5-Star Match Reviews: Toshiaki Kawada vs. Kenta Kobashi – AJPW January 19, 1995 (30-Year Anniversary Review)

I was originally going to post this yesterday but got sidetracked with other stuff. With lots of great matches happening in past years ending in “5” – 1995, 2005 and 2015 – I figured this would be a good opportunity to revisit some classics from previous years to see how well they hold up. And today we look back at a match from thirty years ago, one of the rare sixty-minute matches from AJPW cannon, and one that helped cement both Toshiaki Kawada and Kenta Kobashi as legends in the wrestling business.

The Story

The main story here was that Kawada had recently won the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship from Steve Williams and Kobashi was his first challenger. AJPW put a heavy emphasis on wins and losses, creating stories from these records. Kawada was much older than Kobashi and had beaten him in each and every one of their prior matches. But while Kawada had history and stats on his side, Kobashi had his raw determination and unbreakable spirit. had proven in many matches before that he just wouldn’t lie down and die and that his opponents often had to go to greater lengths than normal just to keep him down.

But Kobashi was still an underling, a lesser man, a cut beneath him. Kawada had his sights upwards, on his archrival Misawa, who still stood far above him as company ace, with or without the title. Kawada hoped to make easy work of Kobashi and have a strong reign of his own to show that he was just as good as Misawa in every possible way.

This was the in-ring story. Outside of the squared circle there was a much bigger story, one that would have a huge impact on the match and the wrestlers. Two days earlier the Kansai region was hit with the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. Buildings collapsed, public infrastructure was destroyed, and somewhere between 5,500 and 6,400 people lost their lives. For many years this was considered the worst disaster to hit Japan since The Second World War. As such, there were talks of canceling the AJPW show to be held in Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, wrong place and wrong time and all that. But Giant Baba had other plans: he went ahead with the show anyways hoping that a night of puroresu would bring a small flicker of joy to grief-stricken fans and that the conflict in the ring could help those real people overcome the struggles they were dealing with at that time.

“The day before the event, Baba-san visited the homes of those in the severely affected areas among the members of the All Japan Pro Wrestling’s official fan club, “Kings Road,” distributing living supplies as much as possible. Additionally, the proceeds from this event were sent as disaster relief funds to the affected areas, and for those customers who had tickets but could not attend, we offered to refund them or exchange their tickets for a video of the event.

In the venue, there were not only people living in Kansai but also fans who came from Tokyo to watch this event. Due to the numerous blockades on the Shinkansen lines, it seems that many took the Shinkansen to Nagoya Station, where it was still running, and then transferred to limited express trains to make their way to Osaka. Moreover, in this emergency situation, hotels were fully booked, and I’ve heard that many people returned to Tokyo immediately after the event by sleeper trains or night buses.

Because they went to such lengths to come, the venue became unusually lively from the very first match. Although it couldn’t be described as a full house, everyone was earnestly focused on the ring in the center of the venue, seeking the vitality to live through pro wrestling.” – Kenta Kobashi, 2016

The Match

This took place on January 19, 1995.

This is for Kawada’s Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship. The bell rings and the opening moments see the wrestlers soak in the atmosphere and do some tests of strength. We get some shoving and early tackles. Kawada lands a high kick but Kobashi answers back with a stiff neck chop and a lariat. Kawada shows his veteran experience with some dodges but Kobashi hits back with more chops. Then Kawada tanks an especially nasty chop to the chest and we get another stalemate.

Kobashi wins another strength exchange so Kawada goes to one of Kobashi’s notoriously bad knees. That’s followed by some mat grappling and more long holds, including a double-arm test of strength that goes on for a while but actually makes the crowd get more excited…especially when Kawada dumps Kobashi on his head with a German suplex.

Kobashi uses the ropes to get up but Kawada kicks his bad leg from behind. Kawada spends the next several minutes torturing Kobashi by dismantling his knee with vicious, precise attacks. Kobashi defiantly hits back with desperation elbows and a running leg drop but really hurts himself badly in doing so.

