Jushin Liger Thread

[PSachkovsky]

Here I go with another 'wrestler' thread. This time taking a look at Jushin 'Thunder' Liger.

Biography

Ring Name: Jushin 'Thunder' Liger
Real Name: Keiichi Yamada
Born: November 30, 1964
Debut: March 3, 1984

Accomplishments

All-Star Promotions:
World Heavy Middleweight Champion - 2 times

Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre:
World Middleweight Champion - 1 time
Universal Championship - 2010

Dragon Gate:
Open the Dream Gate Champion - 1 time

Jersey All Pro Wrestling:
Light Heavyweight Champion - 1 time

Michinoku Pro Wrestling/North Eastern Wrestling:
British Commonwealth Jr. Heavyweight Champion - 2 times
Super J Cup - 2000

New Japan Pro Wrestling:
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion - 11 times
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team - 6 times
J-Crown - 1 time
NWA World Jr. Heavyweight Champion - 1 time
NWA World Welterweight Champion - 1 time
UWA World Jr. Light Heavyweight Champion - 1 time
WWA World Jr. Light Heavyweight Champion - 1 time
WWF Light Heavyweight Champion - 1 time
Best of Super Juniors - 1992, 1994, 2001
G1 Junior Tag League - 2001
Naeba Cup Tag Tournament - 2001
Young Lion Cup - 1986

Osaka Pro Wrestling:
Tag Team Championship - 1 time

Pro Wrestling Noah:
GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion - 1 time

World Championship Wrestling:
World Light Heavyweight Champion - 1 time

Wrestle Association R:
International Junior Heavyweight Tag Team - 1 time
Super J Cup - 1995

Matches Involving Jushin Liger:

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Questions for Discussion:

1. What is your opinion of Jushin Liger?

2. What in your opinion do you think Liger contributed to the wrestling business?

3. Do you think he succeeded in marketing the Japanese wrestling in America?

 

[HBsam31]

Love these threads by the way, and Liger is a man I know more about than Hyabusa. I watched Liger in his WCW days and I loved his matches with then Flyin Brian Pillman. They were doing high flying crusierweight wrestling before it was cool, and I would guess he was a pioneer in WCW highlighting that particular division. Again you brought back a name that I had forgotten about and I will later tonight be watching his stuff from Japan. I would have to say that he along with The Great Muta exposed American to Japanese wrestling more than anyone else at that time.

 

[GrandSword]

Liger is also a favourite of mine, and the fact that he keeps his whole body covered means he (sort of) is timeless. He could wrestle for ever, and no one would know the difference!

Liger is a great talent and just like the poster above said along with Muta brought Japanese styles to American audiences. He is a pioneer of the cruiserweight style of matches and has innovated many moves we see in every day programming all around the world today.

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

His SuperBrawl match with Pillman was pretty amazing. Liger and Sasuke were the first Japanese compilation tapes I traded for as a young wrestling fan.