JUSHIN ‘THUNDER’ LIGER:
THE JUNIOR LEGEND
By Jas Olan
He is viewed by many as probably the greatest junior heavyweight wrestler of all time. Since 1984, Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger has been a true standard bearer and revolutionary for his weight class. With his kaiju inspired look and innovative, high flying style he has always been a huge hit with fans and critics alike. Throughout his storied career, Liger has held the prestigious IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship a historic eleven times. He helped kickstart a revolution that brought junior heavyweight wrestling to the masses and showed that it could be a major attraction. This can be seen in the success of NJPW’s junior division and even the WWE’s cruiserweight division. Promotions from around the world are filled with wrestlers influenced by Liger.
Over the course of about thirty-five years, Liger has traveled the world, making his mark in Mexico and the United States. As a young lion, he was trained along future NJPW legends like the original ‘three musketeers’, Keiji Mutoh, Masahiro Chono, and Shinya Hashimoto. During his time working with WCW, Liger played a vital role in making its Cruiserweight division a massive success. Even at the age of fifty-four, he can still move around a wrestling ring the way he did as a young lion thirty years ago. It’s definitely a sight to see. Few junior heavyweights have ever been able to have the impact on the wrestling industry that he has.
Despite his small stature Liger has proven time and time again that even those often seen as the ultimate underdog can be a force to be reckoned with in the wrestling world. His passion for wrestling can be seen in every match that he is in. His matches are often some of the most entertaining ones on each card as he also loves to have fun in the ring. His unique mix of high flying and submission grappling skills has inspired generations of future stars like New Japan’s former junior ace, Kushida who many have viewed as the heir apparent to Liger.
His talent and passion have made Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger one of the most respected names in all of professional wrestling. For years he was a staple of the Best Of The Super Juniors tournament and was instrumental in the creation of the Super J Cup back in the 1990s. He continues to play an important part in helping mold the stars of New Japan’s future, helping train the young lions in the New Japan dojo. His talent also extends beyond wrestling and into the world of art. He made the lion’s mark emblem seen on the front door of the dormitory, and his love of making Godzilla models is no secret.
Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger is one wrestler whose influence will continue to be felt around the world for years to come. He remains living proof that pure dynamite can come in even the smallest packages. Another great thing about Liger is that he is for the most part a guy who doesn’t require much, the esults of humble beginnings growing up in Hiroshima. When the Tokyo dojo was remodeled, Liger happily cheered “Arigato!” when he saw the make over his crash pad room had been given.
His is an unlikely success story of someone who at first was deemed too small for the wrestling industry but proved nay sayers wrong and became the heart of a revolution. That story along with his talent and passion have made Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger a national treasure in his home country of Japan and the pride of an entire weight class. In his own way, Liger has managed to find immortality as a junior legend.
