#85: Kenta Kobashi vs. Minoru Suzuki, Pro Wrestling NOAH Great Voyage (1/8/2005).
This is for Kobashi’s GHC Heavyweight Championship.
My mouth was watering when I saw that these two had a singles match together - to my knowledge, the only time they share a ring together. As awesome as Kobashi is as a professional wrestler, Suzuki is a killer. A pioneer of modern MMA, he's a dangerous grappler who presents one of the toughest challenges Kobashi has ever faced in his title reign.
Suzuki shoots for a takedown immediately, and takes control of the back. He slaps Kobashi in the back of the head. Suzuki has great footwork right away, and Kobashi wants him to come at him. Suzuki avoids Kobashi’s strikes and slaps him multiple times. Suzuki counters the test of strength into a Triangle Choke submission, and Kobashi tries his best to escape. Suzuki immediately transitions to an armbar, which Kobashi escapes from. The champion nods his head, acknowledging that he’s in for a fight.
Suzuki shoots for the leg again, but Kobashi catches him in a side headlock, and cranks extra hard. Suzuki attempts to break out of this, but Kobashi just cranks it even harder. On the mat, Kobashi continues to pressure Suzuki’s head, and then they’re back to their feet. Suzuki grabs the ropes, and the hold is broken. Kobashi sends Suzuki into the ropes, and drives his knee into the midsection. He flips Suzuki around and looks for the chop to the chest, but Suzuki slips out to the apron. Kobashi knocks him to the floor.
Outside, Kobashi cranks away at a side headlock once again. He wants Suzuki to know that he has the power advantage. Kobashi is somehow able to slide himself and Suzuki back into the ring, all while holding onto this headlock for dear life. Nice! Suzuki fights to get out of this, but Kobashi has it on like a vice grip. In the corner, Kobashi unleashes hard chops into Suzuki, who welcomes it like a psychopath. Kobashi, the gentleman he is, unleashes a heavy barrage of chops to the King of Pro Wrestling, and follows with a running elbow to the head.
Kobashi places Suzuki on the top rope and attempts a chop, but Suzuki catches the arm and gets an armbar locked in against the ropes. Suzuki kicks Kobashi in the chest a number of times. Suzuki gets a crossbody off the ropes for a quick nearfall, then goes into an armbar attempt. He gets it applied, but Kobashi gets his foot on the bottom rope to break the hold. Suzuki stomps the arm of Kobashi, and digs his elbow and knee into it.
He avoids a chop, and kicks the arm. Another knee to it, causing more damage. Suzuki with multiple slaps to the face, and Kobashi won’t back down. They go head to head, and a slap exchange ensues. Suzuki attempts an armbar again. Suzuki hammerlocks the arm, and grabs the opposite arm and pulls it to the side. He grabs Kobashi’s leg and stretches his whole body. Kobashi is able to grab the bottom rope to break the submission.
Suzuki kicks the arm again, then hyper extends it off of his shoulder. Kobashi is able to catch Suzuki in a Sleeper Suplex though. They go to the entrance ramp now, and Suzuki fights out of a Half Nelson Suplex attempt, and he gets a sleeper hold applied. Both men end up crashing off of the ramp to the floor below. It did not look pretty. Suzuki is first to return to the ring, and Kobashi is not far behind. Suzuki unleashes several punches to the midsection, then a running dropkick right to Kobashi’s head.
Suzuki brings Kobashi to the middle of the ring, and connects with the Gotch Style Piledriver. Hard knees to the chest, but Kobashi is able to pop off a Half Nelson Suplex. Suzuki is right back up with a back suplex that spikes Kobashi. The champion tries another Half Nelson, but Suzuki counters into the Octopus Stretch submission. Suzuki with another kick to the injured arm, and another. He gets a sleeper hold applied, but Kobashi gets to the ropes.
Suzuki rushes Kobashi with a knee to the chest, and Kobashi explodes off the ropes with a clothesline. Kobashit hits a powerbomb to Suzuki, who rolls through it and catches Kobashi in an armbar. He rolls to the ropes, and places his foot to break it. Kobashi looks spent, while Suzuki is seemingly only just getting started. Another knee to the midsection, and a kick to the arm. Kobashi with an ugly lariat takes Suzuki to the mat.
Kobashi explodes with a huge back suplex. Back to their feet, Suzuki slaps Kobashi, and Kobashi drops him with a lariat. Back suplex follows, and another. Kobashi lifts him up, and hits one more. Suzuki tries some weak slaps to the face, and Kobashi just levels him with a huge lariat. He makes the cover, and that’s enough to give him the win.
Kenta Kobashi certainly had his work cut out for him here, as Minoru Suzuki very nearly picked him apart with ease in this match. Grit and iron will almost weren't enough for Kobashi to walk away from this the victor. I do say ALMOST. Kobashi once again found that fifth gear to survive Suzuki's onslaught with the things that brought him to the dance - suplexes, lariats and bombs!
This was a great contrast in styles, as Kobashi is more of a traditional pro wrestler, while Suzuki is definitely the combat sports guy in Japanese wrestling. It made for a great time here, as Suzuki takes pleasure in torturing Kobashi throughout this, and Kobashi stays in there long enough to take Suzuki's head off for that elusive victory.