[1996-07-24-AJPW-Summer Action Series] Kenta Kobashi vs Akira Taue

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

What a fantastic match! There are so many little intricacies here that I'll have to walk through sometime. I think I enjoyed the struggle and attempted counters between the big bombs just as much as the big offensive flurries. Aside from like 3-4 delayed selling spots, this is pretty close to perfect. The match is very basic for the most part, with less big moves than you might expect. Less is more, as pretty much everything they do gets over huge.

 

I don't want to say Kobashi seems irrelevant in '96, as he has some great matches. But Akiyama has replaced him as the 4th man in those tag matches, so there are less great matches from him in '96 than there are in other years. So maybe the same principle applied to building this match can be applied to Kobashi's entire year as a whole -- each of his great matches stand out in a big way because there are less of them, so they are more memorable.

[Zenjo]

Kobashi's 7 year World Title journey comes to it's nearly inevitable conclusion. The fans were certainly behind him and glad to see his wings take dream. In the early stages it didn't quite feel like a Triple Crown match. Taue was a great wrestler but he wasn't a natural champion figure. However the crowd were so hot by the end that it had an atmosphere worthy of the occasion.

 

It was an impressive quality bout without being higher level AJ singles. There were a few instances of dodgy Kobashi selling. The structure was comparatively straightforward and it peaked down the stretch. I would've preferred Kenta's first TC win to be over Misawa or Kawada. That would've been a big breakthrough win. It felt like he was taking advantage of a transitional champion here. I'm slightly apprehensive about JDW swooping in with some results to counter this idea.

[PeteF3]

In previous Yearbooks I remarked that Kobashi-Taue was the one Four Corners singles match-up that, despite some very good showdowns, didn't seem to have that "definitive" match. Well, we've found it. Or I have, at least. The struggles over the chokeslam attempts are terrific and I love how Kobashi manages to transition back to offense when his back is up against the wall--first with a daring legdrop to the floor and then with a tornado DDT. He really seems to overcome long odds--I was *thinking* Kobashi was the champ going into the 1/97 match but I couldn't remember for sure, so I was left in suspense as to whether this was his big title victory and if it was, just how the hell he was going to get there as Taue was pounding the shit out of him. But he does make that comeback and we get our second 6-year build-up paid off in the same show. This could finish in the top 10-15 MOTY list.

[soup23]

A grand match. The stuff out of the chokeslam and teases were wonderful. Kobashi not knowing how to sell seems like rubbish after watching this match. He built well to the nearfalls and the top rope legdrop felt definitive even if it wasn't one of his established finishers. This is probably the least hyped pairing of the four corners but between this, the 98 match, and the 2004 one, they have had three great matches that are high profile against each other. This is probably their best and feels like a rewarding moment for Kobashi. **** 1/2

[dawho5]

Kobashi had a few moments where I thought he went too far on the fighting spirit no-sells. But the majority of the time he should have been selling he was knocking it out of the park generating sympathy. One thing I truly loved about this match was how Kobashi focused 99% of his offense on the neck and Taue did the same with Kobashi's back. The transitions were mostly right on the mark. Kobashi barely avoiding death three times was great, as was the HUGE reaction when Kobashi kicked out of the Dynamic bomb. Really, really tight match between these two with mostly the right amount of fighting between the big nearfalls and only a few no-selling spots.

[tim]

Kobashi/Taue is the one pairing of the big four in AJPW that doesn't really have a popularly acclaimed match of the 90s. Well, this is their classic. Truly felt like an epic main event title match, action from bell to bell and they really got over the exhaustion. This was worked really evenly throughout almost the entire match, without really a narrative of either guy getting the advantage for an extended period of time or having some aspect of their game or particular strategy that puts them one up on their opponent. But toward the end Kobashi hits these awesome desperation headbutt thrusts to Taue's stomach, follows it up with a tiger suplex and then a moonsault, and for the next couples minutes it's Kobashi's match until the end. Taue attempts one last big kick but it doesn't have the impact it needs, Kobashi responds immediately with a lariat and a top rope leg drop to the back of his head for the win. Cool, unexpected ending move that still totally felt like it deserved to end the match.

 

I really love how the apron nodawa was teased, and teased hard with Kobashi really struggling out of those attempts, but never paid off. Really got over how devastating the move would have been, and that Kobashi almost surely would have lost if Taue had pulled it off.

[Superstar Sleeze]

I am only 15 minutes through this, but I feel like 3/21/95, 7/24/95, 1998 and 2004 are all better matches from the Kobashi & Taue rivalry. Finished the match, second half is much better, but still the matches I listed are superior to this one, which is unfortunate because this one is the most important. 

