This is the match that famously set All Japan on its course for the 1990s, quickly thrusting Mitsuharu Misawa into the spotlight to cover for Genichiro Tenryu's abrupt departure. The foundational moment of Tiger Mask instructing his partner to remove his mask and reveal the company's next ace is so seismic in wrestling history that it completely overshadows how awkwardly it was inserted into this meaningless, dull match. Some early spots are just mistimed, like an intriguing moment where Kawada is forced over to the ropes by Tiger Mask, who does not tag his partner out but instead lets him fight, only then change his mind and calmly tag in with to no reaction. Both Kawada and Misawa take their licks from Fuyuki and Yatsu, though the larger wrestlers lack the momentum to really ground and separate either man.
The actual moment of Misawa's unmasking is, in context, totally random. Irritated by being stalled out by his opponents, Tiger Mask starts stomping Yatsu's head and calls for Kawada to unmask him for no discernible reason. The mask has not been attacked by the other men, not tattered or warped to block Misawa's eyesight. Looking back, Misawa clearly unmasks solely to be seen as Misawa, and in fairness the sudden, visceral roar from the crowd, who begin loudly chanting his name. If Misawa had just gone on a killing spree at that moment, this match would have ruled. Instead, this only marks the halfway point of the match, which gradually slides back down to its repetitious, monotonous pace until Misawa scores a perfunctory pin with a bridging suplex. If you want the story of Misawa (and, by extension, All Japan), do yourself a favor and just stick to the clip of his unmasking and skip ahead to his better matches, which would come literally within days.
Rating: *3/4
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