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[2008-05-24-Northern Navigation] KENTA & Naomichi Marufuji vs Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi


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  • 8 months later...

Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs KENTAFuji - NOAH 5/24/08

 

It is the great juniors tag team of the early 90s versus the great junior tag team of the mid 00s in 2008, BABY! This felt like Kikuchi's retirement match, but I guess he kept on wrestling afterwards. The way crowd was cheering for him and how the match was structured then the end with Kobashi raising his hand for the salute. Was this his sendoff from NOAH or just a little bit of nostalgia kick to get Kobashi & Kikuchi back together one last time since we do not know when Kobashi's last match could be? Anyways, it worked. The heat was great, but the heat for Kobashi matches pretty much exceeds everyone. Tanahashi has been creeping up there especially his match with Suwama. We will see if that continues into 2009 for him. Right now Kobashi still gets the biggest reactions from the fans in Japan. What elevated this was bringing him back to his roots with Kikuchi, who may have been even more over than Kobashi. Clearly putting Kikuchi with Suzuki or Kanemaru and you wouldn't have the same effect. It was the interactive effect of having Kikuchi with Kobashi that really generated this interest in Kikuchi. Marufuji is so, so, so much better when he goes full heel. This was the perfect spot for him to be doing shit like pec bouncing, calling out Kobashi, running away tagging KENTA, taking a bump off a rolling cradle like he was the Nature Boy and being a general douche because how much the crowd loves Kobashi & Kikuchi. Kobashi was so much fun in this match. Whether it was great ab work over KENTA, beating the shit out of Marufuji, busting out the rolling cradle and falling into the ring trying to tag Kikuchi, who was getting his ass kicked at the time. Kikuchi sold well enough and the crowd was so behind him when he did make the tag, you wanted to see Kobashi The Destroyer. He took both on, but eventually he fell prey to the numbers game and they overwhelmed him with big moves and Kikuchi had to save. KO-BASH-I! KO-BASH-I! KO-BASH-I! Since coming back from cancer, I have loved how vulnerable Kobashi has looked (except in that lame Sasaki tag match). Tag to KIKUCHI! He is on fire, but again the numbers prove too much for him. I love how Japanese tag match really incorporate the long last effects of a face in peril segment. Kikuchi ranas out of KENTA's powerbomb. Kobashi directing traffic tells him to ascend the top. Crowd is molten, diving headbutt. Again, Fuji and KENTA are able to double team Kikuchi, which leaves him prey to the exploding knee and Go 2 Sleep combo.

 

It is a nostalgia match pure and simple. If anybody else was having this match, I would say it was a good, solid bout, but not top 100 of the decade. But it was not just anybody it was Kobashi and Kikuchi reunited and that was just so much fun. With everybody playing their role so well, it is hard not to fall in love with this match. Kobashi falling into the ring trying to tag Kikuchi was just so good and loved him telling Kikuchi to go to the top. After the match, all the respect shown by the combatants for Kikuchi and by the crowd was heart-warming. This is match is very similar to Taue/Rikio it is rooted more in the crowd dynamic and the characters. It is a borderline Top 100 candidate, but something that leaves you with a smile on your face even if the old guy just did not have enough to get it done. ***3/4

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  • GSR changed the title to [2008-05-24-Northern Navigation] KENTA & Naomichi Marufuji vs Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi

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