Hello, and welcome to the first edition of The Single File, in which I closely examine and dissect one specific wrestling match.  The basic reasoning behind this is that I don't have the time to do tape reviews for entire shows on a consistent basis, so focusing on one match will (hopefully) allow me to contribute on a weekly basis.  And if this seems like a rip-off of The Death Valley Driver Playboys' "Singles Going Steady," well, good guess.  Hell, I'll even throw in footnotes, since [a] they're fun, [b] I read David Foster Wallace too (1), and [c] the DVDVR boys didn't invent the footnote (2).

I don't really have any criteria for choosing matches.  They could be great matches, or humorously awful ones.  They could be historic bouts, or obscure gems.  Our first match, however, falls in the good/significant categories.

You've no doubt heard the story of Mitsuharu Misawa leaving All Japan Pro Wrestling in 1999 and taking half the roster with him to form his own league, Pro Wrestling NOAH (3).  Well, they held their first show on 8/5/00 (4), and we'll be looking at the main event, a 2/3 falls match between Misawa/Akira Taue and Kenta Kobashi/Jun Akiyama (5).  Even if you don't watch Japanese wrestling, you've probably heard of Misawa and Kobashi, and with good reason, since they're two of the best wrestlers in the world today.  Taue and Akiyama aren't too far behind.

Backstory:  Not much.  It's just the first show, and there aren't any title belts (6), so this is just a match to see who the top dogs of the fed will be.  Oddly, the tag partners don't come out together, or even in order (Taue enters first, then Akiyama, Kobashi, and Misawa).  Oh, and can I mention that the mat is a horrible shade of lime green?  Well, enough preliminaries, let's get to the main event.

Mitsuharu Misawa/Akira Taue vs. Kenta Kobashi/Jun Akiyama (2/3 falls)

Misawa and Akiyama circle each other to start.  Jun goes for the legs, and manages to go behind and turn it into a front chancery, but they're tied up in the ropes.  When Jun releases the hold, Misawa responds by popping him hard with a forearm.  Akiyama backs off for a second, then they tie up again.  Jun goes for the Exploder (7) but Misawa blocks.  Jun retaliates by falling forward and landing on top of Misawa, then wrapping up his legs and applying a sleeper.  Akira comes in and stomps on Jun a few times, but Akiyama won't break the hold.  Kobashi comes in, and gets a boot in the face from Taue for his troubles.  But Kenta comes back with a lariat, which nearly knocks Taue out (8).  Kobashi then grabs Misawa and applies a sleeper, then hitting a Cobra Clutch suplex that deposits Misawa right on top of his skull.  Jun then picks up Misawa, hits a DDT, and holds on and applies a choke that amazingly gets the submission and first fall in 2:00.

Misawa plays dead for a few minutes to really sell the choke as the trainers swarm all around him.  He finally gets to his feet as the second fall begins.  Jun immediately charges and kicks Misawa in the gut, and goes for another Exploder, but Misawa blocks and manages to armdrag Akiyama.  Jun responds with a kick that sends Misawa into the corner.  Jun charges with a high knee, but Misawa manages to catch him and throw him off.  Jun gets to his feet as Misawa stuns him with a forearm.  Kobashi enters the ring and gets the same.  Misawa then peppers Jun with a few more forearms that send him to the mat.  Misawa then hooks on a funky submission where he wraps up Akiyama's legs with his own, then reaches underneath Jun's arms and locks his hands behind Jun's back and pulls forward.  Taue comes in to intercept Kobashi as the two exchange punches and chops.  Meanwhile, it looks like Jun is about to submit when Kobashi gets the better of Taue and manages to break up the submission.  Both Misawa and Akiyama collect themselves on the mat, until Misawa is able to tag in Taue, who comes in and lays the boots the Akiyama.  Taue then twists Akiyama's neck, then applies a dragon sleeper.  When this fails to get a submission, Taue rams the back of Jun's head into the turnbuckle.  Taue goes for a cross-corner whip, but Akiyama reverses it and follows up with a high knee, then tags in Kobashi.

Kobashi and Taue tie up, and Kenta backs Akira into the ropes, then follows with a LOUD chop.  Taue backs off for a few second.  They tie up again, with Taue applying a wristlock and hitting a side kick that nails Kobashi right in the face.  Taue then bounces off the ropes and hits a leaping boot to the face, following it up with a sorta scissor kick to the back of Kobashi's head.  Akira tags in Misawa, who nails some forearm shots to the back of Kobashi's neck.  He then whips Kobashi into the ropes and hits a nice dropkick.  Misawa covers, but only for a one count.  Misawa slaps on a front chancery, but Kobashi backs him into the ropes, then rams his shoulder repeatedly in the gut.  Misawa and Kobashi then start exchanging shots, with the former getting the better of his foe with some stiff forearms.  He makes the tag to Akira, who comes in and lays the boots to Kenta.  Akira then goes for a suplex, but Kobashi blocks it and hits a beauty of a delayed suplex.  Kobashi covers, but only gets a one count.  Kobashi tags in Akiyama, and they whip Taue into the ropes and hit a double elbow smash.  Cover by Akiyama, but he only gets two.  Jun slaps on a headlock, but Taue gets a foot on the ropes, so Jun drops a knee right on his face.  Jun picks up Akira and whips him into the ropes, hitting a high knee on the rebound that knocks Akira outside the ring.  Kobashi drops to the floor and whips Akira into the steel guardrail, nails some chops, and deposits Taue back in the ring for a pin attempt by Akiyama.  Said pin only gets two, so Jun applies a headscissors, but Akira again reaches the ropes.  Jun tags Kobashi back in, who lays some chops into Akira.  But Akira fight back and manages to hit a enziguri, followed by a legdrop to the back of the head.

