Greatest Wrestler Ever: The case for Kana/Asuka
Over the past couple of months, I have watched a lot of Kana matches. While I've always had a high opinion of her, there were also a lot of periods of her career that I just hadn't seen. In doing a deep dive into her career at large, I've come to believe that she is one of the very best wrestlers of all time. In this, I want to look at some of these matches that demonstrate the different facets of her game, and show just what makes her so great.
Kana vs Kyoko Kimura - 16/08/2008
If you've only ever seen a Kana match while she was in WWE, this one can be a bit jarring. Not only is this match harrowingly violent (with quite possibly the sickest headbutt I've ever seen), but in contrast to her later character, Kana is a complete underdog here, full of desperation and only managing to stay afloat because of her superb striking ability - Kyoko just completely bulldozes her in every other respect. Combining this with some terrific selling and you get an incredibly sympathetic babyface performance from Kana.
Kana & Nanae Takahashi vs AKINO & Chihiro Oikawa - 28/12/2008
One of only six BattlArts matches that Kana would wrestle, and judging by how good she was here, it's an absolute travesty we didn't get more. The finishing stretch between Oikawa and Kana is the best part of the match, and really is a testament to her grappling and striking abilities that she can seamlessly transition to a shoot-style setting and still perform at an insanely high level.
Kana & Nanae Takahashi vs Passion Ray & Natsuki Taiyo - 22/11/2009
Though this match is centred around the high-speed genius of Taiyo and Ray, Kana is a fantastic foil, not only keeping up with and letting their dazzling offence shine throughout the bulk of the match but also cutting them off at perfect timings in really smart and creative ways, and really showed how great she was at putting her opponents over.
Kana vs Sara Del Ray - 01/10/2011
This is Kana's first-ever match on American soil. With that in mind, they could very well have taken it easier and worked a more exhibition-style match built around near falls with the intention of introducing Kana to the fans. Instead, this is built around grappling and striking, a gamble for sure, but a gamble that pays off when they get the crowd going wild by the end.
Kana vs Syuri - 12/05/2012
This is not the best match they would have together by a long shot. What this match showcases however is just how smart Kana was. This match took place in Mexico (Kana's only match ever in Mexico), and they would have to adapt their regular formula to work in front of a different audience. As such, they change their grappling to a more 'pure' style rather than their more shooty affairs, and this is far more character-driven, with a clear face/heel dynamic and crowd interactions. The highlight of the match was most definitely Kana's heel mannerisms, constantly shit-talking and riling up the crowd, keeping things entertaining even during the slow portions of the match
Kana & Kenichi Yamamoto vs Syuri & Daisuke Ikeda - 17/06/2012
Around 2010, Kana would start booking herself in intergender matches against physically imposing opponents. Though her most famous intergender match is a tag match with Marufuji against Minoru Suzuki & Meiko Satomura, for my money this match is by far the best of the bunch. Kana hits hard, there's no denying that. Yet anyone who's familiar with Daisuke Ikeda knows that he's one of the hardest-hitting wrestlers of all time and that Kana would have to up her game in order to create something truly memorable. Thankfully, Kana steps up big time. This match goes around 45 minutes, with lots of neat little story threads throughout, but the final 15 minutes between Kana & Ikeda is some of the most barbaric violence I've ever seen take place inside a wrestling ring and makes for one hell of a memorable experience.
Kana vs Arisa Nakajima - 15/12/2013
Kana was always a good character worker, but she hit her peak during her heel run in JWP in 2013. Constantly playing mind games with her opponents and coming across as a complete psycho, Kana would make a great obstacle for an eventual babyface to topple. Of that heel run, this match is the highlight. They go absolutely wild - crowd brawling, crazy stiff strike exchanges, and lots and lots of shoot headbutts, while also throwing in some vicious grappling segments that do a great job at adding this feeling that the match could end at any time.
Kana vs Meiko Satomura - 25/02/2014
The third and final match that these two would have is also their best. In terms of in-ring work, it's probably on par with their 2011 match, however, it's the gimmick of the match that really elevates it to new heights, a gimmick I won't spoil here for anyone that has yet to watch it, but really showcases Kana's unique vision of what pro wrestling can be.
Asuka vs Dana Brooke - 07/10/2015
WWE's character work is often much showier and in your face than other promotions, and by 2015 had shifted to an in-ring style that prioritised moves and workrate above all else. Asuka once again shows her intelligence by immediately adapting to the WWE environment in her very first match, carrying a rookie to a match that's pretty close to great in the process.
Asuka vs Nikki Cross - 23/06/2017
Once again Asuka works in an unfamiliar environment and once again she knocks it out of the park. To my knowledge, this was the first match built around weapons that she'd ever wrestle, and despite that, her creativity is on full display, as there are some spots that I can't say I've ever seen before or since this match.
Asuka vs Becky Lynch - 27/01/2019
This is about as close to a 'Kana' match as you're likely to see in a WWE ring, as both wrestlers turned up the stiffness and placed way more emphasis on technicality and submissions than anything else. The WWE crowd isn't usually receptive to matches such as this, so it's a testament to how good they are that the crowd were on fire throughout the duration of this match.
Asuka & Kairi Sane Vs Charlotte - 02/12/2019
The final match in this list is one of the only handicap matches in history I'd consider to be genuinely good. They work incredibly well around the stipulation, focusing more on singles confrontations between Charlotte and the Kabuki Warriors rather than on the teamwork between Kairi and Asuka. That's not to say there was no teamwork though - the underhanded tactics of Kairi and Asuka were well utilised to help build several awesome comebacks for Charlotte throughout the match, without ever overstaying their welcome.
At the end of the day, not only is Kana consistent, but she also has possibly the highest floor of any wrestler I've seen, with an ability to carry even the greenest of wrestlers to something watchable - if you were to pick out a random match of hers between 2010 and 2017 you will more than likely find a match that is well worth watching. Though her speciality is working in character-driven and more grounded 'shooty' affairs, she's more than capable of excelling in any match type, in any setting, and in any role. In short, Kana is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time.
If you'd like to see the above matches, plus others that stand among her very best matches, then check out https://cytube.xyz/r/Kana-Asuka where you'll find a playlist of all these matches.