Better Wrestler #78

[Destor]

HBM def had some GOAT level matches but outside of Flair no one has the A++ catalog that Misawa has. The gap between them is a chasm. Misawas last match was the GOAT until the next time he worked...for decades. In the mid 90s when people say HBM was having the best matches in the world he was having the 2nd best matches, Misawa was easily the best worker on Earth.

HBM was great, Misawa was otherworldly. Plus Misawa was drawing money with his 5* matches and Vince was trying not to go belly up with Michaels.

[Maluco]

Originally Posted by Destor HBM def had some GOAT level matches but outside of Flair no one has the A++ catalog that Misawa has. The gap between them is a chasm. Misawas last match was the GOAT until the next time he worked...for decades. In the mid 90s when people say HBM was having the best matches in the world he was having the 2nd best matches, Misawa was easily the best worker on Earth. HBM was great, Misawa was otherworldly. Plus Misawa was drawing money with his 5* matches and Vince was trying not to go belly up with Michaels.

Bit about match quality might be true, depending on taste, but Japanese and American audiences demand very different things. It's is difficult to point to a draw in Japan and try and expand that to a global level.

A lot of Japanese wrestlers are legends only so far as Japan, because the demands are different.

Hard to judge Misawa outside of Japan. He didn't have a marketable look. I remember Gertner made a good argument about Flair's lack of fame in the Northern states and internationally based on where he wrestled. Same argument can be applied to Japanese only wrestlers. I think it has to be to be fair.