Credit: NJPW Global Twitter
Through the 45 glorious years of New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), we count down its top 10 wrestlers of all time.
In 1972, founder Antonio Inoki officially opened the doors of New Japan Wrestling, and with that ushered in what is to this day one of the preeminent professional wrestling companies in the world. Unlike American professional wrestling, NJPW focuses more on what happens inside the ring as opposed to outside, as over the decades the company has churned out more mat classics than most people can manage to remember. And it’s still going strong. Recently foraying into American television, fans of pro wrestling in this country get a free look at how good professional wrestling could and should be.
Over the years, the talent in NJPW has shined. But who was the very best? It’s a massively deep pool to pick from but when it’s all said and done there are 10 men whose inclusion to the brand has shaped what the company is to this very day. This list is based on accomplishments, level of in-ring mastery, and what each superstars meaning to NJPW was and still is. It wasn’t easy and there are several arguments that can be made to superstars who were left off this countdown, but this is a true list of the very best ever.
Ahead we count down the top 10 NJPW superstars of all time.
Honorable Mentions:
Manabu Nakanishi
A former amateur wrestler who finished 11th in that category at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics, Nakanishi started his pro wrestling career pretty late for Japanese standards. At 25 years old, he came to NJPW as a very green talent but with a huge upside. Over the course of the next 25 years, “Yajin”, with his huge personality and heart became one of the most popular stars in the company.
As far as his accolades go, he’s won 3 IWGP tag titles, the Young Lions Cup, and a G1 Climax in 1999. But his biggest accomplishment came in 2009 after 17 years with NJPW, when he finally captured the IWGP Heavyweight title. Not the most polished wrestler compared to his competition but a hugely popular legend that still competes with the company to this day.
Satoshi Kojima
Another legend who still competes full time even at the age of 46, “Cozy” may have actually cracked the top 10 had he not taken an 8 year break from NJPW and went to rival All Japan Pro Wrestling. However, it was in AJPW where Kojima honed his craft best, and when he returned to NJPW in 2010 and at almost 40 years old, he was better than ever. He would use that momentum to snatch up his second world championship as well as 4 more tag titles and 2 NEVER Openweight belts.
A guy who truly seems to get better with age, Kojima still seems to have his best days ahead of him. And at the rate he’s going, if we do this countdown again in five years, he may just have a much higher ranking.
Yuji Nagata
An absolute fitness machine, 49-year-old active wrestler Nagata, still moves like a guy in his 20’s. Still full-time and still executing his moves like a guy half his age, “Blue Justice” makes the impossible look easy every time he wrestles. He’s one of the most daring guys to ever step foot in a ring and that was evidenced in 2001 and 2003 when he stepped into an MMA ring and got his skull caved in by Mirko Filipovic and Fedor Emelianenko, respectively. That takes guts.
A 2-time IWGP world champ and winner of the 2001 G1 Climax, Nagata has won over 1300 matches under the NJPW and that number should continue to rise. He’s a member of this year’s G1 and there’s no doubt he’ll make another mark.
Masahiro Chono
The only man to ever win the G1 Climax 5 times, Chono’s 26-year career in NJPW ended in 2010, but his legacy still stands. With 7 world tag titles under his belt, he’ll go down as one of the best tag workers of all time, and with a 1998 IWGP Heavyweight championship win, one of the best ever, period.
Known as one of the best pure heels in NJPW history, “Mr. Black Jack” just narrowly misses the top 10 here. Now at 53 years old and freelancing the Japanese indy circuit, don’t be shocked if you see one last run in NJPW for Chono.
10. Shinya Hashimoto
Toki City’s Hashimoto will never be remembered as the flashiest wrestler in the world. He was more of a powerhouse who relied on his strength and vicious strikes. Nor will he be remembered for having a great physique. At 5 foot 10 and weighing nearly 300 pounds, “Hakaiou” resembled more a bull than a wrestler. But what this man will be remembered for is for being one of the best wrestlers of all time and undoubtedly one of New Japan’s most popular superstars to ever step foot in the ring. He was one of the top draws throughout the 90’s and it seemed every time he wrestled, it was an event.
Hashimoto was with NJPW from 1988 until 2000 and in that span was about as dominant as anyone. None more so than his run from May of 1994 until August of 1997 when he held the IWGP Heavyweight Championship for a staggering combined 1,052 days over 3 title runs. His third and final reign last 489 days, a record that still stands to this day. Mixed in with that greatness, he also managed to win 3 IWGP tag titles, as well as the 1990 Kyushu Cup, and the 1998 G1 Climax, the latter being almost a right of passage for all of NJPW’s greats.
