Kyōsuke Mikami
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, better known by his
ring name A ring name is a type of stage name or nickname 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 ...
, is a Japanese
professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...
. He is signed to
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Puroresu, Japanese professional-wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, and based in Nakano, Tokyo. It is currently majority owned by card-game company Bushiroad, with TV As ...
(NJPW), where he is the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion in his fifth reign. He was a member of the Suzuki-gun stable from 2014 until its disbandment in 2022. Mikami was trained by the NJPW dojo and worked for NJPW for two years as a Young Lion. In 2012, he traveled to
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
for a learning excursion, working for NJPW's Mexican affiliate
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre Co., Ltd. (CMLL; , "World Wrestling Council") is a ''lucha libre'' professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico City. The promotion was previously known as (EMLL) (''Mexican Wrestling Enterprise''). Founded in 1933, it is the oldest profe ...
(CMLL) as the masked character Namajague, a Spanish translation of
Namahage The are demonlike beings portrayed by men wearing hefty ''oni'' (ogre) masks and traditional straw capes (''mino (straw cape), mino'') during a New Year's ritual, in local northern Japanese folklore of the Oga Peninsula area of Akita Prefecture. ...
, a Japanese folk demon. While in CMLL, he won his first professional wrestling title alongside Okumura, the
CMLL Arena Coliseo Tag Team Championship The CMLL Arena Coliseo Tag Team Championship (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Campeonato de Parejas de la Arena Coliseo del CMLL'') is a professional wrestling Tag team Championship (professional wrestling), championship promoted by the Mexican Luch ...
, in March 2013. After being unmasked due to losing a match and briefly working without one, Mikami returned to NJPW in January 2014 and was repackaged under another mask as El Desperado. During his time with Suzuki-gun, he is a former two-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and a four-time
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion The is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . The title was introduced on August 8, 1998, at an NJPW live event. The IWGP Junio ...
(alongside
Yoshinobu Kanemaru is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where he is a member of House of Torture and a former member of Bullet Club. He also works as a backstage producer for NJPW. Professional wrestling career ...
).


Early life

Mikami was born and raised in
Nagaoka, Niigata is a Cities of Japan, city located in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It is the second largest city in the prefecture, after the capital city of Niigata, Niigata, Niigata. , the city had an estimated population of 264,611 in 109,283 households and a ...
, Japan. He later attended Senshu University but dropped out before graduating. He pursued both a
Judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, combat sport, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyc ...
and an
Amateur wrestling Amateur wrestling is a variant of wrestling practiced at Olympic Games, Olympic, Collegiate wrestling, collegiate, Scholastic wrestling, scholastic, and other levels. There are two international wrestling styles performed at the Olympic Games, fr ...
career, both in
Greco-Roman The Greco-Roman world , also Greco-Roman civilization, Greco-Roman culture or Greco-Latin culture (spelled Græco-Roman or Graeco-Roman in British English), as understood by modern scholars and writers, includes the geographical regions and co ...
and in
Freestyle wrestling Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling. It is one of two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games, along with Greco-Roman wrestling, Greco-Roman. scholastic wrestling, High school wrestling and men's collegiate wrestling in the U ...
.


Professional wrestling career


New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2009–present)


Young Lion (2009–2012)

