[1995-01-24-AJPW-New Year's Giant Series] Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Ditch]

THIS is an hour broadway I can get behind. I have it ranked 5th out of the iterations of this match, but considering that it's my favorite matchup that's still a compliment. Still waiting on JDW's re-watch to see if he takes back what he said about Taue not being good. Granted he's not as good as he was later in the year but he's still GOOD.

 

Here's the blow-by-blow from when I watched it four years ago:

 

 

We start with Kobashi vs Kawada, the triple crown match from 5 days ago. Kobashi starts to get fired up, and Kawada looks right in Kobashi's eyes and you can see the wheels turning as he ponders if he wants to take this erupting volcano head on. He tags out. Then Misawa and Taue come in and Misawa wrestles circles around Taue, including two moves that really make you say "Hey! Taue is not completely without athletic ability!" but of course Misawa is the one doing the hard work. Kobashi in, Taue does the pieface, and might I add that Taue's pieface really needs more love because it's such a great way to make the most of his lack of bulging muscles. In doing the pieface he looks like a monster asserting his dominance, when in fact he's a gangly mofo. And it's back to Kawada vs Kobashi for more quality exchanges. That's just the opening minutes.

 

It doesn't have the strong story or drama of 6/9/95. From a story standpoint it isn't quite as good as the previous long tag draw, 9/30/90, but this has way better wrestling, is 20 minutes longer and is FASTER. And it's not like there isn't a degree of storytelling in this either, as demonstrated in the first Kawada/Kobashi interaction. Everyone has their time to shine, too.

 

The difference between these various top 20 matches isn't so much the flaws as in to what degree they're great. For instance the move to working over Kobashi after the 30 minute mark is good work, but it's not stellar. Then Misawa comes in for the save and gets cut off, THAT is great. Then Kawada and Taue start escalating things, which is even greater because it pays off the first 40 minutes or so of both teams striving for a decisive advantage. Misawa recovers and tries another save, AGAIN gets cut off. More struggling to polish off Kobashi, and finally at about 48 minutes we get the first big nearfall- and not even a 'kick out' nearfall at that. Admirable, but 5/94 kept a really high 'end of the match' tension level going for longer, and it had a more energetic opening portion. 50 minutes in, Misawa makes the save and they do an exchange that builds off the one a few minutes earlier. That's a level of detail you almost take for granted from these guys, but it really is unique.

 

The hot tag to Misawa doesn't lead to a bunch of predictable bumping, either, and they do a wonderful job of having Misawa slowly but surely assert himself. Misawa cutting off a potential opening for Kawada *to just interfere* and then going back to work on Taue demonstrates the level of wrestling we're talking about. The struggle for control is at such a degree of complexity that it overcomes any specific need for deep storytelling and it becomes a story itself. 55 minutes in and FINALLY it's a finisher kick out nearfall. After 5/94, you know that these guys can go a while after taking a big move, so even though they do a respectable job putting over their exhaustion it feels almost like they're about 5-10 minutes away from a finish instead of 30 seconds, which is what you really want from a broadway. At the end you actually want them to have busted out more bombs instead of less, which is a stark contrast to so many big main events that would follow in Japan.

 

[jdw]

It's sitting on an external drive waiting to be watched with some other stuff. I'm loathed to watch it stand alone rather than in the context of other matches around it in that stretch that were all a part of my POV that Taue was falling off strongly at the tail end of 1994 and into early 1995 before quite surprisingly and pleasantly picking it up to and entirely new level.

 

John

[Loss]

First, I want to talk about Misawa. Misawa looks great in this match. In fact, in terms of variety of offense, we probably see more from him than anyone in the match. He starts out with Taue and is all flashy right away. He does a gorgeous floatover takedown into an armbar and a high crossbody to the floor in a pretty short exchange. Most of the match is Kawada and Kobashi, so aside from one extended part of the match where he's selling, for the most part, he's either on the apron, or in the match pulling out some great flying moves -- tope, senton, flying bodypress, slingshot splash and lots more stuff. Late in the match, he does a beautiful, lucha-esque dive to the floor that is tremendous and is probably the best looking highspot of the match.

