is a Japanese
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 ...
better known under the
ring name
A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or projecting ...
Kai (stylized in all capital letters). Best known for his work in the
All Japan Pro Wrestling
(AJPW/AJP) or simply All Japan is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established on October 21, 1972 when Giant Baba split away from the Japanese Wrestling Association and created his own promotion. Many wrestlers had left with Baba, ...
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 ...
, Kai is an accomplished
junior heavyweight wrestler, having won the
World Junior Heavyweight Championship twice and the
Junior League
The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. (Junior League or JL) is a private, nonprofit educational women's volunteer organization aimed at improving communities and the social, cultural, and political fabric of civil society. With ...
also twice (
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
and
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
), while he and
Kaz Hayashi
is a Japanese professional wrestler known simply as . He is best known for his work in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where in addition to being a wrestler for the promotion, he also served as the head booker for the company's junior heavyweight ...
also won the
2011 Junior Tag League. In August 2012, Kai announced that he was ending his junior heavyweight days and becoming a heavyweight wrestler. After taking a seven-month break from in-ring action, Kai returned to All Japan in March 2013, now working as a heavyweight wrestler. However, the following July, Kai quit All Japan following a change in the promotion's management and joined the new
Wrestle-1
was a Japanese ''puroresu'' or professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion, founded in July 2013 by Keiji Mutoh following his resignation from All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW). The core of the promotion's roster was formed by ...
promotion. In March 2015, Kai won the promotion's top title, the
Wrestle-1 Championship
The was the top professional wrestling title owned by the Wrestle-1 (W-1) promotion. In Japanese the title's name includes the katakana term for "championship", , derived from the English language instead of the more common kanji term . The title ...
. He went on to win the title two more times, before quitting Wrestle-1 in December 2016 to become a
freelancer
''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...
.
Professional wrestling career
Training
After three and a half years of initial training under
Animal Hamaguchi
is a Japanese retired professional wrestler, better known by the ring name . During his career he was recognized as a talented tag team wrestler despite his relatively small size for a heavyweight, and today he is recognized as a trainer in bot ...
,
Sakai passed an audition in 2006 to enter
Keiji Mutoh
is a Japanese professional wrestler and professional wrestling executive currently signed to Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah), where he is a former GHC Heavyweight Champion. He is best known for his work as in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Ne ...
's
All Japan Pro Wrestling
(AJPW/AJP) or simply All Japan is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established on October 21, 1972 when Giant Baba split away from the Japanese Wrestling Association and created his own promotion. Many wrestlers had left with Baba, ...
(AJPW) affiliated Mutohjuku training school, where he continued training under Mutoh and
Kaz Hayashi
is a Japanese professional wrestler known simply as . He is best known for his work in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where in addition to being a wrestler for the promotion, he also served as the head booker for the company's junior heavyweight ...
.
All Japan Pro Wrestling
Junior heavyweight (2007–2012)
In 2007, All Japan Pro Wrestling sent Sakai on a learning excursion to
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, where he made his in-ring debut on February 22, 2007, in a tag team match, where he, performing under the
ring name
A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or projecting ...
Kai, and
Yamato
was originally the area around today's Sakurai City in Nara Prefecture of Japan, which became Yamato Province and by extension a name for the whole of Japan.
Yamato is also the dynastic name of the ruling Imperial House of Japan.
Japanese his ...
faced ''
Los Traumas
''Los Traumas'' or ''Los Hermanos Trauma'' (Spanish for "The Trauma Brothers") is the name of a Mexican professional wrestling tag team consisting of the '' enmascarado'' (masked) brothers Trauma I and Trauma II. Los Traumas' real names are not ...
'' (
Trauma I
Trauma I (born March 27, 1985) is a Mexican ''luchador enmascarado'', or masked professional wrestler, working on the Mexican independent circuit and as a freelance wrestler for promotions such as International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG), ...
and
Trauma II
Trauma II (born December 12, 1982, in Mexico City, Mexico) is a Mexican ''luchador enmascarado'', or masked professional wrestler working on the Mexican independent circuit and as a freelance wrestler for promotions such as International Wrestli ...
).
[ Kai finally returned to his native country and All Japan Pro Wrestling in February 2008.][ He was quick to achieve his first accomplishment in his home promotion by winning the 2008 Junior League the following August.][ As a result of his win, Kai earned his first shot at the World Junior Heavyweight Championship, but was defeated in the title match on August 31 by the defending champion, ]Ryuji Hijikata
(born May 17, 1978) is a Japanese professional wrestler also known under the ring name . Hijikata is best known for his tenure in Battlarts and All Japan Pro Wrestling since 2002 where he is a former World Junior Heavyweight Champion.
Professi ...
