New Japan Pro Wrestling boasts one of the best rosters in all of wrestling, a strong mix of home-grown talent, stars who made their names outside of NJPW like Kota Ibushi and Taiji Ishimori, and notable gaijin like Jon Moxley and Will Ospreay alongside up-and-comers like Juice Robinson.
There’s also a healthy contingent of veteran talent working for NJPW, mostly in the undercards in tag matches, but welcome faces nonetheless. So let’s take a look at not only the best veteran talents on NJPW’s roster but also the best of the young talent set to become the top guys in the company -- if they aren’t already.
10 Young Star: SANADA
Western fans may have known SANADA best from his Wrestle-1 affiliated excursion in TNA when he debuted in NJPW in 2016, but his work for the King of Sport has overshadowed that part of his past. Over the past few years, SANADA has proven himself a formidable tag team specialist alongside EVIL in Los Ingobernables de Japon, and has recently been branching out in the singles Heavyweight scene as he’s established himself as a top rival against Kazuchika Okada.
9 Veteran: Yuji Nagata
A two-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion who’s also been successful in All-Japan Pro Wrestling, NOAH, and ZERO1, Yuji Nagata is the living embodiment of the “you still got it” chant. His work has slowed down a bit as of late, too, but he was winning championships for NJPW as recently as 2016. Lately, he’s been engaged in an awesome feud with Minoru Suzuki based entirely in the concept of two men in their fifties slapping one another as hard as possible.
8 Young Star: Kazuchika Okada
The man poised to bring NJPW to new heights, Kazuchika Okada has proven to be a generational talent as not only the incredibly marketable face of the company but one who can put on highly acclaimed main event matches.
Nicknamed “The Rainmaker,” since returning from an excursion in 2012 Okada has won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship multiple times and has put on classic matches with Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tetsuya Naito, and Kenny Omega.
7 Veteran: Hiroyoshi Tenzan
Debuting in 1991 and recognizable by his glorious flat-top power mullet, Hiroyoshi Tenzan is nearly 50 and has been a consistent presence in NJPW since the mid-1990s. He spent much of the 2010s racking up Tag Team Championships with Satoshi Kojima as Tencozy, but his career has slowed down closer to 2020. Which isn’t to say he’s lost all value: lately, he’s taken under his wing the returning Hirai Kawato -- now named Master Wato -- helping to establish the rookie as a formidable figure on the roster.
6 Young Star: Hiromu Takahashi
Many of NJPW’s wrestlers are theatrical and garish, but few are as wild and flamboyant as Hiromu Takahashi. Nicknamed the “Time Bomb,” Takahashi has proven himself a star of the Junior Heavyweight scene -- so much that when he was taken out for more than a year with a neck injury, fans clamored for his return. With his ridiculously colorful outfits and his tendency to carry around a plush cat named Darryl, Hiromu has an ability to connect with fans beyond language barriers.
5 Veteran: Hiroshi Tanahashi
The official ace of New Japan, Hiroshi Tanahashi is credited for the promotion’s resurgence after a disastrous nadir -- both creatively and financially -- in the early to mid 2000s. Since then, he’s become a highly decorated champion and remains a huge star, but isn’t much of a fixture of the main event scene like he used to be. Lately, he’s been forming a dream team duo with Kota Ibushi and has been feuding for the IWGP Tag Team Titles.
4 Young Star: EVIL
A founding member of LIJ alongside Tetsuya Naito and BUSHI, EVIL proved himself one of the most all-in dudes of the group, often coming to the ring in an Undertaker-esque robe and carrying a giant scythe.
Traditionally a tag team specialist with SANADA, he established himself as a top heel when he not only turned Naito in favor of Bullet Club but also won the Heavyweight and Intercontinental titles.
3 Veteran: Tomohiro Ishii
Even though he’s in his mid-40s, Tomohiro Ishii feels as relevant as ever. Nicknamed “Stone Pitbull,” Ishii has extremely Cesaro-esque bridesmaid energy, which -- in addition to his fierce tough guy striking ability -- has endeared him to many Western fans. A staple of the CHAOS faction, Ishii’s best work is often done in the NEVER Openweight Title scene, where he gets to throw bombs against fellow heavy hitters like Hirooki Goto and Shingo Takagi.
2 Young Star: SHO
Of the two non-Rocky Romero members of Roppongi 3k, it feels like SHO is going to be the breakout star over YOH. Ever since the Best of the Super Juniors tournament in 2019, SHO has had a rivalry simmering with the aforementioned Shingo Takagi, which was rekindled in the 2020 New Japan Cup as SHO got a surprise win over the NEVER Openweight Champion. This led to a title match at Dominion, where SHO was unable to capture the title but put in an incredibly strong effort.
1 Veteran: Minoru Suzuki
The leader of Suzuki-gun, Minoru Suzuki is 52 years old but remains a must-see talent in NJPW thanks to his extremely heelish tactics and his tendency to be as cruel as possible to his opponents. In recent years, his primary feuds have been against the veterans on the roster, including a heated rivalry with Jushin Thunder Liger before Liger’s retirement. Then there’s the aforementioned Yuji Nagata, who Minoru Suzuki took on in an incredibly violent match in the New Japan Cup.