5 Best Wrestling Matches of 1999

1. Kenta Kobashi vs. Mitsuharu Misawa – June 11, 1999

There are some wrestlers that can have countless matches together without it ever getting repetitive or boring. Kenta Kobashi versus Mitsuharu Misawa is one such a match-up, because they do so much that each bout feels fresh and different. Few wrestlers, if any, can do that as well as these two.

In another Match of the Year classic, Kobashi and Misawa battle for All Japan Pro Wrestling’s most prestigious prize, the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship. And just like in the prior year’s titanic encounter, you had one of the best pure wrestling matches in the world.

These two are so good in the ring that they manage to make even the smallest moves mean something and get a reaction from the crowd. Whether it’s a simple elbow strike, a knife-edge chop to the chest, or even a headlock takedown, the audience reacts with cheers. That is the definition of crowd control, which is a skill that’s hard to teach in wrestling.

But most importantly, Kobashi and Misawa are the masters of building up big moves. In this match (as with most of their biggest encounters), they build up a big spot (like a Powerbomb or a toss of the apron) by teasing the left before the intended victim reverses out of it. From there, either the intended big move is hit or the other person hits a big move of their own. Either way, when the move it hit, the crowd goes nuts and it makes the story between them even better.

This is a must-watch for anyone that likes high-risk wrestling with big moves and no gimmicks. It’s all about wearing down your opponent with as many strong moves as possible, weakening them with smart limb targeting, and in general being as tough as possible.

In other words, this is wrestling as art and in terms of art, it’s a masterpiece, plain and simple.