10 Best Male Japanese Imports In WWE History

11. Honourable Mention: The Great Sasuke

Having already made a name for himself in Japan, The Great Sasuke made his way to the WWF in 1997 as part of a cross-promotional deal between Vince McMahon and Michinoku Pro.

Sasuke was scheduled to be part of a tournament to crown the inaugural WWF Light Heavyweight Champion. A clear favourite, his high flying exploits were quickly becoming a highlight of WWF programming and a great counter to WCW’s mask-heavy Cruiserweight Division.

Sadly, an unfortunate incident would stop Sasuke's momentum dead in its tracks. Back in Japan, it was alleged that Sasuke let slip to the Japanese media that, should he win, he would only defend the title on home soil. This prompted WWF to not only change course but cease dealing with him and Michinoku Pro altogether.

Despite the brevity of his stay, his two televised matches with Taka Michinoku in 1997 were groundbreaking at the time. While other Japanese stars were around longer - such as Hakushi in the mid-90s - the impact left from Sasuke's appearances and his swift exit only add further to his WWF legend.

WWE would later include Sasuke matches in a number of their DVD releases - notably Chris Benoit: Hard Knocks and ECW Unreleased Vol. 2 - reaffirming his status as one of the greats.