10 Dumbest Decisions In Wrestling History

2. AJPW Board Of Executives Back Motoko Baba Over Mitsuharu Misawa

RIC FLAIR SPARTACUS
Pro Wrestling NOAH

The death of Shohei 'Giant' Baba spelled the end of his company, All Japan Pro Wrestling, as a big-time proposition.

Baba's passing sparked a divide between his widow, Motoko, and incumbent President and Ace Mitsuharu Misawa, who were in conflict over the direction of the company. Motoko was bound by tradition; Misawa meanwhile sensed a shift in the mentality of the audience, and, under the belief that AJPW required a production and aesthetic overhaul, pitched a new direction that would ultimately materialise a year and a half later as Pro Wrestling NOAH: a new company, indebted to the King's Road style, injected with a flourish of big-time spectacle. The new, glamorous look, Misawa felt, would lend itself better to merchandising and licensing opportunities.

This did not happen: AJPW's board of executives removed him from his role as President. Misawa in response formed NOAH (incidentally, a fantastic name for a new venture) and took the vast majority of a locker room that idolised him on the ship. He also commandeered AJPW's TV slot, resulting in the company's unrecoverable decline.

A grim fallout rooted in pathos - Misawa was treated as a son by both Shohei and Motoko - it was also ironic. The last major philosophical change, catalysed by Baba, legitimised and expanded AJPW: the clean wins-only policy implemented at the turn of the decade was the perfect framework to AJPW's seminal, fight-with-everything King's Road style.

In this post: 
Ric Flair
 
First Posted On: 
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!