He attended
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Puroresu, Japanese professional-wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, and based in Nakano, Tokyo. It is currently majority owned by card-game company Bushiroad, with TV As ...
's (NJPW) annual open try out test in May, 2009. He passed the test and was accepted into the
NJPW Dojo (NJPW) is a Japanese professional-wrestling promotion founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, and based in Nakano, Tokyo. It is currently majority owned by card-game company Bushiroad, with TV Asahi and Amuse Inc. owning minority shares ...
. Mikami trained in the same class as King Fale and
Hiromu Takahashi (born December 4, 1989) is a Japanese professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of the ''Los Ingobernables de Japón'' stable. Takahashi made his debut for NJPW on Augus ...
who all made their in-ring debut around the same time. After training in the NJPW Dojo for almost a year Mikami made his debut on March 7, 2010, losing to
Ryusuke Taguchi is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, trained by and performing for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is a former List of IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champions, two-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, List of IWGP Junior He ...
. NJPW traditionally requires their rookies (referred to as "Young Lions" in NJPW) to wear simple, generic black trunks and boots and pay their dues by helping to set up the ring etc. while they gain in-ring experience. Mikami would lose at least 31 matches in a row, not uncommon for NJPW dojo graduates, until he was able to beat fellow dojo trainee Hiromu Takahashi in Takahashi's debut match on August 24, 2010 at '' NEVER.1''. He competed in the 2011 " Road to the Super Junior 2Days Tournament" on April 7, but was eliminated in the first round by
Ryuichi Sekine is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working as a freelancer and is best known for his time in the professional wrestling promotion Kaientai Dojo (K-Dojo). Professional wrestling career Independent circuit (2008–present) Sekine i ...
. He would later team up with fellow "Young Lions" Hiromu Takahashi & Takaaki Watanabe to compete in NJPW's "J Sports Crown Openweight 6 Man Tag Tournament". The team lost to Madoka, Shinobu and Tsuyoshi Kikuchi in their first match. Mikami's last match to date came on January 4, 2012 as he appeared in a
dark match Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable amount of jargon throughout its existence. Much of it stems from the industry's origins in the days of carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that o ...
before NJPW's
Wrestle Kingdom VI in Tokyo Dome was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) Professional wrestling promotion, promotion, which took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on January 4, 2012. It was the 21st January 4 Tok ...
show, the biggest show in NJPW. The match saw Mikami and
Tomoaki Honma is a Japanese people, Japanese professional wrestler primarily working for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). In NJPW, he is a former List of IWGP Tag Team Champions, one-time IWGP Tag Team Championship, IWGP Tag Team Champion and a two-time G1 Ta ...
lose to Tama Tonga and
Captain New Japan is a Japanese former professional wrestler. He is best known for his two stints with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and a brief stint with World Wrestling Council (WWC). Hirasawa wrestled as a fall guy, under the mask superhero, .Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre Co., Ltd. (CMLL; , "World Wrestling Council") is a ''lucha libre'' professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico City. The promotion was previously known as (EMLL) (''Mexican Wrestling Enterprise''). Founded in 1933, it is the oldest profe ...
(CMLL) which has seen a series of Japanese wrestlers work for CMLL for shorter or longer periods of time. Mikami's "learning excursion" took him to Mexico in early 2012, where he was given a new name, Namajague and a mask that was inspired by the imagery of the Japanese folk demon
Namahage The are demonlike beings portrayed by men wearing hefty ''oni'' (ogre) masks and traditional straw capes (''mino (straw cape), mino'') during a New Year's ritual, in local northern Japanese folklore of the Oga Peninsula area of Akita Prefecture. ...
. While Mikami had worked primarily as a
face The face is the front of the head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affect th ...
, he was given a
heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg. Structure To distribute the compressive forces exerted ...
