Tiger Mask IV
Encyclopedia
Yoshihiro Yamazaki best known by his ring name Tiger Mask
(IV) (タイガーマスク), is a Japan
ese 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. This makes him the person to have used the "Tiger Mask" gimmick the longest time.
(Satoru Sayama
) and The Great Sasuke and unlike Tiger Mask II
and Tiger Mask III
, Yamazaki has been endorsed by Sayama himself. He also traveled to Mexico where he trained in lucha libre
.
and became the fourth Tiger Mask, succeeding Koji Kanemoto
. While working for Michioku Pro Tiger Mask IV won the “APEX OF TRIANGLE” Six Man Tag Team Championship with his trainer the Great Sasuke and Gran Hamada
. Just over a year into his wrestling career Tiger Mask IV won the UWA World Middleweight Championship
and held it for 3 months before being forced to vacate the title due to an injury. After returning from his injury Tiger Mask IV spent a couple of years working mid card and lower main event matches until he was finally given another run with a singles title when he won a tournament to crown a new British Commonwealth Jr. Heavyweight Champion
in London
, England
. Despite it being called "British Commonwealth", the title was mainly promoted in Japan. Tiger Mask IV would later vacate the title due to an injury but was given a second reign with the title in 2000 that would last exactly one year shortly before Tiger Mask IV left Michinoku Pro.
from then champion Koji Kanemoto
. Tiger Mask IV’s first IWGP reign came to an end in December 2003 when he had to vacate the title due to an injury. Tiger Mask IV returned with renewed strength and won the 2004 Best of the Super Juniors tournament where he beat the then IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Heat in the semi finals and Koji Kanemoto in the finals to win the annual tournament. It wouldn’t be until 2005 that Tiger Mask IV was able to recreate his semi final victory to defeat Heat for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title. Tiger Mask IV also won the 2005 Best of the Super Juniors making him the first and to date only wrestler to win the tournament 2 years in a row. In October 2005 Tiger Mask IV lost the title to the latest incarnation of the Black Tiger gimmick – Black Tiger IV (Rocky Romero
). Tiger Mask IV defeated Black Tiger in a rematch on February 19, 2006, in a match where Black Tiger put both the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship and the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship
making Tiger Mask IV a double champion.
Tiger Mask’s reign as IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion ended on May 3, 2006 by the man he won the title from the first time, Koji Kanemoto. the NWA World Junior Heavyweight title would reside around Tiger Mask IV’s waist for over a year until he lost it to Mike Quackenbush on a National Wrestling Alliance
(NWA) sanctioned show in Portage, Indiana. When New Japan decided to create several "Brands", Tiger Mask was appointed as an 'ace' of WRESTLE LAND alongside Hiroshi Tanahashi
but ended up wrestling 2 matches under the WRESTLE LAND Brand. In July 2008, Tiger Mask IV defeated Prince Devitt
in a tournament final to become a 4 time IWGP World Jr. Heavyweight champion. On the "Circuit 2008 New Japan Generation" tour Low Ki ended Tiger Mask’s reign. On January 4, 2009 during NJPW's annual Tokyo Dome show Wrestle Kingdom III, he regained the title and became only the third 5 time IWGP World Junior Heavyweight champion in the title's history. Tiger Mask made his first successful title defense Jushin Liger
after which he was presented with a third-generation IWGP Junior Heavyweight championship belt. While being presented with the belt he was attacked by new version of Black Tiger
, the fifth version of his storyline arch enemy. After defeating and unmasking Black Tiger IV (Rocky Romero) at Resolution '09 in a title vs. mask match, Black Tiger V once again attacked Tiger Mask, gave him a Death Valley driver and then unmasked him. On June 20, 2009, at Dominion Tiger Mask defeated Black Tiger V in a mask vs. mask match. Afterwards Black Tiger removed his mask to reveal Tatsuhito Takaiwa
, the first native under the Black Tiger mask. On August 15, 2009, at G1 Climax 2009 Tour Tiger Mask lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title to Místico
