152. Kenta Kobashi vs Kensuke Sasaki (Pro Wrestling NOAH Destiny 2005)

Just imagine the dream matches we’d have if you were to transpose peak Kenta Kobashi into the modern era: against Tomohiro Ishii, against AJ Styles, against Kenny Omega, against Gunther. When you think of dream match, you may think of Hogan/Rock, Cena/Styles, Angle/Joe. When it comes to imaginary dream matches, the list is endless. After Kobashi’s epic GHC Heavyweight title reign ended in 2005, he wanted a steady schedule and ‘event’ matches. That included a few dream matches. While some dream matches are worthy of the name, others stink the arena up (I’m thinking of Antonio Inoki vs Sting, for example). But would this Kobashi dream match end up being a sweet dream…or a beautiful nightmare?

151. The Undertaker vs Triple H (WrestleMania X-7)

It’s WrestleMania weekend!!! And what does that mean? I should do a review of a ‘Mania match! I have a few Top 10 ‘Mania-related lists, one about Top 10 ‘Mania Main Events (click here to see) and one about Top 10 ‘Mania matches (click here to see). But what about underrated WrestleMania matches? You have Bret Hart vs Roddy Piper, Ric Flair vs Randy Savage, the ‘Mania XIII Street Fight, Daniel Bryan vs HHH…there are plenty more, of course considering WrestleMania has been going for nigh-on forty years. But one of my favourite underrated matches is Undertaker vs HHH from WrestleMania X-7. Yes, forget their other two subsequent ‘Mania bouts. For me, this is their best clash…

150. Kenta Kobashi (c) vs Yoshihiro Takayama (GHC Championship Match, Pro Wrestling NOAH Encountering Navigation 2004)

Next on the ‘BURNING: The Greatness of Kenta Kobashi’ (click here for the list) list for Kenta Kobashi’s ‘Pro Wrestling NOAH’ years is a contest against Yoshihiro Takayama. Now, I’d never heard of Takayama before this list…but he is a highly decorated wrestling champion, winning belts in NJPW, AJPW, WAR, and NOAH itself, winning the GHC Championship before being defeated by Mitsuharu Misawa. And Misawa would hold that belt until being beaten by…Kobashi! That 2003 bout between Kobashi and Misawa is one of the greatest of all time (click here for my review), and that was just the start of Kobashi’s epic World Title reign. But how would he fare against the ferocious, tough SOB Takayama?

149. Toshiaki Kawada (c) vs Kenta Kobashi (Triple Crown Championship Match, AJPW Super Power Series 12/6/1998)

It appears I missed an AJPW match on ‘BURNING: The Greatness of Kenta Kobashi’ (click here for the list). So, before I continue with Kenta Kobashi’s NOAH career, let’s have a look at the match I missed out. From 1998, it’s between Triple Crown Champion Toshiaki Kawada and Kobashi for the championship. Like all of the Four Pillars of AJPW, Kobashi and Kawada had fought each other countless times, from the late ‘80s to the end of Kobashi’s tenure in AJPW (Kawada was the only Pillar to refuse to defect to NOAH in 2000). Dave Meltzer hailed their 1995 bout the best 60 minute match he’d ever seen. I may return to that one, but for now I’m following the list!

148. Kenta Kobashi vs Jun Akiyama (Pro Wrestling NOAH August 6th 2000)

Now, we turn to ‘Kenta Kobashi: The Pro Wrestling NOAH Years’ in this list of ‘BURNING: The Greatness of Kenta Kobashi’ (click here for the list).  Mitsuharu Misawa led a group of wrestlers away from AJPW to form a new wrestling company: NOAH (in 2000). When I say a group, I mean 24 out of 36 contracted AJPW wrestlers!. Kobashi was one of the ‘Four Pillars’ of AJPW, and would be one of the major figures of NOAH. But knee injuries would prevent him from reaching the top of the mountain for a few years. Even with these knee injuries, however, he competed in the first “great NOAH match,” according to Case Lowe, author of the ‘Burning’ list. That match is Kobashi vs Jun Akiyama…but was it great?

