Fergal Devitt
Encyclopedia
Fergal Devitt is an Irish
professional wrestler
currently contracted by New Japan Pro Wrestling
, where he is currently in his second reign as the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion
. He is better known by his ring name
, Prince Devitt, as well as the alter ego of Pegasus Kid II.
Devitt has wrestled for numerous promotions, including NWA UK Hammerlock
, NWA Pro, New England Championship Wrestling
, and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
, as well as having founded NWA Ireland with Paul Tracey. Devitt is a two time NWA British Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion
, a two time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and has held the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
five times, twice with Minoru and three times with Ryusuke Taguchi
.
in 2000 at the relatively young age of eighteen, soon winning the NWA British Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship
. After graduating, his wrestling career started quickly, and he started touring Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In mid-2002 Devitt opened up NWA Ireland, his own wrestling club in Ireland along with his co-promoter and fellow graduate of NWA UK Hammerlock
, Paul Tracey; the company became the sister promotion of British counterpart under the same banner. As part of NWA Ireland, Devitt has trained numerous wrestlers, including Rebecca Knox
.
On 8 October 2005, in Nashville Tennessee, at the NWA 57th anniversary show, Devitt defeated Dru Onyx
for his second British Commonwealth title. After the match both participants were invited to the New Japan Inoki Dojo in Santa Monica, California
to train. During late 2005, Devitt also began competing for the Millennium Wrestling Federation
(MWF). He made his debut in a triple threat match at Soul Survivor III on 5 November, challenging for the MWF Television Championship
against the champion Eddie Edwards
and John Walters
. He made his television debut on the November edition of MWF Ultra, in a match against Osirus. After impressing many promoters and trainers, he was invited to train in New Japan's main dojo in Japan, where, in early 2006, he began training in the Japanese style of professional wrestling
. He lost the British Commonwealth Championship to Karl Anderson
in March 2006.
in March 2006. In April 2006, he made his New Japan Pro Wrestling
debut against El Samurai using the ring name Prince Devitt. In May 2006, New Japan started doing some brand-exclusive events, and Devitt debuted for their WRESTLE LAND promotion as Pegasus Kid II, which led to comparisons between Devitt and the original Pegasus Kid, Chris Benoit
.
During his tour of New Japan in late August/early September, he started competing under his real identity as an Irish superstar. He eventually turned heel and started teaming with the Control Terrorism Unit (CTU) in an apprentice-type role. While teaming with CTU, he began a losing streak, aggravating his fellow teammates to such a degree that they did not want anything to do with him anymore. This led to him being given one final chance on 6 October, where he rose to the occasion and impressed his CTU teammates enough to continue his association with them. To solidify his status with the stable, Devitt teamed with CTU leader, Jushin Liger
to take on Wataru Inoue
and Ryusuke Taguchi
. In a huge twist, Devitt was the one to make the final cover on Inoue following a stiff brainbuster. From then on he was officially recognised as a member of the CTU.
His momentum was halted in January 2007, when he suffered a serious knee injury, sidelining him from action in New Japan until early May of that year. Afterwards, he returned to action, showing great improvement and was touted by fellow CTU teammate, Minoru, to win the 2007 Best of The Super Jr's Tournament in June 2007. However, this was not meant to be, as Devitt scored no points in the event. In November 2007, TNA
made a tour of NJPW, where Senshi and Christopher Daniels
defeated Devitt and Minoru.
On 27 January 2008, Devitt and Minoru won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
together, Devitt's first major title reign. They lost the championship to AKIRA
and Jushin Liger
in February, before regaining the title on 21 July. After a near three-month reign they lost the championship to No Limit (Tetsuya Naito
and Yujiro
) in October. Devitt currently teams with Ryusuke Taguchi
as Apollo 55 and on 5 July 2009, at Circuit 2009 New Japan Soul they defeated The Motor City Machineguns (Alex Shelley
and Chris Sabin
) to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. On 30 May Devitt entered the 2009 Best of the Super Juniors tournament. After winning his block in the round robin stage of the tournament, Devitt advanced to the semifinals, where he defeated Kota Ibushi. In the end, Devitt was defeated in the finals of the tournament by Koji Kanemoto
. In December Devitt entered the 2009 Super J Cup. After defeating Atsushi Aoki
, Danshoku Dino
and YAMATO
, Devitt was once again defeated in the finals of the tournament, this time by Naomichi Marufuji
. On 4 January 2010, at Wrestle Kingdom IV in Tokyo Dome Devitt and Taguchi successfully defended the titles against Averno and Último Guerrero
. On 21 April Devitt and Taguchi were stripped of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, after not defending them for 30 days. On 8 May the two entered a tournament in an attempt to regain the Championship, but were defeated in the finals by the team of El Samurai and Koji Kanemoto.
