VIEW FROM THE RISING SUN
by Masanori Horie

Orange Crush

"Orange Crush" Kenta Kobashi

Kenta Kobashi, 187cm / 118kg (6 ft 3 inches / 260 lbs.), 32 years old, two times Triple Crown Heavyweight, four times World tag team, and four times All Asian Tag Team champion, who is one of the most outstanding wrestlers and who impresses fans favorably, was born in Fukuchiyama City, Kyoto Prefecture on Monday, March 27, 1967. Fukuchiyama City was originally a castle town in west-central of Kyoto. As the capital region for over 1,000 years, Kyoto has many historical sites. His hometown has developed into an industrial center with textile and machinery factories, and it is a distribution center of Tamba Beef. Kobashi trained his body with Judo and Rugby football in Fukuchiyama High School. After graduation, he became a common salaried man; however, he had kept building his body to be a professional wrestler. He applied to become the late Giant Baba's disciple and was hired by All Japan Pro-Wrestling as a nameless young dojo boy on Saturday, June 20th, 1987. He was not hired with a flourish of trumpets because he didn't have any super backgrounds. He was coached by Baba, Dory Funk Jr., Masanobu Fuchi, and the late Kazuharu Sonoda (a.k.a. Magic Dragon, who was killed in the airplane crash in South Africa on Saturday, November 28, 1987.) He debuted as a pro wrestler against the late Motoshi Okuma at a local small facility in Rikuto-cho, Shiga Prefecture on Friday, February 26, 1988. He had lost 63 consecutive matches until the first win of his career against Mitch Snow, from Nelson Royal Gym, in Kani City, Gifu Prefecture on Tuesday, May 16, 1989.

Kobashi is always highly spoken of by both his co-workers and fans. Perhaps nobody can beat his hard training efforts. When the Road Warriors (Animal, Hawk, and their manager, Paul Ellering) wrestled for All Japan in 1989, they had taught Kobashi how to train everyday. It helped him a lot to build his body up. His substantial matches without trickery have always given us our money's worth, and I'm really impressed that he has never become a boasting "big head" since he debuted. He is always very nice to fans. I'm interested in seeing how he will do or be decorated by American promoters if he goes to the U.S.A. He has had no opportunity to wrestle in the U.S.A. yet. By the way, Mitsuharu Misawa, as Tiger Mask with Giant Baba, wrestled in the NWA's "First Annual Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Tag Team Tournament" at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on April 19, 1986, and the AWA's "WrestleRock '86" at the MetroDome in Minneapolis, Minnesota on April 20,1986. Toshiaki Kawada was wrestling in the San Antonio, Calgary, and Montreal territories from 1985 to 1986. Time has passed like an arrow, hasn't it ? Though Kobashi is a pro wrestler, I felt that he has existed farthest from the hyperbolic style which is produced by the WWF / WCW / New Japan / FMW. He will be different from the wrestlers who did the "typical" Japanese heel gimmick in the U.S.A.

It has been rumored that Kobashi and Jun Akiyama's opponent at the Tokyo Dome on Sunday, May 2, would be the New Age Outlaws, the Road Warriors, Del "The Patriot" Wilkes (who has left his hometown, Columbia, South Carolina and lives in North Carolina now), or even Stone Cold Steve Austin (no way), but these negotiations have made very little progress.

Kenta Kobashi has showed the younger generation that even a nameless young boy without a bright sport career could be crowned with success, if they train very hard everyday. Actually, Kobashi's biggest task, which confronts him now, is to get a few more great rivals, aside from Misawa (age 36), Kawada (35), Akira Taue (37), Akiyama (29), Stan Hansen (49), Vader (42), and Johnny Ace (33), to show his power and stamina, which is described by his nickname, "Orange Crush," or "Burning."

Kenta Kobashi with Masanori and a special issue of the Wrestling Observer

Kenta Kobashi's career title matches

3/27/89 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
All Asian tag team title match
Samson Fuyuki & Toshiaki Kawada beat Giant Baba & Kenta Kobashi (18:07 Kawada beat Kobashi)--Foot-Loose kept the title. It was Kobashi's very first title match in his career, on his 22nd birthday.