. For his first years in All Japan, Kai teamed regularly with Hiroshi Yamato and in late 2008 the two joined forces with Satoshi Kojima
is a Japanese professional wrestler signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, but makes appearances for Pro Wrestling Noah. Considered to be one of the greatest Japanese professional wrestlers of the 21st century and of all-time, he was the first wrest ...
and Zodiac
The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north or south (as measured in celestial latitude) of the ecliptic, the Sun path, apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. ...
to form the "F4" (Friend, Fight, Fan and Future) stable
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals and livestock. There are many different types of stables in use today; the ...
, with Kojima being positioned as the leader of the group. On October 13, Kai made his debut for New Japan Pro-Wrestling
(NJPW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV Asahi and Amuse, Inc. own minority shares ...
at Destruction '08
Destruction '08 was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on October 13, 2008, in Tokyo, at Ryōgoku Kokugikan. The event featured nine matches (including one dark match ...
, teaming with Kojima and Yamato in a six-man tag team match, where they were defeated by Great Bash Heel
, often abbreviated to G・B・H, is a professional wrestling stable turned tag team in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).
Originally formed by Hiroyoshi Tenzan in October 2006, G・B・H was the top villainous group in NJPW until April 2009, when ...
(Togi Makabe
, better known by his ring name is a Japanese professional wrestler, trained by and currently performing for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a former one-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion, two-time IWGP Tag Team Champion, two-time ...
, Tomohiro Ishii
is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He also makes additional appearances for All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is also known for his work with the independent Fighting World of Japan Pro Wrestling ( ...
and Toru Yano
, is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, trained by and currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is the KOPW (New Japan Pro-Wrestling), KOPW 2020 and the provisional KOPW (New Japan Pro-Wrestling), KOPW 2 ...
). In All Japan, F4 mainly feuded with the Voodoo Murders
Voodoo-Murders (stylised in all capital letters), or more simply as VDM, is a professional wrestling stable and the main heel group in All Japan Pro Wrestling between 2005 and 2011. In 2013, the group was reformed in Diamond Ring. They perform ...
stable.[
On September 6, 2009, Kai returned to Mexico to work events held by the Alianza Universal de Lucha Libre (AULL) and ]International Wrestling Revolution Group
International Wrestling Revolution Group (Grupo Internacional Revolución in Spanish; the Spanish name is used for the promotion while the English initials are used for the title governing body) is a Lucha Libre promotion based in Naucalpan, Sta ...
(IWRG) promotions. On January 30, 2010, Kai made his American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
debut for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Los Angeles, California. It is owned and operated by wrestlers themselves, having been created by Disco Machine, Excalibur, Scott Lost, Joey Ryan, Super Drago ...
(PWG) in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
as part of WrestleReunion 4. He teamed with The Great Muta
is a Japanese professional wrestler and professional wrestling executive currently signed to Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah), where he is a former GHC Heavyweight Champion. He is best known for his work as in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Ne ...
in a tag team match, where they defeated The Dynasty ( Joey Ryan and Scott Lost
Scott Epperson (born June 8, 1980), better known by the ring name Scott Lost, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his work with Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, which he founded with five other wrestlers and where he is a for ...
). Back in All Japan, Kai received another shot at the World Junior Heavyweight Championship on March 21, 2010, but was again defeated by the defending champion, this time Kaz Hayashi
is a Japanese professional wrestler known simply as . He is best known for his work in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where in addition to being a wrestler for the promotion, he also served as the head booker for the company's junior heavyweight ...
. The following August, Kai made it to the finals of the 2010 Junior League, before losing to Jimmy Yang
James Carson Yun (born May 13, 1981) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor of Korean and German descent. He is also best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling and the WWE, World Wrestling Fed ...
. In November 2010, Kai worked a tour of France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
with the American Wrestling Rampage (AWR) promotion.
In April 2011, Kai teamed up with former opponent, Kaz Hayashi, to win the 2011 Junior Tag League. On May 15, Kai defeated Hayashi to become the number one contender to the World Junior Heavyweight Championship. After the reigning champion, Minoru, was suspended, the World Junior Heavyweight Championship was vacated
A vacated judgment (also known as vacatur relief) makes a previous legal judgment legally void. A vacated judgment is usually the result of the judgment of an appellate court, which overturns, reverses, or sets aside the judgment of a lower court. ...
, leading to a match on June 19, where Kai defeated Shuji Kondo
is a Japanese professional wrestler. Prior to becoming a pro wrestler, he played rugby. After starting his career in Toryumon, Kondo eventually joined All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where he became one of the promotion's top junior heavyweigh ...
in a decision match to finally win the title for the first time. Kai made his first successful title defense on July 31, defeating the returning Minoru, who was now working under his real name Minoru Tanaka. Kai's second defense took place on August 13, when he defeated former tag team partner Hiroshi Yamato. On September 25, Kai defeated Koji Kanemoto
(born Kim Il-Sung (김일성); October 31, 1966) is a Japanese professional wrestler of Zainichi Korean descent. He has previously worked with New Japan Pro-Wrestling and All Japan Pro Wrestling. He is currently a freelancer.