Hashimoto left New Japan in 2000 and in 2001 founded his own promotion, Pro Wrestling ZERO1, a league that is still in business to this day. He wrestled his final 3 years before taking some time off to heal from some injuries in August of 2004. Less than a year later he would die tragically from a brain aneurysm. Rumors were circling at that time of his passing that he was resting in order to make a return to the NJPW. Wrestling fans will never know. But for certain, that at only 40 years old, Hashimoto had plenty left to give. A true tragedy.
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.
8. Hiroyoshi Tenzan
Well, it’s all said and done, nobody is ever going to accuse Kyoto’s Tenzan of being the greatest technical wrestler of all time. But what “Mogyu” will be remembered for 2 things. Being an in-ring innovator and having a tremendous knack for winning. Tenzan has been with NJPW for nearly a quarter of a decade and in that time he’s proven himself to be a tough, durable, and powerful presence. At over 250 pounds, the now 46-year-old warrior is credited as the innovator of the Anaconda Vice submission that he varies into cobra clutch and straight jacket choke submissions, as well as being the record holder for the most tag team championships with 12.
So as decorated as he is as a tag team worker, Tenzan has some serious singles credibility as well. He’s a 4-time IWGP Heavyweight champion and although these title reigns were all relatively short, his wins were all against legends. His title victories were over Yoshihiro Takayama, Genichiro Tenryu, Kensuke Sasaki, and Satoshi Kojima. Some serious heavy hitters. And with over 1500 wins under the NJPW banner, 3 G1 Climax wins, and the 1993 Lions Cup under his belt, Tenzan has etched his place among the greats.
As great as Tenzan performed as a singles wrestler, he will most likely go down as the best tag team wrestler in NJPW history. His aforementioned 12 tag title wins is a staggering amount considering the second place person only has just 7. Those 12 title reigns spanned nearly a 2,000 combined days and with 3 different partners, which proves that Tenzan can get the job done in any situation. Truly a pioneer of a hybrid wrestler, Tenzan is still going strong in the company and it should be a blast watching him grapple out his final years as a pro.
credit: wwe.com
7. The Great Muta/Keiji Mutoh
The Great Muta took a somewhat different path to NJPW stardom as opposed to the rest of this list. He began his career working for the company but didn’t find a ton of success. In 1989 he took his talents state-side to Jim Crockett’s NWA promotion and almost instantly caught on as a top heel. With his silent yet vicious demeanor, coupled with spewing green mist into the faces of his opponents, Muta was a scary dude. He used that gimmick to enter one of the best NWA Television title feuds ever with Sting that same year while also engaging in story lines with Ric Flair, Lex Luger, and Arn Anderson.
In 1990, Muta went back to Japan and his stock was through the roof. Over the course of the next 2 decades, he would win 4 IWGP Heavyweight Championships with reigns that lasted over a combined 1200 days, while also capturing the 1995 G1 Climax. His tag team work was on another level during this time as won 5 more IWGP tag titles and 3 G1 Tag Leagues. With nearly 900 wins to his NJPW credit, it’s obvious that this guy is a lock for the top 10.
Muta always had a way of ramping up feuds and making things personal. Through his years in NJPW, his feuds with Masahiro Chono, Kensuke Sasaki, Shinya Hashimoto, and Hiroshi Hase were massive draws for the company. His feud with Hase alone left the world with “The Muta Scale” when it comes to assessing how much blood could pour from one’s head. And the whole time he was dominating NJPW, he was keeping up with his work in the states as he would win a WCW tag title and an NWA Heavyweight Championship, becoming only the second person to hold that belt and the IWGP Heayweight Championship at the same time. Muta will be remembered well by American wrestling but will forever be revered by the Japanese where he will always be a legend.
credit: wwe.com
6. Shinsuke Nakamura
If this was a list based solely on charisma, Nakamura may be number 1. But on top of being insanely charismatic, “The King of Strong Style” was a major force throughout his 14 years with the company. Bursting on to the scene as rookie, Nakamura wasted no time cementing a legacy that still looms today. Dubbed the “super rookie” during his first year under the NJPW banner, Nakamura shockingly won his first IWGP Heavyweight Championship at just 23 years old, a record that still stands today.
