Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Encyclopedia
Yoshinobu Kanemaru is a Japanese
professional wrestler
, currently working for Pro Wrestling Noah
. Kanemaru holds the records for the most reigns for both of Noah's Jr. Heavyweight titles.
, in the last years of owner Giant Baba's regime, which had isolated the promotion from outsider wrestlers at the expense of the younger, lighter-weight talent. His first high-profile match in 1997 saw him team with New Japan Pro Wrestling
's Koji Kanemoto
(Tiger Mask III) to battle freelancer Satoru Sayama
, the original Tiger Mask
, and his disciple, Michinoku Pro Wrestling
's Tiger Mask IV
. (As Mitsuharu Misawa
, who once portrayed Tiger Mask II, was now a heavyweight and fully focused on the AJPW Triple Crown, Kanemaru had to substitute for him in this interpromotional bout.)
Despite Baba's death in 1999, Kanemaru rarely had further opportunities to go into other promotions. It was only in 2000, after Misawa broke with AJPW to create Noah that his experience began widening. In a brief promotional alliance with FMW, Kanemaru was able to win his first championship, the WEW tag team title, with heavyweight Masao Inoue
.
In 2001, Kanemaru underwent a transformation. His simple Bermuda shorts
and boots were changed for tights and shinguards, and he began executing more high-risk maneuvers proper for a junior heavyweight
. This paid off well for Kanemaru, as he plowed through a field of unlikely but talented competitors to win a tournament for the first-ever GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship
. He would go on to win the title twice more, including a win over NJPW's long time junior ace, Jushin Liger
. In tag teams his experience widened as well, teaming with Tsuyoshi Kikuchi
to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
, and with Takashi Sugiura
to win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
twice. His win of the NJPW title served as a catalyst for the creation of the equivalent Noah title.
In 2008, Kanemaru showed a serious shift in his attitude after the "SugiKane" team of himself and Takashi Sugiura
went their separate ways after Sugiura moved to the heavyweight division. Kanemaru began using heel tactics in his matches. And in the summer convinced Kotaro Suzuki
to betray his friend & tag team partner Ricky Marvin
and attacked the reigning Jr. Heavyweights champions KENTA
and Taiji Ishimori
. The new team would defeat the champions for their titles two weeks later after Kanemaru pinned KENTA after using his "Touch-Out" brainbuster.
Long overlooked in AJPW, Kanemaru has steadily built himself as one of the top junior heavyweight fighters in Japan for the foreseeable future.
On October 31, 2009, he defeated Jushin Liger in the finals of the Junior Heavyweight League
to win the vacant GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship for a fifth time.
On 28 March 2010,he retained his title against Taiji Ishimori, on 25 April 2010 he beat Delirious and on his third defense on 10 July he kept his title after a victory on Naomichi Marufuji.
On September 2, 2010 in Xtreme Wrestling Entertainment defeat José Vargas Jr., to win the XWE Cruiserweight Championship for first time. On December 5, 2010, Kanemaru lost the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship to Kotaro Suzuki, ending his reign at 400 days, the longest in the title's history.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
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 working for Pro Wrestling Noah
Pro Wrestling Noah
is a major Japanese professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2000 by former All Japan Pro Wrestling ace Mitsuharu Misawa. NOAH is broadcast weekly in Japan...
. Kanemaru holds the records for the most reigns for both of Noah's Jr. Heavyweight titles.
Career
Kanemaru debuted in 1996 for All Japan Pro WrestlingAll Japan Pro Wrestling
is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1972. All Japan Pro Wrestling still remains one of the most popular puroresu promotions still in operation.-The Giant Baba Era :...
, in the last years of owner Giant Baba's regime, which had isolated the promotion from outsider wrestlers at the expense of the younger, lighter-weight talent. His first high-profile match in 1997 saw him team with 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...
's Koji Kanemoto
Koji Kanemoto
is a professional wrestler. He is of Zainichi Korean descent.-Career:Kanemoto practiced Judo during his high school days and won a few championships as a professional before being recruited by the New Japan Dojo. He debuted in November 1990, wrestling against Michiyoshi Ohara. In March 1992, he...