Professional wrestl ...
in the finals to win the 2011 Junior League. However, an earlier round-robin loss against Kenny Omega
Tyson Smith (born October 16, 1983), better known by the ring name Kenny Omega, is a Canadian-born professional wrestler. Omega is an executive vice president of All Elite Wrestling (AEW), in which he also performs. Omega is a former one-time ...
led to Kai offering him the next shot at his title. This led to a match on October 23, where Kai lost the World Junior Heavyweight Championship to Omega, ending his reign at two successful defenses and 126 days. Kai, however, ended his year on a high note, when he and Seiya Sanada
, better known by his ring name Sanada (stylized as SANADA), is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is a member of the stable ''Los Ingobernables de Japón''.
As part of NJPW, Sanada is mostly ...
won the 2011 World's Strongest Tag Determination League by defeating Masakatsu Funaki
is a Japanese actor, mixed martial artist and professional wrestler known professionally as , who has previously wrestled in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi (PWFG), Newborn UWF (UWF), ...
and Masayuki Kono
is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He is currently working as a freelancer. He is best known for his time in Wrestle-1, where he is a former two-time Wrestle-1 Champion.
Career
All Japan Pro Wrestling (2003 ...
in the finals on December 4. They were, however, defeated in their match for the World Tag Team Championship
The world tag team championship is the name usually given to the primary tag team championships in professional wrestling promotions.
Nomenclature
The name of the promotion is often preceded to the term "world tag team championship" as the ...
on January 3, 2012, by the defending champions, Dark Cuervo
Jaime Ignacio Tirado Correa (born January 4, 1974) is a Mexican Luchador (wrestler) who is best known as Cuervo or Dark Cuervo. He works for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) and has been part of The Black Family since it was formed in 2001 by Charl ...
and Dark Ozz
Marcos Tinajero (born January 30, 1975) is a Mexican Luchador (wrestler) who is known under the names Ozz / Dark Ozz, a Face character (referred to as a "Tecnico" in Lucha Libre) that works for Lucha Libre Elite. Best known for his work in Lucha L ...
. On May 27, Kai defeated Kenny Omega to regain the World Junior Heavyweight Championship. On June 1, Kai returned to the United States, teaming with The Great Muta to defeat Anthony Nese
Anthony Nese (born August 6, 1985) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling. He is best known for his time in WWE, where he is a former one-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion.
Professional wrestling career
Indep ...
and Sami Callihan
Samuel Alton Johnston (born September 1, 1987) is an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by the ring name Sami Callihan, currently signed with Impact Wrestling and is a former Impact World Champion. He also wrestled for Luch ...
at a Pro Wrestling Syndicate (PWS) internet pay-per-view
Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast.
Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program guid ...
in Rahway, New Jersey
Rahway () is a city in southern Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. A bedroom community of New York City, it is centrally located in the Rahway Valley region, in the New York metropolitan area. The city is southwest of Manhattan ...
. At another PWS event the following day, Kai wrestled Nese to a fifteen-minute time limit draw.[ Kai's second World Junior Heavyweight Championship reign lasted just 77 days as he lost the title to Hiroshi Yamato in his first defense on August 12. On August 27, All Japan announced that Kai would be taking an indefinite break from in-ring competition as he was getting ready bulk up and leave the junior heavyweight division and become a heavyweight wrestler.
]
Heavyweight (2013)
On February 23, 2013, All Japan Pro Wrestling announced that Kai would be making his return to the ring and his debut as a heavyweight on March 17 against Seiya Sanada in Ryōgoku Kokugikan
, also known as Ryōgoku Sumo Hall or Kokugikan Arena, is the name bestowed to two different indoor sporting arenas located in Tokyo. The fist ''Ryōgoku Kokugikan'' opened its doors in 1909 and was located on the lands of the Ekōin temple in Ry ...
. On March 17, Kai defeated Sanada in his heavyweight debut match. On April 18, Kai entered his first Champion Carnival
The is a professional wrestling tournament held by All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW). The tournament is also known by the nickname and is sometimes abbreviated to CC. Created by AJPW founder Giant Baba, the tournament has been held annually since ...
, losing to Masakatsu Funaki in his opening round-robin match. After one more loss and two wins, Kai finished his round-robin portion of the tournament with a win over Joe Doering
Joseph Doering (born April 16, 1982) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Impact Wrestling, where he is a member of Violent By Design. He is currently inactive due to cancer surgery. He is a former two-time Impact World Tag T ...
on April 27 and, as a result, managed to finish second in his block, advancing to the semifinals. On April 29, Kai defeated Go Shiozaki
is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to the Pro Wrestling Noah promotion where he is the former GHC Heavyweight Champion in a record breaking fifth reign. He made his debut for the promotion in July 2004 and remained with it unti ...
to advance to the finals of the tournament, where he was defeated by Jun Akiyama
is a Japanese professional wrestler signed to DDT Pro-Wrestling, where he is a former KO-D Openweight Champion. He is best known for his time working for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where he was the president, representative director, co-he ...
