Stan Hansen vs Kenta Kobashi (AJPW - 4/16/1993)

Second

Its been a really long time since I have seen this and I agree it isn't their best, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be considered. Hansen was such a necessary foe for Kobashi in his growth through the 90s. You could argue that he might have been the most important (though that likely wont be a popular take). This is just great stuff between two of the best ever.

EDIT: I went back and re-watched this and I feel really differently now. I actually think I prefer it to their more publicized match later in the year. Honestly, I prefer the end of this one. I think the kill shot lariat on Kobashi coming off the top was the perfect ending. It made Kobashi look great. Hansen needed an absolute desperation move to win.  The action was high octane. I sort of love the  multiple leg drops.  This one just worked for me.  I think this one may end up really high for me.

I'm just bumping this because I rewatched it and I want others to watch it. I really loved it, but feel like I need to revisit it once more before talking much about it.

I would still put the July match ahead of this one, but it's damn close. Kobashi is literally the greatest offensive wrestler ever as he does such a fantastic job weaving different moves during his initial onslaught on Hansen and then again during his desperation comebacks. I also loved Hansen's selling of his arm and ribs. I thought Hansen maybe took a bit TOO much offense during the first half but as Elliot mentioned in the Williams match thread, Kobashi's formula in losing matches was always effective if he got to look like a badass in the beginning. And the ending was absolutely spectacular, possibly even better than the July match. Surefire lock for my list and underrated classic.

Holy Shit! How have I never seen this before! This rocked so damn hard. Kobashi goes all out! He was relentless. I have never seen Hansen so thoroughly dominated besides at the beginning of 7/29/93. Kobashi kicked his ass for 15 minutes. What I love about this match and why I gave it ***** is that Hansen's turns Kobashi's biggest strength into his biggest weakness. He turns Kobashi overzealous reckless abandon offense against him by avoiding the moves and driving him down. He drives him into the concrete floor off a Kobashi dive from apron, this was the first turning point that gave Hansen sustained offense. Late in the match he drives Kobashi's head into turnbuckle off a charge that leads to a Backdrop Driver, Hansen first serious nearfall. Then the finish is Kobashi diving off the middle rope BANG Lariat! All of Hansen's offense was generated because Kobashi was leaping/charging with reckless abandon. But to beat a grizzly bear like Hansen you have to wrestle with reckless abandon but this high risk strategy leaves you open to mistakes. Genius story! Great offense from Kobashi! Great job by Hansen selling and also creating struggle so that Kobashi EARNED his offense! Genius wrestling!

Kenta Kobashi vs Stan Hansen - All Japan 4/16/93

Greatest rivalry of all time for my money. These two just have insane chemistry with each other. Kobashi has that "live by the sword, die by the sword" mentality. It is almost like he made a promise to himself "I am going to leave it all in the ring and throw everything I have at this Grizzly Bear". They do such a great job setting this tone right from jump. There is this wild brawl that breaks out and Kobashi just dropkicks him. Kobashi ends up outside the ring and he rushes back in and dropkicks him again. Kobashi would NOT BE DENIED! I really feel that is the story of this match. It is Kobashi's tenacity. He was absolutely relentless in his drive to move forward. Hansen tried everything. You named it Hansen tried it. Sleeper/facelocks, throwing wild strikes like bearpaws,elbows & kicks, he tried diving tackles, and he tried powdering, but for 15 straight minutes Kobashi kicked his ass. This was a fucking mugging. Only two things kept this competitive: Hansen's aura (the fact he is damn near unbeatable and that Kobashi has not defeated him yet) and Hansen's constant struggling. I loved during one pinfall attempt Hansen was writhing in pain so Kobashi actually had to wrangle a wriggling Hansen into a cover. (And yes I am proud of myself for getting three "wr" words in the same sentence )

While Hansen was giving a stellar underneath performance and really making Kobashi EARN that offense, Kobashi was putting on a fucking offensive clinic. Early in the match while they were tussling in the corner, Kobashi snapped Hansen's arm across the top turnbuckle. Kobashi became laser-focused. I mean this was unlike any Kobashi I have ever seen. He zeroed in on that arm like he was an Anderson. Nothing was going to stop him. All those Hansen tricks I mentioned in the first paragraph, Kobashi mowed through them and then got right back on that arm. Dropkicks to the arm, strikes to the arm, holds, he was crushing it. He went for a cross armbreaker three times. Each time, Hansen got more and more desperate at making a comeback. The third and final time saw Kobashi kick his ass on the outside. Then a funny thing happened. It all went horribly awry.

There was one weakness is Kobashi's full court press strategy. It left him vulnerable to mistakes. When you constantly pouring on offense, it cane be reversed or countered. Up until the 15 minute mark, Kobashi was wrestling not only a clean match, but a low-risk match. He had wrist control for the majority and his offense was being executed in close quarters. However, he took an unnecessary risk when he dove off the apron trying to shouldertackle Hansen, Hansen evaded and drove Kobashi to the cement floor. Then Hansen BOWLED Kobashi and cemented his advantage with a brutal chair attack. I fucking love this match! Now it is Hansen's turn to kick some ass. He just pummels him. Everything is to Kobashi's head. It is all LOW-risk offense: boots, exposed knee, elbows. Kobashi gets a quick hope spot, Hansen immediately quashes that. Grabs him by the hair and POPS him with an elbow. I love it. Kobashi gets a flurry going and hitting a dropkick. I have never seen Kobashi hit so many dropkicks, he started the match with a dropkick. It is explosive and generates enough momentum to set up more offense.

I loved the next sequence. Kobashi wants to sap the Big Man of energy goes for a sleeper. Hansen sells desperation and grabs the hair and rips Kobashi over. Hansen starts throwing desperate swings. He looks like he is rearing up for a Lariat when Kobashi wrangles him into a sleeper! He really cinches it in this time. Way to make him earn it! Great series of nearfalls follows: off the sleeper, then off a furious onslaught of legdrops and then a DDT.

Bodyslam->Fist pump->MISSED Moonsault! Again, this has been Kobashi match to lose. He was wrestling again very clean. "Live by the sword, die by the sword". Hansen bowls him over with his charging body weight and then busts out his own dropkick. Kobashi will not be denied and hits a Lariat for 2. Crowd is going bonkers. Kobashi comes charging in and Hansen uses his momentum against him to drive him into the top turnbuckle and then scoop him up into a VICIOUS Back Drop Driver! This is the second time Hansen has used Kobashi's overzealousness against him. He only gets two. Wants the powerbomb, Kobashi sits down on him! Kobashi looks to come off the middle rope. LARIAOTOOOOOOOO! HOLY SHIT! 1-2-3!

The best part is that Lariat fits the psychology narrative perfectly. This was the third time Hansen used Kobashi overzealous offense against him. Kobashi dominated this match by full court press, suffocation offense. He was all over Hansen, but in doing so would often come in charging with reckless abandon. Three times Hansen used that against him. On third time, it spelled the end of Kobashi. Did Kobashi come closer than ever to beating Hansen? Yes. It proved it was going to take a combination of all-out offense and intelligence to beat one of the fiercest wrestler ever! Awesome, awesome match! *****

YES!

Glad to see another convert.

I watched this for the first time and was blown away. Some of these handheld tapes, I really struggle with but this just really did it for me. I’m watching them In order now. I think I like the beatdown and overall struggle of the 1991 match but this might be one of my favorite finishes to a match that I’ve ever seen, so I want to put this higher.