or ''rudo'' character and teamed up with CMLL's resident Japanese worker Okumura. The two formed 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 establis ...
called '' La Fiebre Amarilla'' ("the Yellow Fever"). He made his debut as Namajage on February 2, 2012 teaming with Okumura and
Misterioso, Jr. José Luís Hurtado Soto also known as Misterioso Jr. (Birthdate unknown) is a Mexican ''Lucha Libre, luchador Wrestling mask, enmascarado'', or masked Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, who is also referred to as Misterioso II. Mister ...
, defeating the team of Black Warrior,
El Sagrado El Sagrado (born June 19, 1980) is a Mexican '' Luchador enmascarado'', or masked professional wrestler working for the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). His ring name is Spanish for "The Sacred One" ...
and
Sangre Azteca Sangre Azteca (Spanish for "Aztec Blood") (born October 5, 1975) is a Mexican '' luchador enmascarado'', or masked professional wrestler is primarily known for his work for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). Sangre Azteca's real name is not ...
. The following month Mikami worked CMLL's major spring show '' Homenaje a Dos Leyendas'' where he teamed up with Misterioso, Jr. and Rey Escorpion to defeat the team of Fuego, Titán and Tritón in a Best two-out-of-three falls Six-man tag team match In September 2012 ''La Fiebre Amarilla'' unsuccessfully challenged for the
CMLL Arena Coliseo Tag Team Championship The CMLL Arena Coliseo Tag Team Championship (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Campeonato de Parejas de la Arena Coliseo del CMLL'') is a professional wrestling Tag team Championship (professional wrestling), championship promoted by the Mexican Luch ...
as defending champions Fuego and Stuka, Jr. were victorious. Only weeks later Namajague was part of CMLL's largest annual show as they celebrated the 79th Anniversary of CMLL as he teamed up with Okumura and Taichi, a trio billed as ''La Ola Amarilla'' ("The Yellow Wave"), La Ola was defeated by three of CMLL's top ''tecnicos'',
Ángel de Oro Miguel Ángel Chávez Velasco (born August 18, 1988), better known by his ring name Ángel de Oro (Spanish for "Angel of Gold" or "Golden Angel"), is a Mexican professional wrestler who works for the Mexican wrestling promotion Consejo Mund ...
,
La Sombra Manuel Alfonso Andrade Oropeza (born November 3, 1989) is a Mexican professional wrestler. , he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the WWE SmackDown (brand), SmackDown WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Andrade (formerly Andrad ...
and Titán. In the months following the Anniversary show Namajague and Okumura developed a long running storyline with Stuka, Jr. and
Rey Cometa Mario Alberto González (born March 11, 1983), better known by his ring name Rey Cometa (Spanish language, Spanish for "King Comet"), is a Mexican ''Lucha libre, luchador'' (or professional wrestler), working for the Mexican professional wrestling ...
that evolved into the main event of the 2013 '' Homenaje a Dos Leyendas'' show contested under '' Luchas de Apuestas'', or "bet match" rules where Namajague and Stuka, Jr. both risked their masks and Okumura and Rey Cometa would risk their hair on the outcome of the match. On March 3, 2013, Namajague and Okumura defeated Fuego and Stuka, Jr. to win the CMLL Arena Coliseo Tag Team Championship, Mikami's first professional wrestling title. On March 15, 2013 Okumura and Namajague were defeated by Stuka, Jr. and Rey Cometa in the main event of the 2013 ''Homenaje a Dos Leyendas'' show, forcing Okumura to have all his hair shaved off and Namajague was unmasked and had to reveal his real name, Kyosuke Mikami, as per lucha libre traditions. The storyline between Namajague and Rey Cometa did not end after the unmasking, instead it switched to an individual storyline between the two, that included Namajague breaking a pane of glass over Rey Cometa's head during a one-on-one match. The conflict led to CMLL signing a one-on-one ''Lucha de Apuestas'' between with Cometa and Namajague's hair on the line, to take place on the April 26, 2013 Arena Mexico 57th Anniversary Show. Rey Cometa won the ''Luchas de Apuestas'', two falls to one, to have all of Namajague's hair shaved off after the match. On November 3, Namajague and Okumura lost the Arena Coliseo Tag Team Championship to
Delta Delta commonly refers to: * Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet * D (NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta"), the fourth letter in the Latin alphabet * River delta, at a river mouth * Delta Air Lines, a major US carrier ...
and Guerrero Maya, Jr.


