10 Iconic Wrestling Moments That Weren't Meant To Happen
6. The Rise Of The Ace
Jumbo Tsuruta was the Ace All Japan Pro Wrestling the morning of June 8, 1990. By the time the sun set, so too had the dusk settled on his reign atop the company.
After unmasking from his guise as the second incarnation of the Tiger Mask gimmick, Mitsuharu Misawa's popularity skyrocketed to such an audible, inescapable extent that booker Shohei 'Giant' Baba called an audible the day of perhaps the most legendary night in the illustrious history of the Budokan Hall. The fans lined up around the building hours before showtime and chanted Misawa's name loudly and in unison. Baba, overwhelmed and seduced by the response, dropped his customary booking long game and asked Tsuruta to do the honours. Cleanly. Tsuruta, aghast, tried to negotiate a count out loss.
"No," came Baba's firm response.
Misawa rewarded his public by wrestling - and winning a - seminal match. At the close of it, Misawa was hoisted on the shoulders of Kenta Kobashi and Toshiaki Kawada in an unforgettable image of triumph and euphoria. Baba's instinct was proved correct; by adhering to the most basic business principle there is - giving the customer what they want - Misawa was instantly received as a headliner, and forged a decade-long run as a major, consistent draw - and the best wrestler of the 1990s.
The fans begged for a star, and a megastar was born. How is that so difficult for WWE to grasp?