10/11/89 Yokohama Bunka Gym, Kanagawa
All Asian tag team title match
Danny Kroffat & Doug Furnas (Can-Am Express) beat Joe Malenko & Kenta Kobashi (23:20 Kroffat beat Malenko)--Can-Am Express kept the title.

3/31/90 Toyama City
All Asian tag team title match
Danny Kroffat & Doug Furnas beat Kenta Kobashi & Joe Malenko (18:09 Kroffat beat Kobashi)--Can-Am Express kept the title.

4/9/90 Okayama Budokan
All Asian tag team title match
Tiger Mask (Mitsuharu Misawa) & Kenta Kobashi beat Danny Kroffat & Doug Furnas (21:24 Tiger beat Kroffat)--Tiger & Kobashi became the 51st champions.

5/17/90 Hiroshima Prefectural Gym
All Asian tag team title match
Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi beat Dynamite Kid & Johnny Smith (17:22 Misawa beat Smith)--the title was held up.

9/7/90 Fukui City
All Asian tag team title - round robin tournament final
Kenta Kobashi & Johnny Ace beat Bobby Fulton & Tommy Rogers (15:24 Ace beat Rogers)--Kobashi & Ace became the 53rd champions.

1/27/91 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
All Asian tag team title match
Kenta Kobashi & Johnny Ace beat Joel Deaton & Billy Black (16:46 Kobashi beat Black)--Kobashi & Ace kept the title.

***Ace got injured in April, and the title was held up.***

4/6/91 Osaka Furitsu Gym
All Asian tag team title match
Dynamite Kid & Johnny Smith beat Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi (18:06 Kid beat Kikuchi)--Kid & Smith became the 54th champions.

6/1/91 Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
All Asian tag team title match
Danny Kroffat & Doug Furnas beat Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi (20:58 Kroffat beat Kikuchi)--Can-Am Express kept the title.

7/8/91 Osaka Furitsu Gym #2
All Asian tag team title match
Kenta Kobashi & Johnny Ace beat Danny Kroffat & Doug Furnas (19:44 Ace beat Furnas)--Kobashi & Ace became the 56th champions.

7/18/91 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
All Asian tag team title match
Joel Deaton & Billy Black beat Kenta Kobashi & Johnny Ace (20:31 Deaton beat Ace)--Deaton & Black became the 57th champions.

5/25/92 Miyagi Prefectural Sports Center, Sendai
All Asian tag team title match
Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi beat Danny Kroffat & Doug Furnas (11:21 Kobashi beat Kroffat)--Kobashi & Kikuchi became the 59th champions.

6/5/92 Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
World Tag Team title match
Jumbo Tsuruta & Akira Taue beat Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi (27:12 Taue beat Kobashi)--Tsuruta & Taue kept the title.

7/5/92 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
All Asian tag team title match
Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi beat Masanobu Fuchi & Yoshinari Ogawa (30:42 Kikuchi beat Ogawa)--Kobashi & Kikuchi kept the title.

10/7/92 Osaka Furitsu Gym
All Asian tag team title match
Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi beat Danny Kroffat & Doug Furnas (20:22 Kobashi beat Furnas)--Kobashi & Kikuchi kept the title.

1/24/93 Numazu, Shizuoka
All Asian tag team title match
Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi beat Jun Akiyama & Yoshinari Ogawa (23:14 Kikuchi beat Akiyama)--Kobashi & Kikuchi kept the title.

6/2/93 Oyama Yuenchi Skate Center, Tochigi
All Asian tag team title match
The Patriot (Del Wilkes) & The Eagle (Jackie Fulton) beat Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi (23:02 Patriot beat Kikuchi)--Patriot & Eagle became the 60th champions.

12/3/93 Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
World Tag Team title match - Real World Tag Team Tournament final
Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi beat Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (23:34 Kobashi beat Kawada)--Misawa & Kobashi became the 24th champions.

5/21/94 Sapporo Nakajima Sports Center, Hokkaido
World Tag Team title match
Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi beat Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (40:25 Kobashi beat Taue)--Misawa & Kobashi kept the title.

7/22/94 Shimizu, Shizuoka
World Tag Team title match
Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi beat Steve Williams & Johnny Ace (27:48 Misawa beat Ace)--Misawa & Kobashi kept the title.

