Kenta Kobashi vs. Yoshihiro Takayama

[10.0] "I never took that much to write a review from a five stars match ever before. Oh, spoiler alert. Anyways, I can briethly talk about this match being a just one experience. Two of the best big man for big matches ever colliding in a stacked house, loud and full of rage to everything they did here. And that is it, I could just end my review and leave. That wouldn't be fair to Takayama's legacy. Man, the reason why this match delivers so much is HIM. Even Kobashi might know it. The beggining is bland like it usually is with those King's Road superstars. Isn't a criticize when you know what to do after the bland time, and oh boy, they knew. Light recaps from their first match at AJPW, with some fine limb work from Takayama to prevent explosive chops coming from Kobashi, and some of the most incredible vicious shit you could ever expect from a wrestler. No lie, see Misawa does a Tiger Driver three foot tall from the floor on Kobashi didn't made me as shocked as the German Suplex coming from the apron did. I remember watching in my bedroom and jumping out of bed when I saw it, wondering if Kobashi was at least still alive. Sounds dramatic but man, believe, shit felt deadly. Takayama dominance was so GOATed that for one second I thought he would leave that arena as a champion, even knowing afterwards that wasn't the case. Kobashi is still Kobashi, his recover is amazing and he abilitie to cause pain on his opponents is almost unmatchable. The moonsault leaning into Takayama's face was also another moment that made me jump out of my bed. Maybe I'm jumping too much. Previously said, this is a five stars match for me, easy big spetacular match that I would suggest you know two or three matches from them before, but don't ruin your experience at all to start here."

[7.0] "Kobashi with a John Cena type match where he gets beaten most of the time only to win by couple of moves. This is the least amount of offense I've seen Kobashi have in a match. Winning with burning hammer would've been more effective at showing desperation, winning with a simple moonsault kinda cheapens all that punishment Kobashi took."

[9.0] "What a brutal war, this match is so good. Not as the mythical Misawa vs Kobashi in 2003 but this still rocks. Is a brutal match, a match with Takayama follows that simple rule, is kill or be killed. The brutal shots during this match is so nasty, the crowd roars with every move, Kobashi is so over with the crowd. This is what a world title match should be, amazing. ****/75"

[10.0] "Takayama terrifies with his offense, and Kobashi never takes a step backward. The giant shooter vs. the beloved champion, brutal offense & arm work from Takayama, incredible selling, emotion and resistance from Kobashi. One of the greatest matches of all-time. *****"

[10.0] "Hell fuckin' yeah! Talk about a bombfest for the ages! This is actually flabbergasting. Takayama's sheer presence is intimidating enough, but when you know that this man is a legit badass who went to war with Don Frye in one of the craziest fights in MMA history, it just hits different (if you haven't seen that fight, please watch it). And knowing Kobashi's guts and his unconditional commitment to the craft, this was bound to be brutal. I just didn't know it would be a 5-star heavyweight war. The match starts off brilliantly; Kobashi tries the monster early, realizes it's a bad idea and just decides to wear him down first. But once Takayama gets his hands on him, the violence escalates dramatically and reaches some uncharted territory, and it's mind-boggling. Takayama's kicks and knees are brutal! He goes after Kobashi's leg for a brief moment, then shifts his focus on the arm and does such an outstanding job. Kobashi's selling is just immaculate, and his heart is simply immeasurable. The punishment this man goes through here is awe-inspiring. He straight up gets his chin cracked by a proper four-punch combination, and he absolutely ate those! Him fighting back with that unparalleled babyface fire of his and the crowd rallying behind him and losing their mind could move mountains! This match alone should secure Kobashi's status as the greatest babyface of all time. This is, by far, my favorite title defense from Kobashi's legendary 735-day reign as GHC Champion, and quite simply one of my favorite matches of all time. *****"

[8.0] "Takayama still feels like a monster here even a bit slimmer, the presence is crazy. The start really drags though, way too many holds that just kill the momentum early. It only really wakes up later when things get more physical and urgent. Once it hits that final stretch it's great, hot crowd, big exchanges, strong drama. But getting there isn't so exciting. Good match for sure, just not on the level of their earlier one for me."

[9.0] "[4.75 Stars] Two big guys beating the crap out of each other just for the sake of it--that's all it takes to get me excited."

