Manami Toyota
Encyclopedia
is a professional wrestler
best known for her work with the All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling
(AJW) wrestling promotion. Following AJW's closure she has continued to work in other joshi promotions such as GAEA
and NEO. Toyota is a member of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame
.
, on May 6, 1989. Teamed with Mima Shimoda as the Tokyo Sweethearts, she defeated Etsuko Mita and Toshiyo Yamada
in a match that nearly stole the card from the more established veterans. The bout had all the basic ingredients that made Toyota a star, including flashy moves, fast and frequent tags, double-team moves, and a long series of dramatic near falls. When the bout was released as part of a four-hour commercial tape, Toyota became recognized as a wrestler to watch.
Toyota won her first title on November 18, 1989, when she defeated Mika Takahashi for the AJW Championship
. She defended the title three times, including one defense against her future rival Kyoko Inoue
(on August 1, 1990), before vacating it on September 1. The following month (October 7 in Tokyo) she challenged Bison Kimura for the All Pacific Championship
and emerged victorious. However, she only managed to defend the title once before losing to Suzuka Minami on March 17, 1991.
Parallel to this success ran Toyota’s feud with future tag-team partner Toshiyo Yamada
. Initially, following Tokyo Sweethearts' success, the AJW braintrust felt they could well be the new Beauty Pair or Crush Gals. However, Toyota's real chemistry came not with Shimoda but with Yamada, whose style was unlike Toyota's and provided more of a contrast. Yamada was a slightly built, short-haired, kicking specialist, who idolized both Chigusa Nagayo
and Akira Maeda
. Unlike other wrestlers who rely on kicks and submissions, Yamada could also work the rapid-paced matches and was accomplished at building to near-falls with repeated kick-outs at the last possible moment. To begin with, however, Toyota and Yamada were opponents rather than partners. Between 1989 and 1991 they wrestled many times. At the start of 1992, the two won their first tag team championship when they defeated KAORU and Lady Apache
in Tokyo on January 19 for the UWA Women's World Tag Team Championship.
Their singles feud was not yet over, however, and it reached a climax on August 15, 1992 in a Hair vs. Hair match. The bout was a dramatic one, not least due to what occurred after the match was over. Toyota, even though she had won the match, did not want Yamada to get her head shaved, and had to be forcefully restrained by four prelim girls, who eventually forced her back to the mat. In respect of the match conditions, Yamada wanted her head shaved and went ahead with the stipulation. Soon after this match the two stars once again teamed up to win their first WWWA World Tag Team Championship
in March 1992, defeating Jungle Jack (Aja Kong and Bison Kimura) in Tokyo. On November 26, at AJW’s Dreamrush show Toyota and Yamada defended their WWWA Tag Team titles against Dynamite Kansai
and Mayumi Ozaki
in a 2/3 Falls match, which was rated 5 Stars by Dave Meltzer
of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
In April of that year, Toyota furthered her singles career by defeating rival Kyoko Inoue
on April 25 in Yokohama for the IWA Singles Championship
. Toyota defended that title eight times over the course of three years, before losing it to Reggie Bennett
on May 15, 1995. It was at around this time that Toyota's talent was being compared to most male competitors, as one of the best wrestlers in the world.
At Dreamslam II, on April 11, 1993 Toyota and Yamada fought a rematch against JWP Project's Kansai and Ozaki in yet another highly-rated two of three falls encounter. This time, however, Toyota and Yamada were on the losing side, and Kansai and Ozaki got their revenge. The feud concluded at AJW’s St. Battle Final event, on December 6, 1993, where Toyota and Yamada regained their tag titles.
On August 24, 1994 Toyota once again squared off against Kyoko Inoue and defeated her to unify the IWA and All Pacific Singles Championships. Toyota’s run with the two titles was not to last long. On October 9, Inoue gained a measure of revenge against Toyota, as Kyoko and her partner Takako Inoue
(no relation) won the WWWA Tag Team Championship from Toyota and Yamada. Toyota then vacated her All Pacific Championship, prior to her first WWWA Heavyweight Championship match against the monstrous Aja Kong at AJW’s Queendom III show, on March 26, 1995. The match saw Toyota reach the summit of AJW when she won and became the 39th WWWA Champion
.