. He regained the title on November 8, 2009, at NJPW's Destruction '09 show when he defeated Místico. On January 4, 2010, at Wrestle Kingdom IV in Tokyo Dome Tiger Mask lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship to Naomichi Marufuji
. After losing a rematch to Marufuji on May 8, 2010, Tiger Mask began showing signs of a heel
turn as he attacked the champion after the match. Tiger then entered the 2010 Best of the Super Juniors tournament in an attempt to win his third BOSJ and on May 30 continued his heelish behaviour by refusing to shake hands with La Sombra
after losing his opening match to him. The following day it was announced that Tiger had suffered a neck injury and would be sidelined for two months, forcing him to forfeit the rest of his matches in the Best of the Super Juniors tournament. He made his return on August 14, 2010, in a six man tag team match, where he, Koji Kanemoto and Ryusuke Taguchi
wrestled Pro Wrestling Noah
representatives Atsushi Aoki
, Ricky Marvin
and Taiji Ishimori
to a fifteen minute time limit draw. On August 22 Tiger and Kanemoto defeated Marvin and Ishimori at a Pro Wrestling Noah event to win the promotion's GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
. They would lose the title to Atsushi Aoki and Naomichi Marufuji on December 24, 2010. On January 23, 2011, Tiger Mask IV put his mask on the line in a Mask vs. Hair match at Fantasticamania 2011
, a New Japan and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
co–promoted event in Tokyo, and defeated Tomohiro Ishii to win his third Lucha de Apuesta. After the match Ishii attacked and unmasked Tiger Mask. On February 20 Tiger Mask IV defeated Ishii, who had begun wearing a Black Tiger mask, in a Mask vs. Mask match.
(TNA) through the working relationship between NJPW and TNA. He appeared on TNA Sacrifice
2007 in a four way bout featuring Alex Shelley
, Jerry Lynn
, and Senshi. He also made a couple of appearances on TNA Impact!
, TNA's weekly show. Tiger Mask IV was booked as a Special Appearance and never given any long term storylines.
competition in 1998 although he failed to make it past the first obstacle of the First Stage.
Tiger Mask
is a Japanese manga series written by Ikki Kajiwara and illustrated by Naoki Tsuji. The series was first published in Kodansha's Bokura Magazine from 1968 to 1969 and was later published in Weekly Shōnen Magazine from 1970 to 1971...
(IV) (タイガーマスク), is a Japan
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...
who currently works for 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...
. Yamazaki is the fourth wrestler to portray the Tiger Mask
Tiger Mask
is a Japanese manga series written by Ikki Kajiwara and illustrated by Naoki Tsuji. The series was first published in Kodansha's Bokura Magazine from 1968 to 1969 and was later published in Weekly Shōnen Magazine from 1970 to 1971...
image / persona; having used it since 1995. This makes him the person to have used the "Tiger Mask" gimmick the longest time.
Career
The young Yamazaki was originally trained by the original Tiger MaskTiger Mask
is a Japanese manga series written by Ikki Kajiwara and illustrated by Naoki Tsuji. The series was first published in Kodansha's Bokura Magazine from 1968 to 1969 and was later published in Weekly Shōnen Magazine from 1970 to 1971...
(Satoru Sayama
Satoru Sayama
is a Japanese professional wrestler, best known as the original Tiger Mask. He's wrestled under his real name as well as the names Sammy Lee, and masked Super Tiger, Tiger King, Tiger Mask and The Mask of Tiger...
) and The Great Sasuke and unlike Tiger Mask II
Mitsuharu Misawa
was a Japanese professional wrestler. He made his professional debut on August 21, 1981 for All Japan Pro Wrestling . From 1984 until 1990, Misawa wrestled as the second generation Tiger Mask, as All Japan Pro Wrestling had purchased the rights of the Tiger Mask gimmick from New Japan Pro Wrestling...
and Tiger Mask III
Koji Kanemoto
is a professional wrestler. He is of Zainichi Korean descent.-Career:Kanemoto practiced Judo during his high school days and won a few championships as a professional before being recruited by the New Japan Dojo. He debuted in November 1990, wrestling against Michiyoshi Ohara. In March 1992, he...
