Samoa Joe vs Kenta Kobashi (ROH, 10-1-2005)

ROH Joe vs Kobashi, New York, NY

This is a request via Ko-fi. I haven’t watched this match in over a decade, I don’t think. And now that I like Kobashi more than I used to, I’m really looking forward to giving it a fresh look. This match was a huge get for ROH in 2005, sort of fully legitimizing their status as more than a normal indie promotion.

Crowd is well hyped for Joe, but it’s nothing compared to seeing Kenta Kobashi live in New York. They’re mental for him. And when the bell sounds, the place is just rocking.

Joe leads with a kick to the thigh. Kobashi seems annoyed by the challenge. Another kick to the thigh from Joe. Kobashi stares and nods. They lock up, Joe drives Kobashi to the ropes, then slaps Kobashi in the face on the break, calling Kobashi on for the slugfest he knows everyone wants to see.

C&E now, Kobashi pushes Joe to the corner. Will he give the break? Not without a massive chop. And Kobashi LOVES how excited people are to see one chop from him. Knuckle lock now, Joe getting the better of it for a second, then Kobashi reverses. “This is awesome” chant. Joe throws Kobashi over out of the knuckle lock, then bulls over him and sends Kobashi to the floor.

Sliding dropkick from Joe, then a big ass tope suicida. Joe is FIRED UP for the dream match. Back inside, Joe with a scoop slam and a big elbowdrop. Two count. Joe hooks the arm and grabs a chinlock. Joe turns it into a sort of dragon sleeper, and Kobashi has to get to the ropes.

Joe with some chops to Kobashi, who’s, like, “Nah, dude,” and rips him back with the heaviest chops in history. Joe comes back with a series of kicks to the chest and ends with an enzuigiri! Kobashi down, Joe confident. Crowd chanting for him. Crowd chanting for everyone. Crowd just loves the fight.

Joe with kicks to the forehead, Kobashi shakes them off, fires back with chops. Repeat that. Joe with kicks to the forehead, Kobashi shakes them off, fires back with chops. Joe with repeated knees to the head this time, that does the job better than the insulting kicks. Kobashi sits up — Joe with a chop to the back, kick to the chest, and the big kneedrop.

Outside the ring, Joe sets for and hits the running olé kick. Different part of the crowd wants one in their vicinity. Kobashi catches him with an elbow coming in this time, and chops Joe down into the chair. He then takes a couple steps and chops Joe, almost in the belly, sending Joe flying over the guardrail. I’m mostly stunned at how Joe so quickly and smoothly picked himself up off the chair to leap backwards over the guardrail.

Kobashi with a DDT on the floor. Back into the ring, Kobashi holds a front facelock for a moment. Joe gets the ropes with his butt. Kobashi chops him again, and again, and again. Joe sent off the ropes, but Kobashi holds the wrist and follows him there with a knee to the gut, and then another on the other side. The overhand chop to the chest on a bent over Joe, then one to a fallen Joe. And another. Then a sort of running one — not that Kobashi really runs. He ambles, if anything.

Another “this is awesome” chant as Kobashi grabs a front facelock again. Joe gets the ropes again, this time with his right arm. Kobashi sets him for a suplex, but Joe reverses and suplexes Kobashi over. Kobashi with a back elbow, another chop, Joe with a stiff kick to the arm, chop, kick, chop, kick, chop chop chop chop chop they’re LIGHTING EACH OTHER RIGHT UP! Joe with a series of unanswered chops, Kobashi fires up and chops the hell out of Joe, sending him to the canvas!

Kobashi pulls a dazed Joe up by the wrist and locks on an abdominal stretch. Joe forces himself to the ropes again. Kobashi drops another overhand chop and covers for two. Kobashi with a chinlock now. That keeps Joe incapacitated and continues wearing the big man down. Another chop from Kobashi, overhand to the middle of the forehead.

Kobashi holds the wrist and chops the neck. Spinning back chop is blocked, and Joe slams him down with a uranage and hits the running senton. Joe with jab, chop, jab, chop, jab, chop, jab, chop, jab, chop, jab, chop combo. Both guys tired and getting beaten up at this point. Joe sets for a piledriver or power bomb, but can’t get Kobashi up. He kicks him to soften him, then hits a buckle bomb!

Facewash and running boot in the corner! Joe now back in control. Joe puts Kobashi up top, gets him out and hits the muscle buster! One, two, NO! Joe driving knees into Kobashi’s side. He goes for the choke, but Kobashi flips him over. Joe with another kick, then a short power bomb for two, and he floats it over into the STF, but doesn’t have the hands locked. Kobashi fighting him off as the crowd chants “please don’t tap!”

Joe gets the crossface on now, with Kobashi desperately reaching for the ropes. Joe grabs that free arm and transitions the hold, and Kobashi has to reach and get the rope with his leg. Joe seems at a loss for what to do now — he’s hit the muscle buster, he’s beaten this man up, he’s tried to submit him, and he won’t go away.

Kobashi up in the corner, Joe goes to run to him, but he gets caught with a back elbow and the half nelson suplex! Both men are down, battered. Slowly back up after a count, and Kobashi hits the spinning back chop and then the machine gun chops in the corner. Kobashi looking to end things. More machine gun chops. Joe just getting ripped in the corner and there’s nothing he can do about it, too tired to come back. MORE machine gun chops. More BIG chops from Kobashi, double chops with both hands. Joe down in the corner, so Kobashi bends down and hits another double chop.

Kobashi goes for another half nelson suplex and gets it! Cover, two, Joe gets his hand on the bottom rope. Suddenly, Joe finds some strength and tears back at Kobashi with a few forearms, but he runs off the ropes and straight into a sleephold. Kobashi hits the suplex from that position, dumping Joe on his head. Cover, two, NO! Joe rolling away, under the ropes, trying to avoid any follow up, and he does it. Kobashi just doesn’t have the strength to pull him up as Joe fights away with what’s left of his reserves.

Joe up again, springs into action with a series of wild slaps. Lariat from Joe is blocked. Kobashi with spinning back chops, BIG LARIAT!!! ONE, TWO, THREE!

Rating: 5/5. This is still arguably the greatest match in Ring of Honor history, and one of the stiffest, nastiest matches to ever take place on U.S. soil. I’ve always appreciated ROH for putting this match out without commentary. It doesn’t need it, and if anything, ROH commentary from the time would have detracted from the experience, and I’m usually someone who wants commentary, because I think it adds greatly to a match when done well, and keeps me invested when things aren’t so exciting. But this match had no real need for it if it wasn’t going to be called by great commentators and, well, ROH didn’t have great commentators in 2005. What makes this match so special, though, is not the chops and the forearms and the kicks and the slaps and what have you. Yes, the stiffness rules, I love it, but what makes it special is that Kobashi works with zero ego and gives Joe everything he needs to make it truly compelling. I mean, honestly, I didn’t expect Joe to hit the muscle buster in this match — it’s a much more competitive, back-and-forth match than I expected Kobashi to put out here, but he went 100% and gave the best effort he possibly could. I remember this match, and stuff like KENTA coming over, during War of the Worlds every year when you get Okada and Naito and Tanahashi going 63% in pointless tags. I get why they do, and I don’t really mind it, but guys like Kobashi and KENTA came over here from NOAH and put in maximum effort to prove they were really as good as you thought they were.