On May 7, Toyota defended her crown against arch-rival Kyoko Inoue
at the Korakuen Hall
, where the two fought to a 60 minute time limit draw. Despite piledrivers
on the floor, German suplexes off the top rope, and multiple finishers, neither combatant was able to secure outright victory. Nonetheless, Toyota retained, and the match was voted Match of the Year for 1995 in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Manami Toyota is also the only woman to have competed in 6 matches that were given a 5-Star rating by the Wrestling Observer.
The following month, Toyota lost the WWWA Championship to former champion Aja Kong, on June 27. Toyota soon recovered from the loss. In 1995, she won the AJW Grand Prix tournament, securing her position as the number one contender for the WWWA Championship. Before she received her title opportunity, she faced Akira Hokuto at AJW's Destiny show on September 2, 1995. On December 4, she finally received her title shot and defeated then-champion Dynamite Kansai to become a two-time world champion.
Over the next 12 months, Toyota made three successful defenses of her WWWA title. In December 1996 she came up against long term rival Kyoko Inoue
and lost in a match that saw the All Pacific and IWA Women's World titles unified with the WWWA Title.
On November 28, 1998, Toyota faced the legendary Chigusa Nagayo
in a one-time-only legends bout that saw arguably the two best female wrestlers ever go at it. Nagayo came out victorious in a 15-minute match.
Toyota was brought in by Aja Kong to Chigusa Nagayo's GAEA Japan
wrestling group. She feuded with her old partner Toshiyo Yamada, as well as Dynamite Kansai. She competed there from 2002 to 2004 before moving on.
Toyota put her wrestler career on hiatus after her August 2007 Tribute Show, where she wrestled in every match. She returned to action in the following year. On a wrestling observer poll taken on March 20, 2009, Toyota was voted as the greatest female wrestler of all time, garnering a whopping 31% of the voting.
On July 25, 2010, it was announced that Toyota would make her first wrestling appearance in the United States
, wrestling for the Chikara promotion in September. On September 18, 2010, in Baltimore, Maryland
, Toyota defeated Daizee Haze
in her first match on American soil. The following day in Brooklyn, New York
, Toyota and Mike Quackenbush defeated the Bruderschaft des Kreuzes
(Claudio Castagnoli
and Sara Del Rey
) in a tag team match. On February 10, 2011, Chikara announced that Toyota would be returning to the promotion in April to take part in the 2011 King of Trios tournament, where she would team up with Jigsaw
and Mike Quackenbush. On April 15, Toyota, Jigsaw and Quackenbush defeated Amazing Red
, Joel Maximo and Wil Maximo
in their first round match in the 2011 King of Trios. The following day, Toyota, Jigsaw and Quackenbush were eliminated from the tournament by Team Michinoku Pro
(Dick Togo, Great Sasuke and Jinsei Shinzaki
). On April 17, the final day of the tournament, Toyota defeated Madison Eagles in a singles match. On August 10 Chikara posted a video on the official Chikara YouTube page promoting what appeared to be Toyota's last match in Chikara. The video promoted her as the "Queen of Joshi" before it was abruptly interrupted by Aja Kong. Aja stated she would come to Chikara in December to prove she was the best Joshi wrestler in world and would more likely face Toyota for that title.
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...
best known for her work with the All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling
All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling
, nicknamed Zenjo was a joshi puroresu promotion established in 1968 by Takashi Matsunaga and his brothers. The group held their first card on June 4 of that year...
(AJW) wrestling promotion. Following AJW's closure she has continued to work in other joshi promotions such as GAEA
GAEA Japan
Gaea Japan was a Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion. Gaea Japan (trademarked as GAEA Japan) was a Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion. Gaea Japan (trademarked as GAEA Japan) was a Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion. (Japanese female professional...
and NEO. Toyota is a member of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to the sport. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Meltzer, editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is not...
.
Career
Manami Toyota made her professional wrestling debut on August 5, 1987, at the age of 16, in a singles match against Sachiko Nakamura. Her big break came in her second year, on the first Wrestlemarinpiad show from Yokohama ArenaYokohama Arena
is an indoor sporting arena located in Yokohama, Japan. The capacity of the arena is 17,000 and was opened in 1989. The arena was modeled after US sports venue Madison Square Garden in New York City. It is a five minute walk from the closest subway station, Shin-Yokohama Station on the JR/Yokohama...