Kobashi takes control and targets Kawada’s neck with various holds strikes and throws, all while fighting through growing pain in his knee. He gets a few two-counts off some exceptional neck shots and shuts Kawada down when Kawada tries to start a chop-fest. Kobashi applies a headlock fifteen minutes in (only he can do that and make it work) and lands some nasty chops to the chest when Kawada gets a ropebreak. Kobashi applies a sleeper and it takes Kawada two hard shoves into a corner to get him off. Kawada hits back with corner chops and forearms. Kobashi reverses a corner whip but Kawada shoves him back and smashes him into different turnbuckles. Kawada tries a vertical suplex but Kobashi reverses with one of his own. Kobashi teases a Tiger Suplex but Kawada rushes to the ropes so Kobashi chops him. Then Kobashi does to Kawada what Kawada did to him and drives him into the buckles but Kawada no-sells and lands some dropkicks. Then Kobashi tries to steal Kawada’s thunder with the no-sell chop fire-up, only for Kawada to hit a knife edge chop straight to the throat.

Kawada’s pissed off now as he slams Kobashi on the ringside mats and double-stomps his belly from the apron. Another belly stomp in the ring gets Kawada a two-count. Kobashi gets a ropebreak on a sleeper so Kawada punts his spine. Kawada goes back to the sleeper a few times yet Kobashi keeps rolling to the ropes, though not without damage as he can be heard making wheezing and retching noises. Real or just for show, that shit makes this stuff look so much more painful. Kobashi blocks one powerbomb but not a second, yet Kawada’s strength leaves him mid-move so he goes down with Kobashi.

The crowd chants Kobashi’s name so Kawada plants him with a Dangerous Backdrop. Kawada lands his stepkicks and tries another powerbomb but Kobashi body drops him over the rope and to the floor. Kawada sends him into the barricade but Kobashi bounces out and tackles him to the floor. Kobashi fights up to the apron but Kawada lariats him back down. Again Kobashi makes it to the apron, but this time he sees Kawada charging, blocks a lariat, punches him, and goes to the top rope for a diving shoulderblock…only for Kawada to kick his gut in midair and hurt himself in the process.

Kawada goes to capitalize but Kobashi dropkicks his leg to start his control segment. Kobashi gives Kawada a taste of his own medicine with leg breakers and knee stomps. Kawada blocks a Figure-4 from being applied and then both guys take turns rolling over. Then they go back-and-forth pulling each other until Kawada gets a ropebreak, at which point Kobashi lands a knee crusher that destroys a ringside commentary table.

Kobashi applies a half crab but Kawada kicks with his free leg so Kobashi resorts to chopping the knee at the thirty-minute mark. He applies a Texas cloverleaf and each time Kawada gets to the ropes Kobashi reapplies the hold. Kawada instinctively goes for a free leg enzuigiri but Kobashi blocks with his arm. But that shift in focus allows Kawada to kick Kobashi’s own bad knee which leads to both guys struggling for control. Unable to rely on kicks alone, Kawada slams Kobashi and lands a chop/kick combo (inspiring Samoa Joe in the process) for a two-count. He follows with a chop takedown sequence for another near-fall and tries a powerbomb but again Kobashi powers out, again and again. Kawada lands a corner yakuza kick and goes for a step-up kick but Kobashi blocks, lands a throat punch, tanks a kick to the face, and hits another lariat. Both men go down.

