Jushin Liger

For the anime, see Jushin Liger (TV series).
"Fuji Yamada" redirects here. For the wrestler billed as Fuji Yamaha in the CWA 1992, see Michiyoshi Ohara.

Jushin Liger
Liger in 2019
Birth nameKeiichi Yamada
Born (1964-11-10) November 10, 1964 (age 60)
Hiroshima, Japan
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)
Billed height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[4][5][6]
Billed weight95.1 kg (210 lb)[6]
Billed fromTokyo, Japan[6]
Trained by
DebutMarch 3, 1984[2][3]
RetiredJanuary 5, 2020[11]

Keiichi Yamada (山田恵一, Yamada Keiichi, born November 10, 1964), better known as Jushin Liger (獣神ライガー, Jūshin Raigā) and later Jushin Thunder Liger (獣神サンダー・ライガー, Jūshin Sandā Raigā),[note 1] is a Japanese retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) as a trainer.[14] He is the longest-tenured member of the NJPW roster, having worked for the company since his professional wrestling debut in 1984. Throughout his career, which spanned three-and-a-half decades, he wrestled over 4,000 matches[15] and performed in major events for various promotions across the globe.

Debuting under his real name for NJPW in 1984, he was given the gimmick of Jushin Liger in 1989, based on the anime series of the same name. Becoming Jushin "Thunder" Liger the following year, he saw unprecedented success in the junior heavyweight division when he won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship a record 11 times and set the record for its longest reign during his second reign, which lasted for 628 days. Liger was the first three-time Best of the Super Juniors tournament winner (a record eventually tied by Koji Kanemoto and Hiromu Takahashi), is a former six-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion, won the Super J Cup twice (in 1995 and 2000), and was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 1999. Liger also wrestled the opening match for the first January 4 Tokyo Dome Show in 1992. He is frequently cited as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time.[16] He was also inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2020.[6]

Yamada had his retirement match at Wrestle Kingdom 14 on January 5, 2020, 35 years after his career began, and has since been working as a trainer in the New Japan Dojo and as a commentator.

  1. ^ "Last of C.T.U～C.T.U Farewell in Korakuen Hall～". New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference PWI500-2000 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c d e f Cite error: The named reference PWIYears500 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c d "Jyushin Thunder Liger". New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference PWI500-2004 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b c d "Jushin "Thunder" Liger". WWE. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference OWOW was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference CageMatch was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference SlamBio was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Meltzer, Dave (November 5, 2017). "'Tokyo' Joe Daigo passes away at 75 years old". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference Retire was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ "Jushin Thunder Liger". Twitter. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  13. ^ Woodward, Buck (May 9, 2009). "PWInsider Q&A: Monday Night Wars, Rock getting booed, Liger and more". Pro Wrestling Insider. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  14. ^ "The Liger Sessions #2: Togi Makabe pt.2!". NJPW1972.com. September 27, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  15. ^ "Matches " Jushin Thunder Liger " Wrestlers Database " CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  16. ^ Ryan Dilbert (May 28, 2012). "Jushin 'Thunder' Liger: A Tribute to Masked Wrestlers Part 4". Bleacher Report. Retrieved August 23, 2018. The pioneering super-athlete Jushin Liger is considered by many to be the greatest junior heavyweight wrestler of all-time.


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