Gwak Gwang-Ung

Not highly considered as an amateur wrestler, Kwak Gwang-Ung competed at the 1972 Olympics, but failed to medal. He then turned professional and won multiple championships. Kwak wrestled in Japan for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), using his Japanese name of Mitsuo Yoshida originally, but eventually taking the name by which he was best known, Riki Choshu. After débuting with NJPW in 1974, he was briefly sent to North America for experience.

On his return he accumulated multiple titles in the 1980s, including the PWF World Heavyweight Championship, the International Wrestling Grand Prix (IWGP) Heavyweight Championship (three times), and one stint as Worldwide Wrestling Federation Champion. He also won multiple tag team titles, once for the IWGP title with former Olympian Masanori Saito and once with Yoshiaki Yatsu. Choshu retired in January 1998 and briefly focused on booking matches for NJPW.

The retirement did not last, however, and he returned to the ring in 2000 to wrestle a barbed-wire death match against Atsushi Onita. Choshu finally stepped out of the ring in 2002 and formed Fighting World of Japan Pro Wrestling in 2003, which later became Riki Pro. He ran Riki Pro until 2005, when he returned to NJPW as a booker and promoter.