On 30 May Devitt entered the 2010 Best of the Super Juniors tournament and two weeks later finished second in his block with five victories, advancing to the semifinals of the tournament. On 13 June Devitt first defeated Taiji Ishimori
in the semifinals and then Kota Ibushi in the finals to win the tournament and earn a shot at Naomichi Marufuji's IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
. On 19 June Devitt defeated Marufuji to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship for the first time. On 28 June 2010, Devitt, teaming up with Taguchi and Hirooki Goto
entered the J Sports Crown 6 Man Openweight Tag Team Tournament. Two days later the trio defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi
, TAJIRI
and KUSHIDA
in the finals to win the tournament. Devitt made his first successful Junior Heavyweight Championship title defense on 11 July, defeating Pro Wrestling Noah's Atsushi Aoki. Just over a week later, on 19 July, Devitt and Taguchi defeated Koji Kanemoto and El Samurai to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship for the second time as a team. In August Devitt entered New Japan's biggest tournament of the year, the G1 Climax, as a substitute for the injured Naomichi Marufuji. Devitt managed to win four out of his seven matches in the round robin stage of the tournament, including a major victory over former four-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi, but finished fifth in his block and missed advancing to the finals by a single point. On 3 September Devitt made his second successful defense of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, defeating Kenny Omega, who had earned his shot, after defeating Ryusuke Taguchi at a Dramatic Dream Team
(DDT) event. Omega and Kota Ibushi, the team known collectively as the Golden Lovers, came back on October 11 and defeated Devitt and Taguchi to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. On 11 December 2010, Devitt made his third successful IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship defense, defeating another New Japan outsider, Davey Richards
. On 4 January 2011, at Wrestle Kingdom V in Tokyo Dome, Devitt successfully defended the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against Kota Ibushi, avenging the loss from the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship match. On January 23 at Fantasticamania 2011
, a New Japan and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
co–promoted event in Tokyo, Devitt and Taguchi defeated Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi to regain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, making Devitt a double IWGP champion for the second time. With his five reigns, Devitt now shares the record for most reigns as the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion with Jushin Liger and Minoru. Devitt continued his streak of defending the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against New Japan outsiders, when he successfully defended the title against Taka Michinoku on 20 February and KUSHIDA on 19 March. In May 2011, Devitt took part in New Japan's first tour of the United States, during which he successfully defended the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against Low Ki
on 14 May in New York City
and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship against the Strong Style Thugz (Homicide and Low Ki) on 15 May in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On 26 May, Devitt entered the 2011 Best of the Super Juniors tournament. After losing his opening match against Davey Richards, Devitt went on a seven match winning streak to finish first in his block in the round robin stage of the tournament. On 10 June, Devitt was eliminated from the tournament in the semifinals by his own tag team partner Ryusuke Taguchi. On 18 June at Dominion 6.18, Devitt lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship to Best of the Super Juniors winner, Kota Ibushi, ending his reign at 364 days. On 23 June, Devitt, Taguchi and Hirooki Goto won their second J Sports Crown 6 Man Openweight Tag Team Tournament in a row by defeating the team of Giant Bernard, Jushin Liger and Karl Anderson in the finals of the three day long tournament. On 24 July, Devitt received his rematch for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship at a DDT event, but was unable to regain the title from Ibushi. This led to a match on 14 August, where Apollo 55 successfully defended the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship against the Golden Lovers. On 11 September, Apollo 55 defeated Taichi
and Taka Michinoku to make their seventh successful IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship defense, breaking the record for most defenses during a single reign. When Kota Ibushi was forced to vacate the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship after dislocating his left shoulder, Devitt, as the previous champion, was ushered into a decision match to determine a new champion. On 19 September, Devitt defeated KUSHIDA to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship for the second time. On 10 October, Devitt and Taguchi lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship to the No Remorse Corps (Davey Richards and Rocky Romero
). Devitt made the first successful title defense of his second IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship reign on 12 November, defeating Taka Michinoku.
