5. Mitsuhara Misawa
Mitsuhara Misawa did it all in Japanese wrestling, he was the second man (after the legendary Satoru Sayama) to use the Tiger Mask gimmick, he succeeded Giant Baba as the head of All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) and he was an 8-Time Japanese World Champion. In 2000, this legendary figure even founded his own promotion, the highly successful Pro Wrestling Noah. However, it would be remiss to discuss Misawas legendary career without first discussing the mans affinity for dishing out pain and suffering upon his opponents often for real. A talented amateur who was just as happy wrestling in the Japanese style as he was in the US style (he was partly trained by Dory Funk, Jr and The Destroyer), Misawa was an exceptionally talented athlete. However, if you go back and watch Misawas stuff (particularly his suicide dives, missile dropkicks, enziguiris and rolling punch/discus forearm which was actually just a legitimate smack in the mouth), youll see that he connects, with extreme prejudice, almost every single time. Next, check out his high impact offence, moves like the Tiger Driver and his patented Emerald Flowsion and wince at how, although flawlessly executed from a technical standpoint, they HAD to be incredibly painful to receive. Sometimes, black eyes and bruises would start popping up on Misawas opponents in the middle of his matches. In fact, by the end of a gruelling 25 30 minutes of being repeatedly kicked in the face and chest by a Japanese madmen, they all looked a little the worse for wear, it must be said.