2002 was arguably the best year in SmackDown history; due in part to Paul Heymans booking. As SmackDown was considered the wrestling show, there was a greater emphasis on longer, more technical matches and making mid-card wrestlers into the champions of tomorrow. Paul Heyman was instrumental in the booking of the so-called SmackDown Six: Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, Eddie and Chavo Guerrero, Edge, and Rey Mysterio. These six wrestlers competed in singles and tag team matches against one another, with many of them being among the best in SmackDowns history. All six of these men would later become World Champions; however, fate was not kind to most of them in later years. Eddie and Benoit have since died, with Benoits death being among the most controversial moments in wrestling history. Edge had to retire due to wrestling on borrowed time, Reys career is virtually over, Angle has wrestled in TNA for over seven years and is close to retirement, and Chavo was treated so badly in WWE in terms of booking in later years that he left and now works in Lucha Underground. Japanese Equivalent: The Four Pillars of Heaven These four wrestlers, Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada, Kenta Kobashi, and Akira Taue, were considered the greatest wrestlers in Japan during the 1990s. The matches these men have had amongst each other have been considered by many to be among the greatest matches in wrestling history. All four of these men started off in All Japan Pro Wrestling, and were true followers of the Kings Road style that AJPW booker Giant Baba followed. All four of them had similar yet distinct move-sets and wrestling psychologies that made them stand out from one another. Their matches often went over 35 minutes in length, and incorporated stiff strikes, multiple submission holds, increasingly risky and dangerous maneuvers, and a methodical psychology that told a great story in the ring. Like their WWE counterparts, each one of these men enjoyed considerable success. Kawada and Taue (The Holy Demon Army) became the greatest and most successful tag teams in AJPW History. Kobashi became a multi-time Triple Crown Champion and GHC Heavyweight Champion, has taken part in six matches deemed Match of the Year, and is considered one of the most beloved wrestlers in all of Japan. As for Misawa, well
Alexander Podgorski is a writer for WhatCulture that has been a fan of professional wrestling since he was 8 years old. He loves all kinds of wrestling, from WWE and sports entertainment, to puroresu in Japan.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen's University in Political Studies and French, and a Master's Degree in Public Administration. He speaks English, French, Polish, a bit of German, and knows some odd words and phrases in half a dozen other languages.
