AJPW on Nippon TV – January 2000
By Maffew Gregg on 8 March 2026
AJPW’s presence on Nippon TV was trimmed to just 30 minutes a week which means you can fit an entire month on one DVD-R! I mean, you can find this footage legitimately very easily.
AJPW on Nippon TV 01/09/2000
Gong Magazine’s 1999 wrestling awards listed the 5/2 Tokyo Dome match with Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Vader as singles match of the year and the 10/30 Budokan Hall match with Kenta Kobashi & Jun Akiyama vs. Yoshihiro Takayama & Takao Omori was named tag team match of the year. Good, let’s see if there’s some bangers this year.
New Year Giant Series 2000 – Night 6
Fukuoka International Center
Attendance 3,800
It’s a sombre mood to start as the company pays tribute to Gary Albright who had passed away in the ring two days earlier at a World Xtreme Wrestling show. He was 36 and it never gets easier surpassing the ages of wrestlers I grew up watching.
Takayama talked about how much Albright helped him in the ring and Kakihara said he was a good friend and that Albright had in the past invited him to stay at his home for a week.
Steve Williams simply says “T.O.P. (Triangle Of Power, their team) forever.”
Gary had only wrestled for AJPW a month prior, with highlights of his last match playing to remind us how delicious his offence was. Especially those suplexes, I mean my God.
We get a ten bell salute with Dr. Death holding a picture of him in the middle of the ring. It’s very respectful.
Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Hiroshi Hase 01/09/00
Their only singles match. Hase was about to be elected into office so I guess AJPW wanted to do this match while they could.
We skip ahead straight away to Hase working on a horizontal Misawa with submissions. Hase and his tache are amazingly varied, going from hold to hold like they’re stops on the London Underground. Misawa can only growl and roll to the ropes. Hase wrings his arm some more but Misawa is able to land The Elbow to stun him. Misawa’s too damaged however, so landing it a second time only proceeds to send Misawa to the mat, leading to Hase leaping on the injured limb with more armbars. So far, so good. It’s a shame AJPW is so against submissions as finishers as it means the crowd are mostly quiet for this. Kimura is applied with Hase modifying it so he can also attempt pin falls, with the ref making sure that Misawa’s shoulder is down by checking to see if he can shove his hand underneath it. That’s cool. Sign this ref, Tony Khan. Unless he’s dead. Misawa blocks a Divorce Court so Hase forces him forward into another armbar variant. Misawa finally elbows Hase off his arm so they trade strikes with neither budging until a flying spinning lariat knocks Hase down. Hey I remember that move from WWF No Mercy. Hase pops up to superplex Misawa but he’s having none of it and sit-out dropkicks Hase across the ring. Misawa goes too high on a crossbody so Hase saves the spot by going for another armbar. Good lad! Shame the crowd isn’t buying the submission threats yet.
Misawa rolls out so he can grab the ropes and get two from a German Suplex pin…with Hase kicking out and going for the armbar again. Crowd popped for that. Misawa gets the ropes again so Hase gives him a massive Sambo Suplex so he can go back to it. Misawa escapes yet again so Hase starts elbowing the arm and lands a rolling armbar out of nowhere to get the crowd finally panicking. Misawa fights out but has to really struggle to get Hase up the Tiger Driver but does manage it AND THEN HASE HAS THE ARMBAR IN AS THEY LAND. Crowd worried now. Well, they pop for the move and then shut up but it’s better than what we have had so far. Rope-assisted Divorce Court sets up Armbar #111 as this match isn’t really getting to that final gear. Misawa elbows Hase a bunch to set up a top rope splash but Hase kicks out and (you guessed it) goes for the armbar. Crowd not reacting now. Misawa gets the ropes but falls victim to a lovely Dragon Suplex and a follow up Sambo Suplex and then a follow up Sambo Suplex But On His Head.
Misawa kicks out of a Northern Lights as the crowd is alive now, this is their tempo. Chop vs. elbow wins for Misawa who delivers a running one to get the pin at 24:42. Oh.