, Yamazaki has been endorsed by Sayama himself. He also traveled to Mexico where he trained in lucha libre
Lucha libre
Lucha libre is a term used in Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking countries, for a form of professional wrestling that has developed within those countries...
.
Michinoku Pro
He made his professional wrestling debut in 1995 for Michinoku ProMichinoku 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 became the fourth Tiger Mask, succeeding Koji Kanemoto
Koji Kanemoto
is a professional wrestler. He is of Zainichi Korean descent.-Career:Kanemoto practiced Judo during his high school days and won a few championships as a professional before being recruited by the New Japan Dojo. He debuted in November 1990, wrestling against Michiyoshi Ohara. In March 1992, he...
. While working for Michioku Pro Tiger Mask IV won the “APEX OF TRIANGLE” Six Man Tag Team Championship with his trainer the Great Sasuke and Gran Hamada
Gran Hamada
, better known by his ring name , is Japanese professional wrestler, the first to adopt the high-flying Mexican lucha libre style. He has wrestled for New Japan Pro Wrestling, the Universal Wrestling Federation, Michinoku Pro, and All Japan Pro Wrestling, and was the founder of Universal Lucha Libre...
. Just over a year into his wrestling career Tiger Mask IV won the UWA World Middleweight Championship
UWA World Middleweight Championship
The UWA World Middleweight Championship is a professional wrestling championship originally created and sanctioend by the Mexican lucha libre promotion Universal Wrestling Association from 1976 until the UWA closed in 1995...
and held it for 3 months before being forced to vacate the title due to an injury. After returning from his injury Tiger Mask IV spent a couple of years working mid card and lower main event matches until he was finally given another run with a singles title when he won a tournament to crown a new British Commonwealth Jr. Heavyweight Champion
British Commonwealth Junior Heavyweight Championship
The British Commonwealth Junior Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship that although being created in England, it gained its biggest notoriety in Japan...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Despite it being called "British Commonwealth", the title was mainly promoted in Japan. Tiger Mask IV would later vacate the title due to an injury but was given a second reign with the title in 2000 that would last exactly one year shortly before Tiger Mask IV left Michinoku Pro.
New Japan Pro Wrestling
Tiger Mask IV made his NJPW debut on January 20, 2002, and at first wrestled as a Michinoku Pro star and not a full time worker. In December 2002, he officially joined NJPW, and quickly rose in the contenders ranks in the Junior Heavyweight division. On April 23, 2003 Tiger Mask IV was booked to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipIWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling junior heavweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro Wrestling promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the International Wrestling Grand Prix. The title was introduced on February 6, 1986 at a NJPW show....
from then champion Koji Kanemoto
Koji Kanemoto
is a professional wrestler. He is of Zainichi Korean descent.-Career:Kanemoto practiced Judo during his high school days and won a few championships as a professional before being recruited by the New Japan Dojo. He debuted in November 1990, wrestling against Michiyoshi Ohara. In March 1992, he...
. Tiger Mask IV’s first IWGP reign came to an end in December 2003 when he had to vacate the title due to an injury. Tiger Mask IV returned with renewed strength and won the 2004 Best of the Super Juniors tournament where he beat the then IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Heat in the semi finals and Koji Kanemoto in the finals to win the annual tournament. It wouldn’t be until 2005 that Tiger Mask IV was able to recreate his semi final victory to defeat Heat for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title. Tiger Mask IV also won the 2005 Best of the Super Juniors making him the first and to date only wrestler to win the tournament 2 years in a row. In October 2005 Tiger Mask IV lost the title to the latest incarnation of the Black Tiger gimmick – Black Tiger IV (Rocky Romero
Rocky Romero
John R. Rivera is a Cuban American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Rocky Romero and as the fourth incarnation of Black Tiger. As Romero he was one half of the tag team The Havana Pitbulls , along with Ricky Reyes...
). Tiger Mask IV defeated Black Tiger in a rematch on February 19, 2006, in a match where Black Tiger put both the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship and the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship
NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship
The NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world championship and secondary title in the National Wrestling Alliance that was for the lighter wrestlers. It started in 1945 and still exists today. The title was unified with the National Boxing/Wrestling Association's...
making Tiger Mask IV a double champion.