, on May 6, 1989. Teamed with Mima Shimoda as the Tokyo Sweethearts, she defeated Etsuko Mita and Toshiyo Yamada
Toshiyo Yamada
is a retired Japanese female professional wrestler. In the 1990s, Yamada wrestled for the All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling promotion .-Career:A year after her professional wrestling debut in 1987, Toshiyo Yamada was awarded the AJW Junior Championship. She then formed the tag team "Dream Orca" with...
in a match that nearly stole the card from the more established veterans. The bout had all the basic ingredients that made Toyota a star, including flashy moves, fast and frequent tags, double-team moves, and a long series of dramatic near falls. When the bout was released as part of a four-hour commercial tape, Toyota became recognized as a wrestler to watch.
Toyota won her first title on November 18, 1989, when she defeated Mika Takahashi for the AJW Championship
AJW Championship
The AJW Championship was a secondary belt contested in the Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling . The first champion, in 1980, was Rimi Yokota. During the title's history, no one held the belt more than two times. The belt was abandoned in 2005, after...
. She defended the title three times, including one defense against her future rival Kyoko Inoue
Kyoko Inoue
is a Japanese female professional wrestler. She has held the WWWA World Heavyweight Championship three times, and is the first woman to win a men's title in Japan. She is also the founder of the joshi promotion NEO Japan...
(on August 1, 1990), before vacating it on September 1. The following month (October 7 in Tokyo) she challenged Bison Kimura for the All Pacific Championship
All Pacific Championship
The All Pacific Women's Championship was the secondary singles title in the wrestling promotion All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling, or AJW. The belt was started as the Hawaiian Pacific Championship in 1977, and was renamed the All Pacific Championship in 1978.-History:...
and emerged victorious. However, she only managed to defend the title once before losing to Suzuka Minami on March 17, 1991.
Parallel to this success ran Toyota’s feud with future tag-team partner Toshiyo Yamada
Toshiyo Yamada
is a retired Japanese female professional wrestler. In the 1990s, Yamada wrestled for the All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling promotion .-Career:A year after her professional wrestling debut in 1987, Toshiyo Yamada was awarded the AJW Junior Championship. She then formed the tag team "Dream Orca" with...
. Initially, following Tokyo Sweethearts' success, the AJW braintrust felt they could well be the new Beauty Pair or Crush Gals. However, Toyota's real chemistry came not with Shimoda but with Yamada, whose style was unlike Toyota's and provided more of a contrast. Yamada was a slightly built, short-haired, kicking specialist, who idolized both Chigusa Nagayo
Chigusa Nagayo
is a retired Japanese female professional wrestler best known for her mainstream popularity in the 1980s as a member of the tag team The Crush Gals with long-time partner Lioness Asuka. She was the founder of the GAEA Women's Professional Wrestling organization . She briefly competed as alter-ego...
and Akira Maeda
Akira Maeda
is a retired Japanese professional wrestler, also known as Kwik-kik-Lee for his time on the British Wrestling show World of Sport. He helped develop the shoot-style of professional wrestling during the late 1980s....
. Unlike other wrestlers who rely on kicks and submissions, Yamada could also work the rapid-paced matches and was accomplished at building to near-falls with repeated kick-outs at the last possible moment. To begin with, however, Toyota and Yamada were opponents rather than partners. Between 1989 and 1991 they wrestled many times. At the start of 1992, the two won their first tag team championship when they defeated KAORU and Lady Apache
Lady Apache
Sandra González Calderón is a Mexican professional wrestler or Luchadora, best known under the ring name Lady Apache. González's ring name comes from the "family name" of Mario Balbuena González who wrestles under the name Gran Apache; whom she was married to when she made her wrestling debut in...
in Tokyo on January 19 for the UWA Women's World Tag Team Championship.
Their singles feud was not yet over, however, and it reached a climax on August 15, 1992 in a Hair vs. Hair match. The bout was a dramatic one, not least due to what occurred after the match was over. Toyota, even though she had won the match, did not want Yamada to get her head shaved, and had to be forcefully restrained by four prelim girls, who eventually forced her back to the mat. In respect of the match conditions, Yamada wanted her head shaved and went ahead with the stipulation. Soon after this match the two stars once again teamed up to win their first WWWA World Tag Team Championship
WWWA World Tag Team Championship
The World Women's Wrestling Association World Tag Team Championship was the top doubles championship in All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling from 1970 until it closed in 2005...
