00:00Godo, I challenge you for the Never Open Championship.
00:14Hey man, a few words. Newcomer Jeff Cobb will be going for his first New Japan Championship in his career here and now. And this kid is something special.
00:26Man, he was an Olympic wrestler. He has taken that amateur wrestling background, mixed it with a bit more weight and an incredible amount of athleticism.
00:41He kind of brings shades of Gary Albright.
00:45Into the blue corner, the challenger, Chef Cobb.
00:52He's a real talent. He won the All-Pro Wrestling Universal Championship in this very building, JR.
00:59Yeah, this kid's got a, what a great background. He's a classy kid. Very professional young man. He was raised right.
01:10I actually had the opportunity to face Jeff Cobb in the square circle. And he gave me all I could handle.
01:24And you think you have all these ways to stop from getting lifted off the floor and thrown on your head and then Jeff Cobb comes around.
01:31He can suplex any man alive pretty much anytime that he wants. Can Jeff Cobb.
01:39But this is going to be a tall order for him or anybody.
01:46Josh, I have immense respect for Hiroki Godo and the way he conducts his business, his approach to the game.
01:56He is a fighter through and through. Great storied amateur background. A very, very healthy entrance into that New Japan Dojo system.
02:08And starting out as a junior and working his way all up to the Bret Hart-esque man that we see all the time on New Japan Pro Wrestling and Access.
02:18Very well-rounded, great striking, great submission skills.
02:23Now the reigning champion in the red corner, the purest warrior, Hiroki Godo.
02:37Very colorful attire tonight is the champion.
02:41The man that won this title at Wrestle Kingdom 12 against Minoru Suzuki in what was a hair versus hair match.
02:53What an accomplishment that is.
02:55The issue is that Cobb is no stranger.
03:02But he's not been in New Japan long enough for a guy like Godo to get a great scouting report on.
03:09What's his strengths? His weaknesses? What can I do? What should I not try?
03:14Yeah, he's a new problem for Godo to try and figure out.
03:18The thing about Godo is he's been in so many matches against so many different guys.
03:22Cobb does necessarily. I really believe that he needs to try to surprise Godo and get him off on the wrong foot immediately.
03:30Keep him off balance. The one thing he doesn't want and I can attest from my match with Cobb as well,
03:36is Godo to get a striking offense going.
03:39Cobb's not really known as much of a striker and kicking game could really disrupt his ability to enforce those suplexes and wrestling ability.
03:46Great points and we'll keep our eye on that strategy.
03:49But Godo uses strikes, his elbows, his fists, his feet.
03:55Jeff Cobb certainly no stranger to the Bay Area as Josh Barnett alluded to moments ago.
04:04I don't know what to expect in this match. I would like to think it would be a very physical, more rules friendly matchup.
04:13I might be dead wrong, Josh, on that one.
04:15Well, knowing Godo, I have no doubt it's going to turn into a fight at some point.
04:20He loves going in there and leading with his heart.
04:23But I do expect it to stay quite technical.
04:26Both of these wrestlers have such great backgrounds.
04:30Very, very technical wrestlers in addition to being as tough and as athletic as they are.
04:36I don't expect any funny business.
04:38Cobb's left shoulder heavily taped.
04:41Let's see how that plays into this.
04:44And Godo stepped back.
04:46Got a quasi clean break, but not to the delight of this crowd here tonight in the Gap Battle.
04:51Hey, he's the champion, is Godo.
04:56He's got a lot to lose.
04:58Meaning everything professionally for him tonight.
05:01Come on!
05:06Big man Cobb.
05:16Oh, try that big time clothesline.
05:19A big shoulder tackle did Jeff Cobb.
05:23Shows his athleticism.
05:25Light on his feet for a man that thick, that strong.
05:29Shades of Scott Steiner there.
05:33You're right.
05:35There's some similar makings in both of how those wrestlers are put together.
05:40Look at that belly-to-belly set up.
05:42Oh!
05:43By Cobb launching Godo.
05:47And Godo's face showed almost shock and awe when he got wrapped up in those big arms.
05:56There's where you can really find out what this guy's got.
06:00He's got a hold of you.
06:02Oh, man.
06:03Yeah.
06:04Squeeze him.
06:05I can tell you, he gets that waist lock on you.
06:06He locks.
06:07He gets that pinch body lock.
06:09Once he starts getting those hips involved, you're going.
06:12You're going for a ride.
06:13It wouldn't matter if you didn't want to be on the Matterhorn or not.
06:16You're going.
06:21Retaliation.
06:23He goes from the chop to the forearm by Jeff Cobb.
06:31Missed with that lariat.
06:33Oh!
06:34While the veteran Godo low-bridge Jeff Cobb.
06:38And now look, can he cap the line above the Cobb!
06:43It's a bit unusual to see Godo.
06:45Very much unusual.
06:46Take to the sky like that.
06:48Cobb got hit right across the ridge of the nose.
06:51We'll take a look here.
06:52Watch this.
06:53Yeah.
06:54Godo was able to at least land on his feet.
06:56If you're a Godo fan, but it just really seemed to club him right in the face with his elbow and his body there.
07:02That may be an indicator of...
07:06That ping was the skull of Jeff Cobb bouncing off the steel ring post.
07:11That's what that was.
07:13Well, Godo using the ring post, pointing himself over the ropes onto Cobb on the outside.
07:19Like I said, unusual tactics from Hiroki Godo.
07:23Maybe there's something about Cobb that has him nervous.
07:26Has him a little worried.
07:27I would think.
07:28Godo's a smart man.
07:30He should be concerned.
07:33Any time his title's on the line, but travel this far in Cobb's home, not to say his own territory, but he's a lot more local than his Godo to San Francisco.
07:43And I think it goes to say to your comment earlier about Cobb being more of an unknown factor to Godo.
07:50Maybe that unknown is where that change in tactics that maybe potential fear exists.
07:58Fear of the unknown.
08:00And the elbow dropped very sternly, very strong, stylish.
08:09And Godo looking at the crowd for some sort of acclamation, not finding it.
08:16Got a near fall.
08:17Didn't find that fall either.
08:19I'm sure they have plenty of respect for Godo as an athlete, as the wrestler, but this is going to be a markedly Cobb house, I think.
08:27Using that, the point of the elbow, into the neck, going to the head scissor.
08:39Not a bad idea if you're Godo.
08:41We're down to the big, thick, anvil, Jeff Cobb.
08:46Clock head scissor.
08:48It's going to be a submission here.
08:51Cobb is really trying to find a way to get some air.
08:57Cobb does have some submission talents.
09:00I can attest to.
09:01And he's got legs just long enough to get him to the bottom rope.
09:07I don't know if Jeff, Jeff Cobb has ever considered his legs long in any sort.
09:12As I said, they're just long enough.
09:16But it did get him out of that, that crooked head scissor.
09:20You think of all these amateurs like Cobb, the thick body, the low center of gravity.
09:27I can't even think of my late friend Steve, Dr. Death Williams, who's a big star in Japan as well.
09:32Four-time All-American wrestler at Oakland University.
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