The ESSENTIALS: Making The Case For Hiroshi Tanahashi As The Best Main Event Performer Of All Time

The IWGP Champion is today's gold standard

 

Welcome to this very special edition of the ESSENTIALS.  With another brilliant title defense in the books at New Beginning (review to come soon), I think it's a safe bet to say that Hiroshi Tanahashi is the best wrestler alive.  No other performer has had a better string of main event performances and his two title reigns spanning the past three years place his name in the hat with greats like Steve Austin, Ric Flair, Bret Hart, Samoa Joe and Kurt Angle as one of the truly great big match wrestlers to ever live.  Don't believe the hype?  Go back and watch any Tanahashi match from the 2010s thus far and find me a single one that he didn't deliver in.  It's a fool's errand.  Still, while the haters inevitably waste away searching for a non-existent flaw in his work, I have decided to present the argument for Tanahashi as possibly, the greatest main event performer of all time.  What follows is a breakdown of how such an opinion was formed:


Drawing Power - Tanahashi has been the guy for New Japan for the entire decade thus far with his kingdom being only breached by the likes of Shinsuke Nakamura & Kazuchika Okada, both who've fallen short in toppling him as #1.  He consistently draws large crowds an even larger ovations and his name on the marquee has grown to symbolize excellence.

Other Greats: Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin & The Rock



Championship Aura - There is no other performer in the world right now who better carries himself as a champion.  The belt always seems to be the focus when presented around Tanahashi's waist and it's almost hard to imagine anyone else wearing the gold.

Other Greats: Kurt Angle, Batista & Samoa Joe



Reliability - If Tanahashi is in the main event, then it's ALWAYS a forgone conclusion that he is going to deliver.  Not only do all of his matches provide spectacle, but they never fall short of at least a four to five star classic.  All this being done regardless of who his opponent has been. 

Other Greats: Daniel Bryan, KENTA & Mitsuharu Misawa



Star Making Ability - A title win over Tanahashi makes an absolute sensation out of anyone who manages to do so (just ask Kazuchika Okada), but even in defeat, a strong performance against the champion always elevates challengers to the top of their game.

Other Greats: Triple H, John Cena & Jumbo Tsuruta



Generosity - In an effort to bring the absolute best out of any challenger, Tanahashi is usually a very giving opponent.  Often, he has been willing to let far inferior opponents get in great amounts of offense and even with a loss, they all appear as if they were "this close" to beating him. 

Other Greats: Mick Foley, Ric Flair & Chris Jericho



Big Match Flow - No other wrestler builds a match to absolute perfection quite like Tanahashi can.  It's a gift that even so many very good wrestlers have yet to master and it's an undeniably necessary trait for longevity atop the mountain.

Other Greats: The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels & Edge



All Time Title Reigns - As noted before, Tananashi's past two title runs are two of the best the sport has ever seen.  Match for match, it's hard to find anyone that's done better.

Other Greats: Bret Hart, Kenta Kobashi & CM Punk



When reviewing Hiroshi Tanahashi's championship resume, can you really provide me with a legitimate argument as to why the guy isn't the best wrestler in the world right now?  It baffles me that he continues to exemplify what pro wrestling is all about all the while breaking new ground and building up the next wave of stars.  He has been the anchor of what will go down as New Japan Pro Wrestling's greatest era and it's scary to think that there is still more to come.