500th Post!

500 posts. Crazy. I can't keep anything up, certainly nothing wrestling related as I consistently change what I'm interested in watching. We all have that one project that we all get excited to complete on day one but then drop on day four, for whatever reason, so a whole website was out of the question, and yet, here we are. For this post, I have chose not to review a specific match for this, unlike the 300th post where I reviewed Antonio Inoki vs Tiger Jeet Singh matches, preferring to focus on revealing something a bit more personal and a look into who I think are the greatest wrestlers of all time. So may not be entirely represented and some may be a consistent fixture on the site due to some of the big projects that I've kept up with over the years. But there will also be a reveal of what some of my favourite matches ever are. Again, some may be a surprise and others may not be given how much you're paying attention to some of my earlier reviews. 

Top 5 Favourite Wrestlers:

5) Tatsumi Fujinami

Fantastic wrestler. Such a classy figure in the sport. Wrestling has lost that sort of type in favourite for edgy, shade of grey wrestlers. But nothing beats that wrestler, who is just a wrestler and a fantastic one in that. Bob Backlund was like this, Lou Thesz was like this and Tatsumi Fujinami was as well. Fujinami is one of the greatest techinicians of all time but could scrap with the best of them. Fujinami could brawl and punch as well as tie his opponnets in a pretzel. He's sort of like Bryan Danielson in that regard. He has a reputation for being a techincal wrestler but he's a really good brawler as well. And Fujinami was able to keep up his outstanding output for decades. He slowed down during the 90s, for sure. His back issues meant that he wasn't the best in the world any longer but he still produced quality when called for it and produced great matches throughout the 90s. More than enough for a great career but then you take into account his prime, which lasted around 10 years (70s & 80s). 

Best Match: Vs Antonio Inoki - NJPW 08/08/1988

4) Mitsuharu Misawa

Somewhat flawed, at times, but there is no denying that no one, and I mean, no one, can craft a better comeback in a match than Misawa. No matter how insignifant Misawa can be during the build of the match, once he's mounting a valliant comeback against the likes of Kawada or Akira Taue, he gets my blood pumping and takes me on an amazing ride. This counts for both tag team and singles matches. Misawa was incredible in the ring most of the time, he's hardly a slouch. And any flaws that he may have are accentuated by the quality around him. He's at worst top 10 wrestler of all time and I don't trust any top 10 that doesn't include him. They either have yet to watch him or don't know what they are talking about. Or just really hate elbow strikes. Fair enough. 

Best Match: & Kenta Kobashi vs Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue - AJPW 09/06/1995

3) Genichiro Tenryu

Never can a wrestler be both one of the stiffest and then also be one of the sloppiest of all time, and yet it all just works because it's Tenryu. And Tenryu can do what he wants. Genichiro Tenryu could do whatever he wanted in the ring and it would work because he just projected this godly aura that stayed with him until he retired. He could be a grumpy bully or a sympathetic hero and change absolutely nothing. 

          

Best Match: Vs Jumbo Tsuruta - AJPW 05/06/1989

2) Kenta Kobashi

It's hard to rank him any lower. He had geniunely two peak runs that are both all timers. I think its telling that he got voted into the Wrestling Observer HOF with the biggest voting percentage (at the time) in 2002. He had yet to have his GHC Heavyweight run, which brought NOAH, a promotion plauged by poor champions and poor booking, into an amazing period. His wrestling speaks for itself. It took him a while to really catch on with what Misawa was cooking and then they produced a classic and a half. His amazing series with Hansen is famous and deservedly so, his performances in the famous SGA vs HDA tags are among the greatest.

Best Match: & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs Danny Kroffat & Doug Fernas - AJPW 25/05/1992

1) Toshiaki Kawada

I could perhaps place Kobashi in this spot due to both of them being so fantastic and geniunely neck and neck with each other. And despite Kobashi a longer time as a time level wrestler, Kawada has a rough edge and gritty attitude that just appeals to me over the uber babyface in Kobashi. Opposed to Misawa, who had a rough edge to him as well, Kobashi is the opposite of Kawada for me. Kawada's performances are all about torment and malice rather than effort and determination. Toshiaki Kawada made a living on beating the hell out of his opponents and yet he is a strong babyface in his own right, despite historically being pitted against the heros. Kawada is a strong anti-hero and is just as believable against the villans of wrestling such as 1992 Jumbo Tsuruta or Stan Hansen as any. Kawada just stands above a quality group of wrestlers and considering that they are all roughly all time greats in their own right, Kawada being #1 is an easy choice, for me. It's easy to rank your favourites as one of the best but to look at it objectively and come to the same conlusion says it all. 

Best Match: Akira Taue vs Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi - AJPW 09/06/1995

Top 3 Favourite Matches:

3) Antonio Inoki vs. Tatsumi Fujinami (NJPW - 08/08/1988)

IWGP Heavyweight title match. A cross-generational clash that came once ever few years unlike Choshu vs Fujinami or Inoki vs Satio. The last these two wrestled in a singles contest prior to this match was in 1985 which had ended with the controversial decision to have Inoki win. Hardly debilitating for Fujinami, who is a legend in the making by this point, but a tough pill to swallow. And the result of this match isn't much better. However, the difference is that it's presented as Fujinami taking the torch off Inoki. In a way, it does feel like a step towards that but like the match before it, if you get what I mean. Fujinami kicks Inoki's ass for a lot of the match and is able to withstand the Manji Gatame as the time ran out for Inoki to win. He is getting old and is no longer able to beat Fujimani with his famous hold. But that final step is lacking. But nevertheless, it's a fantastic 60 minute match that I reviewed here. I wrote more than enough to convey my words. Top 3 match ever, top IWGP Heavyweight title match ever. 

2) Dan Kroffat & Doug Furnas vs. Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi (AJPW - 25/05/1992)

Greatest tag team match. The argument surrounding it is that would it be so acclaimed without the crowd and maybe not but the crowd is there and it is a fantastic companion for an excellent match. Tsuyoshi Kikuchi is a great wrestler during this period, although it wouldn't last too long, but this is his baby. He is the home town hero, small enough to be a whipping boy for the Can-Ams and a great small dog with enough bite to do some damage back. His performance is so amazing that it rather overshadows Kenta Kobashi, of all people. Kobashi is the equaliser of the team, gets the eventual winning pin and is able to handle the Can-Ams easily enough. While not the most compelling on paper, he is fantastic. The Can-Ams have always been best as the dominent team but they couldn't always do it but here they are and the match it all the better for it. I reviewed it here. 

1) Kiyoshi Tamura vs Yoshihisa Yamamoto (RINGS - 24/06/1999)

A total hipster opinion, even in niche circles but most people who have watched this will understand. This is far from the purest match RINGS had to offer in 1999, with it being more pro-style storytelling wise with the points system and slight character work but the grappling and strikes that accompanying the story is top notch. The pacing goes up and down but the drama never simmers nor the tension and level of work. It's consistently some of the best wrestling from its opening bell to the end. The fans love the match so much that they chant "RINGS" after it, appreciating the match and the company. And in a sad sense of irony, this was one of the last worked matches of its kind. What a way to bow out. GOAT match, undoubtedly.