[10.0] "i dont whats going on but my comments are getting removed the match was amazing kobashis selling of the arm was top tier even the adjustments like squeezing with the left arm on the sleeper instead of the right because its compromised the struggle in this match was well shown top moment for me was the setup and execution of the german on the outside originally i had a lot to say about this match but now its gone"

[9.0] "[4.5*] Man, what a fucking special match it was. I thought this was way better than their first match in 2000, but it felt like a perfect sequel too. Pretty similarly to their AJPW encounter, the match only picks up when Takayama starts working on Kobashi's right arm. In both cases the matches were pretty unimportant before the limb-work, although the action was obviously very good. Takayama absolutely demolishes his arm, he's such a great heel monster, it's crazy. Kobashi's selling is also incredible, showing the pain in every opportunity while trying to fight through it by the help of the fans. All of his comeback sequences were heart-stopping and every single time Takayama broke them, it was heart-breaking. It's for sure a match full of drama and emotions, typical of this era in puroresu. The atmosphere is also fantastic which helps them a lot. This match was longer than their first, so they had more time to develop the ending stretch. There were way more super believable nearfalls and I loved how Kobashi would immediately go for the cover after every big move. He knew Takayama was hard to beat so he tried to capitalize when he could, while Takayama had the absolute opposite approach, he was more interested in KILLING Kobashi then beating him lol. The final minutes are just crazy, we got the classic Takayama punch combo, various false finishes with suplexes and lariats, and the win came in a very legendary way, with Kobashi hitting his trademark Moonsault right on Takayama's face. The pop when he went to the third rope was just unbelievable, an ethernal moment in wrestling history. Fantastic match that would've easily been a 10 if the first half wasn't bland."

[9.0] "Very good encounter. Takayama targeting the right arm of Kobashi was okay and then they hit big moves."

[9.0] "This match is phenomenal. It does take its time getting going and the opening portions of the match where both guys are just kinda trading holds isnt the most engaging to me but once Takayama takes control and starts going after Kobashi's arm, then this turns up big time. Takayama is so vicious in control, brutalising Kobashi's arm with a ton of stiff strikes and submissions. Kobashi's selling here is so good too and the crowd really start getting behind him as a result leading to some truly awesome comebacks which they go absolutely nuts for. Takayama remains stoic though and is able to absorb much of Kobashi's punishment and get right on the attack leading to a couple of close knockouts in the second half. Kobashi makes this immense comeback towards the end where he nails Takayama with this huge lariat after an taking an onslaught of strikes. He sets up for the burning hammer but Takayama gets out of it, so Kobashi instead nails this brutal looking brainbuster and instead signals for the moonsault to put things away. The roar of the crowd when he points to the turnbuckle is something to behold and they come unglued when he nails it and gets the win. While the opening stages couldve been far more intense and engaging than they ended up being, the second half of this match is so amazing that its more than worth sitting through just to get to that. An incredible match overall. ****1/2"

[10.0] "(5*) One of the greatest wrestling matches i have ever witnessed. One of the first times i have seen Kobashi get outsized. These two big lads just destory each other with stiff moves. Takayama was seen as a massive threat who could end Kobashis reign. One of the best David vs Goliath matches i have seen."

"[8.5] There's no other way to put it -- these two dudes beat the HELL out of each other in this match. We all know Takayama is a legit tough dude and Kobashi is more than happy to go full tilt matching his machismo in this fabled GHC title defense. You don't have to meddle with the tried and true Kobashi formula very much to make a match-up like this work and it certainly does not disappoint. It's got power MOVEZ like you would not believe, with an ending stretch where Kobashi has to break out everything *and* the kitchen sink to put Takayama away for good. It's not quite in the upper echelon of early 2000s Kobashi defenses IMO, but it's a very, very good match all the same."

[10.0] "This is one of, if not my favorite Kenta Kobashi match. Everything about it is literally perfect, Takayama plays a perfect heel which contrasts perfectly with Kobashi as a super over babyface. There are a lot of painful-looking bumps and the crowd was also insane throughout the whole match. 5/5."