called Reclaiming the Glory
in June 2007 to crown a new NWA World Heavyweight Champion
after the title was stripped from TNA. In the first round he faced Australian wrestler Mikey Nicholls and won, but lost in the second round to Bryan Danielson
at an NWA Empire show in North Tonawanda, New York.
when he was younger, before deciding to become a professional wrestler. He holds a first degree black belt in IBF submission wrestling. Devitt was a fan of the World of Sport
show when he was a child. He was also a fan of the British Bulldogs
, Shawn Michaels
, Rick Rude, Mr. Perfect
, Koko B. Ware and Savio Vega
.
Devitt is good friends with fellow professional wrestler, Dru Onyx
.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
currently contracted by New Japan Pro Wrestling
New Japan Pro Wrestling
is a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
, where he is currently in his second reign as the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling junior heavweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro Wrestling promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the International Wrestling Grand Prix. The title was introduced on February 6, 1986 at a NJPW show....
. He is better known by his ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
, Prince Devitt, as well as the alter ego of Pegasus Kid II.
Devitt has wrestled for numerous promotions, including NWA UK Hammerlock
NWA UK Hammerlock
NWA UK Hammerlock was a British professional wrestling promotion based in Kent.-History:Established in 1993 by former wrestler turned promoter Andre "Sledgehammer" Baker, it is one of the National Wrestling Alliance's territories...
, NWA Pro, New England Championship Wrestling
New England Championship Wrestling
New England Championship Wrestling was an independent professional wrestling promotion based in the Northeastern United States and has promoted events since 2000...
, and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla is a professional wrestling promotion that is run by wrestlers themselves as it was created by Southern California wrestlers Disco Machine, Excalibur, Joey Ryan, Scott Lost, Super Dragon, and Top Gun Talwar...
, as well as having founded NWA Ireland with Paul Tracey. Devitt is a two time NWA British Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion
NWA British Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship
The NWA British Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling championship that serves as the major title in the NWA UK Hammerlock promotion...
, a two time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and has held the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the New Japan Pro Wrestling promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the International Wrestling Grand Prix. The title was introduced on August 8, 1998 at a NJPW live event...
five times, twice with Minoru and three times with Ryusuke Taguchi
Ryusuke Taguchi
is a Japanese professional wrestler, trained by and currently performing for New Japan Pro Wrestling , where he is a former one-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and a four-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion....
.
Early career
After training there, Devitt debuted for NWA UK HammerlockNWA UK Hammerlock
NWA UK Hammerlock was a British professional wrestling promotion based in Kent.-History:Established in 1993 by former wrestler turned promoter Andre "Sledgehammer" Baker, it is one of the National Wrestling Alliance's territories...
in 2000 at the relatively young age of eighteen, soon winning the NWA British Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship
NWA British Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship
The NWA British Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling championship that serves as the major title in the NWA UK Hammerlock promotion...
. After graduating, his wrestling career started quickly, and he started touring Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In mid-2002 Devitt opened up NWA Ireland, his own wrestling club in Ireland along with his co-promoter and fellow graduate of NWA UK Hammerlock
NWA UK Hammerlock
NWA UK Hammerlock was a British professional wrestling promotion based in Kent.-History:Established in 1993 by former wrestler turned promoter Andre "Sledgehammer" Baker, it is one of the National Wrestling Alliance's territories...
, Paul Tracey; the company became the sister promotion of British counterpart under the same banner. As part of NWA Ireland, Devitt has trained numerous wrestlers, including Rebecca Knox
Rebecca Knox
Rebecca Quin is an Irish former professional wrestler, better known by her ring name Rebecca Knox.Quin began training as a professional wrestler under Fergal Devitt and Paul Tracey in June 2002, and made her debut five months later. Initially working in Ireland and occasionally teaming with her...
.
On 8 October 2005, in Nashville Tennessee, at the NWA 57th anniversary show, Devitt defeated Dru Onyx
Dru Onyx
Rodney Lloyd Anthony Kellman , better known by his ring name Dru Onyx and Soa Amin, is a Canadian professional wrestler, He is a currently the co-holder of the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championishp...
for his second British Commonwealth title. After the match both participants were invited to the New Japan Inoki Dojo in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
to train. During late 2005, Devitt also began competing for the Millennium Wrestling Federation
Millennium Wrestling Federation
The Millennium Wrestling Federation is a New England independent professional wrestling promotion based in Melrose, Massachusetts. Founded in January 2001 by promoters Dan Mirade & Neil Manolian, the MWF is one of the top promotions in the Northeastern United States along with Chaotic Wrestling,...