9/3/94 Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
Triple Crown Heavyweight title match
Steve Williams beat Kenta Kobashi (41:23)--Williams kept the title.

12/10/94 Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
World Tag Team title match - Real World Tag Team Tournament final
Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi beat Steve Williams & Johnny Ace (27:43 Misawa beat Ace)--Misawa & Kobashi became the 25th champions.

1/19/95 Osaka Furitsu Gym
Triple Crown Heavyweight title match
Toshiaki Kawada drew Kenta Kobashi (60:00)--Kawada kept the title.

1/24/95 Yamagata Prefectural Gym
World Tag Team title match
Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi drew Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (60:00)--Misawa & Kobashi kept the title.

3/4/95 Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
World Tag Team title match
Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi beat Steve Williams & Johnny Ace (36:07 Kobashi beat Ace)--Misawa & Kobashi kept the title.

6/9/95 Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
World Tag Team title match
Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue beat Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi (42:37 Kawada beat Misawa)--Kawada & Taue became the 26th champions.

10/15/95 Aichi Prefectural Gym, Nagoya
World Tag Team title match
Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue drew Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi (60:00)--Kawada & Taue kept the title.

10/25/95 Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
Triple Crown Heavyweight title match
Mitsuharu Misawa beat Kenta Kobashi (35:51)--Misawa kept the title.

7/24/96 Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
Triple Crown Heavyweight title match
Kenta Kobashi beat Akira Taue (27:25)--Kobashi became the 16th champion.

9/5/96 Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
Triple Crown Heavyweight title match
Kenta Kobashi beat Stan Hansen (26:07)--Kobashi kept the title.

10/12/96 Aichi Prefectural Gym, Nagoya
World Tag Team title match
Steve Williams & Johnny Ace beat Kenta Kobashi & The Patriot (Del Wilkes) (32:33 Williams beat Patriot)--Williams and Ace kept the title.

10/18/96 Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
Triple Crown Heavyweight title match
Kenta Kobashi drew Toshiaki Kawada (60:00)--Kobashi kept the title.

1/20/97 Osaka Furitsu Gym
Triple Crown Heavyweight title match
Mitsuharu Misawa beat Kenta Kobashi (42:06)--Misawa became the 17th champion.

5/27/97 Sapporo Nakajima Sports Center, Hokkaido
World Tag Team title match
Kenta Kobashi & Johnny Ace beat Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (28:40 Kobashi beat Taue)--Kobashi & Ace became the 32nd champions.

7/25/97 Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
World Tag Team Title match
Steve Williams & Gary Albright beat Kenta Kobashi & Johnny Ace (29:36 Williams beat Kobashi)--Williams & Albright became the 33rd champions.

10/4/97 Aichi Prefectural Gym, Nagoya
World Tag Team title
Kenta Kobashi & Johnny Ace beat Steve Williams & Gary Albright (22:38 Kobashi beat Albright)--Kobashi & Ace became the 34th champions.

10/21/97 Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
Triple Crown Heavyweight title match
Mitsuharu Misawa beat Kenta Kobashi (32:55)--Misawa kept the title.

1/25/98 Yokohama Bunka Gym, Kanagawa
World Tag Team title match
Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue beat Kenta Kobashi & Johnny Ace (32:06 Taue beat Kobashi)--Kawada & Taue became the 35th champions.

6/5/98 Sapporo Nakajima Sports Center, Hokkaido
World Tag Team title match
Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue beat Kenta Kobashi & Johnny Ace (30:26 Taue beat Kobashi)--Kawada & Taue kept the title.

6/12/98 Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
Triple Crown Heavyweight title match
Kenta Kobashi beat Toshiaki Kawada (33:49)--Kobashi became the 19th champion.

7/24/98 Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
Triple Crown Heavyweight title match
Kenta Kobashi beat Jun Akiyama (32:50)--Kobashi kept the title.

9/11/98 Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
Triple Crown Heavyweight title match
Kenta Kobashi beat Akira Taue (25:39)--Kobashi kept the title.

10/11/98 Aichi Prefectural Gym, Nagoya
World Tag Team title match
Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue beat Kenta Kobashi & Jun Akiyama (29:51 Kawada beat Akiyama)--Kawada & Akiyama kept the title.