[10.0] "Eternal heartthrob babyface Kobashi vs. The Beast That Won't Stay Down in Takayama. Every single bit of devastating offense that Kobashi is able to get off is made moot by an opponent that can take it all. A DDT to the floor, nothing, a lariat onto the concrete, nothing. Kobashi is dragged back to the ground by the 6' 5" mixed martial artist before our hero can even catch his breath. A sleeper cinched in, Kobashi reaching up over his head to choke Takayama, simply overpowered through brute force before Takayama delivers a devastating knee to the face of a midair Kobashi. Our champion takes so much punishment, the crowd is biting that this iconic title run might actually come to an end against the monster. Takayama's striking game is so sick. Only when Kobashi is able to reverse one of those strikes is he able to get an upperhand, delivering a suplex of his own after taking several brutal ones himself from Takayama. Kobashi's offense is never enough, Takayama is simply too powerful, he will not stay down. So many amazing moments of psychology and brilliant ringwork in this . Every moment of hope feels properly earned, and no matter how much punishment either man takes, it always feels real when they get back up to endure more. Kobashi hits the ground hard enough and lays there for just long enough for Takayama to get back up and deliver more pain. It is simply so good. Every moment stacks upon those that came previously. The tide finally turns when Kobashi is able to crumple Takayama's gigantic form with a brainbuster that seems to finally rattle the ogre. The crowd absolutely lose their fucking minds as Kobashi signals for the moonsault, and the rest is clear from there. Amazing, amazing match. Perfect David and Goliath, or Goliath vs. Larger Goliath, in this case. Both men end the bout with blood in their mouths and believably rattled."

[9.0] "How weird is it to see Kobashi look small in comparison to Takayama? It is a simple yet effective story of Takayama targeting the lariat arm of Kobashi early and often. Takayama dominates much of this match and looks superhuman throughout. Allowing Kobashi to play the underdog babyface getting the crowd to eat out of the palm of his hand every time he fires up or gets in some offense. A true masterclass performance by Kobashi in everything he does here. Truly excellent performances by two men at the top of their games playing their respective roles to perfection. It's a true standout title defense in perhaps the greatest title reign wrestling has ever seen. 4.75 stars."