I enjoyed the Hase arm stuff until it became the entire match and the crowd switched off for it. I know Misawa’s Elbow Is God but using the exact elbow that’s taped up and had been worked on like my Grandad’s fence-post to not even sell the final strike was eye-rolling. I think this was a clash of styles and philosophies, especially with Misawa never feeling like he was in any danger during those damned armbars. Oh and “take four big moves then kick out and do the finish” was weak.
The 1/9 TV show which aired the first ever Misawa vs. Hase match drew a 6.7 rating, which is the best TV rating for the company since the period right after the death of Baba, but 1/16 was down to 2.7.
We get clips of Kawada working out with boulders for some reason because he’s returning soon!
AJPW on Nippon TV 01/16/2000
Naohito Morishita of Dream Stage Entertainment had a meeting with Mitsuharu Misawa on 12/24 with Morishita trying to get either Mike Barton or Gary Albright into the 1/30 Tokyo Dome shoot tournament. Misawa talked about wanting to do a Tokyo Dome show this year on 5/1 and get Kazushi Sakuraba to wrestle on the show.
None of that happened.
AJPW World Tag Team Titles
Kenta Kobashi and Jun Akiyama (c) vs. Vader and Johnny Smith 01/09/00
JIP to Kobashi’s hot tag and corner chops to Vader. Big suplex gets the crowd rocking so Kobashi continues to work over the big lad. Kobashi ignores an Avalanche so he can lariat Vader, with Johnny “was scheduled to main event ECW Anarchy Rulz despite no TV appearances” Smith breaks the pin to big boos. Akiyama holds Vader so Kobashi can land a shoulder tackle off the apron and half the guard rail. God Kobashi is big. He’s a one man steakhouse. Akiyama tags in and gets a “Akiyama!!” yell from the crowd as he does so, so he’s motivated to deliver an Exploder suplex for a very close two. Akiyama gets too cocky and taunts before charging in the corner so he runs into the Vader body block. Johnny Smith tags in to land a sit-out dropkick, complete with kip-up so he can knock Kobashi & Akiyama down. Smith’s fancy English armdrag spins discombobulate the champs but his armbar gets silence. AJPW fans hate submissions. Luckily for them, Vader chokeslams Akiyama with his whole arse to set up a running splash and a close two with the crowd really into this now.
Smith’s top rope elbow is kicked out of which only gets the crowd more into the match, and Akiyama’s DDT counter into a Northern Lights only encourages them. Superbomb from the champs looks to finish but Vader appears out of nowhere to break up the pin. He looks haggard but he’s really putting in a shift here. Akiyama’s Exploder Suplex can’t put away the Brit but a second one does at 17:10. Crowd goes nuts, fuck the English.
I appreciated the team of Vader and Smith aka God They Look Old And Rugged And Fucked Up But Can Still Go here, as well as the crowd going nuts for the big moves near the end. Not much else to say about it.
Kenta Kobashi vs. Takao Omori 01/09/00
JIP. Omori lands a sit-out Uncle Slam and a top rope knee drop for two and boy does he look annoyed about it afterwards. It’s fun seeing that in 2000, knowing he’s not under WWE rules to do it. Kobashi flings the emoting bastard with a brutal German Suplex before somehow Powerbombing Omori directly onto the back of his head for two. Crowd chanting his name now. Spinning back elbow sets up the Orange Crush! Another No Mercy 64 move! And a two count! Omori cuts off a lariat with a big boot for two as crowd is very emotional. Both lads repeatedly dodge one another’s big strike until Kobashi connects with The Lariat to shake the foundations. Another prepared Burning Lariat ends it at 18:31.
I appreciated seeing the last few minutes of a lovely encounter. This made me want to go buy tickets for the next AJPW show to see Omori die again.
Jun Akiyama vs. Yoshihiro Takayama 01/09/00
Oooo this is from the bell! And we know this because Takayama throws Akiyama outside and you can hear it ring. Akiyama is having none of that and runs back inside to keep Takayama out. Ha. Takayama heads inside and dominates with his knee lifts. Akiyama sells the hell out of them and the crowd pop so it’s not like HHH’s crappy strikes. Akiyama comes back by striking Takayama’s knee across the guard rail. Of note: There’s a fan sat front row wearing a Destroyer mask. That’s nice. Akiyama continues to wear down Takayama’s knees with submissions as that continues the story of the match with Takayama also working on Akiyama’s wrapped elbow. Takayama comes back with suplexes and a crossface which doesn’t make sense but crowd are yelling for him so what do I know. Takayama pulls Akiyama up from a pin attempt to pretend he’s in control. Akiyama responds with Dragon Screw Leg Whips and Exploder Suplexes. Takayama blocks a second so he rolls him up for two and when that doesn’t work he rolls him up for a second and that’s good for the pin at 10:39.
