Overseas, arguably the biggest promotion is New Japan Pro Wrestling, which continues to develop a seemingly-ever growing fanbase.

The two promotions do share some similarities, such as larger-than-life production values, but also differ in vast ways.

But despite these similarities and differences, several Superstars have once competed for New Japan.

Even the top stars in WWE have found themselves competing for the opposing company.

Though these wrestlers had their greatest success in WWE, fans may be surprised to hear about their time over in Japan.

Here are seven WWE Champions you (probably) didn’t know once competed for New Japan Pro Wrestling.

#7 Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart

Before Bret Hart made it to the WWE, the Excellence of Execution paid his due travelling and wrestling all over the world.

Gaining experience quickly, Hart would become a huge star in his native Canada, becoming a huge player in Stu Hart’s Stampede Wrestling.

Along with being the face of Stampede Wrestling, Hart would broaden his horizons by competing with some of the very best in New Japan, including classic bouts against Tiger Mask.

Though Hart lost their 1982 match, the experienced gained against one of the promotion’s very best would be invaluable down the line for the future WWE Champion.

The Hitman’s matches in Japan, as well as back home in his native Canada would eventually draw the interest of the WWF.

Signing with the company in 1984, Hart would become one of the promotion’s most loyal stars, as well as a multi-time World Champion.

#6 The Undertaker

During the Monday Night Wars, The Undertaker was commended for remaining loyal to the WWF, but yes, there was a time when the Deadman was a New Japan wrestler.

Working in WCW, the Phenom would compete for NJPW as part of an ongoing agreement between the two companies, wrestling under the name ‘Punisher’ Dice Morgan.

In 1990, Morgan did a three-week tour in the company, working alongside fellow huge names like Bam Bam Bigelow and Scott Hall.

Morgan and Hall even had a shot at becoming the IWGP Tag Team Champions, but were unsuccessful, and later that same year, the future-Deadman was released by WCW.

You know what came next: the WWF signed him, debuted him as The Undertaker at the 1990 Survivor Series and the Deadman has had one of the greatest careers in wrestling history.

#5 Kurt Angle

One of the all-time greatest WWE Superstars of all time, Kurt Angle left the company in 2006 when he refused to go to rehab and the company feared he’d die on their watch.

Signing with TNA Wrestling that same year, Angle would end up working in New Japan Pro Wrestling, as part of a contracted deal between the two promotions.

Angle made his debut in 2007 when he teamed up with Yuji Nagata to defeat Giant Bernard and Travis Tomko. Angle ended up winning the IWGP Heavyweight Championship from Brock Lesnar that same year before losing it to Shinsuke Nakamura in 2008.

After a successful run in the company, Angle had his last match in the Japanese promotion in 2009, where he came up short Hiroshi Tanahashi at their Resolution event

#4 Hulk Hogan

It’s pretty safe to say that Hulk Hogan is arguably the most recognizable star in WWE history.

But before the Hulkster stepped foot in the WWE, he was making a name for himself in New Japan in the early 1980s.

After leaving the WWF following King of the Ring 1993, Hogan would return to NJPW, where he’d face off against then-IWGP Heavyweight Champion The Great Muta, in a dream match which Hogan would emerge the winner.

Though this was a huge match, Hogan’s run in the promotion is arguably best remembered for his antics out of the ring.

In an infamous press conference, Hogan bashed his former employer the WWE and it’s World Championship (a title Hogan had held on five occasions at this point in his career), calling the title a toy when compared to the IWGP Heavyweight title.

#3 Jeff Hardy

Following his 2009 release by WWE, it was only a matter of time until Jeff Hardy joined TNA Wrestling.

There, Hardy would become one of the company’s biggest stars, capturing the company’s World Championship relatively quickly.

As Champion, Hardy would be prominently featured, and showcased the company at Wrestle Kingdom 5 in 2011, when he took on Tetsuya Naito.

Much like with American audiences, Hardy’s charisma and in-ring ability was a huge hit with the Japanese crowd, and though Naito put up a valiant effort in their eleven-minute bout, Hardy would retain the gold.

A huge win for the Charismatic Enigma, Hardy wouldn’t be the only WWE-alum on the card, as the show featured former Superstars like RVD, as well as future WWE talent including Bobby Roode and Shinsuke Nakamura.

#2 Brock Lesnar

When Brock Lesnar chose to leave the WWE in early 2004, everyone was shocked.

Despite leaving for a career in the NFL, Brock never made it as a football star, and would eventually return to wrestling, joining New Japan.

In his very first match for the promotion, Lesnar captured the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in October 2005, becoming the latest in just a small group of non-Japanese stars to win the title then.

Holding it for 280 days, Lesnar would be stripped of the gold due to backstage issues the following year.

Returning to the promotion in 2007, Lesnar would face an old foe in Kurt Angle, which the Olympian would win.

Lesnar’s final wrestling match, the Beast would join UFC shortly after before returning to the WWE in April 2012 on the RAW after WrestleMania 28.

#1 Stone Cold Steve Austin

As a former WWF Champion and leader of the Attitude Era, it’s hard to imagine Steve Austin competing for any other promotion.

But long before the Rattlesnake became Stone Cold, Austin would compete in WCW, which included a brief international tour with New Japan in September 1992.

As part of the relationship between the two companies, Austin took on Masahiro Chono for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship with the bout taking place at New Japan’s Battle Hold Arena.

During the match, the Rattlesnake would reverse a tombstone and land in a piledriver position that caused Chono to land directly on his head.

In a spooky coincidence, this would be the very same injury that Austin himself would suffer at the hands of Owen Hart during their match at Summerslam 1997.

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