Rd. 2 Falls Count Anywhere - Mitsuharu Misawa (JAP) vs Edge (CAN)

[IrishCanadian25]

Mitsuharu Misawa (JAP) vs Edge (CAN)​

This is a second round Falls Count Anywhere Match in the 2010 Wrestlezolympics. There are no disqualifications and no count-outs. The match may go anywhere in the arena. The first man to score a fall via pin or submission will win the match and advance to the semi-finals.

The match will open for discussion on Thursday, February 4th, and voting will begin on Friday, February 5th. This is a non-spam thread, so if you decide to post, you must provide reasons why you are backing a particular wrestler. You may vote without posting.

 

[X]

This should be a rather easy victory for Misawa here. Edge just isn't in his league, at all, and I've always been an Edge fan. Edge made a name for himself by cheating to win; well that's out the window when there are no rules. Add to that the fact that Edge isn't even half of the wrestler that Misawa was, and this is a cut-and-dry case for Misawa. Misawa is arguably the greatest pro wrestler to ever live. Edge wouldn't even crack the top 20 I'm afraid.

Easy victory for Misawa. This would have been an awesome match to see though.

 

[jmt225]

[YOUTUBE]MBmke5gm4Uk[/YOUTUBE]

Yeah... Edge would die here, literally.

Think about it... someone with Edge's history of neck problems, along with other severe injuries, would never be able to handle those moves in that video. Never.

Edge is tough, no doubt, and he's pretty creative with weapons (though a LOT more so when he has a partner helping him out), but he just wouldn't be able to handle someone like Misawa dropping him on his head every 20 seconds, let alone if there's tables, ladders, chairs, and a concrete floor there for him to crash on. Like I said... Edge would fucking DIE.

As far as what Edge would do to Misawa... seriously, if you think the weakest spear in the history of professional wrestling would put down Misawa, then you're a fucking ******, sorry. And Misawa's just way too intelligent to get caught up in any of other Edge's signature moves, especially those involving weapons, since with Edge you usually see them coming from a mile away.

Misawa would win here, and anyone who looks at this unbiasedly and logically should agree.

 

[Tastycles]

I've gone with Misawa, more on general sort of wrestling standard than anything to do with the match. Edge has had great gimmick matches, and he has won a lot, but he has also lost them when facing the huge names. His defeat to Cena in a TLC match is probably the most telling example of this. Edge has a definitively losing record over the very creme de la creme of wrestling, and Misawa is that, so he gets the win here.

 

[TheOneBigWill]

JMT, Edge can quite possibly reverse or simply out-move over half of the moves in that Top Ten.

He had a Tope Elbow that seemingly took him forever to rush from one side of the ring to the other. Edge isn't going to just stand outside and wait for him to dive at him, hes likely quicker than the opponent in that video. A quick side-step and Misawa is going face first into the guardrail/ringside.

He had a couple elbow smash/roaring elbow smash moves. Both of which are easily counter-able for someone with Edge's quickness, and also nicely set-up for Edge to bounce off the opposite ropes and hit Misawa with a spear. And as far as the above comments you made about it being the weakest.. well weak or not its pinned Superstars vastly superior and greater than Misawa's, shoulders to the mat.. so it must have something going for it.

The Tiger Bomb isn't as powerful as the Batista Bomb. (okay, I won't say it doesn't hurt any less - but from that video it looked very slow and quite honestly; weak) If Edge can survive a similar move being delivered from someone with more power and delivery force, I'm sure he can survive Misawa's version.

The Suplex he does is just a folded arms version of a regular German. Kurt Angle has delivered several to Edge throughout the course of their feuds and Edge hasn't lost any momentum or matches because of them yet. Unless someone can prove to me how folding the arms is going to suddenly cause that much more massive damage - I'm not going to believe it would be any more effective.

The way I see it, the only arsenal that Misawa has going for him are the Emrald Flowsion moves. All of which are nice, and it seems like he can hit them on guys Edge's size so its a possibility that it could/would happen. However, Edge has kicked out of finishing moves before - so its a pure coin toss to say he could or couldn't.

Finally - you brought up Edge's history of neck injuries and made a slap-stick comment about how he could "die" in the ring. Well, since you're such a history buff and all.. Misawa DID die in the ring. So, you know, if you wanna talk random stuff then I suppose the upper hand goes to Edge - since, as far as time goes - he's yet to actually die in the ring and all.

In the end, vote for whoever you want. Misawa fans won't listen to Edge fans, Edge fans won't listen to Misawa fans. It'll go however it'll go and whoever wins, wins. Plain and simple. I don't care if you vote for stupid reasons, or logical reasons. In the end, someone will win and someone will lose.

If Edge loses then so be it. I doubt Misawa fans could say the same.

