10 Wrestlers That Could Get A Good Match Out Of ANYONE

9. Tomohiro Ishii

Uso Xavier Woods
NJPW

'The Stone Pitbull' is often considered something of a seasonal performer, with his annual highs coming in (and either side of) New Japan Pro Wrestling's illustrious G1 Climax. Within the tournament itself, Tomohiro Ishii managed to dazzle and delight with his grisly selling style in the (literal) face of inhuman abuse.

Underneath headline-grabbers Hiroshi Tanahshi, Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi and Kazuchika Okada though, Ishii was actually the most reliable wrestler in the field. He contributed precisely zero bad matches - a virtual impossibility with Bullet Club upstart crew The Firing Squad attempting to ruin as much the event as possible with objectively awful contests.

The most unbabyface babyface of the modern era, he lacks the traditional heroic wrestling aesthetic but makes up for it with a uniquely sympathetic stature. It's impossible not to root for him as he looks up to taller foes, but within minutes fans realise they've actually sided with the hardest man in the room as he runs through opponents with wicked headbutts and fierce throws. A flawless worker (as long as he can be bothered) Ishii makes everything his opponent does matter even more. His matches have crafted his legacy, rather than a rich history of personal gain.

In this post: 
The New Day
 
First Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett