3/31/96: Mitsuharu Misawa vs Kenta Kobashi
Kobashi won a test of strength early on. Kobashi chopped Misawa but Misawa responded with an elbow. Kobashi applied a headlock, which Misawa unsuccessfully tried to counter. Misawa caught Kobashi with a rollup for a one count. Misawa scored with a couple elbows and a flying lariat for a near fall before applying a chinlock on Kobashi. Kobashi countered with a jawbreaker and landed a couple chops. He headlocked Misawa and tackled him on a criss cross. Misawa blocked a lariat but Kobashi countered a tiger driver attempt. Misawa elbowed Kobashi and folded him up with a released German suplex. Kobashi rolled out of the ring and sold the damage. Misawa then hit an elbow suicida. Misawa jumped off the top rope but Kobashi dropkicked him in mid-air. Kobashi gave Misawa a savate kick and a couple kneelifts for a near fall. Kobashi vertical suplexed Misawa for a near fall and went for a Boston crab but Misawa reached the ropes. Kobashi stomped Misawa and chopped him twice. Misawa applied a headlock but Misawa quickly countered with a back suplex for a near fall. Kobashi rammed Misawa into the corner and landed a few chops. He whipped Misawa into the opposite corner and gave him a jumping knee. Kobashi chopped Misawa but Misawa responded with an elbow and kicked Kobashi three times. Kobashi caught Misawa on an Irish whip with a short clothesline and punted his back. Kobashi gave Misawa a Russian legsweep for a near fall. He applied an abdominal stretch on Misawa but Misawa countered with a hiptoss. Kobashi responded with a yakuza kick for a near fall. Kobashi attempted a suplex but Misawa countered with an elbow. They traded chops and elbows, and Kobashi won the exchange with chops to Misawa's neck. Misawa elbowed Kobashi but Kobashi scored with another chop to the neck. Kobashi gave Misawa a released German suplex but Misawa bounced back up and scored with a sharp elbow. Kobashi landed a high kick but Misawa responded with a slew of elbows. Kobashi absorbed the blows and gave Misawa a ton of kneelifts but Misawa responded with more elbows and a released German suplex. Kobashi got right back up and flattened Misawa with a lariat to conclude a white hot exchange. Kobashi landed chops to Misawa's neck and a savate kick. He powerbombed Misawa but collapsed himself afterwards. Kobashi hit a dropkick through the ropes onto Misawa and whipped him into the barricade. Kobashi attempted a powerbomb on the floor but Misawa countered with a huracanrana. Kobashi responded with a shouldertackle and gained a near fall back in the ring. Kobashi went for a dragon suplex but Misawa grabbed the ropes. Kobashi gave Misawa a couple chops and a great dragon suplex for a heated near fall. Kobashi went for a tiger driver but Misawa blocked it, so Kobashi legdropped him. Kobashi then hit a tiger driver for a great near fall. Kobashi slammed Misawa and went for a moonsault but Misawa rolled away from the corner before he jumped. Misawa landed a few elbows but Kobashi caught him attempting a kick and gave him a cradle back suplex for a near fall. Kobashi slammed Misawa and hit a legdrop. Kobashi nearly overshot Misawa but hit a moonsault for a near fall. Misawa landed a couple elbows but Kobashi landed a spinning chop to his neck and dropped him on his head with a half nelson German suplex. Kobashi hit a legdrop off the ropes for a heated near fall. Misawa elbowed Kobashi but Kobashi responded with a jumping knee. Kobashi landed a bunch of chops but Misawa elbowed him and gave him a roaring elbow. Misawa gave Kobashi a great released tiger suplex. Misawa landed an elbow but missed a roaring elbow. Kobashi missed a chop and Misawa elbowed him. Misawa hit a second released tiger suplex for a near fall. Misawa went for a tiger driver but Kobashi backdropped him. Misawa flattened Kobashi with an elbow and gave him a tiger driver for a dramatic near fall. Kobashi caught up to Misawa in the corner and gave him some chops but Misawa scored with an elbow. Misawa then hit a top rope neckbreaker hold (kinda like a clothesline) and pinned Kobashi. About 22:27 aired, and it appeared they cut out the first three minutes. Absolutely beautiful effort that must be seen by any All Japan fan. After numerous great or excellent matches, Misawa and Kobashi finally hit their stride against each other with a classic match of the year candidate. A perfect match because it was the type that could satisfy both types of fans for All Japan: those who dig the spot-intensive head dropping style of the late 90s as well as those who favor the slowish build with the emphasis on psychology and selling. Misawa and Kobashi had broken up their team a couple months earlier and this was a fantastic beginning to their rivalry. Tons of intensity and hot sequences, especially by All Japan standards, back and forth. Kobashi was great trying to show up Misawa by beating him with his own tiger driver. The match was nearly perfect in its pacing, with just the right amount of highspots early on, along with a white hot final 8 minutes with the dramatic near falls and some head drops but not to an outrageuos extent. Very similar in quality to the Dragon-Otani match from New Japan four months later, as this fell just shy of a perfect rating. Definitely one of the top 50 matches of the 90s and worthy of all the praise everyone has given it. ****3/4
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