Ikuto Hidaka
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese professional wrestler
, currently performing for Pro Wrestling Zero1. Hidaka was the regular partner of Minoru Fujita
, with whom he has held the Zero1-Max International Lightweight Tag Team and Intercontinental Tag Team Titles, making them the only team to do so. He has also worked for Extreme Championship Wrestling
.
promotion after training in the Animal Hamaguchi Dojo. He first teamed with Fujita, who had debuted the same year for Big Japan Pro Wrestling
, at a Michinoku Pro Wrestling
event in 1998, in which they and Naohiro Hoshikawa took on also future stars Minoru Tanaka, Yoshihiro Tajiri
and veteran Gran Naniwa. Hidaka and Fujita teamed several times after this, but conflicting schedules from competing for separate promotions limited their future as a team. On his own, Hidaka made an appearance in the shoot style Universal Fighting Organization promotion by Antonio Inoki
, in 1999. He lost a match to Tiger Mask IV
,in 2000 Hidaka went to America for a learning excursion in Extreme Championship Wrestling
, He was not very successful as he constantly botched moves and lost every match during his tenure there, obviously being still unaccustomed to highspots. Commentator Joel Gertner
constantly made racist remarks about Hidaka during his matches and nicknamed him "Pokémon" after the popular children's animated series.
In late 2001, when Battlarts collapsed, Hidaka wandered in the Japanese independent circuit. He entered Michinoku Pro Wrestling
and won a tournament for the vacant FMW Independent World Junior Heavyweight Championship, upsetting New Japan Pro Wrestling
star El Samurai in the final - his first great solo victory. He made an alliance with Dick Togo, styling himself as Togo's disciple and joining him in the Far East Connection stable. As Togo and Michinoku Pro owner The Great Sasuke
bickered over problems that had once caused Togo to leave the promotion before, they entered Pro Wrestling Zero1 and began to battle the active junior heavyweight roster. For a while they were successful, winning the NWA International Lightweight Tag Team title once, but as Togo wanted to keep on wrestling other independents, their team broke up just in time as Fujita was returning from an overseas excursion, which freed him to do independent dates.
The combination, known as Skull and Bones, became prominent in the ZERO-1MAX/independent scene, and they have even won Pro Wrestling Noah
's GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
.
Hidaka once appeared with Togo and Christopher Daniels
in a Major League Wrestling
match in the United States in 2002, one of his rare appearances abroad.
Following a crucial loss to Minoru Tanaka and Masaaki Mochizuki
, another team long "defunct before it even started" due to scheduling conflicts, Hidaka and Fujita turned on each other. On January 19, Hidaka beat Fujita to win the AWA World Junior Heavyweight title for a second time. He lost the title to Mochizuki on January 23, 2008.
On March 13, 2010, Hidaka made his debut for American professional wrestling promotion Evolve Wrestling
at Evolve 2: Hero vs. Hidaka, defeating Chris Hero
in the main event of the evening.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
, currently performing for Pro Wrestling Zero1. Hidaka was the regular partner of Minoru Fujita
Minoru Fujita
is a Japanese professional wrestler contracted to Pro Wrestling Zero1, where he is a former AWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion, having won a tournament final against Takuya Sugawara.-Career:...
, with whom he has held the Zero1-Max International Lightweight Tag Team and Intercontinental Tag Team Titles, making them the only team to do so. He has also worked for Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
.
Career
Hidaka debuted for the BattlartsBattlARTS
was a professional wrestling promotion based in Koshigaya, Saitama, Japan. The promotion was formed in 1996 by Japanese wrestler Yuki Ishikawa and featured all of the wrestlers from the Fujiwara Gumi promotion, who had abandoned the promotion in favor of Battlarts...
promotion after training in the Animal Hamaguchi Dojo. He first teamed with Fujita, who had debuted the same year for Big Japan Pro Wrestling
Big Japan Pro Wrestling
Big Japan Pro Wrestling is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1995. It is most famous for its deathmatch style contests.-History:...
, at a Michinoku Pro Wrestling
Michinoku Pro Wrestling
Michinoku Pro Wrestling is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion, founded by The Great Sasuke in 1993. Michinoku Pro was the first independent wrestling promotion in Japan to not base its operations in Tokyo, but rather in Morioka, Iwate...
event in 1998, in which they and Naohiro Hoshikawa took on also future stars Minoru Tanaka, Yoshihiro Tajiri
Yoshihiro Tajiri
, is a Japanese professional wrestler, perhaps best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment. He is currently competing in SMASH as TAJIRI.-Early years :...
and veteran Gran Naniwa. Hidaka and Fujita teamed several times after this, but conflicting schedules from competing for separate promotions limited their future as a team. On his own, Hidaka made an appearance in the shoot style Universal Fighting Organization promotion by Antonio Inoki
Antonio Inoki
is a Japanese professional wrestling promoter and retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist who now resides between New York City and Tokyo. He was also the founder and former owner of New Japan Pro Wrestling before selling his controlling share in the promotion to Yukes...
, in 1999. He lost a match to Tiger Mask IV
Tiger Mask IV
Yoshihiro Yamazaki , best known by his ring name Tiger Mask , is a Japanese professional wrestler who currently works for New Japan Pro Wrestling. Yamazaki is the fourth wrestler to portray the Tiger Mask image / persona; having used it since 1995...
,in 2000 Hidaka went to America for a learning excursion in Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
, He was not very successful as he constantly botched moves and lost every match during his tenure there, obviously being still unaccustomed to highspots. Commentator Joel Gertner
Joel Gertner
Joel Gertner is an American Professional wrestling announcer and manager best known for his work in Extreme Championship Wrestling.-Early career:...
constantly made racist remarks about Hidaka during his matches and nicknamed him "Pokémon" after the popular children's animated series.
