10 Wrestlers Who Competed In The Olympics

10. Masa Saito - Tokyo 1964

Possibly a less familiar name to modern fans, Masa Saito experienced a decent amount of success in the World Wrestling Federation in the 1980s, winning tag team gold on two occasions with none other than Mr. Fuji.

Saito also had decent runs in other promotions in the States and Japan, winning NJPW's IWGP Tag Team Championships on two occasions (with Riki Choshu and Shinya Hashimoto) and a plethora of NWA titles. He was also voted 'Best Technical Wrestler' in the 1984 Wrestling Observer Awards, sharing the honour with Dynamite Kid.

Saito's technical expertise should come as no surprise, as 20 years prior to winning the award he represented his native Japan in the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in freestyle wrestling, finishing seventh.

This is impressive enough, but it is a less traditional match that ranks as Saito's most impressive achievement for me. In 1987, he took on the legendary Antonio Inoki in a Ganryujima Island Death Match, a two-hour battle that took place on a deserted island. The match itself is practically unwatchable, but still an incredible thing to think about.