What's new, viewers of veiled vanquishing?!
Things have been a bit slow for your favourite wrestling reviewer recently. A combination of burnout and depression hitting me with a lethal one-two combination that has been putting me on the backfoot for a number of days. I'm still putting in the work to keep on top of the blog, at least the weekly posts, but it doesn't come without some difficulties.
Similar to when I was in a rough spot last year, I decided to watch a wrestler that, if he were in my shoes, would surely not give up. Would push on through the pain, and would persevere until the bitter end.
For days like the ones I've been having, sometimes I just need to ask myself;
What would Kenta Kobashi do?
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| AJPW |
Here's what I watched for the week;
| Match | Show | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Kenta Kobashi vs. The Gladiator | AJPW Summer Action Series II 1999 - Day 11 | 09/04/1999 |
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| It belongs in a coliseum. AJPW |
Basic Breakdown
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| ECW World Champion. 1999. ECW |
Well, as luck would have it, Kobashi and Awesome, under the guise of "The Gladiator," did tussle in the rings of All Japan! So you can put your controllers down and read my coverage of the match instead! I promise it won't take long, you can fantasy book your Universe mode in a few minutes, just give me a read please and thanks.
This is a pretty nutty match to be happening, when you really break it down, two big, brutal bastards clashing in a place where they can really be at their hardest-hitting and most vicious. Sure, maybe ECW would allow them to be a bit crazier, given Awesome's track record there, but there's just something about the idea of Kenta Kobashi being in an ECW ring that would make my brain completely short circuit. Like start dripping out my ears level of insanity.
Something that more casual fans of Awesome may be unfamiliar with, is he spent a pretty good chunk of his career wrestling in Japan. Whether in FMW, AJPW, or in NOAH during the end of his career, The Gladiator was more than just a "one off" wrestler in the land of the rising sun, he had a pretty decent run over there that tends to get overlooked when people talk about Awesome. It's usually only ever his matches in ECW, his horrendous run in WCW as the "Fat Chick Thriller" or "That 70's Guy," and then his complete and utter waste that was his WWF run. If you're brave enough to venture outside of the states, there's a remarkably deep career for Awesome.
Bell To Bell
Starting things off like a pair of clashing Bulls, Gladiator and Kobashi lock up and push back and forth, with Kobashi getting backed to the corner. Both men raise a fist to make sure the other man knows that this isn't going to be an easy fight. They next time they go to lock up, Gladiator lands a boot in the gut of Kobashi, cracking him across the chest with a chop. Kobashi responds with a chop of his own, with Gladiator reeling from the shot. Both man have heavy hands and aren't afraid to lay it in, with the early moments of the match proving just that. They exchange strong strikes in the middle, with Kobashi's signature knife hand's to the throat of Gladiator chopping him down enough to grab a side headlock.
He tries to use it to get an advantage over Awes- I mean, Gladiator. Y'know what, it's kinda awkward reading Gladiator in this, isn't it? Awesome just sounds better. You guys know who I'm talking about. Awesome shoots Kobashi off the ropes instead, stopping him dead in the middle with a barge. He paintbrushes Kobashi to try and establish himself as the dominant force, showing that he won't be moved by Kobashi's forceful charge. Kobashi hits the ropes again, only for Awesome to land a boot under the jaw. He takes off for the ropes himself this time, with Kobashi standing firm in the middle himself.
It's a physical stalemate in the early moments, neither man wanting to grant the other the satisfaction of an advantage. Awesome hits the ropes again, with Kobashi sidestepping and landing a chop across his chest. It clearly stings the chest of Awesome, but he does his best to absorb the blow and roll with it, shaking his head to try and shake off the pain. Kobashi goes for the ropes, but Awesome readies himself. He drops into a three-point stance and rushes Kobashi on the rebound, taking him down like a shot. Quick on his feet, he rebounds and splashes, holding him for a cover, but the referee is barely able to register a one count. Kobashi is back on his feet in seconds, with Awesome cleaving Kobashi in half with a lethal lariat the moment he's back up. Wasting no time with the heavy shots here, folks.