10/31/98 Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
Triple Crown Heavyweight title match
Mitsuharu Misawa beat Kenta Kobashi (43:29)--Misawa became the 20th champion.

1/7/99 Kochi Prefectural Gym
World Tag Team title match
Kenta Kobashi & Jun Akiyama beat Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (25:58 Kobashi beat Taue)--Kobashi & Akiyama became the 36th champions.

3/6/99 Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
World Tag Team title match
Kenta Kobashi & Jun Akiyama beat Mitsuharu Misawa & Yoshinari Ogawa (30:49 Akiyama beat Ogawa)--Kobashi & Akiyama kept the title.

Kobashi clotheslines Stan Hansen

Golden Week

Mount Fuji rising behind the cherry blossoms

We will have "Golden Week," a week extending from the end of April to the beginning of May, during which a number of national public holidays occur in Japan. The principal holidays involved are Greenery Day (4/29), Constitution Memorial Day (5/3), National Holiday (5/4), and Children's Day (5/5). This period includes a weekend, and the result can be a vacation of as many as 10 days. This season is the best season for vacation and sightseeing. There will also be a lot of wrestling shows around the Tokyo area, too.

4/24 (Sat) Big Japan 6:00 Isehara, Kanagawa

4/25 (Sun) Ultimo Dragon 1:00 / 6:00 Club Citta Kawasaki, Kanagawa
4/25 (Sun) All Japan Women 1:00 Omiya, Saitama
4/25 (Sun) GAEA 12:00 Korakuen Hall
4/25 (Sun) LLPW 6:30 Korakuen Hall

4/26 (Mon) Battlarts 6:30 Korakuen Hall--Yuki Ishikawa & Carl Greco vs. Bob Backlund & Muhammad Yone
4/26 (Mon) JWP 7:00 Ueno, Tokyo

4/27 (Tue) Michinoku 6:00 Ota Ward Gym, Tokyo--The Great Sasuke vs. Jinsei Shinzaki
4/27 (Tue) DDT 7:00 Kitazawa, Tokyo

4/28 (Wed) All Japan Women 6:30 Oimachi, Saitama

4/29--Greenery Day
4/29 (Thu) JWP 12:30 Korakuen Hall
4/29 (Thu) Jd' 6:30 Korakuen Hall
4/29 (Thu) Arsion 3:00 Yamato, Kanagawa

4/30 (Fri) Arsion 6:00 Nagareyama, Chiba

5/1 (Sat) Goro Tsurumi 5:30 Komazawa, Olympic Gym

5/2 (Sun) All Japan 2:00 Tokyo Dome--Vader vs. Mitsuharu Misawa (Triple Crown Heavyweight title match)

5/3--Constitution Memorial Day
5/3 (Mon) JWP 3:00 Shonan, Chiba

5/4--National Holiday in Japan
5/4 (Tue) Capture (Kitahara) 1:00 / 6:00 Shinjuku, Tokyo
5/4 (Tue) All Japan Women 1:00 Kita-senju, Tokyo
5/4 (Tue) Arsion 12:00 Korakuen Hall--Tournament "ARS '99"
5/4 (Tue) Super Delfin 6:30 Korakuen Hall

5/5--Children's Day
5/5 (Wed) FMW 3:00 Yokohama Bunka Gym, Kanagawa--"Making of New Legend / Entertainment Wrestling Power Live"
5/5 (Wed) Super Delfin 6:30 Korakuen Hall
5/5 (Wed) Neo Ladies Kawasaki Gym, Kanagawa

5/8 (Sat) Wrestle You-me Factory 1:00 / 6:00 Tokorozawa, Saitama

5/9 (Sun) All Japan Women 1:00 Yamato, Kanagawa
5/9 (Sun) GAEA 4:00 Kawagoe, Saitama

You may contact Masanori at masa_h@mail.goo.ne.jp

Masanori's Japan Tour Dates List can be found at http://www.sky.net/~dannyp/japandates.html

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http://www2u.biglobe.ne.jp/~dnak/

For a list of past articles by Masanori, click HERE