Professional wrestling (often shortened pro wrestling, or simply wrestling) is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance. It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport. The unique form of sport portrayed is fundamentally based on classical and "catch" wrestling, with modern additions of striking attacks, strength-based holds and throws, and acrobatic maneuvers; much of these derive from the influence of various international martial arts. An additional aspect of combat with improvised weaponry is sometimes included to varying degrees.

The matches have predetermined outcomes in order to heighten entertainment value, and all combative maneuvers are worked in order to lessen the chance of actual injury. These facts were once kept highly secretive but are now a widely accepted open secret. By and large, the true nature of the performance is not discussed by the performing company in order to sustain and promote the willing suspension of disbelief for the audience by maintaining an aura of verisimilitude.

Keiichi Yamada (山田恵一, Yamada Keiichi^?, born November 30, 1964), better known as Jushin Liger (獣神ライガー, Jūshin Raigā^?) and later, Jushin "Thunder" Liger (獣神サンダー・ライガー, Jūshin Sandā Raigā^?) is a Japanese professional wrestler who primarily works for New Japan Pro Wrestling.

He has wrestled and beaten many of the top smaller wrestlers in both Japan and the United States, and is frequently cited as one of the greatest and most revolutionary junior heavyweights during the 1990s.

Keiichi Yamada was an amateur wrestler while studying in high school, where in his senior year, he lost to Toshiaki Kawada in the finals of a national championship. After high school, he applied to the New Japan Pro Wrestling Dojo to become a professional wrestler in the early 1980s. He was not accepted because he did not meet the height requirements they had at that time. Yamada was determined not to give up his dream of becoming a professional wrestler, so he left for Mexico and began his training there. By his own account, he was almost starving while studying there, so NJPW officials who were visiting took pity on him and asked him to come back to Japan to train in their dojo, where he was trained alongside the likes of Keiji Mutoh, Masahiro Chono and Shinya Hashimoto.

Hiroshi Tanahashi (棚橋 弘至, Tanahashi Hiroshi^?, born November 13, 1976) is a Japanese professional wrestler who works primarily for New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is a former five-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion, with his fifth reign holding the record for most successful defenses, with eleven.

Before entering the world of professional wrestling, Hiroshi Tanahashi was a baseball player in high school. He started wrestling while attending Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto and was fairly successful. During this time he was noticed by New Japan Pro Wrestling talent scouts and was invited to try out for the New Japan Dojo. His try out was successful and he was accepted as a trainee.

After graduating from the New Japan Dojo, Tanahashi made his debut in October, 1999 in a match against Shinya Makabe. He became viewed as a big prospect and was given big wins over lucha libre legend Negro Casas in July, 2000 and American Scott Hall in September 2001. His star continued to rise and in the 2002 G-1 Climax (one of New Japan Pro Wrestling's most important annual tournaments) Tanahashi pinned Kensuke Sasaki in under two minutes. After this Tanahashi was paired with Kenzo Suzuki in a tag team named the Kings of the Hills. This pairing was popular but came to an end after a real life incident. In November, 2002 Tanahashi was stabbed in the back by Hitomi Hara (a TV Asahi news reporter he had dated for a brief amount of time). Tanahashi was hospitalized, but would recover. Ironically this incident may have been the best thing to happen to his career. The stabbing was widely reported across Japan and a strong interest to see Tanahashi return was created. On February 16, 2003 Tanahshi returned as a singles wrestler to a sold out crowd in Tokyo in a match against Manabu Nakanishi.

Kazuchika Okada (岡田かずちか, Okada Kazuchika^?) (born November 8, 1987) is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is the reigning IWGP Heavyweight Champion. From February 2010 until October 2011, he was on a developmental tour, working for American promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring names Okada and Okato.

Trained by Último Dragón at his Toryumon professional wrestling school, Kazuchika Okada made his debut on August 29, 2004, and would spend the next couple of years wrestling primarily in Toryumon Mexico. On December 11, 2004, Okada participated in 2004 Young Dragons Cup. After defeating Hajime Ohara in the first round, he was eliminated from the tournament in the semifinals by Rocky Romero. In the following year's tournament, Okada defeated Toshiya Matsuzaki and Fujita Hayato en route to the finals, where he defeated Hajime Ohara to win the 2005 Young Dragons Cup. In March 2006, Okada also participated in the Yamaha Cup, teaming with Hiromi Horiguchi, but the team was eliminated in the first round by Chuck Palumbo and Johnny Stamboli.

Jamie Szantyr (born June 2, 1981) is an American professional wrestler currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Velvet Sky. She is a former TNA Women's Knockout Champion and TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champion with her former Beautiful People partners Madison Rayne and Lacey Von Erich. While as a team the three defended the title under the Freebird rule and hold the longest reign for the championship. She also works outside of TNA as Talia Madison and Miss Talia.

Prior to debuting, Szantyr was trained by Jason Knight and Kevin Landry at the House of Pain Pro Wrestling Dojo. After completing her training, she began working as a valet and wrestler on the independent circuit using the ring names Miss Talia, Talia Doll, and Talia Madison. On the independent circuit, she formed a tag team known as T&A with April Hunter. She was booked to her first wrestling championship during her time in World Xtreme Wrestling, getting the WXW Women's Championship after winning a battle royal on May 29, 2004.