NJPW: 10 Greatest Wrestlers of All Time
By Tim Sherry
credit: wwe.com
9. Jushin Liger
The only wrestler on this list to not win a world champion in NJPW, Jushin “Thunder” Liger ranks where he does because his vast accomplishments, which are stunningly impressive. Liger holds the records for most NJPW Jr. Heavyweight Championships with 11, the most title defenses with 31, and the most days with the belt which is 2,245. Combined, that’s over 6 years with that title. Add to it that he also won 6 NJPW Junior Heavyweight tag titles under his belt, along with 3 of The Best Of The Super Juniors trophies and the 1986 Lion’s cup and you have a guy that changed the game in a big way.
Make no mistake, without Liger, there are no cruiserweight/junior heavyweight divisions in wrestling. The guy revolutionized the underweight, high-flying wrestler and proved that pro wrestling isn’t just the land of giants with a fast-paced, risk-taking in-ring acumen. Throw in that he invented the Shooting Star Press, one of most exciting moves of all-time, and you have a legitimate pro wrestling pioneer in the “Symbol of Junior”.
At 52 years young, Liger is still performing at an extremely high level. Heck, he even got a shot in the WWE, besting Tyler Breeze at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn in July of 2015 while reminding the casual wrestling fan that he’s an outright legend. Liger may not fly like he used to but that is something that adds even more to his brilliance. His adaptability is the reason that he’s still going strong as he’s re-focused his game plan around a near flawless mat game. This guy can do it all and at this pace don’t be shocked if he keeps this up for another decade, delighting NJPW fans all along the way.