(Tiger Mask III) to battle freelancer Satoru Sayama
Satoru Sayama
is a Japanese professional wrestler, best known as the original Tiger Mask. He's wrestled under his real name as well as the names Sammy Lee, and masked Super Tiger, Tiger King, Tiger Mask and The Mask of Tiger...
, the original Tiger Mask
Tiger Mask
is a Japanese manga series written by Ikki Kajiwara and illustrated by Naoki Tsuji. The series was first published in Kodansha's Bokura Magazine from 1968 to 1969 and was later published in Weekly Shōnen Magazine from 1970 to 1971...
, and his disciple, Michinoku Pro Wrestling
Michinoku Pro Wrestling
Michinoku Pro Wrestling is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion, founded by The Great Sasuke in 1993. Michinoku Pro was the first independent wrestling promotion in Japan to not base its operations in Tokyo, but rather in Morioka, Iwate...
's Tiger Mask IV
Tiger Mask IV
Yoshihiro Yamazaki , best known by his ring name Tiger Mask , is a Japanese professional wrestler who currently works for New Japan Pro Wrestling. Yamazaki is the fourth wrestler to portray the Tiger Mask image / persona; having used it since 1995...
. (As Mitsuharu Misawa
Mitsuharu Misawa
was a Japanese professional wrestler. He made his professional debut on August 21, 1981 for All Japan Pro Wrestling . From 1984 until 1990, Misawa wrestled as the second generation Tiger Mask, as All Japan Pro Wrestling had purchased the rights of the Tiger Mask gimmick from New Japan Pro Wrestling...
, who once portrayed Tiger Mask II, was now a heavyweight and fully focused on the AJPW Triple Crown, Kanemaru had to substitute for him in this interpromotional bout.)
Despite Baba's death in 1999, Kanemaru rarely had further opportunities to go into other promotions. It was only in 2000, after Misawa broke with AJPW to create Noah that his experience began widening. In a brief promotional alliance with FMW, Kanemaru was able to win his first championship, the WEW tag team title, with heavyweight Masao Inoue
Masao Inoue
is a professional wrestler who currently works for Pro Wrestling Noah as a member of Dark Agents. He has previously worked for All Japan Pro Wrestling.-All Japan Pro Wrestling:...
.
In 2001, Kanemaru underwent a transformation. His simple Bermuda shorts
Bermuda shorts
Bermuda Shorts, also known as walking shorts or dress shorts, are a particular type of short trousers, now widely worn as semi-casual attire by both men and women...
and boots were changed for tights and shinguards, and he began executing more high-risk maneuvers proper for a junior heavyweight
Cruiserweight (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a cruiserweight is a wrestler weighing 220 lb and less, sometimes 215. The older term junior heavyweight, which was used to describe the division, is more favored in Japan, where many titles for lighter-weight competitors are called junior heavyweight titles...
. This paid off well for Kanemaru, as he plowed through a field of unlikely but talented competitors to win a tournament for the first-ever GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship
GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship
The Global Honored Crown Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title in Japanese promotion Pro Wrestling Noah, specifically for junior heavyweight The Global Honored Crown (GHC) Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title in Japanese promotion Pro...
. He would go on to win the title twice more, including a win over NJPW's long time junior ace, 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 tag teams his experience widened as well, teaming with Tsuyoshi Kikuchi
Tsuyoshi Kikuchi
is a professional wrestler currently working as a freelancer. He has previously worked for All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling NOAH. Kikuchi idolized and patterned his style after the Dynamite Kid....
to win 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...
, and with Takashi Sugiura
Takashi Sugiura
is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working for Pro Wrestling Noah. Sugiura, an accomplished amateur wrestler, joined NOAH's dojo in 2000, making his professional debut on December 23, 2000, and thus becoming the first wrestler to make his pro wrestling debut in NOAH. He has also...
to win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
The Global Honored Crown Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team title in Japanese promotion Pro Wrestling Noah, contested exclusively among junior heavyweight wrestlers. It was created on July 16, 2003 when Kenta and Naomichi Marufuji defeated Jushin Liger...
twice. His win of the NJPW title served as a catalyst for the creation of the equivalent Noah title.
