This is a bit out of order but it seems that I didn't upload the second half of the 95 CC like I thought I did. Now here are my thoughts on the acclaimed finals between Akira Taue and Mitsuharu Misawa
Champion Carnival 1995 Match: Toshiaki Kawada vs. Akira Taue - AJPW Champion Carnival 1995 - Day 15 08/04/1995
*Sex Jazz Music* HOLY DEMON ARMY EXPLODE! I love these two together. Whether it's as rivals or as partners, both go at each other with no holding back whatsoever. It’s the stubborn ruthlessness of these two that makes them so special in my eyes. Kawada steps on Taue’s head from a half crab as if Taue is Jun Akiyama acting out against seniors. No respect at all from Dangerous K. Hilarious. The match is mostly Taue avoiding Kawada’s strikes as much as he can but Kawada being so good at everything else that he swallows Taue up regardless. Taue puts in a great effort as the sympathetic figure of the match as well. He fights through Kawada’s onslaught and makes a terrific comeback. The Nodowa on the apron was perfectly set up from the Kawada kicks into the counter as well. Terrific. ****1/4
Champion Carnival 1995 Match: Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Akira Taue - AJPW Champion Carnival 1995 - Day 17 12/04/1995
It took me ages to realise that this wasn’t their famous match. I’m stupid, I know. I was wondering why this wasn’t cooking like I’d expect but then I realised that they have two matches this tournament. This was still a very good match. Taue has shined in the few matches that I’ve watched of him in this CC and it’s given him a ton of momentum. The match suffers from going to a draw and the structure of the match that needed to be done in order to get to that point. The match is fairly leisurely paced with Taue going for Misawa’s injured orbital bone for a bit and applying solid holds before moving on roughly around 10 minutes in. Then the match really begins. Taue reverts back to some of his “Most Hated of 1991” form with Snake Eyes and his slamming Misawa’s face into the floor. Misawa’s comebacks were terrific as well. Filled with anger and fury at what Taue did. I didn’t like Misawa kicking out of Taue’s moves given the booking/push of Taue in the lead up and what would follow. It seemed a bit short-sighted honestly but for this match, it worked well to create a fairly dramatic finish to the bell. ***1/2
Champion Carnival 1995 Match: Toshiaki Kawada vs. Kenta Kobashi - AJPW Champion Carnival 1995 - Day 18 13/04/1995
The multiple 30 minute draws that took place were all poorly paced with only 15-20 minutes of the match being done in an aim to win. This, however, was all in from bell to bell. There was a lot of great elements from their other matches such as the drawn out test of strength that feels like a genuinely battle of stretch, the great finishing stretch with the hot nearfalls and finisher attempts and a great bombastic middle with Kawada first going for Kobashi leg, only for Kobashi to do the same right back (How awesome was that chop to the leg from Kobashi? So cool). Just a little better than their January Broadway. ****1/4
Champion Carnival 1995 Final Match: Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Akira Taue - AJPW Champion Carnival 1995 - Day 19 15/04/1995
Outstanding match. I admittedly have gotten a little jaded from Misawa in the past few months in this timeline but this was a tremendous effort that quickly reminded me how fantastic Misawa is and what he brings to the table. And it’s not just an incredible comeback - which this match has (And oh boy, does it have it!) - it’s the ability to create an intense, epic atmosphere, drawing everyone in to what he (and what his opponent) is doing. This is Taue’s finest hour as a singles wrestler (maybe not, I’ll see down the line) but Misawa smoked him in performance despite bringing what is also a great performance. Taue kicked Misawa’s ass with all his new, excellently built up new moves while trying to avoid Misawa’s deadly elbows as much as he could. I loved the opening sequence with Misawa blocking the Snake Eyes attempt, returning with an elbow which Taue blocked. 10 seconds of wrestling that set up the match story superbly. The match’s drama was superbly built until the crowd was rocking (along with the hard camera). The reaction for Taue hitting Nodowa was insane. Any attempt by Taue was met with a rise in the crowd and it was only matched by Misawa’s attempts to escape that fate until it inevitably came. Taue’s selling for Misawa’s epic comeback surge was tremendous. The more Misawa popped off his elbow strikes, the more devastating the effect they’d get. First just rocking Tuae. Then Taue would fall to his knee before Misawa floored him and essentially won the match for himself with a wicked elbow strike that included a pin-point rolling elbow. Well deserving of its reputation. ****3/4
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