Top Wrestling Manga Recommendations

Shuumatsu no Valkyrie

Also known as Record of Ragnarok.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Drama , Fantasy , Supernatural

The story begins when the gods call a convention to decide whether to let humanity live or die, and settle on destroying humanity. But a lone valkyrie puts forward a suggestion to let the gods and humanity fight one last battle, as a last hope for humanity's continued survival. 13 gods will fight against 13 human champions in one-on-one battles to decide whether humanity lives or dies.

Tags: Gods , Mythology , Death Game , Survival , Historical , Super Power , Seinen , Primarily Adult Cast , Female Protagonist , Cultivation , Gore , Wrestling , Samurai , Assassins , Cheerleading

Real

Also known as Real.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Drama , Psychological , Sports

A motorcycle accident, bone cancer, a speeding truck crashing into a boy on a stolen bicycle--tragic life-changing events turn the worlds of three young men upside down. These three very different personalities have only one thing in common--their passion for basketball.



Note: Won an Excellence Prize for manga at the 2001 Japan Media Arts Festival.

Tags: Coming of Age , Ensemble Cast , Disability , Male Protagonist , Seinen , Rehabilitation , Basketball , Tragedy , Primarily Male Cast , Athletics , Fitness , Delinquents , Philosophy , Meta , Bullying , Wrestling

Kengan Ashura

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Sports

Since the Edo periods of Japan, gladiator arenas exist in certain areas. In these arenas, wealthy business owners and merchants hire gladiators to fight in unarmed combat where winner takes all. Tokita Ohma, nicknamed "Ashura", joins these arenas and devastates his opponents. His spectacular ability to crush his enemies catches the attention of the big business owners, including the Nogi Group chairman, Nogi Hideki.

Includes 24 extras/side stories.

Tags: Martial Arts , Ensemble Cast , Wrestling , Male Protagonist , Primarily Adult Cast , Primarily Male Cast , Boxing , Tragedy , Athletics , Shounen , Revenge , Gore , Yandere , Gambling , 4-koma , Historical

Teppuu

Also known as Teppu.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Sports

It's not easy being good at everything. First-year high school student Natsuo Ishido has always been a gifted athlete, and her ability to easily master every sport has not only bought her a life of boredom, but the resentment of everyone else who has had to work hard for their achievements. Not that Natsuo cares what anyone else thinks. All she longs for is a break from the monotony...for a real challenge worthy of pouring all her efforts into. A rival—an equal—worth beating down, crushing, and demoralizing… That all seems like a pipe dream until a pair of annoyingly peppy transfer students arrive from Brazil and start up a brand-new club that teases the challenge she craves—Mixed Martial Arts.



Tags: Martial Arts , Female Protagonist , Tomboy , Primarily Female Cast , Seinen , Anti-Hero , Wrestling , School Club , Tanned Skin , School , Yuri

Kengan Omega

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Sports

Sequel to Kengan Asura. Takes place 2 years after the tournament.

Tags: Martial Arts , Athletics , Ensemble Cast , Conspiracy , Male Protagonist , Boxing , Primarily Adult Cast , Wrestling , Assassins , Judo , Tragedy , Ninja , Clone

Special A

Also known as S.A: Special A.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Romance

Her whole life, Hikari Hanazono has been consumed with the desire to win against her school rival, Kei Takishima--at anything. He always comes out on top no matter what he does, and Hikari is determined to do whatever it takes to beat this guy...somehow!

At age 6 Hikari lost to Kei in an impromptu wrestling match. Now, at 15, Hikari joins "Special A," a group of the top seven students at a private academy, for the opportunity to trounce the guy who made her suffer her first defeat.



Included one-shots:
Volume 1: Mikansei Chorus
Volume 11: Shoku no Miyako (Food Paradise)

Included specials:
- Vol.8 Special Short; The Hana to Yume 2006-09
The short is about what Kei was like as a child, and when he and Hikari first met.
- Vol.9 Special Short; The Hana to Yume 2007-01
The short is about when Yuhiro meets Sakura.
- Vol.16 Special Chapter; The Hana to Yume 2008-05
The chapter is about Hikari and Kei's middle school days.

Tags: School , Shoujo , Female Protagonist , Heterosexual , Primarily Teen Cast , Tsundere , Gender Bending , School Club , Twins , Love Triangle , Ensemble Cast , Puppetry , Wrestling

Giganto Machia

Also known as Giganto Maxia.

