Misawa vs. The British Bulldogs & Kawada vs. The Fantastics (and other Dream Matches!)

Welcome back to more Dream Matches! This time, I have another fun “One-Off Show” review for you, as I was recommended some All Japan TV and found that their first episode of 1990 was ALL Dream Matches, to the point where we get Bulldogs/Misawa and Fantastics/Kawada in tag bouts, among others!

ALL JAPAN TV (Jan. 6th 1990):
* It’s time for another “Full Show” review! This time it’s All Japan’s first weekly TV show of 1990! A friend turned me on to this one, as it’s got some of the weirdest dream matches possible, all while leading to further things for the promotion’s regular cast! What kind of Dream Matches? Well, in JUST THIS SHOW, we have The British Bulldogs vs. Mitsuharu Misawa & Masa Fuchi, The Fantastics vs. Toshiaki Kawada & his “Footloose” tag partner, Kenta Kobashi vs. The Great Kabuki in singles, and main eventing with Genichiro Tenryu vs. IVAN KOLOFF! Like, this is insanity! Four matches all featuring worshipped-in-America Japanese dudes and guys most known for runs in the U.S.! Read on!

So the whole deal with All Japan at this point is it tends to bring in a lot of foreigners for their tours- spending a few weeks getting in TV matches, and things usually come to a head on a big Budokan show. If guys do well, they might be brought back for other tours. The midcard is often based off of whatever seems to interest Baba, which is why the Fantastics (fading American undersized workers) and the British Bulldogs (a famous team but with Dynamite Kid actively falling apart and about to retire) are kicking around doing matches with natives (and once with each other, which I’ve already reviewed for this column). Randomly you’ll get Great Kabuki come in, and a few months after this show the Miracle Violence Connection (Steve Williams & Terry Gordy) come in and wreck house, immediately becoming top main eventers.

But these foreigners (gaijin) often swap out (Stan Hansen, still a top-level star, is among the few to stick around constantly). The promotion’s ace is Jumbo Tsuruta, with Genichiro Tenryu still around for a year or so, and Mitsuharu Misawa still decked out as “Tiger Mask” (the second one). And he’s facing the Dynamite Kid, the man who was made legendary fighting the ORIGINAL Tiger Mask!

THE GREAT KABUKI vs. KENTA KOBASHI:
* We start off with Kabuki, most well-known for his runs as a “weirdo mystical foreigner” in AMERICA, now doing an All Japan run. He was trained in Japan and periodically worked there, but he’s most notable for debuting the “Asian Mist”, taking advantage of Western stereotypes about “Asian Mysticism” and stuff like that. So it’s weird seeing him pop up with future legend, still just a young pretty boy here, Kenta Kobashi. Though Kabuki’s remaining career is interesting- he’s 42 years old at this point, then jumps from AJPW to SWS (with Tenryu), then NJPW in 1992-96, then IWA Japan. Kobashi’s in red trunks while Kabuki’s in his trademark baggy dark pants and facepaint. Kobashi not being in orange just feels incredibly wrong to me. What even is this?

We’re JIP with Kobashi holding a headlock & shoulderblocking Kabuki to the floor and hitting a pescado and following with a charge off the apron like a good Young Boy. Soft, doughy Kabuki has his facepaint already rubbed off and is looking like this kid is way too much for him, but Kobashi sells the damage of the move himself and gets the shit lariated out of him for a double-down. Kabuki with the ASIAN THROAT THRUSTS as Kenta’s in full “sell like Luger” mode, screaming his head off (*standard kick to the gut* “AAAAAAHHHHHGGGGHHHH!”). Kabuki holds a variety of arm-based restholds to wear him down, Kenta fighting out and doing leg stuff, but Kabuki kicks free and knees him when Kenta tries to fly out of the corner. But Kabuki signals a comeback (slap on the back during a whip) and gets rolling cradled for two, Kenta holding it and threading to a Texas cloverleaf. That goes on a while, and Kenta catches him with a bridging fallaway slam (Blockbuster) for two, but misses ANOTHER corner cross-body, only to roll onto his feet harmlessly… and charge into a thrust kick. But Kobashi no-sells and charges for a wheel kick, but misses his next shot and gets rolled up in the Japanese leg-roll clutch at (9:55 shown)- Great Kabuki gets him, showing his smarts.

Actually a tolerable match, even if half of it was restholds. Kenta being a young man is fascinating to watch as he’s throwing out pescados, corner dives, missile kicks, blockbusters and apron spots that he wouldn’t be able to do as a Bulky Powerhouse a few years later. Kabuki looked tired and slow, but still had his timing, and they didn’t do shit they couldn’t. More to the point, Kenta looked like an energetic but immature kid, flying out with all this shit and charging attacks, leaving the smarter veteran to dodge him and pick his spots, eventually beating him- Wrestling 101.

