Knowra Puroresu Puroresu Puroresu is Japanese professional wrestling, combining predetermined outcomes and theatrical presentation with athletic matches and traditions shaped by Japanese wrestling culture.
Strong style : A professional wrestling approach emphasizing stiff strikes, realistic pacing, and the appearance of genuine combat. Its hard-hitting presentation became a defining influence on modern puroresu.
Rikidōzan : A Korean-born Japanese professional wrestler who became a postwar television star and helped popularize wrestling in Japan. His televised matches made professional wrestling a mass entertainment in postwar Japan.
Mitsuharu Misawa : A Japanese professional wrestler who became a leading star of All Japan Pro Wrestling and later founded Pro Wrestling Noah. His matches and promotion helped define the King's Road tradition.
American professional wrestling : The professional wrestling tradition developed in the United States, with varied regional, national, and promotional styles. Its entertainment conventions offer a useful comparison with puroresu’s match traditions.
King's Road style : A Japanese wrestling style built around escalating rivalries, prolonged matches, and dramatic sequences of increasingly powerful moves. All Japan Pro Wrestling developed this match-centered approach during the 1990s.
Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance : A Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded in 1953 and led by Rikidōzan. The alliance was the institutional center of early postwar Japanese wrestling.
Kenta Kobashi : A Japanese professional wrestler celebrated for his long career in All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Noah. His endurance and escalating offense became hallmarks of major King's Road matches.
Lucha libre : A Mexican professional wrestling tradition known for masked characters, rapid movement, and aerial techniques. Its distinct national style contrasts with Japanese wrestling’s characteristic match presentations.
Joshi puroresu : Women's professional wrestling in Japan, known for its athletic match traditions and distinct promotions. Women’s promotions developed a major strand of Japanese wrestling alongside men’s companies.
Antonio Inoki : A Japanese professional wrestler and promoter who founded New Japan Pro-Wrestling in 1972. His promotion and fighting style helped establish a major alternative to the older alliance.
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