[2008-03-02-NOAH-Second Navigation] Kenta Kobashi & Tamon Honda & KENTA vs Yoshihiro Takayama & Tahuma Sano & Atsushi Aoki

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[dawho5]

I do like when the NOAH matches surprise me. Takayama has been treated like a warm body in these tags he's been in for NOAH the last few years. In this he is a force of nature again. He is the equalizer to Kobashi, and that matchup is the engine that drives this match. They are dead even throughout in a very entertaining way. Sano is half worthless half okay. Aoki is mostly just there. I really hate how most of the time when Honda shows up he is just there to put over somebody who doesn't have the ring smarts or the skill he has, but in this match he gets to shine a little on his own. He is so very wasted in NOAH. I really wish he'd gone to Battlarts or Futen or even NJPW. As much as I hate to say it, his style would actually have fit far better there than NOAH. Even Steven match until we get to the KENTA heat segment. As always, it's good, sometimes despite Sano's worst efforts. Kobashi gets the hot tag and...has to really work to make anything stick because Takayama is back to 2000-2002 form, and that right there is why this match is good. When Kobashi has to work instead of just rolling over everyone with chops, it's entertaining. Finishing sequence is actually really well-worked, with the exception of Aoki and KENTA flying all over the ring in a completely out of place section of it, no he-should-be-dead kickouts like most NOAH tags. This will probably be somewhere in the 65-80 range.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Kenta Kobashi/Tamon Honda/KENTA vs Yoshihiro Takayama/Takuma Sano/Atsushi Aoki - Budokan 3/2/08

 

This match would be way better as Kobashi/KENTA vs Takayama/Aoki. Honda is just so old at this point that besides the same dangling Olympic Hell from the corner spot he added nothing. As much as I have come to love Sano he was ultimately expendable. Each of the other match up were really well done. Aoki tagging Kobashi at every turn was not as good as Marufuji and Sugiura, but added some good heat to the match. Of course, when Kobashi got his hands on the little punk it was great stuff. Takayama/KENTA is just as electric as their 2004 match. There is just so much great struggle. KENTA/Aoki was a little spotty, but had a great energy to it. Kobashi/Takayama have crazy freaky chemistry with each other it is like the polar opposite of Kobashi/Sasaki. In a lot of ways, this six-man follows the template of the previous six man, but isnt as good. Sugiura, Marufuji and Morishima are all out to prove themselves to Kobashi and all would be NOAH main event talent. They each take their different paths Sugiura is a mean bastard, Marufuji is a cocky douche and Morishima is a monster who wants him in the ring. Aoki is a punk junior, but he is nowhere near Marufuji's credibility. Sano is old. Takayama is Kobashi's peer (ok, just slightly below, but treated as equals). The match benefits as the other two Kobashi comeback matches do from Kobashi being more vulnerable and not guzzling his opponents. The opening portion feels flat especially compared to the other six-man besides KENTA/Takayama bit. The KENTA FIP drives this match into the really good territory as they kick the shit out of KENTA. Kobashi is in for the hot tag, but this is not the Kobashi of yesteryear and eventually succumb to Team Takayama. Kobashi's team has to save him from certain doom from an Everest Suplex. Kobashi is able to tag out to KENTA. The juniors come in for a big, fast-paced finale. In an unusual moment for puroresu, Takayama accidentally big boots his own partner, Aoki. KENTA hits the Go 2 Sleep on Aoki to win. Afterwards Kobashi/Takayama brawl on the ramp.

 

There is plenty of action in the match to satisfy the action marks, but I did not think there was as much substance as the previous six-man that I really liked. Everything was good, but there was nothing that really hooked me in. If this happened on RAW, yes I would be going crazy, but for NOAH this seemed pretty run of the mill. The middle portion with KENTA FIP and the false Kobashi hot tag give this enough legs that it should make the Top 100. ***3/4