 

[jmt225]

He had a Tope Elbow that seemingly took him forever to rush from one side of the ring to the other. Edge isn't going to just stand outside and wait for him to dive at him, hes likely quicker than the opponent in that video. A quick side-step and Misawa is going face first into the guardrail/ringside.

Actually, yes Edge will. Jeff Hardy has hit him with similar moves throughout all their matches against one another.

He had a couple elbow smash/roaring elbow smash moves. Both of which are easily counter-able for someone with Edge's quickness, and also nicely set-up for Edge to bounce off the opposite ropes and hit Misawa with a spear.

First of all, Edge is not quick, at all. Secondly, yes you can avoid moves like the roaring elbow, but eventually you will get hit with one. It's inevitable, especially with someone like Edge. Seriously, Edge sometimes can't dodge Cena's shoulder block and 5 Knuckle Shuffle, so what makes you think all of the sudden he's going to be able to prepare himself with someone like Misawa's move set?

And as far as the above comments you made about it being the weakest.. well weak or not its pinned Superstars vastly superior and greater than Misawa's, shoulders to the mat.. so it must have something going for it.

Key word there being "Superstars". Misawa's not some watered-down, pansy ass "Superstar". He a fucking professional wrestler, and one of the best who ever lived. He would never get put down by something as weak looking as Edge's Spear. That is simply a fact.

The Tiger Bomb isn't as powerful as the Batista Bomb. (okay, I won't say it doesn't hurt any less - but from that video it looked very slow and quite honestly; weak) If Edge can survive a similar move being delivered from someone with more power and delivery force, I'm sure he can survive Misawa's version.

I'll agree with you here - Edge can kick out of the Tiger Bomb. However, it would weaken his ass down for Misawa's other signature moves.

The Suplex he does is just a folded arms version of a regular German. Kurt Angle has delivered several to Edge throughout the course of their feuds and Edge hasn't lost any momentum or matches because of them yet. Unless someone can prove to me how folding the arms is going to suddenly cause that much more massive damage - I'm not going to believe it would be any more effective.

Not really, man. The Tiger Suplex, when performed properly, is a very hard move to kick out of. I'm not sure if Edge could do it, since I don't think he's ever taken the move before.

The way I see it, the only arsenal that Misawa has going for him are the Emrald Flowsion moves. All of which are nice, and it seems like he can hit them on guys Edge's size so its a possibility that it could/would happen. However, Edge has kicked out of finishing moves before - so its a pure coin toss to say he could or couldn't.

Yes, he has kicked out of some finishing moves throughout his career, but none as devastating as Misawa's Emrald Flowsion and Tiger Driver. And Edge has lost plenty of matches by pinfall with MUCH weaker maneuvers finishing him off, as well.

Finally - you brought up Edge's history of neck injuries and made a slap-stick comment about how he could "die" in the ring. Well, since you're such a history buff and all.. Misawa DID die in the ring.

Thanks for the history lesson...

So, you know, if you wanna talk random stuff then I suppose the upper hand goes to Edge - since, as far as time goes - he's yet to actually die in the ring and all.

Only because he hasn't faced someone like Misawa before.

In the end, vote for whoever you want. Misawa fans won't listen to Edge fans, Edge fans won't listen to Misawa fans. It'll go however it'll go and whoever wins, wins. Plain and simple. I don't care if you vote for stupid reasons, or logical reasons. In the end, someone will win and someone will lose.

If you truly believed this, then you wouldn't have responded to my post in the first place. You can claim you didn't put "full effort" into it, but regardless of whether or not that's true, you obviously do care a little otherwise you wouldn't have responded to it at all.

If Edge loses then so be it. I doubt Misawa fans could say the same.

You won't see me throw a fit if Misawa lost. You also won't see me go on this huge flame/bitchfest at those who do get upset at the result of a match, neither. I doubt I can say the same about Edge fans....

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

JMT, Edge can quite possibly reverse or simply out-move over half of the moves in that Top Ten.

He had a Tope Elbow that seemingly took him forever to rush from one side of the ring to the other. Edge isn't going to just stand outside and wait for him to dive at him, hes likely quicker than the opponent in that video. A quick side-step and Misawa is going face first into the guardrail/ringside.

He had a couple elbow smash/roaring elbow smash moves. Both of which are easily counter-able for someone with Edge's quickness, and also nicely set-up for Edge to bounce off the opposite ropes and hit Misawa with a spear. And as far as the above comments you made about it being the weakest.. well weak or not its pinned Superstars vastly superior and greater than Misawa's, shoulders to the mat.. so it must have something going for it.

1) The opponent Misawa elbows in the first clip is Toshiaki Kawada, a man stronger and faster than Edge.