[8.0] "One of the few times Kobashi doesnt look gigantic next to one of his opponents. Takayama and Kobashi feel each other out and Takyama throws a leg kick, they tie up and Takayama throws Kobashi off. They just kinda rough each other while being tied up in the ropes. Kobashi throws a trio of spinning chops, though Takayama ducks the first one he gets hit with the second two. Kobashi goes for a flying headbutt but Takayama kicks him in midair. Takayami with a running kick to Kobashis chest which just pisses him off. He throws Takayama and then starts giving him big chops, returned by big forearms from the big guy. Test of strength for a while as Kobashi eventually spins through Takayama in just a double wrist lock. Takayama stomps on Kobashis feet and takes control. Takayama lifts up Kobashi for a back drop suplex but Kobashi rolls through in a not super pretty roll up, pin attempt by both guys with some mat wrestling, which really isnt either guys strength. Kobashi has Takayama in a headlock for a while. Chops him a bit and then snap mares him down to get him in a headlock on the mat. Through first five or so minutes its just nothing special. Kobashi chops Takayama hard, sends him through the ropes to the floor. Chops him on the outside and Takayama goes flying into the barricade. Kobashi rips up the mat from the ground and hits Takayama with a DDT on the floor. Kobashi rolls him back in the ring, pin attempt but Takyama gets his foot on the rope. Some more chops and then a suplex that Takayama blocks and then gets Kobashi into a front face lock in the middle of the ring. Kobashi gets a rope break. Takayama hits a big kick and a leg drop, covers Kobashi but he kicks out at two. One of the weakest Irish whips Ive seen by Takayama as he sends Kobashi into the corner. He does hit a nice running knee and a big double hook suplex. Then hits Kobashi with some big elbows and back into a headlock. Takayama with some big hard kicks to Kobashi as were about 10 minutes in. Takayama goes for the running knee again, Kobashi gets his leg up, but Takayama reverses that into a dragon screw and starts working over Kobashis knee and thigh with kicks. Kobashi is put in the tree of woe, then hit with a running knee to the gut by Takayama. Kobashi rolls out of the ring to recover. Kobashi starts fighting back with some big chops but gets fought back by Takayama and he actually blocks a Kobashi chop, then knees him to his forearm. Kobashi rolls out of the ring selling it like death. Takayama starts working it over as soon as Kobashi gets back into the ring. Then hits a baseball slide kick to Kobashi to send him out of the ring, doesnt look that clean. Another weak Irish whip to send Kobashi into the barricade. Kobashi fights back and rebounds off of them into Takayama. As Kobashi heads back into the ring Takayama wrestles him to the ground and basically kills him with a crazy legit suplex onto the floor. Really brutal shit there. They both roll back into the ring, Kobashi tries to chop but hurts too much to do it so he has to take a lot off of them. Takayama fights back and tries to kick Kibosh but he catches it. Kobashi tries to hit another spinning chop on Takayama but it doesnt do much so he switches hands. Some headbutts by Kobashi, a slingblade, pin attempt kick out by Takayama. Takayama fights back and hits a big double hooked suplex and then tries to lock in an armbar on Kobashi, who rolls through but is unable to avoid the hold being applied, but Kenta rolls through to the ropes for a break. Takayama works back over Kobashis chopping arm, and in the middleo that leaves himself vulnerable for a weak arm sleeper hold by Kobashi. Kobashi heads up for a diving headbutt from the second turnbuckle but Takayama hits him with a knee to the face, then a dragonmare suplex, and a knee to the back of the head, and a huge bridged German suplex but Kobashi kicks out at two. Big dopckick to the back of Kobashis head and then a big knee to the back of the head as well. Takayama goes to the well one too many times and gets his knee blocked and hes thrown down by Kobashi, then Takayama gets his foot caught in the ropes and Kobashi hits a trio of spinning backlists, hits a dragonmare suplex, Falcon arrow by Kobashi, pink but kick out at two. Kobashi fires himself up, goes for an overhand, ducked and reversed by Takayama into a full nelson suplex, cover and kick out by Kobashi at 2.9. Big knee by Takayama sends Kobashi into the ropes. Takayama pulls down his knee pad. As hes running to hit him, Kobashi levels Takyama with a big lariat. They strike back in the ring but Takyama gets the best of them this time. Tokayama keeps relentlessly going for Kobashi, He finally reverses the attacks and gets a half nelson suplex. Big brainbuster on Takayama. Kobashi teases the burning hammer but doesnt Takayama up high to do it. Hits him with a big lariat, kick out at two by Takayama. Body slam by Kobashi, he climbs up to the top rope and hits a huge hooting star press for the three count. This is a very stiff match, but Im just not a big fan of Takayama here. Hes an impressive vision, and makes kobashi look small which is no easy feat. Particularly his weak Irish whips here just make the real sport spectacle diminish. There were some really good spots in here that made the match really successful towards the end, but the first two thirds of this match is a bit of a chore. It's a good match, but not a great one."

[9.0] "A really awesome bout throughout, maybe a touch slow for the first two thirds, but when it picks up it really picks up and there is some brutal action throughout. I think there were better Kobashi defences across his run, but that is not to disparage this absolute classic. Kobashi comes out looking like an utter badass for weathering the storm that is Takayama, and Takayama looks amazing even in defeat, only ultimately being put down by the legendary Kobashi Moonsault. Go watch this now if you have not, a legendary, if imperfect, bout."

[7.0] "I've come away from this match with mixed feelings. On the one hand, the crowd was really into the match and the two wrestlers exchanged some great holds. On the other hand, the match follows a false rhythm that took me out of the fight a bit, as it didn't seem like much was going on for two thirds of it."

[8.0] "Great match that really won me over towards the end. I was not really into the match initially after an imo way too early ddt on the exposed floor by Kobashi followed by him getting cut down quickly with just a guillotine. However, passed that it just got better and better. Takayamas kicks are vicious and Kobashi is really an all time seller. The arm work into the desperation lariat on the outside followed by Kobashi not being able to hold himself onto the rope due to his arm and Takayama fight to finally deliver a huge German onto the floor had me locked in. Takayama really delivers an awesome beat down onto Kobashi who keeps staying alive and fighting back. Finally Kobashi breaks out his top rope moonsault for the first time in years to put Takayama away does a great job of showing the Kobashi is somewhat desperate with his arm being injured hindering his burning lariat while also giving a visually stunning finish."

[7.0] "Feels more like a match that shows off why Kobashi is so good. Takayama isn't bad per say as he does some pretty sick stuff and takes some really sick bumps. But I was very uninterested in him as a character. I have no complaints about Kobashi, although it might have been appropriate do end with a Burning Hammer, it strays from being predictable and its always really cool to see Kobashi on the ropes. Good match, but not a great one for me personally because of Takayama."

