[2000-08-05-NOAH-Departure] Mitsuharu Misawa & Akira Taue vs Kenta Kobashi & Jun Akiyama

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Mitsuharu Misawa & Akira Taue vs Burning (Kenta Kobashi & Jun Akiyama) - NOAH Debut Show 8/5/00 2 Out Of 3 Falls

Pyrotecnics, a ramp and a post-match angle immediately NOAH signals that it is going to be different than All Japan. The booking builds on Akiyama's big victory over Misawa and pushes him as the center piece of the new promotion. From August through December, NOAH relied on the Akiyama/Kobashi feud to carry the shows. What a way to kick off this money feud then with Akiyama taking out Misawa and Taue in two straight and then laying out Kobashi after the match. Thats how you make a new star!

Within 2 minutes, Akiyama chokes Misawa out and had young boys tending to him. I will say that Kobashi did hit a half-nelson suplex right before, but I don't think it lessens the impact of Akiyama winning the first fall in such decisive fashion. Misawa made a career out of takin a lickin and kept on tickin. It is elbows for everyone and Taue slaps the shit out of Akiyama. After a exchange Misawa/Kobashi, the Akiyama show begins again with Akiyama getting whipped by Taue. Taue hits his Nodowa on the ramp (excellent first use of the ramp) and Akiyama is just a heap. Taue heaves him back into ring. Misawa and Taue get nearfalls on Akiyama. Akiyama rolls through a Nodowa. Kobashi with a spinning back chop, but Taue gets a knee lift to tag Misawa before things get too out of hand. Misawa hits a missile dropkick to swing it back in their favor. Misawa blocks the half nelson suplex, but Akiyama blinds tags himself in. Young hotshot just looking for action or is he looking to prove himself as the new ace? Taue and Akiyama tease the apron Nodowa, but Kobashi breaks it up (buzzkill). Taue hits a nodowa in the ring and a Dynamic Bomb, but Kobashi saves again. Kobashi powerbombs Misawa into the corner, which always looks sick. Kobashi hits the Burning Lariat on Taue, but walks into Emerald Flowsion. Akiyama hits the Exploder twice on Misawa and a knee and an exploder on Taue. After the match, the real fireworks begin when Akiyama hits a back drop driver on his long-time partner, Kenta Kobashi. Thus setting up the main event for the next night.

The match is really a vehicle to propel Akiyama to the top as I stated he wins two straight falls over two of three of his biggest possible opponents and then dropped the other on his head after the match. I think there was subtle ways to make Akiyama the heel besides the fact he was the one who turned Kobashi. He choked out Misawa, which is a pretty violent way to beat someone. Also, he was getting saved a lot by Kobashi. He did ultimately win and he did not look weak, but maybe the story is that he is biting off more than he can chew. Only way to find out is watch the next night's main event. ***1/2

[Graham Crackers]

I loved NOAH once and while watching stuff for this project it has been easy to see why. Their run from 2001-2004 is some of my favorite wrestling ever and even though I think think they lost a lot of direction after that there were still many hints at the NOAH I once knew for the next few years. This match lays the foundation for that period but we aren't there yet. Yes, the match is fun and it's nice to see them actually following up on the elevation of Akiyama but it never really enters the next gear. To be perfectly honest, what made NOAH great wasn't these guys wrestling each other. It was the varied cast of characters that they would be interacting with over the next few years.

[WingedEagle]

Watch Kobashi/Takayama from the spring and then this and you'll know very quickly this is not your '90s All Japan. This isn't just Kobashi/Takayama, legit MOTDC, but rather a good match that establishes Akiyama vs. Kobashi as the focus of the promotion. Its really something to see Akiyama put Misawa to sleep so quickly and decisively to take the first fall. After that hot start the second fall is really just there most of the way, with Misawa & Taue unleashing their bombs without much escalation, before Kobashi & Akiyama outdo them on that front.

 

The excitement comes afterwards when Akiyama cements his spot in the pecking order by laying out Kobashi. Hot start for NOAH.

 

***1/2

[El-P]

"Wow, dude, Misawa was a selfish booker, he always put himself back in the mix" Yeah. Right. Watch this, ignorant fools. Who else as the boss and booker of a brand new major promotion does the job in 20 seconds to a submission hold, and sells it for minutes afterward on the mat, just so he tries to make a new star ? Misawa sure tried hard. He was kinda banged up, as was Kobashi, but damn, I had not watched any of these guys since Misawa died, and yeah, oh yeah, I remember why they are considered some of the greatest ever. Taue and Akiyama were super solid there too, actually looking better than the All Japan Ace & Heir in what was a very good, hot match with everything done to build Jun as the upcoming Man, and get some focus back on submissions. NOAH was such a fun promotion when it started.

