(Almost) 5-Star Match Reviews: Kenta Kobashi & KENTA vs. Kensuke Sasaki & Katsuhiko Nakajima – NOAH, June 14, 2008

Pro-Wrestling NOAH’s fall from grace is one of wrestling’s sadder stories. Once a company filled with promise and a bottomless well of fan support, the company enjoyed a terrific two-year peak that turned it into the biggest company in the country. In some ways it was like ROH or TNA during the same period or AEW during its first two years: a company with lots of promise thanks to a deep roster and a general potential for greatness.

But bad decisions, no matter how big or small, can doom a company, especially in the wild and unpredictable world of pro-wrestling. NOAH’s decision-makers made many creative and promotional mistakes that cost them dearly. Unable to create new stars (three words that wrestling fans will never stop seeing/hearing), and with a shrinking and aging roster, the company had no choice but to rely on the stars of the past to help build the potential stars of the future. That formula yielded mixed long-term results, but there were a few occasions in which it led to some great matches. And while hearing about a company’s misfortunes isn’t much of an uplifting subject, looking at great matches and seeing what made them so great is. To that end, let’s take another look at a great NOAH match to see how well it holds up.

Previously I was writing for a site called TJR Wrestling and now this series is coming to Blog of Doom. For now you can check out the series in its entirety here.

The story

With each passing year NOAH kept falling further from its peak. Despite having Kenta Kobashi back after returning from cancer (in a match that was so intense it had wrestlers and fans crying when it ended), the company’s fortunes didn’t turn around. Kobashi was a bona fide legend, but by this point in his career he was very much an attraction wrestler. A broken down attraction clearly in the twilight of his career, but an attraction nonetheless.

Determined to make full use of what remained of his drawing power, Kobashi spent most of his days teaming with his various protégés. In doing so, Kobashi found himself in an almost identical copy of a similar match from three years earlier. In November 2005, Kobashi teamed with Go Shiozaki to take on the duo of Sasaki and his protégé Nakajima. And while Kobashi and Shiozaki lost, they put on a valiant effort and had a genuine MOTYC.

Here, Sasaki and Nakajima teamed once again, but this time Shiozaki was swapped for the older and more experienced KENTA. By this point in time KENTA was already established as one of NOAH’s top stars and the company’s junior heavyweight ace. He flirted with the heavyweight scene with the odd GHC world title challenge, but it would still be a few years before he would actually win the world title.

Both Kobashi and Sasaki went out of their way to beat the audience over the head with the idea that whoever they teamed with were big deals. They hoped that their respective protégés would absorb some of their star power and magnetism through a combination of osmosis and on-the-job learning. On one hand they were successful to a degree: fifteen years later KENTA is one of the most successful and decorated wrestlers in Japan despite his many injuries while Nakajima is a pretty big deal wherever he goes. On the other hand, the Japanese wrestling market was already heading towards a winter period when both men were getting pushed. It didn’t help that both men were hamstrung by the curse of small stature; even though both of them were decently sized by Japanese standards (where the average national height is 5 feet 7 inches), where they both lost out was weight. Even with a body ravaged by cancer Kobashi still outweighed Nakajima by a good 40-50 pounds and had a physique similar to John Cena’s while Sasaki was still 255 pounds of muscle with massive arms.

So at first glance this looked like it would be a strange mismatch akin to the tag team version of Daniel Bryan taking on Brock Lesnar. And yet the smaller guys also had relative health on their sides; Sasaki had suffered a few sidelining injuries come 2008 while Kobashi collected broken body parts in the same way Vader collected world titles.

There were plenty of questions going into this match that made it an exciting prospect. How would Kobashi hold up at this point into his career, his body held together by paper clips and prayers to Shinto deities? Could KENTA out-fight Nakajima – who was just as hungry and vicious as he was – and Sasaki, who was basically the top heavyweight freelancer in the country at the time? Could the outsider duo make lightning strike twice and pin Kobashi and his partner on a big NOAH show? Would someone get knocked out from all the chops, kicks, and dangerous suplexes that were guaranteed to be thrown around with almost reckless abandon? There was only one way to find out.