Suzuki-Gun (2014–2022)

On December 9, 2013, NJPW announced the upcoming debut of a new masked wrestler named "El Desperado". Mikami returned to his home promotion on January 4, 2014, at
Wrestle Kingdom 8 in Tokyo Dome Wrestle Kingdom 8 in Tokyo Dome was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) Professional wrestling promotion, promotion, which took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on January 4, 2014 ...
. Wearing a new white mask and a black suit and carrying a guitar case, similar to the character El Mariachi from the Mexico Trilogy films, he entered the ring after
Kota Ibushi is a Japanese professional wrestler and martial artist. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is best known for his tenure with New Japan-Pro Wrestling (NJPW), Dramatic Dream Team (DDT) and WWE. His career began with the Dramatic Dre ...
had become the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and gave him a bouquet of flowers. In storyline, El Desperado is Mexican, but has a Japanese father and can therefore speak Japanese. El Desperado made his in-ring debut the following day, teaming with
Jyushin Thunder Liger , better known as and later , is a Japanese retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) as a trainer. He is the longest-tenured member of the NJPW roster, having worked for the company since ...
in a tag team match, where they defeated Ibushi and Bushi, with him pinning Bushi for the win. The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship match between El Desperado and Ibushi took place on February 11 at The New Beginning in Osaka and saw Ibushi retain his title. On March 6 at New Japan's 42nd anniversary event, El Desperado started a new feud with Jyushin Thunder Liger. After a brawl following a six-man tag team match, Liger challenged El Desperado to a Mask vs. Mask match. On April 6 at Invasion Attack 2014, El Desperado teamed up with Kota Ibushi to unsuccessfully challenge
The Young Bucks The Young Bucks are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Matthew Massie and Nicholas Massie, who perform under the ring names Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson. , they are signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), whe ...
(Matt and Nick Jackson) for the
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship The is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . The title was introduced on August 8, 1998, at an NJPW live event. The IWGP Junio ...
. From May 30 to June 6, El Desperado took part in the 2014 Best of the Super Juniors tournament, where he finished with a record of three wins and four losses, failing to advance from his block. On July 4, El Desperado turned heel and joined the Suzuki-gun stable, while also setting his sights on the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. On September 23 at Destruction in Okayama, El Desperado and Suzuki-gun stablemate Taichi received a shot at the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, but were defeated by the Time Splitters (
Alex Shelley Patrick Kenneth Martin (born May 23, 1983), better known by the ring name Alex Shelley, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand. He is widely known for his tenure ...
and Kushida). On October 13 at King of Pro-Wrestling, El Desperado unsuccessfully challenged Ryusuke Taguchi for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. El Desperado then began chasing Jyushin Thunder Liger for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship, leading to a title match between the two on January 5, 2015, where Liger retained his title. Also in January 2015, Suzuki-gun entered a storyline, where the entire stable invaded the Pro Wrestling Noah promotion. As part of the storyline, El Desperado and Taka Michinoku won the
GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship The is a professional wrestling tag team Championship (professional wrestling), title in Japanese Professional wrestling promotion, promotion Pro Wrestling Noah, contested exclusively among Cruiserweight (professional wrestling), junior heavywei ...
on March 15 by defeating
Choukibou-gun was a professional wrestling stable in Pro Wrestling Noah. It was led by Takeshi Morishima. History 2014 Choukibou-gun officially formed on January 5, 2014 at New Years Navigation following the main event where Takeshi Morishima defeated ...
(
Hajime Ohara is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. Ohara worked for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) in Mexico for several years as part of his training, mixing the ''lucha libre'' style of Mexico with the Japanese Puroresu style ...
and
Kenoh (born January 1, 1985) is a Japanese professional wrestler and martial artist, better known by the ring name . He currently wrestles in Pro Wrestling Noah, where he is a 3-time GHC Heavyweight Champion. He is also a former GHC National Championsh ...
) and No Mercy (
Daisuke Harada (born November 13, 1986) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler, currently signed to Pro Wrestling Noah. He’s a five-time GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion and a six-time GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion. Harada is also known fo ...
and
Genba Hirayanagi , better known by his ring name , is a retired Japanese professional wrestler. He is best known for working for Pro Wrestling Noah. Career Hirayanagi was a competitor in amateur wrestling in high school. In June 2004 he entered the Pro Wrestling ...
