Antonio Inoki – THE founder; the man whose boundless ambition and connection to the audience caused NJPW to rise to the top of the industry in the country of Japan.
Riki Choshu – the man responsible for a love of “anti-heroes” in Japan, a man who could whip the crowd into a frenzy with a very simplistic style.
Shinya Hashimoto – perhaps the biggest box office star in the history of the promotion, selling out the Dome and big Stadium shows several times.
Keiji Mutoh – perhaps the first true big “crossover” star between Japan and the States, as the Great Muta, becoming an icon on both sides of the globe.
Masahiro Chono – while Choshu made people love the “anti-hero”, Chono made them love a straight up heel; no matter how much he cheated, Chono would get raucous reactions.
Hiroshi Tanahashi – the man largely responsible for bringing NJPW out of its “Dark Age” and paving the way for the promotion to thrive again.
Kazuchika Okada – the man who took the baton carried by Tanahashi and carried it for a time, growing a large audience for the promotion in the overseas.
Tetsuya Naito – the man who became the symbol of rebellion in his time, just as Choshu was in his, becoming an incredibly popular superstar figure in the process.
Honorable mentions: Tatsumi Fujinami, Kensuke Sasaki, Shinsuke Nakamura (while all these guys were incredibly popular, I can’t put them in the same category as the 8 men above, in terms of sheer popularity; ofc, it’s all my opinion).
by MrPuroresu42