Toshiaki Kawada

[10.0] "There's no question to me that all of the four pillars are 10/10, they all get there in different ways. Kawada is my pick for the best seller who ever worked, which made him incredibly easy to root for, to say nothing of his excellent heel work."

[10.0] "The first pillar & the last physically active pillar. Dangerous K. Probably consider him Mr All Japan Pro Wrestling and the most significant figure of the kings road philosophy. His simple look, the intensity, his own personality beams integrity for the sport. Oh and while widely regarded as the most respected striker in the game, probably the most legit toughest out of the four heavenly pillars.There were matches of strong style against the likes of Keiji Mutoh and Hiroyoshi Tenzan to intriguing combinations of battles burlesque to sports entertainment and extreme wrestling with the likes of Jamal and Mick Foley lined. What else can be stated than being almost every badass wrestlers or fans favourite! His most finest match in fans and owner/father figure Giant Baba eyes, the match in question is Kawada vs Mitsuharu Misawa in 1999 which accidentally debuted the Gonzo bomb, one of the most unprotected move in a humans body elevates the lore of danger, his name is Toshiaki Kawada and he was Dangerous K."

[10.0] "One of The Four Pillars of Heaven of All Japan, and there's a damn good reason for that. Toshiaki Kawada is easily one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, whether he's doing singles or tag team competition, there's very few on his level. Kawada might just be the best kicker in wrestling, up there with the likes of Bryan Danielson, he's so good that people replicate his kicks to this day (especially the "Kawada kicks, " the one where his opponents are bend over and he just kicks their face in). His rivalry with Mitsuharu Misawa is one of the all time best in this illustrious "sport" we love so much, their bout in 1994 is-arguably-the best match to ever happen in Japan or anywhere else, so good that Dave Meltzer rated it a 6 star rating (LONG before Okada and Omega, and after Flair and Steamboat's house show match). Very effective heel, always played his roles very well in matches as the evil bad guy trying to take out the other pillars or grizzled veteran trying to catch up with the youth, he is a perfect villain to anyone you put him in the ring with. His tag team with Akira Taue is one of the best of all time, having countless classic matches with many tag teams, collecting tag belts left and right, they were a perfect duo. Not to mention, while majority of All Japan's roster left to work for Pro Wrestling NOAH, he was among the very few who stayed loyal to All Japan and remained working their until retirement, proving he was a very valuable asset to the company, but not to a tribalistic route of only working in AJPW, wasn't shy away from working other promotions. Overall, Kawada is a legend in the business, he's paved the way for so many kickers and has set the bar super hight with the other Four Pillars, thanks to them for making AJPW in the 1990s, arguably, the best professional wrestling that's ever been broadcasted."

[10.0] "It's a testament to how outrageously stacked the Four Pillars were that Kawada --- the greatest seller in the history of the biz, a master of ring psychology, and a better strong style worker than all but a precious few people explicitly in that style --- lived in the shadow of not one but two of his contemporaries. From his early tag work under Tenryu to his ruthless, perfect work with Taue and his incredible singles chemistry with just about everyone (not even Kobashi and certainly not Misawa clicked with as many varied workers), Kawada has as fair a claim to the title of GOAT as either Misawa or Kobashi. When you look at how many present-day wrestlers adapt the King's Road format but largely sprint out of any early selling to hit all their moves, Kawada's ability to get his shit in while never once forgetting to convey the accumulated damage of a big match is astonishing. I wish more people paid attention to that aspect of his work over his technical ability and master pacing."

[10.0] "During a watchthrough of New Japan in the 2000s, he remains one of the only standout performer in every G1 during a very bad time for the company. That is not to mention his AJPW work where he cemented his self as the wrestler I view as the greatest of all time. Master of selling with offense that cannot be matched by anyone."

[10.0] "An incredible talent who was instrumental to the greatest main event period in wrestling history. A legendary rivalry with Misawa and his great kicks earn him a place in wrestling history. One of the most exciting and intense in-ring workers of all time."

