Michael Sidgwick's 10 Favourite Wrestling Matches

5. Mitsuharu Misawa Vs. Kenta Kobashi - Pro Wrestling NOAH Navigate For Evolution '03 - Day 9

This was the first Japanese wrestling match I ever watched.

Raised on Power Slam magazine since 1998, the greatness of puroresu was hammered into me on a monthly basis - but the thought of tape trading was unappetisingly risky. And, soberingly, two hours of RAW and another two of SmackDown was time-consuming enough.

The match was a vicious procession of neck-first impact moves - the most sickening of which saw Misawa drill Kobashi, from three feet-high ramp to barely-protected concrete, with a tiger suplex. But beyond the brutality, the dedication to intra-match storytelling was such that I, even as a newcomer, could infer from it that Misawa was the man, and Kobashi's win was a major moment.

I thought it would be impossible to top - that I'd spoiled the journey by arriving prematurely at its destination. The magic of puroresu - and the King's Road Style of All Japan Pro Wrestling and NOAH, in particular - is that the body of work is so intercorrelated. This match, arguably its peak, was enhanced by revisiting the journey which led to it.

Everything I inferred from first viewing was reinforced and enriched by learning more. As immediate as it was, eventually, rewarding, it kickstarted a love affair with Japanese wrestling which eventually became a marriage.

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!