[10.0] "I've recently settled on the fact that Taue is my 2nd favourite of the 4 pillars, behind Misawa and ahead of Kobashi. Which isn't to say he's better than Kawada or Kobashi, but he's the one I enjoy the 2nd most. There's a certain ruggedness and rawness to everything Taue does that can't be found in the other 3 who are all crisp and clean all the time, and that really appeals to me for whatever reason. He's also probably my pick for the best tag wrestler of all time, there's nobody that can work a tag match like Taue can."
[9.0] "Although he was the weakest of the four pillars of heaven, he was still a very important figure for 90's wrestling in Japan, specifically AJPW. What he did with Kobashi, Kawada, and Misawa. His in-ring was very good, although he was the weakest of the four in one-on-one, he was one of the best in tag team history. Overall he was one hell of a talent, and one of the most important figure on the Japanese circuit."
[9.0] "I'm glad that the narrative is finally flipping on Akira Taue. The man was great. He was Giant Baba circa 1975 as distilled through 1995. The thing that elevates him is also the thing that sinks him - the comparisons to Misawa, Kawada, and Kobashi. Removed from those comparisons, he was damn good on his own. Childhood is liking Kobashi the best. Adolesence is liking Kawada the best. Maturity is liking Taue the best."
[10.0] "Akira taue is easily the weakest link in the four pillars, but i saw someone say something about barry windham that i think applies to taue as well which was windham is the least of the four horseman but thats like being shorter than andre the giant. The biggest thing misawa, kobashi and kawada have on taue are the legendary singles careers of all of them, although taue does have a lot of really solid singles matches, it just doesnt even hold a candle to what the other three did. But it'd be wrong to not point out how talented taue still is, easily one of the greatest tag team wrestlers of all time and one of the most important wrestlers to all japan"
[8.0] "This unlucky bastard. Taue is a pretty good wrestler in an era of exceptional wrestlers (Misawa, Akiyama, Kawada, Kobashi), and because of that he often seems below the level, despite being great in his own right. I've not seen Taue's NOAH work but based of his AJPW (that I've seen), Taue was a talented big man who was unlucky in certain facts, which were that his peers where freaks of nature. But still a great wrestler, top 50 wrestler of all-time."
[9.0] "Akira Taue is the least famous, or the least noticeable wrestler of the Four Pillars of Heaven, but still a Pillar, and by no means can be disrespected or considered less because of that, I like to say that he is the Ringo Starr of All Japan, he's freaking awesome, just couldn't match the revolutionist and popularity impact that his fellow co-workers had. Taue is the tallest of the Pillars, and I love his imposing posture, he was the physical successor of Giant Baba, and also had shades of Jumbo Tsuruta in him, that's why he turned heel and joined Tsuruta-gun at some point, he was the perfect wingman and the perfect man for the job. This natural old-school vibe that he had is what set him apart of the others, he wasn't focusing on flashy moves and innovative exhibitions, just destroying the opponents and telling stories trough matches, and that's why his value is inestimable. His pairing with Toshiaki Kawada is the most legendary of all time, and despite not getting so much solo recognition because of the brilliant competition around, Taue is the example of a perfect tag team wrestler."
[10.0] "Although the weakest of the four pillars, Taue is still one hell of a professional wrestler. Spectacular in both singles and tag matches, the man was the ultimate liuetenent whether for Jumbo in Tsuruta-gun or Kawada in the Holy Demon Army."
[8.0] "When the other 3 are each among the 10 greatest wrestlers of all time. It makes me realize Taue was really just alright, by no means a top tier singles guy, but a world class tag wrestler, those kind of wrestlers usually get a 7 in my book due to their lack of versatility."
