Manami Toyota-Greatest Pro Wrestler Of All Time?

[Nash Diesel]

So I'm catching up on 83 Weeks and I'm listening to the Collision in Korea episode. Toyota's name comes up and apparently Meltzer claims that she's arguably the best wrestler of all time, regardless of gender.

I'll be honest....I've seen this show maybe once so I can't speak on even remembering her in the tag match.

So to all my Japanese wrestling fans that post here, A-do you agree with Meltzer's claim and B-what would be some matches for me to check out? I always enjoy Japanese women's wrestling, I've yet to really watch a match that I thought sucked. Even the deathmatch stuff from FMW with Megumi Kudo, my favorite Japanese wrestler of all time, incredible stuff.

Help a noob out!

[Rancid_Planet]

Pffft.

Hulk could take her.

[mth]

Can't really say much about Toyota since I've always driven a Volkswagen.

[Horatio]

I thought for the longest time that Akira Taue was Dump Matsumoto.

Don't ask me...

[Tainted Eclipse]

i wouldn't rate toyota anywhere close to that hight but she was sort of the female kenny omega of the 90s in terms of pushing the envelop of athleticism/pacing while still working a dramatic main event style rather than doing pure spotfests, so meltzer's love for her is understandable.

[Nash Diesel]

I watched Toyota v. Akira Hokuto from AJP Destiny 1995. Obviously I'd need to see more to justify Meltzer's claim but from this one match I could understand where he was coming from. She was extremely crisp, innovative, I'm sure if this were 1995 and I saw her wrestle I might in fact say she's one of the best in the business at that time. But in that era, in Japan, it was hard not to see great talent littered across a card top to bottom.

Was she arguably the best female wrestler during that time? I could see that.

[Sasori]

She's damn good. Women's all time Top 5. But to say she's the greatest, bar none? That's a stretch. Off the top of my head, one match I can think of is the Tag she was in at DreamSlam II (MANAMI TOYOTA & TOSHIYO YAMADA (AJW- Champions) vs. DYNAMITE KANSAI & MAYUMI OZAKI). It's a great match in general and Manami shows just about everything she can do. Honestly, I get tired of people trying to figure out every couple years who's the greatest of all time and coming up with some different name. It's like Foley saying his best match was against Michaels, then changing it to the one with Funk in front of 200 people in Japan, and then finally the HIAC with HHH. They're all great for different reasons, but do you have to pinpoint the exact one you think is the best?

Match starts around 6:50.

[Nash Diesel]

She's damn good. Women's all time Top 5. But to say she's the greatest, bar none? That's a stretch. Off the top of my head, one match I can think of is the Tag she was in at DreamSlam II (MANAMI TOYOTA & TOSHIYO YAMADA (AJW- Champions) vs. DYNAMITE KANSAI & MAYUMI OZAKI). It's a great match in general and Manami shows just about everything she can do. Honestly, I get tired of people trying to figure out every couple years who's the greatest of all time and coming up with some different name. It's like Foley saying his best match was against Michaels, then changing it to the one with Funk in front of 200 people in Japan, and then finally the HIAC with HHH. They're all great for different reasons, but do you have to pinpoint the exact one you think is the best?

Match starts around 6:50.

Yes.