2) How would you know that Edge's spear has pinned the shoulders of Superstars that are vastly superior or greater than Misawa? Pro Wrestling Illustrated listed Misawa as the sixth greatest modern professional wrestler of all time. Who was ahead of him? In order: Hulk Hogan; Ric Flair; Andre the Giant; Bret Hart; Antonio Inoki. Give me a shout if Edge's spear pinned these men in their prime.

3) Misawa is virtually invincible in the ring; it literally takes his opponent's all plus more to take him down. I seriously doubt Edge's spear would do anything to him in a kayfabe or real sense.

The Tiger Bomb isn't as powerful as the Batista Bomb. (okay, I won't say it doesn't hurt any less - but from that video it looked very slow and quite honestly; weak) If Edge can survive a similar move being delivered from someone with more power and delivery force, I'm sure he can survive Misawa's version.

How would you know that the Tiger Driver isn't as powerful as the Batista Bomb? Also, a 36/37-year-old Misawa was able to Tiger Drive a 450-pound Vader; at a similar age, Batista can't power bomb someone two-thirds of that weight without tearing his muscles for the umpteenth time. So, even if Batista's power bomb is stronger than Misawa's Tiger Driver (which is doubtful), Misawa could still Tiger Drive Edge five times more without getting fatigued or injured, so this is a moot point.

The Suplex he does is just a folded arms version of a regular German. Kurt Angle has delivered several to Edge throughout the course of their feuds and Edge hasn't lost any momentum or matches because of them yet. Unless someone can prove to me how folding the arms is going to suddenly cause that much more massive damage - I'm not going to believe it would be any more effective.

All right, Edge can endure punishment from one of Misawa's moves...what about the others?

The way I see it, the only arsenal that Misawa has going for him are the Emrald Flowsion moves. All of which are nice, and it seems like he can hit them on guys Edge's size so its a possibility that it could/would happen. However, Edge has kicked out of finishing moves before - so its a pure coin toss to say he could or couldn't.

I'll move this out of the realm of probability for you and say with confidence that he could hit it on Edge. What is still in the realm of probability is whether or not Edge could kick out of an Emerald Flowsion. If he could, then Misawa would have no trouble delivering another one, so we can consider Edge's defeat a certainty rather than a possibility.

Finally - you brought up Edge's history of neck injuries and made a slap-stick comment about how he could "die" in the ring. Well, since you're such a history buff and all.. Misawa DID die in the ring. So, you know, if you wanna talk random stuff then I suppose the upper hand goes to Edge - since, as far as time goes - he's yet to actually die in the ring and all.

Well, if you do want to talk random stuff, then let's talk about the fact that Edge has spent his entire career in a company that's about a quarter as high-impact and dangerous as any of the companies Misawa has worked for. Also, let's talk about the fact that Edge hasn't even had half as long an active career as Misawa had. With the type of injuries he has sustained in WWE, Edge wouldn't have been able to last 5 years with either AJPW or NOAH.

 

[TheOneBigWill]

1) The opponent Misawa elbows in the first clip is Toshiaka Kawada, a man stronger and faster than Edge.

Its nothing more than an opinionated statement that Edge is weaker than the opponent in the video clip. (or stronger, for that matter) What solid proof do you have that shows and evenly matches up Kawada's strength to Edge's? I'd love to see it.

2) How would you know that Edge's spear has pinned the shoulders of Superstars that are vastly superior or greater than Misawa? Pro Wrestling Illustrated listed Misawa as the sixth greatest modern professional wrestler of all time. Who was ahead of him? In order: Hulk Hogan; Ric Flair; Andre the Giant; Bret Hart; Antonio Inoki. Give me a shout if Edge's spear pinned these men in their prime.

Ric Flair. You're Welcome.

Oh, but this is the typical replying part where you say "But he was aged and beyond his 'prime', Edge would never *insert opinionated statement here*

So the point isn't that Edge never has. Its that he was never given the actual, realistic opportunity because he wasn't apart of their "Era."

3) Misawa is virtually invincible in the ring; it literally takes his opponent's all plus more to take him down. I seriously doubt Edge's spear would do anything to him in a kayfabe or real sense.

+

How would you know that the Tiger Driver isn't as powerful as the Batista Bomb? Also, a 36/37-year-old Misawa was able to Tiger Drive a 450-pound Vader; at a similar age, Batista can't power bomb someone two-thirds of that weight without tearing his muscles for the umpteenth time. So, even if Batista's power bomb is stronger than Misawa's Tiger Driver (which is doubtful), Misawa could still Tiger Drive Edge five times more without getting fatigued or injured, so this is a moot point.

+

I'll move this out of the realm of probability for you and say with confidence that he could hit it on Edge. What is still in the realm of probability is whether or not Edge could kick out of an Emerald Flowsion. If he could, then Misawa would have no trouble delivering another one, so we can consider Edge's defeat a certainty rather than a possibility.

