Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, Cliff Morgan's Wrestling Vault proudly brings to you, fellow groupies of grifting grappling;
Weekly Watchlist 106, the 2 Year Special!
Wow, imagine that! 2 whole years writing about wrestling for this silly lil' blog! Who'd have thought I'd make it this far? Me? I dunno! I was always hopeful I'd stick with it past the first few months, and I'm glad I did! Sure proved all my haters wrong! Ha!
I'll have more to say at the end of this week's post, but for now, I just want to say thank you for checking in again this week. Whether it's your first, fifth, or fiftieth edition of the Watchlist. Thank you.
So, without further ado! Let's get down to the review'in!
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| NOAH |
Here's what I watched for the week;
Kenta Kobashi - WWE Superstar?
Look, I know I'm a few weeks late to this big breaking story, but I didn't feel like commenting on it when it dropped earlier this month until I got to watching this match.
The story goes that former WWE executive John Laurinaitis was pushing for Kobashi to sign with the company in the early to mid 2000's. Not only that insane bit of fantasy booking, but apparently Johnny Ace wanted Kobashi to be.... a heel?!
So, not only would we have gotten one of the biggest legends in the history of the Kings Road style of wrestling working for the biggest "I hate wrestling" companies in the world (sure, the WWE in the 2000's was a different landscape, but my point still stands), but you wanted one of the purest, most dyed-in-the-wool babyfaces in history to work as a heel?! Man, fuck you Johnny Ace. You were tag champions with Kobashi in All Japan!! At what point during your time with Kobashi did you look at this guy and think "man you'd be a great heel, brother."
I mean, the mind boggles at what any of this would mean. Like, think about what we would both gain and lose if this happened.
Kobashi vs. Joe? Gone. Kobashi vs. Sasaki? This match? Nope. His historic GHC title reign? Never existed. But what do we get instead? Kobashi vs... Austin? The Rock? Batista? John Cena? Eddie Guerrero? Rey Mysterio? Kurt Angle? I can safely say I want to see exactly two of those matchups. But knowing that they'd probably just have him in a foreign heel tag team at some point makes me irrationally angry.
I am so, so glad you never picked up that call, Kobashi.
| Match | Show | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Kenta Kobashi vs. Kensuke Sasaki | NOAH Destiny 2005 | 07/18/2005 |
• • • • •
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| Measuring. Assessing. Preparing. NOAH |
Bell To Bell
Well folks, I certainly pulled out all the stops for my 2 year anniversary, didn't I? My one year special covered the legendary tag team match between the Super Generation Army and the Holy Demon Army, arguably the greatest tag team match to ever take place. I wasn't too certain what to do for my two year special, but one day this past week, this match floated it's way into my brain. The second I remembered how good this match was, my mind was made up. This was going to be it. If you're unfamiliar with this match, just buckle up. You're in for the ride of your life.
The semi-main event of a card with Mitsuharu Misawa and Toshiaki Kawada in the main event, this is considered one of the best matches of all time. And rightfully so, honestly. But I'm getting too ahead of myself here, cart before the horse, let me back up.
I've yet to properly cover Pro Wrestling NOAH on the blog, giving it a brief spotlight in an edition of Wrestling Roulette, but not in a weekly spotlight. Formed in 2000 following the death of Giant Baba, All Japan was left to Baba's widow Motoko Baba and Misawa, with the pair locking horns over Motoko's propesed direction for the company to take. Displeased, Misawa left All Japan, taking many of it's top performers and staff with him, forming Pro Wrestling NOAH. The name was meant to be a literal reference to Noah's Ark, with Misawa's promotion being the metaphorical ark that many were choosing to board to survive and thrive following the "flood," following Baba's passing.
Carrying over many of AJPW's practices, NOAH was seen as the spiritual successor, carrying on the traditions set in motion by Baba from years prior. There was some wiggle room for wrestlers from other promotions to cross over into the rings of NOAH, which Baba forbid in his home promotion, but Misawa saw as a way for everyone to benefit. high tides float all boats, as it were.
5 years on from it's formation, Kobashi was just coming off of his legendary GHC Heavyweight Championship reign of 735 days, considered by many to be the single greatest championship reign wrestling has ever seen. His body in rough shape, it was no surprise that Kobashi was in the twilight of his career. For many in his position, they'd take their foot off the gas a touch and ride on the reputation they'd built up to this point. But not Kobashi. It can be argued that he had his foot to the floor during the 2000's, working harder than someone who had both of his knees replaced and had already seen years of success during the 90's. But that wasn't the Japanese style, you worked until you couldn't anymore, and Kobashi, the "Iron Man," the "Burning Sword," would fight until his dying breath.
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| Going for broke early! NOAH |
The match starts hot, with Kobashi and Sasaki locking up, but Sasaki shoots in, allowing himself to be side headlocked so he can drive Kobashi up and down with a back suplex! Honing in on the neck early, Sasaki tries to keep Kobashi down, but he fires up to his feet and stands firm, trading chops back and forth with Sasaki for a moment before Sasaki snatches a side headlock, getting taken for the ride himself this time. Not staying down for more than a second, he fires up to his feet and charges Kobashi, catching him with a massive lariat that flattens his foe.
