10 Wrestlers You Didn’t Realise Were Vitally Important To Their Promotions

7. Hirooki Goto

Dustin Rhodes
NJPW.co.jp

Hirooki Goto is a shorthand loser in 2020. Gedo has annihilated his credibility to such an extent that he is defined now by his inability to win big matches, even if it is not strictly accurate (his Wrestle Kingdom record is impressive on paper).

Goto is the man who has challenged for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship the most without winning it, which is his legacy, but Gedo entrusted him with the position for a reason: Goto guaranteed a killer match, irrespective of the opponent and his style, and fans took him seriously in spite of his repeated failures.

It's a testament to the man that he wasn't stigmatised earlier than he was.

A heavy-hitter whose unique rope runs quietly altered the very rhythm in which wrestling operates, Goto was also superb at going the distance. He could work the epic main event and gruesome Strong Style sprint seamlessly, allowing him to reinforce the legitimacy of legendary modern IWGP Champions and further establish Katsuyori Shibata as a cult, cool outsider figure.

Unfashionable but essential to New Japan Pro Wrestling's revival, Goto was the man when the Man needed to look like it.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!