Triple Crown Title Match: Mitsuharu Misawa (c) vs. Steve Williams - AJPW October Giant Series 1997 - Day 11 - 11/10/1997
Solid but boring match. Williams and Misawa go out and entertain the crowd but I was bored by a lot of this. A lot of bombs were thrown but nothing really meant much in the grand scheme of things, unfortunately. **1/2
Akira Taue vs Johnny Ace - AJPW October Giant Series 1997 - Day 18 - 21/10/1997
Giant Baba’s favourite vs Mrs Baba’s favourite. I wonder if this caused tensions backstage between the two lol. A sneaky good match though. It was a bit awkward because it's Ace but they had some kick ass sequences that had the fans going. Taue wins! Bonus. ***1/4
Toshiaki Kawada vs Yoshihiro Takayama - AJPW October Giant Series 1997 - Day 18 - 21/10/1997
After watching Takayama in 1996 New Japan, seeing Takayama with a bit more weight and poise to him is refreshing. He’s starting to look like the Takayama everyone knows, sans the blonde hair. Takayama looks much smoother and comfortable in the pro-setting as well. It helps that Kawada wants to get Takayama over and isn’t as resistant. Takayama begins the match by throwing hard kicks and palm strikes that bust Kawada open at the mouth and constantly floors Kawada in a daze. Kawada gets more defensive which brings some grappling into the fray and it’s not great. Kawada basically lets Takayama get his back and Takayama doesn’t do much with him. Which isn’t exactly what Kawada wanted, I imagine. The match improves as it goes on but still lacks that sequence to hook you into the match. Takayama’s armbar attempts aren’t as nail biting as they should be, which can be attributed to the complete lack of care that submissions are given in the promotion. The match peaks at the end, which is something to be said. Kawada gets the stretch plum and throws enziguris and wins. A well intentioned match, definitely. But poor choice for the era of the promotion with this more belonging in the early 80s and late 70s because half the moves done, along with the story, isn’t the norm. Takayama, while starting to figure it out, didn’t deliver despite Kawada giving him the world. **1/2
Triple Crown Title Match: Mitsuharu Misawa (c) vs Kenta Kobashi - AJPW October Giant Series 1997 - Day 18 - 21/10/1997
After their classic bout in January, this was a must see rematch. And like the Janarury match, Kobashi’s primary focus was attacking Misawa’s neck, first going to the suplexes quickly before settling on dropkicks and submissions before escalating to something big when the time was right. Misawa was very resourceful at times, even attacking Kobashi’s knee after landing feet first after a failed suplex to the outside. I like how Kobashi wrestles in this match most of all. Of course, his offence is brilliantly executed, as always, but he is quick to regain the advantage if something doesn’t go right. He wrestles like he wants the title; needs it even. Misawa is strong in his role. He is always fighting and struggling to win, slowly getting more and more as the match goes on, while doing a great job of making Kobashi be seen as on his level. Misawa can’t pull off a Tiger Driver as easily as he does in a lot of matches, he has to work for it much more in this match, and when does hit it, he has to hit a Tiger Suplex and a rolling elbow before it. Kobashi kicks out nonetheless, kicking out of the following running elbow which has won Misawa the title before. And by this point, they have the crowd rocking with each nearfall and they end the match with a few more great sequences, which include some gross elbow strikes from Misawa and a final Tiger Driver 91 to win. Great match. It’s unfair to compare it to a classic match but this is a step down from that in terms of creating some transcendent wrestling sequences. However it does exactly what it needs to, it gives Kobashi yet another main event establishing performance in front of a sold hot, red hot crowd. ****1/4
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