10 Wrestling Moments That Literally Made You Jump
5. Mitsuharu Misawa's Demented Tiger Suplex
The March 1, 2003 Mitsuharu Misawa Vs. Kenta Kobashi epic was eight years in the making.
On October 25, 1995, Misawa defeated Kobashi in an All Japan Pro Wrestling Triple Crown title match. He repeated this triumph on four further occasions across 1997, 1998 and 1999 in a seminal series of matches recognised by critics as the best ever held at the time. Kobashi had Misawa's number in the Champion Carnival, but never in the all-important moment. Misawa had been intricately built as the final boss on the title fight stage.
As Kobashi edged closer and closer to unseating the Ace, overlapping layers of drama informed and enriched every move . In their January 20, 1997 epic, Kobashi had even neutralised the weapon with which Misawa had come to dominate the promotion: the Rolling Elbow. That was before the twist: it was so powerful a weapon, and Misawa fought with such spirit, that he used what little strength was left in it to injure Kobashi's bicep in a moment of unreal dramatic parity.
All of which is to state that Kobashi needed to mount an all-time great comeback to finally dethrone Misawa, and in a superb spot mind-blowing in its danger, Misawa encapsulated that great struggle by hurling Kobashi off the ramp with a disturbing tiger suplex.