(MWF). He made his debut in a triple threat match at Soul Survivor III on 5 November, challenging for the MWF Television Championship
MWF Television Championship
The MWF Television Championship is a professional wrestling title in American independent promotion Millennium Wrestling Federation. The title was created when "Die Hard" Eddie Edwards defeated "Mr. 630" Jerelle Clark in the finals of a championship tournament to crown the first MWF Television...
against the champion Eddie Edwards
Eddie Edwards (wrestler)
Eddie Edwards is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for wrestling with Ring of Honor , where he is a former ROH World Champion. He also had previous reigns as a former ROH World Tag Team Champion with his partner Davey Richards as The American Wolves and as the inaugural ROH World...
and John Walters
John Stagikas
John Stagikas is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Hurricane" John Walters and in Lucha Libre USA as RJ Brewer, the kayfabe son of Arizona Governor Jan Brewer...
. He made his television debut on the November edition of MWF Ultra, in a match against Osirus. After impressing many promoters and trainers, he was invited to train in New Japan's main dojo in Japan, where, in early 2006, he began training in the Japanese style of professional wrestling
Professional wrestling in Japan
Puroresu is the popular term for the predominant style or genre of professional wrestling that has developed in Japan. The term comes from the Japanese pronunciation of "professional wrestling" , which is shortened to puroresu . The term became popular among English-speaking fans due to Hisaharu...
. He lost the British Commonwealth Championship to Karl Anderson
Karl Anderson
Chad Allegra is an American professional wrestler better known by his stage name Karl "Machine Gun" Anderson currently working for New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is currently one half of the IWGP and GHC Tag Team Champions with partner Giant Bernard.-Personal life:Allegra grew up in Asheville,...
in March 2006.
New Japan Pro Wrestling
The day after losing the British Commonwealth Championship, Devitt signed a contract with New Japan Pro WrestlingNew Japan Pro Wrestling
is a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
in March 2006. In April 2006, he made his New Japan Pro Wrestling
New Japan Pro Wrestling
is a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
debut against El Samurai using the ring name Prince Devitt. In May 2006, New Japan started doing some brand-exclusive events, and Devitt debuted for their WRESTLE LAND promotion as Pegasus Kid II, which led to comparisons between Devitt and the original Pegasus Kid, Chris Benoit
Chris Benoit
Christopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide...
.
During his tour of New Japan in late August/early September, he started competing under his real identity as an Irish superstar. He eventually turned heel and started teaming with the Control Terrorism Unit (CTU) in an apprentice-type role. While teaming with CTU, he began a losing streak, aggravating his fellow teammates to such a degree that they did not want anything to do with him anymore. This led to him being given one final chance on 6 October, where he rose to the occasion and impressed his CTU teammates enough to continue his association with them. To solidify his status with the stable, Devitt teamed with CTU leader, Jushin Liger
Jushin Liger
, better known as and later, is a Japanese professional wrestler who primarily works for New Japan Pro Wrestling.He has wrestled and beaten many of the top smaller wrestlers in both Japan and the United States, and is frequently cited as one of the greatest and most revolutionary junior...
to take on Wataru Inoue
Wataru Inoue
is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for New Japan Pro Wrestling.-Professional wrestling career:Inoue made his debut in 1999 on the Japanese independent circuit, then climbed the ladder to get to New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2004...
and Ryusuke Taguchi
Ryusuke Taguchi
is a Japanese professional wrestler, trained by and currently performing for New Japan Pro Wrestling , where he is a former one-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and a four-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion....
. In a huge twist, Devitt was the one to make the final cover on Inoue following a stiff brainbuster. From then on he was officially recognised as a member of the CTU.
His momentum was halted in January 2007, when he suffered a serious knee injury, sidelining him from action in New Japan until early May of that year. Afterwards, he returned to action, showing great improvement and was touted by fellow CTU teammate, Minoru, to win the 2007 Best of The Super Jr's Tournament in June 2007. However, this was not meant to be, as Devitt scored no points in the event. In November 2007, TNA
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
made a tour of NJPW, where Senshi and Christopher Daniels
Christopher Daniels
Daniel Christopher Covell is an American professional wrestler, best known in the United States by his ring name "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels. He is also known for performing under the ring name Curry Man. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , while also...
defeated Devitt and Minoru.