[soup23]

I am appreciative of the difference NOAH exemplified right out of the gate. The ramp is there, Akiyama has an all white look, the lasers are out in full force and they even get some pyro coming from the ring posts in their introductions. This match being 2/3 falls also felt like a departure that was sort of a weird callback to the 2/3 fall structure of All Japan from yesteryear. Akiyama and Misawa start but it only takes a minute for Kobashi to insert himself with a stiff lariat to Taue that makes a crackling sound and a suplex to Misawa. Akiyama locks on a choke and that is the first fall right then and there in shocking fashion. Akiyama got pinned in 9 seconds by Omori and Taue lost to Akiyama in four minutes in 1997 but we had never seen Misawa dominated like that where he gives up a fall in two minutes. The crowd seems shocked. Kobashi has some purple creeping into his orange tights that is a nice bit of foreshadowing. Misawa needs to grind the match down and his trusty elbow gives him some space that is followed up with his butterfly arm submission. He gives way to Taue to continue working over Jun. I am usually weary of heaping META praise onto a singular match given that it is impossible to know the true purpose but it did feel like watching this second fall that some of Misawa/Taue’s offense was purposely less flashy to put more emphasis on Akiyama. This was a match with the purpose of getting Jun over instead of just being the next great entry involving these four men as a holdover from the 90’s. That is progressive foresight from Misawa as he knew the status quo needed to change here. He is the booker and new face of the promotion and in this match, the third most important figure. The second fall does heat up once Taue gets the Nodowa on the ramp to Jun followed by just slinging him back into the ring like a grumpy dad that was roughhousing with his kid but now has said that enough is enough. Jun doesn’t get worked over much before he makes the tag to Kobashi and we enter the home stretch again showing a difference that this match overall will be tighter and more condensed even in the 2/3 stipulation than a typical AJ big tag match. Kobashi/Misawa have a more heated sequence with each other and Taue gives a nice big running boot from the apron to the floor against Akiyama. Kobashi is suplexing fools including sending Misawa with a powerbomb into the corner and a lariat for Taue. However, he gets caught with the Flowsion from Misawa. This feels like a big neutralizer but Akiyama is ALIVE! Two Exploders to Misawa and one to Taue gains Akiyama the pin on Taue and Burning wins in two straight falls in impressive manner. Afterwards, to put the cherry on top of the sundae, Akiyama turns on Kobashi and just like that, we have the beginning of the feud that will help define Noah throughout the decade. As a storyline advancement vehicle, this match was a success all around even though it won’t end up on any MOTY lists for 2000. ***3/4 (7.3)

[AstroBoy]

I thought this was great. Right off the bat Kobashi drills Misawa and Jun slaps on the guillotine which gets sold like death. It's quite a statement to go with a fall that quickly and definitively and it just feels like a shock to the system in the best way. As for the rest of the match, it's cautiously paced and we get some routine work by all involved with enough small escalations built in. The nodowa on the ramp for example is enough to keep this from dipping into a one-note feeling. And the restraint here helps alot. There are some bombs thrown down the stretch but they come in a frenzied flurry and don't go overboard. Also helping is yet another definitive finish that leaves no doubt about where Akiyama stands in NOAH. Post-match is just a bonus. This was great.

 

****

[Edwin]

This was a toned down match for a smaller Differ Ariake venue and it was very good, not great and it served it's purpose -- get Akiyama over as a top player and establish the big Akiyama and Kobashi feud. Having Akiyama win both back-to-back falls was a great way to establish him as a top guy. The way they put the guillotine choke over by having him put Misawa to sleep quickly was great. The finish stretch was pretty neat and built up to neatly. Very good stuff.

[Makai Club #1]

This was really good. A bit dry but the quality was there mostly. The play by play booking of the match was well executed. Akiyama got put over big, causing Misawa to pass out within the second minute and then beating Taue later. Two straight falls with Akiyama being the victor. Akiayama put in a great shift on top as well. Kobashi sold well and dished out some of his signature offence. Good match. Akiyama turning on Kobashi in the post match was great booking as well. ***1/2