Kenta Kobashi vs Naomichi Marufuji (NOAH - 4/23/2006)

Kobashi was a step or two slower than he was in 2003-2004 but he smartly used his strength advantage to neutralize Marufuji’s speed. In response, Marufuji attacked Kobashi’s famously bad knee in creative fashion to stem the tide. Kobashi relied on his chops to fight back and slowly built to his bombs, though the knee hampered his mobility. So Marufuji decided to throw caution into the wind and unloaded with high impact offense. I want to highlight Kobashi’s half nelson suplex spot since it was the type of ideal transition that is sorely lacking in modern wrestling. It was a big move that curbed Marufuji’s flurry but, instead of immediately following up on it, Kobashi went back to selling the damage he had just sustained. In the process, they subverted the back-and-forth trap and the match was organically back on an even keel. The finishing stretch was also well done as none of the near-falls or big moves were excessive, Marufuji came off as a credible threat to a heavyweight and Kobashi’s win was definitive.