Tiger Mask’s reign as IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion ended on May 3, 2006 by the man he won the title from the first time, Koji Kanemoto. the NWA World Junior Heavyweight title would reside around Tiger Mask IV’s waist for over a year until he lost it to Mike Quackenbush on a National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
(NWA) sanctioned show in Portage, Indiana. When New Japan decided to create several "Brands", Tiger Mask was appointed as an 'ace' of WRESTLE LAND alongside Hiroshi Tanahashi
Hiroshi Tanahashi
is a Japanese professional wrestler who works primarily for New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is the current IWGP Heavyweight Champion in his fifth reign.-Early life:...
but ended up wrestling 2 matches under the WRESTLE LAND Brand. In July 2008, Tiger Mask IV defeated Prince Devitt
Fergal Devitt
Fergal Devitt is an Irish professional wrestler currently contracted by New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is currently in his second reign as the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion...
in a tournament final to become a 4 time IWGP World Jr. Heavyweight champion. On the "Circuit 2008 New Japan Generation" tour Low Ki ended Tiger Mask’s reign. On January 4, 2009 during NJPW's annual Tokyo Dome show Wrestle Kingdom III, he regained the title and became only the third 5 time IWGP World Junior Heavyweight champion in the title's history. Tiger Mask made his first successful title defense Jushin Liger
Jushin Liger
, better known as and later, is a Japanese professional wrestler who primarily works for New Japan Pro Wrestling.He has wrestled and beaten many of the top smaller wrestlers in both Japan and the United States, and is frequently cited as one of the greatest and most revolutionary junior...
after which he was presented with a third-generation IWGP Junior Heavyweight championship belt. While being presented with the belt he was attacked by new version of Black Tiger
Black Tiger (professional wrestling)
Black Tiger has been the persona used by five different professional wrestlers in New Japan Pro Wrestling as opponents of the four incarnations of Tiger Mask. The character is drawn from the original Japanese Tiger Mask anime...
, the fifth version of his storyline arch enemy. After defeating and unmasking Black Tiger IV (Rocky Romero) at Resolution '09 in a title vs. mask match, Black Tiger V once again attacked Tiger Mask, gave him a Death Valley driver and then unmasked him. On June 20, 2009, at Dominion Tiger Mask defeated Black Tiger V in a mask vs. mask match. Afterwards Black Tiger removed his mask to reveal Tatsuhito Takaiwa
Tatsuhito Takaiwa
Tatsuhito Takaiwa is a Zainichi-Korean professional wrestler. Takaiwa is one of the more well-traveled junior heavyweights in Japan, having wrestled for New Japan, and Zero-One, as well as making special appearances in All Japan and NOAH....
, the first native under the Black Tiger mask. On August 15, 2009, at G1 Climax 2009 Tour Tiger Mask lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title to Místico
Místico
Luis Ignascio Urive Alvirde is a Mexican luchador enmascarado, or masked professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE, working on its SmackDown brand under the name Sin Cara...
. He regained the title on November 8, 2009, at NJPW's Destruction '09 show when he defeated Místico. On January 4, 2010, at Wrestle Kingdom IV in Tokyo Dome Tiger Mask lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship to Naomichi Marufuji
Naomichi Marufuji
is a Japanese professional wrestler who competes for Pro Wrestling Noah, with occasional appearances in other professional wrestling promotions like Ring of Honor, All Japan Pro Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling, among others. Marufuji is the first of only two Grand Slam Champion in Pro...