 

Next, I want to talk about Taue. I saw jdw's comment just before I watched this, but I tried not to let it influence me. That said, this proves jdw right -- Taue wasn't at his best. I don't know if that applies to the entire time period or not, but if this is what we were getting from him at this point, it's true. He's never actively bad, but there are times when he has great openings and does nothing. Until the end, each time Kawada tags him in, he is in for a few seconds and doesn't do much before tagging out. He also repeats spots too many times -- if I never see him drop someone throat first on the top rope or the guardrail again, it will be too soon. He also sits Misawa in a neck vice for a while (This is the one part of the match that has Misawa as the legal man selling and that's all Taue can think of?), and when he's tagged back in a few minutes later, he does a quick chinlock before tagging out. It's also telling that until the final stretch of the match, everyone is put in a position to sell for a long period of time except Taue. He does the same thing when Kobashi is FIP for a while. He'll tag in, do a half crab for a few minutes, then tag out a few second later. Things pick up for him toward the end of the match when Kawada is laid out and Taue is carrying the load for the team. He and Kobashi are both in a similar predicament at that point, but the story is much more pronounced from the Kobashi side of things. There are moments when he pulls out some heel stuff that the crowd eats up, but overall, I was disappointed with him.

 

Now onto the match. Where the body of Kawada/Kobashi a few days earlier was outstanding but the last few minutes lost something, this is the opposite -- the body of the match is underwhelming, but things pick way up down the stretch. They do a great job building to some big moments, but the payoff seems anti-climatic. For example, despite all the tagging in and out early on, we see every possible combination at least twice before we finally get Misawa/Kawada. And while the heat picks up, they don't really do as much with it as you'd hope. Still, you think there's going to be something else great coming. Every time Misawa has tagged in when Kawada was in, Kawada has been laid out. For the first 20 minutes of the match, Kawada gets no offense at all on Misawa. Then, Kawada tags in and they don't really pay off the build in a very exciting way. Then, they try building heat on Taue, but Taue doesn't seem engaged, so it doesn't last long.

 

But when they start building heat on Kobashi, the match kicks into high gear. It's really good, and at times, really great. The crowd is strongly into him from the beginning, so he's the right guy to be in this spot. And the moment when Misawa is finally able to tag in -- after taking a powerbomb on the floor from Kawada -- is great, as Kobashi has been fighting solo for his team for quite a while. It's a great moment, but it feels disconnected from the earlier build. After a few more tags in and out with everyone involved throwing out their big moves and getting some great close calls, we close out with Misawa/Kawada in an awesome final pairing. Misawa pulls off a beautiful German suplex and a frog splash that gets some amazing hang time and elevation. He's going for a tiger something-or-other when the bell rings, and we have the second 60-minute draw in five days.

 

I'm torn. These four aren't going to have a bad match, and they definitely didn't here. There are some fabulous moments in the last 15-20 minutes. But the first 2/3 of the match -- while hardly terrible -- aren't as good as you'd expect. Without knowing anything about the 12/95 tag, I'm expecting this to be the least of the four matches they'll have this year. I'd call this very good. There is plenty to like, and it's worth watching for some strong individual performances from three of the four participants, but it's not as focused as you want it to be.

[jdw]

Ditch: you can remove your spoiler comments now.

 

One does wish that the 5th match between the teams (the league match of the RWTL) was available, even if just in Hand Held. That one actually has the likelihood of being better than 1/95 and 12/95 given (i) it has a finish just short of the time limit, and (ii) given Misawa & Kobashi going down, it's likely that Kawada & Taue gave them a chunk of the match to "do their thing".

 

Another reason to hate the going to 30 minutes on TV, and Sammy not having AJPW at the time. On the other hand... it was a really weak group of teams in the league. They really should have just taped the show that had their league match.

 

John

[MJH]

I thought Samurai started in 1996?

[jdw]

"Another reason to hate the going to 30 minutes on TV, and Sammy not having AJPW at the time."

 

Means:

 

NTV went to 30 in 4/94 + No AJPW Sammy until 10/96 = lots less AJPW TV than 1993 = sucks

 

 

The 1995 Four Corners match in the Tag League would be on tape if either one of those things existed in 1995: the old one hour NTV show or AJPW on Sammy.

 

John

[jdw]

That missing Four Corners tag could be something of a Holy Grail to bring to Dan's attention to keep an eye out for on handheld. I know he's focused on a few other projects, and 90s AJPW isn't really a current one... so I wouldn't want to drag him away from it.

