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Top
Puroresu Wrestlers
As viewing
the "Complete Wrestler List" over at Puroresu Central will show
you, there are hundreds upon hundreds of wrestlers in Japan. Learning
them all over-night will not happen. First start with the bigger stars
and over time you will learn more and more wrestlers, particularly those
that you enjoy. Don't feel disheartened if you have trouble remembering
which wrestler is which, it will come to you after a few viewings. I still
remember back when I couldn't remember which wrestlers Kojima and Tenzan
were, its not uncommon. To help you get to know some of the bigger stars,
below I have given brief details on 15 of the biggest stars in Japan and
6 of the rising stars in Japan. This is far from a definitive list of
the best active wrestlers in Japan, but it is a good starting point. I
tried to give a variety of stars from different promotions to give as
many different examples as possible.
Established
Stars:
Kenta
Kobashi
Promotion: Pro
Wrestling NOAH
Major Title Held: GHC Heavyweight Championship
Famous Match: vs. Mitsuharu Misawa, 3/1/03
Finishing Moves: Lariat and Burning Hammer
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Mitsuharu
Misawa
Promotion:
Pro Wrestling NOAH
Major Title Held: GHC Heavyweight Championship
Famous Match: vs. Kenta Kobashi, 3/1/03
Finishing Moves: Elbow Smash and Emerald Frosion
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Jun
Akiyama
Promotion:
Pro Wrestling NOAH
Major Title Held: GHC Heavyweight Championship
Famous Match: vs. Kenta
Kobashi, 7/10/04
Finishing Moves: Exploder and Wrist-Clutch Explorer
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Shinsuke
Nakamura
Promotion: New
Japan Pro Wrestling
Major Title Held: IWGP Heavyweight Championship
Famous Match: vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, 12/9/03
Finishing Moves: Landslide and Cross Armbreaker
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Hiroshi
Tanahashi
Promotion: New
Japan Pro
Wrestling
Major Title Held: IWGP Heavyweight
Championship
Famous Match: vs. Yuji Nagata, 8/12/07
Finishing Moves: Dragon Suplex and High Fly Flow
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Yuji
Nagata
Promotion: New
Japan Pro
Wrestling
Major Title Held: IWGP Heavyweight
Championship
Famous Match: vs. Keiji Mutoh, 8/12/01
Finishing Moves: Nagata Lock I and Backdrop Suplex
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Keiji
Mutoh
Promotion: All
Japan Pro Wrestling
Major Title Held: Triple Crown Championship
Famous Match: vs. Genichiro Tenryu, 6/8/01
Finishing Moves: Shining Wizard and Moonsault
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Satoshi
Kojima
Promotion: All
Japan Pro Wrestling
Major Title Held: Triple Crown Championship
Famous Match: vs. Toshiaki Kawada, 2/16/05
Finishing Moves: Lariat and Koji Cutter
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Taiyo
Kea
Promotion: All
Japan Pro Wrestling
Major Title Held: Triple Crown Championship
Famous Match: vs. Satoshi Kojima, 7/3/06
Finishing Moves: TKO and TKO34th
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CIMA
Promotion: Dragon
Gate
Major Title Held: Open The Dream Gate
Famous Match: vs. Jushin Thunder Liger, 7/1/07
Finishing Moves: Schwein and Crossfire
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Kensuke
Sasaki
Promotion: Freelancer
Major Title Held: Triple Crown Championship
Famous Match: vs. Shinya Hashimoto, 8/1/97
Finishing Moves: Lariat and Northern Lights Bomb
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Genichiro
Tenryu
Promotion: Freelancer
Major Title Held: Triple Crown Championship
Famous Match: vs. Jumbo Tsuruta, 6/5/89
Finishing Moves: 53 Year Old and Powerbomb
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Minoru
Suzuki
Promotion: Freelancer
Major Title Held: Triple Crown Championship
Famous Match: vs. Taiyo Kea, 9/3/06
Finishing Moves: Sleeper and Gotch-Style Piledriver
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Jushin
Thunder Liger
Promotion: New
Japan Pro Wrestling
Major Title Held: IWGP Jr. Championship
Famous Match: vs. Ultimo Dragon, 1/4/97
Finishing Moves: Liger Bomb and Brainbuster
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Great
Sasuke
Promotion: Michinoku
Pro
Major Title Held: J-Crown
Famous Match: vs. Ultimo Dragon, 8/5/96
Finishing Moves: Sasuke Special and Powerbomb
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Rising
Stars:
Go
Shiosaki
Promotion: Pro
Wrestling NOAH
Famous Match: vs. Jun Akiyama, 1/27/07
Finishing Moves: Go Flasher and Moonsault
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Tetsuya
Naito
Promotion:
New Japan Pro Wrestling
Famous Match: vs. Jushin Thunder Liger, 9/3/06
Finishing Moves: Elbow Strike and Stardust Press
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Kota
Ibushi
Promotion:
DDT
Famous Match: vs. Madoka,
8/26/07
Finishing Moves: Phoenix Splash and SSP
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Yoshitsune
Promotion: Michinoku
Pro
Famous Match: vs. Jushin Thunder Liger, 9/1/07
Finishing Moves: SSP and Swandive Hurricanrana
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Yuko
Miyamoto
Promotion: Big
Japan Pro Wrestling
Famous Match: vs. Takashi Sasaki, 3/14/07
Finishing Moves: Moonsault and Yankee Driver
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YAMATO
Promotion: All
Japan Pro Wrestling
Famous Match: IWRG Rey Del Ring, 7/26/07
Finishing Moves: German Suplex and Aztec Suplex
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For more
information on these wrestlers and hundreds of others, head over to
Puroresu
Central.
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