On 27 January 2008, Devitt and Minoru won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the New Japan Pro Wrestling promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the International Wrestling Grand Prix. The title was introduced on August 8, 1998 at a NJPW live event...
together, Devitt's first major title reign. They lost the championship to AKIRA
Akira Nogami
is a Japanese professional wrestler and actor, currently working for Yoshihiro Tajiri's Smash promotion as AKIRA.-New Japan Pro Wrestling :...
and Jushin Liger
Jushin Liger
, better known as and later, is a Japanese professional wrestler who primarily works for New Japan Pro Wrestling.He has wrestled and beaten many of the top smaller wrestlers in both Japan and the United States, and is frequently cited as one of the greatest and most revolutionary junior...
in February, before regaining the title on 21 July. After a near three-month reign they lost the championship to No Limit (Tetsuya Naito
Tetsuya Naitō
is a Japanese professional wrestler trained by and currently performing for New Japan Pro Wrestling , where he is a former IWGP Tag Team and IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion with former partner Yujiro Takahashi, with whom he teamed as No Limit....
and Yujiro
Yujiro Takahashi
, also known by his shortened ring name is a Japanese professional wrestler trained by and currently performing for New Japan Pro Wrestling , where he is a former IWGP Tag Team and IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion with former partner Tetsuya Naitō, with whom he teamed as No...
) in October. Devitt currently teams with Ryusuke Taguchi
Ryusuke Taguchi
is a Japanese professional wrestler, trained by and currently performing for New Japan Pro Wrestling , where he is a former one-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and a four-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion....
as Apollo 55 and on 5 July 2009, at Circuit 2009 New Japan Soul they defeated The Motor City Machineguns (Alex Shelley
Alex Shelley
Patrick Martin , is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Alex Shelley. He wrestles for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he currently teams with Chris Sabin as The Motor City Machine Guns. He previously gained fame on the independent circuit, working most notably for...
and Chris Sabin
Chris Sabin
Joshua Harter is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Chris Sabin. He is currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he currently teams with Alex Shelley as The Motor City Machine Guns.After being trained by Scott D'Amore, Sabin debuted in 2000 for...
) to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. On 30 May Devitt entered the 2009 Best of the Super Juniors tournament. After winning his block in the round robin stage of the tournament, Devitt advanced to the semifinals, where he defeated Kota Ibushi. In the end, Devitt was defeated in the finals of the tournament by Koji Kanemoto
Koji Kanemoto
is a professional wrestler. He is of Zainichi Korean descent.-Career:Kanemoto practiced Judo during his high school days and won a few championships as a professional before being recruited by the New Japan Dojo. He debuted in November 1990, wrestling against Michiyoshi Ohara. In March 1992, he...
. In December Devitt entered the 2009 Super J Cup. After defeating Atsushi Aoki
Atsushi Aoki
Atsushi Aoki is a Japanese professional wrestler working for the Japanese wrestling promotion Pro Wrestling Noah, where he is one half of the reigning GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions. Aoki made his professional wrestling debut in 2005 and has worked primarily for NOAH where he was part...
, Danshoku Dino
Danshoku Dino
' is a Japanese professional wrestler. Dino plays an overly exaggerated homosexual character similar to the likes of Adrian Street.His ring name comes from the character Baron Dino from the manga series Sakigake!! Otokojuku.-Career:...
and YAMATO
Masato Onodera
is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist, known by his ring name Yamato , who competes for Dragon Gate and its international expansion Dragon Gate USA.-Dragon Gate:...
, Devitt was once again defeated in the finals of the tournament, this time by Naomichi Marufuji
Naomichi Marufuji
is a Japanese professional wrestler who competes for Pro Wrestling Noah, with occasional appearances in other professional wrestling promotions like Ring of Honor, All Japan Pro Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling, among others. Marufuji is the first of only two Grand Slam Champion in Pro...
. On 4 January 2010, at Wrestle Kingdom IV in Tokyo Dome Devitt and Taguchi successfully defended the titles against Averno and Último Guerrero
Último Guerrero
Último Guerrero is a Mexican currently working for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre , where he is also part of the booking committee and former CMLL World Heavyweight Championship...