Akira tags Misawa back in, who hits some jumping kicks to Kobashi's face.  But Kobashi manages to grab Misawa's leg and hit his patented chops to the neck.  Kobashi tosses Misawa into the ropes and immediately follows with a knee to the gut, then throws him into the ropes again and follows with a kick to the gut that sends Misawa tumbling.  Kobashi drops a leg and covers for a 2 count.  Kobashi tags Akiyama back in, and Jun lays a kick into Misawa and picks him up like he's going for another Exploder, but turns it into a stomach breaker.  Akiyama picks up Misawa like he's going for a Death Valley Driver, but turns it into another stomach breaker.  Akiyama drops an elbow, then picks up Misawa and throws him into the corner for some kicks.  Akiyama goes for a suplex, but Misawa blocks and hits one of his own.  Misawa tags Taue back in, and Akira hits a boot to the face that knocks Jun onto the apron, and follows with a another boot that sends Jun sprawling onto the rampway (9).  Taue follows to the outside and hits a big chokeslam on the ramp, then follows up by picking up Jun like he was going for an atomic drop, and just dumping him back in the ring.  Back in the ring, Taue slams Akiyama and goes up top and hits a big splash.  He goes for a cover that gets broken up by Kobashi.  Taue tags Misawa back in, who hits a pair of standing sentons for a 2 count.  Misawa butterflies the arms for a Tiger Driver, and Jun tries to block it, but Misawa eventually hits the move for a 2 count.  Misawa makes another tag to Taue.  Akiyama tries for a punch, but it gets blocked and turned into a Double Arm Suplex (10).  Taue goes for a cover, but Akiyama gets his foot on the ropes.  Taue picks up Akiyama and whips him into the corner and follows with a big boot to the face.  Taue places Akiyama on the top rope and goes for a super chokeslam, but Akiyama turns it into an armdrag in the mid-air!  Akiyama, now pumped up, runs off the ropes and hits a high knee, then makes the tag to Kobashi.

Kobashi hits some patented chops and goes for a whip into the ropes, but Taue reverses it and goes for a big boot, but Kobashi manages to hold onto the rope.  Taue goes for another kick but Kobashi grabs the leg and lands another chop to the neck.  Kobashi runs off the ropes, but Taue grabs him by the throat, and Kobashi knocks his hand away.  Taue tries it again with the same result, and this time Kobashi maneuvers behind Taue and tries for a half-nelson suplex.  Taue manages to block it, so Kobashi responds with a kick and whips him into the corner.  Taue reverses the whip and charges in, but Kobashi responds with a boot in the face.  Kobashi goes to the second rope and tries a clothesline, but Taue responds by kneeing Kenta right in the gut.  Taue makes the tag to Misawa, who comes off the top rope with a front dropkick (11).  Misawa follows it up by whipping Taue into the ropes and hitting a jumping spinning clothesline (12) for a 2 count.  Misawa goes for the Tiger Driver again, but Kobashi blocks it, so Misawa opts to hit a German Suplex for 2.  Misawa picks up Kobashi, who tries a quick spinning chop that gets ducked.  Misawa hits a forearm, but Kobashi responds with a spinning chop that connects.  Kobashi goes for a Half Nelson suplex that gets blocked, so he tags in Akiyama while still holding onto Misawa.  Jun charges at Misawa, who manages to break free and hit a forearm, followed by a spinning kick, and then makes the tag to Taue.

Taue comes in with a big boot that sends Akiyama onto the apron.  Akira follows him out and goes for a chokeslam from the apron to the floor.  Kobashi tries to break it up with some forearm shots, but Misawa comes in with some forearm shots that send him to the mat.  Taue goes for the chokeslam, but Akiyama elbows him mid-move and lands on his feet on the floor, so Taue follows up with a leaping boot off the apron!  He deposits Akiyama back in the ring, and hits a nice chokeslam with a 2 count.  Akiyama then hits a sitdown powerbomb, but Kobashi breaks up the pin at 2.  Misawa comes in and hits some forearm shots, and runs off the ropes, but Kobashi nails him with a spinning kick.  Kobashi then follows with the awesome powerbomb into the turnbuckles.  Taue then hits Kobashi with a boot, and goes for a clothesline, but Kenta ducks and hits a release German suplex.  Kenta then sets himself, and nails the running lariat.  Misawa then hits a forearm on Kobashi and follows up with an Emerald Erosion (13).  Misawa then tries to clothesline Akiyama, but gets caught with an Exploder.  Misawa no sells the move and gets right up, only to be hit with another Exploder.  He doesn't get up this time.  Akiyama then nails Taue (who was slumped in the corner) with a high knee, then hits one final Exploder for the 3 count and the match in 2 straight falls.
 
Post match, Misawa and Taue exit the ring, and Kobashi and Akiyama celebrate.  Then Akiyama turns on his partner and gives him a backdrop suplex!  Akiyama walks out alone while Kobashi ponders what the hell just happened.

Really, really good match, just a hair shy of great.  Of course, it'll forever be judged on its historical significance rather than its own merit.  Still, a match you should definitely check out.

Fallout: Akiyama choked out Kobashi in 24:25 the next night, and the two have continued to feud, with the big blowoff occurring at the big year end 12/23 show, which saw Kobashi pin Akiyama in a match which was by most account a Match of the Year candidate.  Misawa has resumed his feud with Vader, and Taue ain't doin' too much right now.

That's all for this edition of The Single File.  I'll be back soon with a little known WWF dream match: The Steiner Brothers vs. Bret and Owen Hart.  Commence drooling.

Joe Gagne
Flashbacker
[slash] wrestling