Heat: The Space Age of Pro Wrestling

My cable box shit the bed for a while today, so I spent a couple of hours watching the History of the Triple Crown DVD set I picked up from RudoReels as a Christmas gift for myself. I’m about halfway through that beast of a set, and I stumbled upon this gem. Mitsuharu Misawa, in the midst of his run as pro wrestling’s green-clad god and the subject of many of Dave Meltzer’s 5 star wet dreams, defends the All Japan Pro Wrestling Triple Crown against a new challenger, Jun Akiyama. At this point, Misawa is All Japan’s undisputed ace, while Akiyama has been rising up the ranks since his debut in 1992 against Kenta Kobashi. This is Akiyama’s first match for the Triple Crown, and much like his debut, his first championship match is excellent. Also, there’s a shot during his entrance where he looks like the spitting image of Inoki, which I was amused by. Inoki and Akiyama – chin brothers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6Y3OH3oqWo