[10.0] "Kawada was fucking awesome. One of those wrestlers who doesn't need a reputation to precede him, he brings his intensity every time he comes to the ring and wrestles like he has something to prove. Innovator of offense, but also just a brutalistic intensity that befits pro wrestling at its top form. One of the absolute coolest to ever wrestle, and one of those wrestlers who can change people's perception of what the sport/art is."

[10.0] "Toshiaki Kawada is one of the most influential and overall just cool wrestlers of all time. The stuff he did with Misawa, Kobashi, and Taue was legendary and revolutionary to the business. I specifically really enjoyed his rivalry with Misawa. I also feel like he is the most underrated of the 4 pillars of heaven and definitely does deserve all the credit for his work. Not to mention without a shadow of a doubt Kawada is the best kicker in the pro wrestling business. Overall one of the greatest wrestlers of all time and deserves 100% to be on the list of being one of the greatest of all time."

[10.0] "Quite possibly the greatest wrestler of all time. He may not quite have the accolades or titles of others in contention, but his match resume is up there with any, and as a complete pro wrestler, I can think of no better. His often brutal matches are sold to perfection. That's right, no roll the eyes "fighting spirit" comebacks where selling goes completely out the window and you pop up from being dropped on your head to perform the next high spot within a split second; instead he battles through the pain and sells his wear and tear and pain to perfection. His feud with Misawa is legendary and you can see the roots of Genichiro Tenryu in him. Tomohiro Ishii is the closest thing to replicating his greatness in the modern day, but there is only one Dangerous K, Toshiaki Kawada. Part of the greatest tag team of all time alongside Akira Taue as Holy Demon Army, and possibly the outright greatest wrestler of all time."

[10.0] "In my eyes, there is no question that Toshiaki Kawada is the greatest wrestler of all time. From his work in the late 80s, up until he retired in 2010, you can find matches which rival what anyone else could put on. Kawada is known as Dangerous K for a reason, he seems genuinely dangerous in the ring, laying out brutal power moves and kicks which while not always the stiffest, still somehow seem to be the best for my money. He also sells in a way quite unlike anyone else. If you watch his bouts in the early 2000s you see a man who is hurt, but never wants to show it, the selling is subtle and calculated, with Kawada often getting angry at himself for taking the damage. While he was undoubtably the perfect foil for Mitsuharu Misawa in and out of the ring, I always found him the more intriguing of the duo, both as a character and a person. Nobody draws me into a match like Kawada, nobody makes me wince like Kawada and nobody has or will ever quite do it like Kawada. Pick any year he wrestled and find some odd matches and youll undoubtedly find a hidden gem or five in there. Go out of your way to watch Dangerous K, He is the perfect 10/10 wrestler in my opinion."

[10.0] "My favorite of the four pillars and my favorite japanese wrestler of all time. Always give intense and aggressive performance. Complete package, natural charisma, badass look, great technical wrestling, and the best kicker in pro wrestling."

[10.0] "Half the reason I like Eddie Kingston is he rightly worships at the altar of Kawada. I am a sucker for wrestlers who kick people right in the face, and Kawada is the Michael Jordan of gamen giris. You should watch his big famous triple crown and Holy Demon Army matches but also any of his ferocious matches *against* Taue, and for something completely different his 2000s match against Mick Foley. Kawada can sports entertain too."

[10.0] "Kawada probably has the most fascinating career out of all the four pillars. A man who really rose to his peak quite early, and stayed their well into the 2000s. While Misawa was the bonafide Ace figure, Kawada resembled something different in AJPW. Something a little more dangerous. To me, Kawada was the perfect foil to Misawa. Not only the differentiation between their striking styles, but mannerisms in the ring. Misawa can feel a little stoic, while Kawada is much more expressionable. Kawada was never the insurmountable mountain that Misawa became, but rather someone more plucky, despite being the heel for many of the native v. native matches. His best work is in the entirety of the 1990s, including also the 80s working in Footloose. Unfortunately, Kawada getting the short end of the booking stick was a constant in his career, even after the NOAH excursion, with the likes of Genichiro Tenryu and Keiji Muto becoming the top faces of the company. His 2005 Triple Crown reign is good, but it lacks a statement match unlike his prior chases for the title in the 1990s."

