#1.) Rikdozan
In the minds of many, Rikidozan was 100% Japanese. It’s true in the sense that he was a national hero in Japan and pride of the country. However, he was a Korean, born in Japanese-occupied Korea, which means that he still does technically count as a gaijin. However, this doesn’t discount the fact that he was an icon of his time.
Many have compared him to Muhammad Ali in Japan, with some stating that he was even bigger. He was the father of puroresu and the man responsible for bringing Japanese wrestling to the forefront. In a time of National and political tension, Rikidozan was the hero that the people wanted, seeing him defeat “evil foreigners” time and again.
He even had the respect of legends such as Lou Thesz, who happily put him over in Japan.
