10 Most Revolutionary Individuals In Wrestling History
9. Mitsuharu Misawa Redefines What It Means To Be An Active Promoter
When someone opens a wrestling promotion, a good question to ask is, ‘is the promoter an active wrestler?’ There have been many cases where new promotions have sprung up and the owners would build it around themselves or their immediate family. From the Gagne family with the AWA, to Jeff Jarrett during TNA’s early years, to Jerry Lawler and the USWA, allegations of nepotism and corrupt promoters are a common occurrence.
That was not the case with Mitsuharu Misawa.
Before becoming a promoter, Misawa was one of the most universally-respected individuals in all of pro wrestling for his skill, work ethic, and dedication to his craft. He was a standout in All-Japan in the 90s but in 2000, after over a year of butting heads with Giant Baba’s widow, Misawa opened his own promotion, Pro Wrestling NOAH, and became its top booker.
In this role, Misawa was the exact opposite of a corrupt booker: he used his star power to help build rookies’ careers by teaming with them, and was only in the main event picture under emergency circumstances. For the majority of his booking career, he acted selflessly, spending more time teaming with stars in need of help with their careers, coaching protégés, and working ‘dream matches’.
Misawa’s tale should serve as a lesson to all would-be promoters: being selfless in a position of power can yield better results than making everything all about you.