is a
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
, best known for her work in the
Ice Ribbon
is a ''joshi puroresu'' (women's professional wrestling) professional wrestling promotion, promotion established in 2006 by Emi Sakura, after her split with Gatokunyan.
History
Ice Ribbon was founded by Emi Sakura, a professional wrestler wh ...
promotion
Promotion may refer to:
Marketing
* Promotion (marketing), one of the four marketing mix elements, comprising any type of marketing communication used to inform or persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product, service, brand or i ...
, where she spent nearly seven years, making her debut in February 2006 at the age of eleven, becoming a two-time
ICE×60 Champion
The , mainly known as the ICE Cross Infinity Championship is a women's professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by the Ice Ribbon promotion.
History
The championship, which is situated at the top of Ice Ribbon's champions ...
and a one-time
IW19 Champion. She is also known for her work in
DDT Pro-Wrestling
is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Its name stands for Dramatic Dream Team, which was the promotion's official name from 1997 to 2004. Founded in March 1997 by Shintaro Muto, the promotion was eventually bo ...
, where she is a former three-time
Ironman Heavymetalweight Champion. After a three-year hiatus, she returned in November 2015, now working for Apple Star Puroresu.
Professional wrestling career
Ice Ribbon (2006–2012)
Minami was trained by Gatokunyan wrestler
Emi Sakura
, better known by the ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler performing for All Elite Wrestling (AEW). After starting her career in International Wrestling Association of Japan in August 1995, Sakura worked for several promotions acro ...
and made her professional wrestling debut at the age of eleven on February 12, 2006, working under the ring name Hikari and facing Sakura,
Aika Ando
is a Japanese gravure idol and professional wrestler who is represented by the talent agencies, Newgate Production and Ice Ribbon. She was a member of the Ebisu Muscats.
Biography
In 2007, Ando won the '' Sabra Quasi Grand Prix Award'' in the ...
, Hinata and Kinoko in a five-way match at an event in
Itabashi, Tokyo.
[ On April 29, Hikari won her first professional wrestling championship, defeating Aika to win ]Dramatic Dream Team
is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Its name stands for Dramatic Dream Team, which was the promotion's official name from 1997 to 2004. Founded in March 1997 by Shintaro Muto, the promotion was eventually bo ...
's (DDT) Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship
The is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the Japanese promotion CyberFight in its DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT) brand. Open to anyone, regardless of gender or DDT employment status, the championship is defended " 24/7", as ...
. Six days later, Hikari lost the title to Misae Genki, only to regain it from Miki Ishii later that same day.[ Hikari's second reign with the title came to an end on June 5, when she was defeated by Natsuki☆Head.][ In April 2006, Emi Sakura left Gatokunyan and took most of her trainees, Hikari included, with her to form the core of her new ]Ice Ribbon
is a ''joshi puroresu'' (women's professional wrestling) professional wrestling promotion, promotion established in 2006 by Emi Sakura, after her split with Gatokunyan.
History
Ice Ribbon was founded by Emi Sakura, a professional wrestler wh ...
promotion. Hikari made her debut for Ice Ribbon at the promotion's second ever event on June 20, defeating her elementary school
A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ed ...
friend Seina. During the next six months, Hikari and Seina developed a storyline rivalry, facing each other in four more singles matches, with Hikari winning the series 4–1. On December 5, Hikari wrestled male wrestler Ken Ohka to a time limit draw, which led to the two forming a partnership on January 8, 2007. The two have wrestled semi-regularly as a tag team
Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establish ...
ever since.[ In late January, Hikari began competing under the ring name Hikari Minami, after getting the blessing of former ]All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling
, nicknamed Zenjo (全女: 全 meaning "All", 女 meaning "Woman") was a ''joshi puroresu'' (women's professional wrestling) promotion established in 1968 by Takashi Matsunaga and his brothers. The group held their first card on June 4 of that y ...
performer and family friend Suzuka Minami to use the surname. In storyline, Hikari is sometimes referred to as Suzuka's niece
In the lineal kinship system used in the English-speaking world, a niece or nephew is a child of the subject's sibling or sibling-in-law. The converse relationship, the relationship from the niece or nephew's perspective, is that of an ...
and billed as the "Second Generation Marine Wolf"; Marine Wolves being the former tag team of Suzuka Minami and Akira Hokuto
is a Japanese retired professional wrestler better known as .