Both men rolling to the floor on opposite sides of the ring, they catch their breath and assess damage. Locking eyes once vertical again, Kobashi challenges Sasaki to re-enter the ring, who is more than happy to oblige him. Meeting in the middle, they lock knuckles and fight for the test of strength, with Sasaki seeming to get the better of the exchange from the beginning. Kobashi, however, adjusts quickly and is able to find an advantageous position, if only for a moment. Shooting in under the wide arms of Kobashi, Sasaki is able to suplex him over to the canvas using his neck strength alone. Kobashi turns to face Sasaki when rising to a knee, pausing to find Sasaki crouched and ready, coiled like a spring.
Circling each other once again, they lock up in the centre, with Kobashi backing Sasaki to the ropes, drilling him in the gut with heavy knee shots. Shooting him across the ring, he follows close, landing another knee in the gut when Sasaki hits the opposing side. Pulling him to centre, Kobashi twists the head and torso of his foe around, holding him face up and back at an awkward angle, lining up and connecting with a Burning Sword along the throat of Sasaki. Kobashi drops from a standing position to connect with a second, and a third comes off a rope rebound, trying to cleave Sasaki's head from his shoulders. A cover is made, but Sasaki gets free.
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| Burning bone breaker! NOAH |
A chinlock keeps Sasaki down and wears him out after escaping at two, with Sasaki adjusting so the pressure is along the side of his face. Can't imagine that feels much better, but what do I know. Kobashi flattens out and pulls Sasaki to the apron now, crushing him with not one, but two Burning Sword strikes! A DDT on the floor flattens Sasaki, but he's able to get to his feet in time to beat the co- wait! Springboarding from inside the ring, Kobashi soars! Crushing Sasaki with a body press, both men land heavy on the floor! What in the world?!
Back inside the ring, a front facelock has Sasaki trapped in a. guillotine, but he backs Kobashi to the corner and fights back, crushing him with chops and lariats before seating Kobashi on the top and bringing him crashing down to earth with a massive head scissors. Back to the top he goes, soaring with a lariat that crushes Kobashi in the middle. A cover is made, but Kobashi gets free and rolls to the floor, with Sasaki back to the top again! He more falls than flies, but his impact crushes Kobashi on the floor, with both men down for the count.
Sasaki is the first to stand, pulling Kobashi up to his feet before sending him back inside the ring. Another cover, but Kobashi survives. Standing firm in the middle, he challenges Kobashi to stand, shooting him into the corner so hard he bounces out and gets caught with a bulldog. Another cover, but Kobashi is on his feet after escaping at one, marching to Sasaki with defiance on his face.
Move Of The Match
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| A gif you can hear. NOAH |
Responding to a boot to the gut with a chop, what follows is one of the most insane stretched I've ever seen in wrestling. For the next 4 minutes and 21 seconds (yes, I timed it), Kobashi and Sasaki proceed to chop the absolute piss out of one another. Back and forth, they lay into each other, a moment in time made even more special when you realize that none of this was planned. This was an impromptu, on-the-fly call these guys made. Utter madness.
Back and forth they lay into each other, the crowd at a loud murmur that grows to a full throated yell as they keep going, back and forth, not letting up for an instant. Backed into a corner, Kobashi unloads with machine gun chops, only for Sasaki to reverse and lay in with a barrage of his own! Then Kobashi! Then Sasaki again! The entire time, the crowd is screaming, on the edge of their seats with excitement. One camera angle catches a viewer in the front almost laughing from the absurdity of what he's seeing, his mouth agape and clapping with a face of pure elation and joy.
Back in the middle, they continue to exchange chops, the speed slowing but the impact not letting up, each hand connecting like a hammer against a nail. Landing the 186th chop (yes, I counted), Kobashi sends Sasaki to the canvas, falling down with him as they catch their breath, the crowd at a fucking fever pitch.
Slow to rise, Kobashi charges Sasaki in the middle, but gets flipped with a powerslam! Holding his visibly battered chest, Sasaki lumbers through the ropes and climbs to the top, but Kobashi is up to meet him on the middle, ripping him down with a massive superplex! Sasaki fires up to his feet and shoots off a lariat, but Kobashi ducks and catches it, drilling him on his head and neck with a half nelson suplex!
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| Right onto yer noggin! NOAH |
Another half-and-half suplex takes Sasaki down, rolling to the apron for a moments break, but Kobashi doesn't grant him any oxygen. Pulling him up, he looks to try a suplex inside the ring, but Sasaki is able to fight him off and nearly get Kobashi out to the floor himself! Landing stiff knife-edge strikes to the neck of Sasaki, Kobashi drops him to the floor, Standing out on the apron, Kobashi rains down knife-hands to the neck of Sasaki, but these prove to be Kobashi;s undoing. Pulling him in, Sasaki has his foe suspended in air, upside down and outside the ring. With vicious speed and precision, Sasaki fucking drill Kobashi with a brainbuster on the floor. Good lord.