 

John

[smkelly]

There are several matches at the end of '95 that Dan needs to keep an eye out for.

[Tim Evans]

God damn another 60 minute draw? I just think that's excessive. I'll give them credit for doing it within 5 days and I kinda liked the story to it. However, it's something I really don't ever want to watch again. I know i'm in the minority here but I gotta be honest.

[jdw]

I don't think you're the only one who wasn't thrilled by this match.

 

John

[Loss]

I doubt I'll watch it again either.

 

John, this may be a loaded question, but do you think All Japan was overly geared to hardcore wrestling fans at this point?

[jdw]

Not really.

 

They were geared towards All Japan Fans, specifically in Japan. They did well with their own fans. Put them on the Dome show in April going 30:00 working a match that they could have fallen out of bed and done... and *nothing* on the card was more over with the 50K+ fans than that match. So clearly they crossed over to other fans outside "their own".

 

In turn, Chono vs Hash on that card is something that probably could have played at Korakuen Hall infront of the hardest of the hardcore NJPW Fans of the era. It may have worked at Sumo Hall at G1... but wouldn't have driven the fans as nuts as the usual top G1 matches. In front of 50K cans, the top NJPW star of the generation and the top heel NJPW star of the era... laid an egg that the fans didn't really care for.

 

So I think the AJPW workers were geared towards All Japan Fans, and to a larger degree Puroresu Fans in general.

 

Why the longer matches? I think Baba liked that his guys could go long like the old days, it was something the other promotions couldn't do as well, and he seemed to be getting to the point of letting his guys do what they largely wanted to in terms of the ring.

 

Take this match.

 

Hase & Mutoh had just won the IWGP Tag Titles back. So let's set up the ideal opponents for them.

 

Let's say Tenzan is too green for this example, and hadn't really started the Wolves with Chono so we won't use him.

 

Hash & Hirata hasn't yet teamed, nor gotten their shit down together... so we won't use them. But we want to use Hash because he frankly is the best worker in New Japan. So we'll have to toss someone in with him as a make-shift team.

 

Hase & Mutoh vs Hash & Sasaki or Hash & Koshinaka

 

Well, Kosh is a favorite of a lot of folks from this period of NJPW, and pertty reliable in working a watchable match in the mid-90s. 1995 Sasaki might be at the level of pre-Carny 95 Taue right at the moment this match took place... so that might be more fair.

 

So...

 

Does anyone think that if you booked Hase & Mutoh to defend their IWGP Tag Titles in January 1995 at a mid-level card against either Hash & Sasaki or Hash & Koshinaka and told them to work a 60:00 draw that it would be at this level?

 

There are things that I don't care for in this match... but being honest...

 

Yeah, it's pretty insane to think that the NJPW boys could work this match. I'm not even sure that

 

Hase & Mutoh & Hash vs Chono & Tenzan & Koshinaka going 30:00 at the Tokyo Dome in April could have matches what the AJPW boys did that night.

 

I enjoyed the NJPW heavies more than most in the 90s, and if you look at my ballot over on the DVDVR it tends to show more respect for the heavies than the overall poll results got. But... no, they weren't at this level.

 

That seemed to be what Baba wanted to show.

 

John

[Loss]

The reason I asked that is that I remember Dave saying at the end of 1995 that All Japan was "almost too workrate-focused", or something to that extent, and that he expected their decline to continue into 1996 because of that. So I took that as him saying that All Japan was overly focused on catering to hardcore fans, and I thought maybe the abundance of 60-minute draws in '95 was evidence of that. I agree that aside from occasional high points, the NJ heavies weren't at the level of the top AJ heavies.

[jdw]

I don't think their decline was due to workrate. Lots of other reasons that we've batted around in the past here and elsewhere.

 

John

[Ditch]

They filled the dome in '98 with essentially a one-match card (the semi-mains were Budokan level at best), and that one match was stale and built to horribly. They would have EASILY sold the dome out for, say, the '94 or '95 Misawa/Kawada matches.

 

As JDW said, the problem wasn't workrate, it was countless other things mentioned repeatedly over the years.

