Fist of Youth "Fight hard, believe in yourself" ~ Interview with Kenta Kobashi (Part 2)

29th February 2020
Middle Edge.jp

As you saw in Kenta Kobashi's Interview (Part 1), Kobashi, who never gave up, overcame many difficulties and opened the way to pro wrestling.

The pro-wrestling era has finally arrived, and this time we will talk about the All Japan years, and the hot blood of the "Fist of Youth", which attracted fans with a hard fight.

FROM AN UNKNOWN NEWCOMER, TO THE FOUR HEAVENLY KINGS, AND BEYOND

MID-EDGE: Finally, you had your ticket to go pro had been obtained, but Kenta Kobashi's start was full of ups and downs.
KOBASHI: It was the day when I first came to the All Japan office after moving to Tokyo, and I found that there where a lot of reporters waiting. There were a lot of things when joining as a Pro-Wrestler like I had thought, but then the reporters from both "Weekly Gong" and "Daily Sports" started talking to me. I didn't really engage with them. As I discovered later, the press was not for me, but for Akira Taue who was visiting. Taue was a former sumo wrestler, and had turned to pro-wrestling. The media were waiting to take his picture.
MID-EDGE: It should have been a memorable first day...
KOBASHI: I said to the media later, "Could you give me a photo taken on that day?", but everyone had thrown them away (laughs). I joined and I said, "I will do my best", but even when keen "everyone says that". My start might have been terrible, but that is why I thought, "I will never lose out to those who have a track record. I'm 20, I don't have one, but I will work hard for 10 years, 20 years to get results".
MID-EDGE: Speaking of Mr. Kobashi's byword, "Fist of Youth", All Japan fans were fascinated by Kobashi's hard fight which never changed.
KOBASHI: At the time there were many people who entered wrestling and did not make an impact, even if thet did come in with achievements. The important thing is how you feel. I beleived that I could catch up and overtake, and that is why I didn't think that work on that was an effort. I was serious about what I wanted to do, and the fans saw this and they supported me.
MID-EDGE: Encouraged by the fans, you climbed the stairs to being a top wrestler, and after the Super Generation Army you were the youngest of the Four Heavenly Kings in All Japan.

"Pro Wrestling's "Four Heavenly Kings" refers to the four pro wrestlers who once entered All Japan as the beloved disciples of Giant Baba. They were Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada, Kenta Kobashi and Akira Taue. Later Jun Akiyama joined and they were called "Five Strongest". They are sometimes called "Baba's Heritage".
Source: Wrestling's Four Kings (Wikipedia)

MID-EDGE: What were your thoughts in the ring when you were called "The Four Heavenly Kings?"
KOBASHI: It was 1993 when I started to be called part of "The Four Heavenly Kings". In May of that year at the Sapporo Nakajima Sports Centre, the Four Heavenly Kings went up against the gaijin Four Heavenly Kings and won singles matches (note the four gaijin were Stan Hansen, Terry Gordy, Steve Williams and Danny Spivey. Kobashi beat Terry Gordy). At the World's Strongest Tag League match at the end of the year, I tagged with Misawa and defeated Kawada and Taue. From there, All Japan entered the era of the Four Kings, but there was a clear discord.
MID-EDGE: Did you feel the pressure of being the youngest?
KOBASHI: In the first place, when we started being called The Four Heavenly Kings, I hadn't beaten the other three in a singles match. In 1993 we became the Heavenly Kings, but I didn't win any singles against them until 1996 which was three years later, when I defeated Taue for the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship. For those three years I was the Heavenly King who couldn't defeat the others.
MID-EDGE: Speaking of which, you had three consecutive victories in the World's Strongest Tag League from 1993. Speaking of you at that time, there was already the impression of being a top wrestler, but it took you three years to beat the other three in a single match.
KOBASHI: In 1995, just two days after the Kobe Earthquake, I fought Kawada for 60 minutes at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium. At that time I still had not won over any of the Four Pillars. I had always struggled to defeat them, but no fans ever criticized me for it. If anything they always said, "a match that is lost has more of an impact", which is why I was able to do my best anytime and anywhere whilst appealing to the fans who supported me.

KOBASHI'S COMMITMENT TO "TECHNIQUE".

