10 Best NJPW Wrestlers Of 2016
6. Tomohiro Ishii
Having spent years as a highly underrated mid-carder, Tomohiro Ishii enjoyed 2016 further proving why he has gained such a cult following.
He started the year by losing the NEVER Openweight Championship in a truly barbaric contest with Shibata before going on to challenge Naito when he was crowned IWGP Heavyweight Champion, just coming up short. Being popular among western audiences, The Stone Pitbull gained even more traction in the US by winning the ROH TV Title from Roderick Strong and carried it for a few months.
Ishii's pinnacle 2016 moment came during the G1 Climax block stage when he took on the leader of his faction, the IWGP Heavyweight Champion Okada. A raucous crowd were firmly behind the underdog wanting him to get the upset win. After flying out of the gate the two competitors ground out a thrilling match that was awarded a five-star rating and Ishii got a momentous win over the face of the company.
Disappointingly Ishii hasn't found himself in a particularly meaningful position for WK11 but hopefully a New Japan Cup or G1 Climax win is in his future.