Tatsumi Fujinami

[7.0] "Good worker in the 1980s, mostly in the tag division with either Kengo Kimura or Antonio Inoki, but even then he was never that interesting. In the 1990s he was extremely boring and still got pushed with multiple IWGP reigns."

[10.0] "Fujinami is 72 years old and still wrestling. He is one of the greatest technical wrestlers ever seen. His technical ability includes reading opponents, mastering matwork, anticipating moves & maintaining unmatched focus. In terms of ring IQ, he is among the very best - he always thinks first and wrestles second. His goal is not to hurt his opponent, but simply to win. He is also one of the greatest sellers of all time. To understand just how good his selling is, you only need to watch his match with Akira Maeda. In my opinion, Fujinami is one of the greatest wrestlers to ever step into the ring and, to me, he is just as big a legend as Antonio Inoki."

[6.0] "I went through almost all the matches I can watch of his career since the 80s and I still don't get it. Tatsumi Fujinami is respected for being an OG in NJPW but that's about it he's a bit overrated for sure"

"The second man of New Japan, my favorite wrestler to watch. An amazing technical wrestler that can have the crowd in the palm of his hand. Still going today and can have a good match from time to time. He created some awesome moves that wrestlers still use today. An icon and leader of an era of phenomenal wrestling that still has influence today."

[10.0] "Tatsumi Fujinami aka Honoo No Hiryu is both the perfect technical athlete and the most important figure in modern day Japanese puroresu. The founder of the dragon screw and the dragon sleeper. Over 5 decades in this business with 8 world title reigns part of UWA and the original IWGP concept. He wrestled well into his 70s with passable matches is a testament to his workout regime."

[9.0] "The biggest star in NJPW in the late 80s and early 90s. While Inoki was the founder of the company, Fujinami has done so much in it, from taking part in its first match, to the Junior Star to Heavyweight Icon to president of the company. Innovator of the Dragon Suplex, Dragon Screw and Dragon Sleeper. An amazing technician who pushed the Strong Style approach to wrestling further and who, somehow, is still going today at the age of 69 (nice), in the promotion he founded, Dradition Pro-Wrestling, as well as in other companies, and he can still go. Thats admirable."

[10.0] "Pure symbol and icon of japanese wrestling. His influence on international circuit is invaluable. 50 great years and counting."

[10.0] "Great old school wrestler who was a great figure for New Japan in the 80s and 90s, had consistently great matches."

[10.0] "One of the best of all time. Innovator of many moves, worthy of A 10 for innovating the dragon suplex sleeper and screw alone. Had some amazing battles in his time, prime Fujinami was an all-time great. 10/10."

[10.0] "DO-RA-GON! Do I have to say more? Fujinami was one of the main students of the dojo who actually stood loyal to the very end of the Strong Style concept, to the point his condition NEVER changed, even after turning 68. A concentrated force of technique and speed, this man was just a work of art doing what he did. Innovated the beloved Dragon Suplex and Dragon Screw. He is also my personal favorite IWGP Heavyweight Champion of all time, sorry Hashimoto."

[9.0] "A great persona in wrestling world. He was a good wrestler back in his prime time and a great promoter of the gold time of NJPW. Huge respect sir."

[10.0] "Fujinami was New Japan. Perhaps Inoki himself is the only one that could really claim that. Fujinami was in the first match in its history. The first Junior Heavyweight to sucessfully get elevated to the Heavyweights and translate with ease. Fujinami is a multi-time IWGP Heavyweight champion. He was the President of New Japan. Absolutely that he could've acheived in his career, he did it. If you take in his accomplishments alone, you have a 10 out of 10 wrestler but Fujinami is an outstanding wrestler as well. Incredibly versatile in style and performance. Great in brawls, outstanding technician, superb in tags and singles - both long and short in length. His peak was a good 10 years from the start of the 80s until his back/hernia injury (and he was quite the wrestler before then), being a top contender for being the best of that decade along with the likes of Ric Flair, Riki Choshu, Genichiro Tenryu, etc. And while Fujinami's run in the 1990s and 2000s isn't much praised, you can find an ambundance of quality matches that a lot of people would be proud to have in their careers. I think he adapted to age fairly well and was able to keep some class to his later years. I can't praise Fujinami enough. He truly had it all. Excellent wrestler, succesful in backstage business, prolific trainer, innovator of some of the most popular moves to date."

[10.0] "One of the best wrestlers of all time and one of the best IWGP World Champions of all time, this man did so much for the profession, icon"

[8.0] "Tatsumi Fujinami was an excellent worker in his heyday, although he suffered, as many did, due to the ego of Antonio Inoki, never getting the run he deserved, with his prime years cut short due to injury."