= Opinionated Statements. Not actual facts, nor logical realistic proof beyond a shadow of doubt. You repeatedly asked how I knew this or that.. well, how do you?

Has Misawa done any of this to Edge? I'd love to see this video you seen to have on perma-loop. I mean, in no less than 3 different statements you seem convinced that Misawa CAN do all of this. When the simple, unarguable point is.. unless you have physical video proof (which I highly doubt) all it is, is you believing and being unwilling to take your head off that belief. So why should I even waste time trying?

Well, if you do want to talk random stuff, then let's talk about the fact that Edge has spent his entire career in a company that's about a quarter as high-impact and dangerous as any of the companies Misawa has worked for. Also, let's talk about the fact that Edge hasn't even had half as long an active career as Misawa had. With the type of injuries he has sustained in WWE, Edge wouldn't have been able to last 5 years with either AJPW or NOAH.

The irony to this is Misawa's career could go 20 years longer than Edge's ever will.. and in the end, Edge will be more recognized and well known because he's in a Company thats Global.

Now, the truth of the matter is this.. Tdigs, I'm not trying to crap on your well-thought out post. I wish Misawa the best, and I hope he wins if it means you won't be as upset as you were over the other issue. But I'm also smart enough to realize even if I could provide you with all the same videos, and detailed explanations that I put forth the last time I tried really pushing Edge for something.. it wouldn't sway your vote. (a vote, that I believe you have even already locked)

You want me to actually debate you? The real question is.. why.

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

Its nothing more than an opinionated statement that Edge is weaker than the opponent in the video clip. (or stronger, for that matter) What solid proof do you have that shows and evenly matches up Kawada's strength to Edge's? I'd love to see it.

It seems posting moves instead of matches is the way to go, so let's do that. Here are Kawada's three Ganzo Bombs (he has only executed three Ganso Bombs because it's probably the most dangerous wrestling move of all time):

[YOUTUBE]TK3M9c7rPGg[/YOUTUBE]​

Can Edge do something similar to men that weigh 250 pounds? In the ring, slams and suplexes are the most effective means to signify your strength. I don't think it can be denied that he doesn't use suplexes or slams frequently (or, when he does use them, they aren't on opponents that wouldn't have qualified for WWE's defunct cruiserweight division). This isn't to say that this makes him an inferior wrestler, as he's won a shitload of titles and beaten plenty of big men. But, the fact still remains that strength is not an advantage he's going to have over a Japanese heavyweight; most of them lift people heavier than him numerous times during a match.

Ric Flair. You're Welcome.

Oh, but this is the typical replying part where you say "But he was aged and beyond his 'prime', Edge would never *insert opinionated statement here*

All right, let's say I count Ric Flair. The fact still remains that Mitsuharu Misawa is recognized as being among the elite in an oft-cited American professional wrestling publication. In other words, Misawa is no slouch, and Edge has very little experience when it comes to facing someone of his caliber (I'll give you Ric Flair, as I don't want this to turn into quibbling about primes).

So the point isn't that Edge never has. Its that he was never given the actual, realistic opportunity because he wasn't apart of their "Era."

Which opponents has Edge fared well against that we could reasonably consider to be in Misawa's league? I sure as hell won't consider Batista, and The Undertaker, HHH, and John Cena always seem to have Edge's number (unless he has a briefcase in his hand or a few wrestlers to assist him).

= Opinionated Statements. Not actual facts, nor logical realistic proof beyond a shadow of doubt. You repeatedly asked how I knew this or that.. well, how do you?

Has Misawa done any of this to Edge? I'd love to see this video you seen to have on perma-loop. I mean, in no less than 3 different statements you seem convinced that Misawa CAN do all of this. When the simple, unarguable point is.. unless you have physical video proof (which I highly doubt) all it is, is you believing and being unwilling to take your head off that belief. So why should I even waste time trying?

I've seen Misawa's matches, and I've seen Edge's. I want to go to bed soon, but I have no problem putting up matches tomorrow with detailed analyses that will highlight Misawa's strength, agility, endurance, and perseverance and also the many, many personal assets that all of his opponents have had. And, you and I both know that we are BOTH limited to this kind of proof: matches other than the one between Misawa and Edge that has never taken place. If you want me to do this, I'll be more than happy too. But, please, don't resort to these kind of comments:

The irony to this is Misawa's career could go 20 years longer than Edge's ever will.. and in the end, Edge will be more recognized and well known because he's in a Company thats Global.

Misawa was one of the most beloved and popular Japanese professional wrestlers of all time. Edge may have more exposure, but he is hardly the main reason why people all over the world allow themselves to be exposed to WWE in the first place. On the other hand, I can say with confidence that Misawa contributed significantly to AJPW's and then NOAH's popularity.

