Dan The Wrestling Fan.

#139: Kenta Kobashi & Tamon Honda vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Yuji Nagata, Pro Wrestling NOAH Navigation Uprising Spirit (11/30/2003).

This is for Kobashi & Honda's GHC Tag Team Championships, and it is the one and only time that Kenta Kobashi & Hiroshi Tanahashi shared a ring together.

For my money, Japan has never produced two better babyfaces than Kobashi and Tanahashi. So, when I found out that they had wrestled each other one time, I was fucking hyped to check it out. Add in Honda, a decent worker, and Nagata, a legend in his own right, and we may be cooking today.

Tana and Honda start things out. They lock up, and Honda gives a clean break. They lock up again, and Tana slaps Honda for his troubles. Another lock, and Tana with a bitch slap again.

Tana takes control of the back. Full Nelson submission, and a transition to a hammerlock. Tana maintains the side headlock. Honda tries to Suplex him, but Tana takes him down, Steamboat style.

Honda tries the side headlock, and Tana counters with the head scissors. Nagata tags in, and he wants Kobashi, and here comes the reigning GHC Heavyweight Champion.

Nagata with forearms to start out, and Kobashi forces him into the turnbuckle with chops to the head. Nagata with a boot to the face, and Kobashi responds with a shoulder tackle.

They lock up proper, and then they get dirty against the ropes. We get a break, as Tana tags in. Here we fucking go - The Ace vs. Mr Puroresu!

They lock up, and Tana forearms him against the ropes. Kobashi ain't taking that shit. More forearms from Tana, but Kobashi counters with a power slam. Big chop against the ropes by Kobashi, followed by a shoulder tackle.

In the corner, Kobashi chops the shit out of Tana's chest. Tana with a dropkick in the opposite corner, followed by a power slam and a standing senton. Tana stomps on Kobashi's chest. Tana applies a neck crank next.

Honda makes the Tag, and Kobashi gives one more chop. Here comes Nagata now. Honda takes control of the back, and then Nagata does the same. Quick transitions now, and we get a break off the ropes.

Nagata gets Honda to the mat, and maintains waist control. He switches to an arm bar attempt, but Honda is fighting it off. Honda gets to the ropes, and both are back to their feet.

Nagata explodes with several kicks to the chest, followed by an abdominal stretch attempt. Nagata with a belly to belly suplex next. On the outside, Honda gets his shit kicked by Tana, who sends him head first into the apron.

Nagata has him back in the Ring, and kicks him in the turnbuckle. Tana makes the Tag, and he stomps Honda on his left shoulder. Snap mare by Tana, and he begins work on the left leg.

Tana takes a cheap shot at Kobashi, and continues his assault on Honda. Nagata tags in, and kicks Honda on the back. He now takes a cheap shot at Kobashi. Honda headbutts his chest, and they exchange fisticuffs.

Tana is back in, and he stomps on the injured leg. He applies the Sharpshooter next. Kobashi's presence breaks the submission. Nagata is back in, and he connects with a powerslam for a 2 count. Knee bar by Nagata, and Tana is talking mad trash to Kobashi.

Nagata cranks on the leg, and Honda ends up applying one to Nagata at the same time. Nagata reaches the ropes, and tags Tana. Nagata kicks Kobashi off the apron, and he and Tana double tackle Honda to the mat.

Kobashi lariats Nagata down, and Honda gives Tana a back suplex. Kobashi tags in, and he drags Tana to the floor. He Irish whips him into the barricade, then chops him so hard he goes over it! Kobashi grabs him and hits a DDT next.

Back in the Ring, Kobashi applies a neck crank submission. Honda makes the Tag, and goes into a sleeper hold. Tana fights it off, and gets back to his feet, but Honda won't release the hold. He's transitioned to a front face lock.

Kobashi tags in, and chops Tana. He lifts him up, and connects with a delayed suplex for a nearfall. Kobashi with a Boston Crab next, and he is really sitting back on that. Honda comes in to hold Nagata off. Tana is able to get to the ropes.

