kobashi vs sasaki their big dream match

[{"selector":"#anim-fde5d0bc-c52a-4bb4-90f5-2b2abfa9c164","keyframes":[{"transform":"scale(1)","offset":0},{"transform":"scale(1.05)","offset":0.33},{"transform":"scale(0.995)","offset":0.66},{"transform":"scale(1)","offset":1}],"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":3}] Read More

By mid-2005, Kenta Kobashi had done it all. He was GHC Heavyweight Champion for over two full years. His run as champion included a plethora of fantastic wrestling matches.

[{"selector":"#anim-1bf51897-4907-4e6c-81bc-b781b4c08abe","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":100,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-aa62344b-f2db-47ca-b5a4-040a88a5cd09","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -139.90691%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":100,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bf665ebc-83e2-4b0f-9a8d-5a0d3fb85184","keyframes":[{"offset":0,"transform":"translate3d(0, -168.25397%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(.5, 0, 1, 1)"},{"offset":0.29,"transform":"translate3d(0, 0%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1)"},{"offset":0.45,"transform":"translate3d(0, -47.313016364000006%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(.5, 0, 1, 1)"},{"offset":0.61,"transform":"translate3d(0, 0%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1)"},{"offset":0.71,"transform":"translate3d(0, -16.085079532%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(.5, 0, 1, 1)"},{"offset":0.8,"transform":"translate3d(0, 0%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1)"},{"offset":0.85,"transform":"translate3d(0, -6.040317523000001%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(.5, 0, 1, 1)"},{"offset":0.92,"transform":"translate3d(0, 0%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1)"},{"offset":0.96,"transform":"translate3d(0, -2.624761932%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(.5, 0, 1, 1)"},{"offset":1,"transform":"translate3d(0, 0%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1)"}],"delay":0,"duration":1600,"fill":"both"}] Read More

Kensuke Sasaki had been an NJPW mainstay for over a decade until he left in 2002. He became a freelancer soon after and began working all over the place.

[{"selector":"#anim-e9514a56-71d7-44be-9649-bee90c76fe58","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":100,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-60858943-35e4-4b81-87fe-37c755993146","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 415.27777%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":100,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-50bce9bd-52a6-4097-8227-7fd21c1a7dde [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-30.21280868766571%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Read More

LEARN MORE

[{"selector":"#anim-bc3fcf99-f621-4095-b695-2f00a155263a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-105.73771%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-12d1edbd-fa8c-4e82-a1c6-7e0307331279","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(-180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0ed758e3-de26-4a54-b781-e8a0e4443b6a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-980b6f8c-065e-4505-8f48-ceafb1e45b31","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] This put Kobashi at an immediate disadvantage given that he had been dropped with that move many times over the years.

But Kobashi wasn’t going to let this outsider make a mockery of him. Kobashi hulked up King’s Road-style and went right to work fighting Sasaki with all his might.

[{"selector":"#anim-bd96a255-8302-4d3c-a717-32d49bd5cd55","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(100.00000%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a1e32ca4-08fd-4664-b28e-e7231ba47534","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e7f4c5e1-252b-48b9-8db8-fb9a30243adf","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fae1be37-c789-4a58-8a63-bae2037fc7d4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-113.18682%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Read More

Kobashi stayed in his comfort zone, landing variations of his feared knife-edge chop to wear Sasaki down (while also foreshadowing what was to come).

[{"selector":"#anim-a08ac4c9-a51f-40e4-ae95-818c141fc421","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9e34a273-1525-4f22-b2c4-58a7ebac8aa9","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a7ef31af-aa4a-4daf-9302-cfe23f9644e5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-98af9cd3-ba80-48a6-bf96-adf8153892d5","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9cef46b5-47de-47ca-b6e0-447a2f34393a","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

But Sasaki benefitted from taking bigger risks, landing a diving splash to the floor and a top-rope frankensteiner, despite being a heavyweight. Then things went to the next level

[{"selector":"#anim-496b2a67-7efd-480f-8db1-a63cb83594e7","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2fc31270-ec34-410b-a630-77764979d91f","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b7f44da4-19c0-401c-8036-869e22682338","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-33254fdc-8791-4406-8027-ed4d9cbd65c2","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Read More

Swipe up to learn more!

[{"selector":"#anim-8cde3738-84df-4473-b907-68699c24eacd","keyframes":[{"offset":0,"transform":"translate3d(0, -452.44115%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(.5, 0, 1, 1)"},{"offset":0.29,"transform":"translate3d(0, 0%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1)"},{"offset":0.45,"transform":"translate3d(0, -127.22645138%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(.5, 0, 1, 1)"},{"offset":0.61,"transform":"translate3d(0, 0%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1)"},{"offset":0.71,"transform":"translate3d(0, -43.25337394%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(.5, 0, 1, 1)"},{"offset":0.8,"transform":"translate3d(0, 0%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1)"},{"offset":0.85,"transform":"translate3d(0, -16.242637285%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(.5, 0, 1, 1)"},{"offset":0.92,"transform":"translate3d(0, 0%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1)"},{"offset":0.96,"transform":"translate3d(0, -7.058081939999999%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(.5, 0, 1, 1)"},{"offset":1,"transform":"translate3d(0, 0%, 0)","easing":"cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1)"}],"delay":0,"duration":1600,"fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fcea2027-7868-4ae5-8d51-b91e0d1e231b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-100%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d9032b6a-7766-4f0a-a103-e445e81b08c5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a8377ca9-f7ab-4124-bb59-551a20e87c06","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Read More

[{"selector":"#anim-343d4596-b032-483d-85b8-150918150a50","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2fe5074c-0ec2-4a86-8c23-a610da67a54d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-103.97196%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f5420ff2-3649-4b81-8b36-d1d03fce4931","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e7fc1dc8-1122-47c1-8cc9-96b70b49bfd9","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-128.35821%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b4eecfc0-efb8-4d84-9b4b-c8b651b70661","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-636dbb66-2748-4c48-98fc-9762da253338","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9da2ad65-0e97-410d-a80b-089e08fad4b1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-601635f9-2e47-40ca-b203-073ebaa7a12e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0bb1c8c2-2f52-454f-9cd8-ffcf1c979dea","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cf992245-accd-41bf-95d1-01ef5c4c7ddd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-00d2dc39-c216-400b-94b4-51190c5b8e85","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ef854c65-3e3c-49d9-92c1-5996b602cf51","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -389.75472%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Roman's Reign: The Next Kobashi or the Next Okada? Shingo Takagi - The Ace of the Straight Back Fist See More See More See More ASUKA / Veny - Blazing A Trail In Wrestling For Women Today

kobashi vs sasaki their big dream match

By mid-2005, Kenta Kobashi had done it all. He was GHC Heavyweight Champion for over two full years. His run as champion included a plethora of fantastic wrestling matches.

Kensuke Sasaki had been an NJPW mainstay for over a decade until he left in 2002. He became a freelancer soon after and began working all over the place.

LEARN MORE

But Kobashi wasn’t going to let this outsider make a mockery of him. Kobashi hulked up King’s Road-style and went right to work fighting Sasaki with all his might.

Kobashi stayed in his comfort zone, landing variations of his feared knife-edge chop to wear Sasaki down (while also foreshadowing what was to come).

LEARN MORE

But Sasaki benefitted from taking bigger risks, landing a diving splash to the floor and a top-rope frankensteiner, despite being a heavyweight. Then things went to the next level

Swipe up to learn more!

recommended

reads