With the crowd behind him Kobashi hits machine gun chops, the same chop takedowns as Kawada, and does what Kawada could not and land a powerbomb. But that sequence drains Kobashi’s stamina and then both guys stagger about, unable to get up due to sheer exhaustion. Kawada can’t even make it across the ring on an Irish whip but he can still kick out at two so Kobashi spikes him with a Backdrop. Kawada blocks a second one but Kobashi hits back with a dropkick. Kawada ducks a lariat but can’t avoid a bulldog. Kobashi lands another leg drop and sets up his moonsault but Kawada rolls out of range so Kobashi DDT’s him. Twice. Kobashi misses a moonsault as Kawada rolls to ringside to catch his breath. Both guys trade standing strikes until Kobashi lands machine gun chops. But these only anger Kawada as he lands another throat chop. He goes for a lariat but Kobashi blocks it, to which Kawada answers with a nasty gamengiri kick to the face. Then Kawada follows with a second gamengiri but only gets two.

Kawada lands his Folding/Soul Powerbomb but Kobashi kicks out. He lands another spiking Backdrop but Kobashi kicks out of that too. He goes for his Stretch Plum submission hold but Kobashi throws him off. It takes lots of effort but Kawada eventually locks in his hold and wrenches it as much as possible…which leads to another two-count. Kawada reapplies it. Kobashi appears to go limp but still somehow kicks out. He tries another gamengiri. Kobashi blocks it so he punches his challenger right in the face. He tries yet another gamengiri. Kobashi ducks this one and hits a running elbow. Both men go down again.

Kawada blocks both a dragon suplex and a Backdrop. He tries another Stretch Plum but Kobashi counters into a rolling cradle for two. Kobashi lands chops and tries another Irish whip. Kawada goes for his spinkick counter but Kobashi catches the leg and drops him to the mat. Kobashi lands a Giant Baba neckbreaker but only gets two. jackknife powerbomb by Kobashi. Two-count. successful diving moonsault press. Two-count. Kobashi tries another cover but gets two again. he tries a second-rope diving leg drop but misses as Kawada rolls away.

Five minutes left.

Kawada fights out of a dragon suplex and lands an abisengiri rolling kick, then another for two. he does what Kobashi couldn’t and lands a release dragon suplex and covers for yet another near-fall.

Three minutes left.

Kawada lands stepkicks and attempts a Backdrop but Kobashi does the midair press counter. Kawada gets up first and charges for a boot. Kobashi catches his foot, Kawada ducks a discus chop and attempts a German. Kobashi blocks and lands a Bridging German of his own for two. Kobashi tries another. Kawada blocks with a gamengiri and then lands an ax kick. Then Kawada dumps Kobashi on his head with an extra nasty German that sends Kobashi into autopilot selling mode. The guy clings to the ropes as if on instinct and as if he has no clue where he is. Kawada lands another German. Kobashi, ignoring the pain in his neck, holds onto the bottom rope for dear life. He knows he can’t win but if he’s near the ropes he can’t lose. It’s so simple yet so brilliant. But his stamina runs out again and Kawada pulls him away from the ropes. Kawada tries one more powerbomb. He strains and strains to lift Kobashi up…and then the bell rings. Time has run out! The match is a draw!

STILL AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion due to a 60-minute DRAW: Toshiaki Kawada

Review

I loved this match when I first saw it many years ago and still do now. Despite being VERY slow at points the match was still exciting, compelling, and captivating. It wasn’t packed to the brim with too much action, nor was it stretched or padded to reach the desired timeframe. It came across as a titanic struggle from both guys. It didn’t have all that many ludicrous high-spots or extreme danger compared to what would come later in the decade. Instead it was a game of patience, wearing one down carefully, and using every tool in one’s arsenal to weaken the opponent. It had a deep psychological edge to it with both wrestlers trying to go after one weak spot or another. And when both guys weren’t getting so much out of such simple moves they were selling exhaustion in realistic ways. When either guy crumpled to the mat, staggered over to the ropes, or fell down like a tree being felled you could feel how battered and exhausted they were. While this might not’ve had the fluidity of Flair/Steamboat or the nonstop freneticism of Okada/Omega, it had a sense of legitimacy that made the wrestling come across as difficult, taxing, and truly professional. If there was a match that could make a viewer watch and think to themselves, “yeah, no, there’s no way I can do that without years of intense training”, this is it.

