Talk about it here.

Man, this was really good. I really don't understand how everyone wasn't behind Akiyama around this point in time as him hanging with Misawa/Kawada and trying to prove himself has been the most interesting aspects of All Japan in the past year or so. Here, he is able to control the start with his explosiveness featuring an exploder and then break things down with working over Kawada using a wrestling base. Akiyama is conscious not to make a big mistake but falls pray to a backdrop to change the tone. Kawada's strikes and stalking are a nice contrast and put over Akiyama as a good threat. Akiyama catches a kick and hits a dragon screw to put Kawada in danger again. Akiyama follows up with a sharpshooter. kawada kicks away with his good leg but has trouble standing because of the weakened one and Akiyama's elbows are proving to be more powerful. Two Exploders followed by cocky ass Akiyama putting Kawada in the stretch plum. Awesome move showing that he will not back down. Kawada's comeback was impactful and inspiring and I appreciated the struggle he had for every move and being able to put away Akiyama with just enough. (***3/4)

I agree that this was a great way to establish Akiyama in the upper echelon in terms of attitude. He's grown even since 1996 and while he is still the young guy facing someone more established, he's wrestling with a lot more confidence and holding his own. He feels about like Kobashi did when he was right on the cusp of breaking through. I don't get people not really getting behind Akiyama either, as it's hard for me to see anything that's blatantly missing. No one bought the stretch plum as any type of finish, but that wasn't really the point. It was more about Akiyama's audacity in locking it in in the first place. This got off to a slow start but got really hot toward the end when Kawada had to start digging deep to put Akiyama away. I thought this did quite a bit to get Akiyama over even more at this level.

This served its purpose, with Akiyama standing up to Kawada perhaps better than he ever had in a singles match. But something felt a little off, especially in the early going. The timing wasn't up to Kawada's normally impeccable standards. Though it got better as they went on, I'd still put this below the Kawada-Misawa from three nights later. I did love Akiyama tossing on the stretch plum. That was badass.

Yes, the Akiyama stretch plum was the turning point, as this went from a fairly routine Carny match to something a little more special. I don't think it's any kind of high-end AJPW match but it was fun and it established Akiyama as a guy unafraid of the big guns even if he's not on their level in a singles environment yet.

Great match. Better than anything from AJ in this year from what I remember.

Parts of this came across as an AJPW epic on autopilot, which is, however, still a really good match. Some really good strike exchanges, Akiyama trying his best to stay in control early on, only to eat a nasty Backdrop Suplex which lead to some gritty work on his neck. Akiyama fights back hitting a Dragon Screw which in turn sets up some good legwork (including a killer spot where they struggle over a Sharpshooter) and some excellent selling from Kawada. It's this kind of A leads to B match structure that is really simple and maybe predictable but still ends up producing an enjoyable match. Finish run had some badass strikes such as Kawada hitting an awesome Abisegiri and Akiyama desperately escaping a Powerbomb only to eat a lariat to the back of the head. Some of the obvious „prolonging the match“ stuff such as Kawada locking in another Stretch Plum only to release it and go for a pin (something that about never produces a finish) or Kawada suddenly deciding his leg was hurt again felt pretty dated. The one thing I actively disliked was how everytime Kawada hit a yakuza kick Akiyama would hulk up immediately. Stop hitting that strike then, will you?