10 Best NJPW Wrestlers In WWE
3. Chris Benoit
Though he spent much of his early wrestling career in and out of New Japan, Chris Benoit enjoyed a full year cutting his teeth in their dojo. There, he paid his dues through the long, gruelling slog that is life as an NJPW trainee, where Benoit, like his fellow Young Lions, worked on his skills while serving as ring crew, arena security, and a baggage handler to the stars.
The Canadian effectively went full-time for the promotion in the early '90s. Wrestling as Pegasus Kid (and later, Wild Pegasus), he was a former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, and the 1994 Super J Cup winner, with his innovative matches against Jushin 'Thunder' Liger and Great Sasuke still standing up today.
Benoit left NJPW in 1994, and eventually came to WWE in 2000. He was, of course, a complete success. Though often underpushed, he eventually became World Heavyweight Champion in 2004, adding to a resumé that already included a Royal Rumble victory and a host of midcard belts. As hard as it is to look at his career in a vacuum, he was objectively a star in Vince McMahon's company.