Status: Finished
Genres: Fantasy , Sci-Fi

From Berserk creator Kentaro Miura comes Giganto Maxia, a science-fiction/fantasy manga of titanic proportions! One hundred million years in the future, the Empire of Olympus uses colossal mutant beasts to crush its adversaries. Only the gladiator Delos, the mystic Prome, and the titan Gohra can hope to prevent genocide!

Tags: Seinen , Kaiju , Wrestling , Dystopian , Magic , Environmental , Shapeshifting

Hinomaru-Zumou

Also known as Hinomaru Sumo.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Sports

The weak sumo club of Odachi High School welcomes a new "small" member, Hinomaru Ushio. Everyone thinks he's too small for this sport, where having a "big" and "heavy" body is crucial, until they reveal his past! The goal is to become a yokozuna, the highest rank in sumo wrestling. Fired up high school sumo begins now!



Note: Includes 1 bonus chapter.

Tags: Sumo , Shounen , Martial Arts , Primarily Male Cast , Male Protagonist , Time Skip , School Club , Wrestling , Politics , Dissociative Identities , Coming of Age

All Rounder Meguru

Also known as All-Rounder Meguru.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Sports

High schooler and budding Shooto mixed martial arts fighter, Meguru Takayanagi, reunites with his old friend from grade school, Takashi Segawa, in the ring for the first time in seven years. However, while the two used to be good friends, due to the difference in their upbringings, Takashi now sees Meguru as an enemy. Without a moment of joy to commemorate their reunion, the old friends' match begins...




Tags: Martial Arts , Seinen , Tomboy , Primarily Male Cast , Male Protagonist , Yakuza , Tsundere , Wrestling , Boxing , Judo

Gyeok Gi 3 Ban

Also known as Fight Class 3.

Status: Hiatus
Genres: Action , Slice of Life , Sports

A world in which Korea is the global capital of combat sports. At Nam-Il High School where the best and most talented students of martial arts reside, Jiu Ji-Tae suddenly finds himself thrust into their midst despite being a total weakling.

By neutralising his physical shortcomings through jiu-jitsu, can he rise to the top of the fight classes?

Tags: Martial Arts , School , Male Protagonist , Estranged Family , Anti-Hero , Wrestling , Primarily Teen Cast , Drugs , Boxing , Judo , Bullying , Tragedy , Tomboy , Delinquents , Athletics , Gangs

Kongou Banchou

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Supernatural

The "Diamond Delinquent" Akira Kongou; transfers to Shiritsu Raimei High School and desipite his insistence that he isn't a banchou; (a Japanese student delinquent and gang leader), he quickly rises in the ranks of Shiritsu Raimei's gang until he becomes leader. Now Akira takes part in schoolyard battles against the bullies and punks from the twenty-three neighboring schools.

Tags: Shounen , Delinquents , Martial Arts , School , Conspiracy , Swordplay , School Club , Wrestling , Boxing

Kemono Michi

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Fantasy , Slice of Life

The manga follows masked wrestler Genzou Shibata, who likes all kinds of animals and creatures. One day he is summoned to another world, where a princess asks him to help kill magical beasts, but he gets mad and puts her in a German suplex. Instead, he begins life as a pet shop owner in the other world.

Note: The chapter count reflects the original serialization before chapters were merged in the volume releases. The 12 extra chapters are also counted.

Tags: Animals , Wrestling , Parody , Isekai , Male Protagonist , Dragons , Kemonomimi , Vampire , Werewolf , Female Harem , Shounen , Anthropomorphism

Kinnikuman

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Comedy , Sports

Kinnikuman (a.k.a. Kinniku Suguru) is a cowardly, clumsy, moronic, gyuudon-devouring excuse for a superhero (or Choujin)... who just happens to be the prince of an alien planet. But despite his pathetic appearance, he is very honorable and can become quite powerful when he needs to be. With his sidekick Meat-kun and fellow Choujins Terryman and Ramenman there to help him, Suguru quests to become the greatest Choujin on the planet. Whether with a combination of tremendous heart and stamina (The Burning Inner Strength) or the "Power of Friendship", Kinnikuman frequently defeats villians 10 times more powerful than him and often causes his enemies to have a change of heart and join him. Though he seems destined to be an idiot forever, slowly but surely Kinnikuman becomes worthy of the title "Hero".

