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Post by Cap on Dec 8, 2017 15:21:33 GMT -5
Kenta Kobashi vs Mitsuharu Misawa (Triple Crown Championship - AJPW - 1/20/1997)
So one of the biggest things I need to do during this project is to sort through the Misawa/Kobashi series and really place things. I am a Kobashi guy, so this is one of - of not my absolute - favorite series of matches in all of wrestling. This is my default favorite of the lot. The arm work here is unreal and the build in this is is just so compelling. I could watch these two go all day long and I think they will likely have a number of matches that finish in the overall top 100. This is one I really need to sit down and think about, put it next to other 90s All Japan matches and put it next to other classics from other eras and places.
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Post by elliott on Dec 8, 2017 19:20:50 GMT -5
Seconded. For all the shit I've talked and will talk about being disappointed by All Japan, I will say not this match. This still kicks me in the teeth as an amazing match and even though its 40+ minutes and full of bombs, this somehow has never annoyed me with overkill like plenty of shorter AJPW matches have. Anyway. Yeah. This will do well on even my list.
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Post by smartmark15 on Jan 5, 2018 9:15:28 GMT -5
One of the classics and for good reason. Builds up fantastically to crazy memorable spots and nearfalls. All time great match from two all time great wrestlers.
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Post by bossrock on Jan 5, 2018 16:53:12 GMT -5
Fourthed
A top 5-10 candidate for me. One of the best offensive wrestling matches in history with a great story of Kobashi trying to take away Misawa's best weapon (the forearm). And for as long as it is, it never drags or lets up for one second.
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Post by fxnj on Jan 5, 2018 23:34:52 GMT -5
Wrote about this at length before prowrestlingonly.com/index.php?/topic/19935-mitsuharu-misawa-vs-kenta-kobashi-ajpw-new-years-giant-series-012097/?p=5695207Rewatched this recently and most of my review still holds up. It should be said that the level of storytelling complexity and care taken in every big transition really is remarkable. Someone in the thread calls it the Shakespeare or Beethoven of wrestling matches, and I think that's a pretty good description. Whoever was the agent for this match really deserves the award here. If I had to pick a flaw in this match, though, it's that I think Kobashi takes a bit too much before the finish run. Up until the powerbomb->hurricanrana reversal he dominates the match and it's almost worked as a passing of the torch moment, but after that it's basically treated as a reset spot even though he really hasn't taken much damage compared to what he's done to Misawa up to that point. If Misawa had followed up on it with something like a tiger driver there would be no problem, but as it is I'm not sure about it. Still just a nitpick in the grand scheme of things and an easy #1 candidate for all the stuff they get right.
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Post by microstatistics on May 2, 2018 1:29:29 GMT -5
The level of complexity in this match is just mind blowing. Thoughts on Misawa's arm selling from 2 years ago: "That was one thing that had always bothered me about the match because I thought he used the bad arm for throwing elbows too many times. But on rewatch a few months, I noticed his subtle selling of the pain every time he threw a rolling elbow (crumbling in the corner from the pain, his arm going limp on his side) was a thing of beauty and also fit his character". Kobashi gives absolutely the GOAT performance here. Top 20.
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Post by stunninggrover on Jun 18, 2018 23:39:28 GMT -5
1997-01-20 Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Kenta Kobashi [AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship] (AJPW @ Prefectural Gymnasium in Osaka, Japan) Misawa defeated Kobashi to win the AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship. Kobashi worked over Misawa’s right arm, which was a great move since that’s the body part Misawa needs most for his offense. Misawa fought back and kept selling the arm very well, even when on the offense. Kobashi kicked out of the Tiger Driver ’91, but Misawa managed to win the match in the end. This match could possibly end up in the top 20 of my GME list.
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Post by superstarsleeze on Jul 29, 2018 9:07:25 GMT -5
Was All Japan not called in the ring?
Maybe the best offensive match in wrestling history. Definitely a number one contender.
