Kenta Kobashi vs Akira Taue (NOAH - 9/10/2004)
Sept 17, 2018 23:40:44 GMT -5
Post by superstarsleeze on Sept 17, 2018 23:40:44 GMT -5
The crowd is makes this match for me. They so desperately want 'ol Taue to pull out the upset here. They are cheering for him even when is on offense, which is very uncharacteristic for a Japanese crowd. You feel for them and Taue when Kobashi kicks out of Nodowa after Nodowa. That final death sentence Lariat before the super-duper Burning Hammer does not just knock out Taue, it knocks out the crowd and it knocked out me. Kobashi is such a great champion in this because he makes you believe in the Impossible Dream! PLUS TAUE-RANA! Just like this match is a heartbreaker, it is gonna be a heartbreaker because I dont think this will make my list, but it is so aweosme, I want to make sure it is recognized!
GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Akira Taue - NOAH 09/10/04
"TAUE! TAUE! TAUE! TAUE!" Besides the one asshole twerp that screams "Kobashi" every 5 fuckin seconds (seriously it could kill your enjoyment of this match), this crowd is 100% behind Taue to lift the title off Kobashi. After 18 months, it is just the nature of the beast that the crowds start to get restless with Kobashi as a champion. Yes, they still had this match with a fellow Four Corner of Heaven, an invader match with Minoru Suzuki and the final title loss to rookie bust, Takeshi Rikio. However, after the Akiyama match there is a definite feel that Kobashi reign has climax. When you get that sense of climax, audiences tend to want to rush to the final resolution. Remembering back to high school English, they broke a story into 5 fundamental parts and the shortest one usually was the falling action (between climax and resolution). There is a reason it is short people just had their minds blown by the climax and now want the satisfaction of the resolution. Well, Kobashi's reign had a long falling action. It provided us this excellent match against Taue and a very good match against Minoru Suzuki, but I feel this explains the crowd behavior, which was dead in this match unless Taue was doing something awesome.
Normally, Kobashi does a little shine in the beginning because he is a macho badass champion well Taue aint having none of that. He boots him off the apron and goes diving through the ropes onto him. Whenever Taue dives outside, it is just so unexpected and ungraceful that looks awesome. Taue loves picking people up and dropping them neck first on unforgiving objects and that is why he is the Man. Kobashi starts firing off some chops and hits a plancha to the outside. Taue like most Kobashi opponents has raw meat for a chest now. Kobashi busts everyone's favorite move the 3-Handled Moss-Covered Gredunza and controls with various holds. Taue steals a move from his Holy Demon Army partner with a spinkick to turn the tide. He goes after Kobashi's knees as so many have tried using the half-crab, kneecrusher and a weird figure-4. Taue's chest is just gross at this point as it already starting to bruise. NODOWA ON RAMP~!
Taue going to take no countout win and goes out gets Kobashi. Taue just runs off a huge string of offense. When Kobashi tries to no-sell a German, he just kicks him in the head. NODOWA OFF APRON~! Kobashi keeps falling down, but nothing can stop the DYNAMIC BOMB~! At this point, the crowd relents and starts to cheer for Kobashi. Kobashi chops Taue's hand to stop the Nodowa and gets a Burning Lariat to create space (Vintage Cole). It truly is 2004 because Kobashi steals the Nodowa to no reaction, but hits on of his best powerbombs, but cant keep him down. Kobashi crashes and burns on the moonsault. Can Taue do it? Can he pull it off? The crowd has woken up! Taue busts out a backdrop Nodowa! Taue goes for the Super Nodowa, but Kobashi looks to powerbomb him and it is a Taue-rana!!! HUGE POP! Brainbuster only gets two. The crowd wanted Taue to win so badly there that you had to feel bad for Taue and them. Taue hits a flying friggin bodypress. Giants dont fly, but Taue does! Taue chants echo throughout the Budokan. One Kobashi lariat silences the crowd. He runs through some standard offense while the crowd chants for Taue before he finishes him with the Mutha of all FInishes: Wrist-Clutch Burning Hammer!
