Mitsuharu Misawa

Mitsuharu Misawa was a Japanese professional wrestler and promoter who is primarily known for his time in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), and also for forming the Pro Wrestling Noah promotion in 2000. He was one of the most popular and respected wrestlers in Japan, and was widely regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. He was nicknamed the "Emerald Emperor" for his green attire and his dominant reigns as the AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion and the GHC Heavyweight Champion. He was also the second wrestler to don the Tiger Mask persona, and achieved success as a junior heavyweight before unmasking himself in 1990 and becoming a heavyweight star. He was part of the legendary "Four Pillars of Heaven" in AJPW, along with Toshiaki Kawada, Kenta Kobashi, and Akira Taue, who had many acclaimed matches that developed the "King's Road" style of puroresu. He was also a mentor and trainer to many younger wrestlers, such as Naomichi Marufuji, Takeshi Morishima, and KENTA. He died in 2009 after suffering a spinal injury during a match, which shocked and saddened the wrestling world. He was posthumously inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame and the Tokyo Sports Hall of Fame.