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28. Toshiaki Kawada
Score: 70
# of Lists: 7

One of the All Japan Pro Wrestlings famous Four Pillars of Heaven, the core of the roster that produced what many consider the greatest era of Pro Wrestling ever. Kawada is the first were going to discuss (sorry Taue!) but it would be impossible to discuss Toshiaki Kawada without talking about Mitsuharu Misawa. Their careers are as intertwined as any two wrestlers could be, with a rivalry that dated back to high school and would last through their professional relationship (which ends when Kawada is one of two All Japan wrestlers to stay with the company when Misawa takes the rest of the roster to form NOAH in 2000).

His relationship with Misawa in AJPW starts as a team as the Super Generation Army in 1990, along with Kenta Kobashi and some other young talent they clash with Jumbo Tsurutas Tsuruta-Gun stable, and often war with gaijin like Stan Hansen and Dr. Death Steve Williams. He would challenge Hansen for the Triple Crown Championship in the Tokyo Sports 1992 match of the year, and later be the first challenge for Misawas first title reign the first singles title match between the two.

But its once this team ends, and Kawada forms a new partnership with Akira Taue, that the best of Kawada comes. The Holy Demon Army is one of the greatest tag teams of all time, delivering main event epic tag team matches that did great business and were extremely well received critically throughout the rest of the peak All Japan period. But obviously there were no greater rivals for the Holy Demon Army than the other two of All Japans Four Pillars Misawa and Kobashi. These two teams would have 9 matches in total, all of them great, and several among the greatest tag matches of all time. In particular, you can just say 6/9/95in many circles and people will know you are talking about possibly the greatest tag match of all time.

But the main reason those matches stand out more than Holy Demon Armys matches with the Miracle Violence Connection or any other team that came through 90s All Japan, is the enduring rivalry with Misawa which would also manifest in several of the greatest Triple Crown matches which, at the risk of repeating myself here, again means some of the greatest matches of all time. While each of the Misawa/Kawada matches is excellent in their own right, it really is the personal animosity that escalates through their series that puts these matches in an elite tier of professional wrestling.

Kawada is best known for his stiff strikes, intensity, and I dont know a better word for it than grumpiness. A highlight of many multi man tags is watching Kawada seethe on the outside as his partner takes a pounding, and then watching him unleash that fury once he can get in the ring. The effect is amplified when its Kawada himself taking the beating and firing back and never moreso than when the man on the opposite side is Misawa.

Its sad yet fitting that despite their careers going separate paths when Misawa formed NOAH, Kawada lost his passion for wrestling shortly after Misawas tragic death in 2009, and stopped wrestling himself shortly after. Their rivalry defined an era, their careers, and in some ways their lives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2OLvGT5ROU; Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue vs. Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi (June 9 1995)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQngTdDtBw8; Toshiakia Kawada vs. Mitsuharu Misawa (June 3 1994)
BONUS: https://www.bilibili.com/video/av74023072/;Toshiaki Kawada vs. Mick Foley (May 8th 2004)

27. Stan Hansen
Score: 71
# of Lists: 6

The headline of Stan Hansens bio has to read Greatest Gaijin Ever you could stop there and he more than earns this spot. Theres no more legendary a foreigner to ever compete in Japan than the man synonymous with the Lariat. Hes certainly best known for his work in Japan, but dont let that diminish his work in the States before he went there He was a challenger for Bruno Sammartino in the WWWF, and it was when he broke Sammartinos neck in a title match at Madison Square Garden in 1976 that the power of his Lariat first became legendary.

It was off the back of this incident that Hansen would first be booked in New Japan Pro Wrestling as a top heel, putting him across the ring from NJPW legends such as Tatsumi Fujinami and, of course, Antonio Inoki. In 1980 he would defeat Inoki for the NWF World Title, a rare feat in and of itself. Shortly after, he would jump to All Japan, where he would perhaps find his greatest success also scoring wins over Giant Baba, becoming the only man to pin both Inoki and Baba in singles matches, and holding both the PWF World Championship and the later Triple Crown Championship 4 times each (amongst others).

As is the hallmark of many beloved wrestlers in Japan, Hansen worked as stiff as they came. He attributed this to his poor eyesight basically, he just swung his Lariat, and it was up to the guy taking it to not die. This all comes together beautifully with Hansens character, a Wildman cowboy wholl kick anybodys ass. His entrance consisting of him coming out fired up, swinging his bullrope and fighting off fans is always an amazing chaotic scene that tells you Hansen is here to fight. And thats usually what a Hansen match was, an out-and-out fight where somebody was going to get fucked up. What more do you want from wrestling?

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7kuip9; Stan Hansen vs. Vader (February 10, 1990)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDBnF-vLp0U; Stan Hansen vs. Kenta Kobashi (July 29, 1993)

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Maniac64