Now, the truth of the matter is this.. Tdigs, I'm not trying to crap on your well-thought out post. I wish Misawa the best, and I hope he wins if it means you won't be as upset as you were over the other issue. But I'm also smart enough to realize even if I could provide you with all the same videos, and detailed explanations that I put forth the last time I tried really pushing Edge for something.. it wouldn't sway your vote. (a vote, that I believe you have even already locked)

You want me to actually debate you? The real question is.. why.

I could say the same thing about you; nothing I can do will persuade you to vote for Misawa, and that's fine. But, you're wrong on one thing: some people actually do read these posts, especially if they're not familiar with one of the wrestlers. I want Misawa to win just as much as you want Edge to win; this debate here has everything to do with the posters that read and nothing to do with us.

 

[X]

JMT, Edge can quite possibly reverse or simply out-move over half of the moves in that Top Ten.

And you think Misawa can't do the exact same to Edge's moveset, which isn't even half as diverse as his own? Think again.

He had a Tope Elbow that seemingly took him forever to rush from one side of the ring to the other. Edge isn't going to just stand outside and wait for him to dive at him, hes likely quicker than the opponent in that video. A quick side-step and Misawa is going face first into the guardrail/ringside.

Even in his 40s Misawa still had more agility and speed than Edge has ever had in his career Will. We're talking about Tiger Mask II here, regarded as many as the best of them all. Surely you know the legacy of Tiger Mask, right? Edge doesn't have even 1/10th of the achievements that Misawa had in a junior heavyweight division, and when he bulked up to the heavyweight division he retained that agility and speed. Guy was 40+ years old, doing moonsaults onto concrete. Edge would attempt that and break his neck for the 14th time these days. Nothing against Edge, I love the guy, but he's easily injured and he hasn't faced an opponent like Misawa EVER in his entire career because he's spent his entire career in the WWE, where the strong style simply isn't wrestled. Edge doesn't know what he's in for here, and he's going to lose.

He had a couple elbow smash/roaring elbow smash moves. Both of which are easily counter-able for someone with Edge's quickness, and also nicely set-up for Edge to bounce off the opposite ropes and hit Misawa with a spear. And as far as the above comments you made about it being the weakest.. well weak or not its pinned Superstars vastly superior and greater than Misawa's, shoulders to the mat.. so it must have something going for it.

Name one "vastly superior" wrestler than Misawa who Edge has defeated. Name a single one please.

I'm just going to stop here because I can already tell we're going into another war of the word forts and you already have TDigs and JMT doing line-by-line responses, so I'll just keep it to those couple of brief points I just made for now.

Now...stop your trolling mister.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

If Misawa goes out to Edge here, it'd be (to quote Gorilla Monsoon) a "miscarriage of justice" for Team Japan. Edge has had a handful of truly hardcore match experiences, and yes, Mick Foley put Edge over in a very good hardcore match. He also did the same with Orton and did the same with some guys in TNA. There are now quite a few guys who hold hardcore wins over Foley, yet it's only Edge who is still sucking the tit of reputation from that rub.

He's called "The Standard Bearer for Future Generations" for a reason, folks.

Vote for Misawa over Edge. Hell, I am Canadian, and even I realize what's the right thing to do.

 

[One Punch Doug Crashin]

You people disgust me. Seriously. Edge? EDGE?!?!?!?! Over a wrestler who is CONSIDERED BY MANY ORGANIZATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS AS THE GREATEST WRESTLER OF THIS GENERATION?????? Good god do people really not know anything outside the WWE? Just because you can't see Misawa on TV regularly doesn't mean Edge deserves to beat a legend like Misawa. This is exactly one of the reasons why I barely post in the wrestling forums anymore. This is a MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE!

 

[Shadowmancer]

This is absolute proof that people are absolute fucking ethnocentric moronic voters. Misawa is one of the all time greats, something that Edge is not. This is another case of people voting Edge because He wrestles in the united States and is shown around the world on TV because of the WWEs near monopoly of the industry. Misawa would out wrestle Edge through numerous slams that would damage him extremely bad, there is a match between Misawa and Kobashi and Misawa drops Kobashi on a concrete floor, while going down as well. Far and away Misawa would destroy Edge, it takes 3 different finishers in most Japanese main event matches, WWE not even more than one. And a Spear from Edge isn't even that good.

 

[TheOneBigWill]

*The following is an opinionated statement with facts filtered in*

I just tried looking for it, and can't find it. I'm also not going to spend too much effort trying to either. Anyways - someone (I think Tdigs, JMT or X, since they're the trio that seem to care the most) said Misawa was listed as one of the top name's by PWI.

So.. I'm just curious, does that make it better - or worse - to follow that up by explaining..

Edge has been within the Top 10 list of PWI since 2005. Including once in 2002, as well. He hasn't finished in anything less than 5th place since 2006. And finished 2nd, only behind John Cena in 2007.

