Career Chronicles Volume Six: The Top Twenty Moves of Jun Akiyama

Another addition to the Career Chronicles series, as it's time to head back to where the series began: Classic All Japan Pro Wrestling. Jun Akiyama has been in the ring just shy of twenty years, but in that time, he has quite a few impressive accomplishments. Debuting in 1992 against fellow future legend Kenta Kobashi, he put up quite a battle before being put down. He would face Kobashi in a rematch before being defeated by the newly created Orange Crush. Over the next few years, Akiyama would face many of All Japan's best, often beating defeated in brutal fashion. In 1996, he would be taken under the wing of Mitsuharu Misawa. In May of that year, in an incredible upset, Akiyama pinned former Triple Crown Champion Toshiaki Kawada to win the AJPW World Tag Team Titles. The two would defend the belts over the course of the year. In December, Akiyama would meet a force of pure destruction known as the Nodowa Otoshi off the apron, courtesy of Akira Taue. That would result in Akiyama and Misawa dropping the belts. After two years together, Akiyama and Misawa split, and Akiyama tried to win the Triple Crown, falling to the Emerald Flowsion. Akiyama would team with Kenta Kobashi, winning the 1998 Real World Tag League, and the tag titles a year later. Akiyama followed Misawa during the NOAH exodus. At the debut show, he would turn against Kobashi, and defeat him a night later. The two settle their feud(mostly) at the December 2000 show, with Akiyama tasting the Burning Hammer. A few months later, Akiyama would win his first singles title, the GHC Heavyweight Title, defeating Misawa. He would add the newly created GHC Tag Team Titles as well. After a few successful defenses, he would drop it to Yoshinari Ogawa in four minutes. The feud between Kobashi's Burning stable and Akiyama's Sternness stable would heat up, with Akiyama destroying former stable member Kentaro Shiga with the Sternness Dust Alpha. Akiyama and Akitoshi Saito would win the GHC Tag Team Titles, even defending them against the visiting Emblem team before dropping them to Kobashi and Tamon Honda. A year later, Akiyama would headline the Dome Show against Kobashi for the GHC Heavyweight Title, falling to the Burning Hammer in a spectacular and brutal match, in which both men took horrendous moves off the apron to the floor. However, eighteen months later, Akiyama would defeat Akira Taue for the belt. After nine months, he would again be upset by Naomichi Marufuji for the belt. For the next couple of years, Akiyama took on many of NOAH's rookies, often brutalizing them in spectacular ways. In 2009, he would again make history, becoming only the second man to become a three time GHC Heavyweight Champion, defeating legend Kensuke Sasaki with the Sternness Dust Driver. However, a nagging back injury would end his reign before it got going. Since returning, Akiyama has taken the role of the grumpy veteran, making him quite entertaining even as he enters the twilight of his career. Roughly one month ago, Akiyama would earn a win that evaded him over the first eight years of his career: The Triple Crown Title. After a brutal match that saw both men bring out their biggest moves, a Sternness Dust Driver was enough to end Suwama's reign, and the reign of Akiyama has begun. Akiyama's in-ring style has stayed fairly consistent over the last fifteen years, as he prefers his Knee Strikes and Suplexes. The Northern Lights Suplex was an early finisher, before he picked up the Exploder Suplex. As time went on, Akiyama added an array of moves that utilized the Wrist Clutch, notably the Exploder. Along with that, the variations of the Sternness Dust have fallen even the most resilient of Akiyama's opposition.

Category:

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[Wurzelknecht]

Was that just realistic selling, or did Misawa actually hurt his neck on that Gotch-style Tombstone?

Either way another great top 20 of one of Nippon's great warriors. I'm curious who's next in line for the Career Chronicles.

[TheSuicidalDragon]

Just a good sell job by Misawa. I'm sure it wasn't painless, but at the same time, he sold a few other moves in a similar manner.

[heavyhandeddoom]

It's great how the audience reacted to Akiyama simply placing his arm between Misawa's legs on the Gotch Tombstone. Gotta love the Japanese fans.

[NorthWoodsNightWolf]

I thought the SD Driver was actually Called Sterness Dust Omega 

[antiembishop07]

That last move at the end was murderous...jeez.

[hehehe88]

I thought they named the driver Epsilon.

[drido]

垂直落下！垂直落下！Akiyama's move-set is just brutal. Thank you for all the amazing work you do, especially on these Career Chronicles. I really hope Tenryu and Kawada are featured in future installments.

[thejoser]

"THREE!!!" Excellent as ever.

[Metalkid218]

Akiyama Is So Awesome, my favorite one after Kawada. Great Job SD

[tpunk66]

One of my favourite videos. I like that all 20 moves could concieveably end a match, at least the way Akiyama executes them. Personal favourites: Sterness Dust Alpha, and the Grounded Running Knee Strike

[durandutz]

that Gotch Tombstone was just plain brutal

[adriansurujbhan]

Simple, effective selling by Misawa. Have never been the biggest Akiyama fan, but a hell of a wrestler no question.