Let's start with 'The Beast Incarnate', Brock Lesnar, as if you're going to include Lesnar in a list it is probably best to start with him. After acrimoniously leaving WWE in 2004 and seeing his NFL dreams dashed by a motorcycle accident, Lesnar would win NJPW's top title in his first match in over a year by defeating Masahiro Chono and Kazuyuki Fujita in a three way. To this day, Lesnar is one of only six recognised non-Japanese holders of the title (we'll look at a couple more later on). On-going lawsuit issues with the WWE would hinder his New Japan run, but Lesnar was still able to defend his title against Shinsuke Nakamura, Akebono and Giant Bernard before vacating it due to VISA issues. Despite vacating the title, Brock would hold on to the physical title for another year, before losing to Kurt Angle in a Champion vs. Champion match (Angle was TNA champion at the time). Antonio Inoki, for all intents and purposes the demi-God of NJPW, stated that as Lesnar hadnt lost the title he was still the rightful champion. His loss to Angle would be Lesnars final wrestling match for five years.
Born in the middle of Wales in the middle of the 1980's, John can't quite remember when he started watching wrestling but he has a terrible feeling that Dino Bravo was involved. Now living in Prague, John spends most of his time trying to work out how Tomohiro Ishii still stands upright. His favourite wrestler of all time is Dean Malenko, but really it is Repo Man. He is the author of 'An Illustrated History of Slavic Misery', the best book about the Slavic people that you haven't yet read. You can get that and others from www.poshlostbooks.com.