When he left for the WWE in January of 2016, it was a massive blow to NJPW and it’s fans. “The Rockstar” was one of the most popular stars in the company’s history and his accomplishments speak for themselves. All in all, Nakamura won 3 IWGP Heavyweight Championships, 5 IWGP Intercontinental Championships, 1 IWGP Tag Title, while also bringing home trophies in the G1 Tag Tag League in 2006, the G1 Climax in 2011, and the New Japan Cup in 2014.
But when it’s all said and done, Nakamura may be best known for the pure quality of wrestling he exhibited time after time in a NJPW ring. His wars with the likes of Kota Ibushi, Kazuchika Okada, and Hiroshi Tanahashi among a host of others stand up to this day as some of the best bouts in NJPW history. And although his luster in Japan hasn’t had quite the same effect in the states, if given the time and opportunity, Nakamura could be just as big a legend in the WWE as he was in New Japan.
5. Kensuke Sasaki
Fukuoka’s now retired Kensuke Sasaki, had a pro wrestling career that spanned about 27 years. However, only about half of that was spent in NJPW. But in that 13-year span, Sasaki made a dent on the company like few others. Initially seen as a tag team specialist, he would go on to win 6 of his first 7 IWGP Tag Team titles with 5 different partners from 1990, the year he entered the company, until 1997. Also in that span, he captured the WCW United States title from Sting, in so becoming the first man to ever win that title outside of the states.
But it was in 1997 that Sasaki’s career exploded. All within the course of one month, that month being August of 97′, he captured the G1 Climax over 3 time winner Hiroyoshi Tenzan, won his 6th tag title, this time with Kazuo Yamazaki, and then finished the run with a IWGP Heavyweight title win over Shinya Hashimoto which ended the champions record long 489 day title reign. Talk about a run. Sasaki went on from there to win another 2 IWGP Heavyweight titles and another G1 Climax before a fallout with the company saw him leave voluntarily in 2002.
After his departure, Sasaki then attempted to open his own promotion with another NJPW stand-out, Riki Choshu, however that venture failed in less than 2 years. He then returned to NJPW in 2004 and vowed to win the back the fans that saw him as a traitor. During the time he spent doing that, he managed to pick up 2 more IWGP Heavyweight titles making him only the second superstar at that time to capture that belt 5 times. And although Sasaki would once again leave a year later, his legacy was firmly cemented. Had it not been for the fall-out with the company that saw him leave the first time during one of the hottest runs of any career in NJPW history, Sasaki’s accomplishments might be even better. But either way, he’s still clearly one of the greatest stars of this great promotion.
credit: wwe.com
4. Tatsumi Fujinami
Checking in at number 4 is a man that many see as one of the founding fathers of New Japan Pro Wrestling. Heck, he even wrestled in their very first event in March of 1972. And for the next 35 years, Tatsumi Fujinami would be a fixture for the company. In 1999, he became president of the promotion, so his in-ring workload decreased significantly. But before that, he was unquestionably one of the busiest workers in all of Japan. In his first 17 years as a full-time wrestler, he was in the top 10 for most matches worked 15 of those years. 5 times he was number 1.
And with activity normally comes success, and Fujinami had that in spades. To this day he still holds the record for most wins in the company with 2,220 (cagematch.net), he’s second in IWGP Heavyweight titles with 6, and fifth all time in days holding that belt. His other accomplishments include 5 IWGP tag belts, the 1993 G1 Climax, and the 1991 Super Grade Tag League. He also pulled off one of the rarest feats in the entire wrestling game when, in 1991, he defeated Ric Flair for the NWA title, becoming the first man and only person at that time to hold both that and the IWGP title simultaneously. As mentioned previously, The Great Muta did it as well some years later.
Much like other members on this list, Fujinami seemed to get better with age. He won the final 3 of his 6 IWGP Heavyweight titles after the age of 37, and his G1 Climax win came at the age of 40. A true legend and workhorse for the company when they needed him the most, “The Dragon” will forever be known as one of the first, true greats and deserves his name on any type of Mount Rushmore that NJPW ever creates.
Credit: NJPW Global Twitter
3. Kazuchika Okada
In the opening slide of this piece, I mentioned that Satoshi Kojima may still have a few accomplishments left him and so his ranking could be a little different if we did this countdown in a few years. However, if this list is once again written a decade from now, there’s no doubt that Okada would be number 1. At just 29 years old, “The Rainmaker” has already done everything there is to do in NJPW and is currently not only their world champion, but their far and away top draw.
