[1995-07-24-AJPW-Summer Action Series] Kenta Kobashi vs Akira Taue

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Taue's awesome streak continues. He had good matches with Kobashi before he hit this peak period (from what I understand -- haven't checked out the '93 match that I've seen get some love), but I'm not sure he could have worked a match like this before 1995 where he's going bomb-for-bomb with Kobashi. They jump head first into the action right away and never look back. Most of the best AJ matches of the year so far have had the classic build, while this one is just two guys beating the hell out of each other from the opening bell. This is way more all-action than the Carny, but the Carny had a mini-coming of age thing going on with Taue that was perfectly in context of an arc that carried over to other matches. This is more isolated and a case of two guys leaving it all in the ring in the hopes of winning. There is definitely some substance. Things like the sleeper teases early on are paid off later in the match, which is really cool, and my heart told me Kobashi's moonsault and Taue's middle-of-the-ring nodowa were both finishes, even though my mind told me that wasn't true. Taue's big comeback at the end after Kobashi had things going in his direction for a pretty lengthy period of time was hard not to get behind. YMMV on what you'll like better between this and the Carny. Both are great, and I think I like this one better, but what makes me love both is that they're two very distinct matches. The only negative thing I can really say is that considering how much Taue had accomplished with the dynamic bomb a few months before this, using it to pop a nearfall in the opening minutes felt wrong. But everything else about this felt right.

[Tim Evans]

The Carnival match was better but this was a fun war. Both guys go all out with the strikes. Didn't care much for the finish but it doesn't hurt the match. Taue rules.

[Superstar Sleeze]

I preferred the Carnival match also. At times, I felt like it got a bit to into a Kobashi exhibition and just when I thought would become a sort of extended Kobashi squash they busted out a great apron sequence and one of the best extended sleeper sequences (4+ minutes). I hated the transition to the lengthy Kobashi control segment as it was just Kobashi being revived by an atomic drop and launching off a roundhouse kick to the gut. Taue eventually did make his comeback and the finish run was very well-done. The beginning was fun and given that I saw the video length I was excited for how fast pace the match would be. I think they delivered an exciting at times match that was sometimes marred by Kobashi just doing moves to a prone Taue. It was a fun, but flawed match at times and felt like a weird way to book your next TC challenger.

[PeteF3]

Earlier on I said that Kobashi/Taue was the one big match-up of AJPW that didn't really seem to have an "iconic" match. I think this is the bout that comes closest--Carnival was great but this struck me as two guys on the same level leaving it all in the ring, whereas the Carnival was a vehicle to put Taue over. Here Taue starts off dominant, just as Kawada did in the last 6-man before this, and puts an exclamation point on the open by chokeslamming Kobashi on the floor. Kobashi pays him back later with a power bomb on the floor, but later after that gets greedy and tries the same thing after tearing up the pads, and Taue backdrops him on the concrete. There's some great struggle to avoid big moves here, with Kobashi working an awesome sequence to fight off Taue's nodowa attempt off the apron and a fight over a dragon suplex toward the end. I have to give huge credit to any match where the time limit draw bell completely blindsides me, and that's what happened here. Many draws, even great ones, are ones that you can see coming--that isn't the case here. Much like the Weekly Pro Tokyo Dome draw I could have watched these two go for twice as long.

[The Russian Daydream]

I enjoyed this match so much. The Carnival match from March was probably the better match as a complete package but there were sequences in this match that were utterly tremendous. I loved the early going where Kobashi was going at Taue at a hundred miles an hour like an over-excited puppy, only for Taue to just keep stopping him in his tracks. The best example of this was where Taue whipped Kobashi into the railings and Kobashi no-sells it and comes racing out all full of fire with a clothesline but Taue blocks it and slams him with a chokeslam. These moments early on really emphasised their contrasting philosophies.

 

The four minute sleeper worked for me brilliantly too. It reminded me a bit of the long claw sequence in the Barry Windham vs Dusty Rhodes match at Bash 88. There was no hint of this being a rest hold of any sort. It's amazing how action packed a sequence with two guys just working one hold for so long can be. I also really liked the teasing of the chokeslam off the apron and Kobashi's efforts to avoid it, which drew on the previous match where the chokeslam off the apron was a defining moment.

