Akira Maeda
A former bodybuilder and club bouncer, Vrij started training martial arts at the Chris Dolman gym. He had his debut to a worldwide audience when he wrestled a special match in Japanese pro wrestling promotion UWF Newborn, facing Yoshiaki Fujiwara in a losing effort. He would return to defeat Yoji Anjo and lose again to Fujiwara. When the promotion closed, Dolman and Vrij followed UWF member Akira Maeda to his Fighting Network RINGS promotion in 1990, becoming full time wrestlers for it.