[10.0] "Two large men beating the piss out of each other, throwing heavy suplexes and playing into the crowd. Takayama played the big bastard, working over the arm of Kobashi, who has the best babyface fire of any wrestler ever. The crowd erupts just seeing Kobashi glance at his right arm that he's been struggling to use all match, finishing with a burly moonsault. Legendary."

[6.0] "I don't know. The crowd was into it and these guy works a typical japanese 'old men beat each other up match' quite well with taka being a bastard and kobashi being a great babyface. It had good moments but I dont think they are worth some of the slow, dull and repetitive valleys. I see why some love it, but on this particular occasion it wasnt for me."

[9.0] "The first match I see of Takayama and it's absurd how imposing he sounds inside the ring and how much it gives a cool dynamic with the super over Kobashi, it's a match with a slow pace and that gears towards the end, the moonsault that closes the action it's wonderful (****3/4)"

[8.0] "The crowd really does make this match a blast to watch. The match itself isn't exactly a masterclass in technique or showmanship, but for 2 guys who just want to rile up a crowd & walk the kings road, it was very good. As has been said elsewhere, the second half it builds to really is a notch above the norm for this style. I'm more 8.5 than 8 here."

[9.0] "The final 10 minutes are about as good as pro wrestling can get, just utter perfection. As so often with Kobashi matches, a solid start turns into a brutal war where both competitors are battling exhaustion as much as they are their opponent. The crowd went wild for the final moonsault."

[10.0] "One of Kenta Kobashi's absolute classics against the beast that is Yoshihiro Takayama. None of the moves were unnecessary and both of these guys beat the absolute crap out of each other. Great working over the arm by Takayama and stiff chops and kicks over and over. What more could I ask for? Not much, to be honest. The moonsault finish is legendary and the crowd exploded when Kobashi signaled for it (though they were pretty much hot for the entire match). Legendary stuff here and one of the greatest matches of all time, for sure."

[10.0] "An absolute thrilling experience, and definitely one of the greatest 'David vs. Goliath' matches of all time. Kobashi, being the usual superhuman he was in his prime, endured all punishment Takayama gave him. Despite the mountain of a challenge he was facing at this time, he managed to defeat a man standing at 6'5, which is huge by Japanese standards. This was an instant NOAH classic, and this deserved a perfect 5 than just a 4.5"

[10.0] "Kobashi can always be depended upon to have a brutal and incredibly entertaining match and this was no exception. It started off slow but beautifully built as the match went on. Kobashi and Takayama beat the shit out of each other until the great moonsault finish."

[9.0] "Loved it. Second half picked up quickly made this match intense . Takayama was one of kobashi's toughest opponent . Punishment kobashi took was insane . Great story was told . Brainbuster and moonsault to the face were my fav spots"

[10.0] "Kenta Kobashi matches have a tendency to sneak up on you. Just when you think what you are watching is solid, he reminds you of just how spectacular it really is. He shows the fruits of the labor in the most glorious ways. The meaning behind the methodical opening 10 minutes by turning that groundwork into a mansion that far exceeds the number of acres one thought it was built on. Simply put, Kobashi is the king of this here thing we call professional wrestling. This was David vs. Goliath with quite a twist. Kobashi not only overcame the size disadvantage early, but brutalized the very man who went to war with Don Frye just two years prior in what is regarded as one of the greatest MMA fights of all time. Chop after chop, hold after hold, Kobashi was legitimately dominant. And then the false sense of security reared its ugly head. Yoshihiro Takayama wrestled the match of his life. He was unfathomably agile and expectedly physical, pummeling Kobashi with strikes and threatening his legendary GHC Heavyweight reign with submissions that seemed to have no escape. He annihilated the strong arm of Kobashi and made even the most basic of offensive maneuvers turn into self-inflicted wounds for the champion. And when the action went to the outside of the ring, the apron spot became one of the best examples of storytelling in wrestling history. Takayama exerting his will and the usually fearless Kobashi clinging on for dear life. Just like that, the stage was set for the second half of an all-time classic. This is peak Kobashi, with every single sequence leading to something bigger as a legendary crowd cheers their hero on and gasps as Takayama progressively increases the brutality. Kobashi is also arguably the best seller in wrestling history in terms of both how an opponent can impact his own offense and the facial expressions that sell emotion like none other. That alone makes this worth the watch. As the match continued and Kobashi realized how ridiculous the pain tolerance of Takayama truly was, we saw both competitors elevate the violence. That included the closed fists by Takayama that had everyone in attendance in utter disbelief. An already great match built to a final five minutes for the ages. Neither man willing to relent as they were forced to go to the darkest of places to keep one another down. All leading to Kobashi going for the first Moonsault since the knee surgeries that seemingly made it so he could never do the move again. An epic moment with a crowd that knew exactly how big it was. All of this and I have yet to acknowledge the sheer brutality of a 6'5' Goliath hitting Half and Half Suplexes and a German or two to boot. All of this and I have yet to acknowledge one of the nastiest Brainbusters of all time. What a match. What a freaking match. 5 stars, 10 out of 10. A genuinely mesmerizing experience that stands the test of time."

