Japanese Wrestling Legend Mitsuharu Misawa dies in Ring
Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 8:11 pm
Footage of the doctors trying to revive him: (WARNING: May be disturbing for some of you.)WRESTLING legend Mitsuharu Misawa has died in the ring aged 46.
Misawa, arguably Japan's greatest modern-day grappler, was tagging with highly-regarded youngster Go Shiozaki in the main event of a show in Hiroshima
They were taking on Akitoshi Saito & Bison Smith for their GHC World Tag Team titles when he failed to get up from a moderately dangerous looking back suplex move, a staple of NOAH matches.
Misawa would have taken the move thousands of times before but this time he stayed motionless.
A hushed crowd watched efforts to resuscitate him, before he was taken out of the ring, still unconscious, on a stretcher.
Misawa was declared dead in hospital at 10:10pm local time on Saturday.
His career began when, as a national high school wrestling champion, he turned pro in 1981.
His first taste of fame came three years later as the second incarnation of Tiger Mask.
He dropped the gimmick in 1990 to wrestle under his own name and almost immediately became a main eventer in All Japan Pro Wrestling.
Misawa captured the Triple Crown (All Japan's version of the World Heavyweight Championship) five times and had multiple tag title reigns with different partners.
All this led to him being regarded by many as the best wrestlers of the 1990s.
In 2000, he left All Japan, taking the vast majority of the roster with him, to form Pro Wrestling NOAH.
The green canvas used in NOAH is taken from Misawa's familiar green wrestling tights.
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NOAH was soon rated the No1 promotion in Japan, although it recently lost its TV coverage.
With Misawa's death, speculation over its future direction will rise.
Misawa made two trips to the UK, most recently for NOAH's first ever full show outside of Japan, European Navigation in June 2008 at the Coventry Skydome.
He teamed up there with Naomichi Marufuji to take on familiar foe Kenta Kobashi and Go Shiozaki.
Misawa's sudden death, perhaps the most shocking since Owen Hart's accident in 1999, leaves a massive void in Japanese wrestling as a whole and for Pro Wrestling NOAH as a company.
And it also highlights the fact that, while wrestling is pre-determined, wrestlers put their lives and wellbeing at risk every time they step into the ring.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-c7YVE5sCU
Wow...I mean, just wow...I've never watched much japanese wrestling. Only some videos of Youtube. But I know who Misawa was and that he is a really big name over in Japan and he is considered to be the best wrestler on this earth. The meaning of his dead for Japanese wrestling would be comparable with the dead of the Undertaker or Shawn Michaels for US Wrestling. This is beyond tragic and heartbreaking, but if any good can come of it, let it serve as a reminder what these people sacrifice for our entertainment. No matter if it's WWE or NOAH, America or Japan, any promotion or country, these people push the limits of their bodies for us.
They've been great Entertainers and Wrestlers. We've lost so many of them... The Von Erichs, Adrian Adonis, Vivian Vachon, Andre The Giant, Dino Bravo, Joey Morella, Art Barr, Eddie Gilbert, Big John Studd, Junk Yard Dog, Dick Murdock, Sapphire, Stan Stasiak, Brian Pillman, Louie Spicolli, Giant Baba, Renegade, Rick Rude, Owen Hart, Gorilla Monsoon, Bobby Duncum Jr., Gary Albright, Yokozuna, Terry Gordy, Chris Adams, Big Dick Dudley, British Bulldog, Rocco Rock, The Original Shiek, Curt Hennig, Elizabeth, Pitbull, Freddy Blassie, Stu Hart, Hawk, Crash Holly, The Wall, Mike Lozansky, Hercules, Big Bossman, Chris Candido, Lord Alfred Hayes, Chris Cash, Eddie Guerrero, Emory Hale, Johnny Grunge, Bob Orton Sr., Rick Gibson, Joey Maggs, Bam Ban Bigelow, Mike Awesome, Bad News Brown, Ernie Ladd, Dynamyte D, Omar Antonio Pérez Barreto, Sensationell Cherri, Woman, Chris Benoit, John Kronus. Brian Adams, The Missing Link, The Great Moohla, Gary Hart, Chase Tatum, John "Earthquake" Tenta, Killer Kowalski, Mike Bell, Andrew Martin, Abismo Negro, Steve Doll, Buddy Rose, John Tolos, Mitsuharu Misawa... I would just like to thank you all for the houres of Entertainment you gave to us...Wherever you are now, THANK YOU!... R.I.P.
Rest in Peace Mitsuharu Misawa