10 Matches That Nearly Made Wrestlers Quit For Good
3. Mitsuharu Misawa's Final Match (NOAH Southern Navigation - June 2009)
The perennial nearly-man of '90s All-Japan and '00s Pro Wrestling NOAH, Jun Akiyama entered the business a disciple of the legendary Mitsuharu Misawa, and though never crowned either company's ace, he was an integral part of their success.
Akiyama and Misawa were tied at the hip, wrestling well over 500 matches together throughout their mutual time in the business. They forged a close relationship behind the scenes too, so when Misawa passed away in the ring on June 13, 2009, nobody was more grief-stricken.
Misawa died after suffering a cardiac arrest following a cervical spine cord injury while wrestling Akitoshi Saito and Bison Smith on a NOAH show. The impact was devastating and far-reaching, and Akiyama hit so hard that he suffered post-traumatic stress disorder as a direct result, forcing a period of recovery and self-reflection away from the ring.
Akiyama was already struggling with back injuries, and considered full-on retirement following Misawa's death. He eventually returned on a sporadic schedule, and still wrestles today, though he's very much in the twilight of his career. Still, he may never have made it this far had he not recovered.