Ranking Who Was Really The Man In Wrestling Every Year 1990-2020

18. 2003 - Kenta Kobashi

The year in which the sentimental favourite became the Ace - thus destroying the reality that the money is in the chase - Kenta Kobashi dethroned GHC Heavyweight Champion Mitsuharu Misawa on March 1. A seminal match, masterfully crafted in technique, emotion and a continuity that spanned years, Kobashi subsequently embarked on an all-time great run that demonstrated an exceptional range beyond the King's Road mode of storytelling that elevated NOAH, briefly, into a Tokyo Dome-sized concern.

There is a deflating history of art vs. drawing power in the annals of professional history, but in 2003, Kobashi was the great unifier.

Authored by Michael Sidgwick

Contributor

Michael Sidgwick (Creative Writing BA Hons) is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over a decade of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential UK institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!

First Posted On: 18th Jul 2020

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