7 Best Ever NJPW Gaijin Wrestlers

7. Pegasus Kid

Chris Benoit made his New Japan debut as a fresh-faced 19-year-old, battling Masaharu Funaki to a time limit draw on 2 January 1987. Benoit (who was wrestling under his real name) had been training in the infamous NJPW dojo for the previous year, honing his craft while also doing menial tasks for veteran wrestlers. The training was tough, but Benoit was rewarded with a steady stream of bookings.

Following his rookie year, Benoit went on an excursion (as was customary for New Japan's Young Lions) to gain more experience and build up his body for his eventual return. He reappeared in New Japan in 1990 as the masked 'Pegasus Kid', rival to fellow junior heavyweight standout Jushin Liger. Benoit and Liger would battle one another for the rest of the year, with Benoit as Pegasus winning the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship on 19 August (he lost it back to Liger on 1 November).

Benoit quickly solidified his reputation as the premier powerhouse of the junior heavyweight scene, wowing audiences with his vicious powebombs, clotheslines and Dynamite Kid-inspired snap suplexes and diving headbutts. More success followed as Benoit became a New Japan regular. He won the Best of the Super Juniors tournament in 1993 and then the first ever Super J Cup in '94, besting El Samurai and The Great Sasuke in superlative matches.

New Japan's roster in the early-mid '90s was truly stacked, but Benoit stood out thanks to his ability to have the best match on any given show, regardless of his opponent. In 1995, Benoit (along with fellow New Japan gaijin Dean Malenko and Eddie 'Black Tiger' Guerrero) was persuaded by New Japan to sign with WCW, with whom they had a working relationship.

From that point on his Japanese appearances became more sporadic, reduced to one or two tours per year as he focused on his career in North America. His final New Japan Pro Wrestling match was a loss to Hiroyoshi Tenzan at the Tokyo Dome on 4 January 2000. Had Benoit neglected to sign with WWE after walking out of WCW around the same time, he would have no doubt been offered the chance to do so - with a nice six-figure salary to boot.

He didn't, and the next time he wrestled in the Orient was as a WWE superstar. He was always given a rapturous reception upon his return, mind, as the Japanese fans remembered his impeccable career in the '90s, from 'Dynamite Chris' to the 'Pegasus Kid' to 'Wild Pegasus' and back to simply Chris Benoit. Few could touch Benoit as far as in-ring performance is concerned, and his matches (particularly against Sasuke, Liger, Samurai, Black Tiger, and Koji Kanemoto) are well worth seeking out.