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Jushin Thunder Liger's Real Name: Keiichi Yamada
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Jushin Thunder Liger (獣神サンダー・ライガー) 本名: Keiichi Yamada (山田恵一)
Answer: Jushin Thunder Liger's real name is Keiichi Yamada (山田恵一). He wrestled under the anime-based mask for NJPW from 1989 until retiring in 2020.
Keiichi Yamada was born on November 10, 1964, in Hiroshima. He debuted for New Japan Pro-Wrestling in 1984 under his own name. In 1989 NJPW teamed with manga artist Go Nagai to bring Nagai's anime hero Jushin Liger into the ring, with Yamada under the mask. The character soon became "Jushin Thunder Liger."
Liger became one of the most respected junior heavyweights in the world, wrestling in Japan, Mexico, the US and the UK, and helping create the Super J-Cup tournament. Officially the mask is kept "in character," and some Japanese wrestling guides still list his identity as undisclosed. But Yamada's pre-mask career under his own name is public record, and the identity is widely documented in reference sources.
He retired at Wrestle Kingdom 14 in January 2020 and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2020.
FAQ
Is Jushin Liger based on an anime? Yes, Go Nagai's anime Jushin Liger (1989).
When did Jushin Thunder Liger retire? At Wrestle Kingdom 14 in January 2020.