The fun of this match is undoubtedly seeing Taue get a crack at the title in his waning days and having the crowd fully behind him. He really puts it all on the line here flying through the air, ruthlessly attacking knee and Nodowas galore. The Nodowa is the opposite of the Kojima's Ace Crusher it is bitchin in all its variation. Kobashi sold like a million bucks to make you believe the Impossible Dream could come true. This was the least Kobashi-oriented match of the reign. It makes sense that after Akiyama pushed him into the limit that he was really out of gas. He was just hanging on my a thread in this match taking less offense than usual and being on the defensive early. He also needed to bust out his super-duper finisher to polish this one off. Bot in kayfabe and reality with Kobashi and crowds fatigued, the end was nigh for this historic title reign. ****1/2
GHC Heavyweight Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Akira Taue - NOAH 09/10/04
"TAUE! TAUE! TAUE! TAUE!" Besides the one asshole twerp that screams "Kobashi" every 5 fuckin seconds (seriously it could kill your enjoyment of this match), this crowd is 100% behind Taue to lift the title off Kobashi. After 18 months, it is just the nature of the beast that the crowds start to get restless with Kobashi as a champion. Yes, they still had this match with a fellow Four Corner of Heaven, an invader match with Minoru Suzuki and the final title loss to rookie bust, Takeshi Rikio. However, after the Akiyama match there is a definite feel that Kobashi reign has climax. When you get that sense of climax, audiences tend to want to rush to the final resolution. Remembering back to high school English, they broke a story into 5 fundamental parts and the shortest one usually was the falling action (between climax and resolution). There is a reason it is short people just had their minds blown by the climax and now want the satisfaction of the resolution. Well, Kobashi's reign had a long falling action. It provided us this excellent match against Taue and a very good match against Minoru Suzuki, but I feel this explains the crowd behavior, which was dead in this match unless Taue was doing something awesome.
Normally, Kobashi does a little shine in the beginning because he is a macho badass champion well Taue aint having none of that. He boots him off the apron and goes diving through the ropes onto him. Whenever Taue dives outside, it is just so unexpected and ungraceful that looks awesome. Taue loves picking people up and dropping them neck first on unforgiving objects and that is why he is the Man. Kobashi starts firing off some chops and hits a plancha to the outside. Taue like most Kobashi opponents has raw meat for a chest now. Kobashi busts everyone's favorite move the 3-Handled Moss-Covered Gredunza and controls with various holds. Taue steals a move from his Holy Demon Army partner with a spinkick to turn the tide. He goes after Kobashi's knees as so many have tried using the half-crab, kneecrusher and a weird figure-4. Taue's chest is just gross at this point as it already starting to bruise. NODOWA ON RAMP~!
Taue going to take no countout win and goes out gets Kobashi. Taue just runs off a huge string of offense. When Kobashi tries to no-sell a German, he just kicks him in the head. NODOWA OFF APRON~! Kobashi keeps falling down, but nothing can stop the DYNAMIC BOMB~! At this point, the crowd relents and starts to cheer for Kobashi. Kobashi chops Taue's hand to stop the Nodowa and gets a Burning Lariat to create space (Vintage Cole). It truly is 2004 because Kobashi steals the Nodowa to no reaction, but hits on of his best powerbombs, but cant keep him down. Kobashi crashes and burns on the moonsault. Can Taue do it? Can he pull it off? The crowd has woken up! Taue busts out a backdrop Nodowa! Taue goes for the Super Nodowa, but Kobashi looks to powerbomb him and it is a Taue-rana!!! HUGE POP! Brainbuster only gets two. The crowd wanted Taue to win so badly there that you had to feel bad for Taue and them. Taue hits a flying friggin bodypress. Giants dont fly, but Taue does! Taue chants echo throughout the Budokan. One Kobashi lariat silences the crowd. He runs through some standard offense while the crowd chants for Taue before he finishes him with the Mutha of all FInishes: Wrist-Clutch Burning Hammer!
The fun of this match is undoubtedly seeing Taue get a crack at the title in his waning days and having the crowd fully behind him. He really puts it all on the line here flying through the air, ruthlessly attacking knee and Nodowas galore. The Nodowa is the opposite of the Kojima's Ace Crusher it is bitchin in all its variation. Kobashi sold like a million bucks to make you believe the Impossible Dream could come true. This was the least Kobashi-oriented match of the reign. It makes sense that after Akiyama pushed him into the limit that he was really out of gas. He was just hanging on my a thread in this match taking less offense than usual and being on the defensive early. He also needed to bust out his super-duper finisher to polish this one off. Bot in kayfabe and reality with Kobashi and crowds fatigued, the end was nigh for this historic title reign. ****1/2