. After losing a rematch to Marufuji on May 8, 2010, Tiger Mask began showing signs of a heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
turn as he attacked the champion after the match. Tiger then entered the 2010 Best of the Super Juniors tournament in an attempt to win his third BOSJ and on May 30 continued his heelish behaviour by refusing to shake hands with La Sombra
La Sombra (wrestler)
La Sombra is a Mexican luchador enmascarado . La Sombra's real real name is not a matter of public record, as is often the case with masked wrestlers in Mexico where their private lives are kept a secret from the wrestling fans...
after losing his opening match to him. The following day it was announced that Tiger had suffered a neck injury and would be sidelined for two months, forcing him to forfeit the rest of his matches in the Best of the Super Juniors tournament. He made his return on August 14, 2010, in a six man tag team match, where he, Koji Kanemoto and Ryusuke Taguchi
Ryusuke Taguchi
is a Japanese professional wrestler, trained by and currently performing for New Japan Pro Wrestling , where he is a former one-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and a four-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion....
wrestled 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...
representatives Atsushi Aoki
Atsushi Aoki
Atsushi Aoki is a Japanese professional wrestler working for the Japanese wrestling promotion Pro Wrestling Noah, where he is one half of the reigning GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions. Aoki made his professional wrestling debut in 2005 and has worked primarily for NOAH where he was part...
, Ricky Marvin
Ricky Marvin
Ricardo Fuentes Romero is a Mexican professional wrestler, known by his ring name Ricky Marvin and is most known for his work in the Japanese promotion Pro Wrestling NOAH...
and Taiji Ishimori
Taiji Ishimori
is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for Pro Wrestling NOAH as well as making appearances for Asistencia Asesoría y Administración through a NOAH/AAA working relationship.-Professional wrestling career:...
to a fifteen minute time limit draw. On August 22 Tiger and Kanemoto defeated Marvin and Ishimori at a Pro Wrestling Noah event to win the promotion'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...
. They would lose the title to Atsushi Aoki and Naomichi Marufuji on December 24, 2010. On January 23, 2011, Tiger Mask IV put his mask on the line in a Mask vs. Hair match at Fantasticamania 2011
Fantasticamania 2011
Fantasticamania 2011 was the name of two professional wrestling major shows produced that took place on January 22 and January 23, 2011 in Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan...
, a New Japan and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre is a Lucha Libre-style professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico City while running cards in Guadalajara, Puebla and elsewhere in central and southern Mexico...
co–promoted event in Tokyo, and defeated Tomohiro Ishii to win his third Lucha de Apuesta. After the match Ishii attacked and unmasked Tiger Mask. On February 20 Tiger Mask IV defeated Ishii, who had begun wearing a Black Tiger mask, in a Mask vs. Mask match.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Tiger Mask IV has made several appearances for the American based wrestling company Total Nonstop Action WrestlingTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
(TNA) through the working relationship between NJPW and TNA. He appeared on TNA Sacrifice
TNA Sacrifice
Sacrifice is an annual professional wrestling pay-per-view event held by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in the month of May. The first one was held in August 2005. When event names were shuffled by TNA for 2006, the event was moved to May. Sacrifice has had a tradition of being the final round of...
2007 in a four way bout featuring Alex Shelley
Alex Shelley
Patrick Martin , is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Alex Shelley. He wrestles for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he currently teams with Chris Sabin as The Motor City Machine Guns. He previously gained fame on the independent circuit, working most notably for...
, Jerry Lynn
Jerry Lynn
Jeremy "Jerry" Lynn is an American professional wrestler who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
, and Senshi. He also made a couple of appearances on TNA Impact!
TNA iMPACT!
Impact Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling that currently airs in the United States and Canada on Spike...
, TNA's weekly show. Tiger Mask IV was booked as a Special Appearance and never given any long term storylines.
Other media
Outside of wrestling, Yamazaki appeared on the second SASUKESasuke (TV series)
Sasuke is a Japanese sports entertainment television special in which 100 competitors attempt to complete a four stage obstacle course. An edited version, renamed Ninja Warrior, is screened in at least 18 other countries....
competition in 1998 although he failed to make it past the first obstacle of the First Stage.