AJPW Triple Crown Champion Kenta Kobashi vs Mitsuharu Misawa AJPW 1/20/97
A lot has changed in the last 15 months, namely, Kenta Kobashi is the Triple Crown Champion having won it from Akira Taue in the middle of 1996. Misawa had dropped the title to Taue. Baba used Taue like he would a gaijin as the transitional champion between two major native stars. Kobashi main evented the October Anniversary show going to a draw with Kawada. Thus the hierarchy had become Kobashi and Kawada are equals (60 minute draws in 95 & 96) and that Misawa was superior to Kawada. Until Kobashi beats Misawa one on one in a singles match, Misawa will be considered his better. So even though Misawa is coming in the challenger, no one should mistake Kobashi for the favorite, he is the definitive underdog to Misawa The Ace.
The basic narrative of the match is that Misawa is the challenger so he is going to start hot. Kobashi has learned from his mistakes of October 95 is much more focused (midsection, arm). However, each man makes pivotal mistakes in the match that create meaningful momentum shifts and lots of drama surround dueling arm psychology (Misawas elbow & Kobashis lariat have been compromised).
First 15 minutes: Misawa gets off to a fast start because he is the challenger. He lands his diving elbow. Misawa is on point and wants to win back HIS titles. Misawa goes for a quick Tiger Driver. Kobashi does not let the match get away from him and scramble. He manages a DDT. Misawa powders and grabs neck. Back in and Kobashi hits some lethal spinning back chops. Brutal. He works over Misawas midsection; thats different. Punches to midsection, shoulderblocks, front suplex and ab stretch. Misawa getting an elbow here and there but Kobashi is cutting off by going to the midsection. More focused. Kobashi Irish whips Misawa, dumb move basically creating separation for Misawa. Misawa puts on brakes and elbows him. Small mistakes against Misawa matter. Misawa is able to get a surfboard. Good control, but feeds into Kobashis strength. Misawa mule kicks out once Kobashi reverses. Kobashi comes running at him with a shoulder block and elbowed out of the sky. Another dunderhead move by Kobashi this time macho pride gets the best of him. Small mistakes will cost you against Misawa. You need wrestle a nearly perfect match.
Misawa karate kick and Kobashis powders. Misawa waits for him and gets butterfly suplex. Misawa in command grabs facelocks. Starts kicking Kobashi but doing more to fire him up. Great sequence where both men are unleashing strikes and it feels like a pivotal moment like whoever wins this exchange will take a big lead. Misawa wins and Kobashi ends up on the floor. At this point, Misawa is sticking to the game plan of slow & steady wins the race and after a couple Kobashi mistakes. It seems like a routine finish. Misawa goes for his diving elbow again (ruh roh say all seasoned wrestling fans), but he ends up flipping over on apron. He kicks Kobashi into guardrail and then DIVESEATS STEEL!!! OW! That look like it hurt! Misawa comes up clutching his arm as Kobashi takes the high ground. Kobashi made some serious mistakes, but Misawa made the biggest in the first 15 minutes! Just like that the entire complexion of the match changes.
Second 10 minutes: Big lariat takes Misawa off apron. Big Misawa chants. Kobashi rolls Misawa in the ring to pin him, but only gets two. Barely lifts a shoulder. In one ten minute stretch, Kobashi works like the best Taue and Misawa in one awesome package. Focused with great counterwrestling! Misawa throws a weak elbow to show his elbow is hurt. Big knee from Kobashi crashing into the bad elbow and then a dropkick too the elbow. Then just ramming the elbow into hard objects. Great armwork that is laserfocused. Misawa is throwing elbows no effect. All three of Kobashis arm submissons are well set up. First Half Nelson suplex set up by all arm work leads to an armbar with lots of heat. Then Kobashi counters an elbow into a Fujiwara armbar. When Misawa blocks a German and charges Kobashi counters that into a cross armbreaker. Misawa tries a spin kick and Kobashi catches and throws and dumps him on his head. Laserfoucsed like Taue and excellent transition of Misawas offense into arm-related offense for his own purposes like Misawa would do. FANTASTIC Kobashi control segment!