 

Another defining spot in the Carnival match was Taue power bombing Kobashi on the floor. In this one it was Kobashi that hit Taue with this, which was a cool reversal of fortunes. Then Kobashi once again tries to do it on the exposed floor and Taue once again stops the Kobashi excess and backdrops him out of it.

 

Really, I had a blast watching this. When I started watching All Japan, I had the perception of Taue as a distant fourth, but to my surprise I'm quickly coming round on him. He's been awesome, especially through 95.

[JKWebb]

http://placetobenation.com/countdown-top-500-matches-of-the-90s-100-51/2/

 

#68

 

This was great. I thought there were times Kobashi chopping down Taue looked super brutal. Taue was awesome too. Loved how this started... some good counters in the opening too.

— I came back and watched this on 04/07/2020... I liked it even more.  That Kobashi sleeper is wicked!  I wish that the sleeper would be utilized in this fashion in current wrestling.  My favorite sequence is the beatdown outside the ropes on the ring apron... they are going back and forth but they look so exhausted and it feels so desperate.... I love this match.  I think to this point, it would be my second favorite All Japan match of 1995 (up through July at least)…

[Zenjo]

Those time limits keep on expiring. Because it wasn't a tournament or title bout you don't really think about the possibility of it being a draw until announcements near the end. They certainly didn't pace it conservatively, starting out very quick. Too quick for something of this length. It felt more like a 2000's 'big match' with its attempt at continual action and excitement during every moment. More light and shade would've been highly beneficial. And a more classical beginning, middle and ending structure. There was also a lack of narrative besides two big dawgs fighting it out.

 

Although I wasn't keen on some elements of the layout and pacing this was still a good match. The execution was strong on both ends. The technical content of the wrestling was also impressive. I'd take their Carny bout over this but not by a lot.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Kenta Kobashi vs Akira Taue - AJPW 7/24/95

In my opinion, Kobashi vs Taue is the most underrated singles pairing of the Corners combinations. I love their Carny '95 match, their 1998 and 2004 matches. All three I have rated ****1/2 or higher and it is a pairing I prefer to say Kobashi vs Kawada. I think it makes sense that this match-up is so great because it is most heelish of the Four Corners pitted against the most babyface of the Four. 

I loved the beginning of this match. Kobashi was FIRED THE FUCK UP! I would hazard to guess that Kobashi is still pissed from 6/9/95 and is out for blood. He chops Taue so relentlessly that Taue ends up on the outside. Taue tries a jawbreaker, but Kobashi won't be stopped. He fights through it. He drops Taue on the top rope throat first ala Taue giving Taue a taste of his own medicine! A good pop, but you know that pop would be even bigger in America! Japanese fans tend to hate cheating or low-down tactics no matter who does it even if it is a babyface throwing it back in a heel's face, they still don't like it, whereas America this would have gotten over huge. Kobashi would have been great in America without ever speaking a lick of English, I am completely convinced of that.  Sorry I got sidetracked by some urgent work ok where did I leave off. 

Kobashi does the usual All Japan where they eat the railing and then ricochet off but in this case Taue catches the charging Kobashi with a NODOWA~! It is not off the apron so it is not an official NODOWA OF DEATH. Taue rolls him back in...DYNAMIC BOMB! The woman in the front row's facial expressions are perfect you can tell she's a big Kobashi fan. This is all within the first 5 minutes and I loved it. It was a change of pace from the usual All Japan structure. They were going balls to the wall. What's the issue? Well I see there's 27 minutes left on the video. If they were going 5-10 minutes more, that's great but I am a bit worried where they can go here. 

