10 Best Strong-Style Wrestlers Ever
7. Riki Choshu
When it comes to the biggest stars in the history of Japanese wrestling, Riki Choshu is sometimes overlooked by modern-day fans. That may be simply because Choshu's heyday came earlier than those of other stars - while men like Muta and Misawa dominated the '90s, Choshu was at his best a decade earlier.
Choshu's feud with Tatsumi Fujinami made him a hated heel, and his subsequent work with men like Jumbo Tsuruta and Genichiro Tenryu cemented him as one of the best workers of his day. While the sport was very different 30 years ago, Choshu's amateur background (he represented South Korea in wrestling in the 1972 Olympics) gave his skill a timeless quality.
Choshu injected some martial arts into his fighting form, though, making him one of the premier practitioners of strong style. His submissions were legendary, and his influence is undeniable - after all, Choshu invented the Sasori-Gatame, better known as the Sharpshooter.