147. Kenta Kobashi & Mitsuharu Misawa (c) vs Akira Taue & Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW World Tag Team Championship, AJPW Super Power Series 9.6.1995)

“The greatest tag team match ever” is just one of the many accolades given to this match, listed in ‘Burning: The Greatness Of Kenta Kobashi’ (click here for the list). An earlier tag team match between Akira Taue/Toshiaki Kawada vs Mitsuharu Misawa/Kenta Kobashi, from 1993 (click here for my review), is also on the list…and while I really enjoyed it, the presence of Taue really distracted me. And, unfortunately, the same occurred with this match. His presence was minimised in that 1993 match; here, thanks to the extended duration of the bout, he’s heavily involved in the action. And he really shook my suspension of disbelief (yet again).

146. Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs. Masanobu Fuchi & Yoshinari Ogawa (AJPW Summer Action Series 5.7.1992)

After watching the December 1993 bout between Akira Taue and Toshiaki Kawada vs Mitsuharu Misawa and Kenta Kobashi, the next bout on the ‘Burning: A Guide To Kenta Kobashi’s Greatness’ (click here for the list) was their tag team match from 1995, often called the greatest tag team match ever. But, upon re-reading the list again, I seemed to have missed a match: Kenta Kobashi and Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs Masanobu Fuchi and Yoshinari Ogawa! Kobashi and Kikuchi were one half of the thrilling tag team match against Dan Kroffat and Doug Furnas (click here for my review) in front of an incredibly hot crowd. Now, I could only find a terrible version of the bout on Dailymotion, split into two parts, no less…and that had a detrimental effect on my enjoyment of said bout!

145. Akira Taue & Toshiaki Kawada vs. Kenta Kobashi & Mitsuharu Misawa (AJPW Real World Tag League 3.12.1993)

When you work through a ‘Best Of’ list, it encourages high expectations, doesn’t it? I’ve been working my way through ‘BURNING: A GUIDE TO KENTA KOBASHI’S GREATNESS’ (click here to see the list), and so far, there have been more hits than misses. With Kobashi, it seems, you can rarely go wrong. A few haven’t reached my expectations of what a great match should be, but even those have been worthwhile watches. I’ve reached the point in the list where the complete ‘Four Pillars’ of AJPW have come together to compete in much-loved, critically acclaimed tag team matches. The first of two on the list, from December 1993, pits Mitsuharu Misawa and Kenta Kobashi against Akira Taue and Toshiaki Kawada. While I’ve seen three of the ‘Four Pillars in action against each other (and invariably put on classic matches), Akira Taue was an unknown unknown for me. Upon seeing him in action, I questioned his value as an AJPW Pillar…

144. Danny Kroffat & Doug Furnas (c) vs. Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi (All-Asia Tag Team Championship, AJPW Super Power Series 1992 25.05.1992)

I’ve always thought the Japanese wrestling crowds were subdued. Polite clapping maybe some light cheering…but nowhere near as racuous as the Western crowds. Of course, my main point of reference is NJPW, and there have been some exceptions: the reactions to some Tanahashi/Okada and Okada/Omega matches were immense. However, although I’ve only seen a few AJPW matches, the small crowds have been rabid for each one. But the crowd witnessing Kenta Kobashi and Tsiyoshi Kikuchi vs Danny Kroffat and Doug Furnas is one of the hottest crowds I’ve ever heard, in any promotion. Kikuchi being a hometown boy may have hyped the crowd up, but whatever motivated them, this crowd could have blown the roof off.

143. ‘Dr Death’ Steve Williams vs Kenta Kobashi (AJPW Summer Action Series II 31/8/1993)

I’ve found myself going down the Kenta Kobashi rabbit hole… undoubtedly, he is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. After watching his bout against Stan Hansen, I looked forward to his much acclaimed match against ‘Dr Death’ Steve Williams from 1994. However, thanks to blindly clicking on the first Youtube video that came up, I found myself watching their lesser-acclaimed match from 1994 (click here for my review). I loved their 1994 bout, so felt compelled to find the 1993 one. It left me a little disappointed…