Now, I don't know what thats suppose to mean.. but since someone hyped Misawa's name on that list so much - I'm assuming since Edge has his on their apparently more that makes him better.

You're Welcome.

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

*The following is an opinionated statement with facts filtered in*

I just tried looking for it, and can't find it. I'm also not going to spend too much effort trying to either. Anyways - someone (I think Tdigs, JMT or X, since they're the trio that seem to care the most) said Misawa was listed as one of the top name's by PWI.

So.. I'm just curious, does that make it better - or worse - to follow that up by explaining..

Edge has been within the Top 10 list of PWI since 2005. Including once in 2002, as well. He hasn't finished in anything less than 5th place since 2006. And finished 2nd, only behind John Cena in 2007.

Now, I don't know what thats suppose to mean.. but since someone hyped Misawa's name on that list so much - I'm assuming since Edge has his on their apparently more that makes him better.

You're Welcome.

The Top 500 of the PWI Years

There's your link. How could you have not found that list? No other site is cited more on this forum than the Wrestling Information Archive. Also, The PWI Years list that I linked is covers about 30 years of wrestling (that is to say, it is an ultimate, overall list). The lists you cite cover one year each.

 

[klunderbunker]

I'm not getting into the middle of all this and I won't argue with any of the main people in here because it's not worth the time, but Misawa should go over here. It's falls count anywhere. Cool. How is Edge going to get outside to do anything? Misawa is too great to lose here. A spear isn't going to work on him and Edge doesn't use Edgecution enough anymore. This is a no contest in my eyes with Misawa never being in much danger.

 

[Mr. TM]

I wont say too much here, but I did vote for Edge. One thing I will say is the PWI was released in 2003, while conducted near the end of 2002. Edge was not even in the upper midcard at the time, so that information is unjust. I am no tsure when PWI is gonig to do another PWI years list again, so that is interesting thing to consider. I consider Edge however, one of the best wrestlers of the 2000s thus far, and although that does not give him the edge here, I still think back to that great match he had with Mick Foley, who I consider one of the best hardcore (hardcore to the level without gore) wrestlers ever, who Edge did beat.

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

I wont say too much here, but I did vote for Edge. One thing I will say is the PWI was released in 2003, while conducted near the end of 2002. Edge was not even in the upper midcard at the time, so that information is unjust. I am no tsure when PWI is gonig to do another PWI years list again, so that is interesting thing to consider. I consider Edge however, one of the best wrestlers of the 2000s thus far, and although that does not give him the edge here, I still think back to that great match he had with Mick Foley, who I consider one of the best hardcore (hardcore to the level without gore) wrestlers ever, who Edge did beat.

Barring any miracle on Edge's part. this is highly unlikely. Obviously, you didn't read the list, because you would have seen that Steve Austin only made it in at number 19. Why is this noteworthy? Because, even after three years of unparalleled mainstream success that no current WWE main-eventer will ever be able to match, The Rattlesnake couldn't even break the top 10.

Let's face the facts here: being considered a great (at least according to people who professionally evaluate professional wrestlers and their industry) takes more than just being well-spoken and acting as a belt-warmer. Professional wrestling greatness entails consistency, innovation, and an ability to inspire. Unfortunately, I don't think of any of these qualities when Edge comes to mind. Also, if you think that Edge will even get a top 10 spot in PWI's revised list, then, frankly, you're delusional.

So, stop with your faux-critical thinking skills and admit that you voted for Edge for no other reason than wanting to get Team Canada through this tournament.

 

[X]

Are you people fucking joking me? Edge is still winning this thing? Well, thank you for proving to me once and for all that the majority of our posters are fucking ******ed. I had my suspicions, glad to see it confirmed time and time again. Misawa is THE greatest Japanese professional wrestler to EVER live. Would Edge even crack the Top 10 Canadians? Fuck no. If he's not even the best from his country, how is he going to beat the best Japan has to offer? A man that has DEFEATED better Canadian wrestlers than Edge many times before, he's defeated Bret Hart more than once as well as his brother Owen, both of whom are miles and miles above Edge inside the ring.

 

[gd]

Christ, this has turned into a pretty good one, hasn't it? I'll have to go with Misawa here. Sure, Edge is pretty good, but is he as good as Misawa? At first glance, I'd say no. And after thinking about it for awhile, I'd again say no. Misawa is the stronger and more experience wrestler here. He also has the better resume, more or less. Sure, Edge has won a lot of titles, but he's lost them just as quickly.

I don't want to get into any specific arguments, but Will seems to be pulling things out of his ass, which actually seems to work well most of the time, so there you go.

Would Edge even crack the Top 10 Canadians? Fuck no.