. On 21 April Devitt and Taguchi were stripped of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, after not defending them for 30 days. On 8 May the two entered a tournament in an attempt to regain the Championship, but were defeated in the finals by the team of El Samurai and Koji Kanemoto.
On 30 May Devitt entered the 2010 Best of the Super Juniors tournament and two weeks later finished second in his block with five victories, advancing to the semifinals of the tournament. On 13 June Devitt first defeated Taiji Ishimori
Taiji Ishimori
is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for Pro Wrestling NOAH as well as making appearances for Asistencia Asesoría y Administración through a NOAH/AAA working relationship.-Professional wrestling career:...
in the semifinals and then Kota Ibushi in the finals to win the tournament and earn a shot at Naomichi Marufuji's IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling junior heavweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro Wrestling promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the International Wrestling Grand Prix. The title was introduced on February 6, 1986 at a NJPW show....
. On 19 June Devitt defeated Marufuji to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship for the first time. On 28 June 2010, Devitt, teaming up with Taguchi and Hirooki Goto
Hirooki Goto
is a Japanese professional wrestler. He has wrestled primarily for New Japan Pro Wrestling since his debut.-Career:Goto attended Kokushikan University, where he took part in freestyle wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling. Upon graduating, Goto qualified to join New Japan Pro Wrestling, but left the...
entered the J Sports Crown 6 Man Openweight Tag Team Tournament. Two days later the trio defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi
Hiroshi Tanahashi
is a Japanese professional wrestler who works primarily for New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is the current IWGP Heavyweight Champion in his fifth reign.-Early life:...
, TAJIRI
Yoshihiro Tajiri
, is a Japanese professional wrestler, perhaps best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment. He is currently competing in SMASH as TAJIRI.-Early years :...
and KUSHIDA
Yujiro Kushida
is a Japanese professional wrestler. He currently competes in New Japan Pro Wrestling as KUSHIDA. He won the ZST Genesis Lightweight Tournament and AJPW's U-30 Tag Team Tournament in 2008 with T28-Early years:...
in the finals to win the tournament. Devitt made his first successful Junior Heavyweight Championship title defense on 11 July, defeating Pro Wrestling Noah's Atsushi Aoki. Just over a week later, on 19 July, Devitt and Taguchi defeated Koji Kanemoto and El Samurai to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship for the second time as a team. In August Devitt entered New Japan's biggest tournament of the year, the G1 Climax, as a substitute for the injured Naomichi Marufuji. Devitt managed to win four out of his seven matches in the round robin stage of the tournament, including a major victory over former four-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi, but finished fifth in his block and missed advancing to the finals by a single point. On 3 September Devitt made his second successful defense of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, defeating Kenny Omega, who had earned his shot, after defeating Ryusuke Taguchi at a Dramatic Dream Team
Dramatic Dream Team
Dramatic Dream Team, better known by its initials DDT or its logo reading D2T, is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded in 1997 by Sanshiro Takagi...
(DDT) event. Omega and Kota Ibushi, the team known collectively as the Golden Lovers, came back on October 11 and defeated Devitt and Taguchi to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. On 11 December 2010, Devitt made his third successful IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship defense, defeating another New Japan outsider, Davey Richards
Davey Richards
Wesley David Richards is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Davey Richards.Richards is currently under contract with Ring of Honor, where he is the current ROH World Champion, but also wrestles for several companies on the independent circuit, including Pro Wrestling...
. On 4 January 2011, at Wrestle Kingdom V in Tokyo Dome, Devitt successfully defended the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against Kota Ibushi, avenging the loss from the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship match. On January 23 at Fantasticamania 2011
Fantasticamania 2011
Fantasticamania 2011 was the name of two professional wrestling major shows produced that took place on January 22 and January 23, 2011 in Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan...
