Friday, October 13, 2017

Toshiaki Kawada vs. Akira Taue (AJPW, 1/15/91)

Good lordy, this match was unexpectedly tumultuous, with an uncharacteristically brutal and bloody-faced Akira Taue. Even before the streamers are let loose, Kawada is throwing chairs and repeatedly ramming Taue’s forehead into the guardrail, busting him open after a few jabs of the chair. The blood only seems to invigorate Taue, who counters Kawada’s kick by just shoving his leg into the guardrail, and then goes to work on it. I love how Kawada uses his boots in submission situations but when he tries booting the back of Taue’s head, Taue says “fuck this” and starts peppering Kawada with slaps. Taue’s legwork is real grunty but effective, as he uses the timekeeper’s table or a chair to fuck up Kawada’s leg. Kawada’s selling is almost non-existent throughout but it doesn’t really matter because Taue keeps cutting off his rebuttals, headbutting him or spiking him into the canvas. Kawada finally snaps in the end, shitkicking Taue on the mat and then clobbering him with the enzui-lariat to pick up the win. Loved this!

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