5. Japanese Wrestlers Don't Need To Leave Wrestling To Be Stars
If you look at who the WWE considers its biggest stars of all time, those listed are often those who had massive cross-cultural appeal and went beyond being called wrestlers. Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and The Rock, are among these big names because they transcended wrestling and became big stars elsewhere. However, in Japan, the wrestlers become famous for being wrestlers, and not much else. Its commonplace for wrestlers in Japan to have the same profession for well over a decade, whereas, as Triple H once said regarding WWE careers, theyre short and fast. This longer commitment allows for wrestlers to become bigger stars in their chosen profession. Wrestlers like Misawa, Muta, Kobashi, Liger, and others have been known for just that, being wrestlers. Even though Japanese wrestlers sometimes cross into no-wrestling roles on rare occasion, it does not become a central aspect of their character or profession. As such, you aren't likely to see a Japanese wrestler go into film in the same way as Hogan or The Rock did. However, Japanese wrestlers are more successful in running for public office than are American wrestlers. Take that for what you will.