, a New Japan and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre is a Lucha Libre-style professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico City while running cards in Guadalajara, Puebla and elsewhere in central and southern Mexico...
co–promoted event in Tokyo, Devitt and Taguchi defeated Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi to regain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, making Devitt a double IWGP champion for the second time. With his five reigns, Devitt now shares the record for most reigns as the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion with Jushin Liger and Minoru. Devitt continued his streak of defending the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against New Japan outsiders, when he successfully defended the title against Taka Michinoku on 20 February and KUSHIDA on 19 March. In May 2011, Devitt took part in New Japan's first tour of the United States, during which he successfully defended the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against Low Ki
Low Ki
Brandon Silvestry is an American professional wrestler. He is best known under his ring names Low Ki, Senshi in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and Kaval in World Wrestling Entertainment. He is a former one-time PWG World Champion and a former ROH Champion...
on 14 May in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship against the Strong Style Thugz (Homicide and Low Ki) on 15 May in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On 26 May, Devitt entered the 2011 Best of the Super Juniors tournament. After losing his opening match against Davey Richards, Devitt went on a seven match winning streak to finish first in his block in the round robin stage of the tournament. On 10 June, Devitt was eliminated from the tournament in the semifinals by his own tag team partner Ryusuke Taguchi. On 18 June at Dominion 6.18, Devitt lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship to Best of the Super Juniors winner, Kota Ibushi, ending his reign at 364 days. On 23 June, Devitt, Taguchi and Hirooki Goto won their second J Sports Crown 6 Man Openweight Tag Team Tournament in a row by defeating the team of Giant Bernard, Jushin Liger and Karl Anderson in the finals of the three day long tournament. On 24 July, Devitt received his rematch for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship at a DDT event, but was unable to regain the title from Ibushi. This led to a match on 14 August, where Apollo 55 successfully defended the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship against the Golden Lovers. On 11 September, Apollo 55 defeated Taichi
Taichi Ishikari
Maki Taichiro is a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Taichi Ishikari or simply Taichi, currently performing in New Japan Pro Wrestling...
and Taka Michinoku to make their seventh successful IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship defense, breaking the record for most defenses during a single reign. When Kota Ibushi was forced to vacate the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship after dislocating his left shoulder, Devitt, as the previous champion, was ushered into a decision match to determine a new champion. On 19 September, Devitt defeated KUSHIDA to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship for the second time. On 10 October, Devitt and Taguchi lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship to the No Remorse Corps (Davey Richards and Rocky Romero
Rocky Romero
John R. Rivera is a Cuban American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Rocky Romero and as the fourth incarnation of Black Tiger. As Romero he was one half of the tag team The Havana Pitbulls , along with Ricky Reyes...
). Devitt made the first successful title defense of his second IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship reign on 12 November, defeating Taka Michinoku.
NWA International
He entered the tournament for the National Wrestling AllianceNational Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
called Reclaiming the Glory
Reclaiming the Glory
Reclaiming the Glory was a professional wrestling tournament held between June 2, 2007 and September 1, 2007. Promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance, the tournament was the result of the dissolution of the licensing agreement between the NWA and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
in June 2007 to crown a new NWA World Heavyweight Champion
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
after the title was stripped from TNA. In the first round he faced Australian wrestler Mikey Nicholls and won, but lost in the second round to Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE where he wrestles on its SmackDown brand as Daniel Bryan, and currently holds the SmackDown Money in the Bank briefcase, which enables him to have a World Heavyweight Championship match at any time of his choosing...
at an NWA Empire show in North Tonawanda, New York.
Personal life
Devitt played football and Gaelic footballGaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
when he was younger, before deciding to become a professional wrestler. He holds a first degree black belt in IBF submission wrestling. Devitt was a fan of the World of Sport
World of Sport
World of Sport can refer to:*World of Sport made by London Weekend Television and broadcast nationwide.*World of Sport seen on Melbourne's HSV Channel 7...
show when he was a child. He was also a fan of the British Bulldogs
British Bulldogs
The British Bulldogs were the team of cousins Davey Boy Smith and Tom Billington , professional wrestlers who competed through most of the 1980s in both North America, England, and Japan and is by many considered one of the top tag-teams in history.-Early years :In the 1970s, Dynamite Kid and Davey...
, Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
, Rick Rude, Mr. Perfect
Curt Hennig
Curtis Michael "Curt" Hennig , also known by the ring name Mr. Perfect, was an American professional wrestler, manager and color commentator who worked for, among other promotions, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , the American Wrestling Association , World Championship Wrestling and the World...
, Koko B. Ware and Savio Vega
Savio Vega
Juan Rivera is a professional wrestler best known under the name Savio Vega. During the mid-late 1990s, he was an active wrestler in the World Wrestling Federation...
.