Career
Born Hisako Uno, Hokuto became a professional wrestler in the wake of the enormous popularity of tag team the Crush Gals (Chigusa Nagayo and Lioness Asuka), and was responsi ...
. During the rest of the year, Minami's rivalry with Seina also came to include Seina's younger sister Riho
is a Japanese professional wrestler and idol currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). She is a former AEW Women's World Champion.
She was trained by Emi Sakura and debuted for her Ice Ribbon promotion in May 2006, at the age of nine. S ...
.
From December 7, 2007, to December 13, 2008, Minami took an entire year off professional wrestling to concentrate on finishing junior high school. In her return match, Minami wrestled old rival Seina to a time limit draw.[ The following year, Minami began making challenges for Ice Ribbon's top championship, the ICE×60 Championship, failing in two title matches against Emi Sakura and one against ]Tsukasa Fujimoto
is a Japanese professional wrestler and actress, who is currently wrestling for Ice Ribbon, where she also works behind the scenes as the co-head trainer.
She is a record seven-time ICE×∞ Champion, six-time International Ribbon Tag Team ...
. On June 5, 2010, Minami turned heel by attacking ICE×60 Champion Emi Sakura from behind, after she had successfully defended the title against Tsukushi, before announcing her intention of going for the championship herself. On July 10, Minami defeated Hikaru Shida
is a Japanese professional wrestler, martial artist, actress, and model, currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where she is a former and the longest-reigning AEW Women's World Champion. On February 25, 2021, she became the longest reign ...
, Riho and Tsukasa Fujimoto in a four-way match, scoring all three eliminations in the process, to become the number one contender to Sakura's title. Nine days later, Minami defeated Sakura to win the ICE×60 Championship for the first time. After a 66-day reign, Minami lost the title to JWP Joshi Puroresu
, also known as or simply JWP, was a Japanese ''joshi puroresu'' (women's professional wrestling) promotion, founded in 1992 as a splinter promotion of Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling. Celebrating its 25th anniversary at the time of its folding in 2 ...
wrestler Command Bolshoi
is a retired Japanese professional wrestler. She debuted for Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling (JWP) in November 1991 and worked for its follow-up promotion JWP Joshi Puroresu from 1992 until its folding in 2017, also serving as its final president. ...
in her first defense.
On December 24, Minami made her debut for Smash at ''Happening Eve'', where she teamed with Chii Tomiya
is a Japanese professional wrestler, best known for her work in the Ice Ribbon promotion. Trained by Emi Sakura, Tomiya made her debut for Ice Ribbon in October 2008 and during the next three years went on to become a one-time International R ...
and Kushida
is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist, better known by his mononymous ring name Kushida. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), as well as Impact Wrestling.
He is best known for his tenure in NJP ...
in a six-person tag team match, where they were defeated by Isami Kodaka
is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to Pro-Wrestling Basara (Basara). He originally started his career in the Kaientai Dojo (K-Dojo) promotion in July 2002, but later left the promotion to become a freelancer, before signing wi ...
, Makoto
is a unisex Japanese name although it is more commonly used by males.
As a noun, Makoto means "sincerity" (誠) or "truth" (真, 眞).
People
Given name
* Makoto (musician) (born 1977), drum and bass artist
*Makoto (Sharan Q) ( まこと), ...
and Yusuke Kodama
is a Japanese professional wrestler and currently wrestlers for All Japan Pro Wrestling as a freelancer. Kodama is best known for his time with Wrestle-1 (W-1), where he is a former two time UWA World Trios Champion, two time Wrestle-1 Cruiser ...
. In late 2010 and early 2011, Minami made appearances for Union Pro Wrestling
is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Its name stands for Dramatic Dream Team, which was the promotion's official name from 1997 to 2004. Founded in March 1997 by Shintaro Muto, the promotion was eventually b ...
, performing under a mask and the character of Black Cherry #2 as part of the storyline rivalry between Cherry and Black Cherry, portrayed by fellow Ice Ribbon wrestler Riho. Minami returned to Smash on March 31, 2011, at ''Smash.15'', where she, Riho and Tsukushi defeated Emi Sakura, Makoto and Mochi Miyagi in a six-woman tag team match. The following month, Minami and Riho began producing their own events under the banner of "Teens", which would focus on spotlighting Ice Ribbon's younger wrestlers. On May 27, Minami defeated Tsukushi to win Ice Ribbon's 19 O'Clock Girls ProWrestling project's Internet Wrestling 19 Championship for the first time. Minami lost the title to Chii Tomiya only five days later in her first defense. On June 15, Minami defeated Remi Nagano to win the Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship for the third time. She would lose the title to Emi Sakura later that same day.[ On August 7, Minami made her debut for the JWP promotion, losing to Command Bolshoi. During the match, Minami suffered a bloody lip and a ruptured eardrum as a result of Bolshoi hitting her with multiple '' shoteis''.