Okada, at just 19, entered New Japan and the company immediately knew they had a star on their hands. In order to get the most on their investment, they sent Okada to the United States to learn how to entertain for the television screen to go along with his tremendous ring acumen and movie star good looks. 5 years later Okada returned, and his first full time stint back with the promotion, he defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi for the first of his 4 IWGP Heavyweight Championships. Since that day, he’s had that belt around his waist for almost 1,200 days combined and he currently wears it now. Add in wins in the 2012 and 2014 G1 Climax and it appears the company was 100% right about his future.
What sets Okada apart even further this early in his career, is the level of matches he produces. He has 5 Five-Star Matches from Dave Meltzer, which seemed pretty impressive until he topped that this year with a Six and Six and A Quarter ratings from Meltzer against Kenny Omega, a first for either of those rankings. For a guy who’s not yet 30, Okada is already putting on some of the greatest matches in pro wrestling history and his legend grows every day. He’s one of the best in the business already, and there’s a very real chance of him one day being the best to ever lace up a pair of boots.
credit: wwe.com
2. Antonio Inoki
Look, on one hand it’s pretty easy to get booked pretty strongly when you’re doing your own booking, but on the other hand, there weren’t too many guys in Antonio Inoki’s class when he first found NJPW in 1972. Already a 12- year pro who studied under Rikidozan, Inoki was an established star in two promotions that he had been in previously. So for him to book himself as the top draw made sense because he was the biggest wrestling star in the country. And strong booking may be an understatement as Inoki would proceed to be in the top 3 in wins in NJPW for the next 16 years, getting the top spot 8 times. Altogether, he wrestled in 2,586 matches for his company and won 2,139 of them (cagematch.net). That’s right. A near 83% winning percentage.
The rest of his credentials are nothing if not spectacular. Although he only won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship once, he was the inaugural one and held that belt for 325 days. And since the G1 Climax didn’t come around until 1991, he never got a shot at winning it. However, the World League, the MSG League, and the International Wrestling Grand Prix were its predecessors and Inoki won a combined 10 of those. So yeah, he has that covered too.
In later years, Inoki dialed down his involvement in the wrestling business and eventually retired from in-ring action to pursue what has become a very successful career in politics. Over time people have accused Inoki of holding down young stars but when you consider that he trained the likes of other members of this list in Fujinami, Muto, Hashimoto, and Chono, his mark on the sport and NJPW is undeniable. Not only did he begin what is now the preeminent wrestling company in the world, he carried it through it’s infancy and is a major reason NJPW is what it is today.
1. Hiroshi Tanahashi
There are a few people out there who might read this article and be angered by this choice. Because to be honest, when you’re the best of all time, your critics are always the harshest. And the fact of the matter is that Hiroshi Tanahashi is the best and most accomplished superstar in the history of NJPW. If Antonio Inoki is credited with why the company was successful out of the gates, the “Ace Of The Universe” is one of the biggest reasons it is what it is today, and why it may be on the precipice of taking over as the best wrestling promotion on the planet, if it hasn’t yet already.
Tanahashi began his career in 1999 as a fresh faced 22 year old and slowly but surely rose up the ranks the right way. With dedication and patience, the young man worked for 4 years before winning his first title, the IWGP Tag Team title in 2003. Over the next 3 years, he’d win another tag title and 2 U-30 Openweight championships. On July 17th of 2006, Tanahashi won his first IWGP Heavyweight Championship which touched a string of championships over the next 11 years totaling 13. The damage: 6 more IWGP Heavyweight titles (7 total which is a record to this day), 2 IWGP Intercontinental belts (he currently holds that title), 2 titles from Mexico’s CMLL who like to make some NJPW cameos, 3 NEVER Openweight six-man straps, and 2 G1 Climax trophies. Insane.
More wwe: Wrestle Kingdom 10 Review
But like the aforementioned Okada, he excels in the epic match forum and sure, there are a couple of other guys who can match him in the ring, but there is virtually nobody that can do that while also equaling his charisma and intensity. There is nobody on earth right now that has a better combination of athletic ability mixed with a superstar presence which captivates audiences all over the globe. He’s one of the most popular stars that has ever stepped into a NJPW ring and at just 40 years old, the journey is far from over.