(NOAH) Just before Nagoya ~ August 26, 2003 GHC Heavyweight Championship Match Kenta Kobashi vs Bison Smith (Nagoya International Convention Center)

Noah.co.jp
19th February 2020

Photo provided by Weekly Pro

August 26th 2003, Aichi-Nagoya International Convention Center

GHC Heavyweight Championship Match
(6th champion) Kenta Kobashi vs Bison Smith (Challenger)

~ Noah's first use of the Nagoya International Convention Centre
~ Kenta Kobashi nominated as his third defense, the raging bull, Bison Smith
~ Bison Smith, "The Blue Eyed Samurai"

~ Noah's first use of the Nagoya International Convention Centre

Kenta Kobashi, who won the fierce battle with Mitsuharu Misawa on March 1st, became the sixth GHC Heavyweight champion. After that he succeeded in his second defence at the Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo on April 13th when he defeated Tamon Honda, and May 2nd at the Tokyo Dome against New Japan challenger, Masahiro Chono. The third defense was against the rapidly growing foreign wrestler, "The Raging Bull", Bison Smith.
The match took place in Nagoya where for the first time the GHC Heavyweight championship match would be held, and it was also the first time that Noah had used the Nagoya International Congress Center.

Bison had arrived in Japan for the first time in 2001, and had long been tipped to be the top foreign wrestler with a good physique, power and speed. It was inevitable that Kobashi, who had been wrestling a number of great matches with large foreign athletes since the All Japan Wrestling era, would appoint Bison.

In the signing ceremony beforehand, Bison attacked Kobashi with the Iron Claw Slam and then Bisontennial and left him sprawled out. When the title match came it was a collision of power and power, Bison fully exploited his potential and pushed the champion Kobashi to the edge.

~ Kenta Kobashi nominated as his third defense, the raging bull, Bison Smith

Flying shoulder attack, outside lariat, diving shoulder attack from the top rope to the outside, powerbomb outside the ring, Iron claw slam through the management table, and then when back in the ring another powerslam, spear, Iron claw slam, Avalanche Frankensteiner, Bison Bomb (Avalanche Iron Claw Slam) and Bisontennial full course all managed to corner the champion.
However, Kobashi has defeated many large foreign wrestlers and received all of Bison's power. While taking the iron claw he took him down with the lariat, and halted him in his tracks with four half Nelson Suplexes which were fired off, and in the end he succeeded in breaking the Bull's neck with a strong arm lariat, and succeeded in defending for the third time.

In attendance at the venue was the presence of Yuji Nagata from New Japan, Nagata had announced a match with Kobashi, but Kobashi who had fought fiercely, first rushed to Bison (who was leaving dazed), and raised his hand on the raised walkway. He praised him for the good fight.

~ Bison Smith, the "Blue Eyed Samurai"

After this, Bison became the Ace of the foreigners and had many famous matches with Mitsuharu Misawa, Akira Taue, Jun Akiyama, Yoshihiro Takayama, Kensuke Sasaki, Takeshi Rikio, Takeshi Morishima, Mohammed Yone, Naomichi Marufuji, Takashi Sugiura, KENTA...along with many other great matches, he became GHC Heavyweight tag champion with Akitoshi Saito and excited the GHC front.

Sadly, Bison Smith, "The Blue Eyed Samurai" who took part in Nagoya's first GHC Heavyweight Championship, passed away at the young age of 38. It is not an exaggeration to say that this was a career making match.

Link to original article from Noah.co.jp
(I have a feeling that senior referee, Shu Nishinaga, might have written this article)