[9.0] "Akira Taue is one of the four Pillars of Heaven of AJPW, along with Kenta Kobashi, Mitsuharu Misawa and Toshiaki Kawada. Thing is, Taue being in the same group as them is a blessing and a curse for his legacy. Because while he wasn't as good as them, being the worst in a group of some of the absolute best the industry had/has to offer is nothing to be ashamed of. Taue didn't have Kobashi's babyface fire, Misawa's stoic badassary or Kawada's fierce and ruthless offense. Taue was the Big Man, but not just any Big Man. He was arguably the best Big Man of all-time. With his freakish agility, speed and strength, he was able to do moves that no one at his size should have been able to in the 90s. Add in his great ring psychology, and you have a top class worker. Not the most charismatic wrestler, it took time for him to get over, and was best served as a heel, but once he found his role, he played it perfectly. He was amazing as this big bully, and while his work as a singles wrestler was great and underrated, its obvious that he was at his best in tag action with Toshiaki Kawada, with whom he made probably the best team of all-time: The Holy Demon Army. Taue is a name you can't pass in the history of japanese wrestling."
[10.0] "Taue started his career in pro sports as a rikishi (sumo wrestler) from 80 to 87 in 86 he was promoted to the rank of juryo (the 2nd highest rank in sumo wrestling) he was given the shikona of Tamakirin Yasumasa. Shortly after Taue meet Baba and started to practice pro wrestling under Baba instruction. For the next years Taue teamed with guys and formed a band with Misawa, Kobashi and Kawada (Super Generation Army) and they start a feud with Tsuruta Gun. However, he became better known for his tag team especially with Kawada (The Holy Demon Army). During his tenure with AJPW Taue won a Carnival and the Triple Crown once, 1 All Asia Tag Team, 7 World Tag Team and 2 Tag League. In August 2000 Taue left AJPW for Mitsuharu Misawa's new promotion the Pro Wrestling Noah and continued wrestling mostly as a tag team wrestler and eventually won the GHC title once before his retirement in 2013. After his retirement Taue served as the Noah president until 2017 (also own a steakhouse ahah). Yes Taue is not the best of the four pillars Misawa, Kobashi and Kawada was far better than him but he's a big part of ajpw golden era, He's like a modern version of Baba and he's like Baba outside the ring a really good guy who respect the workers and a good trainer Akiyama, Sugiura and Morishima. He's probably not a 10 for a lot but for me he's. Respect and love mr Taue."
[7.0] "Im gonna get crucified for this, but I never really got Taue. I think he was good in the ring when it counts, but hes one of the four pillars and I do love me some all Japan, so I cant rate him lower than a 7"
[10.0] "He was the most limited athlete out of the legendary "Four Pillars of Heaven" for sure, but in the case of Akira Taue, he found another way to fit in with that group. If you have a good eye for presentation & psychology, you should be able to see it with Akira Taue. His entire psychology was based on what it is to be a True Boss. He literally & figuratively put his foot down and established his authority in every match. He did so in a way that always commanded attention & respect. If you watch his mentor, Jumbo Tsuruta, in the early 1990's as the Final Boss Heel, and then compare that character to Akira Taue, you will see that it is nearly one in the same thing. That is what made Akira Taue special. Along with his legendary tag team partnership with Toshiaki Kawada, their famous rivalry against Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi, his innovation of several different types of Chokeslams, him being the greatest master of Chokeslams ever, etc. It is his mastery of psychology as a "Big Bad Boss"."
[8.0] "Akira Taue was an above average wrestler, having remarkable tag team matches but for a godly trio like Misawa, Kobashi, and Kawada, Taue is unquestionably the black sheep of the group. He wasn't on the level of the trio i mentioned earlier, but people calling him the 'weakest pillar' or the 'worst of the four pillars' is such an understatement."
[8.0] "There's been a lot of historical revisionism regarding Taue in the last 10 years, the entirety of which stems from his attachment to the Four Pillars, since people assume simply because he was part of those famous Four Pillars matches that that must mean he was on equal or near enough level to those other 3. That really, really isn't the case. Now, Taue was of course a great wrestler, fantastic at playing the big bruiser bully heel who could grind an opponent down and smash them with his long and powerful limbs. He was a very welcome addition to 90s AJPW after fellow stiff giant Jumbo departed, though Taue's style (as well as his look) more so mimicked Giant Baba, given their similarly lanky builds and jumbled movements. Despite being great, Taue definitely wasn't on the level of Kobashi, Misawa, or Kawada, since he wasn't as athletic, explosive, or emotive as any of them, and he was definitely the one of the four with the most 'awkward' offence, since a few of his signature moves would often have rather messy technique or underwhelming impact as a result of his lankly build. He could still crush opponents when he wanted to, but it's not like his strikes nor his power moves were outright destructive compared to actual all-time greats. If you want to say that Taue is one of the best "tag wrestlers" ever then I would totally get that, but to consider him one of the best all-around wrestlers ever seems ill-fitting."
