Masahito Kakihara

[Grimmas]

Discuss here.

[Loss]

Kakihara transitioned pretty well to pro-style. I enjoyed him in All Japan, even if he falls just shy of elite status during that time. I don't think he has enough for a list like this, but he's a wrestler I really enjoy all the same.

[Ma Stump Puller]

Kakihara was low-key a VERY strong worker in All-Japan, especially in being able to carry the load in matches with guys who theoretically should've completely outclassed him: guys like Kobashi, Ogawa, Kawada, etc. He even has a pretty kick-ass match with Inoue at one point. Just a all-rounder in terms of utility, being able to be slotted in practically anywhere and do well with what he's given. 

His strengths come mostly from his UWF work (which while hit and miss, was pretty good for that era) but he just doesn't have a lot to work with beyond All-Japan and some good UWF stints. It's a little unfair given his traumatic injury basically cuts his career short before he could've perhaps done more, but wear and tear in general was really effecting his quality to work to what he was in prior years, so either way I don't think his later career has a lot of big upsides worth bringing up. He's good, just his peak was way too short and wasn't setting the world on fire anyway. He got better at pro-wrestling faster than Takayama did but Taka eventually surpasses him by 1999/2000 when he's just on a tear with NO FEAR.