Mitsuharu Misawa
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| Mitsuharu Misawa | |
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| Statistics | |
| Ring name(s) | Kamikaze Misawa Tiger Mask II Mitsuharu Misawa |
| Billed height | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) |
| Billed weight | 116 kg (243 lb) |
| Born | June 18, 1962 Koshiyaga, Saitama |
| Trained by | Shohei Baba Dick Beyer Dory Funk, Jr. |
| Debut | August 21, 1981 |
Mitsuharu Misawa (三沢 光晴 Misawa Mitsuharu?) is a Japanese professional wrestler. He became famous working for All Japan Pro Wrestling. Currently he owns, operates, and wrestles for Pro Wrestling NOAH, where he is the current GHC Heavyweight Champion and serves as the chairman of the Global Professional Wrestling Alliance. He is often called one of the greatest wrestlers of all time.
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[edit] Career
Misawa was a successful amateur wrestler. Competing in the junior age group, he placed fifth at the 1980 freestyle World Championships.
Misawa was trained in professional wrestling by Dick "The Destroyer" Beyer, Shohei Baba, and Dory Funk, Jr. and made his professional debut on August 21, 1981 for All Japan Pro Wrestling.
Early in his career, Misawa wrestled as the second generation of Tiger Mask. On May 17, 1990, during a tag match against Yoshiaki Yatsu and Hiromichi Fuyuki, he told his partner and future rival, Toshiaki Kawada, to unmask him, revealing his true face. Weeks later, on June 8 Misawa defeated Jumbo Tsuruta in his first ever main event at Tokyo Nippon Budokan. The match is seen as a turning point in the history of All Japan, with Misawa being established as a major threat and a new star. Misawa made his first challenge for the Triple Crown in July, losing to Stan Hansen in a decision match for the vacant titles after Terry Gordy was forced to vacate the belts. After losing to Jumbo in a rematch on September 1, he teamed with then-regular partner Toshiaki Kawada to place third in the Real World Tag League, beating the team of Jumbo & Akira Taue on the final day. Misawa again challenged for the Triple Crown in April, but fell to Tsuruta for a second time. Misawa continued his growth throughout 1991, pinning Terry Gordy in successive months in June and July, the second coming in an AJPW World Tag Team Titles match, with Misawa winning the belts for himself and partner Kawada. The pair made their first defence against the team of Tsuruta & Taue on September 30 at Nippon Budokan, with Misawa historically submitting Jumbo to end the match.
Misawa then went on to dominate All Japan Pro Wrestling throughout the 1990s, with multiple Triple Crown and AJPW World Tag Team Title reigns. His rivalries with Jumbo Tsuruta, Toshiaki Kawada and Kenta Kobashi are legendary, with many classic matches against them. His tag-team partners included Kenta Kobashi and Jun Akiyama.
Following the death of AJPW head booker Giant Baba and disagreements with his widow Motoko Baba, Misawa split from All Japan in mid-2000. He took all but two natives (Kawada and Masanobu Fuchi) to form Pro Wrestling NOAH.
In 2004, Misawa and his long time partner Yoshinari Ogawa returned the GHC Tag Team belts to NOAH from the New Japan Pro Wrestling combination of Yuji Nagata & Hiroshi Tanahashi. Currently, Misawa continues to wrestle a full-time schedule, competing mostly in tag team matches. At the Nippon Budokan on December 10th, he defeated Naomichi Marufuji to win his 3rd GHC Heavyweight Championship.
[edit] In wrestling
[edit] Finishing and signature moves
- Emerald Frosion (Sitout side powerslam)
- Super Emerald Frosion / Emerald Frosion Custom (Sitout vertical suplex side powerslam)
- Avalanche Emerald Frosion (Second rope sitout side powerslam)
- Tiger Driver (Sitout double underhook powerbomb)
- Tiger Driver '91 (Kneeling head spike double underhook powerbomb)
- Tiger Driver '01 (Top rope double underhook powerbomb)
- Rolling Elbow (Discus elbow smash)
- Running elbow smash
- Tiger Suplex '85 (Bridging half nelson suplex)
- Tiger Body Press (Frog splash)
- Elbow smash
- Tiger suplex
- Monkey flip
- Forward roll into camel clutch
[edit] Championships and accomplishments
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- GHC Heavyweight Championship (3 times) (current)
- GHC Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Yoshinari Ogawa
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- AJPW Triple Crown Championship (5 times)
- AJPW Unified World Tag Team Championship (6 times) – with Toshiaki Kawada (2), Kenta Kobashi (2), Jun Akiyama (1) and Yoshinari Ogawa (1)
- AJPW All Asia Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Kenta Kobashi (1) and Yoshinari Ogawa (1)
- PWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Jumbo Tsuruta
- NWA International Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Champion's Carnival (1995)
- Champion's Carnival (1998)
- World's Strongest Tag Team League (1992) – with Toshiaki Kawada
- World's Strongest Tag Team League (1993) – with Kenta Kobashi
- World's Strongest Tag Team League (1994) – with Kenta Kobashi
- World's Strongest Tag Team League (1995) – with Kenta Kobashi
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- PWI ranked him # 6 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.
- He was also ranked twice in the best tag teams of the "PWI Years". He was ranked # 6 with Kenta Kobashi and # 11 with Toshiaki Kawada.
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- He is a member of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (inducted in 1996)
- 1985 Best Flying Wrestler
- 1985 Match of the Year (vs Kuniaki Kobayashi)
- 1986 Best Flying Wrestler
- 1988 Most Underrated Wrestler
- 1990 Feud of the Year (vs Jumbo Tsuruta)
- 1991 Feud of the Year (vs Jumbo Tsuruta)
- 1991 Tag Team of the Year (with Toshiaki Kawada)
- 1995 Wrestler of the Year
- 1995 Tag Team of the Year (with Kenta Kobashi)
- 1996 Tag Team of the Year (with Jun Akiyama)
- 1996 Match of the Year (with Jun Akiyama vs Steve Williams and Johnny Ace)
- 1997 Wrestler of the Year
- 1997 Most Outstanding Wrestler
- 1997 Tag Team of the Year (with Jun Akiyama)
- 1998 Match of the Year (vs Kenta Kobashi)
- 1999 Wrestler of the Year
- 1999 Most Outstanding Wrestler
- 1999 Match of the Year (vs Kenta Kobashi)
- 2003 Match of the Year (vs Kenta Kobashi)
