Ranking Who Was Really The Man In Wrestling Every Year 1990-2020

9. 2012 - Hiroshi Tanahashi

Austin Jericho
NJPW

If the goal of an Ace is to elevate through impeccable in-ring craftsmanship those underneath him, Hiroshi Tanahashi earned the nickname - the status - more than any other in 2012.

His phenomenally advanced ring craft accelerated the prodigious in-ring development of his successor, Kazuchika Okada, in the first, great phase of one of pro wrestling's all-time great and all-time successful programmes. This transition - it's the easiest story to tell, but the hardest to pull off, in a testament to Tanahashi's brilliance - wasn't the only beat. This was Tanahashi at the intersection of his physical and psychological peak and red-hot popularity.

Under his expert stewardship, New Japan's commercial fortunes bloomed, and he earned puroresu's first WON ***** rating in years at King Of Pro Wrestling in a minimal masterclass opposite Minoru Suzuki.

He set - and would maintain - the standard of wrestling's greatest ever in-ring generation.

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!