) in a rather sound match. Hansen took most of the match in an effort to make Gordy more sympathetic and give him an emphatic win, which this was, I thought. The crowd popped big for Gordy getting the three despite himusing the loaded elbow pad. The peak of the match was Williams coming to ringside and checking on Gordy’s arm, which Hansen attacked all match. ***
AJPW World Tag Team Title Match: Miracle Violence Connection (Steve Williams & Terry Gordy) (c) vs. Jumbo Tsuruta & The Great Kabuki - AJPW Summer Action Series 1990 - Day 11 19/07/1990
I didn't think much of this. Kabuki had his moment to shine, throwing punches and Williams and Jumbo had a neat stand off but there wasn't much to the match honestly. Williams continued to shine over Gordy despite Gordy winning the Triple Crown Title. However there was a shocking turn of events with Hansen interfering to screw MVC out of the title. **1/4
Toshiaki Kawada vs. Steve Williams - AJPW Summer Action Series 1990 - Day 17 - 27/07/1990
Neither are the wrestlers they'd become but the quality shines through most definitely. There are spells of pure sloppiness from Kawada’s side. They messed up a crucifix counter spot and a power bomb later in the match which derailed some things, but they were able to get back on track. Williams absolutely killed Kawada with a backdrop so dangerous ( :)) that the crowd on that side stood up in shock and fear for Kawada. Kawada caught Williams flush with a few kicks and gave Williams a good fight before being pinned. This was a nice match that flows under the radar. ***1/4
Triple Crown Title Match: Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Stan Hansen - AJPW Summer Action Series 1990 - Day 17 - 27/07/1990
This is for the vacant Triple Crown title, which was vacated by Gordy who was hospitalised. It's been a good two years since I last watched this and I guess some of what I see in wrestling has changed slightly. This isn't the compelling masterpiece either is capable of having but it's a logically sound match with some neat ideas. ***
AJPW Summer Action Series II 1990
Super Generation Army (Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi) vs. Tsuruta-gun (Akira Taue, Jumbo Tsuruta & Masanobu Fuchi) - AJPW Summer Action Series II 1990 - Day 1 - 18/08/1990
Really good six man tag. Jumbo kicks it off by destroying Kawada with forearms and comes to blows with Misawa once more to further the feud. Kikuchi gets a good spot as the FIP and makes good use of it, more so than probably anyone else could in this match. Taue just turned so he got some shine and Fuchi got some too. Jumbo was the main source of quality though. ***1/2
Kenta Kobashi vs. Jumbo Tsuruta - AJPW Summer Action Series II 1990 - Day 11 - 31/08/1990
This was neat. Kobashi got enough offence in to get a potential upset out of Jumbo, utilising a variety of headlocks and smart leverage holds to keep on top of Jumbo. Jumbo sold more than was required for Kobashi, giving him some shine before pasting him with elbows and kicks. Kobashi is able to kick out of a few of Jumbo’s moves before a back drop seals the deal. ***1/2
All Asia Tag Team Title League Match: Joe Malenko & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs. The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton & Tommy Rogers) - AJPW Summer Action Series II 1990 - Day 12 - 01/09/1990
A hell of a move fest. Spots galore and they all looked great apart from the two blown spots which they recovered quickly from. There was only like 3 minutes cut out from the video so this is pretty much a full match. A great one too. I never really watched the Fantastics but they in All Japan didn’t really seem like a fit but watching this match, they sure do. ****
Triple Crown Title Match: Stan Hansen (c) vs. Steve Williams - AJPW Summer Action Series II 1990 - Day 12 - 01/09/1990
I only saw the backend of the match but it looked to be a pretty hot match with Williams looking strong in defeat. Hansen could’ve been replaced with Kikuchi with the role he adopted in this match. At one point, he was holding onto the ropes like a kid that doesn’t want to go to bed while Williams was attempting the Oklahoma Stampede, not to juvenile Stan Hansen or anything. But Hansen masterfully pulls it off and geniluly is a compelling babyface. More so than being a heel, in my opinion. ***1/4
Triple Crown Title #1 Contendership Match: Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Mitsuharu Misawa - AJPW Summer Action Series II 1990 - Day 12 - 01/09/1990
A similar start to the previous match between these two. Jumbo brutalises Misawa early on before Misawa fights back and establishes himself as an equal, only in fast forward. Not that I complained. The spot where Jumbo threw Misawa to the outside and followed him, only for Misawa to roll in the ring and egg him off was good. Funny, too. The Jumbo beating down Misawa portion lost me a little, it just wasn't as engaging as when Misawa was on offence. When the two began going toe-to-toe, this got a lot better. I loved the part where the two just had a slapfest with Jumbo destroying Misawa and beating his face in with some ground and pound. The final third of the match was absolutely tremendous, more than made up for an okay one in the last match. I think overall, this was the lesser match with the previous one being having a better start and middle and a hotter crowd but this was still a pretty great match with an awesome finish. ****1/4
All Asia Tag Team Title League Final Match (vacant): Johnny Ace & Kenta Kobashi vs. The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton & Tommy Rogers) - AJPW Summer Action Series II 1990 - Day 16 - 07/09/1990
I didn't care much for this. The Fantastics were solid in their role and so were Kobashi and Johnny Ace but this didn't entertain me. **
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