To be fair, I think that he would. Don't think I can name 10 Canadians ahead of Edge.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

Yes, folks, I am Canadian and I think Misawa wins here. But I'm not going to throw a hissy fit or cry over spilled milk. I am going to do this the way I always have. Relevant fact.

This is a falls count anywhere match, where two things matter above all else - stamina and brutality. Sure, creativity comes into play too, but all in all, it's about who can do the most damage and who can stand the most pain. In both cases, Misawa wins.

1. Misawa as someone who takes punishment

People remind me Edge beat Foley in a Hardcore Match. EVERYBODY HAS BEATEN FOLEY IN A HARDCORE MATCH. It's like beating Undertaker in a Casket or Buried Alive - it doesn' really matter because it's been done. Precious few have held major championship wins over Japanese Legend Jumbo Tsuruta. Misawa is one of those few.

Oh, and Foley - in his prime as Cactus Jack - was brutalized regularly by Biv Van Vader. Well, Misawa is a man who is able to stand in the ring with Vader despite the size difference. Check it out.

[youtube]C2TKnswb0tM&feature=related[/youtube]

[youtube]E4JR-YXpTKo&feature=related[/youtube]

This is nearly 20 minutes of brutality Misawa wrestles against the stiffest worker (respect to Hansen, Lariato) of the generation. Misawa won the match. Edge isn't in Vaders league as a brawler. You know who else's league Edge isn't in? Misawa's.

2. Misawa as someone who will feud to the end

Only 3 times in history has a feud won "Feud of the Year" two straight years. In '83-'84 (Freebirds vs von Erichs), '98-'99 (Austin vs McMahon) and in '90-'91 (Misawa vs Tsuruta). The differrence? With a tag team feud, you have more than 2 participants. In McMahon / Austin, the feud was predicated under generally people OTHER THAN McMahon fighting Austin, so there were numerous participants. With Misawa / Tsuruta, it was all on them. And in order for two legends to have a two-year feud like this, both men have to have wins against one another. Nobody has sustained the type of success and enmity against a legend like Tsuruta the way Misawa did in the early 90's.

3. Misawa as a genius in the ring

I'll let the Wrestling Observer tackle this one:

• 5 Star Match (1985) vs. Kuniaki Kobayashi on March 9
• 5 Star Match (1990) vs. Jumbo Tsuruta on June 8
• 5 Star Match (1990) with Toshiaki Kawada and Kenta Kobashi vs. Jumbo Tsuruta, Akira Taue and Masanobu Fuchi on October 19
• 5 Star Match (1991) with Toshiaki Kawada and Kenta Kobashi vs. Jumbo Tsuruta, Akira Taue and Masanobu Fuchi on April 20
• 5 Star Match (1992) with Kenta Kobashi and Toshiaki Kawada vs. Jumbo Tsuruta, Akira Taue and Masanobu Fuchi on May 22
• 5 Star Match (1993) with Kenta Kobashi and Jun Akiyama vs. Toshiaki Kawada, Akira Taue and Yoshinari Ogawa on July 2
• 5 Star Match (1993) with Kenta Kobashi vs. Akira Taue and Toshiaki Kawada on December 3
• 5 Star Match (1994) with Kenta Kobashi and Giant Baba vs. Masanobu Fuchi, Toshiaki Kawada and Akira Taue on February 13
• 5 Star Match (1994) with Kenta Kobashi vs. Akira Taue and Toshiaki Kawada on May 21
• 5 Star Match (1994) vs. Toshiaki Kawada on June 3
• 5 Star Match (1995) with Kenta Kobashi vs. Akira Taue and Toshiaki Kawada on January 21
• 5 Star Match (1995) with Kenta Kobashi vs. Steve Williams and Johnny Ace on March 4
• 5 Star Match (1995) vs. Akira Taue on April 15
• 5 Star Match (1995) with Kenta Kobashi vs. Akira Taue and Toshiaki Kawada on June 9
• 5 Star Match (1995) with Kenta Kobashi and Satoru Asako vs. Toshiaki Kawada, Akira Taue and Tamon Honda on June 30
• 5 Star Match (1996) with Jun Akiyama vs. Toshiaki Kawada and Akira Taue on May 23
• 5 Star Match (1996) with Jun Akiyama vs. Steve Williams and Johnny Ace on June 7
• 5 Star Match (1996) with Jun Akiyama vs. Toshiaki Kawada and Akira Taue on December 6
• 5 Star Match (1997) vs. Toshiaki Kawada on June 6
• 5 Star Match (1997) with Jun Akiyama vs. Toshiaki Kawada and Akira Taue on December 5
• 5 Star Match (1998) vs. Kenta Kobashi on October 31
• 5 Star Match (1999) vs. Kenta Kobashi on June 11
• 5 Star Match (1999) with Yoshinari Ogawa vs. Kenta Kobashi and Jun Akiyama on October 23
• 5 Star Match (2003) vs. Kenta Kobashi on March 1

That's 24 five-star matches in 18 years. He's won match of the year 5 times. Edge has one, and it was a tag team match.