) in a three-way match. In July, El Desperado entered the 2015 Global Junior Heavyweight League. After a record of four wins and one loss, El Desperado entered the final day on August 5 with a chance to reach the finals, but a loss to Daisuke Harada meant that Harada instead advanced from the block. The following month, El Desperado and Michinoku made it to the finals of the 2015 NTV G+ Cup Junior Heavyweight Tag League, but were defeated there by Harada and Atsushi Kotoge. On October 4, El Desperado and Michinoku lost the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship to Harada and Kotoge. Following the loss, El Desperado was sidelined with a neck injury. After his return, El Desperado was forced to put his spot in Suzuki-gun on the line, but managed to retain his membership by defeating stablemate Takashi Iizuka by disqualification on March 17, 2016. The Suzuki-gun Noah invasion storyline concluded in December 2016, which led to the stable returning to NJPW on January 5, 2017. In May and June, El Desperado took part in the 2017 Best of the Super Juniors, where he finished last in his block with a record of three wins and four losses. Because of his win over Kushida during the tournament, El Desperado was granted a shot at the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship on September 16 at Destruction in Hiroshima, but was defeated by Kushida. On March 6, El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship in a 3-way involving Roppongi 3K and Los Ingobernables de Japón. Desperado's first title in NJPW. In May 2018, he entered the Best of the Super Juniors tournament. He finished the tournament with 3 wins and 4 losses, failing to advance to the finals. Because of his win over eventual tournament winner and new champion
Hiromu Takahashi (born December 4, 1989) is a Japanese professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of the ''Los Ingobernables de Japón'' stable. Takahashi made his debut for NJPW on Augus ...
during the tournament, El Desperado was granted a shot at the
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship The is a professional wrestling world junior heavyweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . Only wrestlers under the junior heavyweight weight-limit may hold ...
on June 18 Kizuna Road Show, but was defeated by Takahashi. From October 16 to November 1, 2018, Desperado and Kanemaru participated in the 2018 Super Junior Tag Tournament, where they topped the block with a record of five wins and two losses, advancing into the finals, but were defeated by Roppongi 3K in a triple threat match which also included Los Ingobernables de Japón ( Bushi and
Shingo Takagi (born 21 November 1982), known by the ring name Shingo Takagi (鷹木信悟, ''Takagi Shingo''), is a Japanese professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is a former member of the ''Los Ingob ...
). On January 4, 2019, at
Wrestle Kingdom 13 Wrestle Kingdom 13 in Tokyo Dome was a professional wrestling event produced by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on January 4, 2019 at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. It was the twenty-eighth January 4 Tokyo Dome Show and the ...
, Desperado and Kanemaru lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship to Bushi and Takagi, in a three-way rematch which also included Roppongi 3K, ending their reign at 304 days. In January 2019, Mikami briefly revived his Namajague character from CMLL for their cross promotional Fantastica Mania tour with NJPW. Namajague made his debut on January 11, 2019, teaming with Bárbaro Cavernario and Carístico in a six-man tag team match, where they defeated Kushida,
Volador Jr Ramón Ibarra Rivera (born January 26, 1981), better known by his ring name Volador Jr., is a Mexican '' luchador'' (or professional wrestler), who works for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). He portrays a '' técnico'' ("good guy") wrestl ...
and Soberano Jr. On September 11, 2020, Desperado and Kanemaru won a tournament by beating Bushi and
Hiromu Takahashi (born December 4, 1989) is a Japanese professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of the ''Los Ingobernables de Japón'' stable. Takahashi made his debut for NJPW on Augus ...
to win the IWGP Jr. Tag Team Championship once again. In November, Desperado participated in the Best of the Super Juniors tournament where he scored 14 points advancing to the finals. In the finals, he faced Hiromu Takahashi; during the match, half of his mask was ripped off by Takahashi, which led to Desperado taking off the rest and revealing his face for the first time since 2010. Desperado would go on to lose the match. While Kanemaru and Desperado lost the titles against Bullet Club (Taiji Ishimori and El Phantasmo) on January 23, they regained them one month later. On February 28 at Castle Attack, Desperado won his first major singles title when he won the vacant IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship in a triple threat match involving Bushi and El Phantasmo, making him a double champion. The next day, NJPW announced that El Desperado will wrestle
Kota Ibushi is a Japanese professional wrestler and martial artist. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is best known for his tenure with New Japan-Pro Wrestling (NJPW), Dramatic Dream Team (DDT) and WWE. His career began with the Dramatic Dre ...
on their 49th Anniversary show on March 4, to determine the inaugural IWGP World Heavyweight Champion in a match that Desperado ultimately lost. Desperado and Kanemaru lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships to Roppongi 3K at Sakura Genesis, ending his run as a double champion. After a scheduled title match against YOH was postponed due to a COVID outbreak in the locker room, he finally made his first successful defense of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title at
Dominion A dominion was any of several largely self-governance, self-governing countries of the British Empire, once known collectively as the ''British Commonwealth of Nations''. Progressing from colonies, their degrees of self-governing colony, colon ...
. At
Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on July 25, 2021, at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. The event was originally scheduled to take ...
on July 25, El Desperado lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship to Robbie Eagles via submission, ending his reign at 147 days. After defeating Eagles at the
G1 Climax The is a professional wrestling tournament held each August by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. Though it has sometimes been held as a single-elimination tournament, it is usually – and currently – held as a round-rob ...