in March 1992, defeating Jungle Jack (Aja Kong and Bison Kimura) in Tokyo. On November 26, at AJW’s Dreamrush show Toyota and Yamada defended their WWWA Tag Team titles against Dynamite Kansai
Dynamite Kansai
Dynamite Kansai is a Japanese female professional wrestler.-Career:Chieko Suzuki was born on December 4, 1969, and was raised in Kyoto, Japan. In 1986 she auditioned for All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling , but was unsuccessful, and instead joined the first rookie class of Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling...
and Mayumi Ozaki
Mayumi Ozaki
is a Japanese female professional wrestler.-Career:Ozaki debuted in a tag match in August, 1986. In her career, she held the WWWA tag titles with Dynamite Kansai from April 11, 1993 to December 6, 1993 (born October 28, 1968) is a Japanese female professional wrestler.-Career:Ozaki debuted in a...
in a 2/3 Falls match, which was rated 5 Stars by Dave Meltzer
Dave Meltzer
David A. Meltzer is the editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter . Sports Illustrated senior writer Frank Deford has praised Meltzer's work, saying that "Meltzer, I believe, is the most accomplished reporter in sports journalism." Meltzer has written for the Oakland Tribune, the Los Angeles...
of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
In April of that year, Toyota furthered her singles career by defeating rival Kyoko Inoue
Kyoko Inoue
is a Japanese female professional wrestler. She has held the WWWA World Heavyweight Championship three times, and is the first woman to win a men's title in Japan. She is also the founder of the joshi promotion NEO Japan...
on April 25 in Yokohama for the IWA Singles Championship
IWA World Women's Championship
The IWA World Women's Championship was a major title in All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling. It had its origins with Stampede Wrestling in Calgary, Alberta in 1987.-History:-External links:*...
. Toyota defended that title eight times over the course of three years, before losing it to Reggie Bennett
Reggie Bennett
Reggie Bennett is an American former professional wrestler. She is best known for her work in joshi puroresu organizations such as All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling.-Professional wrestling career:...
on May 15, 1995. It was at around this time that Toyota's talent was being compared to most male competitors, as one of the best wrestlers in the world.
At Dreamslam II, on April 11, 1993 Toyota and Yamada fought a rematch against JWP Project's Kansai and Ozaki in yet another highly-rated two of three falls encounter. This time, however, Toyota and Yamada were on the losing side, and Kansai and Ozaki got their revenge. The feud concluded at AJW’s St. Battle Final event, on December 6, 1993, where Toyota and Yamada regained their tag titles.
On August 24, 1994 Toyota once again squared off against Kyoko Inoue and defeated her to unify the IWA and All Pacific Singles Championships. Toyota’s run with the two titles was not to last long. On October 9, Inoue gained a measure of revenge against Toyota, as Kyoko and her partner Takako Inoue
Takako Inoue
is a Japanese professional wrestler. She wrestled primarily for the All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling promotion, and held several championships, primarily in tag team wrestling...
(no relation) won the WWWA Tag Team Championship from Toyota and Yamada. Toyota then vacated her All Pacific Championship, prior to her first WWWA Heavyweight Championship match against the monstrous Aja Kong at AJW’s Queendom III show, on March 26, 1995. The match saw Toyota reach the summit of AJW when she won and became the 39th WWWA Champion
WWWA World Heavyweight Championship
The WWWA World Heavyweight Championship was the top singles championship in All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling from 1970 until it closed in 2005. It was also known in Pro Wrestling Illustrated and other London Publishing wrestling magazines as the All-Japan Women's International Championship...
.
On May 7, Toyota defended her crown against arch-rival Kyoko Inoue
Kyoko Inoue
is a Japanese female professional wrestler. She has held the WWWA World Heavyweight Championship three times, and is the first woman to win a men's title in Japan. She is also the founder of the joshi promotion NEO Japan...
at the Korakuen Hall
Korakuen Hall
is an arena in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan, which has hosted many boxing, professional wrestling and mixed martial arts matches. Part of Tokyo Dome City, it is one of Tokyo's biggest attractions. It opened on April 16, 1962 and has a capacity of approximately 1,800 people. The venue hosted the boxing...
, where the two fought to a 60 minute time limit draw. Despite piledrivers
Piledriver (professional wrestling)
A piledriver is a professional wrestling driver move in which the wrestler grabs his opponent, turns him upside-down, and drops into a sitting or kneeling position, driving the opponent head-first into the mat. The most common piledrivers are the basic belly-to-back, or Texas piledriver, and the...
on the floor, German suplexes off the top rope, and multiple finishers, neither combatant was able to secure outright victory. Nonetheless, Toyota retained, and the match was voted Match of the Year for 1995 in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Manami Toyota is also the only woman to have competed in 6 matches that were given a 5-Star rating by the Wrestling Observer.
