Original Date Sent: August 5, 2013
Sent to: A fellow smark who was looking to get into Japanese wrestling.
Context: The world of puro can be impenetrable to a newcomer. The language barrier, vastly different style, and unfamiliar performers all contribute to the sense that if you didn't start a long time ago it's impossible to catch up. But it's really not, I promise! Below is a list of a dozen matches with varying degrees of importance that can serve as a gateway to the world of puro.
Welcome to Japanese Wrestling 101, a survey course where we will examine the essential wrestlers, companies, and matches that have taken place in the Land of the Rising Sun. The syllabus below is by no means exhaustive, but it should provide the foundation on which to build further knowledge of the art of puroresu.
New Japan Pro Wrestling - Strong Style in Action
"Strong Style" has been misconstrued to mean "Japanese Wrestling" since the early days of tape trading. It is in fact a very specific style that was employed to great effect in the 80's, 90's, and beyond in NJPW. The style emphasizes realism as part of its psychology. Matches are fought using strikes and submission holds to wear down an opponent in similar fashion to an MMA fight (New Japan boss Antonio Inoki was, for better or worse, a big fan of MMA). In recent years they have converted to a more traditional American style for the most part, but echoes of true Strong Style remain.
Rick & Scott Steiner vs. Hiroshi Hase & Kensuke Sasaki (3/21/91) - For a few years WCW and NJPW had a working agreement and would occasionally put on supershows together. This is probably the best remembered match of that talent exchange (I suppose Pillman/Liger is the only other contender). This was long considered to be the perfect entryway into puro thanks to the familiar names, the English announcers, and the high quality of the work in the match. Today it serves as a refreshing reminder that Scott Steiner used to be one of the world's best in-ring workers.
El Samurai vs. Koji Kanemoto (6/5/97) - While Jushin "Thunder" Liger is the acknowledged king of the New Japan Juniors style and one of the great workers to ever step into the ring, the match that really lit the world on fire during the 90's was between two relative journeymen. El Samurai had a few other gems under his belt (especially the famous match against Liger) but was never considered one of the top talents in the division. Kanemoto had recently come off an uninspiring run as Tiger Mask III (the least of the four Tiger Masks by far). Yet somehow together they created a war for the ages that is still rarely topped in even the most dizzying of ROH spotfest head drop 2 7/8 kickout matches. Davey Richards wishes his whole life was this match.
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada (4/7/13) - The most recent 5 star encounter and as good an entrance into the contemporary greatness of New Japan as you're going to find. Tanahashi is the ace of the company and combines the best qualities of Shawn Michaels, John Cena, and Ricky Steamboat. Okada is a flashy heel with a much more American bearing who nevertheless has caught fire in the past 18 months and become the company's biggest star. He is also, in my opinion, the best wrestler in the world today. This is their fourth match and the most epic. It will be remembered not only at the end of the year, but at the end of the decade as well. I watched this match with my brother and even though we knew the result beforehand, we were still jumping around his living room for the last ten minutes.
All Japan Pro Wrestling - A Walk Down King's Road
In contrast to New Japan's "Strong Style," All Japan matches are associated with a style known as "King's Road." I have no idea where that name comes from despite extensive digging. These matches are a mix of stoicism, Southern brawling, and life-shortening suplexes. In my mind, it is also the very height of professional wrestling. The matches build on each other so that things that happen in 1989 have been hinted at since 1975 (no kidding) and the entire decade of the 90's seems to be of one intricate novel written to reflect the human drama through elbow strikes and brainbusters. What follows is the evolution of the style in five of its most important matches. If you like these, there are literally a hundred other matches on the same level that you can explore.
Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Genichiro Tenryu (6/5/89) - Jumbo and Tenryu were the twin pillars of All Japan in the 80's and this seemed as if it would be the signature rivalry in the company for years to come. It was not to be, however, as Tenryu decided to try his hand as a freelancer and promoter while Jumbo was felled prematurely by a severe illness. But before their paths diverged, they created a style of wrestling that can only be described as a sea change. It took All Japan from doing British and Southern style main events to deeply layered, fast paced, high impact epics that more closely resemble a Tolstoy novel than pro rasslin'. And before you get all "Hey, I didn't start watching wrestling because I wanted to write a PhD dissertation on it someday," don't worry...they hit each other very hard and it is awesome.
Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Mitsuhara Misawa (6/8/90) - There's a story in the Genesis where Jacob wrestles God himself. After their meeting, Jacob is given a blessing that will make him the father of nations. This match is the puro equivalent of that story. For all intents and purposes, Jumbo Tsuruta was no less than a deity in All Japan. He dominated the company for at least fifteen years prior to this match, was the first Triple Crown champion, and had that indefinable "I own this company" aura that only a select few ever achieve (even some guys who, you know, literally own the company sometimes fail to reach that level). Misawa is the young upstart who had just shed the Tiger Mask II persona and set out to be his own man.