Third Ten Minutes: KOBASHI goes for the kill shot: a LARIAT. Misawa gets up a lucky elbow that cripples Kobashis arm in one blow. He rolls to outside. Misawa hits a corkscrew plancha to outside that wipes up Kobashi. Misawa cant use the elbow might as well use whole body. Blocks Kobashi Lariat with double elbow. OW! Release German right on his skull! Then Tiger Driver, but in too much pain to get a proper cover. He goes up top for an elbow but Kobashi Lariats him out of the sky. Kobashi writhes in pain before covering. Kobashi selling his ass off. Powerbomb and the Orange Crush. Neither get him the duke. Kobashi is frustrated and in a lot of pain. Lariat blocked, but Misawa just rolls to outside. Kobashi stalks prey and is wounded himself. Powerbomb on apron NO MISAWA-RANA! Huge spot! Kobashi sells. Very critical stretch here. Misawa finally is able to make in roads by getting a desperation elbow to Kobashis arm that basically levels the playing field. However, Misawa is having a hard time capitalizing and when he goes for a high risk move (diving elbow from top) Kobashi makes him pay, but now he cant capitalize. It all comes down to the apron spot. Kobashi, bad arm, tries a powerbomb off the apron which would have been the home run shot, but a timely Misawa counter pretty much seals Kobashis fate.
Last 5 minutes. Misawa elbows. Shitty German due to bad arm. One Roaring Elbow, Two Roaring Elbows, Third One NO Lariaoto! Kobashin in pain. Dumps Misawa on head with headdrop German. It is on! Misawa ducks low and headbutts him in abs when he comes in charging. Roaring elbow to back of head. Tiger Suplex gets two. TIGER DRIVER 91~! ONLY GETS TWO! Kobashi chants. Kobashi clubs Misawa from knees and lunges again, but has nothing behind them. On third one, Misawa gets a Sleeper SUPLEX! AND Blowaway Elbow gives Misawa the win!
Stone cold classic. Everyone and their mother knows that. Selling by both men was off the charts great. Offense was incredible. Excellent transitions between segments. Every move had consequence and everything had a purpose. Love the story of ramping up mistakes. First it is small stuff like charging at your opponent with a shoulder block then it is diving from the apron into the steel railing and then it is the hurricanarana off the apron! The dueling arm psychology was tremendous especially when you have Misawas elbow and Kobashis lariat in play. Loved the inability to follow up down the stretch due to their injuries. Basically it came down to two things, Misawa got a lucky elbow that landed in just the right place to render Kobashis arm useless. Kobashi was running away with the match. When Kobashi had re-established himself, he went for that high risk move (powerbomb off the apron) thats how you have to beat Misawa with big time high risk moves and he paid for it. The last five minutes is pretty great you have to kill me before you beat me stuff that All Japan does well. Kobashi looks great in a loss and Misawa proves that when Triple Crown is on the line he will stop at nothing to retain and he just always has a little extra. Greatest match of all time? No, I dont think so. Lock for top ten of 90s All Japan and pretty easy Top 25 match of all time. If someone has it as their greatest match of all time, I have no problem with that. *****
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Post by fxnj on Jul 30, 2018 21:40:30 GMT -5
Was All Japan not called in the ring? In his book, Hansen claimed that the office shifted away from having matches called in the ring into planning things out beforehand around the time that Misawa/Kawada/Kobashi started getting pushed as top guys. Fuchi is the guy he credits with being responsible for the booking and laying out the matches.
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Post by tetsujin on Oct 13, 2019 16:57:23 GMT -5
Something I love about this match is Misawa's reaction to the TD91 kickout. Iirc, Kobashi here was the first guy to ever kick out of that, but, instead of losing his shit, Misawa just says "ok, don't worry, there's nothing more he can do". Almost every other wrestler ever would have been like "omg what else can I actually do, I'm lost!", but not him. He's always focused, even when the last thing he could imagine to happen actually happens, and that's something that Kobashi didn't have (in fact, that's why he lost this match). A great example of Misawa's character to me.
