World's Strongest Tag Determination League
The year of 1998 would end with Kobashi gaining another career milestone as he with Akiyama, teaming as "Burning", captured his first World's Strongest Tag Determination League championship. As January began Kobashi was kicking off a new rivalry against Vader. He won the World's Strongest Tag Determination League again with Akiyama in December 1999. In February 2000 he defeated Vader to earn his third Triple Crown reign. Then in April 2000 he won his first Champion Carnival while in the course of the tournament gaining his first televised singles victory over Misawa. In mid-2000 Misawa left the company to form Pro Wrestling Noah; Kobashi, along with all but three All Japan native workers, followed Misawa. He was the reigning Triple Crown champion at the time, and the championship was thus vacated.