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#9 - Hiroshi Tanahashi
Score: 221
Lists: 12
Highest vote: 2nd place, Scarlet

Writeup: Bidoof

Without Hiroshi Tanahashi, there would not be a New Japan Pro Wrestling. At least, not the same New Japan that is currently loved by wrestling fans across the globe. Its difficult to imagine what the current state of wrestling would be without the rise of NJPW in 2016 and Tanahashis part in that cannot be overstated. Beyond his importance to the current landscape, Tanahashi is undisputedly one of the greatest wrestlers of his generation and has an argument for being among the greatest of all time. In the ring, his ability is near unmatched with many critically acclaimed matches over the last few years (and a number more from the time when people werent following NJPW) and, even now with all the wear on his body, he is still considered one of the best wrestlers on NJPWs roster.

From the start of his career in 1999, Tanahashi was identified along with Katsuyori Shibata and Shinsuke Nakamura as being the future of the company. Gaining a huge upset against an established star like Kensuke Sasaki in the 2002 G1 Climax helped establish him as a star on the rise but it was an incident outside of the ring that helped to get the public behind him. In late 2002, Tanahashi was stabbed by his then-girlfriend when he broke up with her. Due to her being a reporter for TV Asahi, the story got widespread coverage in Japan and a lot interest in Tanahashis recovery. When he finally made his return to the ring in late 2003, Tanahashi was experiencing a wave of support that few other wrestlers in the country had at the time.

While he went on to hold the U-30 (a belt specifically for younger wrestlers at the time in NJPW) and tag titles on multiple occasions, it would take until 2006 for Tanahashi to finally capture the IWGP Heavyweight Championship after winning a tournament for the belt when Brock Lesnar refused to return. By this time, NJPW was in a state of turbulence after the departure of founder Antonio Inoki. The company was desperately trying to find its place and a following with the current generation of wrestling fans in the country. They had already lost Shibata, a potential top guy, to the rising MMA scene and the last few years of Inokis out of touch booking had damaged the people who should have been carrying the company like Yuji Nagata. Essentially, the company was forced to choose between having a traditional strong style guy in Nakamura or the flashy, nontraditional Tanahashi to be their future. While Tanahashi was ultimately the decision the company made, it was one they took some time to commit to and I believe its his feud with Keiji Mutoh in 2007 where it became very clear that Tanahashi and his vision of wrestling would be the future of New Japan. I mention specifically his vision of wrestling because one of the big moves Tanahashi made once he was firmly established as the ace of the company was to add more Western wrestling influences to the NJPW dojo. This break from tradition has, in my opinion, been whats helped produce the likes of Tetsuya Naito, Kazuchika Okada, and other beloved stars of the current NJPW era.

Of course, it wouldnt be until around 2012 that people really began to notice Tanahashi and NJPW thanks to their shows being available on UStream. This, coupled with highly rated reviews from wrestling media like The Observer, grew the popularity of NJPW on the international stage and Tanahashis name began to be discussed among the best in the world. But it would be his magnificent rivalry with the rising star Kazuchika Okada that sold people to the idea that Tanahashi was truly a once in a century talent as he liked to claim. This rivalry is often compared to Flair/Steamboat in terms of ringwork and storytelling but I feel Tanahashi/Okada is better. The matches are all parts of this grand epic where, for a time, you couldnt wait to see the next match because everything could change with it. Its with the Okada rivalry that I believe you see the best of both men over the course of their many matches and you can see how Tanahashi goes from being the top guy of the company to the point where Okada has surpassed him if you follow it through to their last major match. This is a level of storytelling and work that you do not get from anyone else today and its not just because of the company they work for. Its because the other workers cannot do it.

Like with the write-up I did for Liger, I went back and rewatched just about every important Tanahashi match in the last decade. Doing so has left me believing that Hiroshi Tanahashi may be the greatest in-ring storyteller in professional wrestling. As mentioned previously with Okada, each match was another part to a greater storyline that you can see played out over every one of their matches. It makes each one a different but just as great experience. However, its not just with Okada that you get this level of storytelling from Tanahashi. Take his more long-term rivalry with Shinsuka Nakamura that was built on Tanahashi looking for one thing for Nakamura to acknowledge him as his rival. Or his feud with Tetsuya Naito that told the story of Naito looking to escape the perception of him being Tanahashi-lite. Or the more recent story with Ibushi where Tanahashi is challenging Kota to succeed him as an ace. Perhaps the most emotional one and maybe my favorite is the series with Katsuyori Shibata, a man that Tanahashi described in his book as feeling mixed about. Shibatas full embrace of the strong style mentality is somewhat the ideological opposite of Tanahashi and, coupled with the very real animosity between the two stemming from Shibatas departure, you had a dynamic where it felt like you were watching two men grow to respect one another culminating to Shibatas promo where they finally make amends. I cannot tell you how many times I rewrote this part or how much I cut out for the sake of actually being able to finish it, how much I really wanted to explore the things that were at play with Tanahashis past feuds with Makabe, Goto, AJ Styles, Nagata, Mutoh, and even Giant Bernard but Steiner has already gotten on me several times about dragging this thing out (and its already long enough as is). Ill just implore all of you with NJPW World subscriptions to have a look back for yourself. If you dont have a subscription, get one. Youre really missing out.

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"Hope is allowed to be stupid, unwise, and naive." ~Sir Chris