Those familiar with the story of AEW star Mina Shirakawa know that she always hoped to be a performer of sorts, despite expectations from her parents that she would follow her father into the IT business. But while Shirakawa’s interest in wrestling first began when she attended a New Japan Pro Wrestling show, she has been coy about which wrestler from that show inspired her to pursue a career in the sport. That changed last week during the latest upload of Shirakawa’s YouTube stream “Mina Shirakawa Show,” when she was asked which wrestler got her interested in the business.
“Jushin Thunder Liger,” Shirakawa said. “I’m a big fan of Jushin Thunder Liger.”
Shirakawa is far from the only wrestler to have been inspired by Liger, who is considered one of the greatest legends in the history of New Japan. Wrestling for nearly 36 years, Liger won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship a record 11 times, the Best of the Super Junior tournament 3 times, and was even one of 5 men to hold the J-Crown. Liger also competed for promotions such as WCW, Dragon Gate, CMLL, TNA, Ring of Honor, and WWE, most notably facing Tyler Breeze at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn.
While Shirakawa still has a ways to go before equaling Liger’s success as a champion, she has become one of the more popular stars of the AEW’s women’s division. Her most recent appearance on AEW TV was on “Collision” this past Thursday evening, where she teamed with former AEW Women’s World Champion Thunder Rosa to defeat B3CCA and Zakher in short order.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Mina Shirakawa Show” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription
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