The match

This match originally took place on June 14, 2008. It was rated ****1/4 out of five by the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer.

KENTA and Nakajima start things off. KENTA rushes Nakajima the instant the bell rings but Nakajima has him scouted and boots him first. A high-speed full-contact strike exchange ends with a wheel kick from Nakajima. KENTA reverses a corner whip and the two junior heavyweights exchange hard kicks once again until KENTA drops him with a lariat, which leads to a stalemate. Then both Kobashi and Sasaki tag in, soak in the atmosphere, and then chop each other 24 times. Kobashi shoots Sasaki off the ropes but Sasaki hits back with a lariat. Then Sasaki hits Kobashi’s signature half-nelson suplex and attempts a Northern Lights Bomb. But Kobashi tries countering with a NLB of his own, only for Sasaki to land on top of him.

Both men fall to ringside on opposite sides of the ring and do their across-the-ring “it’s on now” stare-down. In the ring they go nose-to-nose and then do the Greco-Roman knuckle lock. Sasaki wins with an overhead suplex but doesn’t even get a one-count. After another stalemate Kobashi headlocks Sasaki and then tags KENTA. Some mild comedy ensues as KENTA stiffs Sasaki but Sasaki absorbs those attacks like a sponge. Sasaki stiffs KENTA in kind with chops to the upper chest/throat area but KENTA no-sells in return until Sasaki drops him with a short-range lariat as well. KENTA hits another combination of random strikes to break Sasaki’s guard, but when he charges to the ropes Sasaki hits first with a dropkick and a clothesline that sends him to the floor.

KENTA reverses a whip into the barricade but he soon finds himself being double-teamed by Sasaki and Nakajima. He manages to send Nakajima into a barricade but Sasaki sneaks up behind him and chops his knees. Sasaki follows with a vertical suplex onto the ringside mats and then tags Nakajima who gives KENTA a taste of his own medicine with a spine punt for a two-count. Nakajima gets another two-count off a dropkick and then boots an unsuspecting Kobashi, who tries to retaliate but the referee keeps him back.

Sasaki tags in and drops KENTA with a chest/back forearm club combo for another two-count. KENTA tries fighting back with roundhouse kicks but Sasaki tanks them and drops him with more chops for yet another two-count. Nakajima tags in and hits a yakuza kick/corner forearm/underhook suplex combo but only gets two. KENTA escapes a chinlock via stunner but Nakajima stops him from tagging out with another roundhouse kick. Sasaki tags in and gets revenge for a cheap-shot with a big running corner lariat. The ref checks on KENTA and starts his ten-count but KENTA gets up at six, at which point Sasaki blasts him with more chops. KENTA avoids a corner charge and attempts a suplex but Sasaki blocks, only for KENTA to throw him into a corner and hit a successful suplex seconds later.

Kobashi gets the hot tag and lands machine gun chops in the corner. Sasaki no-sells and does his chop/clothesline combo in return. Kobashi empties a second clip of chops, blocks a corner charge, and lands a running neckbreaker. He attempts a vertical suplex but Sasaki counters with his own. Nakajima tags in and lands more roundhouse kicks in a corner. He boots KENTA off the apron and then kicks Kobashi under the chin. Kobashi blocks a back suplex and hits a Burning Sword downward chop using the top turnbuckle for balance.

Kobashi and Nakajima have their own version of the earlier Sasaki/KENTA fighting spirit sequence with Nakajima enduring brutal punishment only to keep getting up. Kobashi follows with an apron Burning Sword and then chops him over the barricade. He and KENTA do a ringside combo move and then KENTA stamps onto Nakajima’s belly. KENTA tosses Nakajima into the ring where Kobashi hits a third Burning Sword for another two-count.