MID-EDGE: With the strong arm lariat (Note this is pronounced "Gowan" which Go Shiozaki uses, it sounds like a pun on his name "Go on!" in English) and the machine gun chop, you have the striking "hard" fighting style. You used a variety of techniques, including the Moonsault Press, especially during the All Japan era. Occasionally Kawada made remarks like, "Take care of your skills more".
KOBASHI: I tried various techniques during the match, and searched for one that suited me. I don't think it makes any sense if you don't try it in a match. No matter how well you practice in the dojo, you have to try it when your fans are watching. For example, when you climb the top rope you are not nervous in the dojo because no one is watching. But, in front of the audience you have that tension which doesn't fail you, and using your chosen technique you can sense the reaction of the fans and assess whether it is suitable for you to use. From there on, I refined each technique into my own.
MID-EDGE: Evaluating the techniques that suit you by the reaction of the fans, that is an episode typical of Mr. Kobashi. That is how the lariat was born.

KOBASHI: The Lariat was a Stan Hansen original, but for me it was a special technique. I wanted a technique which would replace the Moonsault, which had a terrible burden on my knees, and I looked to Stan Hansen who I had been battered by in each match and said, "Is there something that I am better at?" His body is big, and there is no hidden power (rough translation). However, only the thickness of the arm is better for me, so from there on I started practicing the lariat. I hit steel poles many times to get the timing right.
MID-EDGE: You lariated steel poles?!
KOBASHI: Yes, one time before a match at Korakuen Hall, Joe (Joe Higuchi, referee) said, "Hey, Kobashi, Hansen is calling you". So I went to Hansen's waiting room. He said, "Kobashi, I know that you use the lariat. Don't forget, the Lariat is a one shot kill." Certainly, Hansen had used it against Andre The Giant who was well over 2 meters, and he took him down with a single blow. He prepared me for the responsibility of using the lariat, so I kept using the technique with great care. There is also the chopping technique. I practiced it by hitting a concrete wall. In the match I tried it at various angles and situations, including the reverse horizontal, and that is where the machine gun chop came from. Later, my elbows got worse and the doctor told me to stop the machine gun chops, I said, "but Doctor, I have to refuse". Local fans come to the venue to enjoy this opportunity every year, perhaps once every few years. He said he was expecting my elbow to break on the chops. That is being an ace.

ACE

MID-EDGE: It is an episode that embodies Mr. Kobashi, "Show your best fight, no matter what your body does". In January 1997 at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, when the Triple Crown Champion at the time, Kobashi, took on Misawa who was the Ace of All Japan. Before this match, I heard that Mr. Kobashi's mother called him and said, "No matter what, please don't feel bitter towards Misawa" (rough).
KOBASHI: The match was "Champion Kobashi vs Ace Misawa". I was the champion at the time, but the public were of the view that Misawa was the Ace of the promotion. What is an "Ace?" I respected Misawa, but it was the only opportunity to for th Ace to meet the champion, and challenge the champion as Ace.  I really wanted to have a match with no regrets.
MID-EDGE: I remember a match very similar to that situation. It was the atmosphere in the venue during the singles match with Kensuke Sasaki at the Tokyo Dome in 2005, at that time everyone in the hall saw Kobashi as the Ace of Noah.
KOBASHI: By the way, at that time Jun Akiyama called me the "absolute king" in the East Sports coverage. In recent years, various people have been called "absolute king" in various places, but I am actually a little proud that I was the first to be called that in wrestling (laughs).
MID-EDGE: I feel like Mr. Akiyama was Mr. Kobashi's friend from All Japan to Noah. What was your impression of Akiyama the first time you met him?
KOBASHI: He was scouted by All Japan. There were seniors who saw him entering the dormitory after joining and they thought, "this guy is a bit different". I didn't think that, he is from Osaka because he is close to my local Kyoto. He became my practice partner, and afterwards I enjoyed going out for dinner and playing Pachinko. Jun is Jun, and I think he was frustrated by being called "Five Strong" with the exception of being the next Four Kings from early graduation.

PRO WRESTLING NOAH

After the death of Giant Baba, Kobashi served as a director of All Japan.

"More than anything, a professional wrestling promotion, must have strong pro wrestling"
"The company turned around thanks to the fans attached to our pro wrestling"

With such feelings in his heart, Kobashi continued the best fight across the country. In 2000, he made a declaration as the Triple Crown Champion to perform a  "Declaration of the New Age" on the All Japan mat. At that point the All Japan pro wrestlers led by Misawa, who pursued the ideals of pro wrestling, established a new promotion, Noah.
Kobashi, the Triple Crown Champion, moved to Noah.

The episode of joining All Japan, the struggle of The Four Heavenly King era when he could not win, Kobashi believed himself in his journey through pro wrestling, and his attitude resonated within the heart of the fans, even when he set sail with Pro Wrestling Noah.

Next time, Part 3 of the interview with Kenta Kobashi, "Overcoming many hardships"

Link to original article from Middle Edge.jp
Picture credit: Middle Edge.jp