(NOAH) "Promise to Kobashi", Mitsuharu Misawa's last glorious GHC Championship

11th June 2023

Tokyo Sports

It has already been fourteen years since the founder of Noah, the late Mitsuharu Misawa (aged 46) died in an accident during a match in Hiroshima on June 13th 2009, and the anniversary of his death is approaching again this year. Noah has designated June as his memorial month, entitled "Mitsuharu Misawa Memorial 2023", and are remembering the deceased by planning the release of new goods and events. 

The match in which Misawa died was reported on the front page of this paper (Tokyo Sports), but the reporter wrote an article about the last conversation he had with Misawa four days before his death as "Misawa's will". It was June 9th, shortly before the Shizuoka/Numazu event. Misawa was clearly exhausted and said, "I want to stop. My body is suffering. I started to wonder how long I can do this. I want to quit..." He used to say that he wanted to quit when he was drinking, but on that particular day the sense of urgency was different. It was like a desperate cry from the soul. He looked in bad condition. I asked the staff and it appeared that Misawa was not feeling well on this tour, and this was the second time he had been exercising at the venue before the match*. At the time when I saw him conversing with a reporter at ringside, I thought "Oh". Since the reporter was a copy editor, I can only think that divine intervention allowed the last conversation that took place on the tour in Numazu. To the reporters words, "If you take a little rest..." he said, "I can't do that. Once I take a break, the feeling of "one more time" will vanish. It's time to stop when it's time to rest". Furthermore, he said with an awkward smile, "If a young wrestler comes out, I don't think I'll ever regret losing. If only I could stop after that". The reporter secretly prepared an article about "Misawa's decision to retire" for later use, and the late GM Ryu Nakata also said that two days before his death he had consulted with Misawa in Numazu about retirement. However, they both were unsuccessful, and Misawa passed away four days later.

I think Misawa's last shining was in 2006-2007, just two years before his death. On December 10 2006, at the Nippon Budokan, Misawa regained the GHC Heavyweight Championship from his student, Naomichi Marufuji, for the first time in three years and nine months*. At the age of 44 he became the champion. This Misawa's last crowning of the title, and this paper reported the title match on the front page;

"From the start, Misawa was forced to the edge of the ring with a concentrated attack with a left knee bomb. From the 15th minute, the Tiger Driver from the apron was returned by the Shiranui in a series of crises, and he was hit by a Shiranui on the ramp. He had no more energy left. However, with just a little energy, Misawa performed a miraculous turnaround. Returning the Shiranui and unsealing the half-Nelson-style ferocious tiger atomic bomb attack. The mythical powerful technique called the "Tiger Suplex 85". This strike awakened Misawa's dormant inspiration. When Marufuji went for the Shiranui, Misawa caught him and fired off the Emerald Flowsion and took the pin. Misawa said, "I will do my best until Kobashi (who was fighting Kidney cancer) comes back. It's tough though".

From here on, Misawa continued to make good progress, making seven defenses until March 2008. In November 2007, he went on an expedition in New York and defeated KENTA, and succeeded in his seventh defense. He truly kept his "promise" by keeping the belt until Kobashi's comeback match (December 2nd 2007 at the Nippon Budokan = Misawa & Akiyama vs Kobashi & Takayama). Misawa's efforts were highly evaluated, and at the age of 45 years and 6 months, he won Tokyo Sports "Pro Wrestling Grand Prix" MVP award for the first time. He also won "Best Bout" for Kobashi's return match, and won two awards in total. It was the final brilliance of a man with a sense of responsibility who defended the promotion by offering his own body. After hearing the news of the award, Misawa said happily "Life and professional wrestling are interesting, because you never know what will happen".

Even now, when listening to "Spartan X", there are probably a lot of people who have a lump in their throat. No matter how many years pass, Misawa's majestic figure will forever be etched in the hearts of fans, wrestlers and everyone involved with him.

Translated from Tokyo Sports

Picture credits: Tokyo Sports

Notes

*Misawa would usually go to a local gym, it was rare that he would come to the venue to exercise.

*Marufuji wondered what would have happened for both Misawa and Noah had he been allowed to retain the title. This remains one of the greatest "What If's" in Noah/Puro history.