1) MVC v. Kenta Kobashi/ Mitsuharu Misawa (01/24/93)- 8
Doc and Kenta start out mat wrestling and this seems like it will be a nice, friendly affair- BOOM! Nope, Misawa comes right in throwing bows, as my boy Ludacris might say. You can watch Kobashi and see he's still pretty young in the business but his attitude is so right on; he's completely befuddled at one point, so he just takes Gordy outside and gives him a back suplex on the floor. MVC knows Kobashi is the best chance they have to win so they keep him in most of the match; although he's no push over and just starts throwing really brutal kicks at one point. Doc sells a sleeper like Ebeneezer Scrooge running from the Ghost of Christmas Future but it's really fun. The heels just started using suplexes in their arsenal for the first time on the whole set; Kobashi takes a brutal slam on the outside- he's bumping like a madman which more than makes up for his shortcomings here. I've realized no one runs a comeback like Misawa; he's a ball of flamin' fire and he and Kobashi work some double teams that are just killing- STIFF! STIFF! STIFF! This may have been the hardest hitting match yet. Wonderful finish.
2) MVC v. Mitsuharu Misawa/ Toshiaki Kawada (02/14/93 PWF/International Tag Titles)- 7
Sometimes, Kawada doesn't sell a damn thing. You see a lot of that here; but you don't even have to try and sell his kicks because they seem to exude a natural reaction. MVC goes with the old strategy of hurting Misawa (his leg) and leaving Kawada all alone, but instead they keep Misawa in the ring and just work his leg for the majority of the match. They really work it too; not just laying on it and holding onto it like a Chris Hero or Edge may do. They do tons of near falls after Kawada finally gets back in and a really hot sequence where he folds Gordy in half with a powerbomb and applies the Plum Stretch. The end gets a little chaotic and guys are just fighting all over the ring with no discernable legal man anywhere in sight but it's a legitimate finish so I can give a good score.
3) MVC v. Toshiaki Kawada/ Akira Taue (05/23/93)- 6
This starts out like a rowdy Saturday night at a honky-tonk bar because everybody's going for everybody; i half expected someone to pop out from behind the ref with a beer bottle and smash it to pieces over Taue's head. Gordy and Kawada work an amazing countering of moves with Taue jumping in halfway that's really a step above most of the technical work displayed on the rest of this set. Doc comes in and is all submissions and just grinds bones together, as Gordy sticks to what he knows: haymakers and clotheslines, but it's a formula that's worked. I like Kawada and Doc kicking each other in the head while they are both in a leglock jockeying for position. Another Folding Powerbomb from Kawada to Gordy that's damn impressive. I see all of Goldberg's famous offense on display from Doc; i guess Billy boy studied some tapes at one time or another. 3 chokeslams from Taue is devastating, but lacks the creativity of a great finish.
4) MVC v. Stan Hansen/ Joel Deaton (06/27/93)- 3
Why the fuck is Doc wearing the Rick Steiner headgear? He reminds me of when they put those lampshades on dogs so they don't bite themselves. This is a mugging right from the beginning as Hansen is getting the tumbleweed kicked out of him. They toss Deaton to the floor several times but he does keep trying to put up a fight; but they overpower him and throw him away like a discarded condom wrapper. This one goes quick and Hansen straight got his ass whipped! After the match they toss him over the guardrail and Hansen goes on a belligerent tirade all across ringside, striking dojo boys, Deaton and anyone else in his way while falling all over himself. Quite a funny sight.
5) MVC v. Toshiaki Kawada/ Akira Taue (08/01/93)- 5
This starts out with some sloppy reversal stuff from Gordy and Taue; they look like two gays hopped on meth trying to fuck on the dance floor. Kawada uses kicks so effectively; he just hits his target every time. OH, SWEET MOLASSES, Kawada got KO'd- Doc just clocks him right in the grill and puts him on his keister. Doc does the ugliest cartwheel handspring these brown eyes have ever seen. This is the first time on the whole set where MVC's opponents went to work on a bodypart- this being Gordy's right leg. Didn't last long but he sold it well afterwards. The pace was extremely slow here, as they kept Taue in and just sapped his energy by locking him down in hold after hold on the mat. There was a cool spot where Doc and Kawada had a chop exchange and Doc turned it into a Stampede. In the end, their opponents stole their match-winning formula and got rid of Doc and just doubleteamed Gordy until he broke.
Well, this is the end of my journey through the large arenas of Japan and it's been quite a pleasure. Really reaffirms my choice for these guys to be in the prestigious NHO Hall of Fame. Hope you enjoyed.
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