10 Reasons Kenta Kobashi Is The Greatest Wrestler Of The Modern Era

10. The Physique Of A Wrestler

Prior to starting pro wrestling, Kobashi trained in Judo, played rugby, and did some bodybuilding. As such, he was able to acquire a physique that would make him look like the John Cena of Japan. Standing at 6’1 and weighing 254 pounds (115 kilograms), he was once described by Tokyo Sports as ‘the perfect wrestler’.

A big part to developing this physique was exposure to the Road Warriors, who taught him the infamous ‘Road Warrior Workout’, which allowed him to build up a lot of muscle mass on his arms and upper body. This is what separated Kobashi not just from his peers in All Japan, but from many wrestlers around the world. Despite many injuries, Kobashi has managed to maintain an unbelievable physique that just screams ‘World Champion’, thus getting more fan attention.

If you look at many of his fellow wrestlers during his peak years in All Japan and during his Championship reign in NOAH, none of them really had the impressive physique that he did. There’s a reason guys like Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, and other ‘smaller’ guys find it hard to be taken seriously in an industry that’s very image-conscious. People like Vince McMahon want their top stars to look the part just as much as how much he wants them to be able to work well.

That is why Kobashi stands out, and is one of the reasons why he was so popular with the audience: he looked like he could rip his opponents apart, and more often than not, he backed that up with his amazing wrestling skills.