Thanks for watching this second part. What are your memories of first watching these incredible matches, of perhaps finding them on the Internet at random or being curious after hearing them talked about? Have a shout about it here. :)
I discovered these matches in the mid to late oughts after discovering Noah. Kobashi is my favorite Noah wrestler and he's also my favorite during AJPW
@@solidsnakepac he does turn his head away from the impact so he took it more on his shoulder, but this is Hansen we're talking about. He was fine eating shit because he had to deal it out. What's fair is fair.
Kim really is the best puro documentary maker I've come across. Insightful, factual, fun and upbeat. Thanks as always Kim! Your work, as stellar as it always is, only ever seems to improve. Truly the best.
Seriously. Even though most of this stuff IS online, it can be difficult to find. Even if you do manage to find what you're looking for, figuring out the proper order things happened in can be even more difficult. So, so good.
The way this rivalry, both in kayfabe and reality, builds and builds over years to points of such explosivity that both their bodies and the standard crack and break under the strain is what makes this my favourite rivalry of all time. The personification of King's Road itself. Can't wait to see more, I don't think you've had a single video on this channel that hasn't been less than excellent.
Your story telling is always the thing I enjoy the most Kim. To a self-confessed wrestling noob like me, you have a talent for investing in the human drama of wrestling, which without your contextualizing and oratory prowess would probably just seem like fifty minutes of beefy lads smacking each other to my uncomprehending eyes :3 Thanks Kim!
Jun Akiyama being the 5th Pillar of Heaven has a nice ring to it. It's like Kensuke Sasaki being called the 4th Musketeer, since both of them filled voids. For Sasaki, he filled in Shinya Hashimoto's spot in 2005 when the latter died. For Akiyama, he took Kawada's spot after the Noah exodus in 2000, then 9 years later after Misawa's death.
Thanks so much for this channel. I'm learning so much about the history of Puroresu that I didn't know before. I've always liked Puroresu but I've definitely gained a new appreciation of it feom watching some of the matches you've suggested. Really enjoying the Misawa vs Kawada matches I've been finding on RUclips.
YESS! I was so excited when I saw the notification and clicked immediately! (the first part might be my favorite of your wrestling documentaries) I know this one's gonna be fantastic as well since this is when the Misawa vs Kawada rivalry REALLY starts to heat up
I can honestly say that RUclips hit a home run recommending your channel. It's one of my new favorites. I've always been a huge Kawada fan so these videos are right up my alley. This was my favorite time and place in wrestling history
Great documentary grey history. This is the reason why I love Japan wrestling that is so much involved so much behind-the-scenes politics, but then yeah, did bring you great product and that’s all matters right put on a great show for people to pay and enjoy.
Thank you for this series. I just lost my dad to cancer And this serie is helping me cope with all .i tape traded with a japanese guy in 90s and my first tape was a best of misawa vs kawara Thanks you the best !
I've been putting this video off for days bc I just wanted to enjoy it away from work and everything else. Holy crap, man. Your passion is infectious. I feel like I need to be following both historical and modern AJPW closer bc of your content alone.
Love your content. I've been a lifetime wrestling fan, but the puro stuff was always a mystery to me (apart from NJPW these past 5 or so years) and had always been this missing piece of my wrestling knowledge. Thanks for producing these well-made videos, I watch every single one of them.
You could make the argument that in the 1st Kawada vs. Misawa match the Kawadas foot (ankle) was on the ropes on that Tiger suplex. Still a classic match, classic feud and done on a great channel....CHEERS 🍾🥂
The opening to that first Misaw/Kawada match might be my favorite opening to any match in the history of wrestling. Like so many people wouldve justifably expected a respectful beginjing where they go through technical sequences - but you still think, what are these two best friends willing to do to each other to win? And the answer comes in a sudden backdrop driver that deservingly gets highlighted with a pause in the action and Kawada staring a hole through a dazed and bewildered Misawa , with the commentary and the crowd losing their collective minds. Absolutely masterful stuff from two of the best ever.
i absolutely love your wrestling videos, especially the ajpw ones. being my favorite promotion, you do it justice (pun intended) with deep research and detailed analysis. can’t wait for the next part!
Wrestlers today copy the moves , style and sequences from this match but rarely get the most important parts like the selling and drama . They are missing the essence of what made this match work so well in the first place . But then again this was a masterpiece and very hard to top . Also the time this came out played into how cutting edge and brilliant it was . I mean this was 30 years ago !!! Most wrestlers that try to emulate this style wasn't even born yet . That is another thing that says a ton about this match and that era of AJPW . Not only does it hold up to the test of time , it is better than anything now !!!!
Is it possible to cover on Keiji Mutoh’s Pro-wrestling love era of AJPW? It’s either loved or hated by puro fans, I personally find it entertaining and enjoyable than the 90’s AJPW (blasphemy) Thanks! Keep up the great content as well.
I think Muto's ideas were sound in theory and the next logical progression for AJPW as the promotion's style of wrestling has always been more influenced by trends in North American wrestling (unlike pre-Jado and Gedo NJPW). The problem was the execution of those ideas due to the through gutting of talent from the company by Second Exodus, and the perilous financial situation of AJPW in its aftermath (particularly the clout of their traditional national broadcaster and benefactor NTV).