Personal life
On July 22, 2006, Yamazaki married a then 32-year-old woman whose given name is unknown, though her former last name was Nishimura.In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Diving headbutt
- Multiple suplexSuplexA suplex is an offensive move used in professional sport wrestling . The move consists of one wrestler picking up his or her opponent off the ground and then using a large portion of his or her own body weight to drive the opponent down on the mat. Nearly all suplexes have the attacker going down...
variations- Destroy Suplex / Tiger Suplex '09 (Pumphandle tiger)
- Millennium Suplex (Crossface chickenwing) – innovated
- Tiger
- Scissored armbar
- Signature moves
- Crossface chickenwing
- Double underhook suplex, sometimes from the top rope
- High–angle German suplex
- Kneeling belly to belly piledriver
- Multiple kick variations
- Rolling sole
- Shoot
- Tiger feint
- Tiger Wall Flip (Corner back flip)
- Rear naked choke
- Rolling moonsault
- Sitout double underhook powerbomb, sometimes from the top rope
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...
- APEX OF TRIANGLE Six–Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with The Great SasukeMasanori 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...
and Gran HamadaGran Hamada, better known by his ring name , is Japanese professional wrestler, the first to adopt the high-flying Mexican lucha libre style. He has wrestled for New Japan Pro Wrestling, the Universal Wrestling Federation, Michinoku Pro, and All Japan Pro Wrestling, and was the founder of Universal Lucha Libre... - British Commonwealth Jr. Heavyweight ChampionshipBritish Commonwealth Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipThe British Commonwealth Junior Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship that although being created in England, it gained its biggest notoriety in Japan...
(2 times) - Fukumen World League (2000, 2007)
- Fukumen World Tag League (2000) - with Gran Hamada
- APEX OF TRIANGLE Six–Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with The Great Sasuke
- National Wrestling AllianceNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- NWA World Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA World Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world championship and secondary title in the National Wrestling Alliance that was for the lighter wrestlers. It started in 1945 and still exists today. The title was unified with the National Boxing/Wrestling Association's...
(1 time)
- NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship
- New Japan Pro WrestlingNew Japan Pro Wrestlingis 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...
- IWGP Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipIWGP Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipThe IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling junior heavweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro Wrestling promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the International Wrestling Grand Prix. The title was introduced on February 6, 1986 at a NJPW show....
(6 times) - Best of the Super JuniorsBest of the Super JuniorsThis article is about the professional wrestling tournament. For the South Korean boy band, see Super Junior.The Best of the Super Juniors is an annual professional wrestling tournament held by New Japan Pro Wrestling , typically in May or June...
(2004, 2005) - Jr. Heavyweight MVP Award (2005)
- IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked him #21 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2005
- 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 Koji KanemotoKoji Kanemotois a professional wrestler. He is of Zainichi Korean descent.-Career:Kanemoto practiced Judo during his high school days and won a few championships as a professional before being recruited by the New Japan Dojo. He debuted in November 1990, wrestling against Michiyoshi Ohara. In March 1992, he...
- GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
- 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 Middleweight ChampionshipUWA World Middleweight ChampionshipThe UWA World Middleweight Championship is a professional wrestling championship originally created and sanctioend by the Mexican lucha libre promotion Universal Wrestling Association from 1976 until the UWA closed in 1995...
(1 time)
- UWA World Middleweight Championship
Lucha de Apuestas record
| Wager | Winner | Loser | Location | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mask | Tiger Mask IV | Black Tiger IV Rocky Romero John R. Rivera is a Cuban American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Rocky Romero and as the fourth incarnation of Black Tiger. As Romero he was one half of the tag team The Havana Pitbulls , along with Ricky Reyes... |
Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family... , Japan 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... |
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling junior heavweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro Wrestling promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the International Wrestling Grand Prix. The title was introduced on February 6, 1986 at a NJPW show.... vs. Mask match. |
|
| Mask | Tiger Mask IV | Black Tiger V Tatsuhito Takaiwa Tatsuhito Takaiwa is a Zainichi-Korean professional wrestler. Takaiwa is one of the more well-traveled junior heavyweights in Japan, having wrestled for New Japan, and Zero-One, as well as making special appearances in All Japan and NOAH.... |
Osaka Osaka is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe... , Japan |
||
| Hair | Tiger Mask IV | Tomohiro Ishii | Tokyo, Japan | Mask vs. Hair match. | |
| Mask | Tiger Mask IV | Tomohiro Ishii | Sendai, Japan |