. On June 2, Kai dislocated his left elbow during a match with Masayuki Kono. Though an MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to form pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes of the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and radio waves ...
revealed no abnormalities in the bone or ligaments, Kai had suffered biceps damage, which would take three months to heal, sidelining him from in-ring action. While Kai was out with his injury, Nobuo Shiraishi took over as the new president of All Japan, leading to former owner Keiji Mutoh
is a Japanese professional wrestler and professional wrestling executive currently signed to Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah), where he is a former GHC Heavyweight Champion. He is best known for his work as in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Ne ...
, as well as several wrestlers loyal to him, quitting the promotion. On July 1, Shiraishi officially confirmed the resignations of nine wrestlers, including Kai.
Wrestle-1 (2013–2016)
On July 10, 2013, Keiji Mutoh held a press conference to announce the foundation of his new Wrestle-1
was a Japanese ''puroresu'' or professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion, founded in July 2013 by Keiji Mutoh following his resignation from All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW). The core of the promotion's roster was formed by ...
promotion, announcing Kai as part of its roster. Kai returned from his injury during the promotion's inaugural event on September 8, when he defeated his surprise opponent Seiya Sanada in a singles match. Following the match, Kai announced that he was going to become the "ace
An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the c ...
" of Wrestle-1, repeating a claim he had made at the previous day's press conference. Kai and Sanada had a rematch in the main event of Wrestle-1's second show on September 15; this time Sanada was victorious. The two continued working against each other for the rest of the September tour, splitting victories. Kai and Sanada concluded their five match series on October 6 in the main event of Wrestle-1's first-ever show in Korakuen Hall
is a famous sports arena in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan, which has hosted many notable boxing, professional wrestling, kickboxing, mixed martial arts and Lethwei matches.
History
On April 16, 1962, the Korakuen Hall was officially opened with ...
with Kai picking up the win to take the series 3–2. Post-match, he once again proclaimed himself the ace of Wrestle-1. However, despite the seemingly decisive win and Kai announcing that he wanted the match series to end, he was successfully provoked by Sanada into resuming the series, after being pinned by his rival in a tag team match on October 8. Kai and Sanada were finally split away from each other during the November tour, when the singles match series between the two was tied at 4–4 and the tag team match series 1–1.[ In January 2014, Kai found himself at odds with new on-screen matchmaker ]Manabu Soya
is a Japanese professional wrestler, best known for his work in All Japan Pro Wrestling. He previously lived in Canada training at the Can-Am Wrestling School under Scott D'Amore, working regularly for the Maximum Pro Wrestling promotion. He is c ...
, who claimed that Kai was not worthy of the title of Wrestle-1 ace, after he had been defeated by Minoru Tanaka on January 12, and instead named Seiya Sanada his own ace candidate. Kai then went on a losing streak, which included losses against Tanaka in a rematch, Masakatsu Funaki, and the debuting Yuji Hino
, better known by the ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed by Pro Wrestling Zero1 (Zero1). One of the most well-travelled heavyweights in Japan, Hino was trained by Taka Michinoku and made his debut for his Kaientai ...
.
Because of his losing streak, Soya originally did not pick Kai as a participant in the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
The Impact World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by Impact Wrestling. It is the promotion's principal championship. Like most professional wrestling championships, the title is won via the result o ...
number one contender's tournament, however, when Seiya Sanada opted not to enter the tournament in order to instead chase the TNA X Division Championship
The Impact X Division Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by Impact Wrestling. It debuted on June 19, 2002, at the taping of then-TNA's second weekly pay-per-view (PPV) event. The current champion is Trey M ...
, Kai was allowed to take his place.[ On February 15, Kai ended his losing streak, when he first defeated Minoru Tanaka in a first round match and then Masakatsu Funaki in the finals to win the tournament and earn a shot at the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.] Kai received his title shot on March 2 at Kaisen: Outbreak, but was defeated by the defending champion, Magnus
Magnus, meaning "Great" in Latin, was used as cognomen of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in the first century BC. The best-known use of the name during the Roman Empire is for the fourth-century Western Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus. The name gained wid ...
. In light of Kai's loss and Seiya Sanada's TNA X Division Championship
The Impact X Division Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by Impact Wrestling. It debuted on June 19, 2002, at the taping of then-TNA's second weekly pay-per-view (PPV) event. The current champion is Trey M ...
win, Manabu Soya now felt he had been vindicated in his view of Sanada as the Wrestle-1 ace and began taunting Kai as a "fake ace".[ The rivalry between Kai and Soya led to a main event grudge match between the two on March 13, where Kai was victorious. On March 22, Kai teamed up with Masayuki Kono and ]René Duprée
René Emile Goguen (born December 15, 1983), better known by his ring name René Duprée (; ja, レネ・デュプリ, Rene Dyupuri) is a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler currently signed to Pro Wrestling Noah where he is a ...
