[2000-10-07-NOAH] Kenta Kobashi & Takeshi Rikio vs Jun Akiyama & Yoshinobu Kanemaru

[soup23]

The announcer losing his mind when Kobashi debuts the black/purple gear is glorious. This was a match where the mold is broken again. Akiyama seizes an opening at the start and gives an Exploder and assisted piledriver to Kobashi on the ramp. Why not as his tactics have worked this time. However, Kobashi has had enough of this shit. He gets some time to recover while Rikio gets worked over, gets tagged in and then unleashes a fury of two lariats that knock both Akiyama and Kanemaru out. The shock when the count happens for Akiyama is excellent. I am loving this feud and I am loving NOAH's booking so far. *** (6.1)

[Edwin]

Oh man did this rule. They continue to build to the big Kobashi vs. Akiyama match with Akiyama being a heel and attacking Kobashi on the ramp and laying him out with a stuffed piledriver making this a handicap match for a little bit. Rikio holds his own for a bit, but eventually Akiyama and Kanemaru take over. Once Kobashi recovers, he's back in the match and at one point Akiyama catches him in the deadly guillotine choke, but Rikio is there for the save. Kobashi gets feed up and just blasts and knocks out both Akiyama and Kanemaru with some brutal lariats to finish this. Really good sub 10 minute match.

[ohtani's jacket]

God, this was weak. New trunks don't disguise the fact that Kobashi is practically immobile. Watching him shuffle instead of walk is one of the more uncomfortable sights of the year. I suppose NOAH deserves some credit for changing their booking so that they weren't simply AJPW Redux but this was super weak compared to that AJPW vs. NJPW tag which also featured a broken down performer in the form of Masahiro Chono. You've got work to do NOAH if you're going to change my opinion by December.

[AstroBoy]

The story here is strong and definitely carries the day. Akiyama is getting more and more cocky and aggressive and goes right at Kobashi, eventually taking him out on the rampway with a spiked piledriver. The work in between that and the Kobashi comeback is pedestrian, but the Kobashi hulk up is milked for a ton. He destroys Akiyama, then Kanemaru, then Akiyama again with the lariat and gets the shock pin to reassert himself in a big way. The purple and black was a nice touch too.

 

**3/4