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18. Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Toshiaki Kawada – May 1, 1998
Misawa and Kawada had been at war with each other for six years by the time this match happened, yet this battle was as fresh and exciting as their first singles bout together.
This match has several moments that epitomizes why King’s Road-style wrestling was so great back in the day. One of those peak moments comes at the 16-minute mark. Misawa and Kawada keep exchanging and reversing holds until Kawada gets hit with a brutal German Suplex, only to be up seconds later and hit Misawa with his own German.
But Misawa gets up instantly, only to be hit with Kawada’s signature Gamengiri kick. Small moments like these exemplify the fighting spirit, technical expertise and incredible toughness of both wrestlers, which is why the Misawa/Kawada feud is remembered so fondly among wrestling enthusiasts.
In the end, Kawada actually looks better than Misawa in a match for the first time in years, and he finally manages to score a decisive win over Misawa in a singles match. Although the crowd is much quieter (they’re in the Tokyo Dome for this match instead of Budokan Hall), they still come alive duiring the last five minutes.
