Welcome to the first installment of a brand new series known as “Best of Black Wrestling” where we will do a variety of different pieces spotlighting African American professional wrestlers’ past, present, and future.
The term “Greatest of All Time” is subjective in any sport, and rightfully so. There are different tastes, eras, and criteria to consider when arguing something like this. However, when discussing the greatest pro wrestler of all time, many neglects to mention Aja Kong. Although, I’m one to argue that her case might just be the strongest of them all. Hopefully, by the end of this article, I can make some believers out of the rest of you.
Overcoming Racial Adversity
There’s a fantastic mini-documentary on YouTube called “Assignment Asia: No Hold Barred” where they sit down with Aja Kong, and discuss a variety of things. Kong mentions that her in-ring persona is an extension of her childhood, as a girl who never fit in. Aja’s mother is a Japanese woman, and her father is an African American military soldier who left when she was very young. So coming from a broken family in a society that looked down upon divorce, and being the only mixed-race child in her class led to Aja becoming a target of bullying from every angle. Her mother urged her to be brave, but it was hard for her.
After a scary incident that forced her to search for something that would let her feel free. That’s when she entered the All Japan Women’s Dojo, and after a year of training made her debut. However, her old issues followed her when she expressed to her employer that she wanted to be a babyface so that she could be a hero. To which they told her that since she was of mixed race she would have to be a villain because she should feel hatred toward Japanese people and want to crush them. Not wanting to be without a job, she complied with their wishes.
Once she accepted this role her career, and life would change for the better. She eventually became one of the most beloved wrestlers not just in the 90s, but ever. A big crowning moment where you can see the fans on her side was when she ended the over 1,000-day WWWA Singles Title reign of Bull Nakano on November 26, 1992. She was told she couldn’t be a hero, however, she became just that.
Longevity
Kong has had a career spanning well over 30 years, and no plans on stopping anytime soon. Kong has the Giant Baba vision of wrestling until death, she wants to dedicate everything she has left to the sport she loves. What’s even more impressive is how Kong has been able to maintain her drawing ability throughout her career. Kong will often be on many companies’ Korakuen’s or bigger shows for the simple fact fans still want to come see the legend work her magic. Not only that, but Kong has had a great match in basically every era she’s been active in — that’s how special she is.
I’m not the only one who feels Kong has a serious case for being the greatest wrestler of all time, as Alex from Stardom Quest feels the same way. This is what he had to say on the matter:
“There may never be another wrestler like Aja Kong. For almost 40 years now she has been a mainstay of women’s wrestling in Japan, delivering great matches in just about every single year of her career. Her longevity alone is awe-inspiring but even better is how good she has been the entire time.
There has never been, and never will be, any wrestler with Kong’s combination of charisma, power, and raw athletic ability. Some wrestlers may be more charismatic, some may hit harder, and some may be faster, but none blend all three together as seamlessly as Kong did. Not only did she have the aura of a monster, not only could she deliver some of the most vicious beatdowns in Joshi history, but the speed at which she could throw her strikes, the speed at which she could close down any space created by a counter, the speed she could build up before taking someone’s head off was unbelievable. Kong was built like a tank but moved like a ferrari, and in my opinion, we never even saw the full scale of what she could do agility-wise.
To complement the fact she was a five-tool athlete, Kong may also be one of the smartest wrestlers to ever set foot in a ring. It’s this IQ that has allowed her to continue being a positive presence in the ring for over 30 years now. She has always known just how much to sell to keep her monstrous aura, while also selling just enough that you believe she can be bested at any moment. In fact, as she’s gotten older she’s brilliantly made it a rite of passage for newer wrestlers just to knock her down. It’s such a subtle part of her matches but when you pay attention you see all of her knowledge come to the forefront as she puts people over just by deciding how much she’s willing to sell for them.”To complement the fact she was a five-tool athlete, Kong may also be one of the smartest wrestlers to ever set foot in a ring. It’s this IQ that has allowed her to continue being a positive presence in the ring for over 30 years now. She has always known just how much to sell to keep her monstrous aura, while also selling just enough that you believe she can be bested at any moment. In fact, as she’s gotten older she’s brilliantly made it a rite of passage for newer wrestlers just to knock her down. It’s such a subtle part of her matches but when you pay attention you see all of her knowledge come to the forefront as she puts people over just by deciding how much she’s willing to sell for them.”
– Alex (@LWOSPWAlexR)
Her Desire To Push Joshi Forward
Alex mentioned that Aja has made knocking her down a rite of passage for newer wrestlers, and selling just enough for them to the point you believe they have a chance. That’s remarkable at this stage of her career, as it allows her to still have great matches. Take a look at Tokyo Joshi Pro’s January 2021 Korakuen, and her interactions with Mirai Maiumi. Mirai comes out looking like a star, or her recent interactions in TJPW with Max The Impaler, making the foreigner look like an equal. However, there’s more to her desire to put Joshi in a better place than facing her. She’s been working closely with ZERO1’s NATSUMI as almost a mentor. She’s gone freelance and is appearing in any place she can. Kong often gives advice to the younger wrestlers, and always has the wheels turning thinking about how to get the next generation over.
Kong at this rate will be having great matches until her career does end, as she’s an expert at making up for any lost steps. However, now that she’s completely freelance I think even wrestlers on the Joshi scene will be able to learn from her. Takes the best to remain at the top while bringing everyone up to their level. Something only the greatest professional wrestler of all time can accomplish, and that’s Aja Kong.
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