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Post by jetlag on Feb 15, 2018 14:53:55 GMT -5
tl;dr Rat Boy challenges the tank that is Kobashi for the gold. If you haven't seen this match or heard of it go watch it now. You'll be glad you did.
Full review:
I prefer Ogawa spitting water and stepping on Kobashi's face over your generic japanese main event type wrestling. I dunno about the complaints, what the hell did people want to see? A fast paced show? Hell no. Kobashi gets MAD and chops him to death! Ogawa actually sells Kobashi's chops like they really are devastating! Ogawa weasels and rats his way around Kobashi and there are few wrestlers greater at believably controlling a bigger opponent than Ogawa. At no point did it look like Ogawa had an easy time. Ogawa uses every trick in the book including comical amount of heel tactics, even attacking Kobashi's weak leg with the bell because why not? It all comes back to him and this really turns into a full on 1980s US match with Ogawa eating a brutal posting, bleeding and getting punched in the face by a pissed off Kobashi. Kobashi has HAD IT with this punk and his bullshit eye pokes! He is so mad he doesn't even care about bringing the workrate anymore, there is not even a Half Nelson Suplex in this match! Ah well. I thought Kobashi could've done a better job selling his leg, but as it stands this is pretty much the dopest match.
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Post by microstatistics on Mar 11, 2018 0:14:54 GMT -5
Ogawa's heel antics and Kobashi's selling and aggression are top notch. Very unique match with many clever, creative spots. Kobashi throws better punches than 95% of wrestlers and the match in general is a great display of his versatility.
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Post by superstarsleeze on Aug 2, 2018 17:42:27 GMT -5
OH HELL YEAH! Kobashi The Destroyer vs. Rat Boy. What's not to love! Thirding this.
GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Yoshinari Ogawa – Budokan 11/01/03
I did not know until I watched this match that I have a spirit wrestler and his name is Yoshinari Ogawa. If I stepped into the ring, I would look pretty much same right down to the bitchin’ zebra print tights. I’m an inch taller than his billed height. We have a similar build and the same hair color/hair style. I would be the most obnoxious, cheating prick you ever did see. Needless to say, it took all of 30 seconds for Ogawa to become one of my favorite wrestlers ever. I can’t wait to see his dynamic with the Golden Boy, Misawa. I am feeling the Sting/Luger ’96 dynamic on steroids.
Liberal cheating, blood and closed fist punches sound like something out of Memphis, but remarkably it happened in the Budokan in 2003 during a Kobashi match. You can only have so many “epic” matches and this served as a great change of pace. Instead of Kobashi trying to best a warrior on his level in a struggle for the prestige of the GHC Championship, we just wanted to see Kobashi murder this little douche and we got it. Very rarely, do you see Kobashi filled with hate. He fires up and gets angry, but he has respect for his opponent. For Ogawa, he holds him in contempt and is going to punish him. However, this can only be conveyed if Ogawa does his part to live up to the name, “Rat Boy”. This is one of the better heel performances I have ever seen as Ogawa just lays it on thick trying every trick in the book to prove lightning could strike twice and pull off a major upset to become the GHC Champion again.
He sets the tone of the match right off the bat by spewing water in Kobashi’s face at the bell and beating down Kobashi with a big ‘ol shit-eating grin. Of course, Kobashi fires up and just lays in some wicked chops, which Ogawa’s due to his character can really sell well because he does not have to protect his image. Ogawa next trick is play dead off Kobashi’s chops. Kobashi argues with the ref and Ogawa chop blocks Kobashi’s knee. Kobashi’s knees are why he was out for all of 2001 and a good chunk of 2002 and they are heavily braced. Ogawa is just relentless on the knees including trying to take the braces off. Two spots, I loved during this segment were Kobashi blocking the kneecrusher and Ogawa turning it into a Dragon Leg Screw and Kobashi doing push-ups out of a half-crab and chopping the fuck out of Ogawa. In a moment of hubris, Ogawa thinks he has effectively weakened Kobashi starts to toy with him by poking him in the forehead. This leads to some suplex reversals and Kobashi being thrown into the ref. Ogawa actually gets a visual pinfall off of the enziguiri and back suplex. Ogawa realizing the ref was out gets the friggin’ ring bell and goes to town on Kobashi’s knee. You know it is coming now that big blowoff to all the heat they were building.
They struggle on the outside and Kobashi sends him head first into the post. It looked wicked. He sends into post again head first and a spinning back chop puts him out. The ref are trying to restrain Kobashi and I don’t speak Japanese, but I am pretty sure he said “Fuck that little prick”. Ogawa comes up bloody and Kobashi unloads with closed fists on the cut. It is such a shame All Japan/NOAH is worked so straight because Kobashi has a badass worked punch. When Ogawa tries to cut off Kobashi at the knee literally, Kobashi rocks with a huge punch and then DDTs him on the ramp. Kobashi hits the mother of all powerbombs, but only gets two. Kobashi only gets two off the sleeper and punches Ogawa again in the head. The ref has enough and tries to restrain him and Ogawa low blows Kobashi! Kobashi right back on top with chops and a superplex. Ogawa’s last ditch effort was quick pinfall attempts with the feet on the ropes just like how he beat Akiyama and pinned Kobashi in a tag match. Ogawa refused to take the half-nelson suplex (proving he was smarter than everyone else in the promotion) and eats a Burning Lariat for the mercy killing.
These two played their roles to a tee. On paper, Ogawa is totally overmatched by the awesome Kobashi. He cheats and needles Kobashi and then he has the audacity to go after his knees. Throughout the whole heat segment, I was just so pumped for the forthcoming destruction. I am just thinking I am going to get some suplexes, throws and Lariats. Then on top of that, I get BLOOD and CLOSED PUNCHES! That’s some sweet icing on the cake. I have some minor quibbles, no reason for Ogawa to get the visual fall and the ending stretch could have been tighter (low blow-> leads to pinfall attempts ->Kobash BURNINATES). Overall, a match that totally caught me unawares and is just a bitchin’ curveball out of NOAH. *****
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Post by mvz on Oct 3, 2021 11:53:51 GMT -5
I had a similar reaction to Ogawa, seems like a great guy to root against. This match was really good, I liked Kobashi throwing some closed fists and every devious move Ogawa made got a pop out of me. I don’t know that this is my top 100, but looking forward to more Ogawa!
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Post by tetsujin on Feb 12, 2022 16:20:08 GMT -5
As good as I remembered it, this would have made my list this last year, although on the lower side. One of the most unique Kobashi matches ever, possibly top 5 for his title reign. He is so pissed off by Ogawa's bullshit, I love it. The perfect mix between king's road and classic northamerican face-heel dynamic.
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Post by elliott on Sept 21, 2023 22:59:36 GMT -5
Yeah this is fantastic.
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Post by lemming on Nov 9, 2023 5:22:58 GMT -5
Hard to say which is more fun to watch - Ogawa cheating wildly in every way he can think of, or ANGRY Kobashi murdering the little wretch for it.
I'm so glad we got to see both.
I voted this #81 this year.
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Post by puroraisedme on Dec 12, 2023 4:48:58 GMT -5
Absolutely wonderful match. Loved Ogawa's performance in this.
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