Kenta Kobashi won his third straight Wrestler of the Year award in landslide fashion. Already a first ballot Hall of Famer with the highest induction percentage in history (98%), the 38-year-old Kobashi added to a legacy that truly has to rank him among the greatest wrestlers in history.
His four wins ranks him second to only Ric Flair on the all-time list. In a year where business was dominated by shootfighting and Lucha Libre, Kobashi was arguably the most valuable performer to his promotion, as NOAH had a banner year at a time when pro wrestling interest has greatly declined in Japan. He headlined the year's biggest drawing show, and performed an unheard of triple of having the matches in Japan, the U.S. and Europe that got the most votes in Match of the Year balloting.
No Luchador has ever won the award, and in a year with no strong U.S. candidates, the fact neither Mistico or Perro Aguayo Jr. got second, and were actually a distant No. 3 and No. 4 may indicate it is impossible for one to do so. Ditto for a shootfighter, as Kid Yamamoto only placed 6th in a year devoid of strong U.S. candidates.
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