5 Best Wrestling Matches of 1999

3. Kenta Kobashi & Jun Akiyama vs. Mitsuharu Misawa & Yoshinari Ogawa – October 23, 1999

A lot of people have wondered why Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer had such high praise for AJPW during the 1990s. I believe I’ve found the main reason: AJPW matches were pure grappling contests with few gimmicks and emphasis on drama based on big moves and toughness.

This match exemplified those traits. You had two teams, one composed of tag team champions and the other of challengers. The wrestlers involved didn’t have over-the-top gimmicks; all of them were straightforward grapplers who used elaborate wrestling moves and clever reversals to try and win.

And last but not least, they used some of the craziest wrestling moves ever created, including the legendary Burning Hammer, a move so high-risk and powerful that it’s almost never used, even in Japan.

The reason this match is so good is because it has all those elements of a great match: drama, big moves, a raucous crowd, technical precision, logical reversals, unpredictability and moves so dangerous and powerful it makes you think the wrestlers are made of iron.

Without knowing anything about any of these four men, you get the feeling they’re all tough as nails and can back up that toughness with great technique as well.

It’s a really fun match that doesn’t require any translation or context.