4. Misawa's Athleticism

Take (one) of his classics against the legendary Kenta Kobashi. This one in particular went MORE THAN 45MINUTES and involved two of the greatest of all time:

[YOUTUBE]DKCXYJyGDuw[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]_u4Yw6Deun0[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]6Ld7CKnbcF4[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]g-xvrQ-KIpU[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]z0MhBOQTJ8w[/YOUTUBE]

5. Misawa as a legit champion

Misawa held the All-Japan Pro Wrestling Triple Crown Title five times: 705 days, 466 days, 364 days, 181 days, and 83 days. 1,799 days total. 359.8 days per title reign average with one of the biggest titles in Japan.

Edge has held the American equivalent - the WWE Title - 4 times for a total of 139 days.

MISAWA HAS HELD THE AJPW TITLE ON 4 OCCASSIONS FOR TITLE REIGNS LONGER THAN EDGE'S TOTAL COMBINED!!!

Who needs more convincing? I have more info. In the mean time, vote for Misawa.

 

[Viola Moonlight]

Edge has the experience in these matches and his tactics benefit him here, but Misawa is one of the greats. Many people would assume the man with the more experience who has made a career and a star out of himself in these matches would beat the Puro dude. I don't blame them. I can also see why Misawa has strong backing too, due to his ability to innovate and adapt to any given situation. Shit, you give the man a chair and he'll figure out moves no man would be able to duplicate.

Edge has the chance to hang with Misawa in this match considering everything is in his favour, but going against someone who has the endurance to outlast the initial Edge offense and figure out what the hell your supposed to do, he can find his groove and defeat Edge here.

Misawa to win.

 

[Spaceman Spif]

I went with Misawa, not because anyone asked me too or anything, somply because after reading through some threads and posts, doing a bit of research of my own, I have concluded that while I love Edge, Misawa does indeed deserve to go over here and win. He is the better wrestler all around. Granted except on these forums, he's not well known anywhere else outside of Japan, but he is better than Edge and that's what won it for me.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

This match will be under review for 48 hours following the closing of the poll for the following reason:

Registration IP Addresses

* 1johncenafan 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* acap1996 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* AJade 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* Angelsdeservetodie 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* BrianB 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* ChrisG 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* CKraus 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* Deafmain 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* DR.CAIN 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* Fatboy 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* jalend1 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* jd1220 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* JOBO 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* johnnyboy1222 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* K-Kwik 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* KingofDarkness 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* Landon 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* MicahPacheko 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* OscarG619 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* pinochio 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* preston2323 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* Rey Mysterio 619 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* scorpio1220 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* SlimShady9090 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* Straightedgeboi 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* StrangeB 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* superman12 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* TakeitorBrakeit 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* The G 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* Thesituation 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* WesleySNIPES 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* Worldsocold 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]
* YourReflection 71.229.219.23 [Find Posts by User] [View Other IP Addresses for this User]

Bolded users all voted for Edge. We are checking for a possible multiple-account fix. Announcement will be made within 2 days.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Bolded users all voted for Edge. We are checking for a possible multiple-account fix. Announcement will be made within 2 days.

That's actually really sad, I haven't read any of the thread, but the impression I get from a quick glance at the Bar Room thread is that people are annoyed Misawa might lose, so they're trying to find ways to remove points off Edge.

If I was able I'd vote for Edge, the whole injury prone statements I've read amused me. After all, Misawa died because his spine detached from his from his head after a belly to back suplex. Seems to me that they're both made of glass.

Misawa might've also participated in numerous falls count anywhere matches, not in NOAH obviously, many years ago now, but I've seen none that suggest he's able to take sustained weapon shots, which is basically what WWE wrestlers do in matches like this. They're either hitting somebody with a weapon multiple times, or they're being hit. Japanese falls count anywhere matches are fights across the arena with a couple of weapons shots thrown in. No doubt Vader can hit considerably harder than anybody Edge has ever faced, but how many punches can you throw and how many suplexes can you give when you're under a barrage of chair shots? Presumably Misawa, unbeatable as he is, would grap the chair off Edge and bend it in a way Uri Geller does spoons.

Misawa held the All-Japan Pro Wrestling Triple Crown Title five times: 705 days, 466 days, 364 days, 181 days, and 83 days. 1,799 days total. 359.8 days per title reign average with one of the biggest titles in Japan.

Achievements, no doubt, but doesn't that say almost as much about the caliber of challengers as it does the champion? And I would never pay attention to star ratings involving Japanese wrestlers from The Wrestling Observer, there's a lot of multi-man matches there as well.