[PeteF3]

In addition to being on vacation, the prospect of two 60-minute draws in a week is what's been keeping me from diving into '95 head-on. So putting this on was more of a "let's get this out of the way" thing than real eagerness on my part. But in the end...put me in the minority but I liked this more than the Triple Crown. In fact it fell closer to the story I had booked in my head for that match, with Kobashi taking a beating and managing to withstand it. This has the added bonus of a terrific performance by Misawa--who I don't recall ever seeing being portrayed as The Man to this extent to this point in his career. Every time he's in, the dynamic totally shifts--he's the House Afire every time, and aside from a short segment underneath when Kawada levels him with a kick as he's going for his reverse-headbutt-thing, he's pretty much untouchable. After the standoff/parity stuff to open with Kobashi and Kawada, the majority of the opening 20 minutes are a long shine sequence by Misawa & Kobashi and they deliver in spades. It does fade a little in the 35-45 minute range, but we still get an excellent underneath performance by Kobashi and a big pickup towards the end. I think this is further evidence of the last-minute nature of the TC booking because this felt like a draw being strategically booked to put over certain storylines, whereas the TC felt like a draw for the sake of a draw. And that's fine, but this was ultimately a more satisfying match.

[The Russian Daydream]

This was a far easier watch than the Kobashi vs Kawada draw from the previous week. I'm usually not a big fan of really long matches, but It had a far more organic feel, where it felt like the match should have gone the hour, and didn't seem nearly as much like they were trying to reign the flow. Even though I knew it was a draw before watching it, I felt myself hold my breath at the moonsault near-fall close to the end, which I loved. Another moment I really liked was after Kobashi had been really beaten down, the way Misawa cleared house, pulled Kobashi towards the corner and waited for him to make the tag, but then Taue comes in so Misawa has to hop in, knock Taue out again and get back to the corner for Kobashi to finally muster the strength to make the tag.

It's not anything like the best match I've seen from these guys, but I really think it may be the best hour-draw I've watched.

[Zenjo]

Two hour long draws in January alone is why 1995 was chosen for my 10th and final Yearbook. There's still two more to go later this year. It's not like they aren't good matches, it just really slows my progress through the set.

 

I'm not appreciating the Kawada vs Kobashi redux to start as I've seen plenty of that matchup recently. Still the opening 15m was generally positive. There wasn't any indication that it was going abnormally long. The second quarter was the weakest phase. It felt like they were treading water with no progression. I was counting down until my halftime break. From the halfway mark a very long Kobashi FIP segment began with the dodgy knee being attacked. That flowed into the stretch.

 

Again there was a decided lack of near falls, and not until the final quarter. The fan response was very enthusiastic once more. At times it was better, at times worse than 1/19. I enjoyed them the same amount and they'll be close together on my year end list. They had much the same flaws with the unfavourable format, too few near falls and periods of meandering. Taue was the clear #4 performer with moveset issues arising. Kobashi's crawling selling annoyed me at times so I'll put him at 3, Kawada 2 and Misawa the best wrestler on the day. He didn't hold the title anymore, but was clearly still the man.

[Superstar Sleeze]

AJPW World Tag Team Champions Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs Holy Demon Army - AJPW 1/24/95

The Super Generation Army was on quite a roll having won the back to back Real World Tag League in 1993 and 1994. They beat the Holy Demon Army on 12/3/93 and 5/21/94 but drew them in the Real World Tag League of 1994. So are the Holy Demon Army getting any closer?