“I defended my Triple Crown title against Kobashi and fought for a full 60 minutes. I hesitate to say it myself, but I moved around for the entire 60 minutes and put on an incredible match that pushed my physical limits. I want to tell anyone who thinks they can do such a match to go ahead and try.” – Toshiaki Kawada, 2003

Though both men showed plenty of skill, I think a slight edge should go to Kobashi for closing the match on such a high note. His babyface performance at the end was something else. That autopilot selling gimmick made him come across as such a tough fighter who somehow knew he couldn’t find back anymore and yet could still avoid losing by clinging to hope. Though it wasn’t as magic or intense as when he did this against Steve Williams in August 1993, it still added more drama to an already dramatic and exciting match. It was one of those small details that gives weight to the match and underscores just how serious a beating Kawada gave him. It both put over Kawada’s power and his own fighting spirit. He knew he was cooked and opted to stall for him without making it obvious that he was stalling. Doing anything else to stall would’ve killed the crowd and ruined the match. But this sequence was executed in such a way as to keep the audience watching on the edge of their seats, knowing that something, anything, could happen at any moment. It’s that finish that helped the match end as well as it could: Kawada was in control but not quite on top. He was in the midst of setting up the finishing blow but couldn’t reach that final note. Kobashi survived just long enough to put him on almost equal footing with Kawada, a man much older, more experienced, and higher up on the card. So even though Kobashi only managed to draw, he left the match better than how he entered…though the same couldn’t necessarily said for Kawada.

Really the only real knock against this match is the booking, as the short-term gains took away from Kawada’s long-term growth. Kawada had spent his entire career in Misawa’s shadow, failing to beat him in three prior title matches. When he did win the title it was not off Misawa but off Steve Williams. And while beating Doc while he was in his epic 1993-1995 run was a solid accomplishment it meant little compared to beating Misawa. And if Kawada couldn’t beat Misawa directly he hoped to do so indirectly by overcoming his accomplishments somehow. But how could he do that when the decision-making machine worked against him? Misawa’s first title defense in October 1992 was against Kawada and while few people expected Misawa to lose after chasing the ace position for two years, Kawada still put on a strong performance as challenger. But Misawa still won in his first title defense while Kawada…drew. And not against an equal but someone still, creatively speaking, beneath him. Yes, Kobashi was a star rapidly on the rise and his babyface fight was completely on-brand with the message of perseverance AJPW wanted to send to those affected by the earthquake. But if Kawada couldn’t beat Kobashi in an hour, what chance did he stand against guys who were already higher on the pecking order? While picking a winner and a loser might seem simple from an armchair booker’s position, the truth was that some hard choices had to be made here and it looks like Kawada got the short end of the stick. Sure he left the match with the title still in hand and the match is still considered a classic, but in the moment that loss likely had an impact on Kawada’s time as champion. His ability to draw as a singles star was likely affected this hit in credibility. And while he, too, was protected in losing in a way when he lost to Stan Hansen as a means of shifting the title back onto Misawa without Kawada having to lose to Misawa again, this particular match result made it clear that Kawada was likely to spend more time chasing the title than defending it.

Final Rating: *****

Thirty years have passed and this is still something of a classic. Though there are many 5-Star matches that I’d put above this one I still give this one the full monty because it makes for such a compelling sixty-minute viewing experience. You don’t feel cheated devoting this much time to a single match. One minute they’re soaking in the atmosphere and before you know it forty minutes have passed. The stuff that happened in the first half wasn’t completely abandoned as it played into the finish very well. Even though the commentary was fairly subdued (it’s hard to be animated and excited on commentary when you’re doing a show in the aftermath of a natural disaster), it neither helped nor hindered the match since the crowd’s passion more than made up for it.

So even though it’s definitely on the more simplistic side as far as classic wrestling matches go, this is still a tremendous match that’s worth going out of your way to see.

Thanks for reading.