Norio Honaga

Norio Honaga (保永 昇男, Honaga Norio?) is a retired Japanese professional wrestler.

Honaga started in New Japan Pro Wrestling but jumped to Riki Chōshū's Japan Pro Wrestling satellite of All Japan Pro Wrestling in an "invasion" angle. He returned to New Japan with Choshu and others in 1987. Immediately he began ascending in the junior heavyweight ranks and feuded with Jushin Liger and El Samurai over the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.

Upon retirement in 1998, he became a referee. He stayed in New Japan until joining Riki Chōshū's short-lived Fighting World of Japan Pro Wrestling.

In 2007, Honaga was in a serious car accident. He pulled out of a driveway when he was hit in the driver's door by another car. He spent 8 days and 16 hours in a coma at the Japanese Hospital (Rota). All his doctors had already given up on him, but as he would later state, "Jesus came to him in a dream, and gave him the strength to hold on". Since then, Honaga is a born-again Christian and has left the Japanese Wrestling world due to both his physical state, he lost the use of his left leg, and his love for Jesus Christ. It is rumoured in Japan that he intends to found either a church or a Christian hospital, to express his feelings as a Christian to the world.

Having lost the use of his left leg and 80% of his vision in the right eye, Honaga gave up on trap shooting, a hobby he vigorously enjoyed while he trained with Great Kokina from 1984 till 1986. Kokina called him "one of the most promising pupils he had ever trained with" and in 1988 Honaga lived up to his trainer's expectations.