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| A brutal combination. AJPW |
Tossing Kobashi to the floor, the fight spills to ringside, with Awesome getting tossed around into the barricade not once, not twice, but three times! The steel rail gets pushed back several feet on each impact, with Kobashi returning to the ring on the third impact, leaving Awesome to either recover and climb inside, or accept the beating and stay outside. Obviously, Awesome is back on his feet after catching his breath, pacing ringside before climbing back in. Kobashi meets him at the apron, trying to suplex him inside the ring, but Awesome holds fast on the apron.
A knife hand to the throat staggers Awesome for a moment, with Kobashi heading for the ropes to try and gain some momentum to take Awesome down. Big mistake. Using the ropes as a springboard, Awesome slingshots himself in the ring, colliding with Kobashi with a big shoulder tackle. A leg drop, reminiscent of his cousin, keeps Kobashi down for two. A vertical suplex is attempted, with Kobashi able to fend Awesome off and get him up for one instead! He's able to hold Awesome up for a solid 10 count before dropping him flat in the centre. A cover gets Kobashi two, with both men fairly even in the early moments here.
With Awesome vertical, Kobashi chops him into the corner, laying in heavy shots only for Awesome to absorb the blows and bellow back in the face of Kobashi. Machine gun chops stagger Awesome for a moment, allowing Kobashi to shoot him across the ring and land a jumping knee to the chest of Awesome. Pulling him out of the corner, a snapmare plants him in the middle and a rebounding shoulder tackle flattens Awesome further, with Kobashi going for a cover, only scoring two.
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| Do whatever works. AJPW |
Driving a knee into the back of Awesome, Kobashi rips back the arms of his opponent, trying to rip his shoulders apart. Awesome puts in a good effort to try and break the grip, but Kobashi keeps prying the arms wide, stretching the chest and extending the shoulders back at a bad angle. Able to get to a knee, Awesome rises to his feet, relieving some pressure as he tries to twist the hold around onto Kobashi. They struggle on their feet for the advantage, with Kobashi maintaining control, even after Awesome makes a full rotation. Instead of the hold being reversed, Kobashi continues to rotate, reapplying the pressure for a moment before breaking, snatching a side headlock.
Awesome tries to shove Kobashi off his head by backing him into the ropes, but Kobashi digs his heels in and keeps his grip tight, even after rebounding off the ropes a second time. Sinching in the hold tighter, Awesome is dropped to a knee for a moment, with Kobashi able to pull him over for a side headlock takeover. Awesome tries to fight the hold, pulling the hair of Kobashi and grinding his forearm against the face of his aggressor, but Kobashi maintains his grip. Awesome is able to adjust his position and roll to his feet, widening the space with Kobashi and driving in short forearm shots to his gut, but Kobashi counters with elbow shots to the back of Awesome's head. Yikes.
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| Sloppy, but effective. AJPW |
Awesome is able to break the grip, sending Kobashi off the ropes before catching him with a snap-ish powerslam off the rebound. He hooks the leg, but it's only a two. With freakish athleticism, Awesome snipes Kobashi with a dropkick the moment he stands up, sending him rolling to the apron. Awesome rushes him, sending Kobashi down to the floor. Lining up Kobashi, Awesome rebounds off the ropes and takes flight, crushing Kobashi with an Awesome-sized dive!
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| Look out below! AJPW |
Pulling a groggy Kobashi up, Awesome tries to set him up for an Awesome bomb, but Kobashi gets free and fights out, but only for a moment. Awesome is able to pull him in and absolutely drill him with an Awesome bomb on the floor, killing him with the impact. Rolling back inside the ring, Awesome leavs Kobashi for dead on the floor, pacing the ring and waiting for either the bell to be rung, or for Kobashi to limp his way back in the ring for a cover. Either way, Awesome is certain the match is his.
Slowly, Kobashi pulls himself up, his iron will forcing him to push through the pain. Jumping to the floor, Awesome tosses the ref aside and seizes on a weakened Kobashi, shoving him inside the ring before springboarding in the ring with a splash. He covers, but Kobashi survives. Somehow, some way. Pulling him in again, he tries for the Awesome Bomb, but Kobashi grabs the ropes, halting his momentum. Wanting to wear out the back of Kobashi, Awesome sits on his back and wrenches back with a Camel Clutch, only to toss him back out to the floor when Kobashi starts to fight out.