In late 2001, when Battlarts collapsed, Hidaka wandered in the Japanese independent circuit. He entered Michinoku Pro Wrestling
Michinoku Pro Wrestling
Michinoku Pro Wrestling is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion, founded by The Great Sasuke in 1993. Michinoku Pro was the first independent wrestling promotion in Japan to not base its operations in Tokyo, but rather in Morioka, Iwate...
and won a tournament for the vacant FMW Independent World Junior Heavyweight Championship, upsetting New Japan Pro Wrestling
New Japan Pro Wrestling
is a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
star El Samurai in the final - his first great solo victory. He made an alliance with Dick Togo, styling himself as Togo's disciple and joining him in the Far East Connection stable. As Togo and Michinoku Pro owner The Great Sasuke
Masanori Murakawa
, , is a Japanese professional wrestler who is best known by his stage name The Great Sasuke, as well as a former Iwate Prefectural Assembly legislator. He has wrestled in Japan and in the United States in various wrestling promotions...
bickered over problems that had once caused Togo to leave the promotion before, they entered Pro Wrestling Zero1 and began to battle the active junior heavyweight roster. For a while they were successful, winning the NWA International Lightweight Tag Team title once, but as Togo wanted to keep on wrestling other independents, their team broke up just in time as Fujita was returning from an overseas excursion, which freed him to do independent dates.
The combination, known as Skull and Bones, became prominent in the ZERO-1MAX/independent scene, and they have even won Pro Wrestling Noah
Pro Wrestling Noah
is a major Japanese professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2000 by former All Japan Pro Wrestling ace Mitsuharu Misawa. NOAH is broadcast weekly in Japan...
's GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
The Global Honored Crown Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team title in Japanese promotion Pro Wrestling Noah, contested exclusively among junior heavyweight wrestlers. It was created on July 16, 2003 when Kenta and Naomichi Marufuji defeated Jushin Liger...
.
Hidaka once appeared with Togo and Christopher Daniels
Christopher Daniels
Daniel Christopher Covell is an American professional wrestler, best known in the United States by his ring name "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels. He is also known for performing under the ring name Curry Man. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , while also...
in a Major League Wrestling
Major League Wrestling
Major League Wrestling is a professional wrestling promotion that markets its presentation around hybrid wrestling, which encompasses and showcases many different forms of wrestling. MLW's mission is to present itself as an alternative to sports entertainment...
match in the United States in 2002, one of his rare appearances abroad.
Following a crucial loss to Minoru Tanaka and Masaaki Mochizuki
Masaaki Mochizuki
is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently performing for Dragon Gate, where he is the current Open the Dream Gate Champion in his second reign and the leader of the Junction Three stable...
, another team long "defunct before it even started" due to scheduling conflicts, Hidaka and Fujita turned on each other. On January 19, Hidaka beat Fujita to win the AWA World Junior Heavyweight title for a second time. He lost the title to Mochizuki on January 23, 2008.
On March 13, 2010, Hidaka made his debut for American professional wrestling promotion Evolve Wrestling
Evolve (professional wrestling)
Evolve Wrestling is an American professional wrestling promotion based in the Northeast founded in 2010 by former Ring of Honor booker and current Dragon Gate USA vice president, Gabe Sapolsky, Full Impact Pro owner Sal Hamaoui, and independent wrestler Davey Richards...
at Evolve 2: Hero vs. Hidaka, defeating Chris Hero
Chris Hero
Chris Spradlin is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Chris Hero. He is a mainstay of many independent wrestling promotions, including Ring of Honor, and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla as well as Pro Wrestling Noah in Japan...
in the main event of the evening.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Misty Flip (Standing shiranui)
- Shawn Capture (Double heel hook)
- Wild Dog Kick (Roundhouse kick)
- Signature moves
- Iguchi Bomb (Leg capture one shoulder powerbomb)
- Shuffle superkick
- Spinning heel kick
- Springboard tornado DDT
- Suicide dive
Championships and accomplishments
- Michinoku Pro WrestlingMichinoku Pro WrestlingMichinoku Pro Wrestling is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion, founded by The Great Sasuke in 1993. Michinoku Pro was the first independent wrestling promotion in Japan to not base its operations in Tokyo, but rather in Morioka, Iwate...
- Independent Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Pro Wrestling NoahPro Wrestling Noahis a major Japanese professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2000 by former All Japan Pro Wrestling ace Mitsuharu Misawa. NOAH is broadcast weekly in Japan...
- GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team ChampionshipGHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team ChampionshipThe Global Honored Crown Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team title in Japanese promotion Pro Wrestling Noah, contested exclusively among junior heavyweight wrestlers. It was created on July 16, 2003 when Kenta and Naomichi Marufuji defeated Jushin Liger...
(1 time) – with Minoru FujitaMinoru Fujitais a Japanese professional wrestler contracted to Pro Wrestling Zero1, where he is a former AWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion, having won a tournament final against Takuya Sugawara.-Career:...
- Pro Wrestling WORLD-1
- PWF Universal Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Minoru Fujita
- Pro Wrestling ZERO1
- NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Minoru Fujita (1) and Munenori Sawa (1)
- NWA International Lightweight Tag Team Championship (4 times, current) – with Dick Togo (1), Minoru Fujita (1), Munenori Sawa (1) and Takafumi Ito (1, current)
- ZERO1-MAX International Junior Heavyweight Championship (5 times) (First reign as champion the championship is known as AWA/ZERO1-MAX/UPW/WORLD-1 International Junior Heavyweight Championship and second reign known as the AWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship.)
- Tenka-Ichi Jr. Tournament (2009, 2010)