Rating: **1/2 (perfectly acceptable midcard match with good psychology amidst a lot of restholds)

The midcard tag team champions, with Toshiaki Kawada of all people in turquoise, tiger-striped tights.

ALL ASIA TAG TEAM TITLES:
FOOTLOOSE (Toshiaki Kawada & Samson Fuyuki) vs. THE FANTASTICS (Tommy Rogers & Bobby Fulton):
* HELL YES IT’S FOOTLOOSE! My first match featuring the “1980s Rock N Roll Express”-type team of All Japan, which of course had ugly-ass Kawada in it. Well, he’s still prettier than Robert Gibson. But TOSHIAKI KAWADA coming down in ugly bright turquoise 1980s tights with tiger-print on them to Kenny Loggins’ “Footloose” is a total mind-screw. I’ve never seen Fuyuki before, I think- he’s a bit undersized and has that “portly belly but lifts for strength” look. The Fantastics are of course ANOTHER RnR-type team, being smaller. They did an All Japan tour in 1990 that actually got a bit over. They’re in matching blue trunks (and, as I have to remind myself every time, Fulton is the blond one with long hair). They’re challenging here for Footloose’s AA Tag Titles, the “midcard” tag belts.

We’re JIP with the Fantastics scoring the Rocket Launcher on Fuyuki for a casual two-count into a resthold (why leave THAT in?), Kawada grumpily stomping on Tommy’s head. Fulton gets an avalanche leap off Tommy’s back but charges into the post and takes Kawada’s corner kicks for two, but wins an International and Fuyuki drills him. Kawada scores a running plancha (!), so Rogers hits him with the same move and they all fight outside- back in, Kawada spinkicks Rogers for two, and they do a strange fight-up from a “69” pin into a tombstone reversal spot, won by Kawada. Don’t see THAT spot very much. Footloose hits double corner lariats but Fulton immediately yanks Fuyuki off the top and beats his ass, so Fuyuki just grabs Rogers and whips him around on the floor and chairshots him in the back! jesus, this match. Kawada gets a snap suplex, but Rogers snags him and holds him for Fulton’s knee off Bret’s rope.

Piledriver & Samoan drop get two-counts for Fulton, but Fuyuki comes in, eating throat-thrusts (the camera offers us a rare glimpse of the trick- Bobby is slapping his own chest in time with each thrust), but Fuyuki slaps Fulton and forces the tag for a brawl with Rogers, who snaps off a fireman’s takeover so fast it’s practically a Death Valley Driver three years early! Arm-trap Northern Lights suplex- Kawada breaks it up. The Fantastics hit a double-suplex but Kawada’s kicks stop another Rocket Launcher and Fuyuki tosses Rogers off the top for two, and when he tries to superplex Kawada out of another double-team, they get out and hit a double-electric chair drop on him! Fulton runs in all fired up, but Kawada Ligerbombs him (called a “Tiger Driver” by the commentator- this is why move-name snobs can suck it!) and they set up the finish- Rogers comes off the ropes and ducks one spinkick but runs into Kawada’s, and Fuyuki hits a Bridging German for the pin at (8:44). Wow, that was less than nine minutes? Fulton is highly congratulatory so there’s no sore losers here, though he seems to want a rematch.

Actually a fast-paced, tremendous effort here, full of cool moves and some impressive stuff for 1990. The transitions were fascinating, too- instead of complex reversals or doing them all from running spots (probably tricky to do with a language barrier), one would crack the other with a strike to set up the next sequence (you actually see Kawada set up a backdrop suplex and not expect the comeback, but goes along with it rather than bugger up the spot). But both teams play it up like they’re easily frustrated youngsters, getting hot and bothered by moves and breaking things up, using weapons, etc. That the Fantastics were great, innovative workers for the US serves them well in Japan, which wants a bit “extra” (you’ll often see gaijin get lazy in All Japan and not get called back).

Rating: ***1/2 (very solid throughout- shockingly good for the back bits of a match that runs less than 9 minutes)

TIGER MASK II & MASANOBU FUCHI vs. THE BRITISH BULLDOGS (The Dynamite Kid & Davey-Boy Smith):
* yes, it’s MISAWA vs. BULLDOGS, and he’s backed by the ugly, wily Junior-sized veteran Masa Fuchi, who was a heelish force during the classic Trios Match series from All Japan in 1992-93 I reviewed months ago. Dynamite was on his way out of wrestling at this point, having just a little definition left and a terrible pedo-stache, while Davey is on ALL THE ROIDS and wants a comeback from Vince. Tiger Mask is Misawa under a mask (he drops it in a couple months)- his gear resembles the original’s, but with green tights (a color Misawa would wear for good).