The following month, Toyota lost the WWWA Championship to former champion Aja Kong, on June 27. Toyota soon recovered from the loss. In 1995, she won the AJW Grand Prix tournament, securing her position as the number one contender for the WWWA Championship. Before she received her title opportunity, she faced Akira Hokuto at AJW's Destiny show on September 2, 1995. On December 4, she finally received her title shot and defeated then-champion Dynamite Kansai to become a two-time world champion.
Over the next 12 months, Toyota made three successful defenses of her WWWA title. In December 1996 she came up against long term rival Kyoko Inoue
Kyoko Inoue
is a Japanese female professional wrestler. She has held the WWWA World Heavyweight Championship three times, and is the first woman to win a men's title in Japan. She is also the founder of the joshi promotion NEO Japan...
and lost in a match that saw the All Pacific and IWA Women's World titles unified with the WWWA Title.
On November 28, 1998, Toyota faced the legendary Chigusa Nagayo
Chigusa Nagayo
is a retired Japanese female professional wrestler best known for her mainstream popularity in the 1980s as a member of the tag team The Crush Gals with long-time partner Lioness Asuka. She was the founder of the GAEA Women's Professional Wrestling organization . She briefly competed as alter-ego...
in a one-time-only legends bout that saw arguably the two best female wrestlers ever go at it. Nagayo came out victorious in a 15-minute match.
Toyota was brought in by Aja Kong to Chigusa Nagayo's GAEA Japan
GAEA Japan
Gaea Japan was a Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion. Gaea Japan (trademarked as GAEA Japan) was a Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion. Gaea Japan (trademarked as GAEA Japan) was a Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion. (Japanese female professional...
wrestling group. She feuded with her old partner Toshiyo Yamada, as well as Dynamite Kansai. She competed there from 2002 to 2004 before moving on.
Toyota put her wrestler career on hiatus after her August 2007 Tribute Show, where she wrestled in every match. She returned to action in the following year. On a wrestling observer poll taken on March 20, 2009, Toyota was voted as the greatest female wrestler of all time, garnering a whopping 31% of the voting.
On July 25, 2010, it was announced that Toyota would make her first wrestling appearance in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, wrestling for the Chikara promotion in September. On September 18, 2010, in Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Toyota defeated Daizee Haze
Daizee Haze
Daizee Haze is an American professional wrestler. Whilst wrestling for many companies Daizee Haze is also the head trainer for the Shimmer Women Athletes promotion.-Training and Gateway Championship Wrestling:...
in her first match on American soil. The following day in Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, Toyota and Mike Quackenbush defeated the Bruderschaft des Kreuzes
Bruderschaft des Kreuzes
Die Bruderschaft des Kreuzes is a professional wrestling stable in the Chikara promotion.-Background :...
(Claudio Castagnoli
Claudio Castagnoli
Claudio Castagnoli is a Swiss professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, working in its developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling under the ring name Antonio Cesaro...
and Sara Del Rey
Sara Del Rey
Sara Amato is an American professional wrestler, better known by her ring name, Sara Del Rey. She is a mainstay for Chikara and Shimmer Women Athletes. She has also appeared for many other independent promotions in the United States, including Ring of Honor, IWA Mid-South, All Pro Wrestling, as...
) in a tag team match. On February 10, 2011, Chikara announced that Toyota would be returning to the promotion in April to take part in the 2011 King of Trios tournament, where she would team up with Jigsaw
Jigsaw (wrestler)
Jigsaw is an American professional wrestler currently competing in the Chikara and Dragon Gate USA professional wrestling promotions...
and Mike Quackenbush. On April 15, Toyota, Jigsaw and Quackenbush defeated Amazing Red
Amazing Red
Jonathan Figueroa is a professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Amazing Red, or simply Red for short. He is best known for working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is a former three-time X Division Champion, while also working on the American independent circuit...
, Joel Maximo and Wil Maximo
The S.A.T.
The S.A.T. are a professional wrestling tag team mostly seen in independent promotions that consists of brothers Jose Maximo and Joel Maximo who were both born in Brooklyn, New York...
in their first round match in the 2011 King of Trios. The following day, Toyota, Jigsaw and Quackenbush were eliminated from the tournament by Team Michinoku Pro
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...