In 2008, Kanemaru showed a serious shift in his attitude after the "SugiKane" team of himself and Takashi Sugiura
Takashi Sugiura
is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working for Pro Wrestling Noah. Sugiura, an accomplished amateur wrestler, joined NOAH's dojo in 2000, making his professional debut on December 23, 2000, and thus becoming the first wrestler to make his pro wrestling debut in NOAH. He has also...
went their separate ways after Sugiura moved to the heavyweight division. Kanemaru began using heel tactics in his matches. And in the summer convinced Kotaro Suzuki
Kotaro Suzuki
Kotaro Suzuki , born June 18, 1978 in Warabi, Saitama is a professional wrestler who currently wrestles for Pro Wrestling Noah, where he is one half of the reigning GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions.- Career :...
to betray his friend & tag team partner Ricky Marvin
Ricky Marvin
Ricardo Fuentes Romero is a Mexican professional wrestler, known by his ring name Ricky Marvin and is most known for his work in the Japanese promotion Pro Wrestling NOAH...
and attacked the reigning Jr. Heavyweights champions KENTA
Kenta
is a masculine Japanese given name, and may refer to:* Kenta, Swedish musician * KENTA, Japanese professional wrestler * Kenta Kobashi, Japanese professional wrestler...
and Taiji Ishimori
Taiji Ishimori
is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for Pro Wrestling NOAH as well as making appearances for Asistencia Asesoría y Administración through a NOAH/AAA working relationship.-Professional wrestling career:...
. The new team would defeat the champions for their titles two weeks later after Kanemaru pinned KENTA after using his "Touch-Out" brainbuster.
Long overlooked in AJPW, Kanemaru has steadily built himself as one of the top junior heavyweight fighters in Japan for the foreseeable future.
On October 31, 2009, he defeated Jushin Liger in the finals of the Junior Heavyweight League
NOAH Junior League
The Junior League is an annual professional wrestling round-robin tournament held by Pro Wrestling NOAH, to decide the promotion's top junior heavyweight wrestler. It was established in 2009 as a two-block round-robin tournament, in which each block's two highest scorers face off in the semi finals...
to win the vacant GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship for a fifth time.
On 28 March 2010,he retained his title against Taiji Ishimori, on 25 April 2010 he beat Delirious and on his third defense on 10 July he kept his title after a victory on Naomichi Marufuji.
On September 2, 2010 in Xtreme Wrestling Entertainment defeat José Vargas Jr., to win the XWE Cruiserweight Championship for first time. On December 5, 2010, Kanemaru lost the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship to Kotaro Suzuki, ending his reign at 400 days, the longest in the title's history.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Deep Impact (Diving DDT)
- Split-legged moonsault
- Touch–Out (Twisting brainbuster)
- Signature moves
- Frog splash
- Guillotine leg drop onto an opponent who is hanging on a guardrail
- Rope hung DDT
- Running delayed low–angle running dropkickDropkickA dropkick is an attacking maneuver in professional wrestling. It is defined as an attack where the wrestler jumps up and kicks the opponent with the soles of both feet; this sees the wrestler twist as he or she jumps so that when the feet connect with the opponent one foot is raised higher than...
to an opponent in the tree of woe position - Seated chinlock
- Tilt–a–whirl DDTDDT (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling a DDT is any move in which the wrestler has the opponent in a front facelock, and falls down or backwards to drive the opponent's head into the mat...
Championships and accomplishments
- All Japan Pro WrestlingAll Japan Pro Wrestlingis a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1972. All Japan Pro Wrestling still remains one of the most popular puroresu promotions still in operation.-The Giant Baba Era :...
- Asunaro Cup (2000)
- January 3rd Korakuen Hall Junior Heavyweight Battle Royal Winner (1999)
- 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 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...
