Cast upon Shin’ya Hashimoto’s last days was a shadow of personal tragedy. He had amassed $1 million in debt, he had divorced his wife and waged a tumultuous custody battle over his children, and his body failed him. Finally, and most painfully, he died at 40 years of age, the portrait of a life only half-lived.
But for fans and admirers—many who gather this weekend to celebrate his life—his professional career will be what is remembered most about the man. Above even his untouched drawing record, Hashimoto’s in-ring style establishes him as the legend that he is too seldom acknowledged to be.
The purpose of the modern worker is twofold. First, an effective worker makes people believe what they are seeing is real even when they know it isn’t.
People would sometimes go to a show promoted by Ed Farhat in Detroit and think every match on the card was a work—but when Farhat became the Shiek, there was an indescribable element that simply made you believe and be horrified by his act.
Reading this, you probably knew that those excellent Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle matches we’ve seen this year were worked, outcome predetermined, moves rehearsed. But still, for a second, what made those matches great was that the competition was so skillfully and dramatically executed that, if only for a moment, you could believe that what you were seeing was real and on some level you could identify with what they were going through. These are examples of a success that is rarely achieved in this business.
Shin’ya Hashimoto possessed exactly this quality and this is why he is a legend. The father of the “strong style” that defined New Japan, Hashimoto’s in-ring style—with hard kicks and slaps underscored—made people believe that, even though every match before his on the card was worked, he was the real deal. Part of it was shtick; he would be matched against boxers, shoot fighters, and martial artists to give this appearance, much like Antonio Inoki two decades before him.
But in my mind, Hashimoto stands head and shoulders above Inoki. He was never as flashy, never as conceited, never as pretty, and never as thirsty for the spotlight. But he was a better worker than most of his peers when Japanese wrestling was at a peak in terms of working ability, and he made almost anybody else look good. If in another day, it would have been Hashimoto putting over Inoki and making him look good. But instead, the man for whom Hashimoto did this was Naoya Ogawa, the judoka turned pro-wrestler.
The second purpose of a worker is to draw—to make people buy tickets, buy merchandise, watch TV shows. In this regard, Hashimoto is unrivaled. At once, he was both the wrestler who made others look good but still brought crowds back because of his skill, and in this regard he stands on the same platform as Ric Flair. He was the headliner of New Japan when the company was on fire, including eight Tokyo Dome shows that drew 50,000+ people.
And finally, we live in a world—and are fans of a spectacle—where heroes are sparse and hard to find. The same wrestlers who captivate and enthrall us with their in ring ability fall short in their personal lives. The same wrestlers whose interviews draw us in at will and make us want to see anything they’re involved in are sometimes the same people who hold up shows for more money and refuse to put people over. For me, it has been a continuing struggle to rectify laudable careers and dishonorable lives (or at the very least, human imperfection). From what framework can you candidly and respectfully judge people with fame and repute, but who fail to carry themselves in day-to-day life with virtue and dignity?
Brian Pillman was a great worker but he abused drugs, overdosed, and died, leaving behind his wife and children. What archetype does this profile fit?
Hashimoto was not a perfect man, but he is a man that is remembered positively by his peers and by people who knew him. Without knowing him, it does appear that his life mirrored his in-ring reputation of giving much and taking little. His personal life only makes looking at the business sadder.
Chris Candido and Shin’ya Hashimoto, 33 and 40 respectfully, died in the process of reconstructing their lives after injury. This is a business with a cruel and macabre golden rule: those who give the most tend to reap the fewest rewards. As the dead bodies pile up, a perhaps-philosophical question plagues us: why.
As is the case with many legends, Hashimoto may only get full credit for everything he did in death, and this is the only satisfaction that lingers.
For a complete career retrospective on Shinya Hashimoto, please click here.
*Another important event is happening this weekend in Newton, Iowa. It is the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Hall of Fame inductions at the Mike Chapman International Wrestling Institute and Museum. Here are the inductions: Antonio Inoki (major 70s star in Japan and legendary post-Rikidozan figure, as a top-drawing wrestler, mainstream star, New Japan promoter and owner, and politician; had 1976 shoot match with Muhammad Ali that ranks as one of the worst ever), Harley Race (eight-time NWA champion, winning the title first in 1973 and losing it last in 1983; huge star during the last heyday of territories in the US), Jerry Brisco (joins brother Jack in the hall, both were amateur before becoming pro, and were a popular tag team; great performer in late 1970s/early 1980s; power player in the 1980s on when he and Jack helped change course of wrestling when they sold stock in Georgia Championship wrestling to Vince McMahon in 1984; has been with WWF since 1984 and die-hard ally of McMahon), John Pesek (Jim Londos-era/1930s star in pro-wrestling; has reputation as a very serious hooker/shooter type; died at 84 in 1978), Earl McCready (huge Canadian amateur name before turning pro; first three-time winner of the NCAA Championship; competed in the 1932 Olympics for Canada; career in pro-wrestling lasted 1931-1959 and was an international superstar in England, New Zealand, and Canada; died 1983), Dr. Bill Miller (successful Ohio State University amateur before turning pro; big star in much of the country, especially feuding with Bruno Sammartino in the WWWF, and also in the AWA; retired 1974 to become a veterinarian, died 1997), and Gene Lebell (will be winning the Frank Gotch award for bringing positive recognition to the sport; judoka and amateur wrestler in addition to pro-wrestling experience; author and major figure in mixed-martial arts; wide stuntman experience in Hollywood).
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