Notes:
- Between volumes 36 and 37 publication there's 22 years gap. From volume 38 onwards starts restarted in 2011 version.
- Kinnikuman won the 30th Shogakukan Manga Award for best children's manga in 1984.

Tags: Wrestling , Martial Arts , Shounen , Super Power , Primarily Male Cast , Meta , Surreal Comedy , Aliens , Slapstick , Primarily Adult Cast , Parody , Gods , Kaiju , Superhero , Travel , Space , Disability

Sakigake!! Otokojuku

Also known as Charge!! Men's School.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy

Otokojuku is the kind of school that seems like it's up to no good. For most of their students, this is the only place that will take them despite or even because of their violence issues. Headmaster Heihachi Edajima believes that giving young men a military education will provide them with brighter futures, but how much is wishful thinking?



Tags: School , Shounen , Delinquents , Martial Arts , Primarily Male Cast , Ensemble Cast , Gangs , Cultivation , Language Barrier , Yakuza , Foreign , Wrestling

Kento Ankokuden Cestvs

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Sports

Cestus, a young slave, fighting for his freedom as a bare knuckle gladiator studying under a legendary gladiator who fought and drawed with the head of the imperial guards in the Roman era.

Tags: Historical , Slavery , Boxing , Seinen , Wrestling , Nudity , Martial Arts

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Meguri

Also known as Higurashi When They Cry: MEGURI.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural , Thriller

June 1983...has passed. At long last, through many trials and tribulations, Rika and her friends have finally escaped the tragedy! The gameboard has been cleared, the pieces scattered, and all that remains is the rest of her life. Or so Rika believes, until she gets pulled into yet another fragment...



Tags: Primarily Female Cast , Female Protagonist , Seinen , Tragedy , Time Manipulation , Alternate Universe , Coming of Age , Witch , Yuri , Anti-Hero , Gods , LGBTQ+ Themes , Found Family , Yandere , Basketball , School , Wrestling , Age Regression , Gore , Ice Skating , Baseball

Koko ga Uwasa no El Palacio

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Ecchi , Sports

An almost road accident victim loses his memory after being pushed to a street power line pole to save his life. Not knowing his identity he is compelled to stay at his savior's residence, a gym and boarding house for female wrestlers, until he remembers. During his stay he becomes his savior's manservant and the gym's referee trainee.

Tags: Wrestling , Shounen , Primarily Female Cast , Male Protagonist , Amnesia

Pujo to Yajuu: JK ga Heel Wrestler ni Koishita Hanashi

Also known as Cutie and the Beast.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance

Unlike her friends who are into pretty boys, Momoka has a crush on a giant professional wrestler named Kuga who plays a villainous heel on TV. But in real life, Kuga is a big softie, and he really appreciates her fan mail! In this lighthearted romantic comedy, a little TV crush for a very big man might just grow into something more.



Tags: Age Gap , Female Protagonist , Shoujo , Wrestling , Heterosexual

Battle Club

Also known as Battle Club.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Ecchi

When freshman transfer Mokichi arrives at Swan Academy High, he's got a chance to start over with a clean slate. He's got a plan, too. Kick the butts of the toughest guys in school, prove himself to be the baddest dude around, and run the whole shebang. Problem is, it's his butt that gets kicked that first day. Completely humiliated, Mokichi joins the Wrestling Club in hopes of learning to fight. There he meets unlikely allies, Tamako and Higuchi, two of the hottest battle babes to ever roll their sweaty bods over Swan Academy's gym mats. And Mokichi's gonna need all the friends he can get, what with the likes of the Karate Club looking to "break in" the new kid in the worst way possible.



Tags: Seinen , Wrestling , Crossdressing , School , Nudity , Yuri

Pro Wrestling-ui Sin

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Sports

Jun-Ho Kim loved pro-wrestling more than anyone but he couldn’t escape the racial standards. After his meaningless retirement, while working as a construction worker, he got caught up in an unexpected accident… and when he opened his eyes, he returned to the day before his WWF entrance exam!

“This time, I won’t end as the villain ‘king-fury’ with a 0.7% success rate!”

He returned to his 20s body with all the knowledge he’s worked so hard for and information about the future. He will not repeat his history of being ‘jobber’, the expert at losing. He will rewrite the history of pro wrestling together with the wrestler that will take over the future, to ultimately become the god of pro wrestling, an ‘icon’ of the era!

Tags: Full Color , Wrestling , Time Manipulation , Reincarnation , Male Protagonist