Jun Akiyama vs. Mitsuharu Misawa (AJPW, 2/27/00)

When I think of Jun Akiyama, I think of the Blue Thunder of Furikan High, Tatewaki Kuno! (if you get that reference, thumbs up). This is Akiyama's big moment in the rising sun, challenging the final boss of AJPW in Mitsuharu Misawa, and the relentlessness in which he comes at Misawa and stays on him throughout is incredible. I loved the opening stretch building to Misawa's apron elbow, with Misawa especially looking spry and energized. He's got to make sure Akiyama's ready for the challenge so he throws him a few snug love tap elbows. But Akiyama's more than ready, alluding Misawa's dive as he crashes and burns on the guardrail, setting up some extensive and aggressive neckwork. An apron kneedrop, a piledriver on the floor, a fucking Exploder '98 on the apron with a wonderful shot of Misawa's face before the execution, and some gnarly neck cranks back inside the ring. Misawa's selling is terrific here, and Akiyama doesn't let him build much momentum, dropping kicking him out of the ring and escalating the attack on the neck with a badass cradle tombstone piledriver and Exploder.

Misawa's veteran comeback toward the end begins with him busting open Akiyama's nose with a nasty knee drop to the face. Then he frog splashes him, hits a couple of German suplexes and tiger drivers, but Akiyama won't lay down, can't stay down. The fighting spirit Exploders were the perfect transition point heading into the finishing stretch, with the fans rallying behind Akiyama as he blasts Misawa with the jumping knee in the corner and follow-up Exploder. When that doesn't work, he spikes Misawa with a brainbuster and when it's still not enough, the wrist-clutch Exploder earns him his victory. Such an fantastic match, and Misawa's final epic before leaving All Japan.