Strong Style Spirit ~ Your New Japan resource for over seven years

Tatsuhito Takaiwa
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 214lbs
Date of Birth: 7/5/72
Place of Birth: Kameoka City, Kyoto
Debut: July 21st, 1992 (vs. Satoshi Kojima)

Title History:

GHC Jr. Heavyweight Title (1):
- Yoshinobu Kanemaru (10/19/01) / Naomichi Marufuji (12/9/01)

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title (1):
- Jushin Thunder Liger (7/20/00) / Minoru Tanaka (10/29/00)

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title (2):
- (w/ Shinjiro Otani) Koji Kanemoto & Dr. Wagner Jr. (8/8/98) / Kendo Kashin & Dr. Wagner Jr. (1/4/99)
- (w/ Shinjiro Otani) Jushin Thunder Liger & Great Sasuke (7/13/99) / Koji Kanemoto & Minoru Tanaka (6/25/00)

WAR International Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title (1):
- (w/ Shinjiro Otani) Masao Orihara & Masaaki Mochizuki (12/11/98) / Yuji Yasuraoka & Tomohiro Ishii (3/1/99)

Tournament History:

- IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title League (1998): Shinjiro Otani & Tatsuhito Takaiwa beat Koji Kanemoto & Dr. Wagner Jr. (20:13) when Otani used a Dragon suplex hold on Wagner.
- Best of the Super Jr. 2000: Tatsuhito Takaiwa beat Shinjiro Otani (18:35) with a lariat.

Signature Moves:

- Death Valley bomb
- Lariat
- Mochizuki bomb

Profile:

After spending much of his youth absorbed in judo, Takaiwa was initiated into New Japan in February, 1992, and debuted in July of that year. He started slowly, but began distinguishing himself by using a Death Valley bomb as his signature move. It came as a surprise to many when he became a permanent junior heavyweight wrestler, as many believed his power wrestling style suited the heavyweight division more. Using his strength, he climbed through the ranks of the junior division, his first major success coming when he and Shinjiro Otani became the first ever IWGP Jr. Tag Team Champions in 1998. 2000 was his true breakout year in New Japan though, as he defeated Otani to win the Best of the Super Jr., and ended Jushin Thunder Liger's dominant IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title reign shortly after. He then became one of the few junior heavyweights to compete in the G1 Climax, and although he managed just one win, he fought well against the likes of Masahiro Chono. In February, 2001, Takaiwa abruptly quit New Japan, following Otani to join another breakaway, Shinya Hashimoto, and forming the ZERO-ONE promotion. He began to turn even more heads in ZERO-ONE, particularly while working with NOAH wrestlers such as Naomichi Marufuji and Yoshinobu Kanemaru. He became the first man to win both a New Japan and NOAH title, capturing NOAH's GHC Jr. Heavyweight Title in October, 2001. Takaiwa's power fighting style combined with a vicious streak, make him one of the most lethal junior heavyweights on the planet. He is also responsible for some of the best matches seen anywhere in the last few years, and is one of ZERO-ONE's top junior stars.