Minoru Fujita (藤田 穣, Fujita Minoru, ring name: 藤田 ミノル)[1][2] (born September 5, 1977) is a Japanese professional wrestler who works as a freelancer. He is known for working at Gatoh Move Pro Wrestling.
| Minoru Fujita | |
|---|---|
 Fujita in February 2020 | |
| Born | September 5, 1977 Onoda, Yamaguchi, Japan |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Minoru Fujita Great Minoru Fujita Mitaro Fujita Mr. X Red Onigumo HERO! |
| Billed height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Billed weight | 80 kg (176 lb) |
| Trained by | Kazuo Sakurada Yoshihiro Tajiri |
| Debut | April 11, 1997 |
Career
editJapanese independent scene (1997-present)
editFujita started in Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW) as a protégé of its top junior heavyweight, Yoshihiro Tajiri. When Tajiri, who was Big Japan junior heavyweight champion, quit the company and gave up the title, Fujita had a decision match against Katsumi Usuda from the Battlarts promotion but ended up losing.
Fujita spent his time leaving Big Japan to venture into other Japanese independents, meeting Ikuto Hidaka of Battlarts along the way and making memorable tag team matches with him. The combination, however, despite their combined talent, could not have a future due to their separate schedules; Fujita tried a move to Michinoku Pro Wrestling in 2000, but despite the higher exposure, it did little for him financially and did not raise his stock as a viable junior heavyweight contender.
He thus headed for Mexico and Puerto Rico, where he won his first major title, the International Wrestling Association junior heavyweight title. Returning to Japan in 2002, he entered New Japan Pro-Wrestling (to which he had been once before, in a Best of the Super Junior tournament), to challenge the heavyweight division, but nothing came out of it. He then headed to Taka Michinoku's Kaientai Dojo promotion, but despite being promoted as a tough-to beat heel, he was never able to win titles there.
A change of pace came in 2004 when he joined Pro Wrestling Zero-One (Zero-One), where old friend Hidaka awaited. The two began teaming more frequently and this time they clicked, collecting several tag team titles along the way. Their greatest victory came in March 2006, when they defeated Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah) stars Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Takashi Sugiura to win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. Since then Fujita has been a rising star in Japan and has finally shed the "underachiever" tag he was saddled with by foreign observers of puroresu.[citation needed]
Fujita defeated Baliyan Akki on the day 2 of the 100th Anniversary of Chocopro on March 28, 2021 to win the Super Asia Championship.[3]
Championships and accomplishments
edit
- KO-D 6 Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Daisuke Sasaki and MJ Paul
- KO-D Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Harashima and Kanon
- Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship (1 time)[4]
- UWA World Trios Championship (2 times) – with Mazada and Nosawa Rongai
- Kohaku Wrestling Wars
- Tohoku Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ikuto Hidaka
- UWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ikuto Hidaka
- Premier Wrestling Federation
- PWF Unified Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ikuto Hidaka
- King of Freedom World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Kenji Fukimoto (1)[5] and Rina Yamashita (1)[6]
- GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ikuto Hidaka
- AWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Ikuto Hidaka (1) and Takuya Sugawara (1)
- NWA International Lightweight Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Ikuto Hidaka (1) and Takuya Sugawara (1)
- WDB Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Saki Maemura
- Passion Cup Tag Tournament (2007)
- Tenkaichi Junior (2006)
- Tokyo Intercontinental Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Mazada[8]
- Tokyo World Heavyweight Championship (2 time, current)[9]
- Best Tag Team Award (2005) with Ikuto Hidaka[10]
- UWA World Trios Championship (1 time) – with Mazada and Nosawa Rongai
References
edit- ^ "Minoru Fujita profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2012-11-06.
- ^ "Profile at Puroresu Central". Puroresu Central. Retrieved 2012-05-11.
- ^ a b "New Champion Crowned on Day 2 of Chocopro #100!". TDE Wrestling Twitter.
- ^ "Ironman Heavymetalweight Title". wrestling-titles.com. February 28, 2020. Archived from the original on June 27, 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
- ^ "H27.7.29 東京・新木場1stRing大会". Pro Wrestling Freedoms (in Japanese). 2015-07-29. Retrieved 2015-07-30.
- ^ 2021.2.9 東京・後楽園ホール. pw-freedoms.co.jp (in Japanese). February 9, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2006". The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
- ^ 【試合結果】9･27 東京愚連隊興行新宿Face大会 【東京世界ヘビー級】望月成晃vsNosawa論外 【東京インターコンチネンタルタッグ】ディック東郷＆獅龍vsMazada＆Fujita. Battle News (in Japanese). 2017-09-28. Retrieved 2017-09-29.
- ^ "Fujitaが高木に、論外＆Mazadが大阪06に勝利し、ベルトが愚連隊に勢揃い！世界一性格の悪い神の子が降臨！". Battle News (in Japanese). 2013-01-16. Retrieved 2013-01-16.
- ^ 東京スポーツ プロレス大賞. Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). Retrieved 2014-01-20.
External links
edit