10 pro-wrestlers who’ve had the most matches outside WWE

#5 Yuji Nagata - 2,883

Nagata is to New Japan what Bret Hart was to WWE during the dark days of the 1990s

Yuji Nagata is something of a legend in New Japan because of what he did to that company. By the dawn of the 2000s, NJPW was fully immersed in their twisted love affair with MMA, and then-owner Antonio Inoki’s incessant desire to see untrained MMA fighters take part in wrestling matches and vice-versa caused his company to take to such a degree that he was forced out of his own company in 2005.

Yuji Nagata was one of Inokism’s biggest victims, being a well-trained wrestler with a martial arts background. He was fed to MMA fighters Fedor and Cro Cop, and lost both fights so decisively that it almost destroyed his reputation beyond repair.

But Nagata worked through this and many other troubles, and effectively carried New Japan on his shoulders through the company’s darkest days. It was up to him to have the best matches and draw in crowds, which he worked tirelessly to accomplish.

Nowadays, NJPW is in safe hands, and Nagata can rest now knowing that he doesn’t have to carry the weight of an entire promotion on his shoulders. But his dedication cannot be overstated: since 1992, Nagata has wrestled almost 2,900 matches, and looks like he might keep going for a few more years.