Now I know that most of you that post regularly on the forums do not hold professional wrestling in the highest esteem. If you are such a person, I very humbly and respectfully request that you refrain from posting in this topic. This is for the people who do care about wrestling.

The name Mitsuharu Misawa is a name many stateside wrestling fans may not recognize. He never wrestled in WWE. He never wrestled in TNA. Throughout his storied career, he only appeared in North American rings a handful of times.

But Misawa was one of the most celebrated and gifted wrestlers in the Orient. He was a 5-time All Japan Triple Crown champion and a 3-time GHC heavyweight champion. And he ended up giving thirty years of his life, culminating in the end of his life, to the sport of wrestling.

On June 13th, 2009, Misawa was wrestling in a tag match on a Pro Wrestling Noah show. Only a few minutes into the match, Akitoshi Saito delivered a back suplex, which was well-executed and not botched. Misawa's heart stopped beating from the impact his body sustained. Paramedics rushed to the ring and tried for several minutes to resuscitate Misawa as concerned Japanese fans called out his name.

Misawa was then rushed to a hospital. He was pronounced dead at approximately 10:10 PM (Japanese time), just hours after the match. He was five days short of his 48th birthday.

As an avid follower of Japanese wrestling, I'm still pretty choked. Misawa meant everything to Japanese wrestling. He was the country's most popular and dominant wrestler of the past two decades, he was owner of one of the top three wrestling companies in Japan, and he was the chairman of the Global Pro Wrestling Alliance, an affiliation of several promotions worldwide.

I don't know what else to say...I was just thinking about the death and needed to post this to get it off my chest. Thank you.

Always sad when someone goes before their time. Like Dale Earnhardt. I hated that guy as a driver, but it seemed like such a tragedy that he had to die.

I never heard of Misawa before just now, but I'm sorry that he's gone.

how sad ,,,

My condolences

Wow amazing. Too much impact at that moment can really knock the wind out of a wrestler. I feel for the family who is going through hard times without him.

At least he died doing what he loved.

very sad.

Not to mention the guy who delivered the move that led to his death. Saito was said to have been openly weeping backstage after the news broke out, which is unusual for someone in his culture. He later said to the press, "It will be my cross to bear."

I mean just think of it. You wrestle someone not to kill them! You wrestle to win the battle yes okay.

So knowing that you contributed to a death is not something one can sleep on lightly.

Very tragic for the wrestling foundations indeed.

Wow, that is sad, I feel for that guy Saito as well. BTW, the term Orient, it's generally more acceptable to use Asia or in this case Japan. Some asians take offense to it, I guess because it's considered Eurocentric. I don't take offense I just think it sounds anachronistic.

The Frogged Face Samuri!?! Wasn't he also the second Tiger Mask? We have lost a great talent, but I think he would have liked going in the ring.

Hello. Great post! Although I did not follow Japanese grappling I recognize the name. I have followed wrestling stateside off and on now for a few years now. Terrible loss. My condolences. Take care.

Oh, how sad.. my sympathy to you and all the fans of Mitsuharu Misawa.

Sorry, I wasn't aware of that.

I thought I was the only "puro" aficianado on this site!

Well I am not an aficianado, but I do have a modicum of knowledge in the area. On the UGO site, where they listed the top ten Japanese wrestlers, when discussing Misawa, under the backstage gossip section, they wrote: N/A- we know bizarre isn't it. He must have been a very honorable man.

I just heard:

Akitoshi Saito, the wrestler who executed the maneuver that led to the death of Mitsuharu Misawa is on suicide watch.

Japanese fans have been said to have attacked his home.

Geez.

R.I.P Mitsuharu Misawa,
From the US, God be with his family & friends. Such a great lost.