[10.0] "Kawada is my favorite of the Four Pillars & my favorite wrestler of all time. There has never been many as tough or believable as Kawada. His feud with Misawa is the stuff of legends & rightfully so. Its a shame that his Triple Crown title runs were so snake-bit. Im sure hed be even more fondly remembered than he is. Not only that, but he is also one half of one of the best tag-teams ever with Akira Taue as the Holy Demon Army. Theres few better."

[10.0] "Dangerous K was a stiff motherfucker, projecting an intensity and aggressiveness rarely seen in wrestling. He would beat the piss out of anyone and torture anybody he stood in the ring with, and do it in a very creative and entertaining manner, often one that would make you root for the opponent. But don't get it twisted, he could also play as a face when needed, and regardless of roles, he was a tremendous seller too. And, something he has over any other Four Pillars Member is that he was the best in comedy too."

[10.0] "Second best from the 4 pillars. His stiff move-set and deep in-ring psychology undoubtedly makes him one of the all-time best."

[10.0] "My favorite of the 4 pillars (1st Kawada, 2nd Kobashi, 3rd Taue and 4th Misawa yes sorry) Kawada is like Ishii or Shibata a raging bull without fear one of the best seller ever im my opinion, a great kicker, his comedy stuff in Hustle is great too, member of one of my favorite team ever with Taue. He never be the ace despite is loyalty for AJPW. If you want some great stuff from Kawada watch any Kawada Taue vs Misawa Kobashi or watch Kawada vs Williams in the final of the Champion Carnival 1994 and his match against Misawa for the triple crown championship in AJPW New Year Giant Series 1999 this is just brilliant."

[10.0] "I consider him to be one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. A godlike seller with an amazing moveset and a banger theme. He also had an unmatched aura, you knew he was going to beat the absolute tar out of someone any time he arrived, also trained Taichi, a few years ago That would have been a ratings dropper, but Taichi has really come into his own."

[9.0] "Kawada was just a beautifully intense, aggressive wrestler. Part of arguably the greatest tag team ever as well as being a tremendous Triple Crown champion in his own right. I also respect his decision to stick with AJPW after the split and we got to see more great matches with completely different workers."

[10.0] "One of the most phenomenal Japanese wrestlers and possibly one of the most toughest in the world. The most murderous bastard in AJPW's amazing quartet nicknamed the 'Four Pillars of Heaven', Kawada is unquestionably the most brutal out of the four pillars. From the Gamengiri to the infamous Ganso Bomb, 'murderous bastard' is definitely a good nickname for him. Kawada's selling is exceptional, his ability on storytelling, and churning classics with Misawa, Tsuruta, Hansen, Kobashi, Akiyama, and others. Definitely one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, Misawa's death being the reason that he retired from wrestling entirely was depressing tho."

[10.0] "Not only was Toshiaki Kawada the best worker of the Four Pillars (Kawada, Misawa, Kobashi, Taue), but Kawada is probably the best heavyweight pro wrestler ever. He has been in countless of great matches, and he was a big reason why 1990s AJPW is some of the best pro wrestling ever. His selling was great, his striking was great, and his work was generally quite realistic for pro wrestling standards."

[10.0] "A legend among legends. Intense, grimy striker, superb technical wrestler, unrivaled story teller and one of the best sellers of all time. The amount of classics Kawada has behind his back is staggering. Superb at both singles and tag competition. Misawa vs Kawada is perhaps the greatest rivalry/series of matches in pro wrestling history."

[10.0] "There is nothing I can say that has not been said already. Just a remarkably good wrestler. Till the day I die I will never go tired of watching him in the ring."

