It’s been over a month since we peered into the worlds of Dragon Gate and early Kobashi. It’s been even longer since Zero-One was relevant. Lots of news, lots of Kobashi, so let’s get to it!
Section 1- Results
Dragon Gate: Yoshino defended the lightweight title against Saito and CIMA. New Hazard beat team Mochizuki to gain the trios belts. New Hazard beat Muscle Outlaw’z in their big elimination match, which led to the surprise return of Naoki Tanisaki. That show also saw El Blazer/Yoshitune set foot in Dragon Gate for the first time. Arai & Iwasa defended the tag titles against CIMA & Dragon Kid. This all led to their big show earlier today at Ota Ward Gym in Tokyo.
CIMA defended the main title against Yoshino, after which Yoshino and Doi patched things up. KENTA & Ishimori beat Shingo & BB Hulk to win the GHC junior tag belts. Typhoon beat MO’z in a trios title contendership match, with the losing unit unable to get another title shot. Masato Tanaka & Kuroda beat Mochizuki & Fujii. Ryo Saito challenged CIMA for the next title shot.
New Japan: Rhino beat Nakanishi, only to lose to Yano in round 2. Taguchi beat Liger.
Section 2- News
All Japan: Champions Carnival blocks have a rather clear disparity. Block A is Kawada, Tanahashi, Mutoh, Kojima and Kea. Block B is Sasaki, Minoru Suzuki, Suwama, Nishimura and Doering. Based on how matches are set and how things have been promoted, a Tanahashi vs Suwama final seems likely.
NOAH: The tag league is really stacked. Sasaki & Nakajima, Misawa & Ogawa, Marufuji & Sugiura, Akiyama & Rikio, Morishima & Yone, Takayama & Sano, Saito & Smith, Buchanan & D-Lo, and Taue & Shiozaki. The final three bouts (no ‘finals’ like last year’s junior league) will be at the 4/27 Budokan show. Among those are Sasaki & Nakajima vs Akiyama & Rikio, and Marufuji & Sugiura vs Morishima & Yone. On a separate note Kobashi will work still more dates on this tour, though they continue to avoid putting him in Korakuen.
Zero-One: They become the first promotion to run at Meets Port, which was previously dubbed ‘Korakuen 2’. The 4/6 show will be their first PPV in a while, and it caps off a tour full of Z-1 vs NJ matches. Akebono makes his Z-1 debut in a tag on Sunday, Nakanishi vs Omori is set for the 29th. The 4/6 card has Kanemoto vs Hidaka, Sato vs Taguchi, Minoru Fujita & Sugawara vs Sabin & Shelley, Makabe & Yano vs Sekimoto & Yoshihito Sasaki, and the main event is Nakanishi vs Masato Tanaka. Of course New Japan promptly jobbed Nakanishi to Rhino in round 1 of the NJ Cup, but that’s neither here nor there.
Section 3- The audacity of shills
In lieu of going over results from the big AJ and NOAH shows:
Additionally, a Best of ’07 puro poll was recently completed
at the DVDVR boards. Reply #91 has the full list.
Section 4- Kobashi, Step 2 of 7
For the first four years, Kobashi was a midcarder. He never got the big falls, never beat the big names, and was a clear #3 in his own stable. 1993 would change all that, as he proved definitively that he belonged in the upper echelon of the company. Although the Triple Crown was still a few years away, it was all but inevitable that he’d have it eventually as he tore the house down again and again.
8. Jumbo & Taue vs Misawa & Kobashi, June 5th 1992
Importance: Kobashi’s first Budokan Hall main event, and his first shot at one of the main title belts. It’s also the last Budokan main event for Jumbo.
Uniqueness: Misawa and Kobashi, starting about halfway through ’93, were utterly dominant. In this match however they’re underdogs. This is a huge test for Kobashi, as they put this ahead of a Hansen vs Kawada Triple Crown match.
Why it’s a good match: As with most Jumbo vs Misawa tags, there’s a large quantity of cheapshots and hate being tossed around. There’s also some solid tag match psychology and an exciting finish.
9. Hansen vs Kobashi, Champions Carnival 1993
Importance: The start of Kobashi’s run of great singles matches in ’93. Well, at least the start of those matches we have in full.
Uniqueness: One of the best handheld matches ever. Ultra-hot crowd, great action, competent camerawork.
Why it’s a good match: These two had tangled regularly, but never at this level of quality. A strong hint at what was to come.
10. Gordy vs Kobashi, May 21st 1993
Importance: Second of an unofficial series of Kobashi singles matches against the top gaijin. He won the first of these, against Dan Spivey, in February. Gordy is the caliber of opponent Kobashi had never beaten to this point, yet he was also no longer in the Triple Crown scene so it wasn’t out of the question. Is this where Kobashi gets his big win? Also, this represents the last really good Gordy singles match. He’d be out of the promotion a few months later.
Uniqueness: Their only match (that we know of anyway), and somewhat of a turning point for Kobashi.
Why it’s a good match: It’s Terry Gordy versus Kenta Kobashi and they take each other to the limit.
11. Hansen vs Kobashi, July 29th 1993
Importance: The best Stan Hansen match, one of the top two or three Kobashi singles matches, one of the definitive All Japan ‘90s battles. About as good a ‘Japanese native vs gaijin powerhouse’ match as there could possibly be.
Uniqueness: Kobashi has now come into his own, but Hansen is as good in ’93 as he ever was, so the result is a war.
Why it’s a good match: Intense, often brutal action with a really hot, extended finishing sequence. It’s an unequivocal must-see.
12. Williams vs Kobashi, August 31st 1993
12. Williams vs Kobashi 8/93
Importance: Kobashi’s first chance to get into the title picture, but he has to deal with the newly minted ‘homicidal’ backdrop driver.
Uniqueness: Not often that All Japan had an explicit #1 contenders match, and probably the single match that made Williams into a headliner for years to come.
Why it’s a good match: Solid build and structure leading to a famously horrific finish.
13. Kawada vs Kobashi, October 23rd 1993
Importance: Their first battle as rivals, and the last of Kobashi’s many singles tests in ’93. Finish is one that Kawada would return to for some time.
Uniqueness: A semi-main singles match that goes over 30 minutes, which I’m not sure happened at any other time.
Why it’s a good match: Kawada figures he should be able to handle Kobashi decisively, but badly struggles to put him away. Also, it’s Kawada vs Kobashi.
14. Kawada & Taue vs Misawa & Kobashi, Tag League 1993
Importance: Kobashi’s first tournament final, and a standard-raising tag match.
Uniqueness: Misawa and Kobashi hound Kawada to the bitter end, a role reversal from just about every other match.
Why it’s a good match: A combination of Kawada’s performance, incredible partner-in-peril build in the closing minutes, and Kobashi going after Kawada’s leg with vengeance. Hey, there’s another role reversal! Seriously though, this is one of my top ten from All Japan in the ‘90s, it’s yet another must-have for fans of the ‘four corners of heaven’.