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Post by Cap on Aug 18, 2020 6:52:15 GMT -5
From my rewatch project on 8/17/2020 Kenta Kobashi vs Mitsuharu Misawa (Triple Crown Title – 1/20/1997) Current Rank: 3 Trending: Even/Down? My god. I knew it would be hard to sort through my top 10 matches, but this is a real challenge. This match is so unbelievably good. It has all the stuff people know and love from the pillars matches, but this feels more grounded and layered somehow. I am not sure if this just isn’t the year for “title match” style wrestling for me, but this feels like it is going to at least get jumped by Hansen/Kobashi. I think it comes down to Kobashi here. He is at his best when he is a fired up babyface fighting back and working to overcome a challenge. While we get a version of that for much of this match, Hansen forces Kobashi’s best out of him bell to bell. There is almost no real feeling out process or laying a foundation to build off of. This isn’t a criticism of this match at all because they did what they did pretty close to perfectly, but just parsing out the #3 or # 4 match… I might have to give to the match that is a little more in line with what I want out of my wrestling from the get go. Full Post: gweproject.freeforums.net/post/8466
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Post by cactus on Nov 19, 2021 5:16:21 GMT -5
They start this one out with both Kobashi and Misawa getting a brief shine segment. They fight back and forth until Misawa elbows the guardrail in a failed dive attempt and Kobashi focuses his attack on taking out Misawa's arm. Misawa tries to fight back the only way he knows how, by elbowing his enemies in the face. Initially this seems like a bad idea as it's clearly hurting Misawa, but one lucky shot to Kobashi's lariating arm is all he needs to change the tide of this match. The way they built up to their big moves was magical. Kobashi kicking out of the Tiger Driver '91 shocked me as much as it shocked the two suits in the front row. The Misawa elbow finish could of easily fell flat, but these two made it work. This was a phenomenal face vs face match that did not hold back on the workrate. ★★★★★
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Post by makaiclub on Feb 26, 2022 16:10:03 GMT -5
Upto this match, Kobashi and Misawa's rivalry was so far behind Kawada and Misawa's and even Kobashi and Kawada's. But this is a truly great equaliser. It's a classic match. Unbelievable in its pacing, offence, selling and its storytelling. The match picks up when Kobashi establishes himself over Misawa by attacking the neck initially before targeting Misawa's elbow. Although the crowd doesn't really buy into the work, it nevertheless is excellent submission work. It firmly puts Kobashi in control and gives Misawa trouble with his vast array of moves, such as the rare Orange Crush. Misawa's elbow is limited but Misawa continues to persist with it as per usual. My favourite moment of the match has to be Kobashi slamming Misawa's arm into his own shoulder at the corner post. His facial expressions and crowd working was masterful in making something that he did the whole match into one of the most significant and meaningful moments. One of the biggest spots of the match was Misawa no selling a Kobashi german only to be taken over by a drop seoi-nage into a cross arm breaker. That, for me, should've been the finish if Kobashi was the destined winner. Misawa's first comebacks were a little underwhelming but Kobashi quickly regained control which led to a much greater comeback later once Misawa hurt Kobashi's arm. Misawa selling the arm is one of the most praised things in the match but Kobashi selling the arm was some of the most compelling work of the decade. The closing stretch was magnificent. It was such a joy ride that the very important executives in suits in the front row were going just as crazy as the hardcore fans. It's one of those matches that does need to be seen by anyone. ****3/4
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Post by puropotsy on Jun 27, 2023 21:27:02 GMT -5
I wrote earlier this evening that 6/9/95 was the best match of all time and should have tempered that to say it was the best I’d ever seen. This was the first time I’ve watched 1/20/97 and I am blown away and will now call it the best match I’ve ever seen (so far). I was thinking that nothing could match Kobashi working Misawa’s arm until Misawa started working his arm. Throughout the rest of the match they both sell their arms and also throw caution to the wind and credibly use them to throw offense that would be possible but very painful. It hit all-time level for me when Misawa did the rana to the floor and Kobashi sold it as impactful rather than just pretty. The finishing stretch held up with the Tiger Suplexes and the Tiger Driver and Misawa having to ram him with his injured elbow for the win.
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Post by lemming on Dec 10, 2023 4:14:59 GMT -5
I voted this #3 this year.
Another legendary match that was already beloved as one of the best matches ever as far back as I became aware of such things. The offense, selling, characterisation, pacing, whatever metric you care to name - they're all nailed here. These are two wrestlers who at their peak are as good as anyone ever and here they're both at their peak.
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