Stan Hansen vs. Kenta Kobashi (7/29/93) - The story of All Japan wouldn't be complete without a little bit of gaijin representation. None stood higher than Stan Hansen. He established his legend in both of Japan's major companies as both a singles and tag competitor. And yet for everything he accomplished, it is this match for which he is probably best remembered. Kobashi was still a rising talent at this point, but he seems to think that he's on the same level as the Texas hoss. This is a mistake. The viewer benefits.
Mitsuhara Misawa vs. Toshiaki Kawada (6/3/94) - Dean Rasmussen once described this match as being not only great, but having an otherworldly quality akin to Roy Orbison's voice or a Matisse painting. Kawada more than anyone else served as the perfect foil to Misawa. Jumbo was from a different generation, Kobashi was too similar. But Kawada was Misawa's former partner and seamlessly slipped into the top heel role in All Japan after Jumbo's sudden decline. He was so good in that role that it was hard to believe he was ever a face. His mullet, his broken teeth, his black and yellow attire, the chip that constantly seemed to weigh on his shoulder, the brutal kick-based offense, the stoic demeanor. I know I haven't given many details on the match but it's really not needed. I suppose it helps to know that up to this point Kawada has never beaten Misawa. Even then, like all great art, this match speaks for itself. Does it help to be well schooled in Latin and to have a deep understanding on both Roman and Greek culture, history, and mythology in order to appreciate The Aeneid? Sure. But can you go in cold with the Dryden translation and still view it as one of the finest works in the early Western canon? Absolutely. And, actually, the more I think about this match the more it feels like the latter half of The Aeneid with Misawa as Aeneas and Kawada as Turnus. But I'll save that for another essay down the line.
Mitsuhara Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs. Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (6/9/95) - Hands down, no doubt about it, my favorite pro wrestling match of all time. It is absolute perfection in every way and the pinnacle of wrestling as narrative, wrestling as art, and wrestling as athletic pursuit. It is the Four Corners of Heaven earning their nickname. I've written about this match several times so I won't here. But if you're not sold on puro after the drama, intensity, and sheer emotional enormity of this match then Japanese wrestling is just not for you.
NOAH, Indies, and Beyond
Japanese wrestling is not just All Japan and New Japan. Several other companies have sprung up over the years with other distinct styles. Below is a sampling of these matches.
Naomichi Marufuji & KENTA vs. Ikuto Hidaka & Minoru Fujita (5/8/05) - A new generation of puro fans was made during KENTA's emergence in the mid-2000's. He's a floppy-haired kick machine who fit in perfectly with the style that was emerging on this side of the Pacific at the time. This is probably the most "familiar" match on the list as all four guys have experience working on the American indies and weren't afraid to bring some of that style back with them. This slot could have gone to any number of KENTAFuji tags and this purely comes down to personal preference.
Tomoaki Honma vs. Ryuji Yamakawa (6/20/99) - Though it sounds odd, many fans got their initial taste of puro through the deathmatch route. The famous Foley/Funk match is probably the best known avenue and it speaks to the high amount of transpacific crossover that seems to take place in the division, whether in FMW, Big Japan, or other lesser known companies. I decided to go with the jewel of the Big Japan Deathmatch Bible since it has all the scuminess of an American deathmatch coupled with the epic grandeur of traditional puro (Honma later went on to legitimate midcard stardom in the bigger Japanese companies). It has a really unique feel that won't be replicated in CZW anytime soon.
Thunderqueen: Aja Kong & Kyoko Inoue & Takako Inoue & Sakie Hasegawa vs. Dynamite Kansai & Mayumi Ozaki & Cuty Suzuki & Hikari Fukouka (7/31/93) - While you're trying new things, you might as well give Joshi a shot. I'm not the biggest fan and I certainly don't follow it very heavily, but this match is AWESOME. Even if you nothing about the background of the match, I guarantee a markout moment the first time Aja Kong and Dynamite Kansai face off. Speaking of Kong, she's easily one of the great monsters in the history of pro wrestling and deserves to be spoken of in the same breath as The Undertaker, Andre the Giant, and Goldberg. I have never not been impressed by her. The one thing to keep in mind is the rules. It's an Ironman Match (err...Ironwomen Match?) that is broken up into four singles matches that are five minutes apiece followed by all eight going toe to toe for forty minutes in a tag match. It has to do with two promotions going to war with each other but whatever. It's eight people going insane for an hour. There are better Joshi matches out there, but none are better as an introduction to the style.
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Kaientai DX (TAKA Michinoku & Dick Togo & MEN's Teioh & Sho Funaki & Shiryu) vs. Super Delfin & Gran Hamada & Tiger Mask IV & Gran Naniwa & Masato Yakushiji (10/10/96) - And finally, some Lucharesu. I was going to throw some Toryumon or Dragon Gate in this spot, but it's too hard to find the best stuff on youtube. So we'll go with the forefathers of this style instead. You'll recognize at least a few of these names from their ventures in WWE (and Shiryun is WCW's Kaz Hayashi). What you may not know is just how great these guys are when they're in their element. TAKA especially is mindblowing when you compare his work in WWF/E to his work in Japan. There are a whole bunch of multi-man tags like this from that time period but this was the most widely seen on the tape trading circuit.
I think 12 is enough for now. Hope this wasn't too long-winded. Enjoy!