(Dick Togo, Great Sasuke and Jinsei Shinzaki
Jinsei Shinzaki
Kensuke Shinzaki is a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by his stage names Jinsei Shinzaki and Hakushi...
). On April 17, the final day of the tournament, Toyota defeated Madison Eagles in a singles match. On August 10 Chikara posted a video on the official Chikara YouTube page promoting what appeared to be Toyota's last match in Chikara. The video promoted her as the "Queen of Joshi" before it was abruptly interrupted by Aja Kong. Aja stated she would come to Chikara in December to prove she was the best Joshi wrestler in world and would more likely face Toyota for that title.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Chikara Special (Kneeling step–over head–hold wrist–lock followed by hooking the opponent's far leg) – Chikara
- Japanese Ocean Bomb (Straight jacket reverse powerbomb)
- Japanese Ocean Cyclone Suplex (Straight jacket electric chair suplex pin) - innovated
- Japanese Ocean Queen Bee Bomb (Cut-throat scoop brainbuster)
- Japanese Ocean Suplex (Double hammerlock bridging German suplex)
- Victory Star Drop (Toyota applies a bodyscissors to an opponent on the top rope and then performs a back flip, driving the opponent head firstPiledriver (professional wrestling)A piledriver is a professional wrestling driver move in which the wrestler grabs his opponent, turns him upside-down, and drops into a sitting or kneeling position, driving the opponent head-first into the mat. The most common piledrivers are the basic belly-to-back, or Texas piledriver, and the...
into the mat) - innovated
- Signature moves
- Bridging underhook suplex
- Leg trap sunset flip powerbomb, sometimes from the top rope
- Manami Roll (Modified victory roll, as a powerbombPowerbombA powerbomb is a professional wrestling throw in which an opponent is lifted up and then slammed back-first down to the mat. The standard powerbomb sees an opponent first placed in a standing headscissors position...
counter) - Missile dropkick, sometimes to an opponent on the outside
- MoonsaultMoonsaultA moonsault, moonsault press, or back flip splash is a professional wrestling aerial technique. Much of its popularity in American wrestling is attributed to The Great Muta, despite it being used in North America by "Leaping" Lanny Poffo years before Muta came from Japan.In a standard moonsault,...
- No-handed springboard somersault plancha
- Rolling leg-hook cradle
Championships and accomplishments
- All Japan Women's Pro-WrestlingAll Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling, nicknamed Zenjo was a joshi puroresu promotion established in 1968 by Takashi Matsunaga and his brothers. The group held their first card on June 4 of that year...
- AJW ChampionshipAJW ChampionshipThe AJW Championship was a secondary belt contested in the Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling . The first champion, in 1980, was Rimi Yokota. During the title's history, no one held the belt more than two times. The belt was abandoned in 2005, after...
(1 time) - All Pacific ChampionshipAll Pacific ChampionshipThe All Pacific Women's Championship was the secondary singles title in the wrestling promotion All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling, or AJW. The belt was started as the Hawaiian Pacific Championship in 1977, and was renamed the All Pacific Championship in 1978.-History:...
(2 times) - IWA World Women's ChampionshipIWA World Women's ChampionshipThe IWA World Women's Championship was a major title in All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling. It had its origins with Stampede Wrestling in Calgary, Alberta in 1987.-History:-External links:*...
(1 time) - WWWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipWWWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe WWWA World Heavyweight Championship was the top singles championship in All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling from 1970 until it closed in 2005. It was also known in Pro Wrestling Illustrated and other London Publishing wrestling magazines as the All-Japan Women's International Championship...
(4 times) - WWWA World Tag Team ChampionshipWWWA World Tag Team ChampionshipThe World Women's Wrestling Association World Tag Team Championship was the top doubles championship in All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling from 1970 until it closed in 2005...
(3 times) - with Toshiyo YamadaToshiyo Yamadais a retired Japanese female professional wrestler. In the 1990s, Yamada wrestled for the All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling promotion .-Career:A year after her professional wrestling debut in 1987, Toshiyo Yamada was awarded the AJW Junior Championship. She then formed the tag team "Dream Orca" with...
(2), and Mima Shimoda (1) - Japan Grand PrixJapan Grand PrixThe Japan Grand Prix was an annual professional wrestling tournament held by the promotion All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling to determine the number one contender for the promotion's highest achievement, the WWWA World Heavyweight Championship. The tournament was held in the summer every year from...
