The Revolution Warrior.
Riki Choshu (born Kwak Gwang-ung, later Mitsuo Yoshida, December 3, 1951) is a Japanese zainichi Professional Wrestler, famous for his work in New Japan Pro-Wrestling and other promotions. He started as an amateur wrestler, even reaching the 1972 Summer Olympics, but ended up joining NJPW after being scouted by Antonio Inoki himself. He was initially a part of the company's babyface army, but being constantly Overshadowed by Awesome in most fields by Tatsumi Fujinami led him to revolt against the system and create a rogue faction named Kakumeigun. The rivalry between Choshu and Fujinami was so successful that the former decided to leave the promotion with his army, form a new symbolic company named Japan Wrestling Association and allying with Giant Baba's All Japan Pro Wrestling. Having helped AJPW to reach prime time, Choshu and company returned to NJPW in a position of power, which didn't avoid them to clash against another rogue faction led by Akira Maeda which had taken their place in their absence. Choshu would thrive despite all the odds and became the booker of NJPW, which he kept until his second departure in 2002. After trying luck with more companies, Fighting World of Japan and Riki Pro, and taking part on Fighting Opera HUSTLE, he returned to New Japan once for all and resumed his position, which he keeps today."Revolution Tropes":
- 10-Minute Retirement: Retired once in 1998, he started wrestling again two years later.
- Affectionate Parody: Has been parodied in Japanese entertainment, namely through a comedian who performs as Choshu look-alike "Koriki Choshu".
- The Apprentice: To Antonio Inoki and Masa Saito.
- Arch-Enemy:
- Genichiro Tenryu
- Had real life confrontations with Akira Maeda, Koji Kitao, Osamu Nishimura, the Universal Wrestling Federation staff and other shoot wrestlers. In fact, Choshu is known as an anti-shoot-style militant.
- Bullying a Dragon: Learned it the hard way when he went to United States to train with Karl Gotch and tried to shoot on him. The German-Belgian wrestler swiftly reversed the lock and held it in a neck crack until he heard his vertebrae crack. After that, it's said that Choshu got the first plane to Japan and didn't return.
- The Chessmaster: Was once the main booker for NJPW.
- Cool Teacher: Trained Daisaku Shimoda, Hiroshi Hase, Kensuke Sasaki, Kuniyoshi Wada, Masahiko Kochi, Raijin Yaguchi and WALTER.
- Crippling Overspecialization: According to Fumihiko Niikura, Choshu's wrestling was unstoppable when they sparred for real in the gym, being the Olympian he is, but he was not so good in groundwork and didn't like to work on that aspect because he lost often.
- Finishing Move: Sasori-gatame (Scorpion Hold) and Riki Lariat.
- Hypocrite: He had heat with Wataru Sakata in HUSTLE because Sakata was a shoot-style guy and Choshu hates them. Then Choshu introduced his own partner, and it was Yoshiaki Fujiwara, another shoot-style wrestler.
- I Know Amateur Wrestling: A former Olympic wrestler. He also had some training in Judo in elementary school.
- Odd Friendship: With Yoshiaki Fujiwara, the fact he teamed with him in a PWFG show is weird enough given his attitude to shoot wrestling in general.
- Only Sane Man: In HUSTLE. He downright asks Generalissimo Takada if it's all because he has read too much manga, which shortly after makes Shinya Hashimoto mention that he is an avid manga reader himself.
- Power Stable: New Wolves and Ishin Gundan.
- Red Baron: "Kakumei Senshi" ("Revolution Soldier").
- Ring Oldies: 66 years old and still wrestling.
- Sadist Teacher: Has a reputation of being one for the NJPW Dojo.
- Start My Own: Founded Japan Pro-Wrestling (JPW), World Japan Pro Wrestling (WJ), and Riki Pro. He also promotes an occasional series of events called "LOCK UP".
- Ur-Example: Was the first wrestler to use the Sasori-gatame (it is said the it was actually innovated by Karl Gotch), better known as the Sharpshooter and/or Scorpion Deathlock.