, however, El Desperado would go on to win back the championship at
Power Struggle A power struggle is situation where two or more people or groups fight to gain dominance over each other. The term is most commonly used in a political context, when parties contend for power or leadership positions, but can also be applied to a ...
on November 6. In November, Desperado entered the Best of the Super Juniors tournament, narrowly missing out on a chance to make the finals, finishing with 13 points. At Wrestle Kingdom 16 in January, Desperado defeated tournament winner Hiromu Takahashi, to retain the Junior Heavyweight title. In February, Desperado retained the Junior Heavyweight title against Master Wato at NJPW New Years Golden Series. The Following month, despite being a junior heavyweight, Desperado entered the New Japan Cup, but was eliminated in the first round by
Kazuchika Okada (born November 8, 1987) is a Japanese professional wrestler. , he is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where he is a member of the Don Callis Family stable and is the current AEW Continental Champion in his first reign. Known as the , he is b ...
. In April, Desperado defeated Sho to retain the Junior Heavyweight Championship once more, at Hyper Battle. In May, Desperado lost the Junior Heavyweight Championship to Taiji Ishimori at Wrestling Dontaku, ending his reign at 176 days. Desperado attempted to rebound in the Best of the Super Juniors, where he competed in the B Block. Desperado finished top of his block, with 12 points. However, in the finals, Desperado once again lost to Hiromu Takahashi. At Dominion 6.12 in Osaka-jo Hall, Desperado and Kanemaru teamed with Suzuki-gun stablemate
Zack Sabre Jr Lucas James Uggles Eatwell (born 24 July 1987), known by his ring name and its abbreviated form ZSJ, is an English-born Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). In NJPW, he is the second an ...
to take on NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champions
Evil Evil, as a concept, is usually defined as profoundly immoral behavior, and it is related to acts that cause unnecessary pain and suffering to others. Evil is commonly seen as the opposite, or sometimes absence, of good. It can be an extreme ...
,
Yujiro Takahashi , is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of House of Torture and a former member of Bullet Club. He is one-third of the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champions with Ren Narit ...
and Sho, for the titles, but failed to win. Desperado made a special appearance on the June 15th special Road Rager episode of ''
Dynamite Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and Stabilizer (chemistry), stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish people, Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern German ...
'', where he and
Lance Archer Lance Hoyt (born February 28, 1977), better known by his ring name Lance Archer, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where is a member of The Don Callis Family and one-half of The Murder Machines w ...
represented Suzuki-gun aiding the Jericho Appreciation Society, by attacking
Jon Moxley Jonathan David Good (born December 7, 1985) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Jon Moxley and is the current AEW World Championship, AEW World Champion in his ...
,
Hiroshi Tanahashi is a Japanese professional wrestler, sports executive and Podcast, podcaster. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he serves as the president and representative director of the promotion, and is also an active wrestler. Widel ...
,
Wheeler Yuta Paul Soren Gruber (born October 26, 1996) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Wheeler Yuta and is a member of the Death Riders, formerly known as the Blackpool C ...
,
Eddie Kingston Edward Moore (born December 12, 1981), better known by the ring name Eddie Kingston, is an American professional wrestler. , he is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is out of in-ring action because of a leg injury, but continues to mak ...
and Ortiz, promoting stable leader
Minoru Suzuki (born June 17, 1968) is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, known for his tenure in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a former one-time IWGP Intercontinental Ch ...
and the JAS teaming at
Forbidden Door Forbidden Door or ''The Forbidden Door'' may refer to: * ''The Forbidden Door'', professional wrestling term referring to working agreement between promotions * AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door, professional wrestling joint events: ** Forbidden Door ( ...
. At the show, Desperado and Kanemaru teamed on the Buy-in, losing to Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland. Desperado returned to the US the following month, making his
NJPW Strong NJPW Strong is a brand name utilized by Japanese professional wrestling promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and its New Japan Pro-Wrestling of America (NJoA) subsidiary. In its original incarnation, ''NJPW Strong'' was the name of a weekly ...
debut, defeating Hiromu Takahashi and Blake Christian in a three-way match. At Music City Mayhem, Desperado lost to Jon Moxley in a
No Disqualification match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. ...
. In December, at the World Tag League & Best of the Super Juniors finals, Minoru Suzuki announced the disbandment of Suzuki-gun by the end of the year. The final match between the faction took place on December 23, where the team of Taichi, Sabre Jr, Kanemaru and Douki defeated Suzuki, Archer, Desperado and Michinoku. After the match, each of the Suzuki-gun members spoke about their memories as a part of the group and thanked leader Suzuki. The night ended with all members posing with the Suzuki-gun flag, only to be interrupted by former member Takashi Iizuka, causing all 9 men to pose in the ring, behind the Suzuki-gun flag.


