BREAKING NEWS: Japanese legend Misawa dead after in-ring accident
Saturday June 13, 2009 BY Phil Lowe
One of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time has died following a tragic in-ring accident during a Pro Wrestling NOAH show in Japan.
Mitsuharu Misawa, the founder of the Japanese promotion, died after an accident that came from a suplex during a show on Saturday.
Misawa was teaming with Go Shiozaki during the Hiroshima show, taking on Bison Smith and Akitoshi Saito for the GHC tag team championship.
According to reports in Japan, Misawa landed hard on his head after a belly-to-back suplex from Saito and lost consciousness.
A crowd of around 2,300 watched on as doctors and officials unsuccessfully attempted to revive him in the ring.
He was taken to a local hospital but never came back round and was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
Misawa was a national wrestling champion during high school in Japan and enjoyed success in All Japan Pro Wrestling during the 1980s as the second Tiger Mask.
After unmasking, he went on to become the biggest star in Japan during the 1990s.
Following the death of AJPW owner Shohei “Giant” Baba in 1999, Misawa took over as company president but issues and arguments with owner Motoko Baba, the widow of Giant Baba, led to him quitting the company along with the vast majority of the All Japan roster.
Misawa went on to form Pro Wrestling NOAH, with the promotion staging some of the best shows this decade from a wrestling standpoint - not just in Japan but anywhere in the world.
Mitsuharu Misawa was aged 46.