1) Takao Omori v. Kenta Kobashi- 5
I swore i knew the results beforehand but Kobashi really made me believe the upstart was going to upset him here. Really well paced match with some high impact suplexes and hard nosed clotheslines. Got better as it went on actually, they strayed away from a lot of unnecessary ground work, although Omori did go to the arm as usual, as if when you get in a car and just start driving and don't have a clue where you're going. Good start to final disc.
2) Jun Akiyama v. Akira Taue- 4
Only thing noteworthy in seeking out here is the most brutal torturous Abdominal Stretch in the history of the planet Earth, the rest of this was just Taue pummeling Jun like he was a prisoner in Guantanamo Bay.
3) The Eagle/ Dan Kroffat/ Johnny Ace v. Yoshinari Ogawa/ Giant Baba/ Stan Hansen- 3
This was just a smattering of humanity. Went on way too long to function as anything more than a throwaway match. Hansen was selling the whole time as if he had appendicitis. Kroffat especially leary of hurting Baba, but Ace had no problem chopping that taught thin piece of skin over his skeletal frame. Ogawa was a speck.
4) Mitsuharu Misawa v. Toshiaki Kawada- 6
Another great entry in their lexicon. The way those two could operate around each other was like two guys opening up the sails on a large sailboat, complete teamwork in sync, the reversals were the thing to watch here, and Kawada trying, actively trying to break Misawa's nose. Kawada's Germans are no doubt dangerous, but also sloppier than Slimer taking a deuce. Picture perfect elbow suicido here, miss you Mits.
5) The Eagle/ Dan Kroffat/ Johnny Ace v. Jun Akiyama/ Kenta Kobashi/ ?- 5
There was a skinny as fuck dude on the Puro team who got bitched out from the go by Kroffat, he was rail thin and totally untrained by my eye. But this match worked on more levels than previous six man becuase it was contested more under tag psychology, even giving us our beloved ROH close breakups at the end, except the illegal guys were still going back to their corners afterwards, who said playing by the rules couldn't give you that warm feeling in the pit of your stomach? Ace was commander here again, just taking liberties with all who opposed him, even the Eagle looked competent matching strikes and offense with Kobashi. Really fun match here.
6) Takao Omori v. Toshiaki Kawada- 4
This is a fail. Kawada doesn't have the nuturing guidance to push Omori through this match looking like roses. He kind of dead weighted a lot of the kids' stuff and really didn't give him the right offense to make this a contest, just flat back bumps after every punch or kick or what have you. And there were a few pointless outside spots that left me scratching my head. Not even brutal Kawada showed up for this although the finishing run was well done even if not worthy of it's bestowed.
7) Stan Hansen v. Doug Furnas- 3
This was the drizzling shits pretty much, Furnas looked totally inept, even stumbling when trying to execute a stomp and he did these shoulderblocks that McLovin would have laughed at. Hansen kind of meandered like a blind mule until he hit the lariat, which didn't disappoint.
8) Mitsuharu Misawa v. Akira Taue- 6
Really disappointed this wasn't their finals match, so we got the 30 minute draw, so it did work in that regards where it felt like both guys were really giving it all they had to pull out the win even down to the last second where neither man could keep going. Taue was totally pushed here as the younger Baba, the similarities are frighteningly similar, the Wall-esque forehead, the giant leg offense, the withered Master look (as the character from the fantastic film, "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring) , so after you watch this you like it for it's physicality, which Taue brought in spades with his giant handling of Mits, who also didn't hold back on elbows (when did he ever?) but lacked the genuine spark of a Kawada match, which I just watched an hour before this. The big outside spots took forever to set up and the payoff wasn't worth it, don't like the context of how submissions are also utilized during the end, but highspots they know like the back of their regularly lotioned hands and that carried this match to recommendable standards.
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