Blog #285 Riki Choshu RIKI PRO, Mutoh Collab & CHOSHU BOY merchandise review.

Riki Choshu's company RIKIPRO (connected to Ingram, which handles many of today's Wrestling-related licenses in Japan) has released three plush keychains based on the legend.

The keychain comes in three versions. Raised fist, RIKI PRO T-shirt variant & ring attire versions.

Each keychain features a specific soundbite from Choshu himself. The three clips are catchphrases Choshu has become famous during his post-Wrestling career in conjunction with Choshu's appearances on Tiktok, Twitter and various Japanese variety shows.




My trip down the Riki Choshu rabbit hole continued as I discovered yet another recently-released Riki Choshu plush figure:




No, Riki Choshu isn't ready to go golfing. Presented here is a recent Riki Choshu plush modeled after Choshu's appearance in the 2022 animated comedy show Good Luck, Choshu-kun! (がんばれ！長州くん).

A write-up of the show from animax-co-jp:








Two size variants of the Good Luck, Choshu-kun! plush figure were released.



As one might expect, Choshu's animated cartoon features tons of merchandise. From keychains, tote bags, and even buttons. All of which were released by CSBOY/C.



The company 'CSBOY/C' is a shortened version of 'Choshu Boy'.

I still find it odd thinking of a retired 72 year old Japanese Wrestling legend as a boy again; but I guess that's part of Good luck, Choshu-kun!'s charm.



Riki Choshu isn't the only famous Japanese Wrestler getting in on the cartoon shenanigans. Keiji Mutoh's official store MUTO OFFICE is currently selling t-shirts of Keiji Mutoh and Riki Choshu. Both of whom have appeared as a pairing in Japanese comedy skits alongside the likes of Genichiro Tenryu and Masahiro Chono.




An example of Choshu and Mutoh promoting KFC & Pepsi in Japan:




Who knows what Riki Choshu and Keiji Mutoh will appear in next. The adoration Japanese
Wrestling fans display towards the legends of yesteryear is something else entirely.