KENTA tags in and does a kick/chop combo alongside Kobashi and then hits a big running dropkick to Sasaki as Nakajima slumps over in the middle of the ring. KENTA kicks Sasaki hard as Kobashi keeps Shiozaki in place with chops. A Penalty Kick gets KENTA a two-count and then Kobashi tags in to lock in a Boston crab. Nakajima gets a ropebreak and then reverses a corner whip as KENTA tags in again. KENTA blocks a charge and hits his tornado hotshot/springboard dropkick combo. Kobashi goes after Sasaki as KENTA lands full-power running corner dropkicks. KENTA follows with a fisherman suplex but only gets two.

As Sasaki and Kobashi fight ringside, KENTA lands his martial arts rush and goes for a Busaiku Knee but Nakajima shuts him down with a massive superkick. KENTA stops Nakajima from tagging out and goes for a discus lariat but Nakajima ducks and lands a DDT. KENTA fails a second cut-off attempt and Sasaki tags in. Sasaki launches KENTA around the ring and hits him with another big short-range lariat. KENTA blocks a running lariat but Sasaki blocks a running boot with a judo arm throw and then hits a swinging powerslam for a two-count. Sasaki locks in his Strangle Hold γ step-over-the-head armbar and keeps it locked in as Kobashi punches his head and chops his chest. Sasaki falters and then KENTA avoids another lariat. KENTA tries a German suplex but Sasaki resists until Kobashi chops Sasaki’s hands to break him off the ropes. Nakajima kicks KENTA from behind as Sasaki lariats Kobashi off the apron. Then Sasaki waistlocks Nakajima who waistlocks KENTA, which leads to some kind of yeet-your-partner super German suplex. Creative move, that.

Sasaki follows with a one-shoulder Tornado Bomb (which is an amazing move that strangely doesn’t get much use elsewhere even though it’s the perfect power move to use on lighter opponents) but Kobashi breaks up his cover. Another chop exchange ensues between Kobashi and Sasaki. Kobashi chops Sasaki’s arm, tags in, and starts dismantling it with falling armbreakers. Kobashi locks in a cross armbar but Sasaki gets a ropebreak so Kobashi follows with over-the-shoulder armbreakers and chops to the arm as well. Sasaki escapes with another judo throw and then uses his left arm to hit a full-power lariat. Then Nakajima comes in and Sasaki does some kind of tilt-a-whirl toss to send Nakajima into Kobashi as a makeshift weapon.

Nakajima goes after KENTA as Sasaki hits a diving lariat followed by a head-spiking NLB. One, two, KENTA saves his partner. Kobashi follows with a half-nelson and a running lariat. One, two, Nakajima makes the save.

Five minutes left.

Both protégés tag in. Nakajima counters a running kick with an STF. Nakajima gets a ropebreak but KENTA knees him in the gut and goes for a running Penalty Kick. But Nakajima catches him in an ankle lock. Sasaki keeps Kobashi at bay but KENTA still gets his own ropebreak. Nakajima with a roundhouse combo and a running single-leg dropkick for another two-count.

Three minutes left.

KENTA lands on his feet to avoid a back suplex, ducks down, and hits a rebound lariat and a Ligerbomb for still yet another two-count. KENTA attempts the GTS. Nakajima counters with a back suplex. KENTA bounces up and hits a German suplex. Then hits Go To Sle – no, Nakajima counters into an ankle lock. Sasaki rushes Kobashi and holds him on the ropes as Nakajima grapevines KENTA’s leg. KENTA tries and tries and eventually makes it to the ropes.

KENTA slaps Nakajima only to eat more roundhouses kicks to the head, including one while in the tree of woe. Nakajima lands a Bridging German suplex but Kobashi stops the pin.

One minute left.

KENTA counters another German with a victory roll but only manages a two-count. Go To Sleep! Sasaki saves his protégé.

Thirty seconds left.