Eh, this was OK. Takayama’s game plan was solid until he forgot near the end. Crowd adored Akiyama which made it better than it probably was but Takayama’s offence was straight out of Sunday Night Heat.
George Hines & Steve Williams vs. Johnny Smith & Vader 01/09/00
JIP to Johnny accidentally dropkicking Vader followed by Vader “accidentally” lariating Smith. So Williams tags in to gives George a Backdrop Suplex and the match ends in a No Contest at 6:51 with Steve and Williams agreeing to team up by lariating one another. That’s a manly way to do things and the crowd WOAH’d it up.
There was also something weird in a match with Vader & Johnny Smith vs. Steve Williams & George Hines since it ended in a no contest and All Japan only does clean finishes, so they either did a worked shoot angle, or something went awry.
Jesus, Dave.
There’s nothing new to say about All Japan that hasn’t been said in years, other than they’re all one year older and more beaten up, and they still had the best wrestling matches in the world. Fact is, even with Vader being added to the mix, crowds were down, although it was a good year as far as TV ratings went. Still, it is clear that outside of the ring that Mitsuharu Misawa is nowhere close to Shohei Baba, and there was never less interest in the year-end tag team tournament. The injuries piled up as Misawa and Kenta Kobashi both worked most of the year with injuries that should have sidelined them. Toshiaki Kawada missed most of the year with a pair of serious injuries, a broken arm followed by a devastating eye injury. A serious injury to Misawa, which could happen at any time, would be devastating at this point. Akira Taue’s work declined. The only young wrestler who looks to be a major factor is Jun Akiyama. The No Fear heel group is terrible in the ring in a company built on work rate, a fact that sometimes is hidden because the people they work with are so good.
Jesus, Dave.(1)
2000/01/23: AJPW on Nippon TV
AJPW Unified Triple Crown Heavyweight Title
Vader (c) vs. Jun Akiyama 01/23/00
They show Akiyama heading out of the backstage area all the way to the ring to demonstrate the fans believe in him. It looks great, as do the streamers. Powered by this, Akiyama knocks Vader down seconds after the bell strikes and rocks him with elbows in the corner until the ref has to intervene. Vader’s bear mitts stop that quickly and Jin considers his options after that. Akiyama comes back with two giant German Suplexes as the crowd roar their approval. Flying knee off the apron stuns Vader for all of two seconds before Fat Piece Of Shit comes back with the belly bounce. Vader chokeslams Akiyama onto a Japanese Table to really get the crowd into this. Vader breaks the count so he can deliver a Powerbomb on the gym mats outside. Vader tries to use a chair but the ref stops him so an unhappy Vader settles for a Vader Bomb. He doesn’t go for the pin, deciding to spit on his foe instead. A second Vader Bomb is kicked out of, and a big back suplex is also halted by the ropes. Vader has a jolly old time battering around the challenger until Akiyama gets his foot up another Vader Bomb. He’s still weak though so when he lands a low dropkick, Vader takes it then pins HIM for two. But gradually Akiyama comes back with strikes which weaken Vader enough to take a Dragon Screw. Vader don’t care and tries to Vader Bomb again but Akiyama gives him a Powerbomb before that can happen. Akiyama throwing knees around like he’s Captain Falcon now, enabling him to land the Exploder Suplex finally! For two. A second gets the same but the crowd’s reaction made you think it could have finished. Vader turns a dive off the top into a scoop slam, with a giant Powerbomb nearly ending it. Akiyama absorbs a chokeslam but rolls out of the pin to armbar Vader as the crowd believes it a lot more than the Hase match. At least they do until Vader absolutely hoofs the challenger across the ring with a German.
