The new Rings held two King of Kings tournaments, which introduced such mixed martial artists as Fedor Emelianenko, Dan Henderson, Randy Couture, Jeremy Horn and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira to the Japanese audience.
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Maeda's interest in martial arts developed as a schoolboy while watching the Ultraman television series.
On February 21, 1999 Aleksandr Karelin defeated Akira Maeda in a professional wrestling contest that drew a gate of $1 million.
Akira Kurosawa | Akira | Akira (film) | Akira Toriyama | Maeda Toshitsune | Jun Maeda | Akira Hokuto | Maeda Toshitaka | Maeda Toshimasa | Atsuko Maeda | Asa Akira | Akira Asada | Toshio Maeda | Tadashi Maeda | Maeda Toshimasu | Maeda Genzō | Maeda clan | John Maeda | Akira Yoshimura | Akira Ueda | Akira Tozawa | Akira Toriyama's Manga Theater | Akira Takarada | Akira Sakuma | Akira Nishimura | Akira Maeda | Akira Kuroiwa | Akira Kamiya | Akira Isogawa | Yuki Maeda |
Their popularity as a trio also led to them being invited to tour Japan, facing off against New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) lightweight wrestlers such as Gran Hamada, Tiger Mask, George Takano, Akira Maeda, and Osamu Kido.