(NOAH) The greatest betrayal in history has far exceeded all limits! Kobashi is raging. What on earth has made him do this!?
(Issue No. 1000)
The opening match of Noah's first series - there is a monstrous Kobashi!
Farewell to the orange, enter Kenta Kobashi in black!
Kobashi, who completely knocked out Akiyama, said, "Today is my inaugural match".
Although he was pinned, it was a close KO win
Akiyama nominates Kobashi to show his determination for a one on one battle! And so begins the upheaval...
NO FEAR is back...and at that moment, Akiyama...
The story has to be told in an orderly and logical manner, otherwise it would be difficult to convey the message properly, as the launch series was full of twists and turns from the get-go. For Kobashi, who started the series in top form, only to be kicked to the kerb the very next day, those two days must have felt like going from heaven to hell.
First, Heaven. On October 7th at Ariake, everyone's eyes were glued to Kobashi's entrance. He appeared on the ramp, dressed entirely in black. The change to black is a direct testament of his resolve. Moreover, he wouldn't abandon orange, his universally recognized image color, unless his resolve was incredibly firm. He approached the match as if it were his inauguration.
Regarding his costume, Kobashi at the time of the company's founding seemed unsure of how it would change in the future. In other words, he intended to change it when the time was right. However, he never imagined that this moment would come so soon. Conversely, this just goes to show how dramatic the Noah journey had been. So dramatic that he was willing to discard his beloved orange.
"I want to unleash all the pent-up anger"
"I will never forgive Akiyama"
"The Kenta Kobashi of that era is over"
Looking back, Kobashi's recent words were filled with hints of change. Ultimately, the "anger" that had accumulated since the company's inception became the key word. And that explosion, with overwhelming force, struck Akiyama, finally felling him for the first time, despite him having always been at the forefront. Even so, his strength was monstrous. His already formidable physique was enveloped in an aura of rage. He was truly a monster. Is this the new Kobashi?!
"Vader, Takayama, Akiyama, and of course Misawa too, I was thinking about showing them what I could do."
Since becoming Noah, he hadn't really been able to leave a strong impression, so it was necessary for him to show what he was capable of, and it was about time to put a stop to Akiyama's dominance.
To give an analogy, Akiyama is planning to build his own building in Shinjuku, a city densely packed with skyscrapers. However, there are no vacant lots left. Therefore, he has no choice but to demolish the existing buildings, even if it's a bit forceful, and clear the land. From there, his vision for construction begins. The demolition work went exceptionally smoothly. Moreover, the large piece of equipment called Takayama greatly increased work efficiency.
However, the only building remaining is the one owned by Kobashi. In other words, Yokohama is a place to completely clear the land. One problem is that Omori, the company Kobashi is affiliated with, might get in the way of the demolition work.
However, the one to watch is undoubtedly Kobashi.
Although it's a tag match, it feels very much like a 1-on-3 situation, and so surrounded by three people trying to destroy him, what will Kobashi do?!
As the match progressed, a strange sense of unease began to creep in. Akiyama, who had previously seemed to only play a dark, brute force style against Kobashi, was now going head-to-head with him. Moreover, his cautious attacks lacked the usual ruthlessness.
Furthermore, the match revolved around a clash between Omori and Takayama, both members of NO FEAR. Considering Omori's statement beforehand that he would fight Takayama to make him see the light, it's not surprising that it's was a battle of wills. However, that would cause Omori's focus to stray from Kobashi, with whom he should be working, and Akiyama should be able to jump in to correct the course, but that didn't happen either.
Just as I was thinking that, Kobashi and Omori made eye contact.
A signal for a combined attack.
This must be a showdown between the right arms of these two.
Kobashi and Omori had worked out their teamwork, and it seemed like they were ready to go, but...
I was sure it would be the best moment ever...but then the Axe Bomber was unleashed towards Kobashi!!
Taken by surprise, Kobashi was immediately caught off guard by Takayama's German suplex. Omori and Takayama gloated in victory. Who would have thought that NO FEAR, whose very existence was in such jeopardy, would make such a triumphant comeback here?
The surprises continued.
This wasn't a solo act by NO FEAR; the proof was in Akiyama's sinister smile.
What a surprise!
So, it turns out Kobashi was the only one who didn't know! Does this mean everything went according to plan?
"Do you know what I said? I said I'd do whatever I wanted. Why should I suddenly have to work under Kobashi now? This is no joke! I have no intention of fighting Akiyama either. Don't think that what happened today means I'm going to team up with Akiyama!" (Omori)
In the ring after the storm had passed, Kobashi remained silently bowed, as if trying to calm himself down. It was understandable. Even tagging with Omori had been the result of many twists and turns. 
Kobashi thought he knew how Omori felt, but to think he had been betrayed...the anger towards Omori welled up inside of him. It may also have been stronger than the anger he felt towards Akiyama.
After hearing Omori's comments, the reporters were confronted with the sight of Kobashi, completely consumed by rage. It was truly frightening. This was a situation where approaching him was impossible. In a fit of rage, he stormed the traitors locker room, but who knows what would have happened if the younger wrestlers hadn't all stepped in to hold him back. Kikuchi's attempts to do so, spoke volumes about the extraordinary extent of his indignation. Nevertheless, the next action Kobashi took truly revealed his true nature. He went to Misawa and challenged Omori to a singles match.
All matters will be settled in the ring.
Just as it has always been, Kobashi's belief is that this match will also be a fair and square contest.
Although the offer made was short notice for Nagoya on October 11th, Misawa accepted. As shown in the attached table, the card has been changed, and Taue played a large part in this. Originally, Taue was scheduled to have a singles match against Kobashi, but he agreed to the change out of consideration for Kobashi's disappointment. Come to think of it, after the match, it was none other than Taue who had stepped in to stop NO FEAR's assault. He himself was so annoyed by Omori and his group's outrageous behavior that he instinctively stepped in to help, but the handshake he shared with Kobashi as he left suggests that he and Kobashi must share similar views.
Misawa says this, "It's fine to do what you want to do, but you have to make them understand that the aftermath will be tough. We need to create a world where they learn this the hard way".
It's not just Taue; Misawa also seems to be seriously joining the circle of openness. So, what will happen next?
The first thing that comes to mind is the complete conflict between Misawa, Kobashi and Taue, who have been called "old-timers", and Akiyama, Omori and Takayama who are trying to break down the established hierarchy. The first thing that comes to mind is, what does it mean to steer the ark?
There is the generation of The Four Heavenly Kings and the rising generation that wants to break them down.
What does the ark truly desire?
Picture notes
Yoshinobu Kanemaru cheating (i.e. trying to pin someone when his feet were on the ropes)
The NO FEAR showdown is a contest of wills
Akiyama withstood Kobashi's chops. He poked him in the chest and said, "Come on! Come on!"
Noah's first big venue, Bunka Gym in Yokohama, was packed with 200 people (note, this is not a large crowd by today's standards, but it was a big crowd back then)
A trash can got thrown when Taue confronted Omori. Omori scoffed at NO FEAR splitting up.
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