This isn't quite my favourite Misawa match ever, but it would probably be top 3. It would be top 1 for Taue by a fair distance. Of course it rules and both guys are outstanding in it. You could see Taue's strategy from the start, even if it was somewhat restrained early on. Everyone knows Misawa has a busted face and if you're Taue then you're not about to actively avoid hitting him there, but he wasn't REALLY a dick about it either. He went to the facelock and the forearm was a little higher than it might ordinarily have been, really tight around the eye and bridge of the nose. It's fair game though, nothing below the belt and you'd be a fool not to exploit any weakness against a man with a paucity of them. I liked that first attempt at the snake eyes on the turnbuckle, Misawa blocking it and turning around with a look of mild annoyance, which felt significant considering how unflappable he is at the worst of times. When watching the Misawa/Williams title change from '94 earlier this week I thought the first third was dull as dishwater. This was the complete opposite and the first 10 minutes absolutely breezed by. It was your traditional 90s All Japan build, where they made a point of showing how well they knew each other without being overly cute about it. Taue was not about to stand around and eat elbows, but he couldn't avoid ALL of them and Misawa was aggressive whenever he had the room to build up speed. The first moment where it looks like Misawa's eye is going to be a real problem is when he goes for the flying elbow and Taue basically slams his face into the mat, after which Misawa rolls out the ring in obvious distress. Taue following up with the beefy tope was great and you kind of had a feeling this problem of Misawa's was going to crop up again. It was great build to Taue throwing she shackles off and fully exploiting it. First he grabbed Misawa by the face to flip him out of the facelock, though it wasn't absolutely blatant and was more or less just a snapmare. Then Misawa rocks him with some elbows and Taue outright digs his fingers in Misawa's broken eye socket. And we're off to the races after that. The HEAT~ it garnered gave this an extra layer and Taue would always go back to the eye whenever he needed an out ball. Stomping on the face, clawing at the eye, real coward shit but when you're stepping to The Ace you do what you need to do. Misawa's elbows have never looked better. There was some proper venom behind them here, maybe some desperation in how he knew he needed them to work and work quickly before Taue permanently blinded him. Building to the big deathbump is obviously something of an All Japan hallmark and this was a brilliant example of it. Taue's first attempt at the apron Nodowa is shot down with elbows, because of course it had to be the elbows, but you suspected that wouldn't be the last time Taue went for it. When he goes back to it later Misawa fights it off again, this time by grabbing the top rope rather than throwing elbows, so Taue just fucking Baba chops him in the eye, slaps the hand away from the rope and drills him. Misawa's slow comeback where all he can muster is elbows before rolling out to the floor is basically perfect. I don't think anybody does this stuff as well as Misawa. The kick-out of the Dynamic Bomb that had been Taue's major weapon in the tournament so far was nuclear, then when Misawa goes back to those elbows again he does it just so he can roll out the ring to recuperate. He wasn't using them to set up other pieces of offence, it was entirely so he could buy time on the floor, as close to Misawa in pure survival mode as you'll see. Taue with nothing left trying to claw Misawa's face one last time, knowing Misawa has done what he's always done and fought his way back, is such an awesome moment. Misawa about taking his head off with an elbow is an equally awesome response. This was some exceptionally good pro wrestling.
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