Championship reigns (2023–present)

On January 4, 2023 at Wrestle Kingdom 17, Desperado competed in a four-way match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against Master Wato, Hiromu Takahashi and champion Taiji Ishimori, in a losing effort after the match was won by Hiromu Takahashi. Later in the month, Desperado appeared at Night 2 of Wrestle Kingdom 17 in
Yokohama Arena is an indoor arena located in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The capacity of the arena is 17,000 and was opened in 1989. The arena was modeled after US sports venue Madison Square Garden in New York City. It is a five-minute walk from the ...
, defeating Pro Wrestling Noah's
Yo-Hey , better known by his ring name Yo-Hey (stylised in all capital letters), is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah), where he is a member of the Ratel's (professional wrestling), Ratel's Stable (professio ...
. Following the event, Desperado continued to ally with Minoru Suzuki, eventually adding
Ren Narita Ren Narita (成田 蓮 ''Narita Ren'', born November 29, 1997) is a Japanese professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of House of Torture and a former member of Bullet Club ...
to the partnership, forming a trio. In February at The New Beginning in Osaka, The trio defeated
House of Torture House of Torture is a villainous professional wrestling stable primarily appearing in the Japanese promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW); it was formerly a sub-grouping of the stable Bullet Club. The stable is led by Evil and also consists of ...
to win the Never Openweight 6 man tag-team championships. After the match Suzuki officially named the trio Strong Style. The following day, Desperado appeared at Pro Wrestling Noah's Noah Great Voyage in Osaka, teaming with
Nosawa Rongai , better known by his ring names Nosawa and , is a Japanese retired professional wrestler, best known for his appearances in All Japan Pro Wrestling and various independent promotions. Career Early career (19952004) Nosawa spent most of his ea ...
to defeat Yo-Hey and Yasutaka Yano. Back in NJPW, Strong Style retained their titles against House of Torture in a rematch in April. Desperado appeared at Capital Collision, losing to
Tomohiro Ishii is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is currently a double champion: being the Strong Openweight Champion in his first reign, and one-half of the current IWGP Tag Team Champions with Ta ...
. In May at Wrestling Dontaku, Strong Style lost the Never Openweight 6 man tag-team championships, to Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada and Tomohiro Ishii. The following week, Desperado competed in the B block of the 2023 Best of the Super Juniors tournament. Desperado finished joint top of his block, advancing to the semi-finals. In the semi-final round, Desperado lost to Titán. After being called out by
Hiromu Takahashi (born December 4, 1989) is a Japanese professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of the ''Los Ingobernables de Japón'' stable. Takahashi made his debut for NJPW on Augus ...
following Takahashi's victory over
Taiji Ishimori is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of Bullet Club and its List of Bullet Club members#War Dogs, War Dogs sub-group. Ishimori is a three-time IWGP Junio ...
at
Power Struggle A power struggle is situation where two or more people or groups fight to gain dominance over each other. The term is most commonly used in a political context, when parties contend for power or leadership positions, but can also be applied to a ...
, Desperado (who had been guest commentator at the event) accepted the former's challenge for an
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship The is a professional wrestling world junior heavyweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . Only wrestlers under the junior heavyweight weight-limit may hold ...
match at Wrestle Kingdom 18. Desperado noted that he required eye surgery to correct his vision before the event, but he would be ready to compete on January 4, 2024. At the event, Desperado defeated Takahashi to win his third IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.