First 15 minutes: I really like how tags were used at the beginning. Any time one man tags out, the non-fresh man works pretty quickly to tag out to his partner to avoid a control segment being established. It is worth noting Kobashi and Kawada just went an hour Broadway 5 days prior to this and they are the ones that start out. Again to their credit they do not telegraph that this will also being going hour Broadway because they come out guns blazing. Again, it is Kawada stunned that Kobashi is standing tall after absorbing a lot of blows to the head. Misawa vs Taue is fun lots of nifty takedowns by Misawa. Misawa goes for a dive to the floor too early and eats a big boot on the floor. Before this can become a control segment he tags out to Kobashi. Kawada vs Kobashi is very scrappy and chippy, I guess it is residual heat from their Triple Crown match. Kobashi uses a closed fist. Kawada unleashes some wicked headbutts that he ends up selling and forces him to tag out to Taue who headbutts Kobashi again, before this can be a control segment, Kobashi tags out. Our first almost control segment is on Taue, but he back drops out of a Kobashi headlock and Kawada tags in. Kawada smokes him with his classic Spinning Heel Kick Kawada shows the back of his hand to Kawada in the corner and Kobashi uses a Closed Fist in response to this blatant disrespect and tags out to Misawa. We get our first Misawa/Kawada interaction and Misawa is a house afire, kicking ass and smoking Kawada. Big dive to the outside lands and then sets him up to head a baseball slide from Kobashi. Taue tries to save and eats a Double Dropkick. Misawa SPINNING PLANCHA! Diving shouldertackle by Kobashi on Kawada on the floor. First big highspots of the match! Hell Yeah! We needed big time fun babyface spots and stereo dives are great. Kobashi starts pelting Kawada with chops and stomping him into oblivion. Kobashi lands a big standing suplex and then converts into a deep Single Leg Crab. We have our first official control segment and it is on Kawada. Definitely a solid opening 15 minutes to this match and looks like the action is ratcheting up. 

Second 15 minutes: This feels like a match that did not need to go 60 minutes rather they just wanted it to go sixty minutes. This middle portion is filled with three heat segments that roughly go about 5 minutes each. The leg work on Kawada is solid based around strikes and single leg crabs. Kawada's selling is better than offense and he is just awesome. Taue tries to help out on a monkey flip attempt in the corner but eats an elbow for his troubles. Misawa does his Blind Springboard Reverse Elbow but Kawada nails a Jumping High Kick. The Misawa heat segment starts out auspiciously with Taue DDT and then rolling Snake Eyes to boos on the top rope, steel railing and Kawada's good knee. Best stuff. Kawada lights up the down 'n' out Misawa with kicks & chops. Taue hits the rest holds. Kawada comes back in hits some wicked head kicks. Taue comes back and they do some Nodowa/Tiger Driver teases, which is the first time they have even teased a finisher and this is about 25 minutes in. Misawa snatches a Butterfly Suplex. Kobashi comes in and is all fired up taking both down. He settles into an abdominal stretch. When Kobashi is working holds like this, you know your match doesnt have to go so long. Misawa his a slingshot splash for two. They are definitely holding back on the fireworks.  Stiff elbows and chops to Taue as he looks in dire straits as Misawa/Kobashi have him trapped in their corner. Taue throws Kobashi down in the corner. Taue fights through the chops and  piefaces Kobashi! Here we go some heat! Kobashi fires up! Taue catches him in a Firemans Carry and rolls Snake Eyes! Nice! Tag out to Kawada. Well the only one who has not had a heat segment is Kobashi so I think I know where this is going. 

Third 15 minutes: They saved the heat segment for last! It is an absolutely delectable 15 minute heat segment on Kobashi. I loved how Kobashi made Kawada earn this control segment. They were both rocking each other with knees but both men kept firing up until Kawada chopped high! Kawada went for the knee. Kobashi responded with a desperation round kick to the knee that Kawada absorbed. Kawada fired back. Kobashi went for the dropkick to the knee and Kawada pulled out his leg and avoided. KAWADA SWEEPS THE LEG~! Kobashi sold his leg like a million bucks. So much great verbal selling and hollering. Kawada and Taue put on a fucking clinic on how to work the leg. Any hope Kobashi had they would quash. Misawa started to try to help but Kawada was out for blood. Big kick and then smoked him with a Jumping High Kick and Misawa powdered. A second time Misawa tried to help was when Kobashi looked like he has a chance to make a tag, but Kawada came in illegally and started to drag him away from Misawa. Kawada/Misawa got into scuffle and Kawada just SLUGGED him with a punch that sent Misawa reeling to the floor. This when it went from leg work to finish the punk off. Kawada TRUCKED him with a Lariat! Kawada THROWS KOBASHI DOWN WITH A POWERBOMB! This may turn out to be the biggest mistake of the match as Kawada is blind with rage goes to the outside finds Misawa and POWERBOMBS him on the floor. By the time, he gets back in the ring, it is too late to win. Taue comes in. Remember at this point, Taue has not yet innovated the Nodowa Of Death (Nodowa off the Apron) nor the Dynamic Bomb. He hits a normal Nodowa and Kobashi just freaks out. He is scrambling to get away, flailing like a fish out of water. He makes it to his corner, but there is no Misawa! High Drama! Taue hits a Super Nodowa but loses control of Kobashi in the crash landing. Kobashi powders and Taue sells. Misawa has rolled closer to Kobashi but is still hurting. Kobashi looks dead to rites and Taue has recovered and is stalking his prey. The first 30 minutes is pretty bland, but business has picked up in a big way. 

