10 Most Revolutionary Individuals In Wrestling History

Liger sought to enter the wrestling business during a period when Japan still prized larger-sized wrestlers (which stemmed from sumo’s influence). Liger himself was deemed ‘too small’ by NJPW standards, and had to go to Mexico instead. While there, he was literally starving, and so NJPW allowed him to train in their infamous dojo.

Thanks to that time spent in Mexico, Liger’s style became a combination of strong style with lucha libre elements. This, coupled with his elaborate costume and amazing technique, led to a revolution in Japanese pro wrestling in the early 1990s. Jushin Liger’s popularity exploded in Japan, and soon venues would sell out everywhere he went.

Fans loved to watch him perform his unbelievable aerial maneuvers, including his patented Shooting Star Press. Though he never won a World Championship, it was Liger, not Tiger Mask, who set the bar so high for cruiserweight wrestling around the world.

When the commentators were signing his praise at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn, his legendary status wasn’t hyperbole; Liger literally revolutionized an industry to such a degree that, these days, the lighter and more agile wrestlers are arguably more popular than their heavier counterparts.

Just look at some of the most popular and accomplished wrestlers today: Seth Rollins, Hiroshi Tanahashi, A.J. Styles, and Daniel Bryan are just a few of the names who’ve structured their wrestling styles around a philosophy made popular by Jushin Liger.