9. Stan Hansen vs. Kenta Kobashi - All Japan Pro Wrestling - 1991
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmSgIWOEusg After having left All Japan in 1990 after a successful nine-year run with the company, legendary Texas-born wrestler Stan Hansen performed mainly in World Championship Wrestling in 1990. Returning to mostly All Japan duty in 1991, Hansen wrestled a then young Kenta Kobashi in an announced return match in 1991. Of course, Kobashi would just a few years later evolve into being quite the legendary performer, but there's something about this match here that's just fun. Hansen's back, and gives a good glimpse to the fans of the idea that he's back in the company and aiming for the young guns like Kobashi and Mitsaharu Misawa who established themselves as up and comers in his absence. Kobashi blocking Hansen's legendary lariat before falling to it and losing the match is a beautiful portend of things to come between the two. Overall, just really well done.
Marcus K. Dowling
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Besides having been an independent professional wrestling manager for a decade, Marcus Dowling is a Washington, DC-based writer who has contributed to a plethora of online and print magazines and newspapers writing about music and popular culture over the past 15 years.
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