#83: Kenta Kobashi vs. Jun Akiyama, Pro Wrestling NOAH Departure (7/10/2004).
This is for Kobashi’s GHC Heavyweight Championship.
This was the culmination of a story that had been building since NOAH's inception back in 2000. Jun Akiyama turned on Kenta Kobashi, and looked to stake his claim as the top man in Japan's newest promotion. While Kobashi was out getting his legs worked on, Akiyama became the 2nd ever GHC Heavyweight Champion. Now, he looked to hold the title again, but he'd have to defeat the man he turned on four years prior to do so. That's easier said than done, considering just what Kobashi had turned into by this point.
The bell sounds, and the 58,000 in the Tokyo Dome explode with glee. Kobashi with a chop immediately, and Akiyama asks if that’s all he’s got. They lock up, and Akiyama takes the side headlock. A shoulder tackle, and neither man budges. Akiyama walks through a chop, and Kobashi walks through a running knee. They exchange in a test of strength, with Akiyama getting the advantage.
Kobashi forces Akiyama into the ropes and chops him several times. Diving shoulder tackle by Kobashi, and a high knee by Akiyama, who sends the champion to the outside. Kobashi quickly returns, and yells at Akiyama to do the same. Both men are back in the ring, and Akiyama unleashes several forearms to the face. Kobashi returns with some chops to the chest. Neither man will let up! Kobashi pushes forward and drops Akiyama.
Kobashi with two knees into Akiyama’s midsection. The challenger is able to trap Kobashi in a knee bar submission. Kobashi stretches and gets his hands on the rope to break the hold. Akiyama ties Kobashi’s legs up, and adds additional pressure with his weight. He and Kobashi slap the shit out of one another, and talk trash. Kobashi chops Akiyama in the side of the head repeatedly to stop the pressure. Kobashi drops Akiyama’s neck across his knee, then viciously chops him to the mat. It only gets a nearfall.
Kobashi with a chin crank next. Another chop right on the chest levels Akiyama. One more time, and Kobashi gets a nearfall. He tries a suplex, but Akiyama counters it. He forearms Kobashi, who responds with some chops. Akiyama is reeling against the ropes, but he’s eating these chops and powering through them. He gets right in Kobashi’s face, who continues to unload with chops. He switches to neck chops, and Akiyama decks him with several forearms. Kobashi launches himself at Akiyama, who counters with a high knee to the face.
On the apron, Akiyama connects with a DDT that sends Kobashi to the floor. Then, he uses his knee to send Kobashi chest first into the ringside barricade. Akiyama then places Kobashi on the apron, and comes off the middle rope with a knee to the back. Kobashi climbs to the apron, and Akiyama kicks him back to the floor. In the ring, Akiyama makes the cover and the champion kicks out. He applies a leg scissors to the champion’s head next.
Kobashi scoots and scoots, and he eventually gets his leg on the bottom rope. Akiyama with strikes to Kobashi in the corner, and he sends him to the mat from the middle rope, then locks in a Guillotine choke. In the corner, Akiyama uses the tip of his elbow to strike Kobashi in the head. He then hits a running knee to a collapsed Kobashi in the corner. Akiyama flies off the top with an elbow to the back of the head, which gets a nearfall. He goes right back to the guillotine choke.
After some struggling, the champion is able to roll over to the ropes to break the submission. Akiyama is relentless, and hits a knee to the face for a 2 count. Back suplex by Akiyama, but Kobashi holds on to the headlock on the way down. Akiyama gets back to his feet and hits a back suplex again, but the Iron Man will not release his grip. Same sequence follows, and the results remain the same. Kobashi switches to a sleeper, and hits a sleeper suplex to Akiyama, spiking him.
Chops ensue to Akiyama’s chest, and Kobashi is only getting started! He goes off with more, his face full of joy as he hurts his long time rival! Spinning back chops follow for good measure. Both men are on the apron now, and Kobashi looks for a suplex to the floor. Despite Akiyama fighting it, Kobashi connects, and both men crash onto the thin padding on the outside! Kobashi grabs Akiyama’s lifeless body and brings him back into the ring. Kobashi, himself, falls face first to the mat.
Kobashi makes the cover, and Akiyama somehow kicks out. He hits Akiyama with a half nelson suplex, and he’s able to kick out again. Akiyama avoids a lariat, but can’t avoid a spinning chop to the back of the head. Kobashi with a release suplex, and Akiyama kicks out again. Kobashi hits a lariat on Akiyama, and the challenger will not stay down for the count! He places Akiyama on the top rope, and looks for the Burning Hammer, but he escapes and hits Kobashi with a German Suplex, and a Shining Wizard.
Akiyama brings Kobashi to the apron, and they trade attempts at suplexes. Kobashi uses his chops to slow Akiyama down, then he scales the middle rope. Akiyama grabs him and hits an Exploder Suplex to the floor! Both men are down once again. Akiyama is up first, and he returns to the ring. Kobashi just barely avoids getting counted out. He covers Kobashi, who gets his foot on the bottom rope. Exploder Suplex from Akiyama, and it only gets a nearfall.
Akiyama places Kobashi on the top rope and hits a super Exploder Suplex! He makes the cover, and Kobashi just barely kicks out. The crowd are losing their minds. Akiyama toe holds the legs again, but Kobashi is trying to fight back with chops. Akiyama unloads with headbutts, then traps Kobashi’s head in a guillotine choke, while his legs are still tied up! Akiyama lifts Kobashi to his feet, and looks for the Exploder Suplex again, and he hits it! One more cover, and Kobashi again kicks out! This man will not quit.
Back to their feet, Kobashi absolutely destroys Akiyama with a brainbuster. Spinning back chop to the neck, followed by a half nelson suplex. Akiyama with an exploder, and Kobashi with another half nelson! Akiyama is up, and hits another exploder! Kobashi is up, and drops Akiyama with a lariat! Both men are down. Kobashi is up and hits another lariat, which only gets 2. He connects with a power slam, then a top rope moonsault, and Akiyama kicks out again!
Kobashi lifts Akiyama up, and drills him with the Burning Hammer! He makes the cover, and that’s enough for the win to retain.
A bonafide classic Puroresu match. It had all the makings of an old school King's Road style match, and it was laid out perfectly. At times, it almost reminded me of some of the early matches between Mitsuharu Misawa and Toshiaki Kawada in the 1990s. Akiyama, as Kawada, dominates Kobashi throughout this, and looks to take the victory more often than not. He was determined to take his spot, by any means necessary. He decimated Kobashi in this match.
But Kobashi, like Misawa, has the kind of grit and will that makes a world champion. He took everything that Akiyama gave him, and he never gave up. Every strike, every submission, and every suplex only made Kobashi stronger, and it only made him come back better. The fact that Kobashi busted out his super finisher, the Burning Hammer, says all you need to know about what kind of threat Akiyama was for the championship. Kobashi finally puts to bed a rivalry that had boiled over inside the Tokyo Dome.