In literature, it is taught there are five parts to a story, the beginning, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution. Pro wrestling like literature is almost all rising action. The issue with the Dynamic Bomb early is that it is a climax and now there is going to be a long falling action, which feels weird. Taue rolls Snake Eyes, he launches Kobashi from a back suplex, hits a Big Elbow Drop from top. All great moves if this was Rising Action leading to the Dynamic Bomb, but now that they are Falling Action, it falls flat. The transition is terrible to Kobashi and I bitched about it in 2012 and I will bitch about it again. Kobashi eats a Atomic Drop, sells it standing up and just hits a side kick and that's it he is in command. Kobashi signals for the moonsault but Taue rolls out to the floor. At least they didnt hit Kobashi Climax immediately. Instead, we get a brilliant moment of radiant fire. Taue blocks the powerbomb attempt and Kobashi chops the ever loving shit out of him and then Powerbombs him to Hell on the floor. Jackknife Powerbomb gets two inside. At one point, Taue slaps Kobashi and Kobashi slaps the fucking taste out of his mouth. The layout has been weird, but Kobashi's performance has been red hot and Taue has been a great dick. Again, I thought they started to meander. Hard hitting stuff, but Kobashi hit the Powerbomb, logically they needed to go to Moonsault, but again they started to do this Falling Action instead of Rising Action. The transition back to Taue is much better. Kobashi misses a second rope shoulder tackle and then Taue tries a Pump Kick but does it in the most Awkward Taue fashion possible. 

Then best part since Kobashi started chopping Taue was this incredible Apron struggle. Ever since Carny '95, every Taue match features this amazingly dramatic struggle for Taue to Chokeslam his opponent off the apron and for his opponent to avoid it at all costs. I am not going to give the blow by blow but it lasts for like two minutes and it is just fucking epic. In this round, Kobashi won and guillotine legdropped Taue's head on the middle rope. My gut says they meet again on the apron before this is all over. My gut was wrong by the by. 

Kobashi was relentless down the stretch. Guillotining Taue's neck whereever he could including the railing. Brutal chops to the neck anytime Taue put up a resistance. DDTs and then epic Sleepers down the stretch. I disagree with myself the issue with this match was Kobashi doing moves to a prone Taue, I felt Taue fought back and Kobashi really had to earn his advantage. The 4+ minutes of sleepers were great rivaling the Benoit/Eddie match of 96. Kobashi was tenacious and Taue sold so well. As I was mentioning before the Japanese did not see Kobashi's tenacity as a positive when he kept the sleeper applied even as Taue rolled to the outside or when he reapplied it as Taue was on the apron. They booed the latter pretty heavily. Interestingly when he dragged him back in over the top rope in the sleeper they cheered effusively! It was a great spot, but Kobashi would have been cheered from jump in America. In Japan, they are definitely more respectful of the rules. 

I loved Kobashi's facial expressions after he couldnt put Taue away from the sleepers and moonsault. It was logical to go from sleeper to Moonsault. The first one Taue rolled away. Kobashi's "You got to be fucking kidding me" look great only to be outdone when he nailed the moonsault and Taue still kicked out. Kobashi hits a massive powerbomb but Taue does one of those All Japan pop up, stagger around, tumble to the outside sells. I didnt love the Taue transition as it was just a back drop out of a powerbomb on exposed concrete. Actually the transition was great and really should have garnered Taue a countout victory what I didnt like it how Taue fired back up. They were down to two minutes to go in the timelimit. NODOWA~! Nothing doing. Super Nodowa?!? Kobashi blocks. Kobashi wants the Dragon Suplex...but Taue kicks off the top rope to crash down on Kobashi and they futz around and that's the time limit. 

There is a lot to rave about in this match, Nodowa on the floor and Dynamic Bomb inside 5 minutes means the pacing was totally different from most All Japan matches. Kobashi was ON FIRE on offense, the chops on the outside leading to the Powerbomb and then legdropping the hell out of Taue and the tenacity of the Sleeper. I loved the Apron tight rope sequence they did, very dramatic. They built to the Moonsault so well. I did think due to the layout there was too much Falling Action instead of Rising Action and the finish was a little flat (I prefer Carny '95, 1998 and 2004 to this match, but to be 4th place to those match is not bad), but these are nitpicks in the grand scheme of things. I would love to have these type of matches more often in 2020 with so much passion and energy from both men! ****1/4