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| Spine-crunching impact. NOAH |
The replay angle is just as vicious, with both men still on the floor, pulling back pounds of air to try and recover in time to beat the count. A camera is able to catch Sasaki's wife, Akira Hokuto, sitting in the crowd looking less than pleased with her husband, a mixture of concern and displeasure after what he just did. Or that could just be her resting face, she's a scary woman, folks. He rolls back inside the ring, with Kobashi slow to rise, using the rope to pull himself up, but he falls back to the floor! Nearly getting counted out, he slips under the bottom rope at the count of 19!
Pulling Kobashi to his feet, Sasaki tries to hook the arms of his foe behind his back, but Kobashi reaches for the ropes to try and break the hold, but Sasaki overpowers and rips Kobashi back with a tiger suplex! A pin is made, but he gets free at two. Bellowing for the heavens, Sasaki rebounds off the ropes as Kobashi struggles to his feet, colliding with him with a massive lariat and a pin, but Kobashi gets free in time! Going for the actual killing blow, Sasaki pulls him up and tries to drill him with a modified uranage of sorts, but Kobashi's leg is caught and he uses it to roll through the impact and send Sasaki flying into the corner.
This time, it's Kobashi that is up first, clobbering Sasaki with a massive lariat! Both men vertical again, Sasaki wrings the arm of Kobashi and flips him with a judo throw, Kobashi landing heavy in the middle of the ring. Snatching the arm and trapping the head, Sasaki tries to separate the arm from the shoulder or break the neck of Kobashi, but he's able to squirm his way to the bottom rope to break the hold.
Catching a rebounding Sasaki's lariat with a precise back elbow shot, Kobashi lands a spinning sword to the throat of Sasaki, who tries for another brainbuster but gets halted by Kobashi, who lands one of his own! Back on his feet in seconds! Sasaki pulls Kobashi in, landing a brainbuster of his own! Now both men are on their feet, crashing in the middle with a lariat each, staggering back and collapsing from exhaustion.
Back on their feet again, Kobashi catches a rebounding Sasaki with a sleeper hold, snatching an arm before taking him up and over with a suplex! Pulling himself to his feet, he roars like a dragon, grabbing the hair of Sasaki to hold him in place, clobbering him with a burning lariat for the thre- no! Sasaki survives! Somehow! Pulling him back to his feet, he repositions him with a bodyslam before taking flight, soaring with a moonsault! He covers for the decisive thr- WHAT?! Sasaki survives?!
Slow to the draw, Kobashi pulls him vertical again, somehow able to block a lariat from Sasaki as he does so! 5 spinning swords catch Sasaki upside the head, the sixth and final strike coming in the form of a massive lariat, cleaving Sasaki's head from his shoulders for the final, decisive pinfall.
 |
| Lariatooooooo! NOAH |
Match Time: 23:38
What is there that can be said about this match? It's incredible. Legendary. It's magical and magnificent. These two beat the fuck out of each other in one of the damnedest things you'll probably ever see inside a wrestling ring. There's a reason Kobashi is considered one of, if not the best to ever do it. Few will ever be able to put on the kind of match that he can and tell the physical story he is able to tell. God, this match fucking rips. If you have not see it, watch it now. It's freely available on YouTube and is more than worthy of your time.
Now, would you rather have this match, or Kobashi vs. Hurricane on some random episode of SmackDown?
That's what I thought.
• • • • •
Well, that's it! Another post added to the canon, 2 years on from starting this silly lil' blog!
I'll be honest, I really wasn't sure if I'd ever get this far. I'm both really good at jumping into something with both feet and committing to it until it's natural end, as well as getting way in over my head and eventually abandoning ship without a trace of ever returning. As ambitious I was at the start of this blog, with a dozen ideas that still sit on the backburner, I was still afraid that time, my mental health, or any number of other things would get in my way and kill it dead.
I'm very, very happy to say that that is not the case. I could not be more proud of myself for properly committing to this blog the way I have, being consistent for 106 weeks. Sure, Project Morgan is both off and on hiatus at the same time, yes I have a cork board with dozens of post ideas for post types that have yet to even debut on the blog, and maybe I was hoping this thing would be more popular 2 years into its existence, but I'm not going to let any of that discourage me or drag me down.
At the end of the day, I'm writing to make myself happy, I'm writing about my favourite thing in the world, and I could not be more thankful that I have an outlet for me to be able to do that.
So, whether I have one reader or one thousand readers, make money or scrounge for every last penny I can, and no matter how long you, dear reader, have been with me, I want to say from the very bottom of this jaded, wounded heart, thank you. You give me a reason to keep getting up every day and putting my nose to the grindstone every single week.
Here's to another year!
Until next week. Be well, stay safe, and love one another.
cliffmorganwstl@gmail.com
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