Hall of Fame Deep Dive: Japan

[Al]

I FOLLOWED WRESTLING IN JAPAN CANDIDATES

Cima

Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan

Yoshiaki Fujiwara

Hayabusa

Kota Ibushi

Kyoko Inoue

Tomohiro Ishii

Naomichi Marufuji

Tetsuya Naito

Kazuchika Okada

Meiko Satomura

Katsuyori Shibata

Takashi Sugiura

Akira Taue

 

So...I can't say that I really did follow wrestling in Japan. I'm aware of things, I'll check out big matches, but I can count the number of Fujiwara matches I've seen on one hand and some of these workers I've never seen. The biggest issue for me is that I would tend to judge drawing power over work. It's not so much anti-work as a philosophy that truly important workers usually end up in positions of influence anyway. Another roadblock I have is that I really don't know how important Dragon Gate, GAEA, Stardom, FMW, etc. So ignorance forthcoming! Assume that you are right and I am wrong

 

1. Kazuchika Okada - except for this one. Okada has main evented multiple stadium shows, held the IWGP championship longer than anyone in history, is generally considered an elite worker. I think everyone expects Okada to go in.

 

2. Kota Ibushi. Too early. But someone who seems to me to be on a HOF path.

 

3. Akira Taue. My reservation is that a LOT of his peers are in, to the point where it feels like arguing that if Hack Wilson and Kiki Cuyler are in the Hall, Riggs Stephenson should be in too (Cubs outfielders from the 1930s). People will argue that's unfair to Taue and they may be right. But given that this is the 9th time arguing about Taue there's obviously dissent. 

 

4. Yoshiaki Fujiwara. Clearly respected as a great worker and influencer of the shoot style of wrestling.

 

5. Meiko Satomura. Yeah, it's NXT UK. But to be a great worker for 20+ years to the point where even WWE can't ignore it? That's good. I've only seen a handful of her matches but I can see it too.

 

6. CIMA. Apparently Dragon Gate is a big thing and CIMA was the most important aspect? I believe the former, taking people's word on it for the latter.

 

7. Kojima/Tenzan. I don't think there's a great argument as a team and Kojima is probably a better candidate as a single.

 

8. Tomohiro Ishii. Don't know much about him as a draw but he's won best brawler several times. Ishii feels like someone really building his resume right now even in his 40s. 

 

9. Tetsuya Naito. Had the IWGP championship run but it feels like he's cooled.

 

10. Kyoko Inoue. I don't know much about her to be honest, even her Wikipedia entry is only seven sentences long. But she's had a long career as a wrestler and now a promoter in womens wrestling? 

 

The rest...Hayabusa was great but the career ending injury kind of leaves him as a what if...Sugiura and Marufuji are distant names to me, I know what titles they've held but little else that would bolster their standing. Pro Wrestling NOAH is a real blind spot...Shibata, I just don't know enough.

[Control21]

It continues to frustrate me that Fujiwara and Taue are not in the HOF. They should be slam dunk candidates but what do I know...Taue was an integral part of AJPW in the 1990s and the Four Pillar tag matches speak for themselves I think. Fujiwara was an integral part of the shoot-style revolution and influenced/trained an entire generation of wrestlers. Both were proven draws to some degree as well (it's harder to make that cause for Taue, but Fujiwara was one of the top guys in UWF and UWF 2.0 and fans were obviously paying to see him.)

Okada, Ibushi, and Naito have very good cases, I would say TenCozy do as well but with HDA not even in, it's harder to make the argument for them.

[El-P]

On 11/18/2021 at 5:22 PM, Al said:

8. Tomohiro Ishii. Don't know much about him as a draw but he's won best brawler several times. Ishii feels like someone really building his resume right now even in his 40s.

On work alone, he should go in. One of the best worker ever. Maybe the best seller ever. Incredible body of work.

On 11/18/2021 at 5:22 PM, Al said:

10. Kyoko Inoue. I don't know much about her to be honest, even her Wikipedia entry is only seven sentences long. But she's had a long career as a wrestler and now a promoter in womens wrestling? 

She was an integral part of the 90's golden age, which of course included the interpromotional shows era. One of the best workers of the 90's. Not at the Hokuto level in term of importance, probably not at the Toyota level either although that's debatable, just not too far either.

[ethantyler]

2nd strongest section on the ballot: 

1. Kazuchika Okada
2. Akira Taue
3. Kota Ibushi
4. Tetsuya Naito
5. Yoshiaki Fujiwara
6. Cima
7. Kyoko Inoue
8. Tomohiro Ishii
9. Hayabusa
10. Naomichi Marufuji

I think my top 4 will all, at some point, get inducted. I voted for Okada & Taue this year, but Ibushi was my no.11 pick. 

5-10 are more borderline and I don't see myself voting for them anytime soon. Every single one of them are easy inductees into the "hall of very good" but not "hall of fame". Fujiwara has historical significance and in-ring ability on his side but is clearly below the Takada & Maeda's of the world. Cima is Mr Dragon Gate when they were doing good business but that's not enough for me. Kyoko Inoue is a clear step below my girl Hokuto, Toyota, etc. Ishii's a step below Okada, Ibushi, Naito. Hayabusa's historical significance case isn't strong enough. Marufuji is a personal favorite, not a HOFer. 

A general point about getting in based on in-ring ability alone: extremely difficult. Borderline impossible. You have to be THE best wrestler of your generation for me to vote for you without any drawing power, longevity on top, & historical significance. See The Steiners, who I did vote for, as an example (best full time tag team in the world from 90-94, probably the best for the 90s as a whole). Ishii isn't the best wrestler of his generation in my view. Ditto Fujiwara for his generation.