[1999-04-16-AJPW-Championship Carnival] Vader vs Kenta Kobashi

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

This was a very good Carnival final. While Vader's matches continue to be technically good, it still also seems like they're leaving a lot on the table in terms of Vader spots. He wrestles pretty even with Kobashi. This was their best match yet but the size dynamic isn't playing enough of a role for my tastes, nor are we getting to see Vader do a lot of the bumping or striking that is his calling card. They do a lot right so I don't want to complain about the match too much. I just think they had an even better one in them somewhere that never quite came out.

[tim]

Definitely agree with Loss that Vader has been somehow less Vader-y than he should. These big Vader AJPW matches aren't quite what you might have dreamed of in 1993. There was some cool stuff in this match and I quite liked the ending but overall I thought this match was just okay.

[Tim Evans]

Vader wrestling the whole match without his mask is weird. I guess he took the mask loss to Kane legit? I liked the clipped match earlier in the year better than this but this was still good. I agree about Vader being a little less vader like. The WWF run seemed to have killed his fire but he started getting it back here.

[soup23]

This match does carry some restraint and is probably the worst final since 93 but I still thought it passed the great match parameter and was again refreshing to see and to throw up in the face of All Japan late 90's was all head dropping and kick outs narrative. Vader was methodical in his actions here but everything carried impact and it allowed Kobashi to mount his comebacks at points to a great reaction. The comeback that started with the powerslam off of the middle rope dive followed by the German and moonsault was dramatic and gave Vader a solid kickout with him avoiding the Burning Lariat. He gets a German of his own to even things back up. Vader busts out a huge moonsault of his own that I marked out for and Kobashi is barely able to kick out. Vader Bomb gets another close nearfall and tall and Vader just bum rushed Kobashi and tackles him for the Carny victory in just under 20 minutes. A different feeling big match in All Japan. ****

[Zenjo]

The crowd took quite a while to get fully engaged, which is unusual for Da Budokan. Vader had more of the offence but didn't look like a monster on this occasion. There was sure to be an element of fatigue at the end of a tour of singles matches. Solid for the most part before a strong finish brought it up to good level. They got there in the end and produced a satisfactory Final. I preferred their January bout. With both the Triple Crown and the Champion Carnival, Vader was now the man in All Japan.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Vader vs Kenta Kobashi - AJPW Championship Carnival Final '99

 

Vader is the Man! I am so glad I got around to watching all this great post-prime Vader in All Japan. I think he could have been way better utilized in early NOAH. I think this even better than the Year 2000 Kobashi/Vader match, which is another great one. I thought they really put together an action-packed match that really felt like it could either way throughout the match. I loved the struggle over the German suplex early ending in a cradle by Vader and then a cross armbreaker. Kobashi really did not want to go over. It was cool to see Vader swallow his pride and do the smart thing and try to get a win by unconventional methods by Vader's standards. Then we get typical Vader punching him really hard in the bad eye. Kobashi throws a Fuck You lariat and then some serious Fuck You punches (Kobashi does not really throw punches) so Vader pokes him the bad eye repeatedly to be a dick. Then just sits on him with all his weight and then a big middle rope splash. I love when fat guys use their body weight as a weapon. Kobashi dropkicks the knee and tries some work on the knee but Vader gets to the ropes on a single leg crab. I really liked flying Vader body attack off the apron to the floor. Vader goes for the moonsault so Kobashi powerbombs him off the top and Vader BOUNCES off the mat. Kobashi gets a German, classic Vader spot, bodyslam, fist pump, MOONSAULT CONNECTS!!! 1-2-NO! Signals for Burning Lariat, but Vader ducks and wrangles him for a MASSIVE GERMAN SUPLEX! You could see the "OH SHIT!" in Kobashi's eyes as he is going over. Kobashi never really recovers. Overkill AJPW finish with Vadersault, Massive Powebomb and then a Fucking Tackle to win the match for Vader. It is a breezy fun heavyweight slugfest no real David vs Goliath feel. Just one of those Watts' Mid-South era bomb throwing hoss fights, I liked the emotion from Kobashi early but did get loss. I really Vader going to the eyes. The finish run was typical All Japan greatness and excess at the same time. Meaty and hossy just how I like it. ****

[PeteF3]

Satisfactory is the way to put this. Not a blowaway great Final, and maybe not a blowaway great match like you'd hope for if this were 1993 Vader and Kobashi, but a good match with a really hot closing stretch, and an improvement over their League match. Vader's counter German was a great transition spot that pretty much spelled doom for Kobashi despite a few nice kickouts. I know it's All-Japan and not the U.S. but Vader doing the handshake and hug with Kobashi afterward is a little jarring. In any case, Vader seems to have recovered any slowed momentum from his loss to Misawa and is now on a roll heading into his Tokyo Dome title defense.

[G. Badger]

Agree with everything stated above. Really every Kobashi - Vader encounter is the same with an excess of splashes, Kobashi in pain, lariat or 2, moonsaults. The stuff in between never is that memorable though...its good but not great. We never get a full on beat the crap out of each other exchange in strikes for instance.

 

Kobashi is always working from underneath and I'd think we all wish there was a match where they'd be equals. I think by '99 Vader should have been booked a little less unstoppable.