We’re JIP with Davey-Boy deadlifting Fuchi out of the armbar in the crowd-pleasing “Backlund Spot”, and he holds him for Dynamite’s missile dropkick! Dynamite does a bit, then Davey hits the delayed suplex for two, but Fuchi rolls out and Tiger Mask controls with kicks and chops. Davey tosses him for a beating from Dyno, but Fuchi returns the favor and beats up Dynamite, who forces a tag-out, but soon the natives hit a double-dropkick, only for Davey to get Tiger Mask with the gorilla press and throw him onto Fuchi on the floor! Fuchi recovers and climbs, but Tiger Mask has to save him from a superplex and hits a missile dropkick, then a backdrop suplex when Davey tries to counter him. But Fuchi gets tagged in and after a crucifix gets two, stupidly charges into Davey’s center of mass and gets picked up- the Powerslam into Tossing Dynamite For The Flying Headbutt pins him at (7:24), Tiger Mask hilariously trying to come in and losing his nerve when Davey charges him, just shuffling aside and brushing his nose casually after the fact. I mean Fuchi is evil and deserves it, but still- try to help your guy!

Perfectly acceptable, very simple match, mostly with Davey in there (which was normal for this era of the Bulldogs), but a few crowd-pleasing spots like his press-slam and the trademark Bulldogs finisher. Fuchi didn’t look great and Misawa only got a couple good sequences, most of which established he was on par with these guys cuz Baba was playing the long game with him.

Rating: **1/2 (perfectly okay TV match for what we got)

GENICHIRO TENRYU vs. IVAN KOLOFF:
* Yes, so IVAN KOLOFF, a Canadian pretending to be an evil Russian, is called in for this All Japan tour, seemingly as a disposable challenger to the top guys. The commentator namedrops Bruno Sammartino, who had feuded with Koloff NINETEEN YEARS before this, to set just how disposable a challenger he was. Koloff was nearly fifty by this point, and looks it, doughy in a black singlet. Tenryu comes down but is jumped by Isao Takagi to set off a revenge feud, stacking the deck for the rising superstar. Takagi chairs Tenryu on the floor and whups his ass with a sneak attack, repeatedly battering him until he’s dragged away and Tenryu rolls into Koloff’s waiting arms in the ring.

Koloff beats on Tenryu a while, focusing on the upper back with strikes, then backdropping him out of a front facelock, and hits a weak backdrop suplex for two. Tenryu briefly fires back with chops, but Ivan actually matches his in volume and goes to the eyes to keep the advantage, working the back again. Tenryu hits the floor, but gets his enzuigiri back in the ring- Koloff either doesn’t no how to sell it or just figures he’ll do the “dazed” sell, shaking off the cobwebs to buy Tenryu some time. Tenryu just lights him up with another chop and octopus holds him- Koloff actually walks him all the way to the ropes in a solid feat of strength for an older guy. Tenryu lights him up with chops, an enzuigiri and a lariat, but Koloff just weathers the storm and beats on him again, tossing him and hitting a chairshot. This is kind of plodding now, and Tenryu badly fucks up whatever he was doing in the corner, attempting to hit the apron but undershooting and just popping back with a forearm. Another enzuigiri hits but Koloff ducks a lariat and charges into a knee. A vertical suplex and flying back elbow finish for Tenryu at (6:50). Well that was outta nowhere. Koloff attacks after the bell like a poor sport and Tenryu just walks away from him.

Not quite a “Randy Savage Template” but pretty close, as Koloff dominates right from the start thanks to Yatsu’s beatdown before the bell, stays on the upper back… none of which is sold overly much by Tenryu, who keeps coming back with strikes that Koloff doesn’t feel like selling much as he mostly tanks them and barely stumbles (it’s weird cuz EVERYONE else I see in All Japan flat-backs off of lariats and he’s just like “… hey ow”). The pace is slow and the crowd gets pretty dead even for Tenryu’s comeback, and then he just scores a couple moves in a row for the pin without exciting anyone. Looking at Koloff’s All Japan run, he does a battle royal & a tag before this, and spends the rest of the time doing tags, beating Akio Sato, and jobbing to All Japan midcarders and rising stars (Yatsu, Taue). He didn’t seem to be in the mood to work hard or bump here at all, and once the crowd realized that they got real quiet.

Rating: ** (just very plain, basic work that mostly bores the fans- almost strong psychology with all the back work but none of it leads anywhere or even gets a near-fall)