, two members of the villainous Desperado stable, to take on Soya, Kaz Hayashi and Shuji Kondo in a six-man tag team match, which ended with Kai scoring another pinfall win over Soya, however, only after he had first been hit with a steel chair by Kono. Kai, however, assured he was not joining Desperado, but on April 17 accidentally cost himself, Hayashi and Kondo a six-man tag team match, where they faced Desperado. Post-match, Kai tried to apologize to his partners, but was again taunted by Soya, which led to a brawl between the two and Kai issuing a challenge for a match, where if Soya lost he would lose his job as the matchmaker, while if Kai lost he could no longer compete in main event matches, effectively surrendering his claim to being the Wrestle-1 ace. On May 4, Kai defeated Soya, forcing him out of the matchmaker position.
Following the match, as Kai once again declared himself the ace of Wrestle-1, he was attacked by Yuji Hino, who had earlier made his own claim for the title. After Hino had left the ring, Masayuki Kono entered, but instead of continuing the assault, the Desperado leader helped Kai backstage. This led to a match on May 22, where Kai defeated Hino, handing him his first direct loss in Wrestle-1. Post-match, Kai once again turned down an offer to join Desperado and was as a result attacked by the stable, only to be saved by Manabu Soya. Kai and Kono faced off in a grudge match on July 6 at Shōgeki: Impact, where Kai's hair and Desperado's future were on the line. In the end, Kai was defeated following outside interference from Desperado and, as a result, was forced to have his head shaved. From July 21 to 30, Kai took part in Pro Wrestling Zero1
(stylized as Pro Wrestling ZERO1), formerly known as Pro Wrestling Zero-One and Pro Wrestling Zero1-Max (stylised in all capital letters) and often referred to simply as Zero1, is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded in 2001. I ...
's 2014 Fire Festival tournament, where he finished at the top of his round-robin block with a record of three wins, one draw and one loss, advancing to the knockout stage. On August 3, Kai defeated Daemon Ueda to advance to the finals of the tournament, where he was defeated by Ryoji Sai
(born Choi Young-ii June 3, 1980) is a Japanese professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and promoter who currently owns and operates Pro Wrestling Land's End, where he is a former All Asia Heavyweight Champion. He is best known for working fo ...
later that same day.
On September 22, Kai entered a tournament
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
to crown the first Wrestle-1 Champion, defeating Manabu Soya in his first round match. The following day, Kai defeated Minoru Tanaka to advance to the semifinals of the tournament. On October 8, Kai defeated Shuji Kondo in the semifinals to advance to the finals of the tournament, where, later that same day, he was defeated by Masayuki Kono. On November 15, Kai entered the First Tag League Greatest tournament, set to determine the inaugural Wrestle-1 Tag Team Champions
The was a professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the Wrestle-1 (W-1) promotion. The title was announced on September 22, 2014, in conjunction with the start of a tournament to crown the first Wrestle-1 Champion. In Japanese the t ...
, alongside Ryota Hama
(born November 21, 1979) is a retired Japanese sumo wrestler and current professional wrestler, signed to Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW) in the Strong BJ division.
Sumo career
Hama joined sumo in July 1995, and he fought for the Hakkaku stable ...
under the team name Akatenrou ("Red Sirius"). After losing their opening match against Hiroshi Yamato and Seiya Sanada, Akatenrou came back to win their three other matches, winning their block and advancing to the semifinals. On November 30, Akatenrou was eliminated from the tournament in the semifinals by the eventual tournament winners, Team 246 (Kaz Hayashi and Shuji Kondo).
After admitting at the end of 2014 that he was not qualified to challenge for the Wrestle-1 Championship, Kai announced his goal for 2015; becoming a champion in Wrestle-1. He began the year with two big singles wins over Masakatsu Funaki on January 11 and Masayuki Kono on January 30, starting his climb towards a future title match.[ After picking up a major win over Pro Wrestling Zero1 representative ]Masato Tanaka
is a Japanese professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) in Japan where he was a one-time FMW Brass Knuckles Heavyweight Champion and a one-time WEW World Heavyweight Champion and in Ext ...
on February 13, Kai announced he was now ready to challenge Keiji Mutoh for the Wrestle-1 Championship. On March 8, Kai defeated Mutoh to become the third Wrestle-1 Champion. Kai's reign ended only 24 days later on April 1, when he was defeated by freelancer
''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...