Honda tags in, and now he applies the Boston Crab! Tana is back up, and he gets headbutted by Honda. Kobashi makes the Tag, and he chops Tana against the turnbuckle. Tana is talking trash, and egging him on. Kobashi with neck chops next, followed by a power bomb roll up for 2.

Honda is in next. Tana looks for a hip toss, but Honda counters into an abdominal stretch. Tana is out, and connects with the Dragon Screw Legwhip. Kobashi comes in, and eats a dropkick from The Ace.

Nagata makes the Tag, and he boots both Honda and Kobashi. Blue Justice connects with a Helluva Kick, and an Exploder Suplex on Honda for 2. Forearm exchange between the two follows, and Nagata has the advantage thanks to some hard leg kicks.

Nagata puts an Inverted Figure Four on Honda, only for Kobashi to come in and break it up. Nagata with more kicks to the thighs, but Honda catches him in a rolling takedown. Kobashi tags in, and explodes with Machine Gun chops to Nagata.

A spinning back chop to the neck drops Nagata. Kobashi blocks a dropkick and hits the half nelson suplex, but Tana breaks up the pin. Tana goes for a lariat, but Kobashi eats it and hits the half nelson on him.

Kobashi looks for a powerbomb on Nagata, but Blue Justice back body drops him instead. Honda and Kobashi hit a double team suplex to Nagata, who kicks out.

Kobashi hits multiple neck chops to Nagata, then connects with a fucking Buckle Bomb, Seth Rollins style! Nagata is right back up with a spinning heel kick, followed by an Exploder!

Tana tags in, and gets chopped. He's tough, and forearms Kobashi down. Tana with an apron senton to Honda, and then he comes off the top rope with a Shotgun dropkick to Kobashi, but the Iron Man kicks out.

Tana flies off the middle rope with the Shining Wizard, followed by a German Suplex for a nearfall. Nagata with a crossface to Honda, and Tana with a dragon sleeper to Kobashi.

Tana looks for the Dragon Suplex, but Kobashi counters into a Half Nelson attempt. Kobashi just picks Tana up and throws him. Honda tags in, and gets a front choke on both Tana and Nagata.

Clothesline in the corner by Honda, and Kobashi helps him catapult Tana to the mat. Honda with the Regal Stretch to Tana, while Kobashi and Nagata fight on the floor.

Tana with a hurricanrana, followed by a dropkick to the face. He makes the Tag to Nagata, who boots Honda in the face. They have a big standoff next, and more fisticuffs. Honda headbutts him, and hits a German Suplex.

Nagata is up with the Exploder Suplex. He looks for the arm bar, but Honda counters into the Crossface. Kobashi comes in, and applies a Full Nelson submission to Tana. Nagata gets his boot on the bottom rope.

On the floor, Tana sends Kobashi into the barricade. He kicks Honda off the ropes, and hits a German Suplex. Nagata explodes with a knee to the face in the corner, and Kobashi barely breaks up the pin.

Kobashi gets sent to the floor, and Nagata and Tana hit a double kick to the head of Honda. Nagata with a Saito Suplex, and Honda still kicks out. Honda with a cradle for a nearfall. Nagata kicks his head off, and hits a back suplex for the win and the Tag Titles.

Overall, I thought the match was kind of disappointing. The work was okay, but it didn't feel like anything I hadn't seen before. The crowd wasn't exactly fired up for this, either. It was just a good tag team match that had no business going as long as it did. The work didn't justify it, because the work was nothing to write home about.

That said, the interactions between Kobashi and Tanahashi make this, and it's the only reason you should seek this out. Even though Tana isn't The Ace just yet, seeing him share the ring with Kobashi - who is at the peak of his career here - is a true sight to behold. Plus, you can see little glimpses here and there of the superstar Tanahashi was going to become.

So, yeah, Great interactions, but the match itself is just kind of there. During a period in NOAH when the quality was so good, this is a match that, historical significance aside, simply doesn't stand out of the pact.