[9.0] "Dynamic T. It's a mystery why people do not value Taue in the same vein as the other 3 of the Pillars or even Akiyama. Is it the body ? Is it his movements ? I never understood how of the greatest Pro Wrestlers is easily dismissed. He was neck and neck with the best was the greatest steady tag hand in Japan. Has had credible years of superiority--what more do you want from Dynamic T ?"
[10.0] "One of the greatest heels of all time and the greatest powerhouse wrestler of all time, he had most of the greatest tag team bouts of all time, he is a legend"
[10.0] "If you ask me, Taue might be the most underrated Japanese wrestler of all time. Maybe he wasn't as flashy or as monumentally talented as the other three pillars or Jumbo or Jun, but Taue is a legendary competitor from the most beloved era in pro wrestling history."
[10.0] "Akira Taue was a mix of Giant Baba's presence, Masanobu Fuchi's devilish heel tactics, and his own awesome style of chokeslamming you 40 different ways to Sunday, Incorporating his Sumo background into alot of his moves. He also like the other pillars was a great seller and whilst he didn't create the craziest moves, The Ore Ga Taue and Chichibu Cement are still sick moves. I think getting the rep of the "4th Best Pillar" whilst true, doesn't mean he wasn't as good as the rest of All Japan's roster during the 90s. Jun Akiyama might've been better than him but that would have to have started in 1998. Not to mention his work in one of the greatest tag teams of all time with Toshiaki Kawada: The Holy Demon Army, they just gelled so well as two ass kickers who acted so evil, and not like goofy over over top stuff you see today, I'm talking about stone cold killers who do what it takes to win."
[10.0] "Taue is always pointed as the weakest of the Four Pillars, maybe he was but he's compared to demi-gods. Dynamic T was a unique wrestler. He was Baba's protege and learn the craft of wrestling during his early years. Taue may be underated, people underestimate his heel performance. He was always that bastard who destroyed every fan favorite. I loved the way he was stiff and dangerous in the ring. In my opinion, he was way more better in tag team matches, his matches with Kawada are the very best I've seen. His solo run in underestimated, 1995's Carnival Final against Misawa is a masterpiece of Taue being booed as fuck by the crowd. Maybe one step behind the three others but they would be not same with Taue. He was a workhorse as well, he wanted to be like his pairs. 1995's Taue was wild, he was unstoppable. Taue's work will always be overshadowed and that's sad, the man was an excellent wrestler surrounded by gods. Real men know how Taue is a top-class and great worker."
[10.0] "Taue's style was so perfectly out-of-step with the other three Corners, half Giant Baba Jr. , half Southern territory technical roughneck. One of the most gifted psychological tag wrestlers ever - has anybody ever heeled it up on the outside of the ring better? I love Taue's rope-based offense, I love how he worked the apron, I love how he got real heat as a native main-eventer, I love his cutoff spots. I just love his GRIT. Maybe I'm a man of strange taste but give me 1995 Akira Taue over any Kenta Kobashi, any day."
[9.0] "Taue, Taue, Taue. Always one step behind the other four Kings of Heaven and often considered to be the weak link, Taue does not get enough credit for his fantastic heel performances or for being great at getting beaten on and showing his fighting spirit. He's still a top wrestler but had the bad luck to be around at the same time as the other Kings; and payed the price in booking. However, you can't discount his amazing run with Kawada as Holy Demon Army."