Hideki Suzuki
is a Japanese professional wrestler who is currently signed to Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah). He previously wrestled in WWE, where he performed on the NXT brand under the ring name Hachiman as a member of Diamond Mine, and also worked as a coach at ...
in his first title defense. Kai received his rematch against Suzuki on July 12 and defeated him to regain the title and become the first two-time Wrestle-1 Champion. Despite defeating an outsider to regain the title, Kai's win was largely met with boos from the Korakuen Hall audience. On August 2, Kai entered the inaugural Wrestle-1 Grand Prix
Wrestle-1 Grand Prix was a professional wrestling tournament run by the Wrestle-1 promotion in Japan. It was inaugurated in 2015.
The tournament takes its name from a similar tournament done by the Wrestle-1 joint venture cards in 2005; however th ...
, which was billed as Wrestle-1's premier tournament, but suffered an upset loss in his opening match against Jiro Kuroshio
is a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by the ring name . He is perhaps best known for his work in the Wrestle-1 promotion, where he was a former two-time UWA World Trios Championship holder before leaving the promotion in January ...
and was immediately eliminated from the tournament. Afterwards, Keiji Mutoh suggested a fan voting on whether Kai should get to keep his newly won Wrestle-1 Championship. On September 21, Kai lost the Wrestle-1 Championship to the winner of the 2015 Wrestle-1 Grand Prix, Manabu Soya, again ending his reign at his first defense.
Afterwards, Kai adopted Atsushi Onita
is a Japanese actor, politician, and semi-retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) and is credited with introducing Japan to the deathmatch style of professional wrestling.
He founded ...
's "Street Fight Style" by starting to wrestle in a tank top and jeans, while also incorporating hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling where disqualifications, count-outs, and all other different rules do not apply. Taking place in usual or unusual environments, hardcore wrestling matches allow the use of numerous items, inclu ...
into his repertoire. On April 6, Kai defeated Masayuki Kono to become the number one contender to the Wrestle-1 Championship, held by Yuji Hino. In the win, Kai debuted a new finishing maneuver, the Gannosuke Clutch. However, since he had not gotten Mr. Gannosuke
is a Japanese retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) under the ring name .
Honda was quickly pushed as "Mr. Gannosuke" due to his resemblance to the actor Ashiya Gannosuke and he beg ...
's blessing to use the hold, he dubbed it ''Shōtakōnin Gannosuke Clutch'' ("Shōta Certified Gannosuke Clutch") after another wrestler affiliated with Gannosuke's home promotion, Guts World Pro Wrestling.[ On April 24, Kai took part in a Guts World event and used the hold to win a six-man tag team match, which also included Mr. Gannosuke. Afterwards, Gannosuke agreed to teach the hold to Kai, who now renamed it ''Honkekōnin Gannosuke Clutch'' ("Originator Certified Gannosuke Clutch").] On May 4, Kai used the hold to defeat Yuji Hino and win the Wrestle-1 Championship for the third time. After his win, Kai dubbed himself a "free" champion, stating he would defend the title all over Japan and the world. As part of being a "free" champion, Kai then announced he was taking the title on a tour of promotions such as Big Japan Pro Wrestling
(BJW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1995. It is most famous for its deathmatch style contests.
History
Big Japan Pro Wrestling was founded in March 1995 by former AJPW wrestlers Shinya Kojika and Kendo Nagasak ...
(BJW), Ganbare☆Puroresu, Guts World and women's wrestling promotion 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 ...
. Kai made his first title defense on June 8 by defeating Shotaro Ashino
is a Japanese professional wrestler who is currently signed to All Japan Pro Wrestling. He was trained by and best known for his time in Wrestle-1, where he was a former two time Wrestle-1 Champion.
Early life
Ashino was an amateur wrestler t ...
. On July 3, Kai and Ken Ohka won the 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 ...
promotion's KO-D Tag Team Championship
The is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the Japanese promotion DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT). The title was established in 2001. In its early days, DDT occasionally referred to the title as the . It is currently the only tag tea ...
by defeating Daisuke Sasaki
is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is signed to DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT), where is a former two-time DDT Universal Champion. In addition to that, in DDT, he is also a former three-time KO-D Openweight Champion, one-time DDT Extreme Champion ...
and Shuji Ishikawa
is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where he is a former Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion, World Tag Team Champion and the winner of the 2017 Champion Carnival.
Ishikawa is also known f ...
. On August 11, Kai lost the Wrestle-1 Championship to Daiki Inaba in his second defense. On August 28, Kai and Ohka lost the KO-D Tag Team Championship to Harashima
Harashima (stylised in all capital letters) (born July 6, 1974) is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in DDT Pro-Wrestling (formally Dramatic Dream Team), where he is a ten-time KO-D Openweight Champion and a curren ...
and Yuko Miyamoto in their first defense at DDT's biggest event of the year, ''Ryōgoku Peter Pan 2016''. On September 18, Kai received a rematch for the Wrestle-1 Championship, but was again defeated by Inaba. On December 18, Kai and Yusaku Obata defeated Akebono and Shogun Okamoto
, officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakura ...
in the finals to win Pro Wrestling Zero1's 2016 Furinkazan Tag Tournament. On December 20, it was announced that Kai would be leaving Wrestle-1 and becoming a freelancer at the end of the year.
