Samoa Joe Talks Match With Kenta Kobashi – “He Thought He Would Be Booed”

Hamish Woodward

When it comes to professional wrestling, there are few matches that generate as much excitement and anticipation as Samoa Joe versus Kenta Kobashi.

These two heavyweights of the ring are known for their intense physicality, technical prowess, and unbridled passion for the sport.

Kobashi had never wrestled in the United States before, and would have been an unknown to the fans of a company like WWE.

However, he was known to the tape traders in the ROH crowd as a big star, and one of the best wrestlers in the world.

He faced off with one of Ring of Honor’s greatest Champions in Samoa Joe, with their match going down in history as an all-time great.

Samoa Joe vs Kenta Kobashi

One of the best matches in Ring of Honor history was the clash between Kenta Kobashi and Samoa Joe.

The fans exploded when Kobashi came out for the match, and the look on his face showed his incredible surprise.

Samoa Joe revealed in an interview with Stone Cold Steve Austin that the Japanese legend thought he woudl have been unknown to the crowd, and was visilby shocked when the chants of “Kobashi!” rang around the arena.

The former NXT Champion spoke about how Kenta Kobashi tried to work as a stereotypical foreign heel, but was convinced by Joe to wrestle as himself, which worked out brilliantly.

Speaking on The Steve Austin Show, Samoa Joe said about the match with Kenta Kobashi.

“You know, [Kenta] Kobashi coming into America, you know he really thought that nobody knew who the hell he was and he also thought that, you know, he wasn’t going to get a reaction.”

“He thought he’s going to be booed like he’s Mr. Fuji or something. I mean, that was really his perception of what would happen in America. He’s never been over here before, right?”

“He thought he’s going to be booed like he’s Mr. Fuji or something. I mean, that was really his perception of what would happen in America. He’s never been over here before, right?”

“And I’m trying, I’m trying to tell them in my somewhat conversational Japanese that you know, ‘everybody out there knows you, everybody knows who you are. Trust me, your tapes been sold illegally to all these people well before the match was ever put in place.’ “

“And I’m trying, I’m trying to tell them in my somewhat conversational Japanese that you know, ‘everybody out there knows you, everybody knows who you are. Trust me, your tapes been sold illegally to all these people well before the match was ever put in place.’ “

“We’re trying to put the match together and he’s making really, I mean, kind of, uh, you know, sixties heelish “ah you know, the evil Japanese guy”. “

“I remember at one point stopping everything and explaining to him “trust me big baby face. Don’t worry about anything. The manager guys brought him and I said we’ll kick ass, but let me do my thing you do your thing and know they will love it. Don’t change anything. “

“I remember at one point stopping everything and explaining to him “trust me big baby face. Don’t worry about anything. The manager guys brought him and I said we’ll kick ass, but let me do my thing you do your thing and know they will love it. Don’t change anything. “

“So they had a little bit of a hard time, you know, kind of taking my word for it but then finally the manager guy they’re gone and he went out there and I mean when you walk through that curtain, I think that fan reaction was enough to convince him that the people were here to see me.”

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit The Steve Austin Show, with H/T to Atletifo for the transcription.

You can listen to Samoa Joe talk about his match with Kenta Kobashi, with Steve Austin, by watching the video below.

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