Championships and accomplishments

*
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre Co., Ltd. (CMLL; , "World Wrestling Council") is a ''lucha libre'' professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico City. The promotion was previously known as (EMLL) (''Mexican Wrestling Enterprise''). Founded in 1933, it is the oldest profe ...
**
CMLL Arena Coliseo Tag Team Championship The CMLL Arena Coliseo Tag Team Championship (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Campeonato de Parejas de la Arena Coliseo del CMLL'') is a professional wrestling Tag team Championship (professional wrestling), championship promoted by the Mexican Luch ...
( 1 time) – with Okumura *
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Puroresu, Japanese professional-wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, and based in Nakano, Tokyo. It is currently majority owned by card-game company Bushiroad, with TV As ...
**
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship The is a professional wrestling world junior heavyweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . Only wrestlers under the junior heavyweight weight-limit may hold ...
( 5 times, current) **
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship The is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . The title was introduced on August 8, 1998, at an NJPW live event. The IWGP Junio ...
( 4 times) – with
Yoshinobu Kanemaru is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where he is a member of House of Torture and a former member of Bullet Club. He also works as a backstage producer for NJPW. Professional wrestling career ...
** NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with
Minoru Suzuki (born June 17, 1968) is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, known for his tenure in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a former one-time IWGP Intercontinental Ch ...
and
Ren Narita Ren Narita (成田 蓮 ''Narita Ren'', born November 29, 1997) is a Japanese professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of House of Torture and a former member of Bullet Club ...
** Best of the Super Juniors (
2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
) ** Super Junior Tag League (
2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
) — with
Yoshinobu Kanemaru is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where he is a member of House of Torture and a former member of Bullet Club. He also works as a backstage producer for NJPW. Professional wrestling career ...
*''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
'' ** Ranked No. 39 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the ''
PWI 500 ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
'' in 2022 * Pro Wrestling Noah **
GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship The is a professional wrestling tag team Championship (professional wrestling), title in Japanese Professional wrestling promotion, promotion Pro Wrestling Noah, contested exclusively among Cruiserweight (professional wrestling), junior heavywei ...
( 1 time) – with
Taka Michinoku (born October 26, 1973), better known by his ring name (stylized as TAKA Michinoku), is a Japanese professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He primarily appears for New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where he is a me ...


Luchas de Apuestas record


References


External links

*
Suzuki-gun profile
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Desperado, El 1983 births Japanese male professional wrestlers Living people Masked wrestlers People from Nagaoka, Niigata Sportspeople from Niigata Prefecture Suzuki-gun members CMLL Arena Coliseo Tag Team Champions GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions IWGP Junior Heavyweight champions IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champions 21st-century male professional wrestlers 21st-century Japanese professional wrestlers Best of the Super Juniors winners Super Junior Tag League winners