Crowd are molten for the kick out. A brutal chokeslam is enough to end it at 16:13. Good little match here with the challenger getting to look as close as he could without actually winning. These type of matches live and die based on crowd support and they were 100% convinced Akiyama could win so I’d say this was a success.
Post-match, Vader gets in Kobashi’s face as he’s commentating and tells him “COME ON MOTHERFUCKER”. Vader then makes the camera record the crazy fans cheering for him until they get too close so he shoves them away. Ha!
Toshiaki Kawada Return Match
Kenta Kobashi vs. Toshiaki Kawada 01/17/00
Kawada’s return to the ring after three eye operations.
Also doubles as their last singles match together. Shame it only drew 3,600 for such a noteworthy event when their last match two years ago drew 15,300.
Kawada shatters any doubts by delivering a running big boot as soon as the bell rings. Chops are exchanged and seconds into the match, Kawada delivers a Backdrop Driver to Kobashi’s unshaven head. That seemed like a necessary start. Kawada waits for his foe to scale the apron before big booting him off and into the guard rail but Kobashi is more mad than hurt so recovers to take another kick to the face. Kobashi kicks out strongly at one so Kawada kicks his downed face out of annoyance. Kawada runs through a Kobashi chop to again Kawada Kick Kobashi as this has been a grand start for the happy one. Kobashi counters a suplex into one of his own to finally get on offence. Kobashi tries to chop Kawada but he turns it into a game of slap fight instead which doesn’t go well for Kawada. Kobashi’s pin barely gets two and I’ve missed a time when not every pin attempt was a near-fall. Boston Crab stretches Kawada but he still throws his kicks once free. Running Kawada Kick in the corner threatens to dislodge Kobashi’s ‘tache so Kawada dumps him over the guard rail. Kawada lands a series of kicks while Kobashi is on the apron but he angrily ignores them to lariat Kawada on his arse.
Kawada struggles to stand up but Kobashi makes sure he’s up for the HARD chops to the neck. Kawada rests on the bottom rope until Kobashi lands the standing leg drop. Kobashi has to make sure Kawada is hurt enough for him to attempt going to the top but Kawada still rolls away from the danger zone. Kobashi can’t get the sleeper hold so he chops Kawada so he holds the ropes and THEN locks it in. Oh that’s where Gunther got that from! Kawada looks out so Kobashi nearly pins him, with the ref flapping Kawada’s cheeks to make sure he’s still with us. Large Powerbomb won’t put away Kawada as the crowd have entered the “stomping their feet” section of the match. Kawada blocks a German by landing the Pele, and when Kobashi madly charges with a flying lariat he lands face-first into a flying kick. Ahhhhhhh. Kawada wants the Powerbomb but Kobashi refuses to budge, earning him more kicks to the face. Powerbomb With Sex Pin gets two for Kawada as well as a disappointed noise on the kick out. Kawada lands a gnarly-looking quick snap Backdrop Suplex. Kawada tries for a Ganso Bomb with Kobashi kinda reversing via Frankensteiner. Wasn’t smooth but made sense given the deadly nature of that move. Kawada resumes the kicks but spots the lariat coming a mile away so turns it into a cross armbreaker as the crowd are in a panic. See Hase? If you connect with 15 of those no-one cares but if you do one they lose their minds. Kobashi gets the ropes but this just sets him up for more Backdrop Drivers…oh but he powers up after one and then shrugs off another boot to the head. Kawada decides to fight fire with fire and block a lariat with another lariat which discombobulates Kobashi but fucks Kawada immensely. Tiger Suplex rolls Kawada across the ring, but a Powerbomb can’t end a miserable looking Kawada who can’t even stand on a follow up Lariat. So Kobashi picks his foe up and helps him stand as he removes a few childhood memories with the match-ending Burning Lariat at 18:15.
An intense, passionate encounter here with some tremendous selling above all the brutal moves. Kawada’s ability to look close to death and yet still able to kick on command sucked the crowd into wanting to see Kobashi bounce him around like a DVD screensaver. This was grand.
2000/01/30: AJPW on Nippon TV
Motoko Baba had to pay more than $700,000 in inheritance tax on the estate of Shohei Baba for their mansion in Japan and vacation homes in Hawaii estimated at worth more than $8 million
Inheritance tax is the biggest work in the world.
