(NOAH): Renaissance

Weekly Pro 

5th September 2000 (Issue No.993)

DEPARTURE - FREEDOM AND BELIEF - AUGUST 19TH, DIFFER ARIAKE 

After the match ended, Akiyama and Takayama conspired to attack Kobashi! This shocking scene signaled a new shift in Noah.

The awesomeness of Kobashi and the spirit of Rikio, both burning with a desire for revenge! Both in search of the word "Victory"!

"I'll be the compass" ~ The man at the top emanates an overwhelming force that will take him to even greater heights! 

 Jun Akiyama took the initiative in Noah by defeating the three strongest wrestlers, Misawa, Taue and Kobashi, in the promotions first two matches. The greeting he gave on behalf of all the wrestlers before the start of the match, was very typical of Akiyama; "I want to challenge myself, not only in the ring, but in everything I do". This is undoubtedly an antithesis to the previous greeting from Kobashi, who said, "I believe that the essence of professional wrestling lies in the fight in the ring." 

 Thinking back now, it seems that everything that happened that day may have been foreshadowed in this sensational speech. The events that took place after the match were so complex and shocking, that it is necessary to explain them in order.

 The atmosphere of the day was that Kobashi and Rikio, who had a connection with Akiyama in their second match on the journey, would face off against Akiyama directly, which was a point of interest. Rikio, in particular, is a wrestler who has only just made his debut. It will be interesting to see if the courage he displayed when stomping on Akiyama, who continued to choke Kobashi despite the match having ended in the previous show, remains this time.

 Judging from the result, his spirit was palpable throughout his body, and his lofty aspirations have no doubt touched the hearts of the fans. But the reality is that the difference in their careers was clearly evident. Rikio was unable to leave even the tiniest scratch on Akiyama's surface. The honest impression is that Rikio still has a long way to go.

 And then there's Kobashi. 

 He has not forgotten the bitterness of his humiliating defeat at the hands of Akiyama. At the August 15th Minase, Akita event, he commented to him, "I won't let you take the lead".

Even in a tag match, revenge is possible. All you need to do is defeat your opponent with overwhelming strength. There was enthusiasm. There was also the potential. However, Kobashi was not in perfect physical condition, and even though he attacked with impressive force, he had to stop as soon as his opponents attacked his knee. His knee is not yet fully healed, and this caused his pace to be reversed. In the end, Kobashi was unable to win against Akiyama again, and he suffered further humiliation, this was the "shock" he felt after the match mentioned above.

 When Kanemaru skillfully rolled up Rikio, Kobashi was outside the ring with Akiyama. Then, as Akiyama, having confirmed the win, made his way back to the ring, Morishima, who was in his corner for the match, suddenly attacked Kobashi, who was still outside, with a stomping attack! Shortly afterwards, Hashi* and Kanemaru started attacking Rikio in the ring. They had not originally been on Kobashi's side, but this was certainly an unexpected turn of events. 

 Morishima brings Kobashi back to the ring, and this time they rain down stomps on him. The audience is in chaos. 

 And there's more.

 This outrageous behavior continues as Akiyama forcibly lifts the fallen Kobashi, and points to the back of the ramp, where Takayama and Asako appear. Akiyama then holds Kobashi down near the ropes next to the runway, and Takayama then runs up and kicks Kobashi in the face, then amid cheers and loud screams, Takayama and Akiyama shake hands. 

 Who would have expected to see Kobashi collapse in the ring, defeated and beaten by other wrestlers after losing a match? Rikio was already groggy outside the ring, and Kobashi was literally alone and helpless. Then another intruder appeared....it was Kentaro Shiga. Speaking of Shiga, he was a member of Burning together with Kobashi. Though he has now left the group, he has frequently stated that he would like to team up with Kobashi again someday. This man came rushing to Kobashi's side. Everyone probably thought he had come to rescue him. However, as soon as Shiga entered the ring, he started kicking Kobashi with all his might. This is a complete betrayal. The shocking continuation of scenes is enough to make me wonder if Kobashi will lose faith in people. He wasn't part of a clique, but Kobashi was supposed to be a leader among the younger generation, so what now? One after another they are rebelling, and what's more the man they are rebelling with is Jun Akiyama, the man Kobashi wants to beat the most right now.

 Was it Akiyama's unifying force that caused this? The feelings of the young wrestlers who took action this time will be explained in the individual match reports, but their overall message was that "in order for me to move up, the only way is for the old men to leave." The gravity of this action lies in the fact that Kobashi, who was supposed to have advocated for a new era, has been categorized as an "old man".     

 If you think about it, Kobashi rose to the point of being called one of the Four Heavenly Kings at a young age. He has been at the top for many years now, so from the perspective of today's young wrestlers, it's no wonder he is considered part of the older generation. The extremely pitiful image of Kobashi prostrating himself on the mat was projected onto the screens set up in the venue, and at that moment, another man jumped into the ring, this time towards Akiyama.

 It was Tsuyoshi Kikuchi. 

 Kikuchi, who said he has had a bond with Kobashi for the past ten years, attacked Shiga and Akiyama by himself. However, he was unable to do anything on his own, and was thrown out of the ring in the end, but for Kobashi, this must have been the greatest salvation. It was the one thing he needed to get back on track...

In the end, Akiyama and the others did whatever they wanted and then left, Akiyama saying, "I'll lead Noah. Everyone keep your eyes on me." Kanemaru, Shiga, Morishima and Hashi were all in Akiyama's locker room when Akiyama explained the meaning of his actions, "There's no point in making the executives do it, so we'll just get the people who can do it. It's not about teaming up with anyone, it's just that we share the same ideas." Takayama also said, "We both have the same goal of getting rid of the old men". What has begun here is Noah's Renaissance. Just like the Renaissance, which saw a great shift from medieval European paintings to a modern way of life that asserted the self, Shiga, Morishima, and Hashi have rejected the older generation and begun to assert their own selves. And at the center of it all is Jun Akiyama. This man plays the role of the compass, one of the four great inventions introduced from China during the Renaissance. Noah is led by this man. 

 There are many rough seas along the course that Akiyama will take*, but at the same time, there are many interesting things to see. 

Article blurbs

Akiyama said he not only wanted to challenge Rikio, but everyone and everything, which was the exact opposite to what Kobashi had said. Afterwards, when the crowd was chanting for him, he raised one finger to the sky, which Weekly Pro said drew the fans and the younger wrestlers. Rikio later called Akiyama out. He did not respond. 

Notes

Hashi: Makoto Hashi (now retired), was Jun Akiyama's long suffering trainee. Unlike the age gap between say Misawa and Marufuji or Kobashi and KENTA, which was more paternal, they were more like brothers, and like brothers, had a somewhat volatile relationship. 

Rough seas: I don't think anyone would realize just how rough these seas will be, it's almost prophetic. 

Picture credit: Weekly Pro