Hisashi Shinma
Perhaps no description fit Hisashi Shinma more than "Mastermind Booker" as he helped Antonio Inoki bring New Japan Pro Wrestling to prominence in the '70s. Discovering Akira Maeda and giving Satoru Sayama the Tiger Mask gimmick, it was clear he had an eye for talent. He was also an instrumental cog in the promotion of the famed Ali-Inoki fight, which is widely regarded as the inspiration for mixed martial arts. The fight was a joint venture with Capitol Wrestling Corporation, forging a relationship with Vincent James McMahon. It benefited both sides as McMahon sought international clout and Inoki wanted to be seen as legitimately tough. As a result of his friendship with McMahon, Shinma was named Vice President of the WWWF. With the passing of Willie Gilzenberg in 1978, he was named WWF President. Unlike Gilzenberg, Shinma was a figurehead president, preceding Jack Tunney. His most famous moment as president was ruling a WWF Championship match between Bob Backlund and Antonio Inoki a no contest due to interference from Tiger Ali Singh. While his position was a figurehead one, Shinma's work was anything but. Shinma brokered a talent exchange between NJPW and WW(W)F, leading to the creation of the Junior Heavyweight and Martial Arts divisions, which Tatsumi Fujinami and Antonio Inoki were the faces of respectively. Fujinami along with Tiger Mask and Dynamite Kid, presented a style that wasn't familiar to audiences. Shinma's tenure unfortunately came to an end as an embezzlement scandal for NJPW arose and he bore the brunt of the fallout. After being ousted from NJPW, Shinma founded another promotion, the Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF) and some of the talent from NJPW followed including Akira Maeda. He re-established his connection with the WWF, orchestrating a talent exchange as he did with NJPW. He wouldn't last long however due to Satoru Sayama joining the promotion and having conflict with Shinma over the direction of the promotion. This effectively ended Shinma's relationshiip with the WWF.