Freelancing (2017–present)
Kai wrestled his first match as a freelancer at a Pro Wrestling Zero1 event on January 1, 2017, where he defeated Hartley Jackson. The following day, Kai returned to All Japan Pro Wrestling, announcing he would again start wrestling for the promotion in February with the goal of obtaining the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship
The is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the Japanese All Japan Pro Wrestling promotion.
History
The championship was established after the unification of its then-flagship title the PWF World Heavyweight Championshi ...
. On February 3, Kai received a shot at Zero1's World Heavyweight Championship, but the match against defending champion Kohei Sato
is a Japanese professional wrestler contracted with Pro Wrestling Zero1. Sato is also a former mixed martial artist.
Career
A former judoka and amateur wrestler, Sato made his transition to mixed martial arts after meeting Kazunari Murakami a ...
ended in a thirty-minute time limit draw. Kai's AJPW return match took place on February 17, when he and Ryoji Sai defeated Joe Doering and Suwama
is a Japanese professional wrestler better known simply as . He is best known for his work in All Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is a former record eight-time Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion and a seven-time World Tag Team Champion. He is also ...
. On March 2, Kai and Yusaku Obata unsuccessfully challenged Akebono and Shogun Okamoto for the NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship
The Intercontinental Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team title in Japanese promoting Pro Wrestling Zero1, typically reserved for (but not exclusive to) heavyweight (>) wrestlers. It was created on June 14, 2001, three month ...
. In April, Kai took part in AJPW's 2017 Champion Carnival, where he finished with a record of three wins and three losses. On May 21, Kai and Kengo Mashimo
is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for Active Advance Pro Wrestling (2AW). His style is a combination of submission wrestling and hard, martial arts style strikes.
Professional wrestling career
Kengo Mashimo debuted in Pue ...
won AJPW's World Tag Team Championship by defeating Bodyguard
A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects a person or a group of people — usually witnesses, high-ranking public officials or officers, w ...
and Zeus
Zeus or , , ; grc, Δῐός, ''Diós'', label=Genitive case, genitive Aeolic Greek, Boeotian Aeolic and Doric Greek#Laconian, Laconian grc-dor, Δεύς, Deús ; grc, Δέος, ''Déos'', label=Genitive case, genitive el, Δίας, ''D ...
. Later that same day, Kai teamed with Yusaku Obata to defeat Hideki Suzuki and Kohei Sato for Zero1's vacant NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship, becoming a triple crown tag team champion in one day (the World Tag Team Championship is made up of two titles).[ Kai and Mashimo lost the World Tag Team Championship back to Bodyguard and Zeus on June 11. On August 27, Kai replaced an injured Jake Lee and teamed with ]Naoya Nomura
Naoya Nomura (born October 26, 1993) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to All Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is former All Asia Tag Team and World Tag Team Champion. He also has a background in rugby.
Early life
Nomura started ...
in an attempt to regain the World Tag Team Championship, but the two were defeated by Daisuke Sekimoto
(born February 9, 1981) is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW) in the Strong BJ division. He is also known for his appearances in Pro Wrestling Zero1-Max. He is a three-time BJW World Strong Heavyw ...
and Yuji Okabayashi
is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW) in the Strong BJ division. He has been working in BJW since his debut in June 2008. He is best known as part of a tag team with Daisuke Sekimoto, with whom he ...
in a match for the vacant title. Three days later, Kai and Obata were stripped of the NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship due to Zero1 being unable to book a title defense for the two because of scheduling conflicts. On October 31, Kai took part in Atsushi Onita's retirement match.
Dragon Gate (2018–present)
Kai made his debut for Dragon Gate in August 2018, teaming with former partner Hiroshi Yamato
, better known by his ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler who currently works as a freelancer. Trained by the All Japan Pro Wrestling promotion, he started his career in February 2007 working in Mexico for the International Wrestling ...
to defeated Kagetora and Yosuke Santa Maria
, better known under the ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestling, professional wrestler currently working for Dragon Gate (wrestling), Dragon Gate. An ''exótico'' and referred to by using feminine pronouns, she is a former Open the Brav ...
. Kai slowly began aligning himself with Yamato
was originally the area around today's Sakurai City in Nara Prefecture of Japan, which became Yamato Province and by extension a name for the whole of Japan.
Yamato is also the dynastic name of the ruling Imperial House of Japan.