Final Fifteen Minutes: I smell a Dangerous BackDrop Driver! I am right, but they dont use that as their nearfall. Instead Kawada goes back to the powerbomb and stacks up Kobashi. At the very last second Misawa bowls them both over to break it up. NUCLEAR NEARFALL! It makes sense because the first Powerbomb was broken up by Kawada going after Misawa. This time they could use the Powerbomb as a nearfall. Great way to get the most out of the Powerbomb. Kawada goes into the Stretch Plum, which makes sense while Taue tries to detain Misawa. The one problem is Taue is overwhelmed by Misawa elbows and Misawa starts firing off on Kawada. Kawada goes for a punch, but it is a glancing blow and Misawa roars back with an Elbow. After NINETEEN minute heat segment, Kobashi makes the tag. At first, I thought Misawa was going to be gobbled up the pack of hyenas, but he catches each of their kicks and ROARING ELBOW~! I was openly cheering! Misawa hits an insane over the top rope SPEAR on Kawada! He looked like a fucking heat-seeking missile. Whats weird is Misawa does not go for the Tiger Driver or the Tiger Suplex, but settles for the Facelock. Once the Facelock has played out, he teases the Tiger Suplex but cant get it and tags back to Kobashi who is ready to unleash Hell on these assholes for the 19 minutes of punishment he took. Whats crazy is that 55 minutes in we have NOT seen a Tiger Driver, Tiger Suplex, Moonsault or a Kobashi powerbomb. Kobashi goes for the Moonsault, first one results in a crash landing. An illegal Misawa ends up hitting an illegal Tiger Driver on Kawada in the only Tiger Driver of the match. Kobashi connects with the Moonsault for the first big nearfall for the babyfaces. Kawada kicks Kobashi in the back of the head as Kobashi is running the ropes and this allows Taue to tag out. Kawada Axe Kick! Misawa elbows to prevent the Stretch Plum. Kobashi gets one last nearfall by doing the rolling cradle about 57 minutes into the match which was a fun spot. They look exhausted. No Kobashi Jackknife Powerbomb. Kobashi wisely tags out. Misawa and Kawada stare each other down. Misawa leaps for diving elbow but Kawada catches him with a jumping kick. Misawa says fuck you and German Suplexes him. Misawa's first big nearfall.  Misawa responds wisely the next time with a Spinning, Twisting Elbow/Headbutt Thingy From the Top Rope. He did it to avoid Kawada chance to kick him, which worked but it did look ugly, Taue saves. Taue breaks free from Kobashi and breaks up the Facelock. Time call for 1 minute left and Misawa hits a Twisting Frogsplash with amazing precision for 2. With 30 seconds left, Misawa is grappling for the Tiger Driver, Kawada is sandbagging him and Taue tackles Misawa to break it up and the bell rings for a 60 minute draw.

The first 30 minutes are not bad per se they are just pedestrian. If you joined this in progress at the 30 minute mark right at the beginning of the heat segment on Kobashi, I think you would think this was ***** that's how amazing I thought the last 30 minutes was. The heat segment on Kobashi was so compelling. I liked how it morphed from leg psychology into bomb throwing seamlessly. I liked how Misawa kept trying to intervene and Kawada just got more and more pissed off. The Second Powerbomb on Kobashi was a fucking awesome nearfall. The finish stretch was so much fun with the babyfaces desperately trying to finish off the Holy Demon Army and exact some revenge for getting their ass kicked for the previous 20 minutes. It is amazing how they actually left stuff off the table in this match...the Holy Demon Army never even attempted their Nodowa/Back Drop Driver finisher...Kobashi didn't do his Jackknife Powerbomb....Misawa did not do a Tiger Driver or Tiger Suplex. I think they could have spread things out and spiced up the first 30 minutes to make this a true classic. I cant go higher than ****1/4 given the first 30 minutes but the last 30 minutes is excellent.