This recap is so fucking good but I honestly never even considered Kobashi to be a "country boy" until it was brought up in the section about Misawa and Kawada's fractured friendship and it gave me the image of an alternate timeline where Kobashi has a Stan Hansen like cowboy gimmick.
I'm impressed that Misawa and Kawada were so committed to making their kayfabe hatred of each other realistic that they started hating each other in real life.
Not just him. Basically every indie wrestler from the 2000s, most of all Samoa Joe, based a ton of their moveset on the Four Pillars of Heaven and other Puro stars.
I'm pretty sure the original intent was "rolling", as he spins around. I think the "roaring" translation was made popular by ECW when Masato Tanaka used the move while working for them.
Thanks for watching this second part. What are your memories of first watching these incredible matches, of perhaps finding them on the Internet at random or being curious after hearing them talked about? Have a shout about it here. :)
I discovered these matches in the mid to late oughts after discovering Noah. Kobashi is my favorite Noah wrestler and he's also my favorite during AJPW
kawada’s ‘94 matches made him my favorite japanese wrestler
Hansen's faceplant is the greatest sell of a knock out strike ever.
If I'm not mistaken, I've seen this move being used in a WWE 2k game
And people forget that Hansen was well into his 40's when he was having these bangers.
Age is just a number in some cases.
It also seems that he kind of took care of himself too compared to his other US contemporaries.
@@solidsnakepac he does turn his head away from the impact so he took it more on his shoulder, but this is Hansen we're talking about. He was fine eating shit because he had to deal it out. What's fair is fair.
It's perfect, rewatched it like 5 times
Kim really is the best puro documentary maker I've come across. Insightful, factual, fun and upbeat. Thanks as always Kim! Your work, as stellar as it always is, only ever seems to improve. Truly the best.
Seriously. Even though most of this stuff IS online, it can be difficult to find. Even if you do manage to find what you're looking for, figuring out the proper order things happened in can be even more difficult. So, so good.
The way this rivalry, both in kayfabe and reality, builds and builds over years to points of such explosivity that both their bodies and the standard crack and break under the strain is what makes this my favourite rivalry of all time.
The personification of King's Road itself.
Can't wait to see more, I don't think you've had a single video on this channel that hasn't been less than excellent.
2:12
Misawa's. Elbow. Is. God.
Your story telling is always the thing I enjoy the most Kim. To a self-confessed wrestling noob like me, you have a talent for investing in the human drama of wrestling, which without your contextualizing and oratory prowess would probably just seem like fifty minutes of beefy lads smacking each other to my uncomprehending eyes :3 Thanks Kim!
Miracle Violence Connection and Holy Demon Army are 2 of the coolest names in wrestling.
Jun Akiyama being the 5th Pillar of Heaven has a nice ring to it. It's like Kensuke Sasaki being called the 4th Musketeer, since both of them filled voids.
For Sasaki, he filled in Shinya Hashimoto's spot in 2005 when the latter died.
For Akiyama, he took Kawada's spot after the Noah exodus in 2000, then 9 years later after Misawa's death.
Thanks so much for this channel. I'm learning so much about the history of Puroresu that I didn't know before.
I've always liked Puroresu but I've definitely gained a new appreciation of it feom watching some of the matches you've suggested.
Really enjoying the Misawa vs Kawada matches I've been finding on RUclips.
Watch his whole series Walking the Kings Road if you have not yet . I have been a Puro fan since the 90s and I still learn stuff from those vids !
@@Brando-Lee3725 thanks for the recommendation. I'll check it out.
YESS!
I was so excited when I saw the notification and clicked immediately! (the first part might be my favorite of your wrestling documentaries)
I know this one's gonna be fantastic as well since this is when the Misawa vs Kawada rivalry REALLY starts to heat up
Would like a video on Ajpw's early relationship with the NWA championship
One of the few that can upload hour long videos on damn near anything and keep my undivided attention the entire time
I can honestly say that RUclips hit a home run recommending your channel. It's one of my new favorites. I've always been a huge Kawada fan so these videos are right up my alley. This was my favorite time and place in wrestling history
I can’t express how much I love your Japan wrestle documentary, it’s god tier!
Boy could Stan Hansen sell. That was sublime.
Great documentary grey history. This is the reason why I love Japan wrestling that is so much involved so much behind-the-scenes politics, but then yeah, did bring you great product and that’s all matters right put on a great show for people to pay and enjoy.
Thank you for this series. I just lost my dad to cancer And this serie is helping me cope with all .i tape traded with a japanese guy in 90s and my first tape was a best of misawa vs kawara Thanks you the best !
I've been putting this video off for days bc I just wanted to enjoy it away from work and everything else. Holy crap, man. Your passion is infectious. I feel like I need to be following both historical and modern AJPW closer bc of your content alone.
Love your content. I've been a lifetime wrestling fan, but the puro stuff was always a mystery to me (apart from NJPW these past 5 or so years) and had always been this missing piece of my wrestling knowledge. Thanks for producing these well-made videos, I watch every single one of them.