[8.0] "As much as I absolutely adore Kenta Kobashi, he absolutely has some quite overrated matches in his legendary career, and upon a rewatch, I realise that this match is one of them. Now, this is still a thoroughly awesome match, and I still think Kobashi was fantastic here (though just a bit below his usual world-class level), but I really struggled caring for quite a bit of the first half, and then the second half wasn't consistently amazing enough to make up for that. The first half was worked at very deliberate pace, as Takayama dominated the majority of it, with the only real interest coming when both men would hit a few energetic spots or brief sequences. Takayama's control work was very convincing, and Kobashi's babyface selling was very good, but the many rest holds those 2 traded were pretty dull, even if they were set up in interesting ways, since they just went too long, and those few energetic bursts weren't creative or long enough to truly pique my interest on a deeper level. The match finally picked up with Kobashi's long-awaited comeback, as he displayed his trademark godly babyface-selling and passionate fire-ups while unloading some of his wonderful signature moves. It was really only in the final 10 minutes when the match started resembling something truly amazing. As overwhelmingly powerful and heavy as Takayama's strikes here were (and always have been), that is mostly a result of how uncoordinated and lacking in control he is, since his limbs are so large that once he starts throwing them he really just lets them do whatever they're gonna do. That meant that much of his strike-based offence looked awkward technique-wise because he was just brute-forcing them instead of hitting them cleanly and 'properply', which wasn't the most visually pleasing thing to see. Another issue with Takayama was that his massive size and lack of any real athleticism meant that he couldn't really bump too well for a lot of Kobashi's big attacks, whether they were strikes or power moves. Takayama's power moves at least all looked very good, and this was actually due to his massive size, since he could deadlift Kobashi and drop him on his head, which was awesome to see. Takayama's work on Kobashi's leg and arm was really good, and again Kobashi's selling was incredibly sympathetic, but they didn't capitalise on either worked-over limb to any significant degree to tease it factoring into the finish. As awesome as some of their big-bomb trades and teases were in the final 1/3rd, only a handful felt truly amazing, and the fact that all the best ones were kept that late in the match was quite disappointing, which is another reason why I couldn't go higher on this. This still had some fantastic selling and signature moves from Kobashi, but he's given similar performances in other matches that also featured far better opponents, and Takayama simply didn't have the dexterity, creativity, selling, or natural athleticism here to match Kobashi's output. ****1/4"

[10.0] "This match is exactly what I think a wrestling match should be. There's not a lot of different moves, but everything they do is done with a goal behind it and not just to do a move. Takayama's work on Kobashi's arm is great, and Kobashi sells it like only the best seller of all time can do. The whole match is great, but the ending is just fantastic. Kobashi struggled the whole match to lift Takayama for a brainbuster, and when he finally does it that's not enough, he hits some Burning Lariats but his arm is too damaged to hurt Takayama enough, he tries to lift Takayama for a Burning Hammer but can't so he drops a rare Moonsault Press for a three count in front of a packed Nippon Budokan, where all of the 16000+ spectators completely lose their mind. That ending represents exactly what I said in the beginning of my comment, every single move makes sense and is done at the right time. A near perfect wrestling match that everyone should see at least once. *****"

[10.0] "Another masterpiece by Kenta Kobashi and the best match of Yoshihiro Takayama's carrer, very intense and emotional"