On the floor now, Awesome drives Kobashi into the barricade and the apron, wearing his spine down further and further, trying to refine it into dust. Tossing Kobashi back inside, Awesome ascends not just onto the apron, but onto the top rope, soaring with a lariat that catches Kobashi flush under the jaw. A cover is attempted, but Kobashi survives. another Camel Clutch is locked in, with Awesome wrenching him up high and sitting deep on his lower back.
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| Like a bear taking to the skies. AJPW |
Letting Kobashi free, Awesome pulls him to his feet and drills forearms into the lower back of Kobashi, backing him into one corner before shooting him across the ring to the opposite corner. Charging after him, Kobashi narrowly misses Awesome, leaving him to splash an empty corner. Acting quick, Kobashi back suplexes Awesome to try for a momentary advantage. Using the ropes to his advantage, Kobashi drives not only Awesome into them, but a knee as well, using the slight bit of rebound the ropes grant him as a way to deliver extra impact to the gut of Awesome. A side Russian leg sweep takes Awesome down to the canvas and a cover scores two. It's not three, but it's enough to give KIobashi a chance to catch his breath.
Back on their feet, Kobashi grabs the wrist of Awesome and lays into him with sharp, pointed knife hand strikes to the side of his neck, trying to weaken the brute strength of Awesome. Kobashi looks for a German suplex, but Awesome fights his grip and does a standing switch, taking the back of Kobashi instead and drilling him with a big German suplex of his own! Awesome is up quick, pulling Kobashi up onto his shoulders before delivering a massive Alabama Slam.
Move Of The Match
Ascending to the top rope again, Awesome lines up Kobashi and fucking soars with an insane splash, flying three quarters of the way across the ring to crush Kobashi with the splash. Someone the size of Awesome should not be allowed to fly like that. Insanity.
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| Like shooting a fridge out of a cannon. AJPW |
Awesome covers, but Kobashi still kicks out at two! Kobashi fights to his feet, cracking Awesome with a knife hand, but Awesome digs a boot into his gut and rips him up, planting him with the Awesome Bomb! Holding him for the cover, the referee counts one, two, thre- no! Kobashi gets free! Deciding what to do next, Awesome looks to try another Awesome bomb, but Kobashi slips over his shoulders and gets free, pushing his advantage with a big German suplex! Ducking a right hand from Kobashi with both men standing, Kobashi catches him with a Dragon suplex and a cover! Narrowly getting his shoulders up at two, Awesome is able to survive.
Placing Awesome in the centre with a bodyslam, Kobashi wastes no time and ascends to the top, soaring with a moonsault! He covers, but again, Awesome survives! Lining up a groggy Awesome, Kobashi charges for a lariat, but Awesome gets a boot up just in time to fend Kobashi off. He tries for another lariat, but Awesome "spears" Kobashi in the middle. This was more of Kobashi's momentum running him into a near stationary Awesome, rather than Awesome running through Kobashi, but the shoulder made contact with the gut, so it kinda counts. Regardless, Kobashi crawls to the corner and Awesome is able to splash him chest first into the corner, pulling him up for a running Awesome Bomb! He covers, but Kobashi survives! What?!
Back to the corner, Awesome pulls a near-dead Kobashi up to the top with him, looking for a Super Awesome Bomb, but Kobashi has enough gas left in the tank to fend him off for the most part. Awesome nearly gets Kobashi up for the Super Awesome Bomb, but Kobashi is able to shove him off, with Awesome falling inside the ring. Thing is, with Kobashi standing on the middle rope like he is, he's still in the perfect position for a standard Awesome Bomb, and Awesome realizes this, darting in to snatch Kobashi and plant him wit- no! Somehow, Kobashi is able to counter the Awesome Bomb with a head scissors, taking Awesome down to the canvas!
Firing up to his feet, Kobashi snipes Awesome with a lariat, cleaving his head clean off and pinning him for three.
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| Lariatoooo! AJPW |
Match Time: 19:09
This match had a hard hitting start, a bit of a slow middle, but man, it picked up near the end. Huge, heavy bombs from both men pushed each other to the absolute limit minute by minute. This was everything it needed to be between two monsters of the ring. Absolutely awesome. Pun fully intended.
• • • • •
Until next week. Be well, stay safe, and love one another.
cliffmorganwstl@gmail.com
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