Devitt is good friends with fellow professional wrestler, Dru Onyx
Dru Onyx
Rodney Lloyd Anthony Kellman , better known by his ring name Dru Onyx and Soa Amin, is a Canadian professional wrestler, He is a currently the co-holder of the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championishp...
.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Bloody Sunday (Lifting single underhook DDT, sometimes from the top rope)
- BrainbusterBrainbusterA brainbuster is a professional wrestling throw in which a wrestler puts his/her opponent in a front facelock, hooks his/her pants, and lifts him/her up as if he/she was executing a vertical suplex. The wrestler then falls onto his/her back so that the opponent lands on his/her head while remaining...
- Devitt's End (High-angle Fujiwara armbar)
- Diving double foot stomp, sometimes to a tree of woe hung opponent
- Prince's Throne (Fireman's carry double knee gutbuster)
- Shingata Prince's Throne (Canadian backbreaker twisted into a double knee gutbuster)
- Signature moves
- Airplane spin
- Overhead kick
- Somersault suicide senton
- With Ryusuke TaguchiRyusuke Taguchiis a Japanese professional wrestler, trained by and currently performing for New Japan Pro Wrestling , where he is a former one-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and a four-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion....
- Apollo 55 (Powerbomb (Taguchi) / Double knee backbreaker (Devitt) combination)
- Black Hole Vacation (Elevated double chickenwing by Taguchi dropped into a double knee gutbuster by Devitt)
- Black Sunday (Chickenwing facebuster (Taguchi) / Single underhook DDT (Devitt) combination)
- NicknameNicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s - "Irish Young Gun"
- Entrance themesMusic in professional wrestlingMusic in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
- "You're the BestYou're the Best"You're the Best" is a song performed by Joe Esposito and written by Bill Conti and Allee Willis, which came to prominence as the music to the All-Valley Karate Championships montage in the 1984 movie The Karate Kid in which the protagonist, Daniel LaRusso , proves a surprisingly formidable...
" by Joe EspositoJoe Esposito (singer)Joe Esposito is a Grammy winning American singer/songwriter whose career spans from the 1970s to the present day. Esposito's songs have been recorded by Donna Summer, Aretha Franklin, Labelle, and Stephen Stills and others.-Biography:...
Championships and accomplishments
- NWA UK HammerlockNWA UK HammerlockNWA UK Hammerlock was a British professional wrestling promotion based in Kent.-History:Established in 1993 by former wrestler turned promoter Andre "Sledgehammer" Baker, it is one of the National Wrestling Alliance's territories...
- NWA British Commonwealth Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA British Commonwealth Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA British Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling championship that serves as the major title in the NWA UK Hammerlock promotion...
(2 times)
- New Japan Pro WrestlingNew Japan Pro Wrestlingis a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
- IWGP Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipIWGP Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipThe IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling junior heavweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro Wrestling promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the International Wrestling Grand Prix. The title was introduced on February 6, 1986 at a NJPW show....
(2 times, current) - IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team ChampionshipIWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team ChampionshipThe IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the New Japan Pro Wrestling promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the International Wrestling Grand Prix. The title was introduced on August 8, 1998 at a NJPW live event...
(5 times) – with Minoru (2) and Ryusuke TaguchiRyusuke Taguchiis a Japanese professional wrestler, trained by and currently performing for New Japan Pro Wrestling , where he is a former one-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and a four-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion....
(3) - Best of the Super JuniorsBest of the Super JuniorsThis article is about the professional wrestling tournament. For the South Korean boy band, see Super Junior.The Best of the Super Juniors is an annual professional wrestling tournament held by New Japan Pro Wrestling , typically in May or June...
(2010) - J Sports Crown 6 Man Openweight Tag Team Tournament (2010, 2011) – with Ryusuke Taguchi and Hirooki GotoHirooki Gotois a Japanese professional wrestler. He has wrestled primarily for New Japan Pro Wrestling since his debut.-Career:Goto attended Kokushikan University, where he took part in freestyle wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling. Upon graduating, Goto qualified to join New Japan Pro Wrestling, but left the...
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked him #73 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2011
- Tokyo Sports Grand Prix
- Best Bout (2010) with Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi (NJPW, October 11)
External links
- New Japan Pro Wrestling profile
- NWA Pro profile
- Online World of Wrestling profile
- Fergal Devitt on FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...