Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pro-wrestling are two very interesting fandoms that have a lot of similarities between each other. At first, you would think Yu-Gi-Oh! and pro-wrestling have nothing in common, but in reality there’s a lot of connections between these two worlds.
Archetypes
For those not familiar, archetypes in Yu-Gi-Oh! are a group of cards that share a similar name between them and have some sort of synergy between them.
One interesting archetype to look at are Gouki. This archetypes main theme is pro-wrestling and ogres. From the names of the cards to the artwork, everything about this archetype is about pro-wrestling.
For example:
Gouki Thunder Ogre is based on legendary Japanese wrestler Jushin “Thunder” Liger. From his name to the artwork, you can see the influence Liger has on the card.
The Gouki archetype has a lot of references to the world of pro-wrestling, from legendary wrestlers to moves. Each references is as interesting as the previous one. An archetype made for wrestling fans.
Another archetype that has a lot of nods and influence about wrestling is the archetype Dinowrestlers. While archetype itself is more base around combat-sports, it has several nods to wrestling.
Other references
One of the most famous memes in Yu-Gi-Oh! is Joey’s bizarre chin meme is based on legendary wrestler and founder of NJPW Antonio Inoki appearance.
The Destiny HERO archetype is based around British culture references. One of the cards of this group is Destiny HERO – Dynatag, who is based on the legendary wrestler Dynamite Kid.
As you can see we just hit the top of the iceberg of the influence of pro-wrestling in the world of Yu-Gi-Oh! Maybe one day we will see a wrestler who’s gimmick is that of a Yu-Gi-Oh! player. The possibilities are endless.
