AJPW Champion Carnival 1997

Champion Carnival 1997 First Round Match: Kenta Kobashi vs. Jun Akiyama - AJPW Champion Carnival 1997 - Day 8 - 30/03/1997

This is a really good match. These two can’t really go wrong. The weight of the result is there. Akiyama is absolutely desperate to get the win as is Kobashi. The crowd is right alongside them, reacting to each nearfall, regardless of who it is. However, my issues with the match are with the idea that Akiyama's constant series of exploders and supelxes were out matched by a fraction of Kobashi’s offence. Generally I understand the idea of hierarchy but I got the sense that there is way too big of a gap between these two than needed. Akiyama really should’ve protected the exploder more at this point in his career. Just a small observation rather than a statement on the booking. Kobashi also did one of his signature crying after the kick out spots. Eat your heart out Heartbreak. ***1/2

Champion Carnival 1997 First Round Match: Toshiaki Kawada vs. Mitsuharu Misawa - AJPW Champion Carnival 1997 - Day 8 - 30/03/1997

I thought this was a really good match. The draw was a foregone conclusion, although I feel like Kawada should’ve won this match. It’s great offensive performance. He kills him with brutal kicks and a violent brainbuster. Misawa’s selling was great during the main crux of the match. Once there was more give and go, the match lost a little of its quality. Possibly to it being their usual formula but what works works. The final 5 minutes loses its steam but it never stalls and the match closes nicely. ****

Champion Carnival 1997 Final #1 Match: Kenta Kobashi vs. Mitsuharu Misawa - AJPW Champion Carnival 1997 - Day 21 - 19/04/1997

For an individual match, this was great. For a precursor to the next match, this was also great. Not only was it booked to be a physically taxing match, it WAS a physically taxing match for Misawa, as Kobashi dominated after Misawa initially besting him in the early parts with elbows and face lock holds. After that, this was a collection of Kobashi tries to beat Misawa with all his biggest moves (Except the main one, of course). ***3/4

Champion Carnival 1997 Final #2 Match: Toshiaki Kawada vs. Mitsuharu Misawa - AJPW Champion Carnival 1997 - Day 21 - 19/04/1997

And that last match led us to this. While not exactly the best booking in a contextual manner, it’s fabolous if you isolate it. Kawada picks Misawa apart after he just went 30 minutes with Kenta FN Kobashi. Misawa sells and tries to desperately survive but it’s utterly futile. Great win. But not a great FIRST win. *** 

Champion Carnival 1997 Final #3 Match: Toshiaki Kawada vs. Kenta Kobashi - AJPW Champion Carnival 1997 - Day 21 - 19/04/1997

While Kobashi has had a ten minute break, you can’t brush off a 30 minute match so easily, so he’s just as groggy as Misawa was, and Kawada has just warmed up. The match is perfectly fine for what these guys can tune out. It has a great closing stretch with Kawada putting the finishing touches on Kobashi but the rest wasn’t that worth talking about. It’s best to watch these three matches in one succession as a package. ***