[10.0] "What I am gonna say about him is probably said already. I haven't made my top 5 greatest wrestler's list but he would easily be in my top 5. His attributes : Fantastic and brutal looking offesne + awesome facial expressions and selling ability + incredible storytelling and mastery in ring psychology."

[10.0] "One of the most outstanding wrestler on the planet. Brutal and Sadistic style of wrestling with Lethal striking ability. One of the pillars of AJPW."

[10.0] "One of the greatest wrestlers of all time, his letal striking is legendary, one half of the HDA in AJPW and even his comedy in HUSTLE is awesome"

[10.0] "The only sad thing about Kawada he will be always in the shadow of Misawa and Kobashi despite being in my opinon the most consistant worker of the Four Pillars. From being a fan favorite with his best friend Misawa and betrayed him and turned to be the absolute vilain, it was extraordinary. Nevertheless, his fighting spirit made him an organic face just by the reactions to his big victories. He formed the greatest tag-team of all-time with Taue as well. Man was stiff as fuck and so intense, no nicknamed Dangerous K for nothing. I really like his later career, Kawada's wow to stay in All Japan in 2000 is my opinion the greatest thing he did. His later career is excellent, he stills very consistant past his 40's. His work in early 2000's was tremendous. Even at the end of his career, he could put some very good and solid matches. If he could have been wrestled one more match for the beauty of it but life has decided otherwise..."

[10.0] "The foil to one of the greatest wrestlers that ever lived. A master of many lethal kicks. A fantastic seller who made you want to put Age of Empires I death sounds to his sells for laughs. If there ever was a solid '#3' in AJPW in the 1990's behind Mitsuharu Misawa and Kenta Kobashi, it would definitely be Toshiaki Kawada. He began his career as a sidekick to Kodo Fuyuki in Footloose before going single and having his breakthrough moments with Misawa that we all love and cherish. When Misawa died, he lost his passion for the business, sadly."

[10.0] "Even when rated high, Kawada is still the most underrated of the four Kings of Heaven. His "betrayal" of high school chum Misawa led to the very finest of the Kings Road matches, Misawa and Kawada had a chemistry that is on another level and much of that was due to Kawada always pulling the very best out of Misawa. I also give him extra badass points for his dangerous and frenetic style, his missing teeth, and the fact that he didnt leave AJPW for NOAH, although it would have been great to see the storyline between he and Misawa continue. Check out literally any match he's in, it's dimes every time."

[10.0] "I mean, what else am I going to give Kawada? He was one of the most important wrestlers from the single greatest era in pro wrestling history, that being 80s and 90s All Japan. If you haven't watched a Kawada, just get off this site, pull up YouTube, and do it!"

[10.0] "He was vicious, intense, and dangerous, you wouldn't think just by looking but when he stepped in the ring he was always the biggest badass, he took no shit from anyone and kicked asses in brutal and physical matches, 5 star fight factory"

