Shoichi Funaki
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| Shoichi Funaki | |
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| Statistics | |
| Ring name(s) | Shoichi Funaki Sho Funaki Funaki |
| Billed height | 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) |
| Billed weight | 81 kg (180 lb) |
| Born | August 24, 1968 Tokyo |
| Resides | San Antonio, Texas |
| Trained by | Animal Hamaguchi, Yoshiaki Fujiwara |
| Debut | 1990 |
Shoichi Funaki (born August 24, 1968) is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently wrestling in the United States of America for the SmackDown! brand of the World Wrestling Entertainment in its cruiserweight division. He currently resides in San Antonio, Texas.
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[edit] Career
Funaki started as a shoot style wrestler in Yoshiaki Fujiwara's Fujiwara Gumi promotion and moved to its successor promotion, BattlARTS. He later found the lucha libre style more to his liking, so he moved to the Great Sasuke's promotion, Michinoku Pro Wrestling. In that promotion, he joined with TAKA Michinoku, Dick Togo, Mens Teioh and Shiryu in the Kai En Tai stable.
In 1998, he, along with Teioh and Togo, joined the World Wrestling Federation. Initially, they feuded with TAKA Michinoku, until TAKA eventually turned heel and joined the group. Over time, the stable turned into a tag team, as in 1999, Teioh and Togo (and manager Yamaguchi-san) were given their releases. Michinoku and Funaki were often used for comedic purposes, often having their pre-match promos dubbed. After Michinoku left the WWE, Funaki found himself as a lower card wrestler and adopted the gimmick of "SmackDown!'s number one announcer", performing backstage interviews between matches, while competing in the WWE's cruiserweight division.
At WWE Armageddon 2004, Funaki defeated Spike Dudley to win his first WWE Cruiserweight Championship. He later lost the championship in a six-man cruiserweight elimination match at No Way Out 2005. Since then, Funaki has mainly been a jobber to new and returning talent.
During an interview with then Cruiserweight Champion Kid Kash on an episode of SmackDown! after Armageddon 2005, Funaki was assaulted by Kash, who gave him a brainbuster onto the interview staging.
At the Royal Rumble 2006 pay per view, Funaki had the chance to face Kid Kash in a match for the title, when he was entered into a Cruiserweight Open along with 4 other former Cruiserweight champions, and the champ, Kid Kash. Funaki was pinned in this one fall match by Gregory Helms, who won the match and title.
Since that time Funaki, would regularly team with Scotty 2 Hotty during episodes of WWE Velocity and WWE SmackDown!. However, during one such Velocity taping, Funaki suffered a 2nd Grade concussion, where he was unconscious for just under two minutes.
Funaki has since then resumed wrestling, forming a tag-team with Scotty 2 Hotty, and has mainly been used to put over debuting wrestlers or tag teams.
[edit] Wrestling facts
- Nicknames
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- "Smackdown's #1 Announcer"
- Finishing and signature moves
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- Rising Sun (Top rope tornado DDT)
- Jumping one-handed bulldog
- Cross kneelock - 1990s
- Hurricanrana
- Enzuiguri
- Flying crossbody
- Dropkick
- Camel clutch
- Quotes
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- "Indeed!" (dubbed)
- "This is Funaki - SmackDown!'s number one announcer!" - in Engrish
[edit] Championships and accomplishments
- Texas Wrestling Alliance
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- TWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Universal Wrestling Association
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- UWA World Middleweight Championship (1 time)
[edit] Personal information
- Funaki is fluent in Spanish. This was helpful when he was a regular in the short-lived WWE Spanish-language show Los Super Astros, which was televised on Univision.
- Is married and has a son.
- Is good friends with Lita and Stone Cold Steve Austin in real life.
- Austin, who is from Texas, gave Funaki the idea to move him and his family to Texas. Funaki loves Texas and has been good friends with Austin ever since.
