#5.) Hulk Hogan
Before Hulkamania went running wild, Hulk Hogan was tearing it apart in technical matches in Japan. You read that right. You may know Hulk Hogan as the larger-than-life megastar and pop-culture icon from the 80s and 90s, but prior to his WWF return, he spent around 3 years in New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he achieved an enormous amount of success.
In fact, he was even a holder of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in its early version, though he isn’t recognized as a champion in its current lineage. Dubbed as Ichiban (Number one), Hogan was a huge star in Japan, making a big impact in his brief spell over there.
It was around 1983 when Vince McMahon came calling and he became the megastar that we know him as today. Even with WWF, he did make a few return appearances to Japan, contending for the IWGP Heavyweight title and even defending his WWF Championship.
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