Takayama and Taue trade big strikes as the crowd oooos. Takayama takes a Jumbo-esque Double Underhook but lands on this head because of his size. Ow. Taue apologies by delivering a safe chokeslam. Taue boots both Fear lads out the ring before mocking them which cures them into storming the ring before the ref calms everyone down. Kawada tags into kick Takayama in the face. Bless him, he thinks that will hurt. Takayma bites Kawada’s still-healing eye which gets him another boot to the mug for his troubles. Omori tags in for more abuse so HDA stretch both foes as the ref struggles to maintain order. Kawada’s eyes get nibbled again as NO FEAR resort to attempting to devour him behind the ref’s back. This is a bit silly but the young uns need to do *something* to get offence in. Taue tags in to prevent Kawada being scooped into a bag and taken home. Takayama gets a low blow in on Taue, enabling Kawada to be dumped outside so Taue is double-teamed relentlessly. NO FEAR can’t put him away so Kawada re-assembles himself to tag in and kick the hell out of both lads. Omori again reverses the tide by consuming more of Kawada’s eyes before a lariat appears to rock him for real. Which in AJPW means he still kicks out at two. I honestly can’t tell if Kawada is working here which is a high a compliment as you can get. Kawada’s eye-less body is picked up and dragged around but he’s still able to lariat Omori daft. Takayama is still hungry so after a late lunch, Kawada absorbs sandwich lariats for two. Takayama whips Kawada into Omori’s Axe Bomber for the win at 14:44.
Eh, this was like those Legacy vs. D-X matches that saw Legacy win after being punked for fifteen minutes then getting a roll-up. No Fear’s offence had little impact with only Omori’s lariat getting any reaction, with the rest being eye rakes/bollocks. Finish wasn’t believable or satisfying as a result but I guess the action was decent.
Mike Barton vs. Steve Williams 01/17/00
Their first match since Brawl For All.
JIP to Steve lariating Barton over the top rope and following with a tope! The AJPW graphics remind us of the company Steve worked for before they fired him for refusing to work for FMW. The lads battle over a suplex on the apron with Barton taking a lovely delayed sell off it. Steve gives Barton a German Suplex with such vigour he’s sent outside from the exertion. I’m glad they’re going at this pro wrestling style and not trying shoot-style. Doctor Bomb is kicked out of at 2.9 to the crowd’s shock so a Backdrop Driver followed by a AOP hand signal ends this at 12:45. None of Barton’s offence aired but it was the only decision after Albright’s passing. Barton’s effort was appreciated as he made Steve look like a beast.
Vader and Akira Taue vs. Mitsuharu Misawa and Jun Akiyama 01/17/00
Has Vader dumped Steve already? What a slut.
JIP to Vader giving Misawa a chokeslam. He’s too tough to feel it for long and tags in Akiyama who takes some terrifying bear claws before Exploder Suplexing Vader. Crowd loves that until Jun runs right into Vader’s body block. Vader sends Akiyama into Taue…and then lariats Taue! Misawa saves his ex-colleague by elbowing Vader and thrusting him into the guard rails before Taue shows his appreciation by attacking Misawa. Oh cheers pal. Taue lands a terrifying big boot off the top rope which is just asking for a Sid re-enactment. Taue’s sit-out Powerbomb is broken up by Akiyama, so Taue lobs Misawa into Akiyama to remove him from the match. Nice strategy except Misawa simply elbows Taue to deal with that. Misawa lands the Tiger Driver, before rolling out to deliver a second one. For two. Rolling Elbow gets the pin at 14:09 while Akiyama is tangled with Vader on the outside. Oh so that lariat to Taue meant nothing then? Huh. Match was OK and served it’s purpose to build to Vader vs. Misawa.
Overall: Thirty minutes a week may be a nightmare for the editors to assemble matches while highlighting everyone on the show but it’s a great way to watch the best the company has to offer. The clipping of matches just made me want to watch more AJPW so job done.
Highlight Of The Month:Kobashi vs. Kawada is an easy pick. Vader vs. Akiyama is a good second pick, with Vader vs. his tag partners having to settle for the bronze.
I’ve been Maffew