Misawa vs. Tsuruta

All Japan Pro Wrestling
Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Mitsuharu Misawa
June 8th 1990
The normally quiet Japanese crowd is red hot for this. They lock up with Tsuruta shoving Misawa off. Shoulder block takedown by Jumbo and a power slam. Misawa blocks a running knee strike, but soon gets caught with the big boot. Hard clothesline by Jumbo, for the first cover attempt of the match. Power slam by Tsuruta, but Misawa counters a back drop driver into a press. Tsuruta goes to ringside, but gets caught with a drop kick off the apron by Misawa. Tsuruta is dumped over the steel barricade. Misawa hangs out in the ring, as it takes Tsuruta several seconds to come back. Misawa dumps Tsuruta back to the floor and leaps over the ropes onto his worthy foe.
The match restarts with a headlock, and Misawa takes control. Tsuruta reverses the lock and goes to work on the wrists. It takes several seconds, but Misawa counters the hold and pulls back on Tsuruta's arms. Sadly, it's reversed again, but Misawa flips out. Misawa applies a hard hammerlock, which is broken by the ropes. Misawa slaps Tsuruta out of frustration. The match restarts again, this time with Tsuruta aggressively pounding and hitting his knee into Misawa's face. Tsuruta goes for the ever so reliable abdominal stretch. Misawa counters into an abdominal stretch of his own, but Tsuruta counters by pushing Misawa over the ropes. Misawa is then whipped into the steel barricade and effortlessly tossed back into the ring by his larger foe. Suplex and a cover by Tsuruta, and then the chinlock!
Misawa struggles with the chinlock, but fights to his feet. Jumbo sends Misawa crashing face first to the mat. Tsuruta tries the move again, but Misawa counters with a drop kick! Neat! Misawa goes high risk and connects with the missile dropkick. Cover by Misawa only gets 2. Running elbow shot by Misawa and a suplex. Spin kick by Misawa and a power slam. Misawa goes high risk and connects with a frog splash! Cover only gets 2. Tsuruta then catches Misawa in his arms and drops him onto the ropes in a sickening fashion! Tsuruta is done playing games and angrily stomps and hits a pile driver! Cover gets 2. Lou Thesz press by Tsuruta gets a cover for 2. Hard drop kick by Tsuruta gets another cover for 2. Misawa won't stay down!
Tsuruta connects with a big boot and goes for the cover yet again. Tsuruta goes high risk, Misawa cuts him off, but Tsuruta still gets his knee to the face of Misawa. Tsuruta continues to dominate, as he gets a power slam and goes high risk again. Misawa chases him to the top and attempts a superplex. Tsuruta knocks him back down to the mat and hits a missile drop kick! Misawa is barely able to kick out of the following cover. Misawa blocks a power bomb, but only temporarily, as Tsuruta gets the bomb and almost wins with the cover. Loud "Misawa" chant from the fans in attendance. Tsuruta goes for a tiger driver, but Misawa counters into a backslide pin attempt. Tsuruta kicks out and knocks Misawa down with his fist, before collapsing himself.
Misawa baseball slides Tsuruta to the floor and hits a HUGE flying crossbody off the top turnbuckle onto Tsuruta on the outside! DAMN! The distance that Misawa got right there was incredible! Both men struggle back into the ring, where Misawa hits some jumping kick thrusts to the head. Tsuruta blocks a back suplex, but Misawa bridges him into a pinning predicament. Tsuruta kicks out! Hard spin kick by Misawa, who then goes high risk again. Misawa goes for the frog splash, but Tsuruta gets his knees up! Tsuruta goes for the cover, but Misawa kicked out! Powerslam by Tsuruta, followed by the Boston crab! Misawa gets the rope break. Hard clothesline by Tsuruta, with another cover attempt for 2. Another hard clothesline gets another 2 count for Tsuruta. Misawa is a mad man!
Tsuruta clotheslines Misawa into the corner. Back suplex by Tsuruta and both men are having trouble getting up. Misawa hits the German suplex into a pinning predicament and Tsuruta barely kicks out! Misawa goes for the tiger driver again, but Tsuruta counters into a back drop pinning predicament. Tsuruta whips Misawa off the ropes and into his knee. Misawa is whipped into the corner, but he leaps off the turnbuckles and into Tsuruta's head. Tsuruta charges at Misawa, who blocks, and Tsuruta hits the ropes in awkward fashion! DAMN! Misawa counters the suplex, but his power bomb is countered into a press! Misawa counters into a pin of his own and wins! Holy crap, what a finish! Misawa beat the legendary Tsuruta at 24:25! The torch has been passed! This match had the "big match" feel all over it, and provided lots of innovative action and drama. You need to watch this (if you haven't already), ****3/4.
Winner: Mitsuharu Misawa