Kuniaki Kobayashi Dead, Legendary NJPW Star & Tiger Mask Rival Dies At Age 68

Kuniaki Kobayashi, best known to fans of New Japan Pro-Wrestling for his epic battles with Tiger Mask, has passed away at 68, according to a press release.

Kobayashi began training at the famous NJPW Dojo in 1972 before getting his feet wet internationally, wrestling in Mexico and various U.S. territories, including NWA Los Angeles. He returned to Japan in 1982 and began his renowned feud with the country's popular new babyface, Tiger Mask, with Kobayashi often billing himself as the "Tiger Hunter" in these matchups. The contests quickly became fan favorites. 

In the mid-80s, Kobayashi defeated the second Tiger Mask (Mitsuharu Misawa) for the World Junior Heavyweight Championship. He also captured the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship after a brief stint in the WWE as Chin Kobiashi. 

Beyond his association with Tiger Mask, Kobayashi is also tied to another Japanese wrestling legend that U.S. fans are familiar with: Jushin Liger. In 1989, Kobayashi made history as the very first opponent of Keiichi Yamada's new Jushin Liger persona, the character that would define Yamada's entire career. Though Kobayashi lost that first encounter at the Tokyo Dome, the two would lock up several more times in the years that followed, including Kobayashi's official retirement match in 2000, which Kobayashi once again lost. However, in true wrestling fashion, his "retirement" wouldn't truly stick, as Kobayashi would return for special appearances and the occasional battle royale, most recently in 2017 at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom XI. In a full-circle moment, Kobayashi stood at ringside during Jushin Liger's own retirement match at Wrestle Kingdom 14 in 2020.

Kobayashi remained active behind the scenes, helping train the next generation at the NJPW Dojo, where his own career began.