Jun Akiyama vs. Kenta Kobashi for the AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship, from the All Japan Budokan Hall show held on July 24, 1998

I thought I had seen all of the truly essential AJPW matches of the 90s, but grandaddy Meltzer heavily underrated this one for no reason I can ascertain from just watching this match. Being a AJPW match from the 90s gives away that this contains attempted murder via suplexes, powerbombs, and hard strikes, but Kobashi gives an Oscar-worthy performance selling his bum leg and Akiyama comes across as the most evil bastard in the world for the vile ways he attacks the knee. This half-hour flew by, and goodness, how it makes me want to go on a AJPW binge.

10

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