Mitsuharu Misawa

Mitsuharu Misawa, born June 18, 1962 is a Japanese professional wrestler. He became famous working for All Japan Pro Wrestling. Currently he owns, operates, and wrestles for Pro Wrestling NOAH. He also founded and serves as the chairman of the Global Professional Wrestling Alliance.

Career
Misawa was a successful amateur wrestler. Competing in the junior age group, he placed fifth at the 1980 freestyle World Championships. Misawa was trained in professional wrestling by Dick "The Destroyer" Beyer, Shohei Baba, and Dory Funk, Jr. and made his professional debut on August 21, 1981 for All Japan Pro Wrestling. From 1984 until 1990, Misawa wrestled as the second generation Tiger Mask, as All Japan had purchased the rights of the Tiger Mask gimmick from New Japan Pro Wrestling. On May 14 1990, during a tag match against Yoshiaki Yatsu and Hiromichi Fuyuki, he commanded his partner (and future rival) Toshiaki Kawada to unmask him, thus abandoning the Tiger Mask gimmick.

Weeks later, Misawa defeated Jumbo Tsuruta on June 8 in his first main event at Nippon Budokan; the match is seen as a turning point in the history of All Japan, with Misawa being established as a major threat and a new star. Misawa made his first challenge for the Triple Crown in July, losing to Stan Hansen in a decision match for the vacant titles after Terry Gordy was forced to vacate the belts. After losing to Jumbo in a rematch on September 1, he teamed with then-regular partner Toshiaki Kawada to place third in the Real World Tag League, beating the team of Jumbo & Akira Taue on the final day. Misawa again challenged for the Triple Crown in April, but fell to Tsuruta for a second time. Misawa continued his growth throughout 1991, pinning Terry Gordy in successive months in June and July, the second coming in an AJPW World Tag Team Titles match, with Misawa winning the belts for himself and partner Kawada. The pair made their first defence against the team of Tsuruta & Taue on September 30 at Nippon Budokan, with Misawa historically submitting Jumbo to end the match. Misawa then went on to dominate All Japan Pro Wrestling throughout the 1990s, with multiple Triple Crown and AJPW World Tag Team Title reigns. His rivalries with Jumbo Tsuruta, Toshiaki Kawada and Kenta Kobashi are legendary, with many classic matches against them. His tag-team partners included Kenta Kobashi and Jun Akiyama.

Following the death of AJPW head booker Giant Baba, Misawa inherited the position of AJPW president. After disagreements with widow Motoko Baba and being removed by a board of executives in 2000, Misawa left All Japan in May 2000; with him followed all but two natives (Toshiaki Kawada and Masanobu Fuchi) & 2 non-natives (Stan Hansen & Maunakea Mossman) to form Pro Wrestling NOAH. NOAH debuted (billed as "DEPARTURE") on August 5 and August 6, 2000, as the shows featured the 23 other wrestlers that had resigned from All-Japan. On July 18, 2004, Misawa returned to All-Japan and defeated Satoshi Kojima at Battle Banquet; he would return once more on October 31, 2004 for the Keiji Mutoh: Love and Bump pay-per-view event, where he (along with Keiji Mutoh) defeated Hiroshi Hase and Kensuke Sasaki in what was billed as a "Special Dream Tag Match."

In 2005, Misawa and his long time partner Yoshinari Ogawa returned the GHC Tag Team belts to NOAH from the New Japan Pro Wrestling combination of Yuji Nagata & Hiroshi Tanahashi. Currently, Misawa continues to wrestle a full-time schedule, competing mostly in tag team matches. At the Nippon Budokan on December 10, 2006, he defeated Naomichi Marufuji to win his 3rd GHC Heavyweight Championship. Misawa has defended the GHC Heavyweight Championship against former ROH World Champion Takeshi Morishima, Takuma Sano & Top Gaijin Bison Smith. Misawa retained his title for the 4th time when he pinned Akira Taue after an Emerald Frosion Custom. On August 25, 2007 it was announced that Misawa would be on November 2nd and November 3rd Ring of Honor "Glory By Honor" cards in Philadelphia and New York City respectively.

On October 27, Misawa successfully defended the GHC Championship against Samoa Joe. The following week, Misawa travled to the United States to appear at Ring of Honor's Glory by Honor VI weekend. The first night, he teamed with KENTA to face Takeshi Morishima and Naomichi Marufuji, wrestling to a thirty minute time-limit draw. The following night, he successfully defended the GHC Championship against KENTA.

On March 2, Misawa was defeated by Takeshi Morishima for the GHC Heavyweight Championship, ending his 16-month championship reign.