Upon her return to Ice Ribbon, Minami pinned ICE×60 Champion Tsukasa Fujimoto on August 13 in a ten-woman tag team captain's fall match and was as a result named the number one contender to her title. On August 21, Minami defeated Fujimoto to win the ICE×60 Championship for the second time. During the next few weeks, Minami went on to successfully defend the title against Chii Tomiya and Hikaru Shida.] In October, Minami, Emi Sakura, Hikaru Shida and Tsukasa Fujimoto traveled to Nottingham
Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...
, England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
to take part in events promoted by Pro Wrestling EVE and Southside Wrestling Entertainment (SWE). During the tour, Minami successfully defended the ICE×60 Championship for the third time, against Shanna. During 2011, Minami also took part in Ice Ribbon's interpromotional rivalry with the Sendai Girls' Pro Wrestling
, often called , is a Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion. It is based in the city of Sendai, Miyagi in the Tohoku region.
History
Sendai Girls' Pro Wrestling was founded in 2005 by Meiko Satomura, a female professional wrestler ...
promotion. On October 27, Minami, Emi Sakura, Hikaru Shida, Tsukasa Fujimoto and Tsukushi represented Ice Ribbon in Sendai's Joshi Puroresu Dantai Taikou Flash tournament, a single-elimination tournament
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
, where different ''joshi'' promotions battled each other. The team was eliminated from the tournament in the first round by Team Sendai (Meiko Satomura
Meiko Satomura (里村 明衣子, Satomura Meiko, born November 11, 1979) is a Japanese professional wrestler. She is currently signed to the American promotion WWE performing on the NXT brand and the Japanese promotion Sendai Girls' Pro Wrestlin ...
, Dash Chisako
, better known by her ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler. She was trained by Meiko Satomura and has worked for her Sendai Girls' Pro Wrestling promotion since her debut in July 2006. For the first ten years of her career, Chisako wa ...
, Kagetsu, Miyako Morino and Sendai Sachiko
is a retired Japanese professional wrestler, better known by the ring name . She was trained by Meiko Satomura and made her debut for her Sendai Girls' Pro Wrestling promotion in July 2006. Her older sister Chisako is also a professional wrestl ...
). After successfully defending the ICE×60 Championship against Kurumi on November 5, Minami continued her heelish behaviour, first refusing to accept Tsukasa Fujimoto's challenge for the title and then calling Emi Sakura a dictator and accusing her of playing favorites, after the title match was made official. On November 19, Minami lost the ICE×60 Championship back to Fujimoto in her fifth defense, ending her reign at 90 days.
Despite already being a former three-time Ironman Heavymetalweight Champion, Minami only began working regularly for DDT Pro-Wrestling in November 2011, when she took part in an audition battle royal
Battle royal (; also royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants that is fought until only one fighter remains standing, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules. In recent times, the term has been used in a ...
, which eventually led to Danshoku Dino
, better known by his ring name , also written Danshoku Dieno, is a Japanese professional wrestler. Dino has spent most of his career competing for DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT), where he plays an overly exaggerated homosexual character. His ring name ...
and Makoto Oishi
is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for Dramatic Dream Team (DDT). Oishi started his career in Kaientai Dojo, where he became a Strongest-K Tag Team, Independent World Junior Heavyweight and UWA World Middleweight Champion ...
electing her as the newest member of their Homoiro Clover Z stable, breaking Minami's longtime partnership with Ken Ohka in the process. On December 25 at ''RibbonMania 2011'', Seina returned to Ice Ribbon, after a two-year hiatus, to wrestle her retirement match against her sister Riho. After the match, a tearful Minami entered the ring and challenged her childhood friend to a three-minute match, which she accepted. Minami went on to win the match in just under three minutes with the ''Blockbuster
Blockbuster or Block Buster may refer to:
*Blockbuster (entertainment) a term coined for an extremely successful movie, from which most other uses are derived.
