10 Reasons Kenta Kobashi Is The Greatest Wrestler Of The Modern Era
The look, strength, charisma, technical skill, popularity, profitability; he had it all.
Kenta Kobashi might not be a name known to many people, but to those who’ve seen his matches or read about him on various wrestling forums, they know just how awesome this man was during his in-ring career. Between his 1988 debut and his 2013 retirement, Kobashi put on more amazing performances and made more jaws drop than any other wrestler alive.
As such, Kenta Kobashi is the greatest wrestler of the modern era.
Yes, this is a bold statement to make, especially when you consider those other wrestlers who might also be worthy of that title: Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Bret Hart, Kurt Angle, Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, AJ Styles, Hiroshi Tanahashi, etc. However, during his twenty-five-year career, Kobashi managed to provide the audience with some of the most impressive wrestling on the planet, and he did this on a consistent basis. This article will discuss the 10 biggest reasons that demonstrate why Kenta Kobashi is the greatest wrestler of the modern era, which would be the last thirty years or so.
In the end, the Superstars of tomorrow should look to Kobashi to see what makes someone so popular, respected, and admired by fans all around the world. After all, one doesn’t get the nicknames “The Absolute Champion”, “Mr. Pro Wrestling”, “Iron Man” and “The Maximum Innovator” for nothing.
10. The Physique Of A Wrestler
Prior to starting pro wrestling, Kobashi trained in Judo, played rugby, and did some bodybuilding. As such, he was able to acquire a physique that would make him look like the John Cena of Japan. Standing at 6’1 and weighing 254 pounds (115 kilograms), he was once described by Tokyo Sports as ‘the perfect wrestler’.
A big part to developing this physique was exposure to the Road Warriors, who taught him the infamous ‘Road Warrior Workout’, which allowed him to build up a lot of muscle mass on his arms and upper body. This is what separated Kobashi not just from his peers in All Japan, but from many wrestlers around the world. Despite many injuries, Kobashi has managed to maintain an unbelievable physique that just screams ‘World Champion’, thus getting more fan attention.
If you look at many of his fellow wrestlers during his peak years in All Japan and during his Championship reign in NOAH, none of them really had the impressive physique that he did. There’s a reason guys like Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, and other ‘smaller’ guys find it hard to be taken seriously in an industry that’s very image-conscious. People like Vince McMahon want their top stars to look the part just as much as how much he wants them to be able to work well.
That is why Kobashi stands out, and is one of the reasons why he was so popular with the audience: he looked like he could rip his opponents apart, and more often than not, he backed that up with his amazing wrestling skills.