[10.0] "Every six weeks or so, a top notch wrestler gave at Kobashi their best shot. Yoshihiro Takayama, and one of them, the biggest threat at Kenta Kobashi GHC Heavyweight Championship. This is one of the greatest ? David vs. Goliath? wrestling stories ever told. I like the slow early build that felt ominous, as if neither man wanted to take the first shot. Kobashi's chops to the neck all match looked vicious. Takayama's armwork made sense, and Kobashi sold it nicely, with some of Kobashi's finest selling, not just in his injured arm but also just how he looks so fatigued and beat-up as the match goes on. Takayama make the fight of his life, during the final run, Takayama flipping out and throwing this great MMA combo was awesome. I like Kobashi continuing to throw lariats with a busted arm, he sells each lariat like a boxer with a broken hand who was going to punch through the pain. One of the best matches ever, everything about the match is great. The crowd, the pacing, the finish, everything. Tremendous performance by both men in front of an all-time great crowd. Kobashi won the match with a moonsault, the first since the multiple knee surgery, in 28 minutes. (****3/4)"

[9.0] "This was pretty insane. You have Takayama and Suzuki in one corner, looking like the most badass dudes in the world and the other side is Kobashi, Shiozaki and Honda with the most determined looks on their faces. The match was super intense with an epic atmosphere in Budokan Hall and very hard hitting in all aspects. Kobashi was in his element as the sympathetic babyface getting his ass kicked by Takayama who was not holding back with his strikes at all. Kobashi leveled Takayama with his chops himself but Takayama ruled the ring with his vicious knee strikes. The one where he catches Kobashi coming off the top rope and catches him with the knee in his stride was amazing. Takayama brutalised Kobashi's arm with submissions and kicks. Anything he could to tourture Kobashi, he did it. Perhaps to his detriment as he eventually lost stamina giving Kobashi the opening to make his big comeback. Kobashi's selling was excellent the entire match. Not just selling the arm. The selling in every little thing - his facial expressions, his comebacks, everything. Kobashi's overall performance was amazing. The escalation made the match feel more grander. When Kobashi hit the Burning Lariat, the crowd went insane only for Takayama to still kick out. Kobashi then pulling that famous grimace and hitting the moonsault was a pitch perfect way to end the match. ****1/2"

[8.0] "Feels like you standard big heavyweight title bout until Takayama violently drags Kobashi by his leg and kicks the shit out of his leg. He decides on taking out Kobashi's chopping arm. Kobashi sells his hurt arm well and is an excellent fiery babyface. Kobashi has to adapt and use his other arm to dish out the chops. This has a red hot finishing stretch with Kobashi landing one of his scariest moonsaults ever. This was great but not as great as I remembered it being. I don't think I enjoy matches with big, epic closing stretches as much as I did when I discovered puro eight years ago."

[8.0] "Unsurprisingly wonderful. Put Kenta Kobashi in a match against a capable big man, and you've got magic. Takayama was two years removed from the greatest PRIDE FC fight of all time against Don Frye, and it was possible that this six-foot-five MMA fighter would end Kenta Kobashi's legendary title reign. Kobashi opened the match with some serious bombs, offering an immediately hot start to this nearly thirty-minute clash. Takayama focused his offense on Kobashi's arm the same way he did in their All-Japan classic four years prior, but with even more intensity. Kobashi's selling, as always, is excellent. His final comeback is slightly rushed, but the incredibly dangerous moonsault to the face ended the match on a major high note. ****1/2."

[10.0] "Hot take maybe? Best performance of Kobashi's career. The punishment he takes and the eventual comeback is absolutely mesmerizing. I'd go as far as to say this is better than all the Misawa/Kobashi matches. Id even go as far to say this is probably one of the greatest matches of all time. Takayama is incredible as this bruising bully. Kobashi is incredible as this falling hero. It's just perfect."