100% Agree. ❤
You could make the argument that in the 1st Kawada vs. Misawa match the Kawadas foot (ankle) was on the ropes on that Tiger suplex. Still a classic match, classic feud and done on a great channel....CHEERS 🍾🥂
Your retelling of this story has been a joy through two episodes. Wild to think there's going to be two more. Very excited for when those come out.
100% ! Check out his series Walking the Kings Road and all his other vids if you have not . All of them are great just like this .
@@Brando-Lee3725 Kim isn't the person who does Walking The Kings Road, nor are they a "he".
@@GohLow Yes ! Joseph Monticello ! My bad !
Man, Baba sure does love his ice cream money
Shows why he was a better promoter than Vince. Vince never gave Punk his WWE ice cream bars. Baba knew where the money was.
The opening to that first Misaw/Kawada match might be my favorite opening to any match in the history of wrestling. Like so many people wouldve justifably expected a respectful beginjing where they go through technical sequences - but you still think, what are these two best friends willing to do to each other to win?
And the answer comes in a sudden backdrop driver that deservingly gets highlighted with a pause in the action and Kawada staring a hole through a dazed and bewildered Misawa , with the commentary and the crowd losing their collective minds. Absolutely masterful stuff from two of the best ever.
Your work is amazing Kim - your knowledge is incredible, but I also love the humour and your obvious passion for wrestling.
i absolutely love your wrestling videos, especially the ajpw ones. being my favorite promotion, you do it justice (pun intended) with deep research and detailed analysis. can’t wait for the next part!
Love your videos man, keep it up!
Wrestlers today copy the moves , style and sequences from this match but rarely get the most important parts like the selling and drama . They are missing the essence of what made this match work so well in the first place . But then again this was a masterpiece and very hard to top . Also the time this came out played into how cutting edge and brilliant it was . I mean this was 30 years ago !!! Most wrestlers that try to emulate this style wasn't even born yet . That is another thing that says a ton about this match and that era of AJPW . Not only does it hold up to the test of time , it is better than anything now !!!!
Man I love these documentaries. Thanks Kim
I'm loving all this!
Thank you Kim for all the work you have done. This channel is amazing!👏👏👏👏
Great work. Thank you.
Great video as always.
Thanks for the amazing video ❤
i jsut started this ass job and iv been waiting for this since the last. appreciate you!
Always enjoy the videos on this channel. Some great insight and context to events going on
Is it possible to cover on Keiji Mutoh’s Pro-wrestling love era of AJPW? It’s either loved or hated by puro fans, I personally find it entertaining and enjoyable than the 90’s AJPW (blasphemy)
Thanks! Keep up the great content as well.
I think Muto's ideas were sound in theory and the next logical progression for AJPW as the promotion's style of wrestling has always been more influenced by trends in North American wrestling (unlike pre-Jado and Gedo NJPW). The problem was the execution of those ideas due to the through gutting of talent from the company by Second Exodus, and the perilous financial situation of AJPW in its aftermath (particularly the clout of their traditional national broadcaster and benefactor NTV).
Another case of dropping all i was doing to watch this belting Video as always Kim
This is outstanding!, Could you do another 80's or 90's Joshi documentary?
I'm loving your stuff, mate🙏🏻. Keep up the great work! Maybe something like "The Rise and Fall of Pro Wrestling Noah" would be awesome🤔.
I'm going to send a complaint to Nippon TV's switchboard that you've broken this amazing retrospective up into parts 😂
I believe the June 3rd 1994 match is what made Eddie Kingston see Toshiaki Kawada as his ultimate idol.
love your vids Kim. Would love to see some more 3 musketeers stuff in the future (unless you've done them on patreon already)
26:54 my face when watching videos about professional wrestling that weren't made by Kim Justice
This recap is so fucking good but I honestly never even considered Kobashi to be a "country boy" until it was brought up in the section about Misawa and Kawada's fractured friendship and it gave me the image of an alternate timeline where Kobashi has a Stan Hansen like cowboy gimmick.
Yeah pt. 2!!
Let's Go, #Kim!! Been looking forward to THIS!!
I'm impressed that Misawa and Kawada were so committed to making their kayfabe hatred of each other realistic that they started hating each other in real life.
HELL YES
Wondering how many of this video's views were Eddie Kingston 😋
Thank For the Story Video 📖🙊🤯🥰😍😁💗👍💐🌟🥇🏆
30:48 that's an illegal move! Referee did nothing. 😠
Watching this made me realize how much Eddie Kingston got from Kawada style wise
Not just him. Basically every indie wrestler from the 2000s, most of all Samoa Joe, based a ton of their moveset on the Four Pillars of Heaven and other Puro stars.
@@WurzelknechtRemember, They grew up trading Puro tapes and stuff, Hence most of them get inspired by it.
IS IT A “ROARING ELBOW”???…OR “ROLLING ELBOW”???
I'm pretty sure the original intent was "rolling", as he spins around. I think the "roaring" translation was made popular by ECW when Masato Tanaka used the move while working for them.
The Young Veteran Jun Aikyama.