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While WWE is the global juggernaut of pro wrestling, Japan is widely considered to be a fruitful ground for the sport. Countless greats of the business have competed in the Land of the Rising Sun. Kenta Kobashi, Mitsuharu Misawa, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada, and Antonio Inoki are just a few examples.
The Japanese Strong Style, or Puroresu, is famous across the world. It combines combat, martial arts moves and traditional professional wrestling. In Japan, this product focuses on the in-ring action and the psychology of the bout as the primary narrative elements in a match.
Several WWE Superstars have wrestled in Japan at various points in their careers. A few of these competitors have won major titles there. Here's a look at five stars who have won noteworthy championships in Japan.
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Note - The list focuses on non-Japanese wrestlers who won championships in the country.
#5 Finn Balor (WWE, 2014 - present)
Current WWE NXT Champion Finn Balor made a name for himself in Japan before he signed with WWE. He spent eight years with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), and his run with the company was quite fruitful. Balor, known as Fergal Devitt at the time, chose to move to Japan when NJPW offered him a contract in 2006.
As Prince Devitt, he won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship three times. He also became a 6-time Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion. Additionally, Devitt won the Best of Super Juniors tournament twice. Of course, he also formed the Bullet Club during his time in NJPW. He teamed up with Karl Anderson and Bad Luck Fale to create the faction.
When Devitt signed with WWE, he carried an impressive legacy from his time in Japan. Balor has found plenty of success in WWE, too. He was crowned as the first WWE Universal Champion, and he is a 2-time NXT Champion.
#4 MVP (WWE, 2005-10, 2020-present)
The Hurt Business's mouthpiece, MVP left WWE after a 6-year tenure in 2011 to pursue his lifelong passion for Puroresu. At the time, he was already a decorated competitor. He won the WWE United States Championship twice, and he also held the WWE Tag Team Championship with Matt Hardy. But his decision to leave the company stemmed from years of creative dissatisfaction.
MVP signed with NJPW, and he forced the IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Hiroshi Tanahashi in a tag team match. Later, he participated in a tournament to determine the inaugural IWGP Intercontinental Champion. MVP won this competition, and his reign lasted 148 days before he lost the title to Masato Tanaka. At Wrestle Kingdom VI, he teamed up with his current stablemate, Shelton Benjamin.
MVP's overall stint with NJPW didn't last very long. He departed the promotion after just two years. MVP worked with IMPACT Wrestling, and he competed on the independent scene, for a few years. MVP eventually rejoined WWE in 2020, and he has become a mainstay of WWE RAW.
#3 Brock Lesnar (WWE, 2000-2004, 2012-2020)
Brock Lesnar was a dominant WWE Superstar, but he failed to find success in the NFL. Eventually, Lesnar made his way to Japan to join NJPW. He won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in his very first match with the promotion. Lesnar emerged victorious in a three-way clash against Kazuyuki Fujita and Masahiro Chono. Unfortunately, fans weren't very responsive to Lesnar's NJPW run.
At the time, Lesnar was also embroiled in a lawsuit, as WWE had filed a restraining order against him. Plus, NJPW legend and current WWE Superstar Shinsuke Nakamura was highly critical of Lesnar's work in Japan. He said that "The Beast Incarnate" wasn't passionate about wrestling, so he didn't genuinely try to have good matches. Other stars have echoed this criticism.
NJPW stripped Lesnar of the title, as visa issues prevented him from defending it in Japan. But in 2007, Lesnar made his return to the company. He dropped the title to Kurt Angle, and this match marked the official end of his tumultuous association with NJPW.
#2 Kurt Angle (WWE, 1998-2006, 2017-2020)
Kurt Angle, one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, left WWE in 2006. He won six world title reigns before his departure, so he was one of the hottest free agents in the industry.
He quickly signed with TNA, but his contract was flexible. As a result, he could wrestle in Japan, too. Just four months into his run in the Inoki Genome Federation, Angle defeated Brock Lesnar to win the IWGP 3rd Belt Championship. He successfully defended the title against Yuiji Nagata at Wrestle Kingdom II.
Angle eventually lost the title to the rightful IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Shinsuke Nakamura in a title unification match. His future appearances in Japan were few and far in between. Angle's last bout came against Hiroshi Tanahashi at NJPW Resolution 2009, where he unsuccessfully challenged for the title.
He returned to the WWE in 2017, and he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Angle also served as the general manager of WWE RAW. He was released by the company in April 2020 due to budget cuts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
#1 AJ Styles (WWE, 2016 - present)
"The Phenomenal One" AJ Styles had an incredible run in NJPW before he made his WWE debut 2016. After wrapping up his 12-year stint with TNA in 2014, Styles made his way to Japan to showcase his skills in front of a new audience. In his first apperance, he attacked IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada. Styles then faced Okada in a title match at Wrestling Dontaku 2014.
Styles shocked the world when he defeated Okada in this match. "The Phenomenal One" also had a terrific showing in the G1 Climax Tournament in 2014, as he lost just two of his ten matches.
Styles' first reign ended when he lost to Hiroshi Tanahashi, at Kings of Pro Wrestling 2014. "The Phenomenal One" had another run with the title after he defeated Tanahashi at The New Beginning in Osaka in 2015. Styles later lost the title to Okada.
His memorable 2-year stint with the company ended in early 2016; Styles decided to sign with WWE and reach new heights in his legendary career.