Japanese his ...
and his Tribe Vanguard stable, and in January became a full fledged member of the group. On March 3, Kai and U-T unsuccessfully challenged Big Ben (Big R Shimizu) and Ben-K) for the Open the Twin Gate Championship
The Open the Twin Gate Championship is a professional wrestling tag team title created and promoted by the Japanese promotion Dragon Gate. Dragon Gate had used the WAR IJ Tag Team Championship since 2006, until 2007 when Masato Yoshino and Nar ...
.
Personal life
Sakai got married in November 2011.[
]
Championships and accomplishments
*All Japan Pro Wrestling
(AJPW/AJP) or simply All Japan is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established on October 21, 1972 when Giant Baba split away from the Japanese Wrestling Association and created his own promotion. Many wrestlers had left with Baba, ...
** World Junior Heavyweight 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 ...
)[
**]World Tag Team Championship
The world tag team championship is the name usually given to the primary tag team championships in professional wrestling promotions.
Nomenclature
The name of the promotion is often preceded to the term "world tag team championship" as the ...
(World Tag Team Championship (AJPW), 1 time) – with Kengo Mashimo
is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for Active Advance Pro Wrestling (2AW). His style is a combination of submission wrestling and hard, martial arts style strikes.
Professional wrestling career
Kengo Mashimo debuted in Pue ...
[
**]Junior League
The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. (Junior League or JL) is a private, nonprofit educational women's volunteer organization aimed at improving communities and the social, cultural, and political fabric of civil society. With ...
(2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
, 2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
)[
**AJPW Junior Tag League, Junior Tag League (AJPW Junior Tag League#2011, 2011) – with ]Kaz Hayashi
is a Japanese professional wrestler known simply as . He is best known for his work in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where in addition to being a wrestler for the promotion, he also served as the head booker for the company's junior heavyweight ...
[
**World's Strongest Tag Determination League (World's Strongest Tag Determination League#2011, 2011) – with ]Seiya Sanada
, better known by his ring name Sanada (stylized as SANADA), is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is a member of the stable ''Los Ingobernables de Japón''.
As part of NJPW, Sanada is mostly ...
[
**New Year Openweight Battle Royal (2018)
*Dragon Gate (wrestling), Dragon Gate
**Open the Dream Gate Championship (Open the Dream Gate Championship#Title history, 1 time)
**]Open the Twin Gate Championship
The Open the Twin Gate Championship is a professional wrestling tag team title created and promoted by the Japanese promotion Dragon Gate. Dragon Gate had used the WAR IJ Tag Team Championship since 2006, until 2007 when Masato Yoshino and Nar ...
(Open the Twin Gate Championship#Title history, 2 times) - with Masato Onodera, Yamato (1) and BxB Hulk (1)
*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 ...
**KO-D Tag Team Championship
The is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the Japanese promotion DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT). The title was established in 2001. In its early days, DDT occasionally referred to the title as the . It is currently the only tag tea ...
(KO-D Tag Team Championship#Title history, 1 time) – with Ken Ohka[
*''Pro Wrestling Illustrated''
**Ranked No. 50 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the ''PWI 500'' in 2022
*]Pro Wrestling Zero1
(stylized as Pro Wrestling ZERO1), formerly known as Pro Wrestling Zero-One and Pro Wrestling Zero1-Max (stylised in all capital letters) and often referred to simply as Zero1, is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded in 2001. I ...
**NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship
The Intercontinental Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team title in Japanese promoting Pro Wrestling Zero1, typically reserved for (but not exclusive to) heavyweight (>) wrestlers. It was created on June 14, 2001, three month ...
(NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship#Title history, 1 time) – with Yusaku Obata[
**Furinkazan Tag Tournament (Furinkazan (professional wrestling)#2016, 2016) – with Yusaku Obata][
*]Wrestle-1
was a Japanese ''puroresu'' or professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion, founded in July 2013 by Keiji Mutoh following his resignation from All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW). The core of the promotion's roster was formed by ...
**Wrestle-1 Championship
The was the top professional wrestling title owned by the Wrestle-1 (W-1) promotion. In Japanese the title's name includes the katakana term for "championship", , derived from the English language instead of the more common kanji term . The title ...
(Wrestle-1 Championship#Title history, 3 times)[
**]TNA World Heavyweight Championship
The Impact World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by Impact Wrestling. It is the promotion's principal championship. Like most professional wrestling championships, the title is won via the result o ...
Challenger Tournament (2014)[
*''List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards, Wrestling Observer Newsletter''
**List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Rookie of the Year, Rookie of the Year (2008)]
References
External links
Wrestle-1 profile
Official blog
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kai
1983 births
Japanese male professional wrestlers
Living people
Sportspeople from Yokohama
21st-century professional wrestlers
World Junior Heavyweight Champions (AJPW)
World Tag Team Champions (AJPW)
KO-D Tag Team Champions
Open the Dream Gate Champions
Open the Twin Gate Champions
Wrestle-1 Champions