[10.0] "Where do I even begin with Toshiaki Kawada? He is my favorite pro wrestler and I do, in fact, believe he's the greatest of all time. There's just so much to him, his wrestling style, his persona, his historical matches. While I do get why people often overlook him for either Kobashi or Misawa, since Kawada was (arguably) not as charismatic as the former nor as flashy as the latter, I'd argue that Kawada was the better worker between them (not by far, of course, but he still had the advantage). Most commenters around here have already pointed out how agressive and fearsome Kawada was in the ring, plus how good he was as a striker (mainly when it came to kicks), but it seems Kawada never gets the due recognition for his genius-level psychology: literally nothing he did on the mat was meaningless, illogical, too over-the-top or wasteful (and if it ever did seem that way, it was very obviously his opponent's fault). He always had a plan behind what he was doing, whether it was working on a limb, straight up brawling or going into technical matwork. Speaking of the latter, Kawada's is both a brilliant and straight-up underrated matworker: his past as an amateur wrestler would often shine through his moves and, to boot, Kawada has showed a deep knowledge on submission holds and stretches. As if that wasn't enough to bring legitimacy to his game, Kawada was also a formidable seller, more often than not making his opponents look great in the process. As far as his matches go, Kawada has delivered a lot of undisputable classics, as well as many great, underrated encounters. It should be noted that up to his final years, in which he had lost some steam (but not even close to what other wrestlers from his era, like Kobashi, were going through), he was still able to deliver great performances, such as when he faced Daisuke Sekimoto in 2010 (and, no, he was not carried at all). Also, let's not forget about how versatile he was: whether we're talking about of King's Road or Strong Style, Kawada's well-rounded offense worked in both scenarios. Besides, he managed to look spectacular even in matches that should be out of the left field for him, such as shoot-style matches and even in comedy-ladden 'bouts (HUSTLE really brought a different-yet-the-same Kawada to the world). And last, but not least, along with Akira Taue, he was part of one of most legendary tag teams of pro wrestling. Even though Taue was never as skilled as his partner, both had noteworthy chemistry and delivered some of the best matches in the genre. Wrapping it up, there's nobody in the business like Toshiaki Kawada, not even those who are clearly influenced by him. By the way, the comparisons I made above are in no way intended to diminish the other wrestlers (I guess we are all in the same page that the Four Heavenly Kings are the cream of the crop): they just go to show how off-the-charts Kawada was a pro wrestler."

[9.0] "Kawada is less iconic than the Misawa/Kobashi combo that dominated the Japanese wrestling scene, but he could go with either with them just fine and match them for pace. Granted, he wasn't the smooth and crisp technical wrestlers like they were, but focused a lot more on stiff, nasty strikes, and a roughhouse nature (much like his mentor, Tenryu) which would be imitated beyond compare by later wrestlers. As well as that hallmark, Kawada had some of the best ring psychology and selling around: he could make anything seem like a legitimately dangerous manoeuvre, and he seemed to use that a lot to make his opponents look as impressive as possible. His tag work in the Holy Demon Army is legendary also, and easily one of the more underrated tag teams, with their wealth of work towering over a lot of the teams both present and past. I'd say Kawada did well considering he never really got the top spot for long during the prime years of All-Japan and only got to the top and stayed there after everyone relevant left for NOAH. It's still a shame that he'd never got that chance, because Kawada seemed to age the best out of the Four Pillars and was having great matches up to the mid 2000's. The only thing that holds him down from being the best is, unfortunately, he didn't have the raw charisma that Misawa and Kobashi had within the ring (even if that's FAR from a downside) and that was likely what kept him away from being the ace of his respective companies."

[10.0] "He may not be the greatest of all time for some but for me he is my favorite wrestler although I consider that Misawa the greatest of all time, but by far Kawada is the one who has made me enjoy this sport the most, his work as singles wrestler or with Taue as a Holy Demon Army is the best of the 90s"

[10.0] "Veritable wrestling legend and sadly not appreciated as much as Misawa and Kobashi despite being on the same level as them."

[10.0] "This man splits my heart along with Mitsuharu Misawa and Kenta Kobashi. His Bad Ass persona and brutal kicks are amazing, and he can perform like a true heel. Toshiaki Kawada is easily one of the greatest."

[10.0] "My third favorite member of the Four Corners (Behind Kobashi and Misawa), Kawada is easily one of the greatest wrestlers of all-time. His heavy strike-based mma-style offense is one of the most iconic repertoires in the history of professional wrestling. That style combined with his toughness and athleticism propelled him to being one of the best wrestlers to ever grace the squared circle."