Kobashi and Sasaki trade chops while kneeling as Nakajima counters another GTS into a crucifix for another two-count. The protégés trade more cradles but neither man gets more than a two-count. The back-and-forth mayhem continues for a few more seconds until the bell rings to signal the end. Time has run out!

Match result: 30-minute DRAW

Review

Aside from the somewhat deflating draw finish, this was one of those entertaining “something for everyone” matches. If you like seeing a brawny, barrel-chested powerhouse manhandle his smaller opponent, then this match had that in spades courtesy of Sasaki’s interactions with KENTA. If you like seeing two wrestlers blur the line between pretending to hurt each other and striking each other with legitimate malice, then this match featured plenty of that because it was KENTA’s career calling card. If you want to see a rising star survive much more than expected and shine against two established former world champions, then both KENTA and Nakajima provided plenty of that. And if you want to see a wrestling legend play his biggest hits yet still get plenty out of it, then Kobashi showed just how that’s done.

At first it looked like this was going to be two distinct matches taking place simultaneously: the two heavyweights facing each other and the two juniors doing the same. Putting apples with apples gave the match a sense of evenness from the beginning. But once everyone started mixing things up then the match shifted; it became more about which side had the better teamwork as opposed to which two sets of individuals were better equipped to handle things alone. In other words, it became a matter of the teams being better than their individual members.

Given that Kobashi was the match’s main draw (for better or worse), the wrestlers had to construct the match around his strengths and weaknesses. Since he could only play the hits – which consisted mostly of chops and the odd suplex – Kobashi was relegated to the role of aging veteran that would come in on the hot tag and make key saves while his younger partner did most of the work. This structure worked: KENTA, despite wrestling like a heel and doing everything in his power to be the most unlikeable prick in wrestling – showed babyface fire as he dealt with both Nakajima’s upstart arrogance and Sasaki’s angry big brother antics. He took a brutal and extended beating and only turned the tables on a few occasions. KENTA got to shine as he took brutal shots from both a younger wrestler that emulated him stylistically (down to the same kicks and sprinting attacks), and a heavyweight hoss that threw him around.

The match did get a bit unrealistic at times; such is par for the course with KENTA matches since he doesn’t usually take the time to sell his opponents’ offense as much as he should. And yet that was also one of the match’s charms: there’s something about 2000s KENTA matches that walk the fine line between worked and shoot, surreal and realistic, professional and antagonistic, that make them captivating. Even with some moments of absurdity – such as the constant no-selling during the KENTA/Nakajima exchanges, all the sprinting right after big bombs, and an almost silly closing chop exchange between Kobashi and Sasaki that made it obvious that neither man could do much else – the match never jumped the shark. There was never a moment of absurdity that made anything in this match look overly choreographed, phony, or otherwise unnecessary. A decisive finish would’ve been better, especially with NOAH hemorrhaging established stars, but that’s just a small nitpick in the grand scheme of things.

Final Rating: ****1/2

This is an impressive match but not quite at the same level as many other NOAH matches from the same period or from before. It lacked the cohesion and airtight focus of the Kobashi/Shiozaki vs. Sasaki/Nakajima match from November 2005. It didn’t have the same explosive and nail-biting tension towards the end as the KENTAFuji vs. Wild II tag match from 2006. And it didn’t have the same sense of urgency as the many other NOAH tag matches from the same decade. It was a strong performance overall, especially given that one of the men involved was far removed from his physical prime.

While on the surface it looked like more of a “crazy moves” match, as it went on it became much more of a psychology and story-driven one as both teams had to make the most out of the few moments of numbers advantage they got. As Al Snow once said in a seminar for aspiring wrestlers, the gimmick of a tag match is to tag and to build action around two partners combining their efforts onto one opponent at a time. This match took that philosophy and applied it to NOAH’s unique wrestling style, and the result was a match that, despite having a bit to be desired, still holds up pretty well fifteen years later.

Thanks for reading. You can email me with any questions or comments, and be sure to check out my 5-Star and Almost 5-Star Match Reviews series here.