[9.0] "Not hard to see how Taue was so low, to be honest. He was always the odd one out of the Four Pillars and the least successful by far in terms of accolades outside of his tag work. Taue also never got to work with Jumbo Tsuruta in any real capacity beyond some tag runs, which might explain why he's not really regarded as the rest in terms of singles work as well. First off, the downsides: Taue was the least dynamic of the four and compared to Kobashi's legendary babyface fire, Misawa's stoic nature, or Kawada's fiery offence, he really had nothing to stand out beyond his height. Taue wasn't exactly bursting with charisma as well and struggled to get over initially, hence why he was a clear cut heel for most of his starting ring work. However, as a big man, he undoubtedly revolutionised the role with the crazy amount of agility he had on top of his naturally occurring strength, making him capable of moving in ways that guys his size just shouldn't do. It should be mentioned as well that Taue DID have really good singles matches throughout the years, and even if he was a bit awkward at times his ring psychology and surprisingly quick counters were always a great quality of them. Ofc his tag material is by far his best quality, with dozens of four star+ matches, namely because Taue knew the role he played (the big bully) and operated it to perfection alongside Kawada. His later years were a lot more inconsistent, and despite his experience and skill the guy just couldn't work the level of quality needed for the main event: he WAS over, but he was by far the worst in terms of post AJPW work. That being said, Taue in his best years was a world class performer who really took the "big man that can move" gimmick and took it arguably the best possible way (probably only surpassed by Jumbo himself)"
[10.0] "Akira Taue is probably the most underrated performer of all time. Most of the time he is compared to the other three pillars calling him the worst of them four. But being worse than three of best the 5 wrestlers of all time it? s not something you should be ashamed of. He revolutionized the role of the giant wrestling and make people see that there could be talented big guys. Definitely a legend."
[9.0] "Akira Taue is the less-great of the Four Pillars, but please, oh please, don't get me wrong. I like Taue a lot, but he was like an 9 in the middle of three 10s, he was The Ugly Duckling of the four of them. But still, he was a good Tag Team Worker, and I rather to see his Tag Team Matches than his Single ones."
[7.0] "Taue had the misfortune of ascending to the top of All Japan at the same time as three of the best who ever stepped foot inside a ring. As such, he was compared to them, and because he wasn't as good as they were, Taue was unfairly maligned as a poor worker. He wasn't; Taue, at his peak, could be very good. But very good looks poor in comparison to greatness."
[10.0] "Is Akira Taue tall enough to be considered the best big man in wrestling ever? If so, he absolutely is that. Not just big man but in general. For someone of his size, he is surprisingly spry. Agile in good ways where he can use it to create more excitement for his matches, makes his move seem more impactful. Great chemistry with the likes of Hanen, Akiyama, Ogawa, Kawada and Misawa. Has an almighty presence to him but also a gentle look as well which makes him very likable. The most underappriacted of the Four Pillars but just as awesome as all of them."
[8.0] "I have only seen Taue's later work but even then you can clearly see this is a man who knows what he's doing in that ring. The only problem I have with Taue is he just wrestles, he doesn't offer you a character you can immerse yourself in. But it does suit the style he wrestles and the promotions I have seen him in."
[8.0] "Towered over most of his peers, Taue was a pretty awkward guy, especially early on in his career. He was often able to work excellent matches because of the fantastic talent around him. Not a wrestler I'd ever call bad but hes certainly not in the same class as a lot of the others. That being said he was the perfect partner for Kawada and did get a lot better by the mid 90s."
[9.0] "I like Akira Taue. He was very good for a man his size, but to me he was still the obvious weak link of the four pillars. I'd go as far as saying Jun Akiyama is/was better than him, but then again, there's really no shame in that."
[10.0] "Arguably the most solid of AJPW's big 5 other than Misawa. 2nd greatest workhorse of all time, in the top 10 technical wrestlers of all time, formed one of the greatest tag teams of all time with Toshiaki Kawada. But like Kawada, he has an embarrassingly low amount of titles and accolades for someone of his talent, which comes from being in the same company as Misawa and Kobashi. Taue is a true legend and very underrated in my opinion. Not to mention he is the mentor of Takashi Suigura and Takeshi Morishima"
[10.0] "One of the four pillars of heaven, and easily one of the greatest minds in professional wrestling history. He might be considered the weakest of the pillars, but being the weakest of the greatest wrestlers of all time still puts him ahead of 95% of people in the industry."
[9.0] "Very underrated performer in my opinion. Taue has always been considered the weakest of the 4 pillars, but to me he was always amazing in his role. He proved that he can work great singles matches vs. the likes of Misawa, Nagata, Kobashi etc. His work as a tag team was phenomenal. I guess people don't appreciate him so much because he didn't have any strikes in his moveset where as Kobashi had chops, Misawa had elbows, and Kawada had kicks. Great wrestler."