In wrestling

 * Finishing and signature moves
 * Emerald Flowsion, sometimes from the top rope – Innovated
 * Emerald Flowsion II (Spinning fireman's carry sitout side powerslam)
 * Tiger Driver (Sitout double underhook powerbomb, sometimes from the top rope) – Innovated
 * Tiger Driver '91 (Kneeling double underhook ganson bomb)
 * Tiger Suplex '85 (Modified half nelson suplex) – Innovated
 * Rolling Elbow (Discus elbow smash)
 * Tiger Press (Frog splash)
 * Wrist–clutch tiger suplex
 * Crossface
 * Running elbow smash
 * Monkey flip
 * Forward roll into a camel clutch

Championships and accomplishments

 * All Japan Pro Wrestling
 * AJPW All Asia Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Kenta Kobashi (1) and Yoshinari Ogawa (1)
 * AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship (5 times)
 * AJPW Unified World Tag Team Championship (6 times) – with Toshiaki Kawada (2), Kenta Kobashi (2), Jun Akiyama (1) and Yoshinari Ogawa (1)
 * NWA International Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time; Final champion)
 * PWF World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Jumbo Tsuruta
 * Champion's Carnival (1995)
 * Champion's Carnival (1998)
 * World's Strongest Tag Team League – with Toshiaki Kawada (1992)
 * World's Strongest Tag Team League – with Kenta Kobashi (1993)
 * World's Strongest Tag Team League – with Kenta Kobashi (1994)
 * World's Strongest Tag Team League – with Kenta Kobashi (1995)
 * Pro Wrestling NOAH
 * GHC Heavyweight Championship (3 times) (First)
 * GHC Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Yoshinari Ogawa
 * Pro Wrestling Illustrated
 * PWI ranked him # 2 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1997.
 * Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
 * 5 Star Match (1987) vs. Kuniaki Kobayashi on March 9
 * 5 Star Match (1990) vs. Jumbo Tsuruta on June 8
 * 5 Star Match (1990) with Toshiaki Kawada and Kenta Kobashi vs. Jumbo Tsuruta, Akira Taue and Masanobu Fuchi on October 19
 * 5 Star Match (1991) with Toshiaki Kawada and Kenta Kobashi vs. Jumbo Tsuruta, Akira Taue and Masanobu Fuchi on April 20
 * 5 Star Match (1992) with Kenta Kobashi and Toshiaki Kawada vs. Jumbo Tsuruta, Akira Taue amd Masanobu Fuchi on May 22
 * 5 Star Match (1993) with Kenta Kobashi and Jun Akiyama vs. Toshiaki Kawada, Akira Taue and Yoshinari Ogawa on July 2
 * 5 Star Match (1993) with Kenta Kobashi vs. Akira Taue and Toshiaki Kawada on December 3
 * 5 Star Match (1994) with Kenta Kobashi and Giant Baba vs. Masanobu Fuchi, Toshiaki Kawada and Akira Taue on February 13
 * 5 Star Match (1994) with Kenta Kobashi vs. Akira Taue and Toshiaki Kawada on May 21
 * 5 Star Match (1994) vs. Toshiaki Kawada on June 3
 * 5 Star Match (1995) with Kenta Kobashi vs. Akira Taue and Toshiaki Kawada on January 21
 * 5 Star Match (1995) with Kenta Kobashi vs. Steve Williams and Johnny Ace on March 4
 * 5 Star Match (1995) vs. Akira Taue on April 15
 * 5 Star Match (1995) with Kenta Kobashi vs. Akira Taue and Toshiaki Kawada on June 9
 * 5 Star Match (1995) with Kenta Kobashi and Satoru Asako vs. Toshiaki Kawada, Akira Taue and Tamon Honda on June 30
 * 5 Star Match (1996) with Jun Akiyama vs. Toshiaki Kawada and Akira Taue on May 23
 * 5 Star Match (1996) with Jun Akiyama vs. Steve Williams and Johnny Ace on June 7
 * 5 Star Match (1996) with Jun Akiyama vs. Toshiaki Kawada and Akira Taue on December 6
 * 5 Star Match (1997) vs. Toshiaki Kawada on June 6
 * 5 Star Match (1997) with Jun Akiyama vs. Toshiaki Kawada and Akira Taue on December 5
 * 5 Star Match (1998) vs. Kenta Kobashi on October 31
 * 5 Star Match (1999) vs. Kenta Kobashi on June 11
 * 5 Star Match (1999) with Yoshinari Ogawa vs. Kenta Kobashi and Jun Akiyama on October 23
 * 5 Star Match (2003) vs. Kenta Kobashi on March 1
 * Best Flying Wrestler (1985, 1986)
 * Feud of the Year (1990, 1991) vs. Jumbo Tsuruta
 * Match of the Year (1985) vs. Kuniaki Kobayashi on June 12, Tokyo, Japan
 * Match of the Year (1996) with Jun Akiyama vs. Steve Williams and Johnny Ace on June 7, Tokyo, Japan
 * Match of the Year (1998) vs. Kenta Kobashi on October 31, Tokyo, Japan
 * Match of the Year (1999) vs. Kenta Kobashi on June 11, Tokyo, Japan
 * Match of the Year (2003) vs. Kenta Kobashi on March 1, Tokyo, Japan
 * Most Outstanding Wrestler (1997, 1999)
 * Most Underrated Wrestler (1988)
 * Tag Team of the Year (1995) with Kenta Kobashi
 * Tag Team of the Year (1996) with Jun Akiyama
 * Tag Team of the Year (1997) with Jun Akiyama
 * Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
 * Wrestler of the Year (1995, 1997, 1999)

Theme music
Misawa's theme song "Spartan X", is one of the most popular entrance themes of all-time and it remains the only song he has ever used throughout his career. It was also the theme song for the 1984 Flim Wheels on Meals starring Jackie Chan & Sammo Hung.