[2006-02-11-Kensuke Office] Kenta Kobashi & Kensuke Sasaki vs Genichiro Tenryu & Katsuhito Nakajima

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Kenta Kobashi/Kensuke Sasaki vs. Genichiro Tenryu/Katsuhiko Nakajima - Kensuke Office 2/11/06

Kensuke Sasaki is out to teach his young protege, Katsuhiko Nakajima, some tough love at what I believe is the first Kensuke Office show. I believe Akira Hokuto, Kensuke Sasaki's wife is on commentary, and his children are shown in the crowd. I loved how everytime Sasaki lit up Nakajima there was an insert window that shown Hokuto's conflicted reaction. The beginning was great with Kobashi and Sasaki pumping each other by chopping each other and then giving out a bellow and shaking hands. If I was their opponent, it would be rubber pants time for me.

Nakajima hits a spinwheel kick right off the bat to get a quick two and Sasaki bails. After that, it is all Sasaki who throws him half way cross the ring on a headlock and Sasaki is not taken off his feet by Nakajima's kicks. Kobashi wants Tenryu. Tenryu at first avoids the chop by ducking under ropes, but then instigates the chop war. Bad idea. This time Tenryu only has a trickle of blood come down his chest. Tenryu says enough of this bullshit and kicks his knee. DDT on the floor. Kobashi is all like WTF, MATE!?!?! Tenryu holds the ropes open, but then blasts Kobashi with an elbow and then grabs some woman's chair and blasts Kobashi with it. Tenryu and Nakajima are clearly outgunned by the dream team of Kobashi and Sasaki so they need to fight dirty. Nakajima can not contain Kobashi. Tenryu is in quickly to choke Kobashi with his tape. Kobashi is madder than a hornet and makes a beeline for Tenryu. Tenryu retreating into the crowd grabs a chair and jams into Kobashi's mouth. OW! Kobashi is bleeding profusely from the mouth. Nakajima takes a wicked bump off a Kobashi chop. He hits the back of his head hard. Kobashi has to tag out due to his mouth. The same Nakajima cant get the brickhouse down. Tenryu comes around the corner and whips a full water bottle at Kobashi. At the Sasaki family show, things are getting heated.

It is the point of the match where they lose me. I was loving all the Tenryu's prick work and Nakajima as spunky underdog. Then the match just turns into a legalized mauling of Nakajima. This is not the heat segment where you are like I cant wait for the hot tag. It is more like I feel really bad for Nakajima and Tenryu please just end it because you are pricks for running the score up on them. At one point, Tenryu tries to save Nakajima, but Sasaki chops Tenryu down in the corner and he just seems so helpless. It is more hopeless and depressing. Again Tenryu tries to save, but Sasaki bulldozes him and puts him in an amrbar while Kobashi has Nakajima in a Texas Cloverleaf.

All of sudden, Nakajima just out of self-perservation starts throwing big boots and avoids Sasaki, who bulldozes Kobashi! TAG TO TENRYU! Lariats for everyone. Enziguiri and punches to Kobashi. Tenryu gets a wicked abdominal stretch on Kobashi, but once Tenryu starts chopping it is all over. It is now the legalized mauling of Tenryu by the two powerhouses. Northern Lights Bomb Nakajima Saves! Tenryu blocks a Northern Lights Bomb and hits a Brainbuster. Tag to Nakajima! Give em hell, Nakajima!

Nakajima finally takes Sasaki down with kicks. He elbows Kobashi off the apron. He ascends to the top. Can the kid do it? Missile dropkick for one? FUCK YOU KENSUKE! Sasaki blocks the Northern Lights Bomb so Tenryu punches him in the face. Nakajima Northern Lights Bomb gets two. Goes for his German, but Kobashi hits the half-nelson. Tenryu hits a lariat on Kobashi. Sasaki lariats Tenryu. Nakajima German for two on Sasaki. Again another "This is Awesome" chants moment. Nakajima controls Sasaki with kicks to head, but Sasaki catches axe-kick into powerbomb, which should have been the finish. Hey Masa Saito is there! That's cool. Kobashi and Sasaki do the Bash Brothers. Wicked lariat with Nakajima basically taking a headdrop off of it gives the win to the all-star team.

In a cool moment after the match, there is a group picture with the likes of Keiji Mutoh, Takayama, Kojima and the M-Pro guys with Sasaki, Kobashi, Nakajima, Hokuto and Sasaki's kids front and center.

As much, I really enjoyed the NOAH heavyweight tag team matches from 2005, this was a clear step down. This was more of an exhibition of how Kobashi and Sasaki are the baddest men that ever lived. The take away from this match was there could be an alien invasion in 2006, but they would have no chance because the human race has Kenta Fuckin Kobashi and Kensuke Fuckin Sasaki. There was enough from Tenryu and Nakajima that this was not a total squash. I loved the early heeling from Tenryu, but we really never got the heat segment on Kobashi to make you want to see Kobashi beat the living shit out of Nakajima. If you restructure the match with a Kobashi FIP segment, this had the potential to be a real classic. Instead, it may have been a feel-good match if you are a Kobashi or Sasaki fan. Nakajima was the MVP of the match with his crazy bumps and selling. By the end of the match, Nakajima was rocking and rolling, but just did not have enough firepower to compete with Sasaki. It is a very good match and worth the watch, but could have been so much more. ***3/4

[dawho5]

Early parts with Kobashi and Tenryu are once again gold. Sasaki and Kobashi beating the shit out of an old man (he's what, 56 or 57 here?) and an undersized kid for no real purpose, not so much. I get the idea that beating the shit out of the youngsters gets them over in japan, and Nakajima takes the beating of a lifetime here. But I don't think it makes MOTYC or MOTDC caliber matches. Also, I don't particularly care for invincible Sasaki or Kobashi so this match drags for me a lot.

[Graham Crackers]

This has some fun moments but it feels incomplete. The main reason to watch this is Tenryu punching Kobashi and bloodying his mouth with a chair. Kobashi and Sasaki beating Nakajima up isn't nearly as cool as it would have been if Tenryu did it.