10 Best Booking Decisions In Wrestling History

3. Giant Baba Calls An Audible

The Elite Comeback
Pro Wrestling NOAH

Is Giant Baba the best booker ever?

Think of the long game that the All Japan Pro Wrestling matchmaker played with Kenta Kobashi (an honourable mention in this list).

Kobashi lost his first 63 singles matches to establish him as an underdog who fought with more spirit and displayed more in-ring prowess as those losses became more and more narrow. He then evolved into a Pillar of the organisation, an indefatigable in-ring warrior with whom the fans shared an incredible bond. By the time he had dethroned Ace Mitsuharu Misawa for the top prize in the company, it wasn't even the same company, and Baba had sadly passed away. That is how patient Baba was.

So many other bookers, even those who were great at their peak - Vince McMahon, Bill Watts - favoured a certain story or certain attribute in a wrestler.

Baba, adding to his case as the GOAT, took the exact opposite route with Misawa; on the day of his June 8, 1990 match with top star Jumbo Tsuruta, fans chanted his name outside of the building, hours before showtime, and stampeded the merch table.

In a business and era-defining audible, Baba, usually conservative with his booking, changed the original plan and had Misawa win, effectively creating a boom period overnight.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential 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 former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current 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!