10 Wrestlers Who Did Bizarre TV Shows

9. Togi Makabe: Sweets Makabe No Umaissu!!

MJF Rosie O'Donnell
NJPW

The Togi Makabe you see in a New Japan Pro Wrestling ring is a violent, heavy-handed slugger with a bad attitude and a foul mouth to boot.

Heavily influenced by Bruiser Brody, he hits the ring to a version of Led Zepplin's Immigrant Song with a thick chain around his neck and leathers fools with a delightfully primitive style of wrestling powered by rough, bellicose energy. The 48-year-old gets by by punching people in the face and swearing a lot. He doesn't need to be anything more than that.

But he is.

Away from the squared circle, NJPW's Unchained Gorilla hosts Sweets Makabe No Umaissu!!, a television show so at odds with his wrestling persona that you'd think it was made up. Why? Because it involves Makabe travelling Japan, sampling his destinations' many candy shops, ice cream parlours, to satiate his sweet tooth and live his best life.

Makabe is NJPW's Candyman. He bloody loves sweets, so much so that he once took to a home shopping channel to try and sell them. Here's hoping he has a good dental plan.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.