[10.0] "Fucking brutal the amount of punishment Takayama dishes out to Kobashi. This was honestly the only thing bringing down this match and taking it away from potentially being 5 stars because aside from what I felt were needlessly stiff blows - bear in mind that Kobashi missed over a year of action with bad knees and was the only bonafide star in the company asides from Misawa! - this match is incredible. It starts with Takayama just beating the fuck out of Kobashi, which is perfect for him because he has the best visuals out of any wrestler on the planet, and his hope spots therefore are all the more epic. Kobashi made reversing an armbar totally fucking cool. The Everest German Suplex is very over. The Moonsault for the victory was fantastic. **** 3/4"

[10.0] "Kenta Kobashi in 04 was just another level, he's always done great with big wrestlers, this is an excellent example of that, Kobashi gives a fantastic performance, even hits a moonsault, some good back and forth, Takayama goes after Kobashi's arm and just destroys it, when he isn't attacking Kobashi's arm he's just delivering the most lethal strikes you'll see, knees and kicks to soften up Kobashi, Kobashi uses his usual game plan, hits the ddt outside, hits slams, hits chops whenever he can and keeps going for his lariat, Kobashi tried ending it with the burning hammer, when he couldn't get the big man up Takayama makes him pay for it, violent and awesome match here"

[10.0] "Simply outstanding here. Kobashi delivered his usual excellent babyface performance and unsurprisingly, the crowd was super loud behind him. Takayama was so good here as well, his top work over Kobashi including his arm work was really brutal, which got a lot of heat. And it also created the huge drama for the match as Kobashi constantly survived Takayama's offenses. Finally, Kobashi got a huge comeback, which was tremendous. The final moment as he delivered the moonsault and the crowd went nut. Everything was perfectly set up to create a timeless masterpiece."

[10.0] "Such a brutal match in front of a very hot crowd. Kobashi dominated at the beginning but once Takayama started to gain the control of the match it became really nasty. An amazing devastating big guy performance by Takayama, and Kobashi being a great babyface underdog as usual, he sold the beating like he was going to get killed. It really felt like one of his biggest challenges and it's one of those many great defenses that made his reign legendary."

[10.0] "Yoshihiro Takayama was a legit threat to Kenta Kobashi, Jesus Christ. The crowd's reaction to Kobashi using the Moonsault Press once again was incredible. *****"

[9.0] "The match starts slow and the crowd isn't really into Kobashi controlling the match. Then Takayama breaks his arm, which Kobashi sells outside the ring for a good 2 minutes; Kobashi being in trouble wakes everybody up and the match picks up the pace. Takayama was an interesting wrestler; I feel like some of his offense didn't connect very well (running knee in the corner doesn't look very impactful) but lots of it (punches, boots to the face or the midsection) felt devastating. This is elevated by an amazing selling performance by Kobashi, who takes beautiful bumps (his trajectory on the Germans is awesome) and only makes it to his feet by the count of 9. His lariats were explosive, although I felt it was undermining the arm story a bit. Takayama dug deep and had a last stiff energy burst; the crowd goes absolutely wild for the moonsault. Great big match, but it didn't feel out of this world."

[10.0] "One of the greatest matches of all time featuring one of the best babyface performances ever and then takayama's heat segment on the leg and arm which is probably the best segment of a match ever. The crowd the feel of the fight the selling the offence this had everything, it is maybe not as big of a moment as the Misawa match in 2003 but it is something special that you very rarely feel when watching wrestling. Between this and the semi main tag match the greatest 1-2 sequence of matches ever *****"

[10.0] "Kobashi delivers a performance that makes me go "that man is the best babyface of all-time" and Takayama is even bigger, badder, better & meaner than he was four years before, as he gives Kobashi a menacing beating throughout. It's one of the best matches of all-time, to put it simply. *****"

[10.0] "Arguably Kobashi's biggest challenge yet in his GHC title reign, and is arguably also his best defense. Takayama was not also a powerful monster who could hit as hard as Kobashi, but he was also a technical wrestler who could pick apart his opponent all over the place. So not only was Kobashi trying to survive Takayama's very hard hitting attacks, but also the very smart work Takayama was doing on his arm. This match is a masterpiece in selling, character work, storytelling, and great pacing. Easily one of the best NOAH matches of all time, *****."

[9.0] "This match was Awesome! A long, winding struggle of a mach for both. Has to be Takayama's best performance. Selling was great in this. Crowd was a bit cool in the beginning but by the end they were with them 100%. ****1/2."

[10.0] "There are few matches that have made me feel this way. On one hand, it *feels* like two older, slower, bigger guys (all due respect to both of them! ) that plod around for a while until they hit their groove about midway through. And then it just gets completely fucking brutal. Kobashi's arm is destroyed, Takayama looks like he went through a meat grinder, and both men are (legit) bleeding from the mouth. It's just savage stuff, with an excellent ending. Not much else like it. *****."