I'm set on the Top Six, and their order. I'm fairly set on the inclusion of #7-14, but somewhat less set on their order.
#15-20 is more of a crap shoot between them and another 22 matches that made it past my "first cut" of candidates.

20. Toshiaki Kawada vs. Gary Albright (10/25/95)
Technically AJPW had many matches that were better than his in the decade that I've left off. But it makes the cut for uniqueness of match in a AJPW setting, the sureal performance of Kawada, and having a match that Misawa and Kobashi couldn't follow. Whereas many of the matches that did not make the final cut blend in with others of their ilk (like the various Misawa vs. Kawada or Misawa vs. Kobashi matches), this one stands out as memorable half a decade later. Memorable and unique enough to make the cut.

19. Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Kenta Kobashi (5/24/91)
The definative Jumbo vs. younger, far lower ranked opponent.

18. Jumbo Tsuruta & Akira Taue & Masa Fuchi vs. Mitsuharu Misawa & Toshiaki Kawada & Kenta Kobashi (4/20/91)
The definative Jumbo & Co. vs. Misawa & Co. six-man tag. So many of their great six men tags blend together as the same level of greatness that it's almost impossible to pick one out to represent the group. I'll pick the Usual Suspect.

17. Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Akira Taue (9/10/95 - Triple Crown)
Just to be contrarian and vote for this rather than their Carny Final. They are essential equals.

16. Stan Hansen vs. Toshiaki Kawada (02/28/93)
Stan and Kawada set the tone for a great year not only by both, but also for the promotion.

15. Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama vs. Steve Williams & Johnny Ace (06/07/96 ­ World Tag Titles)
Technically the 3/95 match between Misawa & Kobashi vs. Doc & Ace probably was better, but this had the better storylines and selling.

14. Toshiaki Kawada vs. Kenta Kobashi (06/12/98 - Triple Crown)
For one last time, the Ghosts of All Japan Past get up and ride around Budokan.

13. Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Kenta Kobashi (10/21/97 - Triple Crown)
A perfect follow-up to their TC match earlier in the year.

12. Dan Kroffat & Doug Furnas vs. Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi (05/25/92 ­ All Asia Tag Titles)
An nod to the once great AJPW mid-cards. Heat, drama, moves... just exceptional. Two of the decade's very best teams peaking at the same moment.

11. Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Mitsuharu Misawa (06/08/90)
10. Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Mitsuharu Misawa (09/01/90)
Point, counterpoint to Legend vs. New Star matches.

9. Toshiaki Kawada vs. Steve Williams (04/16/94 - Carnival 94 Final)
A near perfect match.

8. Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue vs. Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi (10/15/95 ­ World Tag Titles)
I happened to just rewatch this to figure out if my memory overrates this. Nope. I don't think any other four wrestlers could have worked this match. It touched on nearly every storyline element of All Japan's 1995 year, from the "work alone" storylines of the tags, to all of Taue's "growth", to Kawada foreshadowing his match with Albright by destroying Kobashi's arm and working for submissions on it deep into the match. The best 60:00 match in the decade... and probably any other decade.

7. Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi & Jun Akiyama vs. Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue & Yoshinari Ogawa (07/02/93)
The decade's best six-man tag, and the perfect example of what they once accomplished for the promotion with regularity.

6. Stan Hansen vs. Kenta Kobashi (7/31/93)
For ten months, the best mens singles match ever.

5. Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue vs. Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi (12/03/93 - RWTL 93)
One of the performances of the decade (Kawada's) helped make this the climax to the style of All Japan tag matches begun with the Choshu & Yatsu vs. Tsuruta & Tenryu matches. The following year the teams would create a new style where the "work to the finish" was stretched upwards of 20 minutes, and then beyond. The balance between simplicity and complexity of the work and storytelling keeps this on the top shelf of match I couldn't do without.

4. Kenta Kobashi vs. Mitsuharu Misawa (01/20/97 - Triple Crown)
The last time All Japan kicked out a match worthy of being considered *the* Match of the Decade. If this isn't the match of the decade, it's not far off...

3. Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs. Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (06/09/95 ­ World Tag Titles)
42 minutes building to a finish 30 months in the making. At the time it seemed to be just a taste of what was to come when Kawada would finally get his climactic first singles win over Misawa. Instead the taste was far better than the climax.

2. Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Toshiaki Kawada (06/03/94 - Triple Crown)
Wrestling as Art.

1. Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama vs. Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (12/06/96 - RWTL 96 Finals)
Simply the best mens match I've ever seen. For one last night, all was right in a decaying promotion.

jdw