In the early 1980s he went to the WWF, where he won their junior
heavyweight title and brought it back to Japan, establishing it as the
premier junior heavyweight title in Japan.
His most remembered match in the US was when he wrestled Ric Flair in a rematch at the first ever WCW SuperBrawl in Florida after a
controversial match in Japan. Flair retained his championship by a schoolboy pin with a hand full of tights.
Inducted into the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Hall of Fame in 2015.