20 AJPW Matches you must see before you die

13. Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Akira Taue – April 15, 1995

Taue brought his A-game in this match, showcasing his craftiness and ring psychology throughout the contest. He also got the crowd to both chant his name and actually boo him within five minutes, which is a hard thing to do in pro wrestling. Of the famous ‘Four Pillars of Heaven’, Akira Taue is often considered the weakest of the three (something like the Becky Lynch of the Four Horsewomen). However, Taue proved his doubters wrong in this 5-star classic singles match against AJPW ace Misawa.

Taue managed to do something very important in this match: prove that he could excel in a singles match. Previously, he had spent most of his career teaming with other stars and was always seen as secondary to his various partners, especially Kawada.

But in this match, Taue looked like a true main event star, managing to show off some truly impressive offense for that era (including a Chokeslam off the apron to the floor that brought the audience to its feet).

Unfortunately for Taue, he couldn’t keep Misawa down, no matter how hard he tried (and he even attacked Misawa’s eye out of desperation), and failed to capture the Triple Crown Heavyweight title. All in all, a true gem of a match that showcased some of the best of AJPW.