Posted April 3, 200817 yr comment_5430387 Tiger Mask vs. Kabuki (01/28/86) - They work the early part of the match out of a Kabuki armbar. Misawa tries to do a lucha arm drag but Kabuki hangs on. He tries to roll Kabuki up off the ropes but Kabuki holds on, kicks him in the chest and re-applies the armbar. The arm work went on a bit too long but the 2nd half picks up with Tiger Mask throwing out big moves but after 12 minutes of arm-work he could have sold the arm just a little more but there is tons of fun stuff going on. Misawa goes insane, beating on Kabuki with chairs on the outside and busting him open. I am not used to seeing Kabuki bleed or Misawa channel Abdullah the Butcher. Misawa attacks the cut, goes for a splash but lands on Kabuki’s legs. Kabuki sends Misawa running into the referee in another All Japan ref bump and gives Misawa the brainbuster and a top-rope fist drop but no ref to make the count. However, when the ref recovers, Misawa hits the German Suplex for the pin but is b roken up by interference. In something I never thought I would see, Tiger Mask and Kabuki brawl after the match. At this point, I think matches like this stand out more than they would on another set. This is worth more discussion but some of the arm work in the beginning was really boring. The stretch run was really hot though. (AJC 127)
April 23, 201015 yr comment_5449885 I dreaded this after reading Will's mention of a long arm control section by Kabuki, but it was pretty damn good overall. They could've edited the arm stuff, but I enjoyed Kabuki's cutoffs when Misawa tried to break free. And Misawa did a good job later of selling the fatigue from all of Kabuki's wear-down efforts. I also liked Misawa snapping and beating the shit out of him with chairshots and punches when he finally went on offense. I haven't seen Misawa work a cut too many times. Actually, both guys did well selling the accumulated damage late in the match. I shrug off the silly endings at this point. What else can you do when there are so many? Overall, this was odd and entertaining enough to move forward.
July 4, 201015 yr comment_5452705 Tiger Mask II vs. The Great Kabuki (1/28/86) Kabuki was fucking Andersonesque here working on the arm like a rabid dog with TM II trying his best to break free but falling back into Kabuki's clutches. TM would finally get the break he needed after backdropping Kabuki to the floor and hitting a big plancha taking him out before bashing him bloody with a chair which was great. Kabuki was renewed though after tasting his own blood and this turns into a big battle until Kabuki throws TM into Joe Higuchi. TM would have Kabuki dead with a German Suplex hold when Ricky Fuyuki would interfere for the DQ which pissed off Kabuki and started a 3-way brawl before being broken apart. That finish came out of nowhere but this was a really fun match and I agree that it moves forward.