[10.0] "Früher natürlich eine 10, doch seine Leistung im Ring hat doch sehr nachgelassen. Sollte er seine Karriere irgendwann beenden bekommt er eine 10 von mir."
[10.0] "At first glance, Taue is 1 of the most unlikely looking men to have worked in some of the best wrestling matches ever. At 6'4 and 265lbs, he is the largest member of the All-Japan Famous Five in the 1990s (Along with Misawa, Kawada, Kobashi & Akiyama), and some could argue that he was perhaps the weakest member, but in reality, I think he was there for a good reason. For one thing, he was full of surprises, pulling out dropkicks, suicide dives and even hurricanranas at times. A big guy, who didn't look like an athlete, he kept up with his peers with excellent timing and selling. He is also a creative wrestler, who took the chokeslam and innovated several variations of it. In matches were he had the powerhouse role, he made an art form of it, using more creative reversals than what would be expected. His world title wins were usually very impressive, but those title reigns were often short, his best work was as a tag team wrestler. To this day, Taue and Kawada remain 1 of the best tag teams in wrestling history."
[10.0] "Die bis heute anhaltende These, Taue sei das schwächste Mitglied der „ Vier Säulen des Himmels “ von AJPW, ist für mich großer Blödsinn. Diese coole, kauzige und speziale Aura und Art die er hat, unterscheidet ihn deutlich von Misawa, Kobashi und Kawada. Im Ring stand er ihnen aber in nichts nach, konnte jeden Stil mitgehen und jede Rolle einnehmen oder wer konnte gleichzeitig so leicht wechseln zwischen einer bösartigen Sau wie Kawada, der technischen Klasse eines Misawas und dem kämpferischen Willen eines Kobashi ? War mit Kawada wohl ein Teil des besten Tag Team das es auf der Welt gab und brachte auch als Einzel-Wrestler die Welt zu staunen. Selbst im hohem (Wrestling-)Alter und trotz dünner Arme, zog er immer noch wenn er gebraucht wurde alle Register und es brannte jedes mal die gesamte Hütte. Sieht zwar heute wahrlich wie Giant Baba Version 2 aus, aber immer noch mit einen Coolness Faktor ausgestattet und Comedy beherrscht er schon seitdem er im Midcard so manches Tag Team Match bereicherte. Und ganz nebenbei ist er der beste Sänger im NOAH-Roster, ganz knapp vor Morishima. ^^"
[10.0] "Ich weiß nicht warum, aber ich finde nicht wirklich, dass Taue wrestlerisch sehr arg abgebaut hat. Ich mag diesen Mann irgendwie einfach. Allein schon der Fakt dass er seine Gegner reihenweise chokeslammt (Nodowa Otoshi) trotz seinen schmächtigen Armen ^^ Akira Taue ist einfach Kult und verdienterweise eine japanische Wrestlinglegende, immerhin stand er nicht umsonst in vielen 5-Sterne Matches. Taaauue!"
[8.0] "Wie kann man diesen seltsamen Kauz nicht mögen? Zu Hochzeiten ganz ohne Zweifel ein großartiger Wrestler, auch wenn er nie wie ein solcher ausgeschaut und gewirkt hat, und er hat auch im Alter noch absolut seine Daseinsberechtigung im Ring. Taue!"
[8.0] "Sicherlich nicht ganz so top wie Kawada, Misawa, Kobashi oder auch Akiyama (den ich hier einfahc auch mal einwerfe), dennoch eine Institution im japanischen Wrestling. Ist heutzutage auch nicht mehr das, was er einmal war, aber das, was er geleistet hat, verbietet einfach, selbst heute, weniger als 8 Punkte zu geben."
[9.0] "In den 90ern Spitze, in den letzten Jahren hat er aber merklich nachgelassen. Befindet sich ähnlich wie Misawa und Co. schon seit einigen Jahren im Spätherbst seiner Karriere und sollte langsam einsehen, dass seine beste Zeit vorbei ist. 9 Punkte aber in jedem Falle deshalb, da seine Matches Mitte der 90er mit Kobashi, Misawa, Kawada und Co. einfach zeitlos gut sind!"