(1990, 1995, 1998, 1999)
- AJW Championship
- Diva Dirt
- Diva Dirt Legacy Award (2011)
- GAEA JapanGAEA JapanGaea Japan was a Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion. Gaea Japan (trademarked as GAEA Japan) was a Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion. Gaea Japan (trademarked as GAEA Japan) was a Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion. (Japanese female professional...
- AAAW Singles ChampionshipAAAW Singles ChampionshipThe GAEA AAAW Athletic Singles Championship or AAAW Championship was a championship belt contested in the Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion GAEA Japan The belt was abandoned in 2005, after GAEA was closed down.-History:...
(1 time) - AAAW Tag Team ChampionshipAAAW Tag Team ChampionshipThe AAAW Tag Team Championship was a title in the GAEA Japan promotion. The title was abandoned when GAEA closed in 2005.-Title history:-External links:*...
(1 time) - with Carlos Amano
- AAAW Singles Championship
- JWP Project
- JWP Openweight Division Champion (1 time)
- JWP Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Kaoru Ito
- Universal Wrestling AssociationUniversal Wrestling AssociationThe Universal Wrestling Association was a Mexican Lucha Libre or professional wrestling promotion based in Naucalpan, Mexico State that operated from 1975 until 1995...
- UWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Toshiyo Yamada
- OZ Academy
- OZ Academy Openweight Championship (1 time)
- OZ Academy Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with KAORU
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- 5 Star Match (1992) vs Kyoko Inoue on May 18
- 5 Star Match (1992) vs. Toshiyo Yamada on August 15
- 5 Star Match (1992) with Toshiyo Yamada vs. Dynamite KansaiDynamite KansaiDynamite Kansai is a Japanese female professional wrestler.-Career:Chieko Suzuki was born on December 4, 1969, and was raised in Kyoto, Japan. In 1986 she auditioned for All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling , but was unsuccessful, and instead joined the first rookie class of Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling...
& Mayumi OzakiMayumi Ozakiis a Japanese female professional wrestler.-Career:Ozaki debuted in a tag match in August, 1986. In her career, she held the WWWA tag titles with Dynamite Kansai from April 11, 1993 to December 6, 1993 (born October 28, 1968) is a Japanese female professional wrestler.-Career:Ozaki debuted in a...
on November 26 - 5 Star Match (1993) with Toshiyo Yamada vs. Dynamite Kansai & Mayumi Ozaki on April 11
- 5 Star Match (1993) with Toshiyo Yamada vs. Dynamite Kansai & Mayumi Ozaki on December 6
- 5 Star Match (1994) vs. Kyoko InoueKyoko Inoueis a Japanese female professional wrestler. She has held the WWWA World Heavyweight Championship three times, and is the first woman to win a men's title in Japan. She is also the founder of the joshi promotion NEO Japan...
on August 24 - 5 Star Match (1994) vs. Aja Kong on November 20
- 5 Star Match (1995) vs. Kyoko Inoue on May 7
- 5 Star Match (1995) with Sakie Hasegawa vs. Kyoko Inoue & Takako Inoue on August 30
- 5 Star Match (1995) vs. Akira Hokuto on September 2
- Match of the Year (1993) with Toshiyo Yamada vs. Dynamite KansaiDynamite KansaiDynamite Kansai is a Japanese female professional wrestler.-Career:Chieko Suzuki was born on December 4, 1969, and was raised in Kyoto, Japan. In 1986 she auditioned for All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling , but was unsuccessful, and instead joined the first rookie class of Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling...
and Mayumi OzakiMayumi Ozakiis a Japanese female professional wrestler.-Career:Ozaki debuted in a tag match in August, 1986. In her career, she held the WWWA tag titles with Dynamite Kansai from April 11, 1993 to December 6, 1993 (born October 28, 1968) is a Japanese female professional wrestler.-Career:Ozaki debuted in a... - Match of the Year (1995) vs. Kyoko InoueKyoko Inoueis a Japanese female professional wrestler. She has held the WWWA World Heavyweight Championship three times, and is the first woman to win a men's title in Japan. She is also the founder of the joshi promotion NEO Japan...
on May 7, Tokyo, Japan - Most Outstanding Wrestler (1995)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameWrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameThe Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to the sport. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Meltzer, editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is not...
(Class of 2002)