Corporations
* Blockbuster (retailer), a defunct video and game rental chain
** Bl ...
''. On January 4, 2012, Minami won ''Ribbon: The Best 2012'', a six-person tag team match set to determine the new face of the promotion in the aftermath of Emi Sakura's departure. After a nine-month break, Minami brought back the Teens concept, producing ''Teens4'' on March 3, where she was defeated by Riho in the main event. On July 28, Minami reunited with Command Bolshoi to enter JWP's annual Natsu Onna Kettei Tournament
__NOTOC__
The was an annual professional wrestling tournament promoted by the JWP Joshi Puroresu promotion between 2009 and 2012. The name of the tournament was Japanese for "Summer Woman Determination Tournament" and as the name suggests, it ...
, which JWP this time co-produced with Ice Ribbon. After a victory over the team of Kazuki and Miyako Matsumoto
is a Japanese professional wrestler and actress. She is best known for her work in the Ice Ribbon promotion, where she is a former two-time ICE×60, three-time Triangle Ribbon Champion and a two-time International Ribbon Tag Team Champion, ma ...
, Minami and Bolshoi were eliminated from the tournament by Arisa Nakajima
is a Japanese professional wrestler. Trained by the Major Girl's Fighting AtoZ promotion, Nakajima made her debut in January 2006, but when the promotion folded the following May, she transferred over to JWP Joshi Puroresu, where she became a ...
and Hikaru Shida in a semifinal match that went to overtime following an original fifteen-minute time limit draw. On August 20 at ''Teens7'', Minami teamed with Stardom's Mayu Iwatani
(born February 19, 1993) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to World Wonder Ring Stardom. Since making her debut in January 2011, she became a two-time World of Stardom Champion, two-time Wonder of Stardom Champion, one-tim ...
in a tag team main event, where they were defeated by Stardom's Eri Susa and JWP's Manami Katsu
is a Japanese professional wrestler. She was trained by the JWP Joshi Puroresu promotion and made her debut in April 2011. In December 2011, Katsu won the Souseiseki Cup and a year later the JWP Junior and Princess of Pro-Wrestling Championship ...
. Following the match, Minami announced that she was taking an indefinite break from professional wrestling to concentrate on her college entrance exam.[ On January 2, 2013, it was announced that Minami had officially quit Ice Ribbon effective December 31, 2012.
]
Apple Star Puroresu (2015–present)
On October 6, 2015, it was announced that Minami would be returning and wrestling her first match in over three years at Apple Star Puroresu's inaugural event on November 27, 2015. On November 27, Minami was defeated in her return match by Ayako Hamada
is a Mexican professional wrestler. During her 20-year career, Hamada wrestled for various promotions, including All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling, Gaea Japan and Pro Wrestling Wave in Japan, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) and Lucha Lib ...
. On January 10, 2016, it was announced that Minami had signed an exclusive contract with Apple Star Puroresu. On February 28, Minami made her debut for Reina Joshi Puroresu, teaming with Konami in a tag team match, where they were defeated by Kagetsu and Yako Fujigasaki.
Championships and accomplishments
*666
**Young Ribbon Mix Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Dynasty[
**Mixed Tag Team 1Day Tournament (2011) – with Dynasty]
* Dramatic Dream Team / DDT Pro-Wrestling
**Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship
The is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the Japanese promotion CyberFight in its DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT) brand. Open to anyone, regardless of gender or DDT employment status, the championship is defended " 24/7", as ...
( 3 times)[
*]Ice Ribbon
is a ''joshi puroresu'' (women's professional wrestling) professional wrestling promotion, promotion established in 2006 by Emi Sakura, after her split with Gatokunyan.
History
Ice Ribbon was founded by Emi Sakura, a professional wrestler wh ...
** ICE×60 Championship (2 times
"2 Times" is a song co-written and recorded by British Italian-based singer Ann Lee. It was released in 1999 as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999). The single entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outside ...
)[
**]IW19 Championship
The Internet Wrestling 19 (IW19) Championship was a women's professional wrestling championship owned by the Ice Ribbon promotion. The championship was introduced on the March 22, 2011, episode of Ice Ribbon's Ustream program, where Tsukushi defe ...
( 1 time)[
]
References
External links
Ice Ribbon profile
Southside Wrestling Entertainment profile
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Minami, Hikari
1994 births
Japanese female professional wrestlers
Living people
Sportspeople from Kobe
Masked wrestlers
21st-century professional wrestlers
Ironman Heavymetalweight Champions