[10.0] "Toshiaki Kawada was one of the best wrestles in the world in the 90s. He sometimes didn't get the praise he was due because he was overshadowed by Misawa and Kobashi, but Kawada was just as good as they were in the ring,"

[10.0] "Not as charismatic as Kobashi or the star like Misawa but you'll be hard pressed to find a better wrestler in history. His ability to tell a compelling story along with his all time great offense made his matches with the other four pillars must watch. Even towards the end of his career he was still a phenomenal wrestler. Only other guy I could say that about from that era is Jun as he's still going strong. Absolute legend Kawada is"

[10.0] "He is arguable the best member of the four pillars. His storytelling was impeccable, his selling was exceptional and has since been emulated in great matches. Very innovative with his kicks, powerbombs strikes, mat work etc. If you ever watched the matches he had with Misawa, Kobashi and the tags, Kawada is always the highlight due to his psycholgy. Of course he isn't as charismatic as Kobashi nor was he the ace of All Japan so he doesn't get as much credit as either Misawa or Kobashi but he should get equal amount of praise, if not more."

[10.0] "Perhabs the most underrated japanese wrestler of all-time. Kawada just had everything, from the amazing and one of the most brutal looking offensive to the amazing psychology and character work. It's a shame that him doesn't get the same praise as Kobashi and Misawa, because he always was on the same level. Kawada is definitely one of greatest of all-time."

[10.0] "There isn't much to say about someone like Toshiaki Kawada: one of the best wrestler ever existed, participant of two or three of the best matches in the history of pro-wrestling, a japanese legend. Probably one of the best powerbomb user in the world, he also taught us the beauty of the ganso bomb."

[10.0] "One of the best asshole heels in wrestling. Toshiaki Kawada was the perfect heel and is somehow one of the best wrestlers at targeting a body part and working it over while also being one of the best sellers which mean he could play any role in a match to perfection."

[10.0] "To me, easily one of the ten best wrestlers ever, and if someone argued he was top three I would not argue. Brutal strikes, stiff suplexes, great in-ring psychology--Kawada had it all. Not to mention he participated in some of the greatest matches of all-time, including my own personal favorite. He is a legend!"

[10.0] "Tremendous wrestler, his singles and tag matches with Misawa, Kobashi, Taue and Akiyama are legendary, the fued he had with Misawa is arguably the best ever, and the psychology and stiffness he brought to the ring are unmatched, unfortunately he never had a great triple crown title reign until after the exodus, and in my opinion he lost too many times against Misawa. but that doesn't take anything away from his superb skills."

[10.0] "With Toshiaki Kawada Ive given eleven men a ten out of ten, and as of now that's it. Kawada might be near the later half of the eleven (to be precise hes 10, just ahead of Bret) he none the less is just as significant in his own way as the others. Toshiaki might not have been the chosen Ace for All Japan like Misawa, he might not have had the kind of reactions of a Kobashi or the size of Dr. Death but he sure as hell hit harder then all of 'em. Every time Kawada kicked someone he made it look nasty. Despite likely being the smallest of the crew he was also the most frightening because of those bone crushing kicks and because of his look. Taue may have been an awkward giant, but Kawada was a demon from hell and he made sure to let anyone who stepped in that ring against him know it."

[10.0] "One of the very best. Kawada had an absolute killer offence that could/would easily cripple anyone, but he was also a fantastic actor, his facial expressions and body posture being utilised to create many exciting story-based moments regardless of whether he was playing the dominant role or the subservient role. Kawada was one of those wrestlers whose character perfectly represented aggression. Everything he did was fiery, and when he was pissed off he was REALLY pissed off. It's a shame he was overshadowed by Misawa so frequently in All Japan, as I personally felt he was a much better all-around performer who deserved a lot of the accolades and respect that Misawa otherwise received. With some of the stiffest offence ever and a fantastic ability to tell a story, Kawada is definitely one of the best wrestlers of all time."

[10.0] "Toshiaki Kawada = One of the best offensive wrestlers ever, one of the best sellers ever, tremendous facial expressions, great storyteller - simply put, one of the greatest professional wrestlers ever."

[10.0] "My favorite pro wrestler of all-time. His kicks are sick, he is a amazing storyteller and seller. He saved All Japan as well, after Misawa and the (almost) entire roster left the promotion."

[10.0] "One of Japan's greatest athletes. The man put on some incredible battles with the likes of Mitsuharu Misawa."