AJPW Triple Crown Champion Akira Taue vs Kenta Kobashi - AJPW 7/24/96

I am a pretty big Kobashi fan and I think he's the GOAT but somehow I have never watched this match which is kinda crazy because this is first Triple Crown victory. Also, Kobashi vs Taue is my favorite Four Corners combination. I just love their dynamic because they are such opposites of each other. The Budokan is firmly behind Kobashi.

I hate to admit but the first 15 minutes are pretty I dont want to say flat. There is not much struggle. They each take turns ragdolling for the other. There's no hook. They did not establish what Kobashi had to overcome. They just went to work. Kobashi chopped Taue's neck a lot and took the first control segment...delayed vertical...lots of facelocks. Taue spiced things up with a Hotshot, German Suplex combo. Kobashi powdered. AIR TAUE~! Kobashi is selling his ribs they dont really go there. Taue works a typically great control segment, Snake Eyes, Back Drop Toss, Backbreaker. Nodowa of Death? Kobashi fights it off, but catches him diving to floor and Nodowas him there. Taue is poised to take control but Kobashi shrugs off the Nodowa and hits  a German, now he goes Sleeper. Kobashi hits a release powerbomb to climax this part of his control segment. I am really glad that Sleeper Neckbreaker that Kobashi does in 1996 didnt get over, it is pretty lame. Taue hits the Baba Neckbreaker Drop and a release Powerbomb of his own. The transitions are fine and the control segments are long enough that each builds momentum. I just wish they were fighting through each other more. This feels like a Bret Hart match very logical but too neat and mechanical. 

The hook for this match is quite obviously in retrospect the Kobashi title victory. Short of taking a literal dump in the ring, they could have done anything and as long as Kobashi got the three count that crowd would have popped like mad. That's not to say the match is bad, far from it, it is great, but not a classic, when the entire match hinges on the finish it tends to make the beginning less meaningful is all. 

The second half of this match picks up in a big way. The struggle and the selling get much, much better. Kobashi fights off a second powerbomb and Taue smokes him with a big boot. Kobashi sells his eye and face so well. Taue hits the big elbow drop off the top. Kobashi overdoes it a little with the glassy eye sell given that he is winning. The way he struggles for the ropes on the Nodowa attempt puts over how badass the Nodowa is. When Taue does hit it, the move becomes much bigger and the nearfall much more heat because Kobashi showed us how scared he was of this move.

I liked the Kobashi transition the most here. He fights off the Nodowa of Death and as Taue falls from the apron, he immediately leg drops the back of his head. Kobashi had to fight for his life and when he saw an opening he just dove on Taue. No Hulk Up. No It is my turn. He earned it. Kobashi stole the Nodowa proving that All Japan started the finisher stealing before everyone else. Bodyslam! Fist Pump! POP! No Moonsault. Lariat. No! Nodowa! KOBASHI LUNGING LARIAT! It is very cheap All Japan, but the crowd fucking lapped it up with a spoon. Taue drops him with a closed fist a tribute to his partner and big boot. DYNAMIC BOMB~! Massive heat on that! Crowd is so pumped he kicked out. Taue wants the Tiger Suplex, but Kobashi still has the wherewithal to make it to the ropes. Taue Enziguiri and Kobashi is out like a light only the ropes save him from a three count. 

Taue goes for the Super Nodowa, but Kobashi holds onto the ropes. Kobashi goes back to the chops to the neck, Tornado DDT. The crowd does wild. The people in the front row are awesome, they want Kobashi to win so bad. DDT bought him time but Taue is still the one looking better. Lunging headbutts by Kobashi I love it. He is just charging headlong for the victory literally. TIGER SUPLEX~! Huge heat and a BIG turning point. Taue is fucked. Bodyslam! FIST PUMP! OH HELL YEAH! MOONSAULT! 1-2-NO! I love how Kobashi gobbles him right up and JACKKNIFE POWERBOMB! THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE FINISH! So much heat. They let Taue have one Pop-up Big Boot. KOBASHI SMOKES HIM WITH A LARIAT! Cena style Top Rope Legdrop! 1-2-3 and the Budokan goes MENTAL! HUGE KOBASHI CHANTS! Kobashi is incredulous and for like 3 minutes keeps asking people if it was really a three count.

I dont like when people blow off an entire half of the match and just turn it on for the finish run. Every minute should be important. I do realize the finish is more important and this was a rousing home stretch. As a huge Kobashi fan, the finish pop makes me beam with pride and it did make me a little emotional. He is so great at getting you emotionally involved. More of a great moment than anything else ****