(1 time) – with Tsuyoshi KikuchiTsuyoshi Kikuchiis a professional wrestler currently working as a freelancer. He has previously worked for All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling NOAH. Kikuchi idolized and patterned his style after the Dynamite Kid....
- 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 #168 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2011
- Pro Wrestling NoahPro Wrestling Noahis a major Japanese professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2000 by former All Japan Pro Wrestling ace Mitsuharu Misawa. NOAH is broadcast weekly in Japan...
- GHC Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipGHC Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipThe Global Honored Crown Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title in Japanese promotion Pro Wrestling Noah, specifically for junior heavyweight The Global Honored Crown (GHC) Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title in Japanese promotion Pro...
(5 times) - GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team ChampionshipGHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team ChampionshipThe Global Honored Crown Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team title in Japanese promotion Pro Wrestling Noah, contested exclusively among junior heavyweight wrestlers. It was created on July 16, 2003 when Kenta and Naomichi Marufuji defeated Jushin Liger...
(4 times) – with Takashi SugiuraTakashi Sugiurais a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working for Pro Wrestling Noah. Sugiura, an accomplished amateur wrestler, joined NOAH's dojo in 2000, making his professional debut on December 23, 2000, and thus becoming the first wrestler to make his pro wrestling debut in NOAH. He has also...
(2), Kotaro SuzukiKotaro SuzukiKotaro Suzuki , born June 18, 1978 in Warabi, Saitama is a professional wrestler who currently wrestles for Pro Wrestling Noah, where he is one half of the reigning GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions.- Career :...
(1) and KentaKenta Kobayashi, also known by his ring name KENTA, is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to Pro Wrestling Noah, where he is a former three-time Global Honored Crown Junior Heavyweight Champion...
(1) - Junior Heavyweight LeagueNOAH Junior LeagueThe Junior League is an annual professional wrestling round-robin tournament held by Pro Wrestling NOAH, to decide the promotion's top junior heavyweight wrestler. It was established in 2009 as a two-block round-robin tournament, in which each block's two highest scorers face off in the semi finals...
(2009) - Nippon TV Cup Jr. Heavyweight Tag LeagueNippon TV Cup Jr. Heavyweight Tag LeagueThe Nippon TV Cup Jr. Heavyweight Tag League is an annual professional wrestling tag team professional wrestling tournament held by Pro Wrestling NOAH since 2007.- List of winners :*2007: KENTA and Taiji Ishimori*2008: KENTA and Taiji Ishimori...
(2009) – with Kotaro Suzuki
- westside Xtreme wrestling
- Trios Tournament (2006) – with Doug WilliamsDoug Williams (wrestler)Douglas Clayton Durdle is an English professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Doug Williams. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Douglas Williams...
and Takashi SugiuraTakashi Sugiurais a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working for Pro Wrestling Noah. Sugiura, an accomplished amateur wrestler, joined NOAH's dojo in 2000, making his professional debut on December 23, 2000, and thus becoming the first wrestler to make his pro wrestling debut in NOAH. He has also...
- Trios Tournament (2006) – with Doug Williams
- World Entertainment WrestlingFrontier Martial-Arts WrestlingFrontier Martial-Arts Wrestling was a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded on July 28, 1989 by Atsushi Onita that specialized in hardcore wrestling involving weapons such as barbed wire and fire. They held their first show on October 6, 1989...
- WEW World Tag Team ChampionshipWEW World Tag Team ChampionshipThe WEW World Tag Team Championship is a tag team professional wrestling championship formerly contested in the Japanese promotion Frontier Marital-Arts Wrestling and World Entertainment Wrestling and currently contested in Apache Army. *Note: The title is sometimes called the FMW/WEW World Tag...
(1 time) – with Masao InoueMasao Inoueis a professional wrestler who currently works for Pro Wrestling Noah as a member of Dark Agents. He has previously worked for All Japan Pro Wrestling